Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The school education department has decided to return to the system of transferring uniform assistance directly into students’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), moving away from the distribution of stitched uniforms.
The decision was taken during department’s review meeting held on Tuesday. School education minister Uday Pratap Singh has directed officials to begin preparations for implementing the DBT-based system, following the directions of chief minister Mohan Yadav.
According to UDISE+ 2025-26 data, Madhya Pradesh has 56,62,228 students enrolled in Class 1 to 8 in government schools. Of them, 34,36,341 students are in Class 1 to 5 and 22,25,887 are in Class 6 to 8.
HC stay on uniform tender
The decision comes amid the uncertainty surrounding the state’s latest uniform procurement process. In June, the Cabinet had approved the distribution of stitched uniforms to government school students from Class 1 to 8, replacing the earlier Rs 600 clothing allowance.
Following the decision, Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation floated an open tender worth around Rs 350 crore on June 3 for supplying uniforms.
However, Madhya Pradesh High Court imposed an interim stay on the tender. The department had planned to award the contract to a single company but the tender was subsequently cancelled following court’s intervention.
Uniform scheme changed several times
The uniform assistance scheme has undergone repeated changes. Till 2018, students received cash assistance to purchase uniforms. The government then shifted to direct distribution of uniforms.
However, complaints about incorrect sizes and irregularities prompted a return to cash transfers in 2019.
In 2023-24, the government again adopted the uniform distribution model, this time through Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Complaints of poor fabric quality and delayed delivery, however, continued. In several districts, distribution had not even started by February 2024.
The department subsequently decided to transfer uniform assistance directly into students’ bank accounts through DBT. In 2024-25, about 54 lakh students received uniform assistance through the DBT system.
