Mangaluru (The Hindu): She is among 788 parents whose children are to get free seat under RTE. The news that her six-year-old daughter Druti is likely to get a free seat under the Right to Education (RTE) Act quota in a private school in Baikampady has brought smiles on the face of 30-year-old Vanita Kunder.

Ms. Kunder, a single parent belonging to Mogaveera community (Category 1), took leave from a retail outlet she was working with to visit offices of the village accountant and the tahsildar to get a caste certificate, which was needed to get the seat in Bertrand Russel School near her house.

Her application was rejected as she had failed to state the caste of her husband, a Gujarati Brahmin, whom she had divorced a year ago. In the absence of a caste certificate, Ms. Kunder could not take part in the first round of seat allotment process. In the process, she also lost her job because of being absent frequently.

After Ms. Kunder pursued her case with Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, the tahsildar visited her house where she is living with her daughter and an elderly mother. She received a caste certificate of her daughter on June 13 mentioning the caste as Mogaveera.

A few days ago, she submitted the certificate and other documents as sought by the office of Block Education Officer, Mangaluru North.

“I hope to hear the order of allotment of free seat shortly,” she said. Ms. Kunder is among the 788 parents from the district, whose applications were rejected during the two rounds of seat allotment for free seat to be done by Deputy Commissioner. As many as 1,101 seats are available in the district. As per a circular issued recently, the Deputy Commissioner has the discretion to allot vacant seats under the RTE Act.

“All the 788 children are likely to get a seat,” Mr. Ibrahim said in a meeting recently. Deputy Director of Public Instruction Walter D’Mello said that the first preference would be given to children staying in the same ward. Then they would consider cases of children staying outside the ward, he added.