The National Disaster Management Division in India is the nodal division in the Ministry of Home Affairs for disaster management. Who is the Ex-officio Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority ?

The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Section 3 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides that the Authority consists of the Chairperson, who is the Prime Minister, and not more than nine other members nominated by the Central Government. The Vice-Chairperson is a separate post, with the rank of a Cabinet Minister.

Why the others are wrong:

• Home Minister (B): The Home Minister is not the chairperson. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry for disaster management and oversees the NDMA administratively, but the chair is the Prime Minister.
• Defence Minister (C): Defence has no statutory role as chairperson. The armed forces support disaster response when requested, but the post does not belong to this office.
• Health Minister (D): Health is a sectoral ministry. It may be represented in plans and coordination, but it does not chair the authority.

Core concept: the statutory structure created by the DM Act, 2005. It sets up the NDMA at the national level, State Disaster Management Authorities chaired by Chief Ministers, and District Disaster Management Authorities chaired by District Magistrates. For Mains, this reflects the shift from relief-centric response to prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

Trap: candidates confuse the nodal ministry (MHA) with the chairperson, or the Vice-Chairperson with the Chairperson. Remember that the chair is a statutory office held by the Prime Minister.