Next week, when the special five-day session of the Parliament begins, the staff of the Parliament will be sporting new uniforms. In addition to shifting to the new building on 18 September 2023, the employees of the Parliament will be wearing new uniforms with an Indian touch. All employees, across departments including reporting, table office, notice office, legislative branch and security will have new uniforms.
The security personnel will now wear army fatigues instead of the blue safari suits. Other employees including chamber attendants, drivers, officers and marshals will be seen in Khaki/ cream coloured kurta pyjamas, with Nehru jackets containing pink lotus print on it. The women will wear cotton sarees with similar print. The marshals of both houses will sport Manipuri turbans. The uniforms will be similar for both the upper and lower houses of the Parliament.
However, the lotus print on the uniforms has led to some controversy as it resembles a party symbol in addition to being the national flower of India.
About two decades ago, when the dress code of the employees in the Parliament was redone, the women staff members across all five departments were granted up to Rs 17,000 as uniform allowance, while the men were given Rs 16,000. This allowance was given to them after every two years.
The latest uniforms have been designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and are gender neutral. All 18 NIFTs reportedly collaborated and approved the same.
This revision in uniform with a new Indian touch is well timed with the government preparing to change the official name of the country from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’.
