Nagpur: Raising serious concerns over the growing commercialisation of educational institutions, a delegation of the Nag Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), one of the leading organisations representing nearly 13 lakh traders across Vidarbha, submitted a memorandum to Nagpur District Collector Kumar Ashirwad recently, demanding a complete ban on the sale of stationery and other educational materials by schools.
The delegation, led by NVCC President Farooq Akbani, urged the administration to intervene and protect the livelihood of stationery traders, school uniform sellers and small educational material vendors who are allegedly suffering due to the increasing practice of schools compelling parents to purchase books, stationery, uniforms, shoes and other items from specific outlets or directly from school premises.
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The delegation included Chamber IPP Arjundas Ahuja, Vice Presidents Swapnil Ahirkar and Umesh Patel, Secretary CA Hemant Sarda, Treasurer Sachin Puniyani, and members Sanjay Gupta, Sunil Adamne and Rakesh Ahuja.
Speaking on the issue, Chamber President Farooq Akbani said that for several years, private schools have allegedly been pressuring students and parents to buy stationery, uniforms, shoes and educational kits either from schools themselves or from shops tied up with them.
“This practice has severely affected independent stationery traders and educational material sellers. Many shopkeepers are now facing a financial crisis and are on the verge of shutting down their businesses. For thousands of families, stationery sales are the only source of livelihood,” Akbani stated.
Chamber IPP Arjundas Ahuja highlighted the double blow faced by stationery traders in recent years. He said that increasing digitalisation in education has already reduced the sale of books and notebooks, as many students now rely on online study material and digital learning platforms.
“On top of this, every private school follows a different syllabus and allegedly forces parents to buy books and stationery only from their authorised vendors. Traders who do not have tie-ups with schools are suffering massive losses,” Ahuja said.
He further pointed out that the business of school uniform sellers, shoe vendors and other educational material suppliers has also been badly impacted due to such practices.
The Chamber alleged that despite submitting several representations to the government and administration in the past, no effective action has been taken so far.
NVCC Secretary CA Hemant Sarda said educational institutions should focus solely on imparting education and not engage in commercial activities.
“The role of schools and colleges is to provide education, while trading activities should be left to businessmen. The government should issue clear directives prohibiting educational institutions from selling stationery and other educational materials,” Sarda said.
The Chamber also demanded uniformity in school syllabi across government and private institutions and called for strict regulations preventing schools from forcing parents to purchase books, stationery, uniforms and shoes from designated vendors.
According to the Chamber, such measures would ensure fair business opportunities for all traders associated with educational supplies and reduce the financial burden on parents.
District Collector Kumar Ashirwad reportedly heard the concerns of the delegation and assured them that the matter would be examined seriously and appropriate action would be considered.
The information was shared through a press release issued by NVCC Secretary CA Hemant Sarda.
