Question : DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLANS

(a) whether the Government has issued any guidelines for imparting education in disaster management plans to the students to face the natural calamity situations and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) whether the Government provides any financial assistance for setting up of infrastructural/logistical facilities to the institutions directly or through State Governments for the above purpose and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)

(a): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued the following guidelines for imparting education in disaster management-

i. The Board had introduced the subject of Disaster Management in class VIII-X as a part of Social Sciences from the academic year 2003-04 onward in a phased manner and as a part of Geography and Sociology in class XI in the academic session 2005-06.

ii. The Board had brought out textbooks in the topics of disaster management for each of the classes VIII,IX,X and XI with support from Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India iii. The Board had issued a Circular in July 2009 urging schools to contact National Disaster Management Authority for taking up disaster preparedness initiatives in their schools.

iv. Supplementary Textbook in Geography for Class XI titled Natural Hazards and Disasters published by CBSE lays adequate stress on preparing Disaster Management plans for schools v. The Board has published Life Skills Manuals in four volumes covering the important theme of “Being Responsible and Safe”.

vi. The Board has brought out Safety Guidelines under its affiliation Bye-laws for the schools affiliated to it.
vii. Disaster Management has been made a part of the Formative Assessment under the School- Based Assessment Scheme implemented from 2009.

(b) No funds are provided exclusively for the setting up of infrastructural/logistical facilities to the schools. However under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), basic infrastructural facilities such as school buildings are funded and the states have been requested to provide safety features (against natural hazards such as earthquakes) in the structural design of school buildings so as to make them safe.