Bhubaneswar: As many as 10,120 students have been allotted seats in the second round of the centralised online lottery conducted under Section 12(1)(c) of the RCFCE Act, 2009, for admission into private schools in Odisha for the 2026 academic session.
The online admission process, implemented under the Right to Education (RTE) provisions, enables children belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories to receive free education at entry-level classes in private schools.
According to official data, the second round of online registration was conducted from April 4 to April 24, 2026. A total of 20,377 students applied through the RTE Paradarshi portal. Following scrutiny and verification by the concerned Block Education Officers (BEOs), 15,624 applications were found eligible for participation in the lottery process.
The centralised online lottery was conducted at 4:00 PM on April 29, 2026, in the chamber of the Director of Elementary Education, Odisha. The process was carried out in the presence of senior officials of the School and Mass Education Department, including the Director of Elementary Education, Additional Director General of OSEPA, Joint Director, education officers, representatives of parents’ federations, school authorities, legal experts, and members of civil society organisations.
Officials said the lottery was conducted in a transparent manner through the RTE Paradarshi system to ensure fair allocation of seats among eligible applicants.
Following the completion of the lottery process, admission of selected students will begin on April 30, 2026, and continue till May 18, 2026. Authorities have urged parents and guardians to complete the admission formalities within the stipulated timeline.
For assistance and queries related to the admission process, a dedicated helpline number—1800-345-6722—has been made operational by the department.
The RTE 12(1)(c) admission initiative is aimed at promoting inclusive education by ensuring access to quality schooling for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in private educational institutions across the state.
