Capping weight: Schools say curriculum and bags need redesign

Agencies

November 28, 2018

Bengaluru, Nov 28: Schools in Bengaluru are not happy with the HRD ministry’s circular on capping the weight of bags carried by class 1-10 students. They are, in fact, demanding a comprehensive study and reworking of the curriculum and also want the Centre to frame guidelines to redesign school bags.

According to the institutions, the fancy school bags themselves are as much a burden on the students as books. “Parents are fascinated by fancy school bags and empty school trolleys weigh about 1.5kg to 2 kg,” they pointed out, adding that bags shouldn’t weigh over 700g when empty.

J Bhuvaneshvari, principal, Presidency School, south Bengaluru, told TOI: “We have already provided cubby facility for students up to class 10, but what we actually need to ask now is how will the government manage the weight of fancy school bags available in the market. The MHRD should also look into this aspect, instead of only focusing on reducing the load by decreasing books and homework.”

Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Karnataka Associated Management of English Medium Schools (KAMS), said, “At an age when a student’s mind must be used for better learning, the government is blocking the child’s way of learning. The department of state educational research and training (DSERT) must rework the curriculum and school bags available in the market should be redesigned.”

According to the circular, schools should not prescribe any other subject except language and mathematics for class 1 and 2, and language, environmental sciences and mathematics for classes 3 to 5 as mandated by NCERT. The weight of school bags for students of class 1 and 2 should be up to 1.5 kg, while that of classes 3 to 5 should be between 2kg to 3kg. Bags of class 6 and 7 students shouldn’t be more than 4kg, while that of their seniors — class 8 and 9 — should not be above 4.5kg. A class 10 student’s bag shouldn’t weigh above 5kg.

Terming it a baseless circular issued without any basic survey, M Srinivasan, founder, GEAR Innovative International School, said, “How can one expect a student to learn just language and mathematics at a young age? The ‘no homework’ policy is totally confusing and will not help in their development. Managements of several schools are mulling holding a meeting to discuss this and put forward what they think could be the consequences of this circular, along with their suggestions,” said Srinisvasan, who is also the president of Karnataka CBSE Schools Association.

Asked about plans to redesign the curriculum to reduce the load, Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, primary and secondary education, said, “We are working on redesigning the curriculum.”

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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