Jodhpur: Government of Rajasthan, Official said that government has mandated the use of pencils for students upto Class 5 in state-run schools. This action has been taken by Directorate of Primary Education, Bikaner for an effort to improve the handwriting of children.

Additional Commissioner of Directorate's has issued orders that student in primary level at schools should not allowed to use ball pens as it has an adverse impact on their handwriting" said a senior education department official.

He said that the education department had recently taken a survey in which it was found that student who used pencils at the primary level had a better handwriting than their counterparts who used ball-point pens.