‘Regular mock drills, safety audits’: Delhi govt. issues SOPs on school bomb threats

Delhi government issues SOPs for handling school bomb threats, including CCTV installation, evacuation plans, and safety audits.

The Delhi government has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling bomb threats in schools, as over 200 among them received hoax bomb threats in the past year, and the Delhi High Court pulled it up for not having a proper mechanism in place to deal with such threats.

According to a May 16 circular of the Directorate of Education (DoE), the SOPs include installing CCTV cameras in and around schools, devising evacuation plans, and holding regular safety audits and mock drills.

The circular detailed a four-tier strategy on prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery in bomb threat cases.

On May 2, the Delhi High Court issued notices to Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Delhi Police while hearing a plea accusing the authorities of failing to implement a comprehensive mechanism for handling school bomb threats. During the hearing, Justice Anish Dayal stated that the matter needs urgent attention, particularly when hoax bomb threats had become increasingly frequent, causing significant distress to children, their parents, and educational institutions.

The SOPs made it mandatory for schools to submit a monthly safety checklist to their respective district authorities, issue strict warnings, and take stringent action against hoax threats.

According to the circular, the SOPs apply to all schools, including government, government-aided, minority-run, and recognised unaided private institutions.

The DoE instructed principals to form school safety committees to check routine mock drills, emergency kits, evacuation routes, and coordination with Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and the Delhi Traffic police. “Schools are required to maintain updated building layouts and secure their perimeters to assist police and fire personnel during threat assessments and evacuation,” stated the DoE.