What happens when an RTE seat meant for economically eligible families is secured by parents whose tax records show much higher incomes?
That question is now at the centre of a scrutiny involving 35 RTE admissions in Ahmedabad, after four self-financed schools flagged cases in which parents’ reported incomes were above the prescribed eligibility limit.
The cases have been submitted to District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhari, who is expected to hear the parents and examine the documents before deciding what happens next.
The issue has also brought attention to a basic concern surrounding the RTE quota: whether families who fall outside the income criteria are occupying seats meant for those who qualify under the scheme.
What the school records showed
The cases under review involve different income levels. In one admission, the parents reported a combined income of ₹27.16 lakh for 2025–26 in their Income Tax Returns. The mother’s reported income was ₹14.59 lakh, while the father’s reported income was ₹12.54 lakh. Their child secured a Class 1 RTE seat.
Another admission involves a girl whose parents showed a combined income of ₹13.54 lakh in their 2025–26 ITR.
The scrutiny also covers an admission where one parent reported ₹11.79 lakh in income, while another ₹7.10 lakh was shown as agricultural income for the same financial year. These figures are significantly above the income ceiling currently applicable to RTE admissions in urban areas.
Why the ₹6 lakh limit matters
The Gujarat education department had earlier raised the annual income ceiling for urban RTE applicants from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh. The change was intended to bring more children within the ambit of the scheme. But schools now say their scrutiny has found admissions involving families whose reported income goes well beyond that limit.
Manan Choksi, CEO and Director of Udgam Consultancy, said 26 cases had been submitted to the DEO for review. According to information, at Anand Niketan, the school had identified at least six such cases during its scrutiny.
School representatives and academics have raised concerns that if families above the prescribed income ceiling receive RTE seats, children from families who meet the criteria could potentially lose out on those seats. Some school representatives have also called for stronger action, including FIRs wherever applicable, if an investigation establishes that false information was deliberately used to obtain admission.
The cases are not decided yet
The allegations, however, still have to be examined by the education authorities. DEO Rohit Chaudhari has received complaints regarding all 35 cases, and hearings are expected to take place in the coming week. Parents will have an opportunity to explain their income details and present their documents. The department will also examine the records submitted by the schools before deciding the further course of action.
That means the income figures flagged by the schools are currently part of an ongoing scrutiny and do not by themselves establish that a parent committed fraud. The hearings will determine whether the apparent differences in income records can be explained through valid documents, or whether further action is required in any of the 35 admissions.
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