Maharashtra Government Announces Free School Bags for Classes 1 to 8

₹165 Crore Sanctioned

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Wasim Sheikh

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@hindostantimes.com

Yavatmal - To boost primary education and reduce the financial burden on parents, the School Education and Sports Department of Maharashtra has issued a Government Resolution (GR) to provide free school bags to students studying in local self-government schools across the state.

The scheme covers students from Class 1 to Class 8 enrolled in schools run by local self-government bodies.The state government has granted administrative approval for a total expenditure of ₹165.00 Crores for the procurement and distribution of these bags.

Approximately 41.43 lakh students are expected to benefit from this initiative, ensuring they have the necessary resources for a quality education.

To avoid the duplication of benefits, students in Municipal Corporations (like BMC or PMC) that already provide free bags through their own municipal funds have been excluded from this specific state-funded scheme.

The Director of Education (Primary), Maharashtra State, Pune, has been authorized to initiate the procurement process. The GR mandates a transparent e-tender process in strict accordance with the rules set by the Industries, Energy, and Labour Department.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to align with the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aiming to create an "Anandayi" (joyful) and encouraging educational environment.

The Government Resolution was officially released today under the digital signature of Aniruddha Avinash Kulkarni, Under Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra. The document is available on the official state website with the unique reference code: 20260213183147321.