PANAJI
The Union Ministry of Education has taken serious note of Goa’s failure to adopt the amended provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act relating to the detention policy which empower States to detain students from Classes V to VIII if they fail to clear year-end examinations.
During a meeting of the Project Approval Board under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan held last month, the Ministry observed that Goa has not yet adopted the amended provisions notified in December 2024 and directed the State to expedite its implementation in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to the minutes of the meeting, the State informed the Board that the matter was presently under consideration only for implementation at the Class VIII level.
“Goa has not yet adopted the amended provisions relating to the detention policy under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. The matter is currently under consideration for implementation at the Class VIII level,” the minutes stated.
The Board advised the State to “expedite the process of adopting and implementing the amended provisions of the RTE Act, in alignment with the emphasis of NEP 2020 on competency-based assessment, foundational learning and improved learning outcomes.”
Despite the Centre’s notification, Goa has continued with the no-detention policy for Classes V and VIII for the academic year 2026-27, under which no student will be held back due to poor academic performance. The State government has maintained that it is awaiting detailed guidelines from the Union Ministry following the amendments to the RTE Rules.
The December 16, 2024 gazette notification amended the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, allowing States to conduct regular examinations and detain students who fail to meet promotion criteria, while also mandating remedial measures to address learning gaps.
The move marks a departure from the long-standing no-detention policy introduced under the RTE Act, 2009, which prohibited detention or expulsion of students from Classes I to VIII and replaced annual examinations with Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). Following a 2019 amendment to the RTE Act, around 16 states and two Union Territories have already withdrawn the no-detention policy for Classes V and VIII.
