Indian officials recently approved weight guidelines for children’s school bags. The central government said the weight of the bag should depend on the age of the child. It urged all Indian states to set limits in accordance with the new guidance. Indian officials have denounced schools for making students carry heavy school bags and giving young children homework. Under the guidelines, no homework would be given to children in Classes 1 and 2. This will ensure that the youngest students have no books to carry home. For students in Classes 3 to 5, the weight of a school bag would never be more than three kilograms. And bags would never weigh more than five kilograms for students in Class 10. The Indian government noted studies that show how a heavy load can affect students’ soft and developing spines. One study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India found that 68 percent of young children might suffer from mild back pain. The mild pain can develop into long-term back pain and affect bones of the spinal column.