Lok Sabha Question No. 2376 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-15
Subject: Guidelines for Teachers during Weather Emergencies
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Shivmangal Singh Tomar, Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Shri Dharambir Singh, Shri Ramesh Awasthi, Shri Avimanyu Sethi, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Anil Firojiya, Shri Vijay Baghel, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Shri Janardan Mishra, Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Shri Khagen Murmu, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Dr. Bhola Singh, Shri Kanwar Singh Tanwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2376 ANSWERED ON 15/12/2025

## Guidelines for Teachers during Weather Emergencies

## 2376. Smt. Smita Uday Wagh:

Dr. Bhola Singh:

Shri Vijay Baghel:

Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh:

Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi:

Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal:

Shri Ramesh Awasthi:

Shri Avimanyu Sethi:

Shri Anil Firojiya:

Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap:

Shri Janardan Mishra:

Shri Shivmangal Singh Tomar:

Shri Balabhadra Majhi:

Shri Dharambir Singh:

Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai:

Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat:

Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat:

Shri Khagen Murmu:

Shri Kanwar Singh Tanwar:

## Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has issued any national guidelines permitting teachers to work from home during severe weather conditions such as heavy rains, red alerts, or flooded roads when schools suspend physical classes and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  if  not,  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  such  emergency-response guidelines to ensure academic continuity and teacher safety and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  current  status  of  implementation  of  school-safety  measures,  including installation  of  CCTV  systems,  voice/sound-recording  mechanisms  and  digital  monitoring across Government and private schools in the country;
- (d)  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Union  Government  in  co-ordination  with States  and  UTs  across  the  country  to  ensure  children  are  not  over-burdened  academically, strengthen  mental-health  support  in  schools,  training  for  teachers  to  detect  early  sign  of stress/distress  and  timely  intervention  for  the  same  including  establishment  of  counselling services in schools;

(e) the details of specific measures being planned by the Government to ensure school-safety infrastructure,  psychological  counsellor  availability  and  technology-enabled  learning  in  the

Bhiwani-Mahendragarh  Lok  Sabha  Parliamentary  Constituency,  especially  considering frequent extreme weather disruptions in rural belts; and

(f)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  a  uniform  framework  to  ensure  child safety, psychological well-being and uninterrupted learning during climate-related disruptions, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SH. JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b): Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the administrative control of respective State Government and UT Administration. Guidelines  issued  by  Ministry  of  Education  are  advisory  in  nature  and  States/UTs  are expected  to  implement  them  and  they  may  incorporate  additions/modifications  to  them, according to their specific requirements.

The Ministry of Education has issued a latest directive on 26 th July 2025 to all States and Union Territories to take urgent steps to ensure the student safety and well-being. This refers  to  the  "Guidelines  on  School  Safety  and  Security"  (2021)  and  the  National  Disaster Management Guidelines on School Safety (NDMA, 2016) issued on 27.02.2017 and includes safety audits of schools and child-related facilities as per national safety codes, training for staff  and  students  in  emergency  preparedness,  and  the  provision  of  psychosocial  support through  counselling  and  peer  networks.  The  Ministry  has  urged  Education  Departments, School  Boards,  and  affiliated  authorities  to  act  without  delay  in  implementing  these measures. The directives are available on the link: https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/update/ss2607.pdf

Further, the Ministry of Education on 7 th August 2025, has directed all States/UTs to ensure  the  structural  safety  of  school  buildings  and  urgent  identification  of  unsafe  and dilapidated  school  buildings  through  safety  audits,  followed  by  demolition,  if  required  or repair of structurally unsafe structures, and prohibition of use, until certified safe. Authorities are advised to arrange temporary schooling where needed, gainfully use the space created due to demolition, ensure regular monitoring and reporting, and ensure safety/ structural fitness compliance certification for any re-occupancy. States/ UTs are instructed to strictly enforce the  above  measures  and  avoid  any  further  injuries  and  loss  of  life  due  to  preventable infrastructure failures. The directives are available on the link: https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/update/ss07008.pdf

Earlier,  Government  of  India  has  issued  various  guidelines  for  ensuring  safety  and security of children in schools, as under: -

1. Guidelines  on  School  Safety  and  Security  by  Department  of  School  Education  and Literacy issued on 01.10.2021. These guidelines are uploaded on the website of DoSEL at https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-10/guidelines\_sss.pdf
2. Guidelines on School Safety Policy by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA,  2016)  issued on 27.02.2017. These guidelines are available at the link: https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/rte/Guidelines\_feb.pdf
3. NCPCR examined and compiled different guidelines and developed a comprehensive manual titled- 'Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools' dated 26.02.2018. The manual is available at the link: https://ncpcr.gov.in/uploads/165604923562b54e531fe87\_manual-on-safety-and-security-ofchildren-in-schools-sep-2021-2465-kb.pdf

These guidelines interalia contain provisions for ensuring the safety and security of children  in  schools  and  fixing  the  accountability  of  various  stakeholders  and  different departments. Also these guidelines aim to foster collaboration among stakeholders for a safe school environment, raise awareness of existing safety policies, clarify roles in implementation, assign accountability for child safety during school activities and transportation, and enforce a strict 'Zero Tolerance Policy' against negligence.

