The Right to Education (RTE) Act, aimed at providing free and compulsory education, faces challenges in Bengaluru as private schools are no longer obligated to reserve 25% of seats for disadvantaged children. Amendments to the RTE Act in 2018 have led to a decline in available seats, leaving parents like Nagaraj unable to afford private school fees. While aided schools offer an alternative, they lack appeal. Activists note a diminishing interest in RTE seats, attributing it to parents’ preference for well-equipped private schools. Proposed solutions include reallocating seats based on civic amenity sites to ensure equitable access to quality education.