Raj launches pilot project to reduce weight of kids' school bags

Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara on Wednesday launched from here a state-wide pilot project aimed at reducing the weight of children's school bags.

Addressing a gathering at the Government Higher Secondary School in Vatika area, Dotasara said the textbooks' weight has been reduced by two third.

Students will now have to carry one book instead of several ones of the same subject, he added.

He said Rajasthan is the first state in the country, where an initiative to reduce the school children's burden has been taken.

During the event, the minister also distributed new books to children of classes one to five.

Dotasara said the weight of old books of students of class 1 was 900 grams, which has now been reduced to 400 grams.

Similarly, the weights of books for classes one to five have been reduced from 5 kg 900 grams to 2 kg 200 grams.

He that the state government has started this process of reducing the children's burden on an experimental basis by selecting one school each in 33 districts of the state. Under this, two-third weight of school bags from classes one to five has been reduced.

The outcome of the project will be constantly reviewed and if it yields a positive result, the project will be implemented in the entire state for all classes from one to 12, he said.

The minister also urged the private schools to adopt the initiative.