32 Delhi schools receive hoax bomb threats; over 70 institutions targeted so far this year
New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI): At least 32 schools in the national capital received bomb threats on Monday, triggering panic and prompting student evacuation, before officials declared them hoax.
Delhi Fire Services stated that between 7.30 am and 12.25 pm, they received calls from 32 schools informing about the threat e-mails.
Multiple teams of Delhi Police, including the bomb disposal squad and dog squad, were rushed to the campuses. A thorough search operation was carried out in each of the campuses before the police confirmed that the threats were fake.
"Search operation is completed and nothing suspicious was found," the officer said, adding that cyber forensic teams have begun work to trace the IP address of the sender.
According to the Delhi Fire Services, a majority of the schools were from the Dwarka area. These included Delhi Public School, BGS International Public School, Shri Venkateshwar School, Global School, Shiksha Bharti Global School, Adarsh World School, Dwarka International School, Bal Bharti Public School, Venkateshwar School, Paramount International School, CRPF Public School, Sachdeva Global School, Indraprasth International School, Saraswati Public School.
The other schools that received threat included Holy Heart Public School, Gyan Sagar Public School, Shiv Vani Model Senior Secondary School and Kennedy Public School -- all in Palam village; JBM Public School, Palam; Jai Bharti Public School and Deep Model Public School in West Sagarpur; RMS Convent School, Sagarpur; Veer Public School, Kapashera; Oxford Foundation School, Baba Haridas Nagar; Nav Gyandeep Public School, Dabari-Palam Road; RM Convent School, Kailash Puri Extension; RD International School, Daulatpur; CDM School, Dharampura; Sunrise Public School, Tajpur Khurd; Shri Ram International School, Najafgarh; New Solanki Model Public School, Jai Vihar, and Andhra School, Prasad Nagar.
DPS Dwarka later announced the closure of the school for the day.
In a statement, it said, "The school has been closed on Monday due to unavoidable circumstances. Students travelling by school buses and private vans are being sent back immediately, and teachers on bus duty will share the location updates. Parents are requested to kindly pick up their wards from their respective bus stops. For private commuters, parents are requested to collect their wards directly from the school."
According to police, several units, including cyber cell and special staff, are analysing the e-mail headers and other digital footprints to ascertain the origin of the messages. Investigators suspect the involvement of pranksters, but have not ruled out the possibility of organised attempts to disrupt normalcy.
"We are coordinating with service providers to trace the IP location and will examine whether the same source is behind earlier threats received by other institutions this year," another senior police officer said.
Between January and August, around 74 educational institutions -- 70 schools and four colleges -- across Delhi-NCR have received similar threats, according to police data.
On January 8 and 9, more than 10 schools, including DPS Vasant Vihar, Amity School in Saket, Salwan Public School and Modern School in Vasant Vihar were affected.
Less than a month later, on February 5, four Noida schools received threats via e-mail.
On February 7, three institutions -- Ahlcon International School in Mayur Vihar Phase-1, Shiv Nadar School in Noida, and St Stephen’s College in Delhi -- were targeted.
On July 14, three schools -- Navy Children School in Chanakyapuri, CRPF School in Dwarka Sector 16, and CRPF School in Prashant Vihar -- received threats via e-mail.
A day later, on July 15, three more institutions were targeted -- St Thomas School in Dwarka, St Stephen’s College, and a school in Rohini.
Again on July 16, five schools received bomb threats via e-mail. These were St Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, The Mother’s International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate.
On July 18, more than 45 schools were targeted across Delhi, including those in Rohini, Pitampura, Paschim Vihar, South Delhi, and Central Delhi. In total, six schools in Dwarka reportedly received threats during July.
Additionally, three Delhi University colleges -- IP College for Women, Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce -- also received bomb threats.
On July 17, the Delhi Police apprehended a 12-year-old boy for sending bomb threat e-mails to St Stephen's College and St Thomas School in Dwarka on July 15. Police had detained the boy for questioning and released him after counselling.
Officials said that while all of these incidents were declared hoaxes after thorough inspection, every case was treated with full seriousness.
"Even if these are hoaxes, they cause panic among students and parents. We are pursuing every lead to identify and take strict action against those behind such acts," the officer added.
