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Abstract:
India has experienced many large earthquakes since historical times, causing large-scale damage and the loss of many lives. More than 2/3rd of the country’s total area is exposed to varying degrees of earthquake hazard. The ongoing efforts to advance earthquake science and research experiments have significantly improved our knowledge in recent years. However, we are still far from predicting them. Although some short-term forecasts have been successful, they are generally of limited practical use for earthquake disaster management. To achieve the ultimate goal of mitigating the earthquake hazard, it is essential to focus on systematic R&D efforts. At the same time, earthquake education, training, and knowledge dissemination are critical to minimizing the impact of an earthquake. In India, these aspects are being addressed through specific modules and programmes on a smaller scale. The School Earthquake Laboratory Program is one such module, initiated about two decades ago with a view to introduce basic earthquake education at the secondary school level, inculcate the culture of measurements and interactive learning, and create awareness amongst the students and public at large. The programme was initially implemented in the northwest and northeast Himalayan regions and extended to a few other regions later. The paper briefly presents a summary of efforts made so far and further steps required in this direction.
