Road Safety Mission for Schools Launched in India

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) The India chapter of the International Road Federation (IRF) on Friday said it has launched a National Road Safety Mission for Schools (NRSM) in partnership with the Union Education Ministry.

Launching the NRSM, Anu Jain, director in the Ministry of Education, said road safety has emerged as one of the most critical public concerns in India, particularly with the growing number of accidents involving children near schools and educational zones.

Around 12,000 children die near school zones annually in the country.

"Ensuring safe mobility for students and fostering a culture of responsible road use among young citizens has become an urgent national priority. In this context, a dedicated mission focusing on schools will play a vital role in shaping safer road behavior and promoting community-driven safety initiatives," Jain said.

She said the National Road Safety Mission for Schools initiative will help cultivate a culture of road safety from an early age and make school zones safer.

IRF president emeritus K K Kapil said some of the activities being put in place under the initiative launched in league with Academia Axis Edutech, a non-government body, will include advocating for the inclusion of a uniform road safety syllabi in school curricula.

India chapter president of IRF, Akhilesh Srivastava, advocated for promoting road safety awareness among children through creative activities, such as plays, quizzes, skits, drawing competitions, cartoons, and stories.