The  NDMA  guidelines  provide  for  monitoring  of  implementation  of  the  National Disaster  Management  Guidelines  on  School  Safety  Policy  on  designated  activities  like conducting  safety  audits,  annual  mock  drills,  installation  of  fire-extinguishers,  training  of students and teachers in school safety and disaster preparedness, adherence to safety norms with respect to storage of inflammable and toxic material and grant of recognition certificate only  to  those  schools  that  comply  with  structural  safety  norms  specifically  pertain  to  fire safety.

(c): As per the provisions in National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Manual at Clause 1(X) on safety and security of children in schools, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) vide Notification No. CBSE/AFF./Notification/2025/01310  dated  21.07.2025  has  directed  all  the  heads  of  its affiliated  schools  to  install  high  resolution  CCTV  Cameras  with  audio-visual  facility  in school's premises.

CBSE vide Notification No. CBSE/AFF./Notification/2025/01310 dated 21.07.2025  has  made  the  following  amendment  in  its  Affiliation  Bye  Laws-2018  by adding Clause 4.7.10 in Chapter 4 (Physical Infrastructure):

"The school should install high resolution CCTV Cameras with audio visual facility  at  all  the  entry  and  exit  points  of  the  school,  lobbies,  corridors,  Staircases, all  the  classrooms,  labs,  library,  Canteen  Area,  store  room,  playground  and  other common areas except toilets and washrooms with real time audio-visual recording.  These  CCTV Cameras  must  be  equipped  with  a  storage  device  with  the capacity of holding footage of at-least 15 days. It shall be ensured that a backup of a  minimum  15  days  be  preserved,  which  may  be  accessed  by  the  authorities,  if required.'

(d)  to  (f):    The  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  emphasises  the  need  to  create awareness  about  the  mental  health  issues,  reducing  stress  and  promoting  joyful  learning. States  and  UTs  including  State  Government  of  Haryana  i.e.  Bhiwani-Mahendragarh  are supported under Samagra Shiksha based on their proposals towards strengthening of existing Government schools for creation & augmentation of infrastructure facilities and  also other activities  such  as  career  guidance,  mental  health,  self-defence  etc.  States/UTs  and  all management schools, including private schools, are encouraged to provide this facility as per the requirement. States/UTs are free to have their own guidelines for recruitments and also use Samagra Shiksha funds or their own funds.

As per the perspective of NEP 2020, NCERT has developed and launched National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. Both the NCFs integrate the mental wellbeing of students in different aspects such as syllabi development, development of content in learning and teaching material, pedagogical practices etc. The framework also lays emphasis on  the  role  of  all  stakeholders,  teachers,  school  functionaries,  parents  and  community members to ensure that every student is provided with mental and emotional support. The framework also stresses the importance of socio-emotional stimulation in the early years of life  of  students  and  provides  guidelines  towards  integration  of  age-appropriate  aspects  of socio-emotional  development  in its curricular goals, core competencies  and  learning outcomes.

Manodarpan  is an initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE)  under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, aimed at providing psychosocial support to students, teachers, and families for mental health and emotional well-being during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The details can be accessed at  https://manodarpan.education.gov.in

The  Ministry  of  Education,  Government  of  India  has  also  published  PRAGYATA guidelines  (Planning,  Reviewing,  Arranging,  Guiding,  Yak(Talk),  Assigning,  Tracking  and Appreciating)  Guidelines  on  14 th July  2020  with  an  aim  to  improve  online  education  and ensure  the  safety  and  academic  welfare  of  the  students.  The  PRAGYATA  guidelines recommends  parents  to  actively  engage  with  their  children  and  monitor  their  physical  & mental well-being, watching for signs of anxiety, depression, or anger during digital learning, and  being  attentive  to  secretive  online  behavior.  Open  communication  about  internet  use, instruction on hygiene/healthy lifestyle practices (using digital resources), and a balance of online time with offline play and physical activities are essential.

Pariksha  Pe  Charcha  (PPC)  is  an  interactive  program,  wherein  students,  parents, teachers across the nation interact with Hon'ble Prime Minister to discuss and overcome the stress, emerging out of examinations. In PPC programme 2025, more than 5 crore students across  diverse  socio-economic  backgrounds,  especially  those  from  rural  and  remote  areas participated through a combination of outreach efforts by coordinating at all levels with the State and Centre Government. Extensive activities related to PPC, such as reduction in exam stress  through  activities  encouraging  physical  and  emotional  well-being,  were  carried  out throughout Bharat, over a period of 10 days from 13th January - 23rd January, 2025. Mental health  and  its  related  issues  including  emotional  well-being  was  one  of  the  major  topics covered  in  recently  held  PPC  which  was  disseminated  on  electronic  and  digital  platforms across the country.

In addition to address the rise in stress, anxiety etc among students' various initiatives are taken by many  schools  -  like sensitization through talks  in  morning  assembly, adolescence  education  programmes,  yoga,  games  and  sports,  scouts  and  guides,  NCC,  Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat. Students are also involved in setting up School Nutrition Gardens (SNGs) in the school through which they are connected to nature.

The  Ministry  of  Education  implements  ICT  and  Digital  initiatives  under  Samagra Shiksha  to  enhance  digital  learning  and  in  Government  schools  across  the  country.  The initiatives  aim  to  enhance  the  quality  of  education  and  ensure  uninterrupted  learning  by integrating technology into learning and teaching processes.

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