The Uttarakhand government has announced a new initiative to alleviate the burden of books on students by introducing 10 "bag-free" days per academic session in all state schools. An official release has declared that all upper primary and secondary schools, spanning from class 6 to class 12, will observe one bag-free day on the last Saturday of each month throughout the academic year.
The initiative has been introduced in line with the new National Education Policy, 2020, it said. On such days, students will go to school without a load of books and indulge in various activities in accordance with their interests and aptitude, it said. Soil management, machine learning, pottery, woodwork, calligraphy, health education, communication skills, nature conservation, welding, casting, stitching and robotics will be taught to students on the bag-free days.
The decision to implement one bag-free day in upper primary and secondary schools aims at fostering the all-round development of school children. State Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat stated that this initiative provides students with the opportunity to enhance their special skills and talents alongside their academic studies. He further mentioned that a similar scheme, known as Pratibha Diwas, is already in effect in Uttarakhand's primary schools, allowing students to engage in activities of their choice on designated days.
The state education minister approved a departmental proposal for introducing bag-free days in schools all over the state on Tuesday. Once a government order is issued in this regard, the process of implementing it would begin, officials said. The bag-free days will be introduced from the upcoming academic session starting April, they said.