An interactive meet on Right to Education (RTE) Act– 2009 was held at the auditorium of SDM College of Business Management on March 12, Tuesday under the joint aegis of SDM Law College, Dakshina Kannada District Education Resources Center and various other organizations. Karnataka Child Rights Commission Chairman Dr Umesh Aradhya inaugurated the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Aradhya said the educational scenario has witnessed a sea change from what it was in the past when education was the asset of only a few children of wealthy. The government has introduced RTE to brighten the future of children  from the economically weaker strata of the society, he said and regretted that the benefits of RTE do not effectively reach the masses owing to lack of awareness. He also stressed the need for a greater awareness on RTE.

 Renny D’Souza, president of Padi, a city based NGO, in his keynote address said though the  Union Government has introduced Child Right Act in 1989, the significance of the Act would be lost if children are deprived of education, t  RTE Act was introduced during 2008 without achieving much progress, said Renny.  

Child rights activist Vasudev Sharma, SDM Law College lecturer Maheshchandra, Child Welfare Committee Chairperson  Asha Nayak, Juvenile Justice Board member Dr Ramila Shekar, educationist Krishna Shastry Balila and others were present at the occasion.

Several participants aired their grievances relating to the Act with the departmental officials.