18th National Disaster Response Force day: The National Disaster Response Force observes its 18th National Disaster Response Force Day on January 19, 2023. (NDRF). The day has been celebrated on this day since 2006 when the rescue force was officially formed. The specialised, multi-skilled rescue force is made up of battalions from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Assam Rifles. The main organisation in charge of executing rescue operations in the event of a disaster, such as drowning, building collapses, landslides, disastrous floods, earthquakes, and cyclones, is the NDRF.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
National Disaster Response Force day 2023: Significance
In its 17 years of operation, the NDRF has managed to save 1.44 lakh lives and evacuate more than 7 lakh stranded people with its 13,000 personnel and 12 battalions spread around the country. In 2021 alone, the NDRF saved 12,000 lives in various rescue operations. The NDRF Raising Day is an important day as it provides an opportunity for the brave personnel of the rescue force to be recognised, honoured and awarded for their work. Eight NDRF rescuers received the “Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal” on NDRF Raising Day 2022 in recognition of their remarkable efforts in 2021.
National Disaster Response Force day: History
India saw a series of natural disasters in the later 1990s and early 2000s. These include the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, the Gujarat earthquakes in 2001, and the Mumbai floods in 2005 among others. While Indian Armed Forces were deployed for rescue and recovery missions, there was a need for a dedicated rescue operation-focused response force. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 was consequently enacted. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established by the act as the top agency for handling natural catastrophes, and the NDRF was created as the specialised rescue force operating under the NDMA’s authority.
