Bengaluru, 19 June

In a move aimed at lightening the load for students, the government has ordered schools across the State to designate the third Saturday of every month as a bag-free day for the academic year 2024-25.

This initiative seeks to address the issue of heavy backpacks burdening students on a daily basis. The Education Department announced the new initiative under "Sambhrama Shanivara" (Celebration Saturday) programme.

"Sambhrama Shanivara" aims to encourage student to participate in fun, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.

Teachers will be equipped with student activity books and guidance manuals accessible through the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) website.

To ensure a smooth rollout, the programme will benefit from the support of district and block-level officers, Cluster Resource Persons (CRP), and CRP team visits on bag-free days. These personnel will support teachers in implementing the activities.

The initiative is currently limited to government schools.  Monthly reports detailing all activities, including those held on bag-free days, must be submitted to the DSERT's Educational and Vocational Guidance branch for evaluation or evg.kardsert@gmail.com. -Salar News