RTI matter for RTE

Please provide following documentary information regarding implementation of Right to Education on following counts:

1.    How many children are in this school?

2.    How many children can the school admit?

3.    How many students in the school are from economically weaker section?

4.    Is the school eligible for re-imbursement for a student from economically weaker section?

5.    What is the per-child expenditure incurred by the school?

6.    What is the amount that the state re- imbursement as expenditure on a child from economically weaker section?

7.    Is there a SMC in the school?

8.    How many members are there in the SMC?

9.    How many female members in the SMC?

10. What are the selection criteria for an SMC Member?

11. How many times has the school management committee met in the current academic year?

12. When was the last SMC meeting held?

13. How were the members of the school management committee selected?

14. What decisions have been taken by the SMC in the last academic year?

15. What is the number of teachers in the school that have minimum qualifications as prescribed by the academic authority?

16. What is the number of teachers in the school that do not have minimum qualifications as prescribed by the academic authority?

17. What is the total number of complaints that have been filed against teachers for failing to observe duties imposed on them in section 24(1)?

18. Who is the officer responsible for hearing such grievances? Please provide the contact details.

19. What action has been taken against teachers found guilty of failing to observe duties under section 24(1) of the RTE Act?

20. What is the current student- teacher ratio in the school?

21. What is the number of existing vacancies for teachers in the school?

22. How many more teachers are needed to be appointed to satisfy the student-teacher ratio in the schedule of the RTE Act?

23. What is the number of class rooms in the school?

24. How many class rooms are fitted with a black board?

25. What is the number of class rooms having concrete roof, proper doors and windows?

26. Is electricity available in the school?

27. Is computer facility available in the school?

28. Number of students for whom Mid-Day-meal is prepared each day?

29. What is the total annual budget for Mid-day-meals?

30. Has school mapping been done? If yes, when, by whom and where?

31. What was the result of school mapping?

32. Where was the Household Survey done? When was the Household Survey done?

33. Has households surveys been done? If yes, when, by whom and where?

34. What was the result of household surveys? Please attach the full report of the household survey exercise.

35. Are there school age children in the neighbourhood that do not go to school? If yes, approximately how many?

36. What has been done to get them to school?

37. How have EWS children been defined?

38. How have EWS children been selected?

39. How have children from EWS been admitted?

40. How many EWS children are there?

41. What percentage EWS children are there? If less than 25%, why?

42. What happens if EWS children quit or want to change school during school year or later in higher classes?

43. How will the Local Authority monitor the process of admitting EWS children?

44. What amount will the Local Authority reimburse the school with per student?

45. How has that calculation been made?

46. When will the reimbursement be paid back to the school?

47. Which administrative office is responsible for reimbursement payments? 

48. Is there a State Commission for protection of child rights/ REPA in the state?

49. If not, which Government office is responsible (RTE Act, sec. 31 (3))?

50. How many members are there in the SMC?

51. Gender profile of SMC members?

52. How were they selected?

53. What groups do the members represent?

54. Which schools in the neighbourhood do not fit the norms and standards for schools and face closure if not improved?

55. How many children go to these schools?

56. Where will these children go when failing Schools close?

57. What is the upper limit to the income of a family belonging to economically weaker section?

58. What is the number of new schools that have been identified to be established in the state?

59. What is the number of schools for which construction of which funds have been allocated and released? Please provide a list of these schools.

60. What is the amount of money released for each such school ?

61. What is the amount the state has allocated towards the implementation of the provisions of the RTE Act in the current financial year?

62. What is the amount the state has already spent towards implementation of the provisions of the RTE Act in the current financial year?

63. What is the quantum of funds that have been allocated for pre-school education?

64. Is pre-school education being provided in schools or through other institutions? If it is being provided through other institutions what are these institutions?

65. How many schools/other institutions providing pre-school education are present in the state?

66. What is the total number of girl children in the state who benefit from free pre-school education?

67. What is the total number of male children in the state who benefit from free pre-school education?

68. What is the total number of teaching and non- staff in such schools in the state?

69. Please provide details of the person/authority responsible for monitoring pre-school education

70. Please provide the details of the information sought from all the private schools by the state government.

71. Please provide the details of the information provided by all the private schools to the state government.

72. No. of instances reported where a school has charged capitation fee. List of schools found guilty of charging capitation fees. Amount of fine imposed on each school found guilty of charging capitation fee.

73. Name and designation of government officer responsible to do hearing and impose penalty in each such case.

74. List of schools found guilty of having a screening procedure for admission. Amount of fine imposed on each school found guilty of having a screening procedure for admission.

