It has been decided to incorporate elements of disaster management in the training curricula of the civil services. For the three all India services (IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service), training curricula have already been drawn up and integrated into the training curricula of these all India services with effect from 2004-2005. For other civil services at the national and state levels, training modules are being developed to be included from the next year.

Disaster management faculties have already been created in 29 state-level training institutes located in 28 states. These faculties are being directly supported by the ministry of home affairs. The state training institutions take up several focused training programmes for different target groups within the state. The disaster management faculties in these institutes are being further strengthened so as to enable them to develop as institutes of excellence for a specific disaster. Assistance to the state- level training institutes will be provided by the National Institute of Disaster Management in the development of training/capsules training modules for different functionaries at different levels.

Recognizing that awareness about vulnerabilities is a sine qua non for inducing a mindset of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, the government has initiated a nation-wide awareness generation campaign as part of its overall disaster risk management strategy. In order to devise an effective and holistic campaign, a steering committee for mass media campaign has been constituted at the national level with due representation of experts from diverse streams of communication. The committee has formulated a campaign strategy aimed at changing peoples? perception of natural hazards and has consulted the agencies and experts associated with advertising and media to instil a culture of safety against natural hazards.

Apart from the use of print and electronic media, it is proposed to utilize places with high public visibility, such as hospitals, schools, railway stations and bus terminals, airports and post offices, commercial complexes and municipality offices and so on to make people aware of their vulnerabilities and promote creation of a safe living environment.

A novel method being tried is the use of government stationery, that is postal letters, bank stationery, railway tickets, airline boarding cards and tickets so on, for disseminating the message of disaster risk reduction. Slogans and messages for this purpose have already been developed and have been communicated to ministries/agencies concerned for printing and dissemination. The mass media campaign will help build the knowledge, attitude and skills of the people in vulnerability reduction and sustainable disaster risk management measures.

Disaster management as a subject in the social sciences has been introduced in the school curriculum for Class VIII and IX. The Central Board of Secondary Education, which has introduced the curriculum runs a very large number of schools throughout the country and the course curriculum, is invariably followed by the state boards of secondary education. Teachers are being trained to teach disaster management. Syllabus for Class X is being finalized and will be introduced in the course curriculum soon.

The state governments have been advised to take similar steps vis-?-vis their school boards. Several states governments have already introduced the same curriculum in Class VIII. Ministry is working with the CBSE to facilitate inclusion of disaster management in public education in all 39 school boards in the country.