Understanding the Right to Education Act 2009

The question asks about the beneficiaries of the Free and Compulsory Child Education Act, 2009. This act is more commonly known as the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, or simply the RTE Act, 2009.

The primary objective of the RTE Act, 2009, is to provide free and compulsory education to all children of a specific age group in India. Let's look at the options provided:

• All children of the age group of 6 to 14 years.
• Disabled children
• Girl children of the age group of 6 to 14 years.
• Children belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

Let's analyze what the RTE Act, 2009, actually mandates:

The Act makes education a fundamental right for every child between the ages of 6 and 14 years. This means that the state is obligated to provide free and compulsory education to this entire age group.

• Free Education: No child is required to pay any fee or charges or expenses that may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education.
• Compulsory Education: It casts an obligation on the appropriate Government and local authorities to ensure admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by all children in the 6-14 age group.

Considering the scope of the Act:

• It covers all children aged 6 to 14 years, irrespective of their gender, caste, tribe, or disability status.
• While disabled children are included, the Act is not exclusively for them; it's for all children in the specified age range.
• Similarly, while girl children and children from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the 6-14 age group are beneficiaries, the Act is not limited only to these specific groups. It encompasses all children within that age bracket.

Therefore, the Free and Compulsory Child Education Act, 2009, applies to every child in the age group of 6 to 14 years.