Archive · 8 Aug 2026
MP High Court Stays ₹350-Crore School Uniform Tender
A big court in India called the Madhya Pradesh High Court has stopped a decision for now.
The decision was about buying school uniforms for students in government schools.
The uniforms would have cost about 350 crore rupees, which is a very large amount of money.
Some weaver groups were upset about this plan.
Weavers are people who make cloth using special machines called powerlooms.
These groups said the rules did not require an open auction for the uniforms.
They said the uniforms should be bought from a state cooperative that has done this job since 1993.
The groups said many weaver families could lose their work and struggle to pay back bank loans.
The judges asked the government and the textbook company to explain their side within a week.
Until then, no final decision can be made on the tender.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court imposed an interim stay on finalisation of the about ₹350 crore tender for supplying uniforms to government school students.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal directed the state government and Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation to respond within a week.
Three weaver associations filed petitions alleging the tender violated the Madhya Pradesh Stores Purchase Rules 2023.
Petitioners said the Powerloom Cooperative Society has been the nodal agency for school uniform supply since 1993, so an open tender was not required.
They claimed the tender could affect the livelihoods of around 2 lakh weaver families, many of whom have taken bank loans.
- Who
- A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court led by acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal, hearing petitions from three weaver associations.
- What
- Imposed an interim stay on finalisation of the about ₹350 crore open tender for supplying uniforms to government school students.
- When
- The tender was issued on June 3, 2026, and the interim stay was passed by the Jabalpur bench while hearing the petitions.
- Where
- Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Why
- Petitioners alleged the tender process violated the Madhya Pradesh Stores Purchase Rules 2023 and could harm the livelihoods of about 2 lakh weaver families.
Weaver Associations
State Government & Textbook Corporation
Procurement process
Weaver Associations
The rules allow materials such as school uniforms to be procured from state enterprises without an open tender, and the Powerloom Cooperative Society has acted as the nodal agency for this supply since 1993.
State Government & Textbook Corporation
The Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation issued an open tender worth about ₹350 crore for the uniform supply contract.
Impact on weavers
Weaver Associations
The open tender could affect the livelihoods of around 2 lakh weaver families tied to powerloom and spinning mill industries, and many weavers with bank loans could face financial difficulty without work.
State Government & Textbook Corporation
The state government and Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation are respondents in the case and were directed by the court to submit their responses within a week.
- Tender value
- About ₹350 crore
- Tender issuer
- Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation
- Tender issued
- June 3, 2026
- Court
- Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jabalpur bench
- Bench
- Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal
- Petitioners
- Minority Backward Class Powerloom Weavers Association, Paradise Weavers Association, Kohinoor Weavers Association
- Alleged violation
- Madhya Pradesh Stores Purchase Rules 2023
- Families potentially affected
- About 2 lakh weaver families