Udaipur school tragedy: Rajasthan issues strict safety norms for government schools

Jaipur: Days after a 12-year-old girl died in Udaipur when a school balcony collapsed, the Rajasthan Education Department has issued strict safety guidelines for the construction and repair of government school buildings.

According to the directives, no academic activities will be allowed in classrooms adjacent to damaged or unsafe structures. Hazardous areas must be cordoned off with barricades and danger boards, while security guards will be deployed round the clock to prevent entry.

The department has also tightened norms for electrical and construction works. All electrical equipment must be properly grounded, loose wires prohibited, and construction materials arranged so as not to obstruct pathways. Sand must be spread over slippery areas to prevent accidents, while fire extinguishers and first-aid kits will be mandatory at all sites.

Emphasizing accountability, Education Minister Madan Dilawar said that teachers or non-technical staff will no longer be deputed to engineering roles, with only qualified engineers to oversee construction. In addition, third-party inspections will now be compulsory before payments for any building work are released.

“The Udaipur incident was extremely tragic and exposed loopholes in our system. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring such an accident never happens again,” a senior official said.

The balcony collapse, which killed one student and injured another, triggered public outrage and highlighted the poor condition of many school buildings across Rajasthan. The government, already under criticism for neglecting infrastructure, is now seeking to restore confidence by promising strict enforcement of the new rules and warning that negligence will not be tolerated.