QUESTION 15
GS3
12.5 marks
Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effects on vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 NDMA guidelines, discuss mechanisms for preparedness to deal with likely El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Using NDMA's 2010 drought guidelines, discuss preparedness for El Nino and La Nina effects in India.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Drought as disaster: slow onset, wide area, long effects on farmers, livestock, water, migration≈35 words
- 2NDMA 2010 guidelines: drought monitoring and early warning, vulnerability mapping, drought declaration criteria, mitigation (watershed, water harvesting, micro irrigation, crop diversification), capacity building, insurance≈35 words
- 3El Nino readiness: IMD long-range forecasts, district crop contingency plans, seed and fodder banks, MGNREGA work, PDS stocks≈35 words
- 4La Nina side: floods and cold waves need parallel planning; gaps: late declaration, weak state plans≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Drought's disaster natureNDMA frameworkEl Nino-specific preparednessLa NinaGapsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Ignoring the El Nino/La Nina link asked in the question
- Not citing NDMA guideline components
Draw this
- Flowchart: forecast → monitoring → declaration → contingency plan → relief and recovery
Value addition
- ExampleICAR-CRIDA has prepared district agricultural contingency plans for over 650 districts for delayed or deficient monsoon.ICAR-CRIDA
- PolicyManual for Drought Management (2016, revised 2020) set scientific criteria (rainfall, vegetation index, soil moisture) for declaring drought.Ministry of Agriculture
- CaseSwaraj Abhiyan v Union of India (2016): Supreme Court directed updating the drought manual and timely declaration.Supreme Court, 2016
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Mayank Purohit · AIR 33 · Page 5 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 17 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 44 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 44 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 9 minutes, then get it checked.