Launch of ‘Disaster Ready School Campaign’ in Schools; Training Begins in Institutions

New Delhi, 2 December 2025 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta today inaugurated the “Disaster Ready School Campaign” at a programme held at Springdales School, Pusa Road. The campaign has been launched in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Under the first phase, a two-day structured training and mock drill programme will be conducted in more than 2,000 schools across Delhi, including all government, government-aided, and recognised private schools.

Present at the event were Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood, NDMA Secretary Manish Bhardwaj, Member and Head of Department Rajendra Singh, along with senior officials from the concerned departments. The programme also featured demonstrations by students, including an earthquake safety drill and the drop-cover-hold technique.

Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena described this initiative as an important step towards ensuring the safety and awareness of children, noting its particular relevance in the present times. He stated that Delhi, being located in Seismic Zone-IV, is highly vulnerable to earthquakes, and risks such as fire, heatwaves, and waterlogging further increase the challenges. The Lieutenant Governor said that this campaign aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Zero Casualty’ vision and his globally recognised ‘10-Point Agenda’ which emphasises risk management, community resilience, technology-based early warning, and institutional preparedness.

Referring to the implementation plan, he informed that compliance with guidelines will be ensured through safety audits across all 5,500 schools in Delhi. He also expressed special gratitude to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for taking the initiative to begin this campaign in all government schools.

Addressing the programme, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described children as the “brand ambassadors” of this initiative, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also considers the youth to be the true brand ambassadors of the nation. She said that just as children played a key role in teaching their parents not to litter during the ‘Swachhata campaign’, they will now help instil a culture of disaster preparedness in their families and communities.

She emphasised the importance of the ‘drop, cover and hold’ technique and the need for presence of mind during earthquakes, which occur suddenly and require immediate and correct response. The Chief Minister stressed the importance of making safety a part of daily habits and adopting preparedness as a continuous practice.

She highlighted that children serve as a powerful medium for spreading awareness and expressed confidence that, as “safety ambassadors”, they would be able to sensitise their families and communities, thereby taking this campaign beyond schools and offices to the general public. She said that as Delhi is the national capital, it is our responsibility to serve as a role model in all fields. The Delhi Government is committed to providing a safe and disaster-ready school environment through continuous efforts in infrastructure, training, and awareness at every level.

On this occasion, Delhi Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood said that today marks a historic moment, not only for Delhi but for the entire nation. Just as Delhi has taken a major step towards becoming the Electric Mobility Capital by establishing electronic bus depots, today marks the beginning of an ambitious mission to make Delhi the ‘Disaster Ready Capital’ through its schools.

He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the government is committed to expanding this campaign to all government, NDMC, MCD, and recognised private schools. He added that lakhs of students, principals, volunteers, DDMA’s fire service teams, civil defence personnel, and disaster volunteers are working swiftly across six education districts to make this programme a success. He said that the government aims not only to build smart schools but safe schools as well.

Key Features of the Disaster Ready School Campaign

This ambitious campaign is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Zero Casualty’ vision and his 10-Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), focusing on institutionalising disaster preparedness in all schools. The campaign will be launched in six selected education districts: New Delhi, Central Delhi, North East-1, North East-2, West-A and West-B covering all government, MCD, NDMC, and recognised private schools.

In the first phase, it has been initiated in 2,082 schools across these six districts through a structured two-day training module, following which it will soon be extended to the remaining approximately 3,500 schools. Under this campaign, every school will prepare a standardised School Disaster Management Plan, teachers and students will receive training, and regular mock drills will be conducted. The Delhi Government aims to ensure that every school in Delhi is not only safe but also equipped to respond swiftly and effectively during any disaster.