Topic: Disaster and disaster management
Q6. Examine the challenges of inter-governmental coordination in disaster governance. Outline the institutional reforms required for a holistic and integrated approach. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question
Recent notifications assigning disaster tasks to various Ministries highlight the issue of fragmented responsibilities and the urgent need for stronger Centre–State–local coordination in disaster governance.Key Demand of the question
The question asks to analyse the challenges in inter-governmental coordination in disaster management and to outline the institutional reforms required for ensuring a holistic, integrated approach.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly state the constitutional and institutional framework of disaster management in India under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Body
- Challenges of inter-governmental coordination – overlapping jurisdictions, fiscal dependence, weak local integration, information asymmetry, lack of unified command.
- Institutional reforms required – stronger NDMA–SDMA linkages, fiscal empowerment of states, local capacity building, unified command structure, technology-driven coordination.
Conclusion
End with a crisp futuristic note on integrated disaster governance as essential for resilience in the era of climate-induced disasters.