Police said investigations into earlier incidents are still underway, and they are exploring whether the repeated threats are part of a coordinated pattern.
Bharat Arora, President of the Action Committee of Unaided Private Recognised Schools, described the repeated bomb threats as "profoundly concerning".
"These threats cause significant disruptions to the academic schedule and instill fear and anxiety among students, their families, and educators," he said.
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India, Ethiopia elevate ties to strategic partnership as PM Modi holds talks with his counterpart
Addis Ababa (PTI): India and Ethiopia on Tuesday elevated their historical ties to a strategic partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali during which they discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interest.
Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on his maiden bilateral visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace ahead of the bilateral talks, reflecting the vibrant India-Ethiopia relations rooted in shared history and a promising future.
"We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties," Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.
He thanked PM Ali for his support in India's fight against terrorism. "The support of friendly countries in this struggle against terrorism holds great significance," Modi said.
"Today, we got the opportunity to deliberate on the key aspects of our cooperation, such as economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral cooperation. I am pleased that today, we have decided to double the student scholarship for Ethiopia in India," Modi said.
Modi said that India and Ethiopia have shared contact, dialogue, and exchange for thousands of years. The two countries, which are rich in languages and traditions, are symbols of unity in diversity, he added.
"Both countries are democratic powers committed to peace and the welfare of humanity. We are co-travellers and partners of the Global South. On international platforms, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder," he said.
The two sides signed eight MoUs/agreements, including upgrading ties to 'Strategic Partnership', customs cooperation, establishing data center at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, UN Peacekeeping training cooperation, debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.
Modi said the African Union's headquarters in Ethiopia makes the country a meeting point of African diplomacy. "Inspired by the common vision of an inclusive world, in 2023, India ensured that the African Union became a G20 member," he said.
In 2023, during India’s G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
Modi said that though this is his first visit, he felt a deep sense of belonging and warmth, reflecting the thousands of years of connection between the two countries.
On his part, Prime Minister Ali said the two countries share over thousands of years of connection through trade, diplomacy, education, culture and even in our food and traditions. "These ties continue to shape a deep friendship, collaboration and mutual respect between our people," he said.
"We also appreciate your consistent message that Africa's priorities must lead the partnership. These kinds of dignified, respectful messages for Africa are very important. Mr Prime Minister, keep pushing. That is the type of message we are expecting from all our trusted friends," Ali said.
He said this aligned fully with Ethiopia's development plan - African-owned, African-led, and African-defined.
"Today, we meet with a clear focus to shape a modern partnership, grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance and practical cooperation. Our cooperation is rooted in equality and South-South solidarity," he said.
"Our economy is performing strongly. Last year, we grew 9.2% and this year we are expecting 10.3% GDP growth. Besides GDP growth, our FDI inflow is also rising big time. India is the leading source for our FDI," he said.
"We have more than 615 Indian companies which are investing in Ethiopia. This all gives our cooperation a strong foundation of trust. I think our decision today that we elevate our historic relationship to a strategic relationship is the right decision," he added.
Ethiopia also conferred its highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia - on PM Modi. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.
Prime Minister Modi also went to the Friendship Park and Friendship Square in Addis Ababa with PM Ali.
In a warm and special gesture, PM Modi was earlier received by his Ethiopian counterpart at the airport and accorded a warm and colourful welcome.
"Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture," Modi said.
PM Ali informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks.
"At Addis Ababa airport, took part in a traditional Coffee Ceremony with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The ceremony beautifully highlights Ethiopia’s rich heritage," Modi said.
In a unique gesture, the Ethiopian Prime Minister drove Modi to the hotel.
On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary.
"Gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for showing me glimpses of Ethiopian history and culture at the National Palace Museum in Addis Ababa. It was a powerful reminder of Ethiopia’s rich traditions," Modi said in a post on X.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PM’s special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said.
"Thank you Ethiopia for a welcome that was unforgettable. The Indian community showed remarkable warmth and affection. India-Ethiopia friendship is going to get even more robust in the times to come," Modi said.
When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the members of the Indian community. Local artists performed dances. Some of them danced on the theme of the popular Hindi song 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' to welcome him.
On Wednesday, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.
PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday before the delegation-level talks.
India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.
From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour.
