Ranchi: The Ranchi administration on Monday began the second phase of online admissions to fill 567 seats reserved for children from disadvantaged groups in private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act for the 2026-27 academic session.District records show that 1,161 of the 4,699 entry-level seats available across 117 private schools were earmarked under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, which mandates reservation of 25% of seats for children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. Only 594 reserved seats were filled after the first round.The second-round process will be conducted through the district’s RTE portal, www.rteranchi.in. Eligible applicants can submit their school preferences until Aug 2, while the online lottery will be held at the district collectorate on Aug 5, officials said.No fresh applications will be accepted in this round. Only children who applied earlier and were declared eligible following document verification can participate.Parents must log in using their existing credentials and select up to three neighbourhood schools where vacancies are available. The schools should be within 1 km, 3 km or 6 km of the applicant’s residence. Applicants will also have to specify the exact distance between their home and the selected schools before submitting their choices.The first phase began in March, and the e-lottery was conducted in May. Of the 1,499 children who applied, 641 were shortlisted, but only 594 completed the admission process.District superintendent of education Badal Raj said vacancies persisted largely because parents preferred schools in the city. “Only 46 seats are vacant in around 18 schools in the urban area,” he said.Incomplete documents and the distance between applicants’ homes and allotted schools also prevented admissions, Raj added.“The second phase is being conducted to fill the remaining seats. It is our responsibility to ensure that reserved seats are filled so that children get an equal opportunity to study,” he said.