Jaipur: Students will be able to play chess during the 'No Bag Day' on the third Saturday of every month in all schools across Rajasthan. The initiative began in Bikaner on Thursday, where Dr. B.D. Kalla, the state Education Minister, said that this first-of-its-kind programme is to begin simultaneously in all Rajasthan schools from November 19.
This will aid children's mental development, according to the Minister, who also mentioned that 30 lakh rural athletes competed in the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games.
As announced by the Chief Minister, these games will also be organized in urban areas. He said that with the start of 'Chess in School' initiative, children will get an opportunity to increase concentration, memory, discipline, and self-reflection.
Amidst the negative impact of smartphones, this initiative will be helpful in making the mind of the future generation more creative, said the minister. He said that these games would bring out champions from the school and would bring laurels to Rajasthan in the world.
Bikaner Divisional Commissioner, Dr. Neeraj K.A. Pawan said that chess will help in understanding life and having this game accessible to one crore households will bring a big change.
President of Permanent Lok Adalat, Mahesh Sharma said that for the first time in the country, this innovative initiative has been taken by a state government for the mental health and strength of the children.
During the function on Thursday, Kalla lit a torch and handed it over to the officials of the Education Department. The Minister also started the program by playing a game of chess with the school children.
