Education Bill all set for the final lap to be a law

The much touted Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2009 is all set to cross the final lap to become a law. The Bill will soon be tabled in Parliament and as per schedule the Rajya Sabha Bill will consider and if possible pass the Bill on Monday. 

Seven years have passed since Parliament had amended the Constitution to make education a fundamental right thereby entitling every child from six to 14 years if age the basic right to have access to the elementary education. The Education Bill brings the legislation to a logical conclusion.
 
The parliamentary standing committee has already given the legislation the green signal. The Bill has got the Cabinet nod for introduction on July 2. 
 
A committee under Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has finalized a draft law. Initially, NDA government had drafted the legislation but due to early polls it had to be shelved. After NDA, the UPA government took upon itself the task to fulfill the obligation. 
 
For five years of UPA rule the Bill was stuck in deliberation of various committees. It has not a smooth sail for the Bill though. The justifiability and the financial outlays of the legislation were hotly debated before it taken up for legislation. 
 
After its introduction in the Rajya Sabha the standing committee under senior Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi proposed some amends which were incorporated in the final draft. 
 
While political support is expected for the Bill, objection could be raised 25% reservation of seats for poor children in private schools. If both Houses of parliament give a go ahead to the Bill and the President gives her assent, the 86th Amendment to the Constitution will be notified. 
 
Free and compulsory education is so far an article of faith in the Directive Principles of State Policy. 
 
Once the Bill becomes an Act, the Centre and states will be bound to fund its implementation. Around Rs 12,000 crore per annum is the cost of implementation of the law. Private unaided schools too will get fund in exchange for 25% seats to be reserved for poor children in the neighbourhood.