Police · Defence
Who is the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — The Prime Minister
Detailed Solution
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the apex body for disaster management in India. It was first set up by an executive order on 30 May 2005 and was formally constituted as a statutory body on 27 September 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
The Prime Minister is the ex officio Chairperson of the NDMA. It can have up to nine other members, one of whom may be designated as Vice-Chairperson. The NDMA works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is the nodal ministry for disaster management (except drought, which is handled by the Ministry of Agriculture).
Main functions of the NDMA:
- Laying down policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management, such as the National Disaster Management Plan (first released in 2016).
- Approving the plans prepared by central ministries and departments.
- Coordinating the enforcement and implementation of disaster management policies.
- Promoting a shift from a relief-centred approach to a holistic approach focusing on prevention, mitigation, preparedness and resilience.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 created a three-tier structure:
- National level: NDMA, headed by the Prime Minister.
- State level: State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), headed by the Chief Ministers.
- District level: District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), headed by the District Collector or Magistrate.
The Act also set up the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a specialised force for disaster response, formed in 2006 and drawn from central armed police forces, and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). The Act was amended in 2025 to strengthen these bodies and provide for urban disaster management authorities.
The Act was passed after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004. It was used during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to impose the nationwide lockdown.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Union Home Minister heads the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal ministry, but does not chair the NDMA.
- ✗The President is the constitutional head of the state, not the head of the NDMA.
- ✗The Cabinet Secretary heads the National Crisis Management Committee.
Quick tip
Remember: NDMA = chaired by the Prime Minister, Disaster Management Act 2005 (after the 2004 tsunami); SDMA = Chief Minister; DDMA = Collector; NDRF formed in 2006.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Organisations & Headquarters Questions
View all ›- Q1.The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was established in:
- Q2.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was formed on:
- Q3.The headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is located in:
- Q4.Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are the founding members of:
- Q5.What is the primary function of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Organisations & Headquarters — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Organisations & Headquarters, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international organisations: the United Nations and its agencies, regional groups such as SAARC, ASEAN and BRICS, global bodies such as the WHO, ILO and UNESCO, and Indian institutions, with their headquarters, founding years, members and heads. Questions typically ask where an organisation is headquartered, when it was founded, or what its full form is. For example, UNESCO is headquartered in Paris and the WHO in Geneva. Membership and leadership change over time, so pair the static facts here with current affairs for recent changes such as new members or new heads. Practise the organisations and headquarters questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.