Maharashtra misses extended deadline to distribute school uniforms

MUMBAI: After missing the first deadline in June, the Mahayuti government is set to miss the extended deadline for its pet project—the One State One Uniform policy. Forty-four lakh students in zilla parishad schools across the state are still waiting for their uniforms even two months after schools reopened and have been forced to wear worn-out uniforms from the previous year or civil clothes. They will have to do so even during the flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day.
The government was to deliver the uniforms on June 15. However, delay in the supply of textiles by the vendor and changes in the uniform policy three times in the past year caused significant confusion, delaying the distribution process. The government then declared that it would provide uniforms to all students by August 15. But till now, only 10% of the uniform distribution has been completed.
Efforts to contact officers from the school education department for information yielded no response. According to teachers from various districts, Palghar, Jalgaon, Latur, Solapur, Nagpur, Hingoli, Pune, Ahmednagar, Nasik, Bhor, Raigad, Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Buldhana and Gondia are yet to receive uniforms.
The One State One Uniform policy aimed to standardise uniforms for students in Classes 1 to 8 across all government schools in Maharashtra beginning from the 2024-25 academic year. State government schools used to have identical uniforms two decades ago, but this practice was later discontinued, allowing schools to choose their own uniforms through School Management Committees (SMCs).
Irate parents and teachers have urged the government to either provide new uniforms or scrap the policy altogether. “This is the first time in six years that my son is going to school without a uniform,” said Tatyasaheb Bhumre, parent of a student from Palghar district. “The government implemented this policy without proper planning or a feasibility study, and forced this decision on lakhs of students just to fulfil someone’s ambition.”
Bhumre also highlighted the distress caused to poorer students. “The parents of some students in my village don’t have the money to buy new clothes so most are wearing torn clothes to school,” he said. “This creates a social imbalance among students. If the sentiments of any of the students are hurt, who will be responsible?”
Under the new scheme, the task of sewing uniforms was assigned to a self-help group registered under the Maharashtra Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, which too has faced criticism from various stakeholders. “The government disrupted the earlier system unnecessarily, and is violating the rights of SMC as outlined in the Right to Education Act,” said Sambhaji Mane, an SMC member from a Karjat-based zilla parishad school.
Mane pointed out that there was no room for malpractices in the older system, as the government provided ₹300 per uniform per student as opposed to the new practice of providing uniforms directly. “Also, at the last minute, the state ordered that the second set, the ‘Scout and Guide’ uniforms, should be arranged by local SMCs,” he said. “But due to policy paralysis, students now don’t have even one set.”
Vijay Kombe, chairman of the Maharashtra Rajya Prathamik Shikshak Samitee, asked who would be held responsible for the delay in uniform distribution. “Is the government going to penalise officers, contractors and all the others involved?” he asked. “The government must now accept the failure of this policy and give back the SMCs their right to decide on uniforms. We are demanding justice for the students, who need uniforms as soon as possible.”
Even the few thousand students who received their uniforms have raised concerns about the quality of the fabric. “Despite spending so much money, the quality is very bad,” said Shanta Badrike, SMC member of a Karnala school. “In the earlier system, the SMC unanimously selected the fabric. We used to call our tailor to the school to take measurements. Now we get uniforms that don’t fit and have to spend additional money on alterations.”