Disaster Management Act 2005 / Sections 45, 46 and 47
Disaster Management Act, 2005

Sections 45, 46 and 47: Control of Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Mitigation Fund

Sections 45 to 47 deal with three connected parts of India's disaster management framework: command and supervision of the National Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Fund, and the National Disaster Mitigation Fund.

Updated: 24 September 2026. Sections 46 and 47 reflect the changes made by the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025.

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Section 45 - Control, direction, etc.

The general superintendence, direction and control of the Force is vested in and exercised by the National Authority. The command and supervision of the Force vests in an officer appointed by the Central Government as the Director General of the National Disaster Response Force.

Meaning and scope

Section 45 separates overall policy control from operational command. The National Disaster Management Authority has general superintendence, direction and control, while the Director General appointed by the Central Government commands and supervises the National Disaster Response Force.

The expression "Force" in this context refers to the National Disaster Response Force constituted under Section 44 for specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster.

Section 46 - National Disaster Response Fund

Section 46 authorises the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to constitute the National Disaster Response Fund. Following the 2025 amendment, the statutory purpose is broader: the Fund is for meeting different aspects of disaster management.

Amounts credited to the Fund include:

  • amounts provided by the Central Government after due appropriation made by Parliament by law; and
  • grants made by any person or institution for the purpose of disaster management.

Under the amended Section 46(2), the Fund is to be applied in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Central Government in consultation with the National Authority.

How the NDRF operates in practice

Official Ministry of Home Affairs material describes the NDRF as a national fund that supplements the State Disaster Response Fund when a disaster is of severe nature and adequate funds are not available in the State fund. Current guidelines and funding windows should therefore be read with the amended statutory text.

Section 47 - National Disaster Mitigation Fund

Section 47 authorises the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to constitute the National Disaster Mitigation Fund. After the 2025 amendment, the Fund is expressly for meeting disaster mitigation needs.

The Fund is credited with amounts that the Central Government may provide after due appropriation made by Parliament by law. Under the amended Section 47(2), the Fund is applied in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Central Government in consultation with the National Authority.

What "mitigation" means

Under the Disaster Management Act, mitigation concerns measures aimed at reducing the risk, impact or effects of a disaster or threatening disaster situation. The NDMF therefore supports disaster risk reduction and mitigation needs rather than only post-disaster relief.

Effect of the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025

The 2025 amendment materially changed Sections 46 and 47. Section 46 now refers to meeting "different aspects of disaster management" instead of only a threatening disaster situation or disaster. Section 47 now refers to "meeting disaster mitigation needs" instead of projects exclusively for mitigation. In both sections, the earlier wording on the body applying the fund was replaced by a requirement that the fund be applied under Central Government guidelines framed in consultation with the National Authority.

The amendment also inserted Section 8B, giving statutory recognition to the High Level Committee. That Committee provides financial assistance envisaged under Section 46 to State Governments in the event of a disaster and approves financial assistance for mitigation needs under Section 47.

Official resources

For the current statutory text, amendments, fund guidelines, releases and norms, refer to the official India Code and Ministry of Home Affairs disaster management resources. Administrative guidelines may be revised from time to time, so the current official version should be checked for operational or financial decisions.

This page is an explanatory legal information article. For an authoritative reading, use the Act, amending legislation, notifications and current government guidelines.