Odisha School uniform changes for class 9 and 10

The newly formed BJP government has announced a new colour scheme for the uniforms of students in classes 9 and 10 at government and aided schools. According to the official directive, the updated uniforms will incorporate a combination of light brown, chocolate, and clay-baked yellow.

The current school uniforms consist of a green and white colour scheme, aligning with the colour code of the BJD's party symbol.

In a letter to the Director of Secondary Education, the School and Mass Education department announced that secondary school students will now switch to the new uniforms.

According to the department's letter, the new uniforms will be introduced only in schools where the current uniforms, following the existing colour code, have not yet been stitched or distributed.

Under the "Chief Minister's Students' Wear Scheme," new uniforms have been chosen for government and government-aided secondary school students. Instructions have been issued, and the new uniforms will be distributed to schools where the previous uniforms have not been stitched or provided.

“The govt is pleased to approve the final design and colour of the uniform for secondary school students in govt and government-aided schools under the Mukhyamantri Chhatra Chhatri Paridhan Yojana,” the notification stated.

But, the date when the new uniforms would be distributed to other schools was not specified.

School and mass education minister Nityananda Gond alleged that the previous BJD govt had introduced the green uniform as it resembled the party colour. “School uniform should be neutral in colour and not politically motivated,” he said.

Santosh Patra, a Class X student, told, “We don’t mind as long as govt provides the uniforms. They may change the colour every year, but it will put financial burden on the state exchequer.”Indirectly replying to the change in colour of uniforms, former CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik said at a party event, “You can change the name, you can change the colour, but can’t change history. People know everything.”