New Delhi: The Government of India has announced the Subhas Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award 2026 for outstanding contributions in disaster management. This year, the award has been conferred in two categories — institutional and individual.
- In the institutional category, the award has been given to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).
- In the individual category, the honour has been awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Sita Ashok Shelke of the Indian Army for her exceptional leadership in disaster response and humanitarian assistance operations.
Why Lt Colonel Sita Ashok Was Honoured
Lt Colonel Sita Ashok Shelke received this prestigious award for leading large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during the devastating Wayanad floods and landslides in 2024.
Key contributions include:
- She coordinated closely with local leaders and civil administration to rescue people, distribute relief material, and restore essential services.
- Despite extremely harsh weather conditions, she led multiple high-risk rescue missions, saving hundreds of lives.
- She supervised the construction of a 190-foot-long Bailey Bridge in Churamala, restoring connectivity to remote villages.
- She introduced innovative engineering solutions, including using a Komatsu PC210 excavator as a counterweight and building a permanent footbridge in just four hours at night.
- With the help of 150 tonnes of equipment, she ensured relief supplies reached thousands of people and also trained over 2,300 personnel in disaster response and humanitarian operations.
Her work reflects practical leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and highlights the growing role of women officers in operational and field leadership roles.
Importance of the Subhas Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award
The Subhas Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award is instituted by the Government of India and is given every year for exceptional and selfless service in the field of disaster management.
The award is presented annually on 23 January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. For the 2026 awards, nominations were invited from 1 May 2025, and a total of 271 nominations were received from across the country.
Why SSDMA Was Awarded
The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), established in 2005, has been recognised for building a strong, community-based disaster preparedness and response system in the state.
SSDMA has deployed around 1,185 trained ‘Aapda Mitras’ (Disaster Friends) at three levels:
- Village-level disaster management assistants
- Block-level supervisors
- District-level coordinators
These volunteers are present in all gram panchayats, strengthening community participation, capacity building, and climate and disaster resilience.
Proven Track Record in Major Disasters
During major disasters such as the 2016 Mangan landslide and the 2023 Teesta floods, SSDMA’s real-time coordination system and trained first responders helped save 2,563 lives and significantly reduce damage.
Through its Aapda Mitra programme, SSDMA has developed a community-driven disaster risk reduction model based on early warning, preparedness, and local capacity building. This model is now being seen as a role model for other northeastern states.