Tension gripped the Shiksha Bhavan premises on Monday after members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) staged a strong protest against the state government’s decision to introduce a common uniform across all government schools.

The student body alleged that the Education Department, nearly six months into the current academic year, had suddenly imposed a “rash and arbitrary” decision to make one uniform mandatory for all state-run schools. According to NSUI leaders, this move will erode the distinct identity and traditions of several long-established schools in the capital.

The protesters further claimed that the contract for supplying the new uniforms has been handed over to a Gujarat-based company, sidelining local tailors and the garment industry. “This decision is not only detrimental to local livelihoods but also reeks of commercial interests,” the NSUI leadership charged.

Chanting slogans and surrounding the Education Department, the Youth Congress-affiliated student leaders turned the Shiksha Bhavan premises into a flashpoint of agitation. The protestors demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order and warned of intensified movements if the government failed to reconsider its decision.