Now, the CBSE board has ordered to all the schools to reserve one period daily from the 2018-19 academic year for physical education for Std IX-XII. It wants to 'mainstream' the subject for holistic development of students.

CBSE's chairperson Anita Karwal wrote to schools: "CBSE has decided to mainstream HPE with the aim of holistic development of the child, leading to a well-balanced individual in all walks of life". 

Principals of CBSE schools in the city aren't happy with the last-minute change. "Students will enjoy more time for sports, but not if the curriculum has a theory about physical education," said the principal of a school in the western suburbs. "In Mumbai, we might not have enough space to have a PE class for everyone every day.." Principals also worry this will eat into academic time. 

"Especially for classes X and XII which are board-exam years, it will disrupt their regular lessons," said Kalpana Diwedi, principal, St Joseph High School, Panvel.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (abbreviated as CBSE) is a Board of Education for public and private schools, under the Union Government of India. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked all schools affiliated to follow only NCERT curriculum.