RTE Admission Scam: 306 Bogus Enrollments in Ahmedabad, Income Misrepresentation
The Government of Gujarat has allowed admission to grade 1 for underprivileged and marginalized children under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. However, some parents, in an attempt to receive these benefits, have submitted false documents to gain admission in private schools that receive funds under the RTE. This has deprived the genuinely needy children of these opportunities. It has come to light that 306 students secured admissions under the RTE by providing false documents. These cases have been reported to the District Education Officer (DEO) for investigation.
Parents Inflate Incomes to Gain Admissions In several cases, parents have inflated their incomes when applying for admissions under the RTE. The admission process required documentation, income tax returns, and affidavits to verify the applicants’ financial status. After admission, schools cross-checked the income of the parents using their Aadhar card data. In four prominent schools, including Udgam School, Zebar School, Anand Niketan School, and Global International School, parents were found to have declared higher incomes than their actual financial status to secure RTE admissions.
Case 1: Ramesh Chaudhary Ramesh Chaudhary, a resident of Thaltej, secured an RTE admission for his child in Global Indian International School by submitting an income certificate of Rs. 1.50 lakhs. However, upon verification by the school, his annual income was found to be Rs. 3,59,780.
Case 2: Imtiyaz Khan Mevati Imtiyaz Khan Mevati, a resident of Sarkhej, gained admission for his child in Anand Niketan School under RTE by declaring an income of up to Rs. 1.50 lakhs. After verification by the school, his actual annual income was Rs. 3.80 lakhs.
Case 3: Ankit Patel Ankit Patel, residing in Thaltej, secured an RTE admission for his child in Zebar School by submitting an income certificate of Rs. 1.50 lakhs. Upon verification, it was revealed that his annual income was Rs. 5.76 lakhs.
Case 4: Ashwin Patel Ashwin Patel, also residing in Thaltej, secured an RTE admission for his child in Zebar School by submitting an income certificate of Rs. 1.50 lakhs. However, upon verification by the school, his actual annual income was Rs. 6,37,225.
Action Taken and Potential Police Complaints The DEO, Rohit Chaudhari, revealed that schools have filed complaints against such irregular admissions, which have prompted ongoing investigations. These fabricated admissions may be revoked at the end of the academic year. If necessary, police complaints may also be filed regarding these fraudulent admissions.
