Current legal status
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 continues to operate as amended. The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 came into force on 9 April 2025 and made substantial changes, including expanded definitions and institutional provisions relating to disaster risk reduction, national crisis management, high-level coordination, urban disaster management and disaster databases.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 also amended provisions of the Disaster Management Act concerning certain offences and penalties, with the relevant changes brought into force from 15 May 2026.
For authoritative consolidated wording and the latest notifications, use the official government resources listed on this page.
About the Act
Long title: An Act to provide for the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The links below retain the website's existing section-by-section navigation. Because the Act has since been amended, the official consolidated text should be consulted where the precise current wording of a provision is required.
Chapter I Preliminary
Chapter Ii The National Disaster Management Authority
- Section 3 Establishment of National Disaster Management Authority
- Section 4 Meetings of National Authority
- Section 5 Appointment of officers and other employees of the National Authority
- Section 6 Powers and functions of National Authority
- Section 7 Constitution of advisory committee by National Authority
- Section 8 Constitution of National Executive Committee
- Section 9 Constitution of sub-committees Section 10 Powers and functions of National Executive Committee Section 11 National Plan
- Section 12 Guidelines for minimum standards of relief
- Section 13 Relief in loan repayment, etc
Chapter Iii State Disaster Management Authority
- Section 14 Establishment of State Disaster Management Authority
- Section 15 Meetings of the State Authority
- Section 16 Appointment of officers and other employees of State Authority
- Section 17 Constitution of advisory committee by the State Authority
- Section 18 Powers and functions of State Authority
- Section 19 Guidelines for minimum standard of relief by State Authority
- Section 20 Constitution of State Executive Committee
- Section 21 Constitution of sub-committees by State Executive Committee Section 22 Functions of the State Executive Committee Section 23 State Plan
- Section 24 Powers and functions of State Executive Committee in the event of threatening disaster situation
Chapter Iv District Disaster Management Authority
- Section 25 Constitution of District Disaster Management Authority
- Section 26 Powers of Chairperson of District Authority
- Section 27 Meetings
- Section 28 Constitution of advisory committees and other committees
- Section 29 Appointment of officers and other employees of District Authority
- Section 30 Powers and functions of District Authority
- Section 31 District Plan
- Section 32 Plans by different authorities at district level and their implementation
- Section 33 Requisition by the District Authority
- Section 34 Powers and functions of District Authority in the event of any threatening disaster situation or disaster
Chapter V Measures By The Government For Disaster Management
- Section 35 Central Government to take measures
- Section 36 Responsibilities of Ministries or Departments of Government of India
- Section 37 Disaster management plans of Ministries or Departments of Government of India
- Section 38 State Government to take measures
- Section 39 Responsibilities of departments of the State Government
- Section 40 Disaster management plan of departments of State
Chapter Vi Local Authorities
Chapter Vii National Institute Of Disaster Management
Chapter Viii National Disaster Response Force
Chapter Ix Finance, Accounts And Audit
Chapter X Offences And Penalties
- Section 51 Punishment for obstruction, etc
- Section 52 Punishment for false claim
- Section 53 Punishment for misappropriation of money or materials, etc
- Section 54 Punishment for false warning
- Section 55 Offences by Departments of the Government
- Section 56 Failure of officer in duty or his connivance at the contravention of the provisions of this Act
- Section 57 Penalty for contravention of any order regarding requisitioning
- Section 58 Offence by companies
- Section 59 Previous sanction for prosecution
- Section 60 Cognizance of offences
Chapter Xi Miscellaneous
- Section 61 Prohibition against discrimination
- Section 62 Power to issue direction by Central Government
- Section 63 Powers to be made available for rescue operations
- Section 64 Making or amending rules, etc., in certain circumstances
- Section 65 Power of requisition of resources, provisions, vehicles, etc., for rescue operations, etc
- Section 66 Payment of compensation
- Section 67 Direction to media for communication of warnings, etc
- Section 68 Authentication of orders or decisions
- Section 69 Delegation of powers Section 70 Annual report Section 71 Bar of jurisdiction of court
- Section 72 Act to have overriding effect
- Section 73 Action taken in good faith
- Section 74 Immunity from legal process
- Section 75 Power of Central Government to make rules
- Section 76 Power to make regulations
- Section 77 Rules and regulations to be laid before Parliament
- Section 78 Power of State Government to make rules
- Section 79 Power to remove difficulties