MP School Uniform Row: 56.6 Lakh Students Await Dresses Ahead Of Independence Day

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Government school students across Madhya Pradesh have been advised to attend the Independence Day celebrations on August 15 wearing their prescribed school uniform. However, lakhs of students are still waiting for the uniform to reach their schools.

According to the latest UDISE+ 2025-26 data, MP has 56,62,228 students enrolled from Class 1 to 8 in government schools. This includes 34,36,341 students in Classes 1 to 5 and 22,25,887 students in Classes 6 to 8.

The Textbook Corporation floated an open tender of around Rs 350 crore on June 3 for the supply of school uniforms but MP High court has imposed an interim stay on the tender.

The latest tender listing shows that the procurement of stitched uniforms for students of Class 1 to 8 is scheduled to close on August 20, 2026. The Jabalpur bench directed the state government, MP Textbook Corporation and others concerned to submit their replies within a week.

Govt scheme

Earlier, students were provided Rs 600 through government scheme for two sets of uniforms, with the money used to arrange the dress. From the 2026-27 academic session, the government decided to replace this system with ready-stitched uniforms procured through a tender process.

The procurement has been divided into four categories, Class 1-3 girls, Class 1-3 boys, Class 4-8 girls and Class 4-8 boys. Additionally, the Assembly was also informed in February 2026 that payments related to earlier uniform-stitching work were still pending for Self Helf Groups