The government has issued a set of security guidelines to all states to be circulated among major schools and advised steps to be taken in the event of a possible emergency situation.

The home ministry guidelines include deployment of security guards, installations of CCTVs, public announcement system in each classroom and verandah, alarm system, display of telephone numbers of police and fire stations.

"The guidelines also suggested schools to draw up an evacuation plan for the students in case of emergency," an official said.

The guidelines have been issued because schools are being considered "soft targets". These have been issued only to prominent schools.

Earlier, there were intelligence reports that terrorists were planning to target two elite boarding schools Woodstock in Mussoorie and The Doon School in Dehradun.