Parliament passes landmark Right to Education Bill

The Bill,one of the flagship programmes in the 100-day agenda of the UPA Government,also earmarks 25 per cent seats to weaker sections in private schools.

While the Rajya Sabha okayed the bill earlier,the Lok Sabha putting its seal of approval on Tuesday,with HRD Minister Kapil Sibal describing it as “harbinger of a new era” for children to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

He said the bill is a ‘historic opportunity’ for providing better future to children of the country as there was never such a landmark legislation in the last 62 years since independence.

“We as a nation cannot afford our children not going to schools,” he asserted,noting that the measure details the obligations of the Centre and the states for providing free and compulsory education to children.