Question : ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY MEASURES DURING EDUCATIONAL TOURS

(a) whether recently a number of students who were on an educational tour were washed away in the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh ;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the assistance provided by the Government in rescue operations;

(c) whether the Government has issued or proposes to issue any guidelines to the educational institutions for enforcements of mandatory safety measures to be observed by the students and accompanying teachers while on educational tour; and;

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor including the corrective measures being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT AS REFERRED TO IN PART (a) TO (d) OF THE REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 124 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.07.2014 ASKED BY SHRI B. SRIRAMULU REGARDING ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY MEASURES DURING EDUCATIONAL TOURS

(a): Yes, Madam. As per the information furnished by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) based on the report from the institute, 24 students were washed away in the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh during an educational/ industrial tour.

(b):Immediately upon hearing the news of the incident Minister of Human Resource Development got in touch with the Government of Himachal Pradesh including the concerned Technical Education Minister for ensuring that rescue operations are taken up immediately. The Minister of Human Resource Development also visited the site of accident immediately and not only offered to bear the cost of such operation etc. but also extended the assistance required in deploying Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), divers and rescue teams from the Indian Navy and Indian Army etc. The State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also deputed their Ministers/ highest level officers to the site of accident to monitor the rescue and search operation being carried out by various State/Central agencies under the coordination of Himachal Pradesh Government and the local administration. The Governments together helped in bringing the parents of the students to the accident site and also provided all boarding and lodging arrangements during rescue and search operation. After the recovery of the bodies of the students the Administration also helped in transporting them to their respective native places.

(c) to (d): The Government has asked the Regulators i.e. the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE) to frame guidelines on enforcing students safety when they are on excursion/study trips.