The Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) was an important financial mechanism established by the Government of India to provide immediate financial assistance to State Governments for relief measures during natural disasters. It was created based on the recommendations of successive Finance Commissions to ensure that adequate funds were readily available for emergency response without delay. The primary objective of the CRF was to support states in undertaking relief operations following disasters such as floods, cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, hailstorms, cloudbursts, pest attacks, and other notified natural calamities. Although the CRF has now been replaced by the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, understanding the CRF remains important for studying the evolution of disaster management in India. The CRF was maintained separately by each State Government. The fund was financed through contributions from both the Central Government and the State Government. Generally, the Central Government contributed 75 percent of the total allocation, while the remaining 25 percent was contributed by the respective State Government. In the case of special category states, the Central Government's contribution was higher to account for their financial limitations