Students To Be Detained If They Fail In Class 5 Upwards  

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the scrapping of the no-detention policy in schools up to Class 8.

The enabling provision will be made in the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education Amendment Bill which will allow states to detain students in class 5 and class 8 if they fail in the year-end exam. The new bill will allow states to hold back students in Class 5 and Class 8 if they fail in the final examination. However, the failed students will get a second chance to take another exam.

Under the present provision of RTE Act, students are promoted automatically to higher classes till class 8. This is one of the key components of the RTE Act which came into force on April 1, 2010.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also gave its nod for the creation of 20 world-class institutions in the country on the request of University Grants Commission. The University Grants Commission (UGC) in February passed a new set of regulations to set up 10 world-class institutions in the public sector and as many in the private sector.

Of the 20 universities, first proposed in this year's budget, the 10 state-supported institutions are expected to receive public funding of up to Rs500 crore each.