Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (Answer in 250 words)

India has gradually moved from post-disaster relief to a comprehensive disaster-risk-reduction approach based on prevention, mitigation, preparedness, resilient recovery and community participation.

• The Disaster Management Act, National Disaster Management Authority, State Authorities and District Authorities created a multi-level institutional framework.
• National and state plans increasingly integrate hazard, vulnerability, capacity and risk assessment into development planning.
• Dedicated mitigation funds and guidelines support structural and non-structural risk reduction rather than only relief expenditure.

• Early-warning systems, Doppler weather radars, satellite monitoring, automated sensors and last-mile alerts have improved forecasting and evacuation.
• Specialised response capacity through the NDRF, state response forces, incident-response systems and regular mock drills strengthens preparedness.
• Initiatives such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure promote resilience of infrastructure and global knowledge sharing.
• Heat-action plans, lightning alerts, cyclone shelters, coastal embankments, flood forecasting and earthquake-resilient construction address specific risks.
• Risk-informed urban planning, resilient schools and hospitals, insurance, social protection and community-based disaster management reduce vulnerability.
• Technology enables GIS mapping, damage assessment, emergency communication, cash transfers and interoperable command systems.

Gaps remain in local capacity, land-use enforcement, urban drainage, insurance penetration, inter-agency coordination and inclusion of women, elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Development projects must internalise disaster risk rather than externalise it.

The desired model is anticipatory governance: understand risk, reduce exposure, prepare communities, respond rapidly and build back safer.

Keywords: disaster-risk reduction, early warning, mitigation, NDRF, resilient infrastructure, build back better, community preparedness.