Maharashtra education department bars private schools from forcing supply purchases
India
Good news for students and parents in Maharashtra: private schools can no longer make you buy uniforms, books, or other supplies from just one shop.
The education department's new rule is all about giving families more freedom (and saving some money), letting them choose where to get their school essentials.
Schools must certify noncoercion, Balbharati textbooks
To make sure this actually happens, schools have to officially confirm they're not forcing purchases and set up a way for parents to report problems.
Plus, state board schools now have to use only Balbharati textbooks: no more pushing expensive private publisher books.