India's Paradigm Shift in Disaster Management: From Relief to a Holistic Risk Reduction Framework
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Disaster Management (National Disaster Management Authority - NDMA, National Institute of Disaster Management - NIDM, National Disaster Response Force - NDRF, Disaster Risk Reduction - DRR concepts); Indian Polity and Governance (Finance Commission); International Relations (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure - CDRI, G-20, SCO).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Governance): Role of civil services in a democracy; Government policies and interventions.
General Studies Paper 3 (Disaster Management): Disaster and disaster management. This article provides a perfect structure and content for a Mains answer on India's current disaster management policy, its institutional framework, and its financial mechanisms.
Key Highlights from the News
India has undergone a major paradigm shift in Disaster Management: from post-disaster relief operations to focusing on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction (2016) guides this shift.
The 15th Finance Commission's allocation of funds for disaster management clearly reflects this change.
Fund Allocation: 30% for pre-disaster activities (preparedness, mitigation), and 70% for post-disaster activities (response, reconstruction).
Key Initiatives:
Training volunteers like Apda Mitra.
Emphasizing nature-based solutions such as rejuvenating water bodies to prevent urban flooding.
Advanced early warning systems.
Strengthening the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for research and training in disaster management.
Internationally, India leads the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a global partnership for disaster-resilient infrastructure.
COMMENTS