Uttarakhand government has decided to introduce 10 "bag-free" days per academic session in all the schools of the state in an initiative meant to reduce the load of books on children.

One bag-free day will be observed by all upper primary and secondary schools on the last Saturday of each month from class 6 to class 12 each academic year, an official release said. The initiative has been introduced in line with the new National Education Policy, 2020, it said. ? ?

On such days, students will go to school without a load of books and indulge in various activities in accordance with their interests and aptitude, it said. Soil management, machine learning, pottery, woodwork, calligraphy, health education, communication skills, nature conservation, welding, casting, stitching and robotics will be taught to students on the ‘bag-free’ days.?

"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. The scheme is already in force in Uttarakhand’s primary schools in which such days are observed as "Pratibha Diwas" when students are allowed to take part in activities of their choice. ?

Various associations of parents and teachers have hailed the state government's decision as a significant step towards the overall development of students.The state education minister approved a departmental proposal for introducing bag-free days in schools all over the state on Tuesday. Once a government order is issued in this regard, the process of implementing it would begin, officials said. ? ?

The bag-free days will be introduced from the upcoming academic session starting April, they said.