In a circular issued to heads of all institutions, the Board has instructed schools to lighten the weight of schoolbags, especially at the primary level.

In order to implement the guidelines, the Board has also decided to reduce the number of books prescribed to students. At times, schools recommend books of private publishers which are not part of the syllabus so that ‘students have in-depth knowledge’.

Taking serious note of this practice, the Board has asked schools to prescribe only those textbooks that are made mandatory by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT).

Apart from limiting the number of books, schools have also been asked to make necessary arrangements wherein students up to Class II can deposit their books in the school itself.

Accepting the new found significance of soft skills, the Board has also asked schools to intersperse the topic in the curriculum. The main aim behind introducing soft skills as part of the syllabus is not only to sharpen the interpersonal skills of students but also for long-term personality and communication development and as a confidence-building measure.

Even in the past, the Board had taken strong note of the heavy schoolbags that children have to carry and instructed schools to devise solutions to reduce the load. While the Education department too had decided to work in the direction by arranging for lockers in schools, the endeavour seems to have been stalled at the moment.