Provisions under Section 19 of the Right to Education Act provide harsh penalties for schools that fail to gain recognition within three years. An increasing number of schools being run from lower class neighbourhoods are educating the most disadvantaged students in urban areas. Charging a nominal fee (around Rs 400 per month), these ‘Budget Private Schools’ cater extensively to children from economically weaker backgrounds. The growing popularity, amongst poor parents, of such schools in slums and weaker sections of society has confirmed their acceptability and credibility. However, unable to meet the elaborate recognition criteria such as a large playground, land requirements, minimum teacher qualifications or fixed pay conditions, many budget private schools are unrecognized. Given their popularity in economically backward regions of cities, the shutting down of such schools would cut access of many students to quality education. This session would explore innovative ways of including such schools under the purview of law through ‘positive regulation’.