The Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Act No. 53 of 2005) is a legislative framework in India that provides for the effective management of disasters and matters connected therewith. It was passed by Parliament and received the President's assent on December 23, 2005, transforming India's approach from reactive relief to a proactive, holistic system encompassing preparedness, mitigation, and response. The Act was a direct response to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the need for a comprehensive, institutionalized mechanism.
The Act establishes a three-tier institutional structure: the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chaired by the Prime Minister, at the apex; the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), chaired by the Chief Minister; and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The National Executive Committee (NEC), constituted under Section 8, assists the NDMA in preparing the National Disaster Management Plan. Key provisions include the establishment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) under Section 44 for specialized response, and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) under Section 42 for capacity building and training. The Act also mandates the creation of financial mechanisms like the National Disaster Response Fund.
A significant recent change is the passage of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025. This amendment, introduced as the Bill in 2024, aims to strengthen the NDMA and SDMA, provide statutory status to pre-Act bodies like the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), and empower state governments to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority (UDMA) for state capitals and large cities. The amendment also shifts the responsibility for preparing the National and State Disaster Management Plans from the NEC and State Executive Committee (SEC) to the NDMA and SDMA, respectively.