A High-Level Committee (HLC) approved Rs 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation

Current Context: The High-Level Committee (HLC) approved Rs 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation projects on January 29, 2025. The committee is chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

• Other members include Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
• Aim:
• The primary aim of this initiative is to enhance disaster risk management and resilience across the country. This includes projects focused on lightning safety, drought management, and forest fire risk mitigation.
• Highlights:
• Lightning Safety Project: Rs 186.78 crore allocated for 10 states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal).
• Drought Management Project: Rs 2022.16 crore allocated for 12 drought-prone states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh).
• Forest Fire Risk Management: Rs 818.92 crore allocated for 144 high-priority districts across 19 states (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttarakhand).

Question:

1 Who chaired the High-Level Committee (HLC) that approved Rs 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation projects on January 29, 2025?

• A) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• B) Union Home Minister Amit Shah
• C) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
• D) Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog

Answer: B) The High-Level Committee (HLC) was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as stated in the document.