'Soles Coming Off Within Days': Karnataka's Free Shoe Scheme For Schoolkids Faces Quality Backlash

News india 'Soles Coming Off Within Days': Karnataka's Free Shoe Scheme For Schoolkids Faces Quality Backlash

Last Updated:September 12, 2026, 04:17 IST

The issue reached the office of Upa Lokayukta Justice K.N. Phaneendra, who took up the issue suo motu complaint over the allegations.

The Karnataka government is trying to get more children into government schools with a range of welfare measures — from free meals and nutrition supplements to uniforms, textbooks and footwear. But a scheme meant to ease the burden on poor families has now run into a basic quality crisis, with complaints that shoes supplied free to schoolchildren are tearing apart within days of being worn.

Parents complained that the quality of the shoes provided were of such poor quality that they came apart within days. The complaints were also that some shoes have torn soon after being worn, with soles reportedly coming off within days.

There are also allegations of oversized and ill-fitting shoes and poor-quality socks. In some cases, the footwear supplied this year is alleged to be significantly inferior to what students received last year.

The State provides one pair of shoes and two pairs of socks to students from Classes 1 to 10 under the Vidya Vikas scheme. The scheme covers 36,56,613 government-school students.

Upa Lokayukta Takes Suo Motu Notice

The issue reached the office of Upa Lokayukta Justice K.N. Phaneendra, who took up the issue suo motu complaint over the allegations.

The Upa Lokayukta has taken a serious view of the matter, observing that the allegations relate to basic amenities being provided to schoolchildren and prima facie raise questions concerning the right to education guaranteed under Article 21A of the Constitution.

The Upa Lokayukta registered complaints against the concerned Deputy Directors of the School Education Department and Block Education Officers in 15 districts and also directed Karnataka Lokayukta police in these districts to examine the relevant records and conduct a preliminary investigation.

The officials have been given two weeks to submit their reports. The government, meanwhile, has ordered its own internal inquiry.

The Department of School Education and Literacy directed the Commissioner of School Education to conduct a district-wise verification through teams to be constituted by the Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats.

The department has called the matter “most urgent" and directed that the teams comprise officials or staff from departments other than School Education and Literacy who have relevant expertise. The teams have seven days from the date of their constitution to complete the verification.

And this will not be a routine paperwork exercise.

Quality Checks Ordered Across 15 Districts

Officials have been specifically asked to check the shoes for peeling or delamination of the soles, loose stitching around the toe and heel, the material used in the upper portion and its thickness. They have also been asked to physically measure shoes supplied to students to determine whether children were given footwear that does not fit.

They will also establish how many students received the footwear, how many complaints were lodged with Block Education Officers and Deputy Directors of Public Instruction, and what role School Development and Monitoring Committees played in receiving the stock. Photographs from the verification have also been sought.

The controversy comes after the footwear supply itself faced delays this year.

A report submitted by the School Education and Literacy Department showed that work orders had been issued for 36,61,267 pairs of shoes and socks as of August 10. Of these, 21,92,529 had been distributed, while 12,59,298 were in transit and another 2,09,440 were under production in August at a time when the shoes had to be distributed in July.

Welfare Scheme Facing Familiar Questions

For years, Karnataka has used welfare measures to encourage children, particularly those from economically weaker families, to attend government schools and remain there. The midday meal programme was introduced with the broader objective of improving enrolment, attendance and retention.

Over the years, the State has added milk, eggs, bananas and other nutritional supplements to school meals, alongside free uniforms, textbooks and footwear.

The idea is to remove the economic barriers that can keep children away from classrooms.

But complaints of shoes falling apart within days raise a different question — whether the welfare support reaching the child is actually meeting the standard promised by the government.

And this is not the first time Karnataka’s school education system has faced scrutiny over the quality of supplies provided to government-school children.

In 2022, a Lokayukta complaint was registered against then School Education Minister B.C. Nagesh and education officials under Section 7 of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act over allegations of dereliction of duty concerning poor-quality uniforms, shoes and socks. Parents and teachers had complained that the colour of government-supplied uniforms faded within two months.

About the Author

Rohini Swamy

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously wor...Read More

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