School students in this state to enjoy 'bag-free' days every month

The Uttarakhand government has announced a new initiative to reduce the burden of heavy school bags on students by introducing 10 "bag-free" days per academic session in all state schools. According to an official release, upper primary and secondary schools from class 6 to class 12 will observe one bag-free day each month, specifically on the last Saturday, aligning with the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, Press Trust of India reported.

The bag-free days are slated to be introduced in the upcoming academic session beginning in April.

On these bag-free days, students will be relieved of carrying textbooks and can engage in diverse activities such as soil management, machine learning, pottery, woodwork, calligraphy, health education, communication skills, nature conservation, welding, casting, stitching, and robotics. The primary objective of this initiative is to foster holistic development among students, allowing them to participate in various activities aligned with their interests and talents.


State Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat emphasized that the decision aims at enhancing the all-round development of school children, providing them an opportunity to cultivate special skills and talents beyond their academic studies.

"The decision has been taken for the all-round development of school children so that apart from their studies they can also upgrade their special skills for which they have an inborn talent," State Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said in a statement.

This scheme, inspired by the NEP 2020, is already in practice in Uttarakhand's primary schools, where similar days, known as "Pratibha Diwas," allow students to participate in activities of their choice.

The announcement has garnered positive responses from various parent and teacher associations, acknowledging the state government's move as a significant step towards the comprehensive development of students, according to reports.

The State Education Minister has given approval to a departmental proposal to implement bag-free days across all schools in Uttarakhand. Once a government order is issued, the implementation process is set to commence.