The NDMA, or National Disaster Management Authority, is an apex statutory body of the Government of India responsible for disaster management. It is an institution established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The NDMA was formally constituted on September 27, 2006, following the enactment of the Act. The problem it solved was the fragmented, reactive, and relief-centric approach to disasters that existed before the Act, which was exposed by events like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The Act transformed disaster governance into a structured, proactive mission.
The NDMA is chaired by the Prime Minister of India and can have up to nine other members. Its mechanism involves laying down policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management to ensure a timely and effective response. Key provisions of the Act mandate the NDMA to approve the National Plan and lay down guidelines for the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) in drawing up their state plans. The NDMA's vision is to build a safer and disaster-resilient India by fostering a culture of prevention, preparedness, and mitigation.
The NDMA connects to a three-tier institutional architecture created by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which includes the SDMAs at the state level and the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) at the district level. It also oversees the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which is the specialist response force established under Section 44 of the Act. A recent change occurred with the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, which came into force on April 9, 2025. This amendment shifted the responsibility for preparing disaster management plans directly to the NDMA and SDMA, replacing the earlier role of the Executive Committees. The amendment also added functions like assessing emerging risks from extreme climate events and preparing national disaster databases.