The Central government has awarded the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026 to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke. The award honors outstanding contributions in disaster management. Lt Col Shelke led relief efforts during the 2024 Wayanad floods and landslips. She coordinated evacuations, managed relief distribution, and restored essential services. She directed high-risk rescue missions under tough weather, saving hundreds. Lt Col Shelke supervised building a 190-foot Bailey Bridge at Chooralmala, restoring vital connectivity to remote villages. She also innovated by using a Komatsu PC210 excavator as a counterweight and built an improvised footbridge in four hours at night. She mobilized 150 tonnes of equipment and trained over 2,300 personnel in disaster response. Her work showcases leadership and the growing role of women in disaster risk reduction. The SSDMA, established in 2005, was recognized in the institutional category. It has trained 1,185 Aapda Mitras working at village, block, and district levels. The SSDMA improved disaster preparedness and response across six districts in Sikkim. It played a key role during the 2016 Mantam landslide and 2023 Teesta floods, rescuing 2,563 people. SSDMA's community-centered approach focuses on early warning and local capacity building. This model is seen as scalable and replicable for other Himalayan and northeastern states. The awards highlight practical leadership and dedication towards disaster risk reduction in India.