‘Left in the dark’: Bomb threat across Chandigarh schools leaves parents, students anxious

In several cases, parents said they were left in the dark even as students remained inside school premises

What was meant to be a return to routine after a three day holiday break for students descended into chaos across Chandigarh schools on Wednesday morning, as bomb threat emails sent to 30 schools triggered precautionary evacuations and heightened security checks across UT schools.

HS Mamik, president of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), which has over 77 member schools across the Tricity, said the incident was unprecedented. (Keshav Singh/HT)

The ripple effect left a widespread uncertainty among parents, students and authorities. At Vivek High School, Ashish Sharma, father of two boys, said he learned about the situation from his child before the school authorities. “The kids were already on their way back when I got a call from my elder son-using the bus attendant’s phone. They had been made to board the same buses they usually take, but the children were visibly panicked. Even if this turned out to be a hoax, there has to be a better system to handle situations like this.”

In several cases, parents said they were left in the dark even as students remained inside school premises. A parent of a Class 12 student at Shri Guru Gobind Singh School recounted the confusion inside the campus. “My elder daughter had gone to school for her physical education practical. Even after the school received information about the threat, she was made to sit for nearly two hours. Junior students were allowed to leave, but senior students were kept inside.” Some parents also raised concerns over the safety of teachers, questioning why staff were made to remain on campus even after students were evacuated.

HS Mamik, president of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), which has over 77 member schools across the Tricity, said the incident was unprecedented. “The schools that received the threat emails followed standard safety protocol and evacuated students immediately to ensure no child remained under fear or risk.”

Schools that did not receive threat emails were affected too

Even schools that did not receive emails were also affected by the widespread panic. Despite an advisory circulated by the UT administration asking schools not to declare holidays without verified inputs, the fear spilled over. At Stepping Stones Senior Secondary School in Sector 37, classes were conducted, but parents were allowed to take their children home if they wished.

A parent of a child studying at Ashiana Public School, requesting anonymity, described the panic triggered by the school’s WhatsApp message. “The school informed us that there had been a bomb threat and that students were being sent back, asking parents to pick them up from their respective stops. That one message asking us to pick our kids within 15 minutes, created so much chaos. We were terrified about our child’s safety.”

Director school education, Nitish Singla, said police were alerted immediately after principals flagged the emails. “Schools have now been advised to remain extra vigilant. If any such email is received again, the first step should be to inform the police,” he said.

However, some parents’ groups sharply criticised the handling of the situation. Nitin Goyal, president of the Chandigarh Parents’ Association (CPA), said the incident exposed serious gaps in crisis communication and preparedness. “Threatening schools cannot be taken lightly. What was deeply concerning was the delay in response by some institutions and the fact that parents were often the last to know,” he said. Goyal added that asking parents to rush to school campuses created further risk. “Calling thousands of parents to arrive simultaneously can block emergency responders and lead to dangerous crowding. There is an urgent need for a standard reunification protocol”.

Chaos amid board practical exams

The disruption also came at a sensitive academic juncture, with CBSE schools currently conducting board practical examinations ahead of the February 14 deadline and ICSE schools are in the midst of their pre-board examinations. Parents said the sudden evacuations and delayed decisions added to students’ stress, with some schools holding candidates back on campus while others postponed assessments altogether, leading to confusion over schedules and further anxiety among students preparing for their board exams.