Indian Red Cross Society, National Headquarters, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and TATA Institute of Social Sciences at Mumbai have come together to develop educational modules in the field of Disaster Management. Disclosing this, the President of the TATA Institute of Social Sciences Prof. Parasuraman, who attended a meeting hosted by the IRCS, said “Our institute has been assigned the task to cover nine universities where National Social Service (NSS) is to be activated by imparting education in the field of disaster management by the Ministry of Youth Affairs. I am looking forward to increased technical and conceptual cooperation with the IRCS to achieve the task.” Prof. Parasuraman accompanied with the Dean, School of Habitat Studies, TISS, Prof. Jayaraman also extended invitation to the IRCS to get itself empanelled in the TISS hub where 244 Public Sector Undertakings are able to share a lot of funds to participate in developmental activities under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In his address Dr. S.P. Agarwal, Secretary General of IRCS, thanked TISS for the gesture and expressed his pleasure on this new partnership. Under Secretary General of the IFRC, Mr. Mathias Schmale was also present in the meeting. Mr. Mathias expressed happiness at the contribution of Dr. S.P. Agarwal in the Sustainable Development and Health Advisory Body of the IFRC in which his ideas have found global acceptance. He also said that the IFRC is looking forward to greater role for the IRCS in its international humanitarian pursuits. It was also learnt that the TISS and the IFRC together have been working on an online course in Disaster Management for which ground work has been completed.