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Hindustan Times

Govt constitutes National Crisis Management Committee under amended DM Act

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday constituted the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the recently amended Disaster Management Act to address situations involving major disasters with national ramifications. Raisina Hill area during sunset in New Delhi on July 7 (PTI FILE) The Disaster Management Act (Amendment) Act, 2025, which came into force on April 9, provided statutory status to certain organisations such as the National Crisis Management Committee, which had been in existence long before the 2005 Act was enacted. On Wednesday, the ministry of home affairs notified the Disaster Management National Crisis Management Committee (Procedure) Rules, 2025 and constituted the committee under cabinet secretary TV Somanathan. The home secretary, defence secretary, secretary (coordination) at the Cabinet Secretariat, and the member and head of department of the National Disaster Management Authority will be its members, the notification said. The home ministry order said NCMC would be 'the apex body for dealing with the situation arising out of a major disaster, which has national ramifications'. 'The chairperson of the NCMC may co-opt any expert or any officer either from the central government or the state government or any organisation, depending on the nature of the crisis, to assist the committee in performing its functions during a threatening disaster situation, an emerging disaster situation or a disaster,' the notification said. It added that NCMC would evaluate preparedness to respond to any threatening disaster situation, emerging disaster situation or disaster and give directions, where necessary, for enhancing such preparedness. 'The NCMC shall give such directions as may be necessary for the proper coordination and monitoring of disaster response in the country,' the order added. Currently, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has 16 operational battalions with a combined sanctioned strength of 18,581.