Legislative and Financial Overhaul of India's Disaster Management: UPSC Current Affairs Story Arc

Overview

This arc documents India's comprehensive evolution in disaster management, transitioning from the foundational 2005 Act to the technologically-advanced 2025 Amendment Act. The narrative follows a causal chain where legislative reform (Amendment Bill) and a new policy vision (Zero Casualty) led to a formalized legal framework. This was immediately followed by the decentralization of disaster risk reduction (DRR) through ₹507.37 crore in funding specifically for Panchayati Raj Institutions. The shift moves the focus from centralized response by the NDMA to proactive, community-centric resilience at the village level, addressing modern challenges like climate-induced landslide risks and rapid urbanization.

How This Story Evolved

Parliamentary passage of the Amendment Bill (Item 2) → Home Ministry articulates the 'Zero Casualty' proactive policy vision (Item 1) → Formal enactment of the 2025 Act incorporating stakeholder feedback (Item 3) → Approval of specific funding to operationalize community-based disaster risk reduction in Panchayats (Seed)

1. 2025-03-26: Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 Passed
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   UPSC Angle: Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 passed to strengthen disaster response.

   Key Facts:

   • NDMA and SDMA will now prepare disaster management plans.
   • The bill expands functions of NDMA and SDMA, including periodic disaster risk assessments, technical guidance, minimum relief standards, and preparing disaster databases.
   • Parliament passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
   • The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is a step toward strengthening disaster resilience in India.
   • The bill amends the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
   • NDMA and SDMA will prepare disaster management plans.
   • National and state-level disaster databases will be prepared.
   • The bill empowers the state government to constitute a SDRF.
   • The bill empowers the state government to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and cities with a municipal corporation.
2. 2025-06-03: India Aims to Lead in Disaster Response
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   UPSC Angle: India aims to lead in disaster response with 'Zero Casualty Approach'.

3. 2025-12-28: India's Disaster Management Approach Shift
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   UPSC Angle: Disaster Management Act shifts focus to proactive strategies.

   Key Facts:

   • Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 aims for zero casualties
   • Act incorporates suggestions from 89% of stakeholders
   • ₹215 crore released for 2024 Wayanad landslides
4. 2025-12-28: Amit Shah Approves Funds for Disaster Risk Reduction
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   UPSC Angle: Funds approved for community-based disaster risk reduction.

   Key Facts:

   • ₹507.37 crore approved for National Project for Strengthening Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives
   • Project covers 81 disaster-prone districts in 20 states
   • ₹16,118.00 crore released to 28 States under SDRF in FY 2025-26
   • ₹2854.18 crore released to 18 states under NDRF in FY 2025-26
   • ₹5273.60 crore released from SDMF to 21 States
   • ₹1423.06 crore released from NDMF to 14 States
5. 2026-02-22: NDMA, AcSIR and CSIR–NIScPR Sign MoU to Strengthen Disaster Management Policy Research
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   UPSC Angle: NDMA, AcSIR and CSIR–NIScPR Sign MoU to Strengthen Disaster Management.

Genesis

Trigger

The parliamentary passage of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on March 26, 2025.

Why Now

The shift was necessitated by the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters (like the Wayanad landslides) which proved that the 2005 reactive relief model was insufficient for modern 'scale and intensity' changes.

Historical Context

The original Disaster Management Act, 2005 was a response to the 2004 Tsunami; however, it remained largely centralized and focused on relief rather than mitigation and risk assessment.

Key Turning Points

1. [2025-03-26] Passage of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024

   It provided the legal teeth for NDMA to mandate periodic disaster risk assessments instead of just responding to events.

   Before: Focus on 'minimum relief standards'. After: Focus on proactive 'disaster management plans' at all levels.

2. [2025-12-28] Approval of ₹507.37 crore for Panchayati Raj Institutions

   It marked the 'financial decentralization' of disaster management, moving money from central coffers to village governance.

   Before: DRR was largely a State or Central subject. After: Gram Panchayats are the primary unit for 'bottom-up' risk reduction.

Key Actors and Institutions

Key Institutions

• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj
• National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)

Key Concepts

Zero Casualty Approach

A proactive disaster management philosophy that prioritizes early warning and evacuation to ensure no loss of life during a disaster event.

Current Fact: The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 formally adopts this goal as a national mandate.

Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR)

A decentralized approach where local communities (Panchayats) are empowered to identify risks and manage local-level mitigation and response.

Current Fact: ₹507.37 crore was approved in December 2025 to operationalize this in 81 disaster-prone districts.

Disaster Management Databases

Digital repositories at national and state levels for real-time tracking of disaster risks, resource availability, and historical event data.

Current Fact: The 2025 Act specifically empowers NDMA and SDMA to create these databases to shift toward technology-driven management.

What Happens Next

Current Status

The 2025 Act is now being operationalized through massive financial releases, including ₹16,118 crore to states under the SDRF for FY 2025-26.

Likely Next

Creation of the National and State Disaster Databases as mandated by the Act, and the selection of 20 Gram Panchayats to serve as 'model' disaster-resilient villages.

Wildcards

States' pushback on 'centralization of power' within the NDMA, which was flagged during parliamentary debates, could lead to legal challenges or slow implementation in non-NDA governed states.

