Bihar govt to introduce 'no-bag day', compulsory games period in schools

The Bihar government is set to introduce a no-bag day rule in schools and a mandatory games period at least once a week to reduce burden on students, an official said on Sunday.

The Bihar government is set to introduce a 'no-bag day' rule in schools and a mandatory games period at least once a week to reduce burden on students, an official said on Sunday. A notification to this effect will be issued soon, Education Department's Additional Chief Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh told PTI. The weekly ''no-bag day'' will have task-based practical classes, he said. ''At least once a week, students will come to schools only with their lunch boxes. They do not need to carry books. The day will be devoted to practical and experiential learning,'' he said. The objective of such a policy is to engage students in various activities, which can positively impact their learning. ''School authorities must prepare curriculum for such activities. This step will certainly bring positive changes among students, which will also improve their learning ability. Encouraged by an impressive performance of our students in regional, national and international sporting events, we will introduce mandatory games period in schools,'' Singh told PTI. The initiative is in line with the National Education Policy 2020, and will be implemented in both state-run and private schools, he said.

Speaking on the introduction of a games period at least once a week, state Art, Culture and Youth Minister Jitendra Kumar Rai said, “Our department is preparing a proposal in this regard. I will meet the state education minister and submit the detailed proposal to him.'' It's a matter of pride that players from the state have recently performed exceptionally well in the national and international games, he said. ''If a games period is introduced in schools, we would be able to identify talents at a very early stage. The government will accordingly prepare them for the state, national and international sporting events,'' he said, adding that the authorities want sports to become an integral part of the school curriculum.

''Our department will provide all possible infrastructure for sports in government-run schools,'' Rai told PTI. Players of the state, according to their position at the national-level sporting events, are provided with a subsidiary grant to avail the facility of sports kits, and treatment and enrolment in the course of the National Institute of Sports, the minister said, adding Rs 21.02 lakh was provided as a subsidiary grant to 70 players in 2020-21 Sportspersons from Bihar won six medals in the recently concluded World Championship of Arnis Games in the Philippines, Rai said. Chandan Kumar Singh of the eastern state secured a medal in lawn bowls in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, while Muzaffarpur’s Sharad Kumar scripted history by becoming the state's first-ever Paralympic medallist as he bagged a bronze medal in the F42 category of men’s high jump in the Tokyo Para Games.

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