With just four days left for parents to file applications for RTE quota seats in private schools, technical glitches impeding the process are yet to be sorted out.
Several parent groups are demanding that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) extend the last date to file applications, which is currently March 31. Parents had complained of technical glitches, including server problems and others related to mismatched pincodes and ward details. This is the first time that the department has linked Aadhaar cards to the RTE quota admission process.
Srikanth S. a software professional who has been trying to apply online for admission for his domestic help’s daughter, said: “I tried filing an application at least 10 times over the past 15 days and have got stuck at different stages. The department should have anticipated that several people would be applying and tuned their server accordingly,” he said.
Manjunatha S., a daily wage labourer who went to the office of the Block Education Officer, said he was unable to apply. “I went three times, but the server was slow. I returned home without applying,” he said.
B.N. Yogananda, general secretary of the association, said as the applications were linked to the Aadhaar address, several parents who had updated their address earlier this month were unable to apply from the current ward they reside in as their address in their Aadhaar card was not updated.
Department officials, however, pointed out that they had so far received 1.35 lakh applications for 1.28 lakh seats.
