ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the challenges of disaster governance in India. It highlights the problems of engaging the Armed Forces as the responder to disasters given the prevalent sociological dynamics within the communities. The Armed Forces in India have successfully responded to several catastrophes such as the Gujarat earthquake, the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake and the mudslides in Himachal that severely hit India. The findings from the interviews analyse the reasons behind the growing involvement of the Armed Forces in disaster response and recovery in India. They also capture the challenges of involving the Armed Forces from a critical perspective. The sophisticated logistical processes, techniques and equipment owned by the Armed Forces have been utilised in immediate response and relief operations to large-scale disasters in several countries, including India, to support the otherwise overwhelmed State-owned response mechanisms. The level of women's involvement in the growing presence of the Armed Forces in disaster response and recovery is negligible.
