Policy Update
Mansi Tirthani
Background
For decades, emergency communications operated within localized, siloed and web of copper wired telecommunications networks. These telephonic architectures were fragmented and primarily relied on citizens remembering distinct things. Where each public emergency service has unique digits (e.g., separate numbers for police, fire, and medical emergency during crisis).
In response to changing communication technologies from wired to wireless and presently to IP and digital connections, there was a need for a modern emergency response infrastructure that represents a sole model of national security, public health and technological adaptation. Following the 2012 Delhi multi agency failure, the Justice Verma Committee in 2013 has recommended a single emergency number to eliminate routing delays and operational limitations of crisis management, as the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) which was funded primarily by the central government’s Nirbhaya Fund.
At the same time, the United States shifted towards Next Generation 911 (NG911). The policy in both nations shifted from passive voice networks to unified national pipelines that are capable of handling mobile data, geographic information systems (GIS) and multimedia streams. Further, new IP networks require adherence to cross border interoperability standards so that neighbouring countries can transfer data during disasters affecting a group of countries at the same time.
Function
Following the recommendations by former High Court Justice Leila Seth and former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam, Department of Telecommunications allotted emergency number 112 and Ministry of Home Affairs launched it nationally in 2019 through Nirbhaya funds to provide one stop solutions to all kinds of public emergencies.
NERS acts as a multi-channel public safety data clearinghouse. The governance framework structures the policy function into three technological layers:
The Ingress Layer: The system ingests citizen signals through many communication modes. ERSS processes inputs across ten distinct streams, including voice calls, SMS, panic buttons, web requests, and IoT-based signals.
The Core Engine: Once a call or signal is received, the platform uses Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) with real-time GIS mapping software to automatically extract location from mobile networks.
The Egress Layer: Actionable incidents are digitally packaged and routed to field responders (Police, Fire, Health, or Disaster Management units) where Emergency Response Units (ERUs) navigate via in-vehicle Mobile Data Terminals (MDT), allowing command centers to track assets in real time.
Performance of the Policy Since 2019
The implementation since 2019 shows transition from regional trial frameworks to high-density national networks. By early 2026, MHA confirmed that ERSS Phase-I has achieved integration across 34 States and Union Territories with the lagging jurisdictions scheduled to complete by first quarter of 2026. This brought hundreds of localized control rooms under standardized Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs).
However, Indian Express has found from the Supreme Court submission that only 5 states and UTs which are Delhi, Kerala, Gujarat, Haryana and Lakshadweep have integrated their all emergency numbers into 112 NERS. States like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are close to achieving full integration with only a few numbers left to be included. In the month of June, the Supreme Court gave 3 months to all states and Union Territories to complete the technical and operational integration of all emergency numbers into the single 112 helpline.
Limitations
Despite systemic growth, deep institutional and technical limitations continue to challenge the system. The primary structural challenges are from the governance model itself. Advanced GIS mapping and real-time data monitoring require huge capital. Wealthy metropolitan cities can afford state-of-the-art systems, while rural or underfunded municipalities fall behind. In federal systems, the central government provides capital and technological benchmarks but small states or municipalities maintain operational command over law enforcement, transport and health personnel.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s compliance audit on the implementation of Dial 112 revealed operational gaps at the provincial level. The report highlighted state level delays in procuring vehicles, high percentages of unutilized central funds and lack of synchronized multi-agency training among regional police forces.
Centralization widens the potential radius of cyberthreats. Moving localized emergency networks onto an internet-protocol exposes infrastructure to ransomware and denial-of-service (DDoS) actions. Simple software updates or targeted penetrations even in a single vendor’s system will cause cascading, multi-state emergency communication risks.
Impact
The shift toward an integrated emergency network has not only transformed public asset utilization but also increases the efficacy of the responses. By utilizing mobile location directly rather than relying on verbal directions from distressed callers, the response centers have largely minimized the time between call arrival and field unit departure. This has proven significant for cardiac, trauma and maternal healthcare emergencies where intervention window delay determines survival rate.
The centralized integration of large data has allowed policy interventions targeting women and children’s safety. Under the centralized Sambal (Safety and Security of Women) initiative funded by the Nirbhaya framework, emergency calls on 112 network are cross-referenced with localized protection infrastructure, such as the 896 operational One Stop Centres (OSCs) in 2026 Ministry of Women and Child Development datasets. This linkage ensures that emergency physical dispatches are paired with local or regional social and legal aid.
Way Forward
State and federal governance entities must enforce rigid, open-source technical standards to prevent corporate vendor capture. The FCC’s 2026 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking suggests mandatory interstate interoperability testing to ensure that regional networks can access text or video data during multi-state natural disasters.
The technological transition has altered the role of the emergency dispatcher but policy frameworks must evolve to recognize dispatchers as specialized first responders rather than just clerical staff. This administrative adjustment is crucial to unlock federal funding and mitigate the industry turnover rates driven by managing real-time emergency data.
The traditional fiscal model relying on voice telephone bills is becoming obsolete as consumers adopt alternative digital communication methods. Governance bodies must build sustainable, dedicated funding mechanisms that integrate public safety technology appropriations directly into national infrastructure budgets, or by levying broad-based digital service fees on data-delivering telecommunication providers. The government should overcome performance and operational limitations aided by policy directions that are required to secure 21st-century public safety.
Conclusion
Nationwide Emergency Response Systems are no longer outdated phone directories, they are high-end national security data networks. While the policy transition since 2019 has successfully broken down complex emergency number systems and expanded localized access, it has also introduced new vulnerabilities around cybersecurity, federal-state coordination and private vendor dependencies along with partial coverage among states. Resolving these challenges requires proactive governance. Governments must match technical upgrades with regulatory compliance, funding models and leveraging investment in the human capital that empowers the front lines of public safety and prove to be a robust, undisputed emergency response during disaster or crisis.
References
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India: Nirbhaya/ERSS Section Progress & Safe City Project Guidelines (Updated February 2026). https://www.mha.gov.in/en/commoncontent/nirbhayaerss-section
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India: Compliance Audit Report on the Implementation of Emergency Response Support System (Dial 112), Report No. 7 of 2025. https://cag.gov.in/en/audit-report/details/124583
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), USA. Report and Order on Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (FCC 24-77) & June 2026 Fact Sheet on NG911 Reliability and Interoperability. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-422582A3.pdf
Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India: Mission Shakti Implementation and One Stop Centre (OSC) Operational Performance Datasets (February 2026). https://www.spniwcd.wcd.gov.in/uploads/pdf/1710073241_Dz6KvaLVn9.pdf
National Emergency Number Association (NENA): i3 Standard for Next Generation 911 Global Interoperability Frameworks.
Dheeraj Mishra (2026, June 28). Why India adopted 112 as its universal emergency number. The Indian Express https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/112-emergency-helpline-india
Acknowledgement
The author extends sincere thanks to Rashi Kothari and the IMPRI team for their guidance.
Disclaimer
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization.
About the Author
Mansi Tirthani is the recipient of the National Award by the President of India for her contributions to community services. She has been Indian Youth Ambassador to China by Government of India to analyse startup and innovation ecosystem. Currently serves with the Research and Editorial team with a renowned policy think tank, where her work centers on evidence-based governance and policies analysis. With a strong commitment to advancing gender equity and welfare governance, she brings together rigorous data analysis, strategic communication and development to impact research and policy.
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