BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued notice to the Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education and Recognised Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA) on a public interest litigation seeking directives to take action to minimise the weight of school bags carried by students of primary schools across the state.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty issued notice after hearing the petition filed by high court advocate L Ramesh Naik, who sought directives to the state and RUPSA to implement in true letter and spirit, the ‘Policy on School Bag-2020’ framed by the Government of India, to reduce the weight of school bags carried by primary school children.
The policy was framed pursuant to a Madras High Court judgment in 2018, which set the cap on the weight of the school bag to be carried by students of different classes, from Class 1 to 12. The Ministry of Education issued an order dated November 24, 2020, to all states and Union Territories to implement the policy, especially to reduce the weight of school bags, the petitioner added.
He stated that various studies by health experts say that heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and well-being of students. It has severe physical effects on growing children which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees. Any inaction on the part of the state to reduce the weight of the school bags violates the fundamental right of children, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution, he pleaded.