Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, attended the 21st Formation Day of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as the Chief Guest in New Delhi on Friday. This year’s theme, “Technology for Risk Reduction – For a Safer Nation,” emphasized the critical role of innovation and emerging technologies in disaster preparedness, response, and resilience-building.
In his address, Rai recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary 10-point agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), introduced in 2016, which continues to guide national and global efforts to build disaster-resilient communities. He noted that India has made significant progress by integrating this agenda into its disaster management strategies.
Highlighting the country’s community-based initiatives, Rai said India now has over one lakh trained Aapda Mitras (Disaster Volunteers), with 20% being women, proudly called Aapda Sakhis. Under the Youth Aapda Mitra Scheme, an additional 2.5 lakh volunteers are being trained from premier national institutions like the NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra, and Bharat Scouts and Guides.
“India has emerged as a global leader in leveraging technology for disaster response. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, we are consistently working towards achieving zero casualty from disasters, ensuring last-mile early warning delivery,” Rai said.
He further emphasized that disasters should not merely be feared but studied, understood, and transformed into opportunities for preparedness, innovation, and long-term development.
On the occasion, the Minister released a series of key knowledge products and guidelines, including Standard Operating Procedures for drone use in disaster management, strengthening State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), a case studies compendium, reports on lightning safety and heat action plans, and a comic series “Little Chanakya Aur Aapda se Bachav” to educate children on disaster safety. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between NDMA and the National e-Governance Division to enhance digital disaster preparedness and public outreach.
Member and HoD, Rajendra Singh, underlined the importance of combining technology with community participation, stating: “Technology is our shield, but a disaster-resilient India will not be built by technology alone – it requires capacity building and collective unity.”
A technical session brought together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to deliberate on the use of AI, big data, and digital platforms to enhance disaster resilience.
The event was attended by NDMA members, NDRF and NIDM representatives, central and state officials, UN agencies, NGOs, and disaster management experts, all reaffirming their commitment to building a safer and more resilient India.