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RTE 25% free seats: a guide for every state

Under the Right to Education Act, private unaided schools must give a quarter of their entry-class seats free to children from poorer and disadvantaged families. Each state runs its own application and lottery. Find your state below.

For parents. Free, no sign-in, nothing to fill in: this page collects no data about you or your child. We do not take money from schools, sell places in any list or pass your details to anyone. No one can sell you a school seat: admissions go through the school or the official portal only.

The national rule: RTE Act 2009, Section 12(1)(c)

  • Private unaided schools (and some specified categories) must admit children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the neighbourhood to at least 25% of the seats in their entry class (pre-school or Class 1, whichever the school starts with).
  • These children study free until Class 8. The state government pays the school back per child, as its own rules set.
  • Each state makes its own rules: who counts as 'weaker section' (income limit), which groups count as 'disadvantaged', the neighbourhood distance, documents and dates. Admission is usually by an online application and a lottery run by the state.
  • Minority institutions are outside this rule (Supreme Court, Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust, 2014).

Source: Ministry of Education, RTE page (checked 21 Oct 2026 (page reachable)).

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andhra Pradesh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Andhra Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Arunachal Pradesh

Assam

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Assam

Bihar

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Bihar

Chandigarh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Chandigarh

Chhattisgarh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Chhattisgarh

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

Delhi

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

  • Private unaided schools keep 25% of seats at pre-school, pre-primary and Class 1 for EWS / DG / CWSN children. These seats are filled by a computerised draw run by the Directorate of Education, outside the schools' points system.

We have not yet verified the Directorate of Education's admission page address (the edudel.nic.in certificate failed when we checked on 20 Oct 2026).

Sources: news.careers360.com / theweek.in (PTI), Delhi nursery admissions 2026-27 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Delhi

Goa

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Goa

Gujarat

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Gujarat

Haryana

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Haryana

Himachal Pradesh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Himachal Pradesh

Jammu and Kashmir

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Jammu and Kashmir

Jharkhand

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Jharkhand

Karnataka

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Karnataka

Kerala

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Kerala

Ladakh

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Ladakh

Lakshadweep

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Lakshadweep

Madhya Pradesh

Official portal: Madhya Pradesh RTE portal (link checked 21 Oct 2026)

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Official portal: Maharashtra school education student portal (RTE 25% admission) (link checked 21 Oct 2026)

  • Admission is by an online lottery for the entry class.

Sources: aglasem.com (portal named) (checked 20 Oct 2026); Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Maharashtra

Manipur

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Manipur

Meghalaya

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Meghalaya

Mizoram

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Mizoram

Nagaland

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Nagaland

Odisha

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Odisha

Puducherry

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Puducherry

Punjab

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Punjab

Rajasthan

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

  • Rajasthan runs entry-class RTE admissions through its online 'PSP' portal (name seen in a news source).

Portal address not yet verified by us.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Rajasthan

Sikkim

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Sikkim

Tamil Nadu

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

  • 2025-26: 70,449 students were admitted in 7,717 schools under RTE 25% (as reported).
  • Family income limit for 2026-27: below ₹2 lakh a year (as reported).

We have not yet verified the Tamil Nadu portal address. Use the School Education Department's official site.

Sources: news.careers360.com (2025-26 admissions) (checked 20 Oct 2026); school.careers360.com (2026-27 income limit) (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Tamil Nadu

Telangana

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

We have not verified whether Telangana runs RTE 25% admissions to private unaided schools. Ask the School Education Department, Telangana, before you plan on it.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Telangana

Tripura

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Tripura

Uttar Pradesh

Official portal: Uttar Pradesh RTE 25% portal (Basic Education Department) (link checked 21 Oct 2026)

  • Run by the Basic Education Department.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in Uttarakhand

West Bengal

Check your state's education department (School Education / Basic Education department) for the RTE 25% portal, dates and documents.

Sources: Shishya research notes, all-education/schools.md §4.1 (checked 20 Oct 2026). Schools in West Bengal

Last checked 21 Oct 2026. Dates, income limits and documents change every year: always follow your state's current notice. Applying is free; no agent can get you an RTE seat.