SPEARHEADING a statewide struggle for proper implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 and against the commercialisation of education, and particularly school education in the state of Tamilnadu, the Students Federation of India (SFI) organised a statewide school students' protest strike on June 18. Nearly 20,000 of young boys and girls participated in the protest strike as they boycotted classes in many of the schools. In various districts, SFI units held demonstrations also. Nearly 10,000 students involved themselves in the protest actions in Nagapattimnam district. State and district level leaders of the SFI led the protest actions in various areas. Meanwhile, in the union territory of Pudhucherry, a common platform was formed to fight for implementation of the right of children to free and compulsory education under the RTE Act 2009. The Students Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), along with some other organisations, are parts of this forum. A formal meeting of the forum was held on June 14 at the office of the Pudhucherry Government Employees Federation. As special invitee, Justice M David Annoussamy, a retired judge of Madras High Court, explained the salient features of the act and the necessity of implementing it. He said the RTE Act has not been implemented as effectively as it should be. The school education department is required to act quickly and efficiently to implement the act. The department should spell out its plans for implementation of the act and also publicise online the steps it has taken so far to implement it, he said. While a resolution of the meeting urged the Pudhucherry government not to delay further the implementation of the RTE Act, another resolution asked it to constitute a fee determination committee for private schools.