Every day, millions of children across India travel to government schools on foot, by bicycle, or by bus. They study, eat hot lunches, play, and return home. However, behind this ordinary routine lies a set of legal guarantees regarding what this day should look like.
These promises often only become apparent when they generate widespread public outcry. For instance, when it was reported that students in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, were crossing the Betwa River via spillway supports to shorten a 13 km journey to about 1.5 km, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took up the case.
The NHRC also paid attention to reports from the village of Liwali in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, where it was alleged that 9th and 11th-grade girls were searched and mistreated at school after 1000 rupees went missing, and the money was never found. Furthermore, a viral video from Sitapura, Uttar Pradesh, showed thin potato soup and burnt rotis on children's plates, which called into question the provision of the school lunch. Additionally, a protest by children at Barmer school, Rajasthan, who barricaded themselves due to having only one permanent teacher for over 150 students in grades 1 through 12, effectively meant demanding a norm already guaranteed by law.
Various situations boil down to one fundamental question: what exactly does the law guarantee a child upon enrollment in a government school? Knowing the answer is the first step toward understanding whether this promise is being kept or not.
The starting point is Article 21A of the Constitution and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, which came into force on April 1, 2010. This act enshrines the right to free and compulsory elementary education for every child aged six to fourteen, and stipulates that no fees or payments should prevent the completion of this education.
The word 'free' means more than just the absence of tuition fees; the law aims to eliminate financial barriers that might prevent a child from attending school at all. The school must be within reach: the neighborhood school norm.
The right to education is difficult to realize if the journey to the school itself presents a daily obstacle, as was the case with the route in Vidisha. The RTE structure provides for the concept of a neighborhood school: the school must be accessible within walking distance for every child—1 kilometer for primary schools (grades 1–5) and 3 kilometers for upper primary or middle schools (grades 6–8). The government is responsible for mapping settlements and schools, as well as opening new ones where gaps exist.
In line with this norm, a journey requiring river crossing is precisely the type of gap the law intends to eliminate.
The Act's Schedule sets minimum requirements for the school itself: a building suitable for year-round use, with at least one classroom per teacher, an office or principal's room, unimpeded access, safe drinking water, separate toilets for boys and girls, a kitchen for preparing school meals, a playground, and a fence or boundary wall to protect the premises.
The law also defines the minimum instructional time—200 working days for grades 1–5 and 220 days for grades 6–8, along with prescribed school hours. Schools must have libraries, teaching equipment, and materials for games and sports. These elements are not extras; they represent the basic level that the law considers indicative of a functioning school.
Rules also apply in the classroom: prohibition of corporal punishment and expulsion. The law prohibits physical punishment and psychological harassment of children, protecting them from exclusion during elementary education. A child's dignity is enshrined in the legislation, so the reports from Liwali about searching and humiliating children over lost money clearly violate these principles.
With the 2019 amendment, regular exams are conducted in the 5th and 8th grades, and governments may allow schools to retain students in these grades after additional training and retesting. However, a child cannot simply be expelled before completing elementary education. Enrollment must also be free of barriers: schools cannot charge fees or subject children and parents to selection processes, such as entrance tests or interviews, and a child cannot be denied admission solely due to lack of age verification documentation.
The Education Act establishes requirements for the student-teacher ratio and requires governments and local authorities to maintain them. For grades 1–5, the Schedule specifies two teachers for up to 60 enrolled children, three for 61–90, four for 91–120, and five for 121–200. At the primary level, the overall student-teacher ratio is 30:1, and at the upper primary level, it is 35:1. (The 30:1 ratio is also the target for the secondary level, but it stems from the structure of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, not the Education Act itself, which covers grades 1 through 8).
The protest in Barmer becomes understandable in light of these norms: over 150 students from grades 1 through 12 with only one permanent teacher significantly deviates from the established standard. The students were not demanding something new—they were demanding a staffing schedule already provided for by law.
Under the PM POSHAN program, government and government-aided schools provide hot cooked meals to children in primary and upper primary grades, and there are specific nutritional standards. The school meal for primary school must contain 450 calories and 12 grams of protein per child; for upper primary students, the requirement increases to 700 calories and 20 grams of protein.
This is the core issue: the meal of thin soup and burnt rotis, as shown in Sitapura, is not just disappointing—it fails to meet the standards prescribed by the program itself. The Centre sets nutritional guidelines, and states decide how to achieve them through local menus, so the dish on the plate can vary from one state to another, even if the standard remains unchanged.
The scale of the program is enormous: PM POSHAN covers approximately 11.8 crore children in about 11.2 lakh schools. The Centre covers the full cost of grains—about 26 lakh metric tons annually, supplied through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), as well as transportation costs from FCI warehouses to schools.
For many children, this meal is part of state support that makes attending school possible in the first place.
So, what is the promise? What is entitled to every student in a government school?
Collectively, the law describes much more than just a free seat in a government classroom. It promises a school within reach, a building meeting basic standards, a classroom where the child is protected from punishment and will not be excluded, a sufficient number of teachers for real teaching, and nutritious food as part of the day.
Across the country, millions of children live within this promise every day—they learn, play, eat, make friends, and move towards a future that might have seemed unattainable to their parents. It is important to know the law to understand this basic foundation: to clearly see what every child is entitled to, and to recognize it when the school provides it.
Scope Note: This material highlights the main rights most relevant to a child's school day—school proximity, a safe and equipped building, protection in the classroom, adequate teaching staff, and nutritious meals. This is not the full text of the law. The Education Act and its Schedule also establish additional requirements, including minimum teacher qualifications, 45 hours of teaching per week, teaching-learning materials, and a School Management Committee to oversee each government school, alongside detailed rules in Central and State RTE Regulations. For a complete understanding of the provisions, readers should refer to the Act itself.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic activities has reached 78% of students in Brazil. Within this group, 15% state that they use the technology whenever they need to study, and 34% start their research using AI tools.