75. Number of schools that applied for recognition to appropriate authority in the current financial year. Number of schools that got recognition in the current financial year 

76. How many children between the age of 6-14 years do not go to school in the area of jurisdiction? Mode of identification:

a)      Number of cases reported through the household survey.

b)      Number of cases reported by parents or family members

c)       Number of cases reported by local NGOs or individuals

d)      Number of cases reported by children themselves

77. Has the local authority maintained a record of all the children up to the age of 14 years? If yes please provide with a copy of such record.

78. Is there a monitoring authority for admission of students from economically weaker sections? What is the contact detail of the person heading the monitoring authority?

79. Please provide a list of schools in the neighbourhood that do not meet the norms and standards prescribed in the RTE.

80. Please provide a list of schools in the neighbourhood that that meet the norms and standards prescribed in the RTE.

81. How many schools are only up to the primary education level?

82. How many schools offer elementary education?

83. What is the current average student- teacher ratio in the area of jurisdiction?

84. What is the number of complaints that have been received by NCPCR in the current financial year?

85. Out of the total complaints received this year what is the number of complaints that have been resolved?

86. What steps are taken by government for effective implementation of RTE?

Special Sentances

1)         Dereliction of duty i.e. failure to perform official functions in a timely and purposeful manner

2)         Negligence in performance of duty i.e. performance in a faulty way that endangers the public, public goods and public exchequer, and/or causes harm or possibility of harm/loss to the public

3)         Non-exercise of due-diligence while performing duties

4)         Actions that cause public loss of faith in the public office

5)         Conduct that causes harm to public interest and public welfare

6)         Delays in performance of official duties

7)         Irregularities i.e. official behavior for non-official purposes

8)         Solicitation of bribe of Rs ________, or favours in kind.

9)         Redirecting persons to touts and agents

10)       Allowing or tolerating the presence and activity of touts and agents

11)       Interacting with a known tout and agent

12)       Entering into dealings with touts and agents

13)       Actual acceptance of bribe of Rs _________, or favours in kind.

14)       Deliberate misguiding, stonewalling, denying information etc.

15)       Abuse of authority / discretionary powers

16)       Selectively performing official duties e.g. Giving benefits to some, and withholding from others without satisfactory reason

17)       Refusal or undue delay to accept and acknowledge Complaint.

18)       Non-responsiveness and Inaction e.g. not issuing timely notice based on Complaint.

19)       Refusal to hold timely quasi-judicial hearings, or undue delay in holding hearings.

20)       Refusal or undue delay in passing quasi-judicial Orders.

21)       Implied favour / implied threat e.g. Boasting about one’s discretionary powers to put your case forward or behind on a cause-list for hearing.

22)       Offering privileged  information to private party.

23)       Token actions designed to fail e.g. issuing notice but taking follow-up action

24)       Time wasting tactics to allow a statute of limitations to lapse due to inaction

25)       Denial of routine information on status of Complaint, number on cause-list etc

26)       Amassing Wealth / Possessing Disproportionate Assets to known sources of income

27)       Benami ownership of disproportionate assets or businesses in the names of wife, son, driver, gardener, distant relatives etc.

28)       Influence-peddling or influence-trading, acting as a tout or middleman on behalf of higher-ups etc.

29)       Cultivating and entertaining influence-peddlers and middlemen

30)       Ownership / Partnership of private business

31)       Undue use of public office for private gains

32)       Misuse of subordinates & office colleagues for private gains

33)       Misuse of official contacts for private gains

34)       Misuse of privileged official information for private gains

35)       Other activities amounting to Conflict of Interest in performance of Official Duties

36)       Criminal activities e.g. threatening, theft of documents, tampering with documents, destroying material evidence, influencing witnesses etc.

37)       Subverting the system i.e. preventing the office from performing the lawful functions for which it was created

38)       Deliberate failure in vigilance i.e. passively allowing theft etc.

39)       Disobeying Court Orders in letter and spirit

40)       Disobeying orders from superior officers

41)       Disobeying the mandate of law

42)       Sabotage i.e. Performing official functions in ways that are doomed to ineffectiveness and failure

43)       Conspiracy i.e. acting in concert with others (colleagues or outsiders) in ways that dilute and subvert the intent of the official’s actions

44)       Using loopholes i.e. Taking undue advantage of rules, laws and procedures to subvert the proper functioning of administrative machinery and lawful intent

45)       Causing mental & physical harassment i.e. Mala fidely using authority and administrative machinery to cause fear, distress, inconvenience, loss of time etc.

