Govt constitutes National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)

The Government of India has recently constituted the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), granting it statutory status under the provisions of the newly amended Disaster Management Act. This move aims to strengthen the country’s response mechanism to major disasters with national implications.

Key Details of the NCMC:

• Statutory Basis: The NCMC now holds statutory status, a provision enacted through the Disaster Management Act (Amendment) Act, 2025, which came into force on April 9, 2025. This formalizes an entity that existed prior to the original 2005 Act.
• Constitution and Authority: The Union Home Ministry notified the Disaster Management National Crisis Management Committee (Procedure) Rules, 2025, and subsequently constituted the committee. This was done by exercising powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 8A of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (53 of 2005).
• Chairperson: The NCMC is headed by Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan.
• Membership: The committee’s members, as per the notification, include:
  • The Home Secretary
  • The Defence Secretary
  • The Secretary (Coordination) at the Cabinet Secretariat
  • The Member and Head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• Mandate and Role: The Home Ministry’s order designates the NCMC as “the apex body for dealing with the situation arising out of a major disaster, which has national ramifications.”
• Core Function: The NCMC is tasked with evaluating preparedness to respond to any threatening disaster situation, an emerging disaster situation, or an actual disaster. It will also issue necessary directions to enhance such preparedness.

(Source: The Mint)