• Every child between the ages of six to fourteen years shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school, till completion of elementary education - External website that opens in a new window.
• No child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education.
• Where a child above six years of age has not been admitted to any school or though admitted, could not complete his or her elementary education, then, he or she shall be admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age.
• The appropriate government and local authority shall establish a school, if it is not established, within the given area in a period of three years from the commencement of this Act.
• The Central and the State Governments shall have concurrent responsibility for providing funds for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

As per the provision of the Act, the Central Government has authorised the National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) - External website that opens in a new window as the academic authority to lay down the curriculum and evaluation procedure for elementary education and develop a framework of national curriculum.

This Act is an essential step towards improving each child's accessibility to secondary - External website that opens in a new window and higher education - External website that opens in a new window. The Act also contains specific provisions for disadvantaged groups, such as child labourers, migrant children, children with special needs, or those who have a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or any such factor.