Can RTE Act Be Applied to Madrasas and Vedic Pathshalas? Supreme Court To Examine Plea

The Supreme Court is set to examine whether provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, can be applied to minority educational institutions, including madrasas, Vedic pathshalas and institutions primarily imparting religious instruction. A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu has directed that a public interest litigation filed by Maharashtra State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Zia Khan be heard along with a pending case concerning the applicability of the RTE Act and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to minority educational institutions.

Why This Matters

The development assumes significance because the Supreme Court had earlier, in a 2014 judgment, exempted minority educational institutions from the ambit of the RTE Act, said reports. The court has since questioned the correctness of that ruling and sought consideration of the issue by a larger Bench, opening the door for a fresh examination of the exemption. Can Husbands Be Prosecuted for Violent S*x With Wives Despite Marital Rape Exemption? Supreme Court To Decide.

What The New Plea Seeks

The latest plea seeks scrutiny of provisions relating to institutions that cater primarily to religious instruction, including madrasas and Vedic pathshalas, and whether such institutions can continue to be kept outside the framework of the RTE Act. The matter is now set to be heard alongside the pending case, a development that could carry wider implications for the regulation and educational standards of minority institutions across the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2026 08:54 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).