Centre orders safety audit of all govt schools following Rajasthan roof collapse that claimed 7 children

After a roof gave way in a government school in Rajasthan's Jhalawar, killing seven students on Friday, the Union Ministry of Education has sent a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories to obtain a safety audit of all schools.

All public and private schools where children and young people go to school should be subjected to safety inspection to the national standards of disaster management and safety. The stability of structures, protection against fire, access and exit routes, and electric installations have to be inspected extremely carefully," the Ministry statement affirms.

The governments have also been instructed to give training in emergency readiness to students and employees, including evacuation drills, first aid, and safety measures.

"Any dangerous situation, near miss, or accident involving potential harm to adolescents shall be reported within 24 hours to the concerned State or UT authority. Firm responsibility shall be vested for delay, neglect, or inaction," the release added.

Education departments and school boards were asked to "act without delay" so that these measures are implemented.

A senior Ministry of Education official said that apart from Friday's incident in Rajasthan, the other recent incidents — such as a part of a classroom ceiling collapsing in Madhya Pradesh and the collapse of the school building roof in Jharkhand — led to the communication with States.

States and UTs were also asked to promote school-going children's emotional well-being by establishing counselling facilities, peer support systems, and community outreach. "Parents, guardians, community leaders, and local bodies should be motivated to keep vigil and report risky situations at schools, public venues, or transportation used by children and adolescents," said the Ministry's release.

Friday's tragedy in a government school at Jhalawar district's Piplodi village killed seven students and left eight others critically injured. The State government suspended five teachers and even ordered an inquiry.