Ludhiana, Jan. 24 -- As many as 571 private schools in the district have yet to register under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, raising concerns over the implementation of the mandatory 25% quota for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups. This provision applies to all private, unaided, and non-minority schools, which are required to reserve entry-level seats for eligible students.

The school education department had previously issued directions to all such schools, asking them to mandatorily register on the official school registration portal. Under RTE norms, children from families with an annual income below Rs.8 lakh, Scheduled Caste students with no income limit, backward class...