Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar has said that all private and government schools in the state will now have the same uniform, and ties will no longer be a part of it because, he said, it's a Western concept.
"In Indian dressing, there is no place for the tie," said Dilawar. "The pant shirt too is not strictly Indian, but it has been accepted now," he added.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, the minister said the idea came to him because he didn't want government schoolchildren to feel inferior to the private school students.
"Sometimes children from lower-income backgrounds feel that if their parents had more money, they could have also studied in private schools and they often compare themselves to these children and feel inferior, so we have decided from the next session all children of government and non government schools will wear the same uniform this will bring uniformity and do away with feelings of inferiority among children".
The government plans to issue a notification on this soon, said the minister, who also said he plans to bring about a compulsory school uniform for teachers as well.
Congress sources, who spoke to NDTV, said the education minister will have to get this passed by the cabinet. They said they would react once a formal order was issued
Private school associations have also said they are waiting for a formal government order on the decision to have the same uniform for all schools.
Damodar Goyal, lawyer for private school associations in Jaipur, said, "We will challenge the order; it is the school's prerogative to prescribe a dress for their students and the government cannot make this compulsory."
