To make children in India safer, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), along with the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), has recommended education on dog bites and rabies prevention in all its schools.
Care and prevention
The move comes following reports of numerous cases of dog bites and rabies in different parts of the country. The programme aims to ensure that students are taught about how to behave around street dogs, basics of dog behaviour, and post-bite care and rabies prevention.
The KVS falls under the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.
The programme will cover 1,100 KV schools and about 12 lakh students across the country.
The programme will be supported by FIAPO education material, local animal protection groups and individuals.
“Given that children are among the most affected by dog bites, this intervention comes at a timely moment,” noted a release issued by the FIAPO.
Human-dog conflict
KVS Assistant Commissioner Tajuddin Sheikh said: “We are happy to announce this initiative to minimise human-dog conflict in India. This programme will go a long way to ensure that children feel safe around dogs and vice versa.”
The FIAPO said this programme is part of a broader agenda to minimise conflict with dogs.
Animal birth control
“This programme emphasises the need for effective Statewide implementation of animal birth control programmes by local bodies with a Statewide monitoring committee. Initiatives like mass anti-rabies vaccination of street dogs, counselling of dog bite patients in hospitals are ongoing in different parts of the country like Assam, Kerala and Punjab,” noted Varda Mehrotra of FIAPO.
