The National Disaster Management Division in India is the nodal division in the Ministry of Home Affairs for disaster management. Who is the Ex-officio Chairman of the National Disaster Management Aut

Question

The National Disaster Management Division in India is the nodal division in the Ministry of Home Affairs for disaster management. Who is the Ex-officio Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority ?

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, the Prime Minister. Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the apex body for disaster management in India and the Prime Minister is its ex-officio Chairperson. The Act builds a three-tier structure whose heads follow the head of government at each level: the PM chairs NDMA at the Centre, the Chief Minister chairs the State Disaster Management Authority, and the District Magistrate/Collector chairs the District Disaster Management Authority.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) The trap. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry (and houses the National Disaster Management Division), but the NDMA is chaired ex-officio by the Prime Minister, not the Home Minister.  (c) The Defence Minister has no ex-officio role at the head of NDMA; the armed forces/NDRF assist in response, but the authority is chaired by the PM.  (d) Health is one sector among many that NDMA coordinates; the Health Minister does not chair the authority.

Concept: The Disaster Management Act, 2005 created a statutory, three-tier institutional framework for disaster management. At the top is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chaired ex-officio by the Prime Minister, with up to nine members (one designated Vice-Chairperson). It lays down policies, plans and guidelines; the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is the specialised force for on-ground response. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry.

State PCS 2021 Q4 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q4 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer