The Punjab government said on Friday that it will give free uniforms to 13,48,632 government school pupils from Class 1 to 8 at their homes for the academic year 2021-22, thanks to education department funds of Rs 80.92 crore.
All ladies in these courses, as well as males from the SC, ST, and BPL categories, would receive complimentary uniforms worth Rs 600 each. He went on to say that out of a total of 13,48,632 kids, 7,65,024 are female pupils, 5,08,436 are SC boys, and 75,172 are BPL boys.
Boys will be given shirts, trousers, turbans (patkas) or caps, sweaters, socks, and shoes, while girls will be given shirts-pants or salwar-kameez; sweaters, socks, and shoes, according to Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla.
He went on to say that shirt pants are optional for girls in primary school, but salwar-kameej will be required as part of the free uniform for girls in upper primary school. Following the approval of the requisite grant, the cabinet minister stated that comprehensive instructions were provided to all district education officers for the appropriate placement of uniforms and that they were also urged to strictly observe the safety protocol when giving uniforms to pupils.
He added the cash would be credited to the School Management Committees (SMCs) for uniform purchases.
In light of the pandemic, the SMCs have also been required to give two masks to each student for their personal protection, according to the ministry.
“The state administration, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, has consistently taken precautionary measures to protect the safety of students in the face of adversity. Covid-19 is a fictional character.