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“Unredressed” Grievances under RTE: Navigating the State Labyrinth
Author(s) -
Bhattacharjee Malini,
Mysoor Dolashree
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.46
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1468-0491
pISSN - 0952-1895
DOI - 10.1111/gove.12132
Subject(s) - redress , grievance , enforcement , accountability , statutory law , state (computer science) , political science , sustenance , law and economics , law , sociology , computer science , algorithm
Despite the refrain that I ndia's statutory rights suffer from weak enforcement, little academic attention has been paid toward the role of grievance redress mechanisms that are crucial to rights enforcement. This article undertakes a systematic policy analysis of the grievance redress system under the Right to Education ( RTE ) Act at the level of both design and performance by illustrating it through the K arnataka example. Our findings show that the redress procedures under RTE in Karnataka are perplexing and poorly designed and have not led to enforcement of the right. With faltering administrative accountability, many complainants find themselves with unresolved grievances leading to unenforced or improperly enforced rights. Significant changes in the law and a substantial redesign of institutions are vital for effectively enforcing the RTE.