Why UPSC Cares

Syllabus Topics

• Disaster and disaster management
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
• Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels

Essay Angles

• From Vulnerability to Resilience: India's Disaster Management Journey
• The Panchayat as the First Responder: Decentralizing Crisis Management

Prelims Likely: Yes

Mains Likely: Yes

Trend Signal: rising

Exam Intelligence

Previous Year Question Connections

• Tested the constitution and functions of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). — The 2025 Act expands the roles of such institutes and authorities, making their specific functions highly testable.
• Under which Ministry does the NDMA function? — Highlights the central role of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which drove this 2025 legislative overhaul.

Prelims Angles

• New statutory requirement for NDMA/SDMA to prepare mandatory National and State Disaster Databases.
• The specific percentage of stakeholder suggestions (89%) incorporated into the 2025 Act.
• The specific funding split for disaster management recommended by the 15th FC (75:25 for general states, 90:10 for NE states) as mentioned in textbooks and reflected in recent fund releases.

Mains Preparation

Sample Question: Evaluate the shift from a reactive to a proactive approach in India's disaster management framework through the lens of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025. How does the integration of Panchayati Raj Institutions enhance grassroots resilience?

Answer Structure: Intro: Context of the 2025 Act and the 'Zero Casualty' vision. Body 1: Legislative changes (NDMA/SDMA empowerment, database creation). Body 2: Financial decentralization (SDRF releases and the ₹507cr project for PRIs). Critical Analysis: Issues of centralization vs. state autonomy. Way Forward: Capacity building for local bodies and technology integration.

Essay Topic: Empowering the Grassroots: The Key to a Disaster-Resilient India.

Textbook Connections

Key Takeaway

India's disaster management has transitioned from a centralized, relief-focused model (2005) to a decentralized, 'Zero Casualty', technology-driven framework (2025) that treats Panchayats as the core unit of resilience.

All Events in This Story (5 items)

1. 2025-03-26 [Polity & Governance] — Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 Passed
   The Parliament passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to strengthen disaster response mechanisms by empowering the NDMA and SDMA to prepare disaster management plans and create national and state disaster databases. The bill seeks to shift from a reactive to a proactive and innovative approach in disaster management. Opposition members raised concerns about centralization of power and overlapping legislative powers with states.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 passed to strengthen disaster response.

   Key Facts:

   • NDMA and SDMA will now prepare disaster management plans.
   • The bill expands functions of NDMA and SDMA, including periodic disaster risk assessments, technical guidance, minimum relief standards, and preparing disaster databases.
   • Parliament passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
   • The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is a step toward strengthening disaster resilience in India.
   • The bill amends the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
   • NDMA and SDMA will prepare disaster management plans.
   • National and state-level disaster databases will be prepared.
   • The bill empowers the state government to constitute a SDRF.
   • The bill empowers the state government to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and cities with a municipal corporation.
2. 2025-06-03 [Defense & Security] — India Aims to Lead in Disaster Response
   Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that India is on the cusp of becoming a global leader in crisis management, emphasizing a shift to a proactive “Zero Casualty Approach”. The NDRF budget rose from Rs 28,000 crore (2004–2014) to Rs 84,000 crore (2014–2024).
   More details

   UPSC Angle: India aims to lead in disaster response with 'Zero Casualty Approach'.

3. 2025-12-28 [Polity & Governance] — India's Disaster Management Approach Shift
   The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, marks a shift in India's approach to disaster management from reactive relief to proactive, technology-driven, and community-centric strategies. The Act incorporates suggestions from 89% of stakeholders, including state governments, Union Territories, and international organizations. It addresses disaster scale and intensity changes driven by climate change and urbanization.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Disaster Management Act shifts focus to proactive strategies.

   Key Facts:

   • Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 aims for zero casualties
   • Act incorporates suggestions from 89% of stakeholders
   • ₹215 crore released for 2024 Wayanad landslides
4. 2025-12-28 [Schemes & Programs] — Amit Shah Approves Funds for Disaster Risk Reduction
   Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved ₹507.37 crore for the National Project for Strengthening Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions across 20 states. This initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and NDMA, aims to integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practices into governance through a bottom-up approach. The program will cover 81 disaster-prone districts and develop 20 Gram Panchayats as models.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Funds approved for community-based disaster risk reduction.

   Key Facts:

   • ₹507.37 crore approved for National Project for Strengthening Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives
   • Project covers 81 disaster-prone districts in 20 states
   • ₹16,118.00 crore released to 28 States under SDRF in FY 2025-26
   • ₹2854.18 crore released to 18 states under NDRF in FY 2025-26
   • ₹5273.60 crore released from SDMF to 21 States
   • ₹1423.06 crore released from NDMF to 14 States
5. 2026-02-22 [Disaster Management] — NDMA, AcSIR and CSIR–NIScPR Sign MoU to Strengthen Disaster Management Policy Research
   NDMA, AcSIR and CSIR–NIScPR signed a MoU to build a disaster resilient India through academic initiatives, research, and public engagement. The key highlights of the MoU are launch of a PhD Programme in Disaster Management under AcSIR at CSIR-NIScPR with the support of NDMA, joint research and policy studies, including science communication and capacity-building initiatives in DMRR.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: NDMA, AcSIR and CSIR–NIScPR Sign MoU to Strengthen Disaster Management.