Goodbye to khaki, UP govt school kids to wear pink and brown uniform

LUCKNOW: Bidding goodbye to the khaki-coloured dress, students studying in government-run schools in Uttar Pradesh will now be seen in a new uniform — pink and white check shirt with brown collar and brown trousers for boys and pink and white check shirt and brown skirt for younger girls and red kurta with brown salwar and brown dupatta for girls — studying in class 6 to 8.Incidentally, the colour of new uniform of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is also brown trousers paired with white shirt.
The brighter uniform to be introduced from July will replace the khaki-coloured dress which was being worn by students since five years. There are 1.78 crore children studying in 1.68 lakh government schools in UP. This includes 1.14 lakh primary schools (from class 1 -5) and 54,000 upper primary schools (from class 6-8). The change in uniform comes after UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath in a meeting with education officials on April 3 expressed unhappiness over the khaki dress and compared it with the uniform of the 'homeguards’.
Unveiling the new uniform on Tuesday in Lucknow, basic education minister (independent charge) Anupama Jaiswal said the new dress will give a smart look to the students.
The bright colours, said officials will boost the confidence of students and they will feel themselves at par with those studying in private or convent schools. "Samples of uniforms from as many as 16 states were bought, and most of them had a shade of brown. Even uniforms of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas were sought. Three out of many were shortlisted,’’ said a senior education official, adding the chief minister finalised the combination of a blend of pink and red and cocoa brown.
In 2012, when SP government came to power, the khaki uniform was introduced replacing the traditional navy blue shorts/trousers for boys and skirts/salwars paired with sky blue shirt/tunics for girls. The ruling BJP government felt the khaki uniform was synonymous with the poor state of affairs in government schools over the years.
Though the attire is revamped, officials are concerned on the low cost of uniform. According to an officer, each student is given two sets of uniform, with one amounting to Rs 200. This way, the government spends Rs 400 on uniform per child. "With the money allocated for one set of uniform, how can quality be maintained,’’ said an official.