New Delhi: The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 11, 2024, to strengthen research and innovation in disaster management in India. The agreement aims to foster collaboration between the armed forces and civilian agencies in disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response, a PIB press release stated.
The MoU outlines a framework for joint initiatives, including collaborative research on disaster management and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations. This research will focus on providing policy inputs to the Government of India. The partnership will also focus on capacity building through training programs for stakeholders, including armed forces personnel, NDMA officials, and other key agencies.
Public awareness campaigns promoting disaster preparedness and risk mitigation are also a key part of the agreement. Additionally, the two institutions will collaborate on international engagements to facilitate global collaboration on disaster management, aligning with India’s foreign policy objectives.
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), NDMA member, and Major General (Dr) Ashok Kumar (Retd), CENJOWS director general, signed the MoU. Both emphasized the importance of the partnership in creating a safer and more disaster-resilient India. Major General (Dr) Ashok Kumar emphasized leveraging joint research to develop actionable policy recommendations for enhancing disaster resilience at national and international levels.
The agreement highlights CENJOWS’s role as a think tank connecting the armed forces and civilian agencies. NDMA reaffirms its commitment to a holistic, tech-driven approach to disaster management. This collaboration aims to significantly contribute to building a disaster-resilient India while strengthening India’s global standing in HADR operations.