National Disaster Response Force Raising Day 2025 – January 19

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Raising Day is observed annually across India on January 19 to mark the founding of the NDRF, a special force under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• January 19, 2025 marks the observance of the 20th NDRF Raising Day.

Note:The NDRF, is a ‘Specialist Force’  to handle emergencies, trained to respond to both natural disasters like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, and man-made disasters like chemical spills and terrorist attacks.

Background:

i.India experienced a series of devastating natural disasters between 1990 and 2004, which led to the creation of the Disaster Management (DM) Act on December 26, 2005.

ii.The Act paved the way for the establishment of the NDRF under Section 44, with the force being officially raised on January 19, 2006, to become India’s premier disaster response unit.

• Since then, NDRF Raising Day has been observed annually on January 19.

iii.The mission is to develop and implement comprehensive plans, policies, and guidelines for effective disaster management across India.

Organization and Structure:

i.Formation and Expansion: Initially formed in 2006 with 8 battalions, NDRF at present comprises 16 battalions from various forces of personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)  including: Assam Rifles (AR), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

ii.Team Composition: Each battalion consists of 18 specialised Search and Rescue (SAR) teams, each with 45 personnel. The teams include: Engineers, Technicians, Electricians, Dog Squads and Medical/Paramedic staffs.

iii.Total Personnel and Infrastructure: Each battalion has a strength of 1,149 personnel, with 28 Regional Response Centers (RRCs) and 24 Tactical Pre-Positioning Locations (TPLs) across India.  The sanctioned strength of the force was 18,556.

• The battalions are well-equipped to handle both natural and man-made disasters, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.

Achievements:

i.Rescue Operations: NDRF has rescued over 1.55 lakh lives and evacuated more than 7.88 lakh stranded individuals during critical situations.

ii.Global Interventions: The force has also provided assistance during global crises such as: Japan Triple Disaster (2011), Nepal Earthquake (2015) and Türkiye Earthquake (2023).

iii.In 2024, NDRF conducted a record 1,038 operations, rescuing more than 4,000 lives and evacuating 63,000 people to safety.

2025 Events: 

The 20th Raising Day ceremony of the NDRF was held at the 10th Battalion of NDRF located in Kondapavuluru, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh (AP) with Union Minister, Amit Shah, MHA as the Chief Guest.

• During the event, Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated several projects and laid foundation stones for various initiatives worth approximately Rs 220 crore.

Key People:

Chief Minister (CM) of AP, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister, K. Rammohan, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Union Minister of State, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MHA , Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General (DG) Piyush Anand.

The projects include:

i.Inaugurated the National South Campus of the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), AP.

ii.Inaugurated the 10th Battalion of NDRF.

iii.Inaugurated the Regional Response Centre (RRC) at Supaul (9th Battalion) Campus, AP.

iv.Laid foundation stone for ‘Integrated Indoor Shooting Range’ at the National Police Academy (NPA) in Hyderabad, Telangana worth Rs. 27 crore.

• This range will be used to train Indian Police Service (IPS) probationary officers in shooting skills. The range will be 50 meters (m) long and have 10 lanes, so 10 people can practice shooting at the same time.
• It will be operational in all weather conditions and will use advanced, automated technology that meets international standards. This will be a unique facility for police forces in India.

v.Inaugurated the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory(RFSL) Building in Tirupati, AP.

About National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
Director-General (DG)- Piyush Anand
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established- 2006