The state government has decided to revise its implementation of the “One State, One Uniform” policy, following widespread criticism of last year’s execution. Instead of a centralized system for stitching and distributing uniforms, the state has now tasked School Management Committees (SMCs) with managing the process at the local level.
The change was announced via a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Friday by the Maharashtra school education department. As per the revised plan, SMCs will be responsible for stitching and distribution of two sets of uniforms per student. The uniforms will include a light blue shirt for boys paired with dark blue half pants or pants, depending on the class, and for girls, a light blue shirt or kameez with a dark blue skirt or salwar.
The GR further adds that individual SMCs will have the flexibility to decide the specific uniform style for girls, whether it be a shirt and skirt, a shirt and frock or a salwar-kameez, based on local preferences. The Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP) will provide the funds for the stitching and distribution process of uniforms.
Maharashtra project director of MPSP R Vimala explained that the decision to decentralize the process was made in response to the numerous challenges faced during the centralization of the policy.
“There were multiple factors that led to the issues we faced last year, which was also the first year of the ‘one state, one uniform’ policy. Instead of continuing with the new centralised practice, it has now been decided to decentralise the system as per the original practice,” she said.
Last year, the state’s school education department rolled out the ‘one state, one uniform’ policy under former school education minister Deepak Kesarkar. The plan aimed to standardize uniforms for students from Classes 1 to 8 across all government schools in Maharashtra. Apart from deciding on specifications of the standardised uniform, the policy also included a centralised process wherein state will manufacture and distribute uniforms to over 44 lakh students studying in government schools of Maharashtra.
However, the policy faced severe backlash due to several implementation issues, especially due to the centralized approach of state-wide implementation, sidelining local SMCs, which would traditionally have managed such tasks.
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After the policy was announced, the centralised system was opposed, with many arguing that it robbed business chances from local women’s self-help groups, which would traditionally stitch these uniforms. Due to the debate and various changes to the policy along the lines, the uniforms were extremely delayed and most students from state government schools started this academic year without uniforms. Finally, when the uniforms arrived, they were found to be unfit and of poor quality, leading to an outcry.
Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association, noted that the government had issued six government resolutions in the past academic year, each modifying the policy due to persistent issues. “The state had no choice but to return to the original practice for effective implementation,” said Ganpule while adding that there was no objection to standardised uniform. “But it was impractical to implement this centrally on such a large scale,” he said.
Welcoming the change, Vijay Kombe from the Maharashtra Primary School Teachers Association, said, “The issues with the centralized system were raised multiple times, yet the government went ahead with it for this academic year, which led to more issues. Now, as the system of manufacturing and distribution is going back to the original system, students will receive better-quality uniforms on time.”
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
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Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
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