Abstract

The Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009 made education a fundamental right of every child, establishing norms to be made for physical and human capital schooling entitlements as well as the responsibilities of the school to the child. A large majority of schools did not fulfill these norms, with most of these schools being central and state government schools, implying a massive thrust for acconutability on the part of the government. Though each state had the latitude to frame their own rules for the implementation of the act, naturally multiple implementational challenges were to be faced by all state governments. Massive gaps in total and per capita expenditure in education would need to be overcome in a number of states, while even those states that have adequate fiscal investment would have to improve the existing systems and processes in their systems.

Keeping these in mind, CBPS undertook a study to estimate and analyse the financial and governance challenges for attaining universal elementary education following RTE norms in Karnataka and Odisha. Our study, conducted through a blend of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, underscores the disparities between states in meeting RTE requirements. While Karnataka exhibits relative adequacy in financial provisions, Odisha grapples with significant shortfalls in funding allocation. Governance issues further compound the implementation process, with each state encountering distinct obstacles, from teacher recruitment to private school regulation, and quality maintenance. Drawing upon the findings of our study, this discussion paper highlights key challenges and insights gleaned from Karnataka and Odisha, serving as a catalyst for broader discourse on RTE implementation. It underscores the need for tailored approaches to address state-specific impediments and calls for concerted efforts to bridge the gap between policy intent and ground-level realities.

Jha, J., Ghatak, N., Mahendiran, S., & Bakshi, S. (2013). Implementing the right to education Act 2009: the real challenges. Bengaluru, India: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.