Law of Disaster and Pandemic Management in India: Covid-19 – A Case Study

Law of Disaster and Pandemic Management in India is a comprehensive narrative laying out topics, facts, data, analyses and deductions with discussions on the initiatives of the government including Arogya Setu, cases which are subjudice in the backdrop of judicial pronouncements and notifications during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book uses COVID-19 as a case study to bring out the legal framework for disaster management in India. The book aims to be a primer as well as an independent guide on the subject of disaster management in India. As the majority of the prevalent literature and readings on disaster management is meant for preparing for the Civil Services Examinations, information and legal framework for other professionals is non-existent. The book has approached the importance of the subject through discussions and narratives. It seeks to provide its readers with information on legal issues to support decision making by various stakeholders in the disaster management ecosystem including government, business, health care professionals, charities, non-government organizations and citizens at large on the crucial and life-saving subject of disaster management in India. While the law for disaster management in India was enacted subsequent to the 2004 tsunami, the application of the very same framework for the COVID-19 pandemic was the need of the hour and proved challenging as it was unprecedented. Understanding the application of the present laws in the context of pandemics and disaster management will be of paramount importance for the effective management and administration of disasters in future.