India, Jan. 28 -- From February 1, school students across Maharashtra will receive self-defence training, NCC and military-style instruction by retired officers, and structured spiritual guidance as part of a series of student-centric initiatives announced by school education minister Dada Bhuse.

The announcements were made on Tuesday during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research (Balbharati), which marked 60 years of its role in shaping school education in the state.

Bhuse said self-defence training for girls would be introduced in the wake of recent incidents, including the Badlapur case, to help students protect themselves and respond confidently in difficult si...