The Punjab Department of School Education has constituted a state-level committee to review applications rejected under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and has given parents and guardians another opportunity to present their cases for reconsideration.In a public notice issued on Monday, the department said that several applications submitted online for admission to recognised unaided private schools under the 25 per cent reserved quota for the 2026-27 academic session had been rejected or declared ineligible during scrutiny by District Education Officers (Elementary).The quota is meant for children belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), disadvantaged groups and backward classes under provisions of the RTE Act.The department said that the scrutiny process had been conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by the School Education Department. However, following the principles of natural justice, the government has decided to provide another opportunity to affected applicants.The state-level committee would examine documents submitted by parents and guardians and verify claims before taking a final decision in disputed cases.As per the notice, parents or guardians of candidates declared ineligible have been directed to appear before the committee between May 19 and May 21 during office hours with all original documents related to their applications.The hearings and verification process would be conducted at the office of the Director, School Education (Elementary), Punjab, on the sixth floor of Vidhya Bhawan, Phase 8, Mohali.The department said that the exercise was being undertaken in the larger public interest to ensure that admissions are finalised within the prescribed timeline.It clarified that no further opportunity or extension would be granted after the specified dates and that the committee’s decision would be final.