With the new Centre guidelines for school kids, the burden on them will hopefully reduce — literally and figuratively.

The new guidelines to states and union territories include no homework for students of classes 1 and 2, while also prescribing the allowed weight of school bags. According to the official order, the HRD ministry has asked them to instruct schools to comply with not assigning homework to students of classes 1 and 2. "Schools should prescribe only EVS and mathematics for classes 3 to 5 students," the order read, adding they should not be asked to bring additional books or materials and the weight of a school bag should not exceed prescribed limit.