Now, U.P. govt primary students to get additional ₹100 to buy stationery

Over 1.8 crore students studying in state government run primary, upper primary schools will benefit from this move

With a view to helping government schoolchildren buy stationery, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to add additional ₹100 to one-time annual amount of ₹1100 that it transfers to the bank accounts of parents of primary schools’ students through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to buy uniform, school bag, a pair of shoes, socks, a sweater and now pencils, copies and erasers too.

A primary school teacher taking her class at a school in Prayagraj. (HT file)

Sixty percent of the amount will be given by central and 40% by the state governments, said director general school education, Vijay Kiran Anand. Over 1.8 crore students studying in state government run primary, upper primary schools will benefit from this move. Now the government will transfer ₹1,200 instead of ₹1,100.

The basic education department has sent a proposal to the government in this regard. From the additional amount, students will have to buy four copies, two pencils, two pens, two erasers and two sharpeners. Free text and exercise books are given under “Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan” (education for all).

Till now, only text and work books were given to the students free of cost. Copies were needed in classes. So far, parents had to spend their own money for buying copies and pencils. In some places, teachers used to provide stationery through their personal efforts.

So far, the government was paying ₹600 for two sets of uniforms, ₹175 for a schoolbag, ₹125 for shoes and socks and ₹200 for a sweater. Out of the total ₹1100, ₹600 is given from the budget of the central government while the rest ₹500 is given by the state government.