Now, disaster risk reduction and management to be compulsory subject in colleges

Now all the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will have to introduce courses on disaster risk reduction and management at both Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate levels (PG).

The Commission also said that model curriculums have been prepared to take care of the new concepts, skills and to build the capacity of the students towards disaster preparedness and management.

"All the HEIs and their affiliated colleges and institutions are requested to immediately initiate courses on disaster risk reduction and management at UG and PG level to make the nation safer and resilient to disasters by the year 2030," UGC secretary Rajnish Jain, said in a circular, which was sent to all the Vice-Chancellors of universities and principals of all the colleges.

The curriculum also has attempted to combine the practical requirements of teaching in the Indian academic context with the need to observe high standards to provide knowledge in frontier areas discipline.

Accordingly, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a common model course curriculum on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Management at UG and PG level, which was recently prepared by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in consultation with experts from across the country and academia.

The objective of this curriculum is to train students on the issues related to disaster management. The proposed model curriculum of a foundation course on disaster risk reduction, certificate programme on disaster risk reduction and management and PG diploma on disaster risk reduction and management have included elements of disaster-related issues and followed by National Education Policy (NEP-2020) to build the knowledge, skills, and capacity of the young generation.

The UGC has also sent a detailed syllabus for both UG and PG, which has to incorporate into the courses, to all universities and their affiliated colleges.