Mumbai: Applications under the Right to Education (RTE) Act have declined this year in both Mumbai and across Maharashtra, even as the number of seats and participating schools has increased.
In Mumbai, 10,397 applications were submitted for the 2026–27 academic year, compared to 13,166 last year—a drop of nearly 2,700. The trend extends statewide, with Maharashtra recording 2,89,591 applications, around 15,000 fewer than the 3,05,151 received last year.
This decline comes despite expanded capacity. This year, 8,701 schools are offering 1,14,826 seats under the RTE quota, up from 8,086 schools and 1,09,102 seats in the previous academic year.
The RTE Act mandates that private schools reserve 25 percent of their seats for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the fall in applications suggests that a section of eligible families may not be participating in the process.
As per data from the last 10 years, the number of applications have consistently increased till the academic year 2025-26. However the number of seats have seen a major fluctuation in the city.
While most districts have reported fewer applications, some—including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Palghar, and Kolhapur—have registered a marginal increase.
Parents in Mumbai have also flagged concerns over possible delays in the admission timeline. If the lottery process is pushed back, admissions may coincide with the April–May summer holidays, when many families are away, making it difficult to complete formalities. Parents have urged authorities to announce the lottery schedule at the earliest.
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RTE activist Mukund Kirdat attributed the dip to recent changes in eligibility criteria. Initially, the education department restricted applications to schools within a one-kilometre radius of a child’s residence. After a high court stay, the limit was revised to three kilometres. The sudden shift, he said, led to confusion among parents and may have discouraged applications.
Last year, more than one lakh students were selected through the lottery system across the state, with over 88,000 ultimately securing admission after multiple rounds. Officials maintain that while interest in RTE admissions continues, there is a need for clearer communication and greater awareness to ensure more eligible families apply and benefit from the scheme.
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