Delhi Government Issues New School Safety Guidelines After Tragic Deaths

Delhi's Directorate of Education has issued comprehensive safety guidelines for all schools following the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding. The guidelines address safe use of basements, functional entry/exit gates, avoiding water logging, and fire safety measures. A new committee will address broader regulatory issues.

The Directorate of Education of the Delhi Government has released new safety guidelines to principals and heads of all government, government-aided, and unaided private recognized schools. This move follows the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants who died during a flooding incident in a coaching institute's basement on July 27.

Per the new guidelines, school basements can only be used for activities specified in the master or sanctioned plans. Additionally, all school gates must be operational and clearly marked for entry and exit in the school's evacuation plan. School corridors should remain obstruction-free, with regular checks for water accumulation.

The Directorate emphasized that schools must take all necessary precautions to prevent waterlogging in and around school premises. Electrical systems should be inspected thoroughly to ensure compliance with safety norms, and all requisite fire safety measures must be in place. Following this, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena directed the creation of a committee to address regulatory issues, exorbitant rent by landlords, and other concerns to create a safe educational environment. The committee will develop a comprehensive action plan to gradually relocate coaching institutes to better-planned areas.