Lok Sabha Question No. 413 (STARRED), answered on 2020-03-23
Subject: Weight of School Bags
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 413 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2020

## Weight of School Bags

## †*413.  SHRI BHANU PRATAP SINGH VERMA: SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme for digital education in the schools across the country with a view to reducing the weight of the school bags of small children especially upto class 5; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (b): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  THE  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (b)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  413  FOR  23 RD   MARCH,  2020  ASKED  BY  SHRI BHANU PRATAP SINGH VERMA AND SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA HON'BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING WEIGHT OF SCHOOL BAGS.

(a)  &  (b)  Government  has  taken  the following  steps  including  digital  interventions  to  reduce  the weight of the school bags:

- (i) Digitized  books  and  other  e-learning  materials  are  uploaded  on  Digital  Infrastructure  for Knowledge  Sharing (DIKSHA),  National Repository of Open  Education Resources (NROER),  Study  Webs  of  Active  Learning  for  Young  Aspiring  Minds ( SWAYAM),  Epathshala etc. catering to all the classes (I to XII). All States/UTs have been asked to digitize the text books for all the classes and upload these on DIKSHA.
- (ii) Government  has  also  issued  a  communication  dated  05/10/2018  to  all  States  and  UTs  to 'formulate guidelines to regulate the teaching of subjects and weight of school bags' which include the following:
-  Schools  cannot  prescribe  any  other  subject  except  language  and  mathematics  for Classes I and II students and language, mathematics, and EVS for Classes III to V students.
-  Schools have been instructed to assign no homework to students of Classes I and II.
-  The weight of school bags for students of Class I and II should not exceed 1.5 kg. The  maximum  weight  of  school  bags  for  Classes  III  to  V  students  is  2-3  kg,  for classes VI to VII students is 4 kg, for classes VIII to IX students is 4.5 kg, and for class X students is 5 kg.
-  Students should not be asked to bring additional books and other materials apart from the  prescribed  textbooks  and  should  make  sure  that  students  carry  only  such textbooks as necessary as per the time-table.
- (iii) The National Curriculum Framework (NCF)-2005 addresses the issue of reduction in weight of school bags focusing 'Learning Without Burden' and it suggests that autonomy should be given to the schools to develop their own flexible time tables so that school can teach two or three  subject  each  day  giving  students  more  time  to  do  activities  and  develop  deeper

understanding  of  the  concept.  The  NCERT  addresses  this  issue  in  capacity  building programme for teachers and school heads at regular interval.

- (iv) New syllabi  and  textbooks  reflect  the  NCF  2005  perspective  on  curriculum  load  and  are interactive and based on child centered pedagogy. The NCERT textbooks and other teaching learning materials are available online on its website www.ncert.nic.in.
- (v) NCERT has recommended only two books (language and mathematics) for Classes I and II and three books (language, EVS and mathematics) for Classes III to V. NCERT has also made available all NCERT textbooks for free access through the web and mobile devices.
- (vi) The  Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  has  issued  circulars  specifying  the maximum  number  of  books  to  be  prescribed  in  classes  I-VIII.    They  have  also  issued Circulars which provides detailed guidelines to schools, teachers and parents to reduce the weight of school bags and advisory to schools to ensure no homework for students till Class II.

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