The nearly 13 lakh pupils at schools run by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan might go to class in khadi, if a proposal to switch from the synthetic fabrics now used in their uniforms is cleared.
The central government-funded KVS, which runs 1,200 schools in India and abroad, is considering the change after parents complained that the synthetic fabric was causing discomfort to their children. The KVS uniform is check shirts with skirts or trousers.
“Synthetic cloth is not good for health. It has to change. We have set up a committee which is considering either cotton or khadi,” KVS commissioner Santosh Mall said.
The committee wants to be assured of the availability of khadi in all areas and has scheduled a meeting with officials of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
Commission chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the supply of khadi would not be a problem.
“Availability is not an issue. We are ready to provide as much cloth as any region needs. It’s a big help for our artisans,” Saxena said.
Saxena said that educational institutions were increasingly using khadi for their convocation attire. The University Grants Commission had written to all the universities in 2016 to adopt khadi for their convocations.
As part of the celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, the Central Board of Secondary Education had last month written to all its affiliated schools to encourage their pupils to wear khadi once a week.