TY  - JOUR
AB  - Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of India expanded affirmative action to primary schooling by requiring non-government-funded private schools to reserve 25% of their admissions for students from marginalized castes and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using variation in implementation of the policy across states in a difference-in-differences framework, this study assesses the clause’s effectiveness in reducing caste-based enrollment gaps in private schools and promoting school integration. States implementing Section 12(1)(c) showed greater private school participation from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) students, compared to privileged caste (OTH) students. There were no significant changes in segregation between private and public schools overall; however, early-implementing states exhibited small but statistically significant decreases in the uneven distribution of students by caste. I also found significant reductions in the share of RTE-mandated private schools where OBC students formed a significant majority. There was no evidence for reductions in enrollment gaps for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students or decreases in the share of private schools with a high concentration of privileged caste students, suggesting that Section 12(1)(c) is not influencing segregation at both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum of India. Overall, these results suggest that Section 12(1)(c) implementation is associated with improved access for some marginalized caste groups but its impact on school segregation is either weak or non-existent. More thorough implementation may be needed to achieve caste-based integration in private schools but must be balanced with support for government schools and students not participating in Section 12(1)(c).
AU  - Edara, Rohitha 
PY  - 2025
ST  - Right to Education (RTE) Act’s Influence on Caste-based Enrollment Gaps and Segregation in India
TI  - Right to Education (RTE) Act’s Influence on Caste-based Enrollment Gaps and Segregation in India
UR  - http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1310
ER  -