Context Child injuries are a growing public health problem in India with nearly 5,00,000 child deaths in the last decade. They are susceptible to injuries owing to their difficulty in risk perceptions, curiosity, impulsivity and risk-taking behavior. A national report titled, Advancing Child Safety in India: Implementation is the Key, was released by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and Underwriters Laboratories. The report emphasizes the need to prevent child injuries and increase awareness about safety standards in schools amongst the key stakeholders.

Process Apart from the secondary research from key data sources, the report also includes the insights from safety appraisals conducted across 131 schools (public and private) in Bengaluru and Kolar districts. These schools were assessed and scored on physical infrastructure, road and fire safety and first-aid facilities.

Analysis Every day, about 165 children die in India due to an unintentional injury. From an official report in 2015, it is estimated that 60,445 children aged 0–18 years died as a result of injuries Out of these, 45,636 deaths were due to unintentional injuries like road crashes, burns, drowning, poisoning and others in year 2015.

From the primary research, overall safety in schools was observed to be 50.8% of expected levels.

Outcomes A first of its kind technical and advocacy document that provides information for stakeholders to plan appropriate safety interventions for children in India.

Learning Outcomes Strict implementation of existing policies, programs and legislations is the key to reduce child injuries in India.