Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh. Telegraph picture

Patna, April 1: Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh had instructed all schools to complete their admission procedure of the seats falling under 25 per cent reservation for underprivileged children by March 31 this year.

Nine schools have reported that they have completed the admission procedure. The schools include Radiant International School, Baldwin Academy and International School.

Singh also held a review meeting with the school authorities on March 27.

Chairperson of Bihar State Child Rights Protection Commission, Nisha Jha, with some members of the commission and a district education officer were present during the meeting.

Other schools have asked the commission on how to follow the Right to Education Act. Schools under Christian Minority Educational Society still want time to complete the procedure.

Sources said the society’s representatives with their president met the district magistrate on Thursday and asked for more time to complete the admission procedure. The representatives said they wanted to wait until the verdict from Patna High Court or Supreme Court arrives regarding Right to Education Act.

Many cases across the country are under the Supreme Court and all these are related to the act.

A five-member division bench headed by the Chief Justice is hearing the cases. The Chief Justice in the last hearing on March 26 had asked all those who have problems with the act to file a petition by March 29 this year.

The source said the society’s representatives told the district magistrate that the Indian Constitution guarantees certain rights to the minority schools. Article 29 clearly states that the government can regulate but not interfere in functioning of the minority schools.

The representatives also said the government has not clarified many things about the act. It is not specified whom the government considers as underprivileged children. Even the income limit is not specified they said.