National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) & COVID Compensation

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) & COVID Compensation

Part of: Prelims and GS III – Disaster management 

Context The Supreme Court has said that State Governments should not deny the ex gratia compensation of Rs. 50,000 to the families of persons who died of COVID-19 merely on the grounds that their death certificates did not show the virus as the cause of death.

• The Bench approved the guidelines proposed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Disaster Management Act for grant of ex gratia to the kin of people who died of COVID-19.

What is The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)? 

• NDMA is the apex statutory body for disaster management in India.
• The NDMA was formally constituted on 27th September 2006, in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, 2005
• Composition: Prime Minister as its Chairperson and nine other members, and one such member to be designated as Vice-Chairperson.
• Mandate: Its primary purpose is to coordinate response to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis response. 
• It is also the apex body to lay down policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters.
• Vision: To build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, proactive, technology driven and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness and mitigation.