National Crisis Management Committee

• 28 Jul 2025

Source: HT 

Why in News?  

The government of India has given statutory backing to the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the amended Disaster Management Act, 2025, making it the apex decision-making body for national disaster response coordination. 

What are the Key Facts About the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)? 

• Constitution: Formally constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs under Section 8A(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Earlier, it existed without formal statutory backing. 
• Composition: The NCMC is headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Its members include the Union home secretary, defence secretary, secretary (co-ordination), Cabinet Secretariat and member and head of department, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). 
  • The chairperson of the NCMC can co-opt experts or officers from central/state governments or any organisation, based on the nature of the crisis. 
• Key Functions:  The NCMC assesses the country’s disaster preparedness and issues directions to strengthen it.  
  • It coordinates and monitors the response efforts of central and state governments, NDMA, and other agencies, ensuring smooth and unified disaster management across the country. 

Disaster Management Act, 2025 

• The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 aims to bring clarity and convergence among the various disaster management authorities and committees at national and state levels. 
• The Act gives statutory status to key pre-existing bodies like the NCMC and the High Level Committee. 
• It empowers NDMA and SDMAs to directly prepare national and state disaster plans, earlier handled by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and State Executive Committees (SECs). 
• The Act provides for setting up Urban Disaster Management Authorities (UDMAs) in state capitals and large municipal cities and enables states to constitute their own State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs), addressing rising urban disaster vulnerabilities.