RTE Free School Admission
Apply for a free seat under the 25% RTE Act quota in a private unaided school near your home through your state's dedicated RTE online admission portal, with seats allotted by a computerised lottery/draw.
Required Documents
Step-by-Step Process
Check Eligibility and Neighbourhood Schools
Confirm your child falls in the RTE age band (typically 3-6 years for entry class) and belongs to an economically weaker or disadvantaged group, then view the list of private schools notified under RTE within your area on the state portal.
Register and Fill the Online Form
Register on your state's RTE admission portal (each state runs its own, e.g. Delhi, Maharashtra, or Karnataka RTE portals) and fill in child and parent details, then list up to the permitted number of preferred schools in order of preference.
Upload Documents and Submit
Upload the child's age proof, residence proof, and category/income certificate, then submit; note there is normally no fee for the RTE application itself.
Await the Computerised Lottery
Since applications usually far exceed seats, the education department runs a computerised random draw/lottery per school; check your allotment status on the portal on the announced result date.
Confirm Admission at the School
If allotted a seat, visit the school within the stipulated window with original documents for verification; the school cannot charge tuition or admission fees for this RTE seat.
Pro Tips & Warnings
- There is no single national RTE website - always search for your own state's RTE portal (education department website), since forms, dates, and age criteria differ by state.
- The 1 km/3 km neighbourhood radius rule for school eligibility is strictly enforced in most states, so only schools genuinely near your residence proof address will appear.
- If not selected in the first lottery round, watch for second/third round vacancy notifications - many seats open up after the first round due to no-shows.