The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government regarding a petition that seeks the introduction of an income ceiling for admissions under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. The RTE Act mandates that 25% of seats in private schools be reserved for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and economically disadvantaged communities.
Bench Issues Notice on Public Interest Litigation
The first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan issued the notices after admitting a public interest writ petition filed by Eeswaran, president of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam in Coimbatore, on Monday. The court directed the state's school education department to file its response within two weeks and adjourned the hearing.
Petitioner's Argument: Disparity in Income Ceiling
According to the petitioner, while parents of children from economically weaker sections (EWS) are subject to an annual income ceiling of Rs 2 lakh for admission under the RTE quota, no such income limit exists for parents of children from SC and ST communities. This absence of an income ceiling for socially disadvantaged categories allows financially well-off families within these communities to avail themselves of the benefit based solely on caste status, the petitioner argued.
The petition further pointed out that states such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have already prescribed income ceilings for socially disadvantaged categories. Therefore, the petitioner sought a court directive for the state school education department to consider his representation submitted in October 2025, which requests a similar policy in Tamil Nadu.
Court's Direction
Admitting the plea, the bench directed the department to file its response in two weeks and adjourned the hearing. The court's notice marks the first step in examining whether the lack of an income ceiling for SC/ST categories under the RTE Act violates the principle of equity and whether Tamil Nadu should adopt a policy similar to other states.
