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Education
Supreme Court reprimands NCPCR for lax enforcement of 25% EWS quota in schools
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 30 Sep 2026, 06:45 AM
👁 15
The Supreme Court criticised the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights for indifferent implementation of the 25% EWS reservation in schools, as required by its Jan 13 order under the RTE Act.
The Supreme Court on reviewing compliance has scolded the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for its indifferent implementation of the 25% Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation in schools, a directive it issued on January 13.
The apex court had earlier ordered the commission to ensure strict adherence to section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which obliges states to reserve at least a quarter of seats for EWS children in private schools receiving government aid.
During the hearing, the bench observed that despite the order, the NCPCR had not taken effective steps to monitor or enforce the quota, resulting in continued exclusion of eligible children.
The Supreme Court directed the commission to file a detailed compliance report within a specified timeframe and to take immediate measures to achieve full implementation of the 25% EWS quota across all applicable schools.
The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to the RTE Act’s goal of universal quality education and signals tighter scrutiny of agencies tasked with safeguarding children’s educational rights.
The apex court had earlier ordered the commission to ensure strict adherence to section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which obliges states to reserve at least a quarter of seats for EWS children in private schools receiving government aid.
During the hearing, the bench observed that despite the order, the NCPCR had not taken effective steps to monitor or enforce the quota, resulting in continued exclusion of eligible children.
The Supreme Court directed the commission to file a detailed compliance report within a specified timeframe and to take immediate measures to achieve full implementation of the 25% EWS quota across all applicable schools.
The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to the RTE Act’s goal of universal quality education and signals tighter scrutiny of agencies tasked with safeguarding children’s educational rights.