NDRF to get UN recognition

The authorisation will be done by the Switzerland-headquartered INSARAG (or the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group)

India could soon be a part of the United Nations (UN) mandated international disaster rescue operations as its the country’s federal contingency force, NDRF, is expected to obtain a globally recognised standardisation later this year, a top ranking official has said.

The authorisation will be done by the Switzerland-headquartered INSARAG (or the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) which is a network of more than 90 countries and organisations under the UN umbrella to deal with urban search and rescue related issues. “Just like we have the Bureau of Indian Standards in the country, the UN agency INSARAG standardises disaster response teams across the world. It is an international gold standard,” NDRF director general S N Pradhan told.

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The National Disaster Response Force was raised in 2006 to undertake specific tasks of relief and rescue during natural and manmade disasters or life threatening situations. It has 12 operational battalions comprising more than 15,000 personnel based across the country at present while four more battalions are taking shape. Pradhan said this UN standardisation could “trigger a long-term process where more and more of its teams can be certified”.