<p>It has emerged that financial and procedural delays will push implementation of key provisions of the Act to next year. The deadlock over funding and delay in preparation of rules for the implementation of the RTE Act means that 25 pc quota in schools for students from disadvantaged and economically weaker groups will not be implemented this year. <br /><br />State Education Department officials confirmed to Deccan Herald that the provision was unlikely to be implemented in the forthcoming academic year and will most likely be put into effect by 2012 at the earliest.<br /><br />Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, while saying that the government had given in-principle approval to implementation of the Act, maintained that there were significant roadblocks that they will have to be overcome. “The consultation process is naturally a lengthy one. Moreover, it is not just Karnataka but almost all other states that are yet to move forward on a large number of these issues,” he added. <br /><br />The first roadblock relates to the delay in notification of the RTE rules, which is now expected to be finalised only by March or April. While the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – the nodal agency for implementation of the RTE Act – has come out with six revisions of the draft rules, it is yet to finalise them. SSA Director Sandhya Venugopal Sharma said the department was processing objections to the draft rules. “We will submit them to the education department in a fortnight,” she said. <br /><br />Before the education department issues a preliminary notification, the Law Department has to give its sanction after scrutiny. Objections to the preliminary notification will be sought for 30 days, and once the objections are processed, a final notification will be issued. Officials told Deccan Herald that the rules will have to be placed in the Assembly for approval, though this was not expected to delay the notification. <br /><br />The second major roadblock is over funding between the Central and the State Government. Kageri said the Act has necessitated additional funding that could not be met by his government. “We have asked the Centre to bear the additional burden for implementation of the Act,” he said. However, the Central government is pushing for a 65:35 sharing formula.</p>
<p>It has emerged that financial and procedural delays will push implementation of key provisions of the Act to next year. The deadlock over funding and delay in preparation of rules for the implementation of the RTE Act means that 25 pc quota in schools for students from disadvantaged and economically weaker groups will not be implemented this year. <br /><br />State Education Department officials confirmed to Deccan Herald that the provision was unlikely to be implemented in the forthcoming academic year and will most likely be put into effect by 2012 at the earliest.<br /><br />Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, while saying that the government had given in-principle approval to implementation of the Act, maintained that there were significant roadblocks that they will have to be overcome. “The consultation process is naturally a lengthy one. Moreover, it is not just Karnataka but almost all other states that are yet to move forward on a large number of these issues,” he added. <br /><br />The first roadblock relates to the delay in notification of the RTE rules, which is now expected to be finalised only by March or April. While the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – the nodal agency for implementation of the RTE Act – has come out with six revisions of the draft rules, it is yet to finalise them. SSA Director Sandhya Venugopal Sharma said the department was processing objections to the draft rules. “We will submit them to the education department in a fortnight,” she said. <br /><br />Before the education department issues a preliminary notification, the Law Department has to give its sanction after scrutiny. Objections to the preliminary notification will be sought for 30 days, and once the objections are processed, a final notification will be issued. Officials told Deccan Herald that the rules will have to be placed in the Assembly for approval, though this was not expected to delay the notification. <br /><br />The second major roadblock is over funding between the Central and the State Government. Kageri said the Act has necessitated additional funding that could not be met by his government. “We have asked the Centre to bear the additional burden for implementation of the Act,” he said. However, the Central government is pushing for a 65:35 sharing formula.</p>
