Govt clears NDRF Academy in Nagpur

* NCDC and NFSC, which are headquartered in the city, will be merged to create NDRF Academy 

By Kartik Lokhande 

Now, the announcement has come from the highest level. Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, announced on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha that an integrated National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Academy will be created at Nagpur by merging the existing National Civil Defence College (NCDC) and National Fire Service College (NFSC). 

‘The Hitavada’ had first reported about the decision of Union Home Ministry on July 30. O P Singh, Director General of NDRF, had disclosed this to ‘The Hitavada’ in an interview during his visit to NCDC here. The proposed NDRF Academy will help provide specialised training to NDRF personnel in a dedicated manner and to ensure synergy in providing training to fire service, civil defence, and NDRF personnel, Rijiju told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 

Further, the Union Minister of State in his written reply stated that at present NDRF personnel are trained at their respective NDRF battalion headquarters and the training institutions of Central Armed Police Forces. In case of a disaster in the country, aircraft are requisitioned from the Ministry of Defence on need basis and made available for airlifting NDRF personnel to the disaster site and for undertaking rescue operations. 

At the end of the month of July, O P Singh, Director General of NDRF, and S S Guleria, Deputy Inspector General (Operations), had visited Nagpur to discuss issues relating to merger of NCDC and NFSC. Then, he had stated that NDRF Academy would be set up on 200 acre land on Koradi Road. The process of total merger and smooth functioning will take place three years, and by this time, construction work at Koradi Road site will be completed, he had said. 

However, it is not yet clear whether the NDRF Academy will impart training in Civil Defence and fire service. Over the years, a network of trained Civil Defence volunteers has been set up across the country to respond alongside military and para-military personnel in case of natural or manmade disaster. Whether and how will that network be used, also is not clear at this stage. Recently, on August 1, NFSC re-launched Bachelor of Engineering (Fire) course after a gap of 15 years after getting approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The four-year course was inaugurated in co-ordination with NDRF. 

It may be mentioned here that the announcement for the country’s first National Institute of Disaster Response (NIDR), as it was referred to previously, was made in the year 2013. At NIDR, it was proposed, personnel of NDRF as well as Central and State forces and units from other countries would be trained. The land on the outskirts of Kamptee, along Koradi Road, was identified. Then, National Disaster Management Authority was to set up NIDR. 

About NCDC and NFSC 

The present-day National Civil Defence College (NCDC) was founded on April 29, 1957 as Central Emergency Relief Training Institute (CERTI) to support Emergency Relief Organisation of the Central Government. It was the first disaster management training institute of the country. 

As per the NCDC website, the conflicts of 1962 and 1965 compelled the Government of India to reorient its emergency training activities from natural disasters to those relating to protection of life and property, reducing damage, and raising public morale during any war emergency. Hence, CERTI was renamed as National Civil Defence College on April 1, 1968. In 2002, Union Ministry of Home Affairs recognised NCDC as nodal training institute for nuclear, biological, and chemical emergencies training. It has been training the Trainers from ITBP, CRPF, BSF, CISF, etc to prepare their personnel for organisation of National Disaster Reponse Force. At present, NCDC is headed by Dr G S Saini. 

As far as National Fire Service College (NFSC) is concerned, the idea was first conceived in the meeting of Expert Committee held in the year 1950. Initially, NFSC was established at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh in 1956. Later, it was shifted to Nagpur considering geographical and climatic advantage. The college is housed at the Old Settlement Commissionerate Building. The premises have been modified to suit the requirements of NFSC, with sufficient space for conducting fire drills and demonstrations. Dr Shamim heads NFSC at present.

(12-08-15)