Pune: Every School in Maharashtra Must Undergo Safety Audit, Says Education Department

Pune, 23rd July 2026: The Maharashtra School Education Department has directed all government, local self-government, aided and unaided private schools across the state to immediately conduct safety audits to ensure the safety and security of students.

The directive, issued through separate circulars by Director of Primary Education Sharad Gosavi and Director of Secondary Education Dr Mahesh Palkar, makes it mandatory for every school to carry out a comprehensive safety assessment in accordance with the School Safety and Security Guidelines and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR).

The decision follows directions issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the state government and the Commissioner of Education.

According to the circulars, Primary and Secondary Education Officers, District Collectors, Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads, Municipal Commissioners, Chief Officers of Municipal Councils and other concerned authorities have been instructed to coordinate and ensure the timely completion of the safety audit exercise.

Schools have been directed to identify deficiencies during the audit and take corrective measures without delay. They have also been asked to update their emergency response plans and seek assistance from the local administration, Fire Department, Public Works Department (PWD) and police wherever required.

The safety audit will include a detailed assessment of fire safety systems, emergency preparedness, the structural stability of school buildings, electrical installations, potential hazards on school premises, entry and exit arrangements, CCTV surveillance, disaster management preparedness and other critical safety measures.

The department has instructed schools to submit school-wise, taluka-wise and management-wise audit reports through the Deputy Directors of Education to the Directorate of Education. Deputy Directors have also been asked to closely monitor the exercise and submit consolidated district-wise reports.

The circular further states that any serious deficiencies identified during the audits must be rectified on priority, following which a separate compliance report should be submitted to the Directorate of Education.

The state government had earlier mandated structural audits of school buildings. The latest directive expands the scope of the exercise to cover all aspects of student safety, security and emergency preparedness.