the coming into effect of the RTE Act, 2009 marks a historic moment for the children of India. this act serves as a building block to ensure that every child has the right to guaranteed quality elementary education.

the state has a legal obligation to fulfill this duty. the RTE Act provisions for the disadvantaged groups, such as child laborers, migrant children, or those who have a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economic, geographical, gender or such other factors.

there are 38 provisions in the act. according to these provisions, the RTE Act makes it mandatory for every child between 6 and 14 years of age to go to school. the act promise 25% reserved seats for poor and needy students in the primary schools. private and aided schools will have to admit 25% students from the neighborhood slums as per the act.

thus private unaided and minority schools will be unable to admit students of their own accord. in these schools, no capitation fee, admission fee, and screening fee will be charged.

schools will be set up as per norms laid down for infrastructure and other facilities. there will be no unrecognized schools. private schools will have to register them in time. the defaulter schools will have to pay a fine a decided by the government.

the act sets a deadline of three years for every state to implement it. teachers will be appointed as per the norms and qualifications laid down by academic authority set up by the central government. according to the provisions of the act, tuitions will be banned totally. teachers will be given in-service training.

the act will maintain the quality of education. corporal punishment will be banned to ensure classroom fee of fear and anxiety. the curriculum will be students oriented and based on constitutional values.

the medium of instruction possibly will be the mother tongue. there will be no board examination up to the primary level. teacher students ratio and working hours will be decided for every school. except for census, disaster management, parliament, assembly, and local bodies elections teachers will not be engaged for other tasks.

in spite of its great merits, the RTE act poses a number of challenges. for example, starting at six years of age may be too late to start schooling in addition bringing eight million out of school children into classes and make them stay in school poses a major challenge.

at the same time, RTE presents a great opportunity and the target can be met. UNICEF is joining hands with the government and partners at community, state, and national levels to help make the right to education act a reality for india's children.

with RTE, India can emerge as a global leader in achieving the millennium development goal of ensuring that all children complete their primary schooling by 2015. millions of children will benefit from this initiative ensuring quality education.

RTE will propel this great nation to even higher heights of prosperity and productivity, by guaranteeing all children their right to quality education and a brighter future. if the act is implemented in letter and spirit, the ugly face of child labor can be wiped out from the country. then there will be no child at work but in school, the place where he ought to be once the act is put in place, it will provide a complete answer to the problem of child labor and their education, said solicitor general, Gopal Subramaniam.