New Delhi [India], September 26 : The Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai attended the 21st Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as Chief Guest at New Delhi today. The theme of this year's Formation Day is "Technology for Risk Reduction - For a Safer Nation," underscored the essential role of emerging technologies in disaster preparedness, response, and resilience-building.
Delivering his inaugural address, Rai highlighted about the Prime Minister Narednra Modi's visionary 10-point agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) which was introduced in 2016. This forward-looking agenda continues to serve as a guiding principle, not only for India but at a global scale towards building disaster-resilient communities. By integrating this agenda into our national disaster management strategies, India has achieved significant progress on multiple fronts, Ministry of Home Affairs said.
At present, the country has over 1 lakh trained Aapda Mitras (Disaster Volunteers), of which 20% are women, proudly referred to as Aapda Sakhis. Under the Youth Aapda Mitra Scheme, an additional 2.5 lakh young volunteers are being trained from premier national institutions such as the NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra, and the Bharat Scouts and Guides.
India has also emerged as a global leader in leveraging technology for disaster response and management. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, the Government is consistently working towards the ambitious goal of achieving zero casualty from disasters. He highlighted about the importance of delivering early warning to the last mile.
He also mentioned about the Vision for a Resilient 21st Century India, emphasising about the approach is not merely about surviving disasters, but about understanding them, learning from them, and transforming these challenges into opportunities for building resilience.
Disasters should not be feared or avoided, but rather studied, understood, and used as catalysts for preparedness, innovation, and long-term development. On the occasion, the Minister of State for Home Affairs released a series of key knowledge products, guidelines, and reports designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and mitigation across the country. These included: (i) Guidelines & Standard Operating Procedures for the Application of Drones/UAVs in Disaster Management, (ii) Strengthening SDMAs for Disaster Risk Reduction (iv) NDMA Case Studies Compendium, (v) Report on the National Campaign Component of the Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety, (vi) Little Chanakya Aur Aapda se Bachav comic series - Aapda Super Hero, Aapda Se Jung, and Aapda Se Bachav, (vii) Guidelines for Cooling Centres, (viii) Delhi Heat Action Plan 2025 - Implementation Report, and (ix) Turning Down the Heat: A Practical Guide to Accelerate the Adoption of Cool Roofs across Indian Cities (developed in collaboration with RMI).
Additionally, a MoU has been announced between NDMA and the National e-Governance Division to strengthen digital disaster preparedness & public outreach.
A special photo exhibition was also inaugurated, showcasing NDMA's two-decade-long journey, key initiatives, and milestones in advancing disaster risk reduction.
Further, Member and HoD, Shri Rajendra Singh highlighted in his address - "Technology is our shield, but a disaster-resilient India will not be built by technology alone, it will be achieved through community participation, capacity building and our collective unity and sensitivity. Emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data and digital platforms are enabling disaster management to become more precise, faster and more effective. NDMA's goal is to ensure timely warnings reach to every citizen and every community is empowered to deal effectively with disasters."
The technical session held during the event brought together domain experts, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders who deliberated on the role of innovation and digital systems in enhancing disaster resilience and community safety.

The event was attended by Members, Secretary and officials of NDMA, former Members of the NDMA, representatives from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), along with senior officials from Central and State Governments, international and UN agencies, private bodies, disaster management experts, academicians, NGOs, and other key stakeholders. All united in their commitment to building a safer and more resilient India.