UPSC Disaster Management – Chapter 13: Urban Risk, Fires, Stampedes and Structural Failures (20 MCQs)

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UPSC Disaster Management – Chapter 13: Urban Risk, Fires, Stampedes and Structural Failures (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.  

Fire services are listed as a municipal function in the:

Correct Answer: B [Twelfth Schedule]

Explanation:

Entry 7 of the Twelfth Schedule (Article 243W) lists fire services among the functions that States may give to municipalities.

2.  

Fire and life safety provisions are given in which part of the National Building Code 2016?

Correct Answer: A [Part 4]

Explanation:

Part 4 of NBC 2016 is titled 'Fire and Life Safety' and covers exits, staircases, detection, sprinklers and fire-resistant construction.

3.  

The Kumbakonam school fire occurred in:

Correct Answer: C [2004]

Explanation:

The Kumbakonam school fire in Tamil Nadu took place in July 2004 under a thatched roof, killing many young children.

4.  

NDMA's guidelines on managing crowds at mass gatherings were issued in:

Correct Answer: D [2014]

Explanation:

NDMA issued its guide on managing crowds at events and venues of mass gathering in 2014.

5.  

The Scheme for Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services in the States, launched by the MHA in 2023, is funded from the:

Correct Answer: C [preparedness and capacity-building window of the National Disaster Response Fund]

Explanation:

its Central outlay of Rs 5,000 crore comes from the NDRF's preparedness and capacity-building window; States add a 25 per cent share (10 per cent for NE/Himalayan States).

6.  

The Morbi bridge collapse of 2022 occurred in:

Correct Answer: A [Gujarat]

Explanation:

Morbi is a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat; the suspension bridge over the Machchhu river collapsed on 30 October 2022.

7.  

Fire doors and fire-resistant walls are examples of:

Correct Answer: C [passive fire protection]

Explanation:

Fire doors and fire-resistant walls are built-in features that contain fire and smoke without needing to switch on, i.e. passive protection.

8.  

The Elphinstone Road stampede of 2017 took place on a:

Correct Answer: D [railway footbridge]

Explanation:

Mumbai.

9.  

Crowd density becomes dangerous at about:

Correct Answer: A [5–6 people per square metre]

Explanation:

Above roughly 5–6 people per square metre people lose control of movement and pressure waves can cause crushes.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Electrical short circuits are a common cause of urban fires in India.
2. The National Building Code is published by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
3. Fire services are a Union subject.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2 are true; statement 3 is false because fire services are a State subject and a municipal function.

11.  

Assertion (A): Separate entry and exit routes reduce the risk of stampedes.

Reason (R): Opposing flows of people in a narrow passage cause dangerous pressure.

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

Explanation:

Both are true and R explains A: opposing flows build dangerous pressure, which separate entry and exit routes remove.

12.  

The Supreme Court case on school safety after the Kumbakonam fire is:

Correct Answer: C [Avinash Mehrotra v. Union of India]

Explanation:

2009.

13.  

The Ghatkopar hoarding collapse of 2024 happened in:

Correct Answer: C [Mumbai]

Explanation:

Ghatkopar is a suburb of Mumbai, where a giant illegal hoarding fell on a fuel station in May 2024.

14.  

Which of the following is an active fire-protection system?

Correct Answer: D [Sprinkler system]

Explanation:

A sprinkler system activates automatically when a fire starts to control it, making it active fire protection.

15.  

The Balasore train accident of 2023 occurred in:

Correct Answer: B [Odisha]

Explanation:

The Balasore triple-train collision of 2 June 2023 took place in Balasore district of Odisha.

16.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Kumbakonam school fire
2. Morbi bridge collapse
3. Elphinstone Road stampede
4. Uphaar cinema fire

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

1997, 2004, 2017, 2022.

17.  

The body in the Ministry of Home Affairs that advises States on fire services is the:

Correct Answer: C [Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards]

Explanation:

The DG Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards in the MHA advises States, mainly through the Standing Fire Advisory Council.

18.  

Which of the following is the most common setting for stampedes in India?

Correct Answer: B [Religious gatherings]

Explanation:

Most Indian stampedes, about four in five by NDMA-cited studies, occur at religious gatherings and places of worship.

19.  

A "structural audit" of a building is meant to:

Correct Answer: D [assess its safety and strength]

Explanation:

A structural audit is an engineer's inspection of a building's condition to assess its safety and load-bearing strength.

20.  

The National Disaster Response Force works under the:

Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Home Affairs]

Explanation:

The National Disaster Response Force is a specialised force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, constituted under the DM Act, 2005.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U19 · Disaster Management (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-disaster-management

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