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Earlier, false news was being circulated claiming that teachers from both government and private schools were asked to conduct a census of stray dogs.
The Supreme Court had directed states and union territories to take action against the menace posed by stray dogs. (representative image)
The Delhi government clarified that it has not directed school teachers to conduct a city-wide census of stray dogs. Earlier, false news was being circulated which claimed that teachers from both government and private schools would be involved in this work. The Directorate of Education said that this is fake news.
“In view of the misinformation being circulated in some sections of the print media regarding assignment of specific duties to teachers, it is clarified that no such instructions have been issued by the Directorate of Education,” a statement from the Directorate of Education (DoE) said.
According to the circular, the DoE has directed schools and other educational institutions to designate nodal officers to coordinate on issues related to stray dogs. District Education Officers (DEOs) have been directed to compile details of nominated nodal officers from schools, stadiums and sports complexes under their jurisdiction. These details include the name, designation, contact number and email ID of the officer.
Officials stressed that the responsibility of implementation lies with school heads and civic bodies, and not with class teachers.
The focus is on practical safety measures, the DOE said. These include repairing and strengthening boundary walls, gates and fences, appointing a nodal officer for each institution and prominently displaying contact details at school entrances. The institutions have also been asked to share nodal officer details with local civic agencies.
The schools will also conduct awareness sessions for students and staff on safe behavior around animals, first aid in case of dog bite and immediate reporting protocols.
The clarification came amid confusion over recent instructions issued to educational institutions regarding matters related to stray dogs.
The fake notice claimed that district education officers were designated nodal officers and were directed to provide details of selected teachers to the Directorate of Education.
Earlier, states like Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh had directed teachers to survey stray dogs, leading to protests in many areas.
This followed a suo motu writ petition in the Supreme Court on November 7, addressing the rise in dog attacks on students within school premises. The court directed states and union territories to take steps against the menace. The judgment clearly indicated that local bodies including urban corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats should be responsible for controlling stray dogs.
The Supreme Court firstissued comprehensive instructions Citing the significant increase in dog bite incidents across the country, it is required to adequately fence all educational institutions, hospitals, public sports complexes, railway stations, bus stands and depots to prevent the entry of stray dogs.
The three-judge special bench highlighted that as per the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, local self-government bodies are in charge of capturing stray dogs from these areas and shifting them to designated shelters after vaccination and sterilization. The bench clarified that these animals once removed should not be returned to the same places.
“Allowing this would defeat the very purpose of making such institutions free from the presence of stray dogs,” the court said in its order.
Additionally, the court directed the local bodies to conduct periodic inspections to ensure that no stray dog colony or feeding area develops within the institutional or public premises.
December 29, 2025, 1:35 pm IST
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