Teacher suspended in Bengaluru over illegal RTE seat allotment

Bengaluru: The Department of School Education and Literacy has suspended a government schoolteacher following allegations of financial irregularities and illegal seat allotment under the Right to Education (RTE) quota.

The teacher, Jagadeesh H G, who had previously served as the RTE nodal officer, has been accused of improperly allocating RTE seats to a school operated by the GK Naidu Trust and engaging in fraudulent financial practices.

The suspension order issued by the department stated that Jagadeesh "illegally favoured" at least 13 private schools run by the GK Naidu Trust, enabling them to enrol more students under the RTE quota. He has also been accused of reimbursing fees under the RTE scheme for schools that did not have any RTE admissions.

The department has suspended Jagadeesh due to the financial losses caused by these irregularities.

The department's investigation has raised further concerns, with officials suspecting discrepancies in the affiliation, documentation, and financial records of the schools involved. “As these 13 schools have been operational for the last 10 years, we suspect there may have been irregularities in their affiliation and the renewal of their recognition,” the suspension order states.

During a recent inspection, department officials uncovered discrepancies between the actual number of students enrolled and the enrolment figures reported by the schools. “We suspect that false information may have been provided about the actual admissions under the RTE quota,” said a department official. The department has submitted a report to higher authorities for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the RTE Students Parents Association has announced plans to file a complaint with the Lokayukta, calling for a detailed inquiry into RTE admissions and seat allotment practices since the implementation of the quota. "This is just one instance, but we suspect a larger scam involving RTE admissions. We will be seeking a full investigation from the Lokayukta," said Yogananda BN, a representative of the association.