Please fill out this section only if you are nominating an individual
Nominee’s name: Colonel Nagar M Verma
Nominee’s address: Flat No. 3, Pankaj CHS, Sitaram Keer Marg, Bhandar Lane, Mahim (W),
Mumbai - 400016.
Email: saritsa@vsnl.net, saritsafoundationindia.in@gmail.com
Nationality: Indian
Date of birth: 1 May, 1941
Place of birth: Pilani, Rajasthan.
Sex: Male
Education: M.A. (Psychology), Senior Command Course, expert and writer on National
Security and Disaster Management.
Present position of nominee: Director General
Current job description of nominee: Director General
Nominee’s previous posts and functions: Served Indian Army as Colonel for 28 years
gloriously.
For those submitting nominations, please provide your details
Nominator’s name: Mrs. Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar,
Address : Government of India, National Commission For Women, 4 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya
Marg, New Delhi- 1100022 Tele- 91 11 23237166 Mob: 09820030584
Email : nirmalarox@yahoo.co.in
Web site - www.ncw.nic.in
Present position: Member of National Women’s Commission Government of India.
Previous posts and functions: Mayor of Mumbai and Chairmen Women’s Commission
Government of Maharashtra. Has been closely guiding policy formulating, decision making and
implementation of Disaster Management plans in Mumbai city as Mayor and for the women of
state of Maharashtra.
1. In less than 100 words, please describe the remarkable and innovative effort carried out by the
nominee to reduce the impact of disasters and build disaster resilience.
Colonel Verma is the Founder Trustee of Saritsa Foundation. Saritsa Foundation is a Mobile
University for Disaster Risk Reduction. He strongly advocates “People centered, People led and
People owned” practices for building Resilience. This is an innovative approach to recognize the
importance of Right to Life in disasters. He has led the teams of Saritsa Foundation to reach to
people, talk to people and prepare people to minimize risks from disasters. It has built capacity
amongst 0.2 million people including 9000 persons with disability in 18 states. Consequently,
this methodology has brought a unique perspective of resilience at people’s level.
2. In less than 100 words, please describe how the nominee’s actions have heightened awareness
about the need to reduce disaster risk. In doing so, please indicate where (local, national, regional
or global) the impact of the individual’s or organization’s actions has been felt.
Colonel Verma is striving to transform ideals of Hyogo Frame Work of Action to reality with
determination since 12 years. He has organized campaigns in rural and urban areas to
build capacity by conducting workshops, mobile campaigns and mock drills, seminars and
family conferences. He has shared experiences and networked nationally and internationally. His
teams impart education for disasters like earthquake, floods, landslides, tsunami, cyclone,
terrorism, chemical, biological and nuclear hazards. His unique passion and perspective to
motivate participants has sustainable impact. His multidimensional approach has prepared school
children, women, persons with disability, health services staff and common citizens.
3. In less than 100 words, please describe how the nominee’s actions resulted in new
partnerships that strengthen disaster resilience. If applicable, please describe the nature of these
partnerships.
Colonel Verma’s sustained efforts are successfully striking a change in the mind set of people to
be partners in Disaster Risk Reduction. His innovative ways to reach to people, talk to people
and prepare people has sparked a zeal and enthusiasm amongst groups of society like local
governments, administrations of schools, colleges, universities, women’s
organizations, administrations of disabled people, social forums, religious forums, political
groups, corporate, Police and Army administrations, Red Cross Societies, hospital
administrations, UNICEF, UNDP who have partnered with his mission. He encourages people to
use local resources, experience and expertise to be First Aid of disaster management.
4. In less than 100 words, please describe how the nominee’s efforts satisfy different elements
essential to reducing and mitigating disaster risk. These can include: using a multihazard
approach, gender perspective, community participation, cultural diversity, capacity building,
technology transfer and training and education.
Colonel is an icon of unity for multicultural society and mainstreams people in the process of
disaster management. He has envisaged multidimensional approach to prepare school children,
women, persons with disability, health services staff and common citizens to make them self
reliant with developed skills and confidence. It has been his endeavor to weave together people
of different cultures, castes, and religions without discrimination realizing that disasters do not
discriminate, people do. His methodology examines the dynamics and its success at lowest
level. His ideas and ideals add value to his advocacy. These initiatives are found sustainable and
replicable nationally and internationally.
5. In less than 100 words, please describe how the nominee’s work is funded.
When Colonel Verma retired, he conceptualized the mission and put his some of the retirement
funds to set up Saritsa Foundation in June 2000. He continuously contributes towards the
mission of Saritsa Foundation and solicits help from likeminded friends as well as experts in
kind. State Governments and Local Governments, International organizations like UNICEF and
UNDP have been supporting Saritsa Foundation a little. Societal, religious, political
forums, schools, colleges and universities, Police and Army administrations and corporate sector
are important source of funding. Most commendable is his self sacrifice to fund the mission from
his retirement pension.