BHUBANESWAR: Students of classes IX and X of public and aided schools will soon be provided free uniforms under Mukhymantri Chhatra Chatri Paridhan Yojana. The dress code and designs of the uniforms have also been changed.
While a boy student will get two pairs of uniforms, a pair of black shoes, two pairs of white socks, one t-shirt and a track pant, a girl would get two pairs of salwar-kurta sets and jackets. The boys will wear checkered white and green shirts and green pants while girls will wear checkered white and green kurta with green jacket and salwar. The new uniforms will have the logo ‘Ame Gadhibu Nua Odisha’ (We Will Build New Odisha).
Previously, the uniforms were of blue and white colours for both boys and girls and they were free for students of elementary grades. On Saturdays, the students will wear t-shirt and track pants with a cap. The t-shirts will be of blue, green, red and yellow colours and the track pants of dark blue colour. The Saturday uniform has been designed as per ‘house system’.
Issuing a notification, the Directorate of Secondary Education (DISE) informed that for schools having less than 100 students, two houses will be formed and out of the four t-shirt colours, any two can be chosen. For schools with more than 100 students, four houses will be formed with t-shirts of four colours. Each student will get one t-shirt with a logo and one track pant.
DISE also issued a set of guidelines for procurement and distribution of the uniforms. “All the students of classes IX and X of government and aided secondary schools will be provided with two pairs of uniforms worth Rs 550, one pair of shoes and two pairs of socks worth Rs 200, one t-shirt worth Rs 125 and one track pant worth Rs 125.
The total of Rs 1,000 is inclusive of the tax as applicable, the cost of branding and transportation of uniform, t-shirt, shoes, socks and track pants,” the Directorate said in the letter to all collectors and district education officers. Fund for the purpose will be provided from the state plan. It stated that all the accessories will be as per the measurements of the students and special attention should be given to the quality of materials procured.