New Delhi, April 9, 2025: The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 officially came into effect on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced through a gazette notification.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (10 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 9th day of April, 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the notification stated.
The law amends the Disaster Management Act of 2005, expanding the role of disaster authorities and giving statutory status to key committees such as the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and High Level Committee (HLC).
It strengthens the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) by introducing new responsibilities. These include assessing disaster risks, providing technical guidance, setting minimum relief standards, conducting post-disaster audits, and developing disaster databases.
The Act also empowers the NDMA to make regulations, appoint experts, and specify its officers and employees. It authorizes states to establish Urban Disaster Management Authorities and build State Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs).
Introduced in August 2024 and passed in December, the bill cleared its final hurdle in Parliament in March through a voice vote. Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the House that there would be no centralisation of authority or bias against states.
However, opposition members have criticised the law, claiming it grants sweeping powers to the Centre and encroaches upon the states’ legislative domain.
