Recently, the Cabinet Secretary chaired a meeting of the National Crises Management Committee (NCMC) to review preparedness for the impending cyclone in Bay of Bengal.

About National Crisis Management Committee
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) is India's apex body for coordinating an effective response to major disasters with national implications. Headed by the Cabinet Secretary, the NCMC was recently given statutory backing under the amended Disaster Management Act, 2025, which formalizes its role in overseeing relief and rescue operations. 

Composition
The NCMC is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, the highest-ranking civil servant in the government of India. It includes key officials to ensure a coordinated response: 

• Chairman: The Cabinet Secretary.
• Members: The Union Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, Secretary (Coordination) from the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Member and Head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• Co-opted members: The chairperson has the authority to invite experts or officials from central/state governments or other organizations to assist the committee, depending on the specific nature of a crisis. 

Key functions
The NCMC provides strategic direction and high-level oversight during national crises, such as natural calamities, and performs the following functions: 

• Evaluates preparedness: The committee assesses the nation's readiness to respond to any disaster situation, whether it is threatening, emerging, or ongoing, and issues directions to enhance preparation.
• Coordinates and monitors: It coordinates and monitors the actions of all relevant ministries, central government departments, state governments, and disaster management authorities. This ensures that relief and rescue efforts are unified and effective.
• Mobilizes resources: It facilitates the speedy mobilization of resources, including financial, human, and material aid, to the affected regions.
• Issues directives: The NCMC issues necessary directions to the Crisis Management Group (CMG) and other agencies to ensure proper coordination and monitoring of the response efforts.
• Provides high-level information: It keeps high-level authorities, including the Prime Minister, informed about the crisis situation and the progress of the response. 

Operation and significance

• Statutory backing: The NCMC's newly formalized status under Section 8A(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, reinforces its authority as the apex decision-making body for national disaster response.
• Unified leadership: By aligning central and state disaster response efforts under a single leadership, the NCMC minimizes fragmentation during emergencies.
• Activation: The NCMC is activated when a crisis exceeds the capacity of state governments and requires intervention at the national level.

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