Between 1.5 kg-5 kg: HRD Ministry prescribes weight limit of school bags

As per instructions, the weight of school bags for students of classes I and II should not exceed 1.5 kg, while the school bag of students of class III to V should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg.

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Human Resource Development on Monday spelled out a weight limit of bags for students in schools. The ministry instructed all states and union territories to formulate guidelines to regulate the weight of school bags as per the instructions of the government.

As per these instructions, the weight of school bags for students of classes I and II should not exceed 1.5 kg, while the school bag of students of class III to V should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg.

The school bag of students of classes VI and VII should not be more than 4 kg, while the weight of school bags of classes VIII and IX students should not be above 4.5 kg. The school bag of a class X student should not weigh above 5 kg, the order said. 

The instructions add that students should not be asked to bring additional books, extra materials and maintain the prescribed weight of the bag.

The order also talks about regulating the teaching curriculum in schools. The instruction states that educational institutions cannot assign homework to students of classes I and II.

"Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for classes I and II and language, EVS and mathematics for classes III to V students as prescribed by the NCERT," the order said.