The newly appointed human resource development (HRD) minister, MM Pallam Raju, got state governments to agree to expand the Right to Education (RTE) Act to cover preschools. Under the plan, children between three and six years of age will be guaranteed preschool facilities, according to a newspaper report. The minister got the support from states at the meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) on Thursday.

This will save millions of parents and their children from the risks associated with unregulated playschools that often charge high fees but fail to deliver on promises.

India has 159 million under-six children, who either are in or can soon join preschool. But this massive segment under the Indian education system is completely unregulated. Lack of regulations has allowed several substandard playschools and preschools to flourish across the country's cities, feeding on the anxiety of working parents to ensure that their children start learning early in an increasingly competitive environment. Many parents suffer bitter experiences with preschools that sometimes fall short even on safety issues.

But the ministry and education experts say it would not be an easy task due to shortage of qualified teachers, poor infrastructure and a financial crunch.

The government has identified the RTE Act as a key accomplishment to highlight before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The law currently covers children between six and 14 years old and may be also offered to 16-year-old students.