No uniform for 2mn MP schoolkids yet

BHOPAL/AGAR MALWA: Around two million of the total 8.3 million government school students in Madhya Pradesh are yet to get their uniforms even as the current academic session ends two months later.

A school education department official said the government used to transfer money directly into the accounts of students to buy uniforms until the last academic session. In January 2018, the then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the government would rope in women under National Rural Livelihood Mission to stitch the uniforms to also ensure a livelihood for them.

This first delayed the distribution of the uniforms, which are given under a government scheme. Officials blamed the model code of conduct imposed in the state for the assembly elections in November for further delaying the distribution. The conduct prevents governments from taking measures that could influence voters and was imposed ahead of the elections in Madhya Pradesh in October

“After [Chouhan’s announcement]... an order was issued in March and the work of stitching uniforms for 83 lakhs students started . ... the distribution stopped [in October] due to the imposition of model code of conduct. In December, the distribution began but self-help groups were unable to provide the quality and quantity needed,” the official said. Deepak Joshi, who was the education minister in the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, said they had come up with a good system to provide jobs to women. He blamed elections for the delay in the process. “The present government should speed up the process so that students can get the uniforms at least before the [national] elections [due this summer].” Joshi’s successor, Prabhuram Choudhary, blamed the previous BJP government’s negligence for the delay. “We are trying our best to speed up the process of distributing the uniforms,” he said. Some students, who have received their uniforms, complained about their quality. “I have just received my uniform but I cannot wear it because it is too short. It is useless for me,” said Shivani Singh, a student of Bhopal’s Rashidia school.

Rajneesh Swarnkar, a principal, said school uniform is necessary as it brings uniformity and equality among the students. “Parents of students inquire daily about uniforms but what can we do.”