The Rajasthan Education Department has decided to implement a uniform dress code across all government and private schools in the state. The move, officials said, aims to reduce visible economic and social disparities among students. Education Minister Madan Dilawar said the proposal, earlier held up due to legal issues, will now be implemented. “It is important for children not to face any form of discrimination on the basis of class or background. Legal issues have been resolved and now things are clear. We will pass the order soon,” said Dilawar, adding that private schools will not be allowed to act arbitrarily. Rajasthan has over 80,000 government schools with over 80 lakh students where the government provides uniform along with stationery and books while around 84 lakh students study in over 50,000 private schools. However, the proposal has drawn opposition from private school associations. Damodar Goyal, President of the Society for Unaided Private School, said that the government should not think about these issues. “Government should not interfere in the autonomy of private schools. We have been working on our values and rules. Our regulations for the uniform give each private school its own identity. Also, the Supreme Court on many occasions has upheld private schools' right to decide their uniform. This is not the right way to remove inequalities from society. We need to work on the issues that require urgent attention from the government and uniform is not one such issue,” said Goyal. Some parents have also voiced their concerns. Pankaj Jain, whose children attend a top private school in Jaipur, said, “I pay around 3 lakh annually for my two kids in a school that provides them with better infrastructure and facilities. Classism in the society will be removed when we work for the upliftment of the public. Uniformity should come through quality education, not identical clothing,” said Jain. According to sources in the department, the government is in consultation with private schools and a final decision is expected soon.
