SC notice not to affect proposed education rights act: Sibal

A Supreme Court notice to the human resource development ministry over certain provisions of the right to education act will not affect its implementation from April this year, according to HRD minister Kapil Sibal.

'I have not got the notice yet. I will reply accordingly. Everybody has a right to challenge the government. The court will decide. Anyhow, the implementation of the act will not be affected by it,' Sibal told reporters during an interaction at Indian Women's Press Corps in New Delhi on Wednesday.

On Monday, the court issued notice to the ministry, on a petition challenging the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act as being unconstitutional and violative of the fundamental rights of unaided private educational institutions.

Under the act, free and compulsory education has been made a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years of age and a further provision has been made for reservation of 25 per cent of the seats even in private educational institutions for children from poor families.

The union human resource development ministry has proposed setting up of an education financial corporation to provide soft, long-term loans for development of educational infrastructure.

Students will be helped by the corporation with loans for pursuing higher education, but this would be through refinance by banks.