Chapter 1 · Topic 1.2 · Prelims + Mains2 of 3
Disaster Management Framework: The Disaster Management Act, 2005 and its
Key points
- The DM Act, 2005 set up NDMA (PM), SDMA (Chief Minister) and DDMA (Collector), with MHA as the nodal ministry.
- NDRF was raised in 2006 from CAPF battalions and has 16 battalions.
- The 2025 amendment (in force 9 April 2025): statutory NCMC and High Level Committee, plans made by NDMA/SDMAs, disaster databases, urban authorities, State response forces.
Prelims box: facts and traps
| Body | Chaired by |
|---|---|
| NDMA | Prime Minister |
| National Executive Committee | Union Home Secretary |
| SDMA | Chief Minister |
| DDMA | Collector / District Magistrate (local representative co-chair) |
| NCMC (statutory since 2025) | Cabinet Secretary |
- Trap: the nodal ministry is Home Affairs, not Agriculture (that was the old relief set-up).
- Trap: since 2025, NDMA itself prepares the national plan, not the National Executive Committee.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 and its
Disasters were once a relief job of the Agriculture Ministry. Then came the Odisha super cyclone (1999), the Gujarat earthquake (2001) and the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004). Parliament passed the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Ministry of Home Affairs became the nodal ministry (the lead ministry). Like a school moving from first aid to fire drills.
| Body | Level | Chaired by / role |
|---|---|---|
| National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) | National | Prime Minister; lays down policy, plans and guidelines |
| National Executive Committee | National | Union Home Secretary; carries out the national plan |
| State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) | State | Chief Minister |
| District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) | District | Collector or District Magistrate; elected local representative as co-chair |
| National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) | Specialist force | Raised in 2006 from CAPF battalions; 16 battalions |
| National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) | Training and research | Capacity building |
| Milestone | Year |
|---|---|
| National Policy on Disaster Management | 2009 |
| National Disaster Management Plan, the first national plan (aligned with Sendai) | 2016, revised 2019 |
| Prime Minister’s Ten-Point Agenda on disaster risk reduction | 2016 |
| Fifteenth Finance Commission sets up mitigation funds alongside response funds | 2021– 26 |
| Disaster Management (Amendment) Act | 2025 |
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (in force 9 April 2025):
- Statutory backing (status by law) for the National Crisis Management Committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary, and the High Level Committee, led by the Home Minister.
- NDMA and SDMAs now make the plans directly.
- National and State disaster databases.
- Urban Disaster Management Authorities for State capitals and large cities.
- States can raise State Disaster Response Forces.
Mains 2020 asked: Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. Proactive (act-before) examples: the 2016 national plan built around prevention and mitigation; separate mitigation funds since the Fifteenth Finance Commission; heat action plans; impact-based forecasting by IMD; Aapda Mitra community volunteers; location-based alerts using the Common Alerting Protocol; and leadership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Odisha’s near-zero-death evacuations prove it.
Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach.
What UPSC asks: Prelims: PM chairs NDMA. Next: the 2025 amendment.
Mains box: analysis and answer points
- Reactive to proactive (Mains 2020, 15 marks): 2016 plan, mitigation funds, heat action plans, impact-based forecasts, Aapda Mitra, CAP alerts, CDRI; Odisha cyclone evacuations as proof.
- Next likely angle: the 2025 amendment, including urban authorities and State response forces.
Practice
Write an answer
In 150 words, explain the significance of Disaster Management Framework with one recent example.
Flashcards (10)
DM Act year?
2005.
Nodal ministry for disasters?
Ministry of Home Affairs.
NDMA chair?
Prime Minister.
SDMA chair?
Chief Minister.
DDMA chair?
Collector or District Magistrate.
National Executive Committee chair?
Union Home Secretary.
NDRF raised?
2006.
First National Disaster Management Plan?
2016.
Ten-Point Agenda on DRR?
Prime Minister, 2016.
Year of DM (Amendment) Act?
2025.
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Next topic · 1.3 →Disaster Management Framework: Sendai Framework, Hyogo and CDRI