The Directorate of Schooling (DoE) has rolled out a complete commonplace working process (SOP) to deal with bomb threats in faculties, officers mentioned. The directive comes after pointers from the Delhi excessive court docket, aligning with pointers of Ministry of Schooling, Authorities of India, Delhi Police and Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Authority (NDMA).
A Delhi Police group arrives to conduct an investigation at a faculty in west Delhi which obtained a hoax bomb risk in December 2024. (PTI)
The 115-point SOP, additionally seen by HT, has been formulated to institutionalise preventive and responsive measures for faculties functioning underneath the Delhi authorities together with authorities aided, minority and recognised unaided personal faculties.
Based on the brand new deadline, all of the above talked about faculties should conduct common mock drills, set up surveillance methods, and preserve strict entry management. “Heads of schools will lead emergency responses, coordinating with police, fire services, and disaster management teams. Further, teachers will receive training to guide evacuations, while students are supposed to follow safety protocols and report suspicious activities,” Mohinder Pal, further director of schooling, said within the order.
“Every threat will be treated as real until proven otherwise,” the SOP said, including that faculties should keep away from panic and instantly alert authorities upon receiving a bomb risk. Evacuation routes and secure meeting factors are already recognized, with particular provisions for kids with disabilities. Moreover, mother and father are suggested to maintain contact particulars up to date and keep away from spreading unverified data.
Based on the SOP, Delhi Police will cordon off affected areas, handle crowds, and assess threats, whereas hearth providers stay on standby. Nevertheless, they won’t deal with explosives. Visitors police should guarantee clear routes for emergency autos, as per the SOP.
Rajesh Kumar Gupta, principal of the Authorities Boys Senior Secondary Faculty, Mannequin City mentioned that the SOP appoints the top of the varsity because the incident supervisor and descriptions their tasks throughout 4 essential phases. “Prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery are the crucial points. From overseeing monthly safety walks, mock drills, and threat assessment protocols, to ensuring the readiness of emergency response toolkits, the plan equips us to lead with both authority and accountability. After the threat, schools will provide counselling, document lessons, and get any damages repaired before resuming the classes,” he mentioned
In the meantime, some personal faculties said that the majority requisites talked about within the SOP are already in place. Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public Faculty, Dwarka mentioned they’ve applied the SOP. “A school disaster management committee, comprising all key stakeholders, regularly sensitises students about safety measures and precautionary actions to be implemented when faced by such situations,” she mentioned.
Mother and father affiliation identified that many authorities faculties don’t even possess fundamental infrastructure amenities required in such state of affairs. “There is a huge lag between orders issued and its implementation, there should be an orderly way to track if these changes are implemented, through a website or a portal, that will help to provide a clear picture of which school are the safe in terms of infrastructure upgrade,” Aparajita Gautam, president of the Delhi Mother and father Affiliation mentioned.