Young Professionals
Dr. Sapna Tiwari
Young Professional
Dr. Sapna is a Young Professional at the Centre for Gender Issues & Special Needs, GIDRR Division. She also facilitates an e-learning course on Gender Aspects of Disaster Recovery & Reconstruction. Additionally, she manages publications, organizes training programs, capacity-building initiatives, and workshops on Gender & Disaster Management, Cultural Heritage & Disaster Risk Resilience, and Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH). She holds a Ph.D. in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, with her research focusing on the Indigenous Knowledge System of the Toda Tribe in the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu. Her academic interests include indigenous knowledge systems, tribal studies, social and cultural issues, and health. She is also interested in applying anthropological perspectives to disaster studies, especially how cultural, social, and indigenous knowledge systems influence disaster risk reduction, recovery, and resilience. She has previously worked with national and international organizations, including the India Health Action Trust (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and Community Empowerment Lab (CEL).
Ms. Pragati Mishra
Young Professional
Pragati Mishra is a public policy professional and PhD scholar working at the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). With prior experience at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), she has evaluated disaster management plans and contributed to national schemes like the Sendai Framework for DRR. At NIDM, she focuses on gender mainstreaming and psychosocial support in disaster risk reduction. Pragati leads initiatives on inclusive DRM, including training modules and national publications. Her recent field study at the Koovagam festival highlights her work on transgender inclusion in disaster preparedness, reflecting her commitment to making disaster management equitable and socially responsive.
Ms. Annyesha Purkait
Young Professional
Annyesha Purkait holds a postgraduate degree in M.Sc. in Environment and Disaster Management from the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, and a graduate degree in B.Sc. (Geography Honours) from Sivanath Sastri College under the University of Calcutta. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). She is presently serving as a Young Professional at the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), MHA, GoI. She joined the Institute on 17th November 2023. At NIDM, her responsibilities include coordinating training programmes, developing training modules, compiling study materials, preparing reports and contributing to various academic and field-related activities. Prior to joining NIDM, she worked as Project Coordinator at SwitchON Foundation, Kolkata, where she led clean air initiatives and stakeholder engagement efforts. She also served as MIS cum HR Executive at Sarva Seva Samity Sanstha (4S India), Patna, where she was responsible for recruitment processes and managing MIS operations across multiple states.
Ms. Amreen Khan
Young Professional
Amreen Khan is a Young Professional at NIDM's DRR Division, Center for Response, Relief and Recovery. Since October 2023, she has coordinated various offline training programs, developed the EOC Module, and conducted evaluations to ensure continuous improvement. I also facilitated networking and liaising with stakeholders, including government agencies. She provides valuable support to the Division and faculty in academic and administrative tasks. With expertise in training coordination, module development, and stakeholder engagement, Also plays a vital role in enhancing disaster risk reduction capabilities. Her dedication and skills contribute significantly to NIDM's mission.
Ms. Stanzin Tsela
Young Professional
Stanzin Tsela is a Young Professional at the Centre for Cyber DRR (CBRN Division) at NIDM, actively contributing to disaster management and public health resilience since July 2024. She holds a Master's in Public Health from Panjab University and is currently pursuing a PG Diploma in Disaster Management from IGNOU. She has coordinated 8 national training programmes under the Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Professional Development Programme (PHEDM) Tier III and organized a webinar series on PHEDM Connect: Bridging Knowledge & Action. Her role at NIDM involves creating course content, manuals, and presentations , managing logistics for various disaster management training programs, and contributing to NIDM publications. Prior to this, she served as a Disaster Management Trainer at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) from September 2022 to April 2024, for upscaling of the Aapda Mitra Project in Punjab & Chandigarh.
Shri Moses Prakasham
Young Professional
A postgraduate in MSc. Disaster Management & Climate Sustainability Studies, I bring hands-on experience from NIDM, UNRCO, and grassroots organizations in disaster preparedness, risk analysis, and emergency coordination. At NIDM, I finalized the Gujarat Floods 2024 IMCT Report and led key training programmes. My work integrates behavioural science, climate resilience, and community-driven approaches. I aim to design people-centric, data-informed strategies to strengthen preparedness and risk communication at all levels. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, I aspire to support national and global efforts in disaster risk reduction and climate action.
Ms. Karishma Choudhary
Young Professional
Karishma Choudhary holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Remote Sensing and GIS with specialization in Natural Hazard and Disaster Risk Management from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), ISRO, and a Master of Science degree in Geology from Banasthali Vidyapith. She has been serving as a Young Professional at the National Institute of Disaster Management since August 2023, where she is engaged in capacity building, training, research, policy planning, and documentation related to disaster risk management. Prior to this, Ms. Choudhary coordinated various projects on disaster awareness and science communication with Kamal Nishtha Sansthan, an NGO. She has contributed to several national workshops and training programs and has published research on volcanic activity monitoring utilizing multi-source earth observation technologies. Her technical expertise encompasses remote sensing, GIS, programming in Python and Google Earth Engine, and proficiency in multiple geospatial software applications.