RTE Admission 2025-26: Online Application Starts from October 6, Special Category Students to Benefit

The admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) Act for the academic session 2025-26 will begin from October 6 to October 17, 2025 through the state’s online portal. Nearly 6,000 private schools will upload their total number of seats, out of which 25% seats will be reserved for students applying under RTE.

Who Can Apply Under RTE?

As per government guidelines, RTE admissions will be open to children belonging to special categories such as:

• Orphans

• HIV-infected children

• Transgender children

• Children of manual scavengers

• Children with disabilities

Financial Support and Government Decision

The state government had earlier delayed the RTE admission process due to a funding shortage. The central government has now released ₹450 crore as reimbursement for tuition fees of students admitted under RTE in private schools.

Following the release of funds, the School Education Secretary, B. Chandra Mohan, confirmed that admissions will now go ahead across the state. He explained that the Madras High Court had directed the central government to separate the RTE component under the Samagra Shiksha scheme and release funds accordingly. The matter later went to the Supreme Court, after which the central government finally cleared the dues.

Breakdown of Approved Funds

According to official data:

• For 2024-25, the Project Approval Board sanctioned ₹604 crore, of which the central government’s share was ₹362 crore.

• For 2025-26, ₹585 crore was approved, with the centre contributing ₹351 crore.

• A total of ₹538 crore, including ₹175 crore for the current academic session, has been permitted for release in two installments.

• The state has already received ₹362.8 crore for 2024-25 and ₹87.8 crore for 2025-26.

Background of Delay

Earlier, the central government had withheld ₹2,151 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme after the state refused to implement the three-language policy in PM Shri Schools. This also affected the RTE reimbursement for 2024-25, causing delays in admissions for 2025-26.

With the recent clearance of funds, the long-pending issue has been resolved, and parents can now apply online for their children’s admission between October 6 and October 17, 2025.