BharatNotes What is National Disaster Response Fund?
The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is the apex national-level fund for disaster relief in India, constituted under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. It is managed by the Central Government and supplements the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of a State when a disaster is of a severe nature and the SDRF balance is inadequate. The fund is held in the Public Account of India under the head "Reserve Funds not bearing interest".
The NDRF replaced the earlier National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF), into which it was merged with effect from 1 April 2010, on the recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission, aligning relief financing with the new institutional architecture of the DM Act, 2005.
Key Features
- Statutory basis: Section 46, Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- Funding: Entirely Central; financed mainly through the National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) levied on specified goods (excise/customs) and approved annually via the Finance Bill, plus budgetary support. Section 46(1)(b) also permits voluntary contributions/grants (via Bharatkosh portal, RTGS/NEFT/UPI).
- Decision-making: Expenditure is decided based on assessment by Central teams; the National Executive Committee (NEC) plays an oversight role.
- Audit: Accounts are audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
- Calamities covered: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, cold wave and frost.
NDRF vs SDRF — Don't Confuse
| Feature | SDRF | NDRF |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | First response (State-level) | Supplementary (National-level) |
| Statutory section | Section 48, DM Act 2005 | Section 46, DM Act 2005 |
| Funding | Centre + State (75:25 general; 90:10 special-category) | Wholly Central |
| When used | Notified disasters within State | Severe disasters; when SDRF inadequate |
Current Status (15th Finance Commission, 2021-26)
The 15th Finance Commission restructured relief financing into the State/National Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF/NDRMF), splitting allocations 80:20 between response and mitigation funds.
| Fund | Allocation 2021-26 |
|---|---|
| NDRF (response component) | ₹54,770 crore |
| National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) | ₹13,693 crore |
| Total national disaster fund corpus | ₹68,463 crore |
| SDRF (all States, total) | ₹1,28,122.40 crore |
(Figures: 15th Finance Commission award period 2021-22 to 2025-26; per Ministry of Home Affairs / NDM India and PIB.)
UPSC Angle
For Prelims, lock in three facts: the Section 46 statutory basis, placement in the Public Account, and the NCCD/cess funding route. The most exploited trap is conflating the Fund (financial) with the Force (the National Disaster Response Force under Sections 44-45). For Mains GS3, situate the NDRF within India's tiered disaster risk financing — SDRF as first response, NDRF as supplementary, and the mitigation funds (NDMF/SDMF) introduced by the 15th Finance Commission as a shift from reactive relief toward proactive risk reduction, in line with the Sendai Framework.
