Overview

• The Ministry of Education has directed all States and Union Territories to conduct comprehensive structural safety audits of every school building.
• Any school found unsafe must undergo repair, retrofitting or demolition and remains closed until a qualified engineer certifies it safe, with temporary premises provided for students.
• District education officers and local bodies are tasked with monitoring remediation work and sending monthly updates to State education departments and disaster management authorities.
• The directive draws on existing national guidelines from NDMA (2016) and the Department of School Education and Literacy’s 2021 safety and security framework.
• In response to recent monsoon-season collapses, states such as Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have already launched rapid building assessments and demolition plans.