How Heavy Is Too Heavy: Understanding the 10% Rule
- July 16, 2026, 11:14 a.m.
The Education Department of Bihar has directed all government and private schools to implement the NCERT School Bag Policy 2020. The student's school bag weight must not exceed 10 per cent of the child's body weight under the policy. Schools must have weighing scales on their campuses to regularly check bag weights. But officials have warned that private schools breaching these guidelines will face rigid action.
The School Bag Policy 2020 applies to children from pre-primary to Grade 12 launched by the Ministry of Education. The policy forbids homework for young children and requires schools to offer access to pure drinking water and lockers in addition to limiting school bag weight.
Education Minister of Bihar Mithlesh Tiwari said all government and private-aided schools must follow the NCERT guidelines to cut down the physical load on school children, speaking to PTI. He stressed that schools should track school bag weights and take the required proper measures regularly.
The minister urged schools to build practical timetables that stop students from carrying unwanted materials and books. He mentioned that the state government issued the directive following statements from Samrat Choudhary, the CM, who warned private schools over unjustified fee increases and taking rigid action against those who violate government policies.
Tiwari mentioned that healthy children are required for the country's development, spotlighting the necessity of student well-being. Every school must enforce the School Bag Policy to safeguard children's health and support their holistic growth, regardless of its management, he emphasised. He recommended that schools allocate enough time for physical, arts and health education in their academic agendas.
Schools should make school bag weight verification a regular practice by handling operational weighing machines on campus based on the NCERT guidelines. Teachers should verify the school bag weight once every 3 months on an assigned day for the whole class for children in Grades 1 to 5.
Schools must communicate with parents and track the student's school bag for 1 to 2 weeks to make sure the child starts carrying a lighter load if a student's bag surpasses the encouraged weight.
