Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers on “Disaster Management in India: Lessons from Recent Calamities” for Civil Services Examination
1. Which of the following is the nodal agency for disaster management in India?
- a) National Security Council
- b) National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
- c) Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
- d) Ministry of Home Affairs
Answer: b) National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
2. In which year was the National Disaster Management Act enacted in India?
- a) 2002
- b) 2005
- c) 2008
- d) 2010
Answer: b) 2005
3. Who is the ex-officio chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)?
- a) The President of India
- b) The Prime Minister of India
- c) The Chief Justice of India
- d) The Home Minister of India
Answer: b) The Prime Minister of India
4. The Uttarakhand floods of 2013 were primarily caused by:
- a) Earthquake
- b) Cloudburst
- c) Cyclone
- d) Tsunami
Answer: b) Cloudburst
5. Which of the following agencies is responsible for earthquake monitoring and issuing warnings in India?
- a) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
- b) Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
- c) Geological Survey of India (GSI)
- d) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Answer: b) Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
6. The Cyclone “Fani,” which hit Odisha in 2019, was categorized as:
- a) Category 2 Cyclone
- b) Category 4 Cyclone
- c) Super Cyclone
- d) Tropical Depression
Answer: b) Category 4 Cyclone
7. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) focuses on disaster management globally. It was adopted in:
- a) 2013
- b) 2015
- c) 2018
- d) 2020
Answer: b) 2015
8. Which Indian state is most prone to tropical cyclones?
- a) Kerala
- b) Maharashtra
- c) Odisha
- d) Punjab
Answer: c) Odisha
9. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was constituted under which act?
- a) Armed Forces Special Powers Act
- b) National Disaster Management Act, 2005
- c) Civil Defence Act
- d) Environment Protection Act
Answer: b) National Disaster Management Act, 2005
10. What is the primary function of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)?
- a) Handling external aggression
- b) Coordinating disaster response and relief efforts during large-scale disasters
- c) Managing fiscal crises
- d) Ensuring water resource management
Answer: b) Coordinating disaster response and relief efforts during large-scale disasters
11. The Chamoli disaster of 2021 in Uttarakhand involved:
- a) Landslide and river block
- b) Glacial burst
- c) Earthquake
- d) Forest fires
Answer: b) Glacial burst
12. Which of the following states is most vulnerable to earthquakes in India?
- a) Rajasthan
- b) West Bengal
- c) Gujarat
- d) Maharashtra
Answer: c) Gujarat
13. The Kerala floods of 2018 were exacerbated by which of the following human activities?
- a) Deforestation
- b) Poor dam management
- c) Unplanned urbanization
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
14. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for the establishment of:
- a) Central Disaster Committee
- b) National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
- c) National Disaster Reconstruction Fund
- d) Natural Calamity Mitigation Team
Answer: b) National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
15. Which of the following initiatives is aimed at developing infrastructure resilient to disasters in India?
- a) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
- b) Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
- c) Swachh Bharat Mission
- d) National Clean Energy Mission
Answer: b) Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
16. Which recent global framework focuses on reducing disaster risks through sustainable development?
- a) Kyoto Protocol
- b) Paris Agreement
- c) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
- d) Montreal Protocol
Answer: c) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
17. Which of the following is a long-term measure for disaster preparedness in India?
- a) Early warning systems
- b) Disaster risk education
- c) Community-based disaster management
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
18. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami resulted in the creation of which of the following institutions in India?
- a) Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning Centre
- b) National Tsunami Warning Centre
- c) National Institute of Disaster Management
- d) National Oceanographic Research Centre
Answer: b) National Tsunami Warning Centre
19. What is the primary role of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)?
- a) Coordinate between Central and local authorities
- b) Handle international disaster assistance
- c) Implement state-level disaster management plans
- d) Oversee defense operations during calamities
Answer: c) Implement state-level disaster management plans
20. The Bhuj earthquake of 2001 highlighted the need for:
- a) Improved rural development schemes
- b) Strengthening building codes and construction practices
- c) Enhancing agricultural productivity
- d) Increased military preparedness
Answer: b) Strengthening building codes and construction practices
21. Which cyclone in 2020 severely affected West Bengal and Odisha?
- a) Cyclone Fani
- b) Cyclone Amphan
- c) Cyclone Vardah
- d) Cyclone Hudhud
Answer: b) Cyclone Amphan
22. The term “Disaster Risk Reduction” (DRR) refers to:
- a) Mitigating the economic impact of disasters
- b) Reducing the vulnerability of people and infrastructure to hazards
- c) Immediate response to disasters
- d) None of the above
Answer: b) Reducing the vulnerability of people and infrastructure to hazards
23. In India, which of the following hazards are monitored by the Geological Survey of India (GSI)?
- a) Landslides
- b) Droughts
- c) Tsunamis
- d) Cyclones
Answer: a) Landslides
24. Which section of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, deals with the role of local authorities in disaster management?
- a) Section 35
- b) Section 41
- c) Section 62
- d) Section 76
Answer: b) Section 41
25. In which Indian state did the Kedarnath floods, one of the most devastating natural disasters in India, occur in 2013?
- a) Himachal Pradesh
- b) Uttarakhand
- c) Jammu & Kashmir
- d) Sikkim
Answer: b) Uttarakhand
26. What is the role of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in disaster management?
- a) Monitoring volcanic eruptions
- b) Issuing early tsunami warnings
- c) Predicting droughts
- d) Coordinating disaster relief operations
Answer: b) Issuing early tsunami warnings
27. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984 was a:
- a) Biological disaster
- b) Industrial disaster
- c) Nuclear disaster
- d) Environmental disaster
Answer: b) Industrial disaster
28. The National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) is aimed at:
- a) Mitigating flood risks
- b) Improving cyclone forecasting and mitigation
- c) Earthquake resistance
- d) Drought management
Answer: b) Improving cyclone forecasting and mitigation
29. The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2016 is aligned with which global framework?
- a) Hyogo Framework
- b) Kyoto Protocol
- c) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
- d) Paris Climate Agreement
Answer: c) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
30. Which of the following is the most common hazard affecting agriculture in India?
- a) Landslides
- b) Earthquakes
- c) Droughts
- d) Tsunamis
Answer: c) Droughts
These questions cover key aspects of disaster management in India, focusing on lessons learned from recent calamities and national disaster preparedness measures.
