PRAYAGRAJ, April 5 -- The Uttar Pradesh Basic Shiksha Parishad has, for the first time, announced a statewide awareness campaign on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, that aimed at protecting children and empowering them with knowledge. The initiative, part of a newly released academic activity calendar, was unveiled on Friday by Parishad secretary Surendra Kumar Tiwari and will cover around 2.9 crore students from Classes 1 to 8. Under this programme, children studying in primary, upper primary, composite schools and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas will take part in structured, age-appropriate activities to help them understand personal safety, good and bad touch and the legal protections available to them. To ensure the message is taken seriously and reaches everyone in the school ecosystem, seminars, special programmes and awareness events related to the Pocso will be organised at least twice every year, with mandatory participation of teachers and all school staff. To strengthen child protection further, the Childline number 1098 will be clearly displayed at prominent places within school premises. Teachers will also explain to students when and how to use the helpline so that children feel confident to seek help whenever they are in distress. The academic calendar also places a strong focus on adolescent education. Schools will regularly conduct programmes on gender sensitivity, emotional management, personal hygiene and building healthy relationships. Special sessions will be organised at least twice a year for girls studying in upper primary classes, with emphasis on safe menstrual practices and the importance of cleanliness and dignity during menstruation. Schools have been directed to ensure the availability of sanitary napkins during school hours and to put in place safe and hygienic systems for their disposal, creating a supportive environment for adolescent girls. In addition to safety and health awareness, schools will address lifestyle issues among students. To curb the growing consumption of junk food, educational videos will be shown to explain its harmful effects. Through science clubs and classroom activities, students will be taught about chemicals present in packaged foods and how to identify healthy and unhealthy items by reading ingredient labels. The Parishad has made it clear that compliance is mandatory for all schools running Classes 1 to 8, including private unaided and English-medium institutions, which have often ignored the official academic activity calendar in the past. This year, officials say, there will be no exceptions. Basic Shiksha Adhikari of Prayagraj, Anil Kumar, said strict guidelines have already been issued and child safety is non-negotiable. He added that brief, child-friendly content on the POCSO Act and Childline services will be sent to schools through official circulars, emails, and WhatsApp groups. Schools will be required to submit visual reports as proof of compliance, and any lapse will invite strict disciplinary action. Welcoming the move, child rights activist and Allahabad high court advocate Sheeba Jose said the initiative was long overdue. She noted that lack of awareness often makes children easy targets and that educating them about legal protections and support systems like Childline can significantly reduce their vulnerability. At present, Uttar Pradesh has 2,11,037 primary schools, including: 1,32,855 government schools, 2,965 government-aided schools, 74,471 private unaided schools and 746 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV). A total of 2,89,70,200 students are enrolled from Classes 1 to 8 in these schools, distributed as follows: 1,79,56,682 students in government-run schools; 5,19,561 students in government-aided schools; 1,04,20,309 students in private unaided schools; and 73,648 students in KGBV....