46)       Targeting and victimization

47)       Selective action with malafide intent to persecute

48)       Suppression of whistle-blower / complainant through implied threats

49)       Actions that go beyond the call of one’s official duties and functions

50)       Deliberately acting against public good and causing public harm

51)       Breach of trust, breach of promise

52)       Official action/Inaction allowing private persons to get unlawful benefit of public resources

53)       Deliberate misinterpretation of laws, rules and official procedures to favour a private party, or to shield a guilty party

54)       Deliberate misinterpretation of facts

55)       Deliberate denial of justice

56)       Bullying tactics, misuse of authority to cow down and silence

57)       Not recording proceedings and material facts during official hearings

58)       Fraud, forgery and tampering with official documents

59)       Being in the company of private parties, leading to conflict of interest e.g. judges and quasi-judicial authorities drinking at the same table as the Accused

60)       Misuse of government machinery e.g. use of government premises and government vehicles for private business

61)       Acquiring stakes (directly or through family members) in private business ventures, land holdings etc., leading to actual or potential conflict of interest

62)       Over-charging official exchequer e.g. inflating medical bills, petrol bills etc.

63)       Misuse of official privileges e.g. charging relatives phone bills to own account

64)       Refusal to relinquish official premises, official vehicles, etc. even after tenure of office is over

65)       Accepting substantial gifts in cash or kind

66)       Purchasing assets e.g. land and building at a fraction of their true market value at the time of the purchase, as a way of collecting bribe

67)       Selling private assets e.g. land and building at substantially more than their true value at the time of the sale, as a way of collecting bribe

68)       Entering into transactions e.g. land and building, shares, in such as way that he derives benefit from policy decisions of the government

69)       Allowing extraneous considerations to colour ones judgment, influence policy decisions etc.

70)       Entering into transactions or relationships that create a potential conflict of interest and interfere with the impartial discharge of one’s official duties

71)       Creating false documents e.g. back-dated bills, documents without dates and serial numbers, etc.

72)       Knowingly using false documents submitted by others e.g. using letters where date is left blank for the purposes of filling up later

73)       Influencing ones superiors to unduly favour private parties, or to shield the guilty parties

74)       Acting as a conduit for kickbacks and corruption for ones superior officers

75)       Misbehaviour and inappropriate behavior

76)       Abetting in adulteration of goods

77)       Abetting in diversion of goods

78)       Abetting in tax evasion

79)       Concealing knowledge of loss to public goods and exchequer

80)       Knowingly accepting poor quality of work or materials from contractors/suppliers

81)       Deliberately allowing pilferage and theft of public property

82)       Knowingly entering into faulty agreements with contractors/suppliers

83)       Deliberate misrepresentation of one’s official duties and powers, with intent to mislead and profit

84)       Driving in a car with special misleading number plates, or using a misleading visiting card

85)       Misuse of power to conduct raids, search-and-seizure, scrutiny of documents etc. for personal profits

86)       Acting as an agent for corrupt purposes

87)       Abetting in under-payment or non-payment for public goods

88)       Leading to loss to public exchequer in any way

89)       Devising or interpreting schemes and procedures in ways that gives illegal advantage to certain private parties

90)       Mala fidely preventing the optimal usage of scarce public resources (like land and water) in order to give a commercial advantage to private parties (such as land grabbers, builder lobbies and tanker mafias)

91)       Malafidely citing limitations of jurisdiction to give undue advantages to private parties (e.g. Railway Police, Police and Municipal corporation not clearing  hawkers to sit on railway over bridges, claiming jurisdiction problems).

Private schools fleece parents-charging Rs 500/- forcefully for prospectus

Private schools fleece parents-charging Rs 500/- forcefully for prospectus

Some private schools here have allegedly forced parents to buy prospectus worth Rs 400 to Rs 500 along with nursery admission forms. The parents have demanded immediate action by the Directorate of Education.

Indraprastha Public School, Doon Public School, Indian School and Shadely Public School are among the institutes under scanner. Samita Anand, a parent, said: “According to the DoE guidelines, schools are obliged to sell forms at Rs 25. But some schools are charging Rs 500. Why so? I collected forms for Indraprastha and Doon Public schools in Paschim Vihar at Rs 500 each.” 

Anand added that the schools noted down names of those demanding the form at Rs 25. However, they denied to issue the forms without prospectus. Anand has shortlisted 27 schools and plans to apply in at least 20.