The Maharashtra education department is contemplating dividing textbooks in three parts and attaching blank pages for using them to take down notes as part of efforts to make schoolbags lighter, a state minister said on Monday. School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, talking to reporters here, said his department is working to reduce the weight of bags of school children.

The textbooks will be divided into three parts, but that will not bring down the weight of bags as notebooks will still have to be carried, he said.

"We are contemplating that textbooks which we are dividing in three parts... if we add pages for writing and attach them to the textbook, then it will be very convenient. They (students) can refer to it and take notes and duplication will be avoided. This will help reduce the weight of bags," Mr Kesarkar said.

The education department is in the process of taking a decision in this regard, the minister added.