Mysuru/Mysore: Announcing that all schools in the State will have a ‘Bagless Day’ in a week from next academic year, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar said that the Government is also working on the ways to considerably reduce the weight of bags of school-      going children.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Civic sense is my duty – Questioning is my right’ programme organised at Kautilya Vidyalaya in Kanakadasanagar here this morning.

Stating that the civic sense programme is a good concept, Suresh Kumar said that it was important that everyone developed civic sense and followed the norms laid out by the authorities.

Regretting that the tendency of ‘I, me and myself’ perception is growing by the day, he said that such a tendency is a cause of great concern for the society.

Bemoaning that many people seems to care little for following civic practises and norms, he said that while people choose to follow civic rules when they go abroad, they do not do the same here upon their return.

Underlining the importance of developing civic sense, Suresh Kumar explained how Surat in Gujarat became one of the cleanest cities of the country, thanks to the then Surat Municipal Commissioner S.R. Rao, after the city was devastated with over 500 people losing their life due to plague in 1995, that broke out due to filth and uncleared garbage.

Stressing on the need for maintaining hygiene and cleanliness, the Minister called for the involvement and commitment of everyone in keeping the city clean.

Replying to a question by a student on students becoming victims of narcotic drugs, Suresh Kumar said that the Department will join hands with other Departments concerned in curbing drug mafia, which is selling drugs to students through dubious means.

Kautilya Vidyalaya Principal Dr. Savitha said that the students of the school were grouped into teams and tasked with submitting reports to the concerned Departments on the civic problems discovered by them.

The school students submitted 80  reports, out of which the five best reports were awarded prizes today, she added.

Kautilya Vidyalaya Institutions head Raghu Kautilya, MCC Health Officer Dr. Nagaraj, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement Head Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, Pollution Control Board Officer Geetha, Corporator Lakshmi, BEOs Krishna and Shivakumar, ACP Poornachandra Tejaswi, Srihari of GSS Foundation, BJP leader M. Rajendra, Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) President C.K. Mahendra and others were present.

Later speaking to press persons, Suresh Kumar expressed his deep condolence for the demise of renowned Kannada Scholar Dr. Chidananda Murthy who passed away at Bengaluru early this morning.

Recalling the contribution of Dr.Chidananda Murthy to Kannada land, language and literature, he said that the State had lost one of its great sons, who had dedicated his entire life for the cause of Kannada.