Over 93,000 students in Delhi govt schools yet to get subsidy for uniform

As per the Right to Education Act, students of government schools are entitled to receive free books, stationery items and uniforms up to class 8. The Delhi government distributes books to these students and transfer subsidy for uniforms and stationery directly into their bank accounts once a year.

Five months into the academic session, as many as 93,302 students in Delhi government schools are yet to receive subsidy for uniforms as their bank accounts are “non functional”. The directorate of education transfers the subsidy directly to students’ bank accounts.

According to a DoE circular, the government is facing “acute problem” in disbursing susbidy to the students of governemnt schools. About 93,302 students don’t have functional bank accounts. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/ Hindustan Times)

According to the circular issued by KK Satija, deputy director of the DoE’s planning branch, to the heads of all government schools in Delhi on Tuesday, the government is facing “acute problem” in disbursing cash benefits to the students of government schools. “As per the information, about 93,302 students were found without functional bank accounts across government schools,” the circular stated.

The circular asked all the schools to keep the document of the students, including photocopy of their Aadhaar cards and mobile numbers, ready for opening their bank accounts. “Office of the chief post master general, Delhi circle, has agreed to open accounts of these students by visiting the schools. The head of schools are advised to keep the documents ready,” it added.

The DoE has warned the schools against charging any money from students for the purpose.

As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, students of government schools are entitled to receive free books, stationery items and uniforms up to class 8. The Delhi government distributes books to these students and transfer subsidy for uniforms and stationery directly into their bank accounts once a year.

Principals in several government schools said many of these cases are the ones’ wherein students have taken admissions in more than one school. “It has been found in our school as well that students have enrolled in more than one school and that’s why their names have appeared at two or three places,” said head of a government boys senior secondary school in Karol Bagh.

Some parents, meanwhile, said they did not get the subsidy even after having a functional bank account in the name of their wards. “My son has a bank account and we have already provided the details to the school. We are yet to get the subsidy,” said Janki Devi, mother of a class 7 student at Sarvodaya Bal School in east Vinod Nagar.

A senior DoE official said many schools have not updated the bank account details of students. “The schools have been asked to immediately update the details on the online portal of the department. We are taking it on priority basis,” said the official, who wished not to be named.