State to use AI for quality check of school buildings

6 officials suspended over collapse of a portion of govt school building in Jhalawar that killed 7 children

- HT Correspondent

To ensure the safety of school infrastructure, the state government will soon conduct artificial intelligence-driven quality check of school building across the state, with a focus on identifying and demolishing structurally unsafe structures, according to an official statement. Meanwhile, six officials were suspended on Sunday after a portion of a government school building collapsed on Friday claiming the lives of seven children.

Education and Panchayati Raj minister Madan Dilawar on Sunday held a high-level meeting with officials of the education and Panchayati Raj departments to discuss measures to prevent such incidents in the future and formulate long-term plans.

The statement stated that, “A comprehensive survey of all school buildings across the state is being conducted through district collectors. Buildings found to be in a dilapidated state will be marked with a red cross and closed. Those deemed unsafe will be prioritised for demolition, and alternative classroom arrangements will be made using containers. Container classrooms may also be set up in newly constructed school buildings if needed.”

The statement further said that a GIS-based application will be developed, on the basis of the survey, to map all unsafe and repairable buildings. This system will be linked to the Shala Darpan portal and powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure safety-centric budgeting and timely interventions, it said.