UPSC Disaster Management – Chapter 8: Droughts and Heat Waves (20 MCQs)

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UPSC Disaster Management – Chapter 8: Droughts and Heat Waves (20 MCQs) – 20 questions, subject: Disaster Management. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

Under IMD's definition, a meteorological drought occurs when seasonal rainfall deficiency is more than:

Correct Answer: A [25 per cent of normal]

Explanation:

IMD treats a seasonal rainfall deficiency of more than 25 per cent of normal as meteorological drought; 26–50 per cent is moderate.

2.  

NADAMS, the satellite-based agricultural drought monitoring system, is now operated by the:

Correct Answer: A [Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre]

Explanation:

Since 2012 NADAMS has been run by the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre of the Agriculture Ministry.

3.  

A rainfall deficiency of 40 per cent from normal is classed by IMD as:

Correct Answer: C [moderate drought]

Explanation:

A 40 per cent deficiency falls in IMD's 26–50 per cent band, which is classed as moderate drought.

4.  

Drought in an area is formally declared by the:

Correct Answer: B [State Government]

Explanation:

Under the Manual for Drought Management, the State government declares drought after checking indicators and ground-truthing crop loss.

5.  

The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (2009–10) was formed by merging the Drought Prone Areas Programme and the Desert Development Programme with the:

Correct Answer: A [Integrated Wastelands Development Programme]

Explanation:

IWMP (2009–10) merged DPAP, DDP and the Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP).

6.  

Under MGNREGA (repealed from 1 July 2026), the number of guaranteed workdays in drought-declared areas could be raised up to:

Correct Answer: B [150]

Explanation:

MGNREGA allowed up to 150 days of work, instead of 100, per household in drought-declared or calamity-notified rural areas.

7.  

For a hill station, the minimum maximum temperature for a heat wave is:

Correct Answer: C [30 °C]

Explanation:

For hilly regions IMD considers a heat wave once the maximum temperature reaches at least 30 °C with the required departure.

8.  

The National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System began in:

Correct Answer: D [1989]

Explanation:

NADAMS was started in 1989 to monitor agricultural drought with satellite data; it is now run by the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre.

9.  

The Manual for Drought Management (2016) was prepared after directions in:

Correct Answer: D [Swaraj Abhiyan v. Union of India]

Explanation:

In Swaraj Abhiyan v. Union of India (2016) the Supreme Court directed the Union to revise the drought manual and set up a mitigation fund.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Agricultural drought refers to a lack of soil moisture for crops.
2. Hydrological drought usually follows a long meteorological drought.
3. Socio-economic drought is measured only by rainfall.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Agricultural drought is a soil-moisture shortage for crops and hydrological drought follows a long rainfall deficit; statement 3 is false.

11.  

Assertion (A): Humid heat is more dangerous to people than dry heat at the same temperature.

Reason (R): High humidity reduces the body's ability to cool itself by sweating.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Sweat cools the body only when it evaporates; humid air slows evaporation, so humid heat strains the body more than dry heat.

12.  

The Drought Prone Areas Programme was launched in:

Correct Answer: C [1973]

Explanation:

The Drought Prone Areas Programme began in 1973–74 under Rural Development, the first area programme for drought-prone regions.

13.  

The Desert Development Programme covers:

Correct Answer: B [both hot desert and cold desert areas]

Explanation:

The Desert Development Programme (1977–78) covered hot deserts and the cold deserts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

14.  

At a station in the plains, a severe heat wave is declared when the actual maximum temperature reaches:

Correct Answer: D [47 °C]

Explanation:

On the plains, IMD declares a severe heat wave when the actual maximum temperature is 47 °C or more.

15.  

District contingency crop plans for weather shocks are prepared with the help of:

Correct Answer: D [ICAR's Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture]

Explanation:

ICAR's CRIDA, Hyderabad, prepared district agriculture contingency plans giving crop options for delayed monsoon, dry spells and other weather shocks.

16.  

The urban heat island effect means that:

Correct Answer: B [cities are warmer than surrounding rural areas, especially at night]

Explanation:

Concrete, asphalt and little greenery store heat by day and release it at night, so cities stay warmer than surrounding rural areas.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan
2. Drought Prone Areas Programme
3. Manual for Drought Management
4. NADAMS

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [2-4-1-3]

Explanation:

1973, 1989, 2013, 2016.

18.  

NDVI, used in drought monitoring, is derived from:

Correct Answer: D [satellite remote sensing]

Explanation:

vegetation index.

19.  

The Desert Development Programme began in:

Correct Answer: A [1977–78]

Explanation:

The Desert Development Programme began in 1977–78 under Rural Development for hot and cold desert areas.

20.  

A wet-bulb temperature of about 35 °C is significant because it is:

Correct Answer: B [often cited as the upper limit of human survival for long exposure]

Explanation:

Near 35 °C wet-bulb the body can no longer shed heat by sweating, so prolonged exposure is widely cited as unsurvivable.

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