RTE quota school admission – Residence Proof Must Be Genuine
The petitioner’s application for admission to Podar International School, Wagholi, Pune, was rejected on the ground that the proof of residence was not valid. The appeal was rejected and confirmed by the Deputy Director of Education.
The address mentioned in the admission form is not a residence. It was found to have only one bed/cot on the 1st floor with a small eating house on the ground floor. It is urged that the addresses reflected in the Petitioner’s father’s Voter Identity Card, and the address furnished in the admission form are different. Thus, the Authorities were justified in concluding that the address mentioned in the admission form could not be accepted as satisfactory proof of the Petitioner’s residence.
The residential requirement is not an empty 7/8 901-WP-7601-2026.odt bdp formality, but constitutes an essential eligibility condition governing admission under the reserved quota. Diluting or overlooking such requirement in the absence of satisfactory proof would not only defeat the object of the statutory scheme, but may result in denying admission to another needy child who genuinely satisfies the ‘neighbourhood’ conditions.
The petitioner has applied for admission to Podar International School, Wagholi, Pune, under RTE Act. The said school is situated at 950 meters from the residence of the petitioner, taken on rent.
Judgment dated 25.6.2026 of the High Court of Bombay in Writ Petition No.7601 of 2026 of Manas Sandip Sathe Vs. State of Maharashtra and others
