MUMBAI: With the monsoon season drawing to a close, thousands of students in Classes 1 to 8 studying at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run schools are still waiting for umbrellas and several essential school supplies, four months after the new academic year began. And the explanation for the delay? The contractor has cited the war situation in West Asia.
The bizarre justification came under sharp criticism at the Education Committee meeting, where opposition corporators questioned how a conflict thousands of kilometres away was connected to the delayed supply of umbrellas to municipal school students. The BMC provides uniforms and educational material, including notebooks, shoes, socks, school bags, pens, pencils, umbrellas and raincoats, to students every year. However, the tender was later cancelled after the civic administration decided to procure the material through the Centre’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. The meeting also witnessed concerns over security at BMC schools. Corporator Nikhil Vyas showed photographs of a goat allegedly tied inside the premises of Sanjay Nagar BMC school on Govandi Road No. “Is BMC allowing tied animals inside school premises?
The civic body had started the tender process in March for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. The BMC Education Department sanctioned ₹ 151.33 crore in June for uniforms and notebooks. Of this, ₹ 121.74 crore was sanctioned for uniforms and ₹ 29.59 crore for notebooks. Congress corporator Dr Ajanta Yadav alleged that despite the funds being sanctioned, the material had not reached nearly 310,000 students. Umbrellas have been supplied to 51.5% of students, school bags to 61.7%, uniforms to 81.31% and footwear to 88.12%, according to information provided by the administration. 8.
If this continues, the education department should start teaching animal husbandry in schools,” Vyas said. Deputy municipal commissioner (Education) Prachi Jambhekar said the civic administration would take necessary action against the security agency deployed at the school.
