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National Human Rights Commission has asked Maharashtra’s education department to submit an Action Taken Report after complaints surfaced about a Class 1 student carrying an excessively heavy school bag in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. According to the complaint, the child’s 4.5 kg bag exceeded the NEP-prescribed weight limit and could adversely affect spinal health and physical growth.

After several complaints of a six-year-old student carrying a school bag heavier than then prescribed weight in the National Education Policy 2020, were registered in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of the case and directed the Maharashtra education department to enquire into the matter.

Two Weeks Given to Submit Action Report

In a notice issued under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Commission directed the Secretary of the Maharashtra Education Department to conduct an inquiry into the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.

The complaint alleged that the Class 1 student, weighing 21 kg, was carrying a school bag weighing 4.5 kg — more than 21 per cent of the child’s body weight. According to the National Education Policy, the weight of a school bag should not exceed 10 percent of a child’s body weight, which in this case would be approximately 2.1 kg.