Education is a right now

“Education is more than a luxury; it is a responsibility that society owes itself” - Robin Cook

After eight years of the 86th amendment to the constitution, the Right to Education Act came into force on 1st of April 2010. The Act makes elementary education for all children in the age group of 6-14 compulsory.

The implementation of the RTE Act will directly benefit close to 1 crore children (as per UNESCO). This also makes it obligatory for the central and state governments to ensure that every child gets free elementary education. The government estimates an expense of 1.71 lakh crore over the next five years for the implementation of the Act.

The RTE act is India's contribution to the Millennium Development Goal of 'Education for All by 2015' of the United Nations. The Act which will be applicable to all of India except Jammu and Kashmir, provides for 25 percent reservation for the economically disadvantaged communities in admission to private schools.

A big boost to address one of the important issues facing the country, RTE implementation will propel the country towards greater heights of productivity and prosperity. The Act charts out an important role for the civil society to be a major player in making its implementation a success.