Shortage of uniforms in mkt at end of session

Bhopal: After two-year lockdown break, children are again starting to go back to school — if only to take offline exams. For two years, there was no need to buy new school uniforms — and many are finding it hard to fit into their old uniforms after two years worth of growth spurts. All this, while schools insist that students attend classes/ take exams in full uniform. Usually shopkeepers stock their showrooms with new uniforms during the start of the academic session — which as led to a ‘shortage’ of uniforms. All the regular shops do not have the prescribed uniforms and those who do may not have all the sizes. “We went to buy new uniforms for my daughter but the shopkeeper said that stock is not available as of now and will come in a couple of months. I have requested schools to not make it mandatory for students to wear uniforms as this academic year is almost over,” said Simmy Upadhyay, a mother of Class 11 student. “There is no logic in buying uniforms just for exams. Students are already busy studying this is an added worry,” said Kishore Soni, father of a Class 9 student.The lockdown had severely hit small businesses that deal with school supplies and dresses. “We usually had a stock of uniforms throughout the year, but since there was no demand for the last two years, we did not update our inventory as we used to do,” said a shopowner.“Before lockdown, there were 22 workers at my shop. Now I have only six — who are working with a salary cut of 25%-30%. We could not invest in maintaining a stock. We are relying on the next session for a good business,” said a shopowner Nitesh Rai.