_{Gates fortified with armed guards holding walkie-talkies 24x7; concertina wires (barbed wire extended in spirals as a barrier) on iron grilles along boundary walls, concealing CCTVs. Sounds like regular security at a VIP residence? Not really. This could soon be the security apparatus installed in your child’s school. The Union ministry of home affairs has issued a circular to school boards to draw up standard operating procedures (SOP) and equip their premises to thwart and deal with possible terror attacks and other exigencies. As per the listed guidelines, all schools must have three to four gates, with three security guards manning each one round the clock. A phone connection at the main gate with the phone numbers of nearest police stations displayed, and a public announcement system in each classroom are some of the other “suggestions’’ being contemplated for schools—considered “soft terror targets’’. The MHA has also asked for a visual anti-sabotage check of the entire premises before students arrive in school. An alarm system to be used in case of emergencies is also advised. Labourers in schools must possess temporary photo ID cards, and the antecedents of all new staffers must be verified, the guidelines say.}

  _{Mock drills must, says MHA
The home ministry has issued a list of guidelines to enable schools to ward off terror attacks and deal with other emergencies. It has also set down standard operating procedures (SOP) for such events in a circular sent to school boards. Some of the measures schools have been advised to implement are mock drills during arrival/departure of students, and when the school is functional, with the possible involvement of local police. School officials have also been told to submit the school’s layout plan to the police. The circular lists various steps to be taken during different types of emergencies. SOP on informing the police and taking victims to hospital, too, are clearly defined. The circular has been addressed to the heads of all regional offices of the Central Board of Secondary Education, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, director of education, etc, and principals have been asked to develop a comprehensive plan to implement these guidelines.}

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