Article 21A – Right to Education | UPSC Polity Notes

📘 Article 21A – Right to Education (RTE) 🔹 What is Article 21A? Article 21A says: “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years in such manner as the State may decide.” ✅ Key Points: Feature Details Added by 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 Came into force 1st April 2010 Type of education Only elementary (primary + upper primary) education (Class 1 to 8) Who gets it? All children aged 6 to 14 years Free No school fees, tuition, or charges by the government Compulsory Government must ensure every child gets enrolled and completes schooling 🏛️ Before 2002: Education was not a Fundamental Right Earlier, Article 45 in Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) said the State should provide free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years. But since DPSPs are not enforceable by courts , citizens could not demand education as a right. 🔁 What Changed with the 86th Amendment? Made education a Fundamental Right under Article 21A . Changed Article 45 : Now…