In the recent era, the ever increasing occurrence of natural disaster paves the way of appropriate disaster management strategy development through awareness generation, early preparedness about the natural disaster. Moreover the Disaster Management Act, 2005 reemphasises the need of active young people’s participation in all phases of the disaster cycle for comprehensive disaster management strategy and emergency preparedness. With this backdrop, the present study was undertaken to assess the existing awareness pattern of rural youth towards disaster and its’ management. The study was conducted in Jalpaiguri Sadar Block of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal. The purposive and stratified random sampling procedure was followed in the present study. Hundred numbers of youths (irrespective of male and female) from the age group of 18-35 were selected for the study. The data were collected with the help of pre-tested structured interview schedule through personal interview method. The collected data were processed into some descriptive statistics and correlation analysis to draw a conclusion. In the study area, flood is the most frequent disaster followed by drought, earthquake and cyclone on an average. The awareness level of females is more than males about disaster and its’ management. Awareness level about disaster and its’ management was negatively and significantly associated with age but positively and significantly associated with cosmopoliteness, asset possession, family education status, information seeking behaviour, housing and sanitation index, training and organizational participation

Keyword: Rural Youth; Awareness; Disaster Management; Socio-economic Character;