District authorities have enforced strict bag weight limits and barred schools from burdening students with unnecessary books and materials
Guwahati: The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration has tightened enforcement of school bag weight regulations, directing all educational institutions to comply with prescribed limits and warning of action against those found violating the norms.
The order, issued by Inspector of Schools Dipika Choudhury, applies to government, provincialised and private schools across the district. Authorities said the move aims to reduce the physical burden on students and align schools with directives issued by the Assam government, the Gauhati High Court and the Centre.
Under the guidelines, the maximum permissible weight has been fixed at 1.5 kg for Classes I and II, 2 kg to 3 kg for Classes III to V, 4 kg for Classes VI and VII, 4.5 kg for Classes VIII and IX, and 5 kg for Class X.
Schools have also been instructed to avoid prescribing supplementary books and learning materials outside the approved SCERT and NCERT curriculum. Teachers must clearly inform students about the books and notebooks required each day to prevent them from carrying unnecessary materials.
The administration has further advised schools to conduct awareness programmes for students and parents on healthy bag-carrying practices, including the use of both shoulder straps.
District-level teams will monitor compliance through regular inspections and surprise visits. School heads have been made responsible for implementing the guidelines and maintaining records. Officials warned that institutions failing to adhere to the norms would face appropriate action.
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