Nearly 2.32 lakh students in Delhi's MCD schools are still awaiting annual financial aid of Rs 1,670 for uniforms, stationery, and bags as the academic year draws to a close. Officials say only Rs 58 crore of the Rs 109 crore DBT allocation has been received, with MCD releasing Rs 19 crore from its own funds. Parents and teachers are frustrated by the delay.
Nearly 2.32 lakh students enrolled in about 1,500 schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have not yet received their annual entitlement of Rs 1,670 under a government scheme. The aid, transferred directly to bank accounts, covers uniforms (Rs 1,250), stationery (Rs 300), and bags (Rs 120). This figure was confirmed in December by then-MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar during his budget speech.
Parents are enduring significant hardship. Rajesh Pandit (38), a mason, shared, “I am told by the school to check my account again and again… but not even a single rupee has been credited so far,” as he waits to buy essentials for his Class 5 son. Similarly, Ravirajan Pandey (32), a security guard whose son attends an MCD school in Anand Vihar, spent Rs 1,300 out of pocket on two uniforms and questions how long the wait will continue.
Senior officials explained that the government releases funds annually, estimating Rs 235 crore total, with Rs 109 crore for DBT. So far, only Rs 58 crore has arrived, prompting MCD to disburse Rs 19 crore from its own resources. No comment was received from Education Minister Ashish Sood's office. This marks the first such delay; the initial installment came in September, followed by a sanction order on October 31, with reminder letters sent on November 6 and 14, 2025.
MCD Education Committee chairman Yogesh Verma attributed the hold-up to students lacking functional bank accounts or KYC compliance, denying any financial crunch. However, sources indicate 30,000-35,000 students are affected.
A teacher described the shift from school-level fund pooling to portal uploads for DBT, noting the tight timeframe caused issues. In her school, 33 students remain unpaid. Naveen Sangwan, Joint General Secretary of Akhil Delhi Prathmik Sikshak Sangh, highlighted broader problems, including the unreleased Rs 2 lakh annual budget per school principal for minor repairs.
The delay is hitting low-income families hardest, potentially disrupting access to basic school supplies as the year ends.