However, there is a significant concern regarding the quality of the information provided, given that current models can present errors and hallucinations. Specifically, 52% of students believe that the credibility of the generated content requires a higher level of trust. Of the students surveyed, only 22% stated that they do not resort to AI for study purposes.
The data was collected by the Norwegian company Opera, owner of the browser of the same name and also invests in AI. The study covered 2,400 students from educational institutions, both public and private, spread across the country.
Another relevant point of the investigation, besides the high number of AI users, is the proportion of students who learned to use the technology on their own. Only 5% of students reported having received formal training from educational institutions on the proper and healthy use of these models in the academic environment. Additionally, 40% never received any guidance on the topic.
Regarding internal policies, 9% of respondents study at schools that prohibit the use of AI, while 20% mention the existence of clear guidelines on the subject. In some situations (32%), the guidance comes from teachers themselves, but informally.
The survey underscores the need to promote responsible use of AI. Juliana Psaros, Regional Director of Opera in Brazil, highlighted that this represents a 'new phase' of artificial intelligence in education, emphasizing that 'the challenge now is to ensure that its use contributes to expanding knowledge, autonomy, and critical thinking.'
The results detail how AI fits into the study routine. Many students already begin their work with the help of AI, which complements conventional search engines. About 18.85% consult AI before resorting to traditional search engines, such as Google, while 14.40% use AI directly to complete their tasks. This behavior occurs both to speed up the process and to gain a deeper understanding of the topics, as pointed out by 71% of students. In the group that uses only search engines, the percentage is 33.90%.
Overall, students perceive the use of AI in studies positively. Forty-six point nine percent feel relieved to have the technology during the process, and 30.1% view the activity with enthusiasm. However, there are reservations; concerns about professional future (30.96%) and the learning process itself (30.68%) were mentioned. Furthermore, 28.11% of respondents expressed feeling guilty about the massive use of AI.
According to 52% of respondents, the reliability of information is a crucial factor in using AI and should take priority over the speed of responses. Similarly, it would be very beneficial and more useful if applications offered a step-by-step guide or some integrated guidance, instead of just providing ready-made answers.
This feedback aligns with the findings of the research, which points to the use of technology as support, not as a substitute for original production. The study also reinforces that six in ten students state that they verify or question the information obtained via AI: 31.76% ensure they seek other sources to confirm the answers, while 28.18% deepen the questions asked to the AI itself.
Nevertheless, the considerable volume of those who do not pay proper attention is noteworthy, either accepting answers most of the time without checking (21.92%) or even directly (9.91%). There are also those who choose never to perform this verification, representing 8.23% of students.
Important news has arrived for the youth awaiting employment as assistant accountants and auditors in Uttar Pradesh. The UPSSSC Commission has released the final results of the main examination. As a result, out of a total of 1828 vacancies, a final selection of 1643 candidates was made. The Commission has posted the lists of selected candidates, as well as the qualifying scores for various categories, on its website.
According to the published results, 668 candidates were selected for 570 assistant accountant positions in the Directorate of Internal Audit and Accounts through general selection. Among them are 387 candidates from the general category, 117 from the OBC category, and 66 from the EWS category. Since suitable candidates were not found for 88 posts from the SC category and 10 posts from the ST category, they have been reserved for further consideration according to the rules.
Furthermore, among 950 assistant accountant positions under special selection, 866 young people succeeded. This group included 341 candidates from the SC category, 12 from the ST category, and 513 from the OBC category. It is particularly noteworthy that all 190 positions reserved for women were fully filled by the selected candidates.
For 209 auditor positions under general selection, 206 candidates were selected. These candidates include 96 unreserved, 28 from the SC category, 4 from the ST category, 58 from the OBC category, and 20 from the EWS category. Additionally, all qualified women were selected for 41 positions within the women's reserve. Moreover, one candidate was selected for an assistant accountant position in the UP State Legal Services Authority.
68 candidates received provisional places. The final decision will be made after verification of their documents and the decision of the concerned department. The Commission clarified that these results are subject to decisions made during legal proceedings. The Commission also stated that the selection results will be subject to decisions that may arise in cases heard by the High Court. Any judicial order regarding this batch may affect future selections.
The UPSSSC Commission has posted the qualifying scores by category along with candidate numbers on its website. Candidates can visit the website to check their results and information regarding the selection.
The new Brazilian Manual of Vehicle Driving Exams (MBEDV), developed by the National Traffic Secretariat (Senatran), has standardized the criteria required to obtain the National Driver's License (CNH) across the country. This document, which is linked to Contran Resolution No. 1,020/2025, defines strict requirements that may prevent the candidate from starting the driving test even before turning on the vehicle.
This new regulation has brought significant changes to the driver training process. Among the changes are the reduction of the minimum practical course load, which went from 20 to just two hours/class, the permission to use automatic transmission vehicles, the simplification of the scoring system, and the waiver of the mandatory parallel parking maneuver.
To prove mastery of traffic rules, driving, and maneuvers, the candidate must meet various requirements related to attire, health status, vehicle condition, and even weather. The test will not begin if any of the following circumstances occur:
Even when the test is authorized to begin, the MBEDV provides for the possibility of early termination of the route. The evaluation may be halted if the candidate demonstrates a serious technical incapacity, exhibits emotional control during driving, or commits an infraction classified as a direct disqualification. In these cases, the examining board will formally record the immediate failure.
