The RTE stands for the Right to Education, which is an Indian law that makes education a fundamental right for children between the ages of 6 and 14. The law was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2009 and came into effect on April 1, 2010. The RTE Act mandates that all private schools in India must reserve 25% of their total seats for children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds, and provide free and compulsory education to these children until they complete their elementary education.
The main objective of the RTE Act is to bridge the socio-economic gap by providing education to children from low-income families and marginalized communities. The Act also lays down certain standards for the minimum infrastructure and teacher-student ratio in schools, and provides for the appointment of a School Management Committee for every school to ensure the participation of the community in the management of schools.
The RTE Act is seen as a significant step towards achieving universal elementary education in India and fulfilling the constitutional commitment to provide free and compulsory education to all children. However, implementation of the RTE Act has faced several challenges such as lack of infrastructure and trained teachers in government schools, and resistance from private schools to admit children from disadvantaged backgrounds.