Here's all you need to know about National Safety Week
Organised by the National Safety Council, this year’s theme for National Safety Week is ‘Sadak Suraksha’ (road safety), which will be observed from March 4 to March 10, 2021, highlighting the importance of road safety.
India observes March 4 as the National Safety Day each year to create awareness around the safety measures one needs to undertake — be it on the road, workplace, or any other environment.
Organised by the National Safety Council, this year’s theme for National Safety Week is ‘Sadak Suraksha’ (road safety), which will be observed from March 4 to March 10, 2021, highlighting the importance of road safety.
The motive behind National Safety Day is to rejuvenate our commitment as Indian citizens to work safely, and to ensure the integration and running of a safe and healthy lifestyle and work environment.
The history behind National Safety Day
India celebrates National Safety Day every year on the foundation day of the National Safety Council — a non-profit organisation under the aegis of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The key objective behind the Day is to renew the commitment of employees and the public to work safely while ensuring the integration of a safe and sound work culture and lifestyle.
The National Safety Council conducts various seminars, conferences, and specialised training sessions across India. Its vision and mission include the successful running of the safety, health, and environment (SHE) campaign.
The theme of National Safety Day 2021
In its 49th year, National Safety Day’s theme is ‘Sadak Suraksha’ (road safety). Road accidents remain a major cause of concern in India despite a 3.86 percent reduction in the total number of road accidents in 2019 as per data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
India has the highest number of fatalities caused due to road accidents, approximately 11 percent of all road accident-related fatalities in the world.
Recently, in January 2021, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, had made a bold announcement that the government aims to reduce road accidents and deaths by half before 2025.
To make this possible, the government is working on improving engineering methods while making roads and highways, educating the stakeholders, and enforcing stricter rules.
Besides, the government is also working on beefing up the emergency response system, which will help in transporting road accident victims to hospitals quickly, thus saving lives.
Edited by Suman Singh