453 schools in Pune district denied RTE reimbursement, Govt. given 15 days to reverse decision

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the fee reimbursement amount for the academic year 2023-24 has been denied to 453 schools in Pune district. The government has cited errors in the documents submitted by these schools as reason for the denial however the decision to refuse reimbursement despite the schools being eligible is considered unjust. So much so that the Maharashtra State Education Board and Independent English Schools Association have warned of a protest if the government fails to reverse the decision within 15 days.

Jagriti Dharmadhikari, chairperson, Independent English Schools Association, said, “The Maharashtra state government through a Government Resolution (GR) dated March 13, 2025, has denied reimbursement funds for the academic year 2023–24 to 453 schools in Pune district. These schools had fulfilled all the necessary permissions and submitted the required documentation to be eligible for RTE (Right to Education) reimbursement.”

“Even though the funds for 2023–24 were approved in 2025, the decision to deny these payments came afterward. If the documentation was truly incomplete, then how were RTE admissions even allowed in these schools? Why did it take so long to make this decision? This suggests that a separate set of rules is being applied to schools in Pune district,” she said.

Dharmadhikari alleged that some education department officials are taking such unfair decisions so as to embezzle school funds. She further informed that as many as 17 schools in Pune district have submitted written complaints to their association regarding this issue.

During a meeting with the director of primary education Sharad Gosavi, he reportedly instructed the concerned education officers to take appropriate action. The Independent English Schools Association has given the government a 15-day ultimatum to reverse the decision. During this time, the association plans to meet the minister of education and guardian minister to present its grievances. If the decision is not reversed, the association will consider launching a statewide agitation.

Sharad Dharurkar, corporation state executive committee member, said, “The government after many years had passed two consecutive ordinances to approve the long-pending RTE reimbursement. Reimbursements have been due since 2017–18, amounting to approximately ₹500 crore. The currently approved amount only covers the period after 2021. The denied funds for 2023–24 also run into several crores.”

A senior education officer on condition of anonymity said, “There appears to be a gap in coordination between different levels of the administration. While schools may have submitted documents, some of them might not have been verified properly or uploaded within the stipulated time on the official portal. However, denying reimbursement after RTE admissions were already approved raises serious questions. Internally, many of us feel the process needs more transparency and consistency. It is unfortunate that genuine schools are getting caught in this bureaucratic confusion.”