The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Delhi Government have launched the “Disaster-Ready Schools Campaign” as one of the largest efforts in the country under school-based disaster preparedness. It was launched early this week in presence of LG V K Saxena, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Education Minister Ashish Sood, senior officials from NDMA and the Delhi Government, along with a large number of school children.
The initiative includes mock drills, awareness programmes, School Disaster Management Plans (SDMP), hazard identification and mapping, installation of evacuation signage and formation of School Disaster Management Committees (SDMC). Live earthquake mock drill is also being demonstrated during the programme, showcasing coordinated evacuation and safe assembly by students and staff.
In the first phase of the campaign, 2,082 schools have been included, through which nearly 1.65 million (16.5 lakh) students and 60,000 teachers will be trained in disaster preparedness activities.
Speaking at the launch event at a school early this week, Delhi’s Education Minister, Ashish Sood highlighted that such challenges make schools particularly vulnerable due to their location in densely populated areas. Hence, intensive training and the establishment of disaster-preparedness labs in schools are essential. He emphasized that the greatest transformation in disaster management in India has come under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shifting from reactive, relief-based disaster management to a proactive approach focused on preparedness, prevention, and resilience. He referred to the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction, which clearly emphasizes “building local capacities” since communities are always the first responders. He noted that this philosophy is embodied through initiatives like Aapda Mitra and Yuva Aapda Mitra.
He said, “Delhi lies in Seismic Zone-4, a high-risk earthquake zone where quakes of magnitude 6.5 or more are possible. Referring to the February 2025 event when a local earthquake of magnitude 4 at a depth of only 5 km was recorded, he stated that “It reminded us that disasters are not just news items, they can become reality anytime.”
He added, “Growing heat, heat-wave alerts, fire incidents, industrial hazards and crowd-related risks have also been included in disaster preparedness planning.”
“But I believe that in today’s digital age, bomb hoax calls and other panic-triggering digital threats also need to be part of disaster preparedness. When a bomb hoax call is received how should teachers react? How should ‘Aapda Mitras’ react? How should non-teaching staff respond? Are we prepared for such digital disasters? We must integrate these into our disaster management framework.”
Shri Sood Under the leadership of Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, the government is committed to expanding this campaign across all Government, NDMC, MCD and recognized private schools. In six educational districts, New Delhi, Central, North-1, North-East-1, North-East-2, West-A and West-B, lakhs of students, principals, volunteers, DDMA teams, fire services, civil defence and Aapda Mitra volunteers are working together at high speed to implement the initiative. Delhi is determined to develop this model into a national prototype for urban India.
The minister further said, “The schools are not just buildings, they are the first centres for building a culture of safety. This Disaster-Ready School Safety Campaign must become a process of culture-building. He stressed that every school must prepare a digitized and regularly updated Disaster Management Plan and the clear goal must be: “Students should not panic, they should understand the situation and respond correctly.” He urged teachers to see themselves not just as teachers but as Safety Mentors and to develop a strong evacuation culture through regular mock drills.”
Addressing the students, the education minister said, “Remember, you are not just students, you are the future disaster warriors, lifesavers and safety ambassadors. Being prepared for disasters is not optional; it is our responsibility. School management must resolve that we will not only build smart schools, we will build safe schools. We will not only build a developed India and a developed Delhi we will build a safe India and a safe Delhi.”
