Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah
presented the prestigious President’s Colour to the National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) during a glittering ceremonial parade held today
at 8th BN NDRF, Ghaziabad (U.P.) in the presence of Shri Piyush Anand,
Director General NDRF and Officers, Rescuers and families of NDRF. The
award of President’s Colour recognises the Force’s exemplary service,
professionalism and unwavering commitment towards disaster response
and humanitarian assistance.
The ceremony was also graced by Union Home Secretary Shri Govind
Mohan, Director IB Shri Tapan Kumar Deka, HoD & Member NDMA Shri
Krishna Vatsa, DsG of CAPF, Ex-DsG of NDRF, senior officers of the
Ministry of Home Affairs, Armed Forces, SDRFs and other dignitaries from
the States besides representatives from NCC, Civil Defence, NYKS and
“Aapda Mitra” volunteers.
Since its raising on 19 Jan 2006, NDRF has endeared itself to the people
across the length and breadth of the country by living up to its motto
“आपदा सेवा सदैव सववत्र”. In a short span of twenty years, the Force with a
strength of 16 Battalions and regular presence at 69 locations has carved
a niche for itself by remaining in the forefront of disaster response and
earning the sobriquet – “Angels in Orange”. The Force has conducted
nearly 12000 challenging operations and in the process made live rescue
of over 1.5 lakh victims, evacuated more than 9 lakh persons during
floods, cyclones, landslides, urban disasters and CBRN emergencies. The
Force has also significantly strengthened India’s global humanitarian
outreach through various International Operations including Japan
(2011), Nepal (2015), Turkiye (2023), Myanmar (2025) and Sri Lanka
(2025).
On this occasion, the Hon’ble Home Minister inspected the parade and
presented the President’s Colour to NDRF. Congratulating all ranks of the
Force, Shri Amit Shah said that the President’s Colour is the highest
honour awarded to a Force symbolizing discipline, sacrifice and devotion
towards its duties and the country. Shri Amit Shah stated that NDRF had
emerged as a world-class disaster response force through its swift
response, professionalism and humanitarian service and become a beacon
of hope for the countrymen during disasters. He also highlighted the
Force’s growing international role through humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief missions in keeping with the Hon’ble Prome Minister’s Ten
Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Hon’ble Home Minister also paid tribute to the seventeen brave NDRF
Rescuers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
Shri Piyush Anand, IPS, Director General NDRF, in his welcome address,
described the occasion as a historic moment in the journey of the Force.
Highlighting the key initiatives taken by the Force, he emphasized that NDRF is continuously upgrading its skills and technology while
maintaining focus on training and capacity building of SDRF, Civil Defence
and other stakeholders and sensitization of the community. He informed
that more than 1,400 operations were conducted by NDRF in 2025 alone,
the highest ever in a single year.
During the ceremony, the Hon’ble Home Minister virtually inaugurated the
NDRF Regional Response Centre at Dehradun and laid the foundation
stones of six new RRCs at Agartala, Ernakulam, Nurpur, Lucknow,
Gangtok and Gandhinagar. Shri Amit Shah presented Police Medal for
distinguished & meritorious service to 10 Officers and Uttam Jeevan
Raksha Padak to three Rescuers. Trophies were also given for Professional
Competition and Sports, Best Innovation and Fittest Rescuer of NDRF.
The event saw a thrilling band display by ITBP Brass & Pipe band and
daring rope rescue act by NDRF Rescuers.
