Rajnath to inaugurate NDMA's 13th Formation Day on Thursday

New Delhi, Sept 27: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 13th Formation Day of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here on Thursday. The theme of this year's Formation Day is School Safety. On this occasion, stakeholders will discuss the roadmap, their roles and key challenges in the implementation of the School Safety Policy across the country. States will share their experiences in terms of best practices and lessons learnt through their efforts towards school safety initiatives. National Disaster Management Guidelines on Boat Safety and Cultural Heritage Sites & Precincts, and a study report on Chennai Floods of 2015 will also be released. NDMA released the National Disaster Management Guidelines on School Safety Policy in February, 2016 with an aim to strengthen the risk resilience of schools across the country. Schools are lifeline structures of a community and their safety is important for effective learning and teaching. Over the years, tens of thousands of children around the world have been badly affected simply because their schools were not safe. It is, therefore, imperative that a safe environment for our children is created, starting from their homes to their schools and back. NDMA Members and officials, senior officials from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministries/Departments of the Central Government, State Governments, Municipal Commissioners, District Collectors, NGOs, and ex-Members and Advisory Committee members of NDMA will participate in the event. Representatives of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), technical institutions, educational institutions such as Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, District Education Officers (DEOs), school principals, teachers and schoolchildren will also be present. Discussions at the event will increase awareness and ensure better implementation of the School Safety guidelines. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju will deliver the valedictory address later in the afternoon. UNI