MUMBAI, March 17 -- Rapped by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court, the school education department on Monday issued a fresh circular stating that parents seeking admission for their children under the Right To Education (RTE) quota could now apply according to the old rules. Last week, the bench stayed the new rule in RTE admissions that restricted parents to applying only to schools within a one-km radius. During the hearing of a public interest litigation, the court stayed the clause in the February 12 government resolution and directed the government to amend the relevant rules legally. It also questioned the government on why the online application facility had not yet been activated, and ordered it to do so immediately so that parents could submit new applications and modify existing ones. The deadline for both new registrations and changes in preferences has been extended till March 25. Following the court's directions, the government announced that parents could now apply to schools within one kilometre of their residence, three kilometres and beyond. It said that priority would be given to schools within one kilometre, followed by those within three kilometres and then those located at greater distances. Reacting to the decision, Mukund Kirdat, head of the AAP Parents Association, said, "The judgment is a victory for the Right to Education. I hope the government will avoid taking steps that restrict access to education in the future." The state government had issued a resolution on February 12 introducing new rules for admissions under the RTE's 25 percent quota for underprivileged children. According to the resolution, parents could apply only to schools located within one kilometre of their home. Earlier, they were allowed to apply to schools within a three-kilometre radius. The change had a major impact on the admission process. Applications dropped sharply this year compared to the previous year. According to data from the school education department, a total of 2,17,274 applications were received across the state till March 16, while the corresponding number last year was around 3,05,000. The admission process had begun on February 20. The drop was also seen in major cities. In Mumbai, around 8,000 applications were received this year compared to 13,166 applications during the same period last year....