NDMA Guidelines for Disaster Victim Identification | 05 Feb 2026

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released India’s first-ever national guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) to ensure scientific identification and dignified handover of human remains during mass fatality incidents.  

• Titled “National Disaster Management Guidelines on Comprehensive Disaster Victim Identification and Management”, the document was released, marking 25 years since the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. 

What are the Key Provisions of NDMA Guidelines on Disaster Victim Identification? 

• Need for DVI Guidelines: The guidelines became urgent after a series of major disasters including the Air India crash (Ahmedabad), the Sangareddy chemical factory explosion (Telangana), flash floods (Uttarakhand), and the Delhi's car bomb blast near Red Fort where victim identification proved difficult.  
  • The absence of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), shortage of trained manpower and infrastructure, and limitations of traditional identification methods highlighted the need for advanced forensic techniques.  
  • Most importantly, the guidelines address the humanitarian and legal imperative of ensuring dignity of the dead, timely legal closure, and emotional closure for affected families. 

Key Provisions of NDMA DVI Guidelines 

• "Four-Stage" Identification Process: The guidelines mandate a systematic, four-step protocol for identification to ensure accuracy and prevent mix-ups: 
  • Systematic Recovery: Careful retrieval of human remains from the disaster site. 
  • Post-Mortem Data Collection: Gathering data (fingerprints, DNA, dental, physical markers) from the recovered remains. 
  • Ante-Mortem Data Collection: Collecting medical records, dental history, and physical descriptions from the victims' families. 
  • Reconciliation: Scientifically matching the post-mortem data with ante-mortem records to confirm identity before releasing the body. 
• National Dental Data Registry: A major recommendation is the creation of a dental registry, allowing authorities to use teeth and jaws (which are highly durable) to identify victims when other methods fail. 
• Forensic Archaeology and Odontology: The guidelines incorporate forensic archaeology to identify human remains even months or years after a disaster, and strengthen forensic odontology by using dental records as a key tool for accurate victim identification. 
• No Mass Autopsies: In mass fatality events, the guidelines advise against conducting physical autopsies on all victims. 
• Cultural Sensitivity: The process must respect the community customs of the victims and include emotional support and counseling for families. 
• Implementation:  The NDMA has laid out a robust plan to operationalise the guidelines nationwide by establishing specialised state-level forensic teams to handle disaster victim identification.  
  • It also emphasises targeted training of experts from relevant forensic fields to manage complex scenarios, such as landslides where passenger manifests or records are unavailable. 

Significance 

• The guidelines draw from INTERPOL’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) standards, suitably adapted to Indian conditions. 
• The guidelines strengthen disaster governance and institutional preparedness, uphold the dignity and rights of victims’ families, and integrate science, technology, and ethics into disaster response. 
• They also address India-specific challenges arising from climate-induced disasters, urban accidents, and industrial hazards. 

What are the Challenges in Disaster Victim Identification? 

• Decomposition: In India's high-humidity and hot climate, bodies decompose rapidly, making visual identification impossible within hours. 
• State of Remains: Disasters often result in bodies being charred (fire incidents), fragmented (explosions), or mingled (mass casualty events), complicating the separation and identification process. 
• Displacement: In events like floods or landslides, bodies can be displaced miles away from the incident site or buried deep under debris, making recovery difficult. 
• Infrastructure Gaps: There is a severe shortage of mortuary spaces, cold chain transport, and storage facilities to preserve bodies for identification. 
• Coordination Issues: Disaster sites often see hundreds of personnel from multiple agencies (local, state, central) without a unified command for victim management, leading to chaos. 
• Lack of Data: The absence of a centralized database (like dental records) makes it difficult to match unidentified bodies with missing persons. 

What Measures Can Strengthen Disaster Victim Identification? 

• "Pre-Disaster" Public Data Repository: Linking the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) with optional biometric markers (like high-resolution dental scans or surgical implant serial numbers) would make the proposed "Dental Registry" effective in real-time. 
• Integration of "Digital Forensics": The guidelines can be strengthened by leveraging digital footprints such as smartwatches, mobile phones, and cloud-based health data (heart-rate patterns, step counts, biometric locks) for rapid preliminary identification.  
  • Biometric locks from these devices can act as a rapid primary identifier before forensic teams arrive. 
  • Additionally, AI-based facial reconstruction from damaged skulls or partial remains offers a faster and more objective alternative to traditional forensic clay modelling. 
• Portable DNA Labs: Currently, samples are sent to central labs, causing delays. Deploying Rapid DNA machines (rugged, portable units used by military/police globally) that can generate a DNA profile in 90 minutes directly at the disaster site would drastically reduce the wait time for families. 
• Tamper-Proof Records: In mass casualty events, samples pass through many hands (police, transport, lab, storage).  
  • Implementing a Blockchain-based ledger for the "Chain of Custody" ensures that the data regarding human remains is immutable, transparent, and legally admissible, preventing any accusations of tampering or negligence. 
• International DVI Diplomacy: Establishing pre-signed DVI treaties with neighboring countries and major tourism partners would allow for the instant sharing of biometric data and DNA profiles without bureaucratic delays.

Conclusion 

The NDMA’s DVI guidelines mark a historic paradigm shift towards a scientifically robust and humanitarian framework, ensuring the "dignity of the dead" through standardized protocols like the National Dental Data Registry. By integrating advanced forensics with a rights-based approach, India secures institutional preparedness while guaranteeing essential legal and emotional closure for affected families.