Overloaded school bags continue to burden students in Guwahati despite NEP 2020 guidelines limiting bag weight
Every school morning in Guwahati begins with a familiar sight: children, some barely taller than the backpacks they carry, making their way to school with bags slung heavily over their shoulders. Years after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced guidelines to limit the weight of school bags and ease the physical burden on students, overloaded backpacks continue to be a source of concern for parents, teachers and health experts, raising questions about the gap between policy and practice.
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For many parents, the issue is visible long before children enter the classroom.
Speaking to GPlus, a parent from Ulubari whose daughter studies in Class 5 said, "Most parents know heavy school bags are a problem, but very few know what the official limits actually are. Children carry books, notebooks, water bottles, lunch boxes and project materials every day. The load adds up."
A parent from Chandmari echoed similar concerns, arguing that the debate should focus on the overall burden rather than textbooks alone.
"Even when schools reduce the number of books, children still carry several other materials. The objective should be to reduce the total weight they carry throughout the day."
Another mother of twins from Ulubari said, "Both my daughters are in Class 4, and every day I drop them at the bus stop. Whenever I carry their bags, it feels like I am carrying bricks. It tires me out. I cannot imagine their shoulders carrying this load."
A single mother from Maligaon told GPlus, "I pack my son's bag, and every day he has to carry heavy textbooks along with two notebooks, one for classwork and another for homework. These requirements are unnecessary and only increase the weight of the bag."
Teachers acknowledge that schools have become more conscious of the issue but say implementation is often more complicated than it appears.
"The objective is not simply to reduce the number of books," said a teacher at a Guwahati-based private school. "Schools have tried to streamline timetables and reduce unnecessary materials, but students often bring extra notebooks, workbooks or reference materials. The challenge is ensuring that everyone follows the system."
Speaking to GPlus, a principal of a private school in Maligaon said, "Our school ensures that there are bagless days each week for primary classes. However, it is a challenge for the demographic we cater to purchase duplicate sets of books, one to keep at home and another at school. We have therefore decided to minimise the number of periods in a day by increasing the duration of each class so that students need to bring fewer books. However, according to psychologists, a one-hour class may not align with a child's attention span. We are still trying to find the right balance."
The concerns come despite a series of policy interventions over the past several years.
Under the School Bag Policy introduced as part of the broader reforms envisioned under NEP 2020, a student's school bag should not exceed 10 per cent of their body weight. The policy prescribes age-appropriate weight limits for different classes, recommends that pre-primary children do not carry school bags, discourages homework for students up to Class 2, and encourages schools to organise timetables in a way that minimises the number of books carried each day.
The policy was designed to reduce both physical strain and academic pressure on students, aligning with NEP 2020's broader goal of creating a more child-centric education system.
However, Assam's efforts to address the issue predate the national policy.
In 2018, the state’s Elementary Education Department issued directions prescribing limits on school bag weight and educational materials carried by students. The move followed growing concerns over the health implications of overloaded backpacks and sought to ensure that schools adopted more child-friendly academic practices.
Yet, the continued issuance of reminders suggests that compliance remains a challenge.
In April 2024, the School Education Department directed District Elementary Education Officers and Inspectors of Schools across Assam to ensure strict implementation of the prescribed norms and conduct inspections in schools. District-level authorities subsequently reiterated the instructions, including in Dibrugarh, where officials issued fresh reminders to schools regarding bag weight limits.
Most recently, on June 6, 2026, the Office of the Inspector of Schools, Sivasagar District Circle, issued a fresh circular directing all government, provincialised and private schools in the district to strictly comply with existing norms. The order reiterated class-wise weight limits and warned that violations would be viewed seriously.
While the latest directive was issued in Sivasagar, education observers say it highlights a concern that remains relevant across Assam, including Guwahati.
The continued focus on school bag weight stems from longstanding health concerns. Medical experts have repeatedly warned that excessive backpack weight can contribute to neck strain, shoulder pain, poor posture and back-related problems among children. The risks become more significant during the growing years when the musculoskeletal system is still developing.
The issue also reflects a broader challenge facing education reforms. One of the key promises of NEP 2020 is to reduce academic burden through experiential learning, competency-based education and flexible teaching methods. The policy's emphasis on "bagless days" seeks to move learning beyond textbooks and encourage practical exposure and hands-on activities.
Some schools in Guwahati have taken steps in that direction. Digital platforms are increasingly being used to share assignments and notices, while revised timetables are intended to ensure that students bring only the books required for a particular day.
Yet implementation remains uneven. Education observers argue that reducing the weight of school bags requires cooperation from schools, teachers, parents and even publishers. Guidelines alone, they say, are unlikely to solve the problem unless they are consistently monitored and enforced.
For Guwahati's students, the issue goes beyond a question of kilograms. It represents a tangible measure of whether education reforms are translating into everyday improvements in school life.
Nearly eight years after Assam first introduced limits on school bag weight and six years after NEP 2020 came into force, the rules are clear. The recurring directives issued by authorities show that the intent remains strong. The challenge now is ensuring that the promise of lighter school bags is reflected not just in policy documents, but in the daily experiences of children walking into classrooms across the city.