The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will distribute notebooks and stationery directly to students from the academic session 2026-27, replacing the existing practice of transferring ₹300 to students’ bank accounts for these purchases.An education department official said the decision was taken to address delays in the disbursal of funds (Photo for representation)An education department official said the decision was taken to address delays in the disbursal of funds, and that two tenders have been floated for the procurement of notebooks and stationery.The bids for both tenders will be opened on June 13. The selected agency will be tasked with supplying exercise notebooks (3-in-1) covering Hindi, English, mathematics, science, drawing and diary work, according to one of the tenders. Another tender issued by the MCD’s education department on May 29 sought the procurement of black-lead pencils, erasers, manual pencil sharpeners, metric scales and crayons.Under the current government scheme, each student enrolled in an MCD-run school is entitled to receive ₹1,670 annually through direct benefit transfer (DBT). The amount includes ₹1,250 for uniforms, ₹300 for stationery, and ₹120 for a schoolbag.“Since admissions and dropouts in MCD schools occur throughout the year, student enrolment is formally recorded on August 31 annually. The data collected then forms the basis for determining beneficiaries and initiating DBT payments. Delays in DBT disbursement often arise because many students lack active bank accounts. Additionally, some accounts become inactive or are closed, further hindering the timely transfer of benefits,” an education department official told HT on the condition of anonymity.“Textbooks and stationery are essential learning materials, and we have therefore decided to provide them directly through schools rather than making cash transfers. While there may be some delay this year due to the procurement and bidding process, distribution will be timely from the next academic session,” the official added.Several teachers and parents HT spoke to highlighted a range of problems they said have become routine because of delays in the transfer of funds.“Throughout the year, we ask parents to purchase notebooks and assure them that the cost will eventually be reimbursed through the DBT amount credited to their accounts. While most parents do buy notebooks, some opt for thinner ones that do not last long. In a few cases, teachers even arrange notebooks from their own resources to support students. The problem also surfaces during inspections, as students’ notebooks serve as a key record of classroom learning and the work undertaken by teachers and students throughout the year. We sometimes don’t have anything to show officials,” said a teacher who has worked in various MCD schools across different zones, requesting anonymity.A parent of an MCD student, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said she purchases notebooks herself because delays affect her child’s learning.“My son has been studying in an MCD school in New Ashok Nagar for the past three years. The money comes every year, but it arrives only in September. The session starts in April; we can’t wait until then. So we buy everything ourselves, from notebooks and stationery to schoolbags,” the parent said.