MUMBAI, April 2 -- Mumbai has recorded a significant drop in applications under the Right to Education (RTE) Act this year, despite an increase in seats. The city received only 10,397 applications for the academic year 2026-27, compared to 13,166 last year, showing a decline of around 2,700 applications. A similar trend has been observed across Maharashtra - a total of 2,89,591 applications have been received this year, which is around 15,000 less than last year's 3,05,151. Incidentally, the decline has come despite an increase in number of schools and available seats this year. In the 2026-27 academic year, 8,701 schools are offering 1,14,826 seats, compared to 8,086 schools with 1,09,102 seats last year. The reason for the decline, said Mukund Kirdat, RTE activist, is linked to changes in RTE rules this year. "The education department had initially restricted applications to schools within one kilometre of a child's residence. Later, after a high court stay, the limit was extended to three kilometres. This sudden change created confusion among parents, which may have affected applications." The RTE Act provides 25 percent reservation in private schools for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections. The drop in applications suggests that many eligible families may not be applying. (See box) Several districts have reported the decline, although some such as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Palghar and Kolhapur have seen a small rise. Parents in Mumbai are also concerned about possible delays in the admission process. "If the lottery is conducted late, admissions may take place during the summer vacation in April and May," said a parent. As many families travel in this period, parents have demanded that the lottery be announced soon....