The National Institute, and the Response Forces

In one line

One institute teaches, one national force rescues, and since 2025 every State may raise a specialist force of its own.

In the wording a student can write in an examination: section 42 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 constitutes the National Institute of Disaster Management, which functions within the broad policies and guidelines laid down by the National Authority and is responsible for planning and promoting training and research in disaster management, documentation and the development of a national level information base; section 43, as substituted in 2025, provides for its officers, employees, experts and consultants; section 44 constitutes the National Disaster Response Force for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster; section 44A, inserted in 2025, empowers a State Government to constitute a State Disaster Response Force; and section 45 vests the general superintendence, direction and control of the Force in the National Authority and its command and supervision in a Director General appointed by the Central Government.

Section 42, the National Institute

Constitution. Constituted by notification, with such number of members as the Central Government prescribes, a governing body constituted by the Central Government from among the members, and regulations for its powers, procedure, terms of office and vacancies. Until the Institute makes regulations the Central Government may make them, and the Institute may then alter or rescind them.

The mandate, sub-section (8). The Institute functions within the broad policies and guidelines laid down by the National Authority and is responsible for:

• planning and promoting training and research in the area of disaster management;
• documentation; and
• the development of a national level information base relating to disaster management policies, prevention mechanisms and mitigation measures.

The functions, sub-section (9), and they are wider than most students expect. Develop training modules, undertake research and documentation and organise training programmes; formulate and implement a comprehensive human resource development plan covering all aspects of disaster management; provide assistance in national level policy formulation; assist training and research institutes and train the faculty of State level training institutes; assist State Governments and State training institutes in formulating State level policies, strategies and disaster management frameworks and in capacity building for stakeholders including Government functionaries, civil society members, the corporate sector and people's elected representatives; develop educational materials including academic and professional courses; promote awareness among stakeholders including college and school teachers and students and technical personnel; organise study courses, conferences, lectures and seminars within and outside the country; publish journals, research papers and books and maintain libraries; do all incidental things; and undertake any other function assigned by the Central Government.

Two clauses deserve a comment. Clause (e) names people's elected representatives among those whose capacity the Institute is to build, which is a recognition that a councillor or a member of a legislature is often the person the public turns to in a disaster and is rarely trained for it. And clause (g) reaches school teachers and students, which is where any serious programme of disaster preparedness in a country of this size has to begin.