2 days state consultation on Saturdays for Resilience in schools by ASDMA kicked off today
Guwahati,Rongili Barta: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Axom (SSA), Govt. of Assam and technical support from UNICEF, Assam kicked off the 2-day state level consultation for validating “Saturdays for Resilience” manual today at Assam Administrative Staff College (AASC), Khanapara. This 2 days programme is designed to foster disaster preparedness and build resilience among school communities, particularly in disaster-prone regions like Assam from the consultation with the representatives coming from various govt. organisations across the state like SSA, Assam, Elementary Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Women and Child Development, Public Health Engineering, National Health Mission, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Assam, District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET), Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCC), Block Mission Coordinators (BMC), Key Resource Person/ Focal Point Teachers, Field Officers, DDMA, NGOs etc.
The program targets primary and secondary school students, engaging them in practical activities and discussions on Saturdays to enhance their understanding of hazards such as floods, earthquakes, heatwaves, cyclones, and other emergencies. By integrating disaster preparedness into the school calendar, the initiative promotes a culture of safety, security, and preparedness, empowering students to contribute actively to community resilience.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Meenakshi Das Nath, ACS, Secretary to the Govt. of Assam and Addl. Chief Executive Officer, ASDMA said that in recent times, we have observed that children are increasingly leaning toward excessive use of digital technology, especially social media resulting affecting their mental health and cognitive development. In some cases, children also show a reduced capacity to cope with failures and challenges contributed to a rise in suicide cases. This programme aims to integrate safety and security in a fun and engaging manner so that children develop a stronger interest in learning about resilience.
Dr. Nirada Devi, Director, State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said in the inaugural programme that Assam continues to face multiple and recurrent challenges related to social and personal safety. These realities deeply affect our children’s learning environment and overall development for which, we must go beyond traditional classroom instruction and equip children to navigate risks in their daily lives. This is not just a programme it is a long-term investment in our children’s safety, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Shri Sanjay Dutta, ACS, Executive Director, SSA said on the occasion that, by dedicating working Saturdays for hands on activities, discussions, and awareness sessions, we hope to strengthen children’s understanding on a wide range of topics from floods and earthquakes to social safety, health practices, nutrition awareness, and psycho-social well-being ensuring that resilience.
Smt. Aparajita Bhargarh Chaudhary from UNICEF, Assam also reaffirmed UNICEF’s continued partnership with ASDMA to promote child-centered risk reduction and behavioural change for resilience during emergencies.
As a step toward building a culture of safety among students, this consultation would be more than a procedural step defining opportunity. Over the next two days, the collective insights from the diverse participants will help refine the manual, sharpen its messages, and ensure that every topic is age-appropriate, context-specific, and truly implementable across all schools in Assam.
The inaugural programme was also attended by the senior officials from Department of School Education, SSA, Assam, UNICEF, Assam and ASDMA.