Maha to approach Centre to lighten schoolbags of CBSE, ICSE

The Maharashtra government will be approaching Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar to discuss ways to reduce the weight of schoolbags carried by students of CBSE and ICSE schools.
School Education Minister Vinod Tawde, replying to a debate in Legislative Council today, said the state government had already ensured that schoolbags carried by students of state board (SSC) schools are not heavy.
School bags carried by students in 94 per cent of schools in the state are now considerably lighter, he said. The government had issued a GR (government resolution) in this regard two years ago, following a direction by the Bombay High Court.

However, the situation in the schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) hadn't changed, he said, as these schools do not come under state's jurisdiction.
The state government will seek a meeting with the Union minister in this regard before the end of next month, he said.
Congress' Sanjay Dutt had raised the issue, saying that according to doctors, children can suffer life-long medical problems because of the heavy school bags they carry.
The state government should direct the CBSE and other central board schools to take steps to reduce the weight of school bags as their students too are from the state, he said.