Odisha to introduce Disaster, Pandemic Management as part of School and College Curriculum

Pandemic Management in School and College Curriculum: The Odisha government has decided to incorporate disaster and pandemic management in high school and college curriculums. The decision was taken on Saturday, following a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister to mark the second anniversary of his government’s 5th term. This comes in the aftermath of the state’s disaster management machinery blunting the impact of cyclone Yaas. 

Statement of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

He stated, "Even before the start of the 5th term of this government, we had to face the challenge of Cyclone Fani in May 2019. Since then over the last 2 years we have been continuously dealing with the devastating impact of the cyclones and the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a period of unprecedented crisis and we are trying our best to protect our people.” He further added "The time has come for us to create a massive knowledge infrastructure in the state that will make everyone a warrior...We will train our people at large on how to deal with known emergencies and how to respond to situations where the outcome cannot be predicted." “From now on, every high school and college student will learn about disaster and pandemic management as part of the curriculum,” said the resolution passed by the council of ministers.

Statement of Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers said it felt that everyone in the state should be well prepared to face the challenges posed by disasters such as frequent cyclones, and also the pandemic. There was a time when Odisha was the subject of pity for facing calamities and losing lives to disasters but today, the Odisha model of disaster management draws global admiration. The centre of this transformation is the state's deep conviction, and disaster preparedness is rooted in community involvement. 

Elected representatives to be trained on disaster and pandemic management

The objective is to have a 'Yodha' (warrior) in every home of Odisha. A task force will be formed to carry forward this mission of building a disaster and pandemic resilient Odisha. The Council of Ministers has resolved to make Odisha a leading state in disaster preparedness, ready to tackle any disaster whether it is biological or climatic.