Disaster Management — PYQ Trend Intelligence

What the data shows

In the mapped 2013–2026 GS 3 dataset, 19 questions connect to disaster management across 12 exam years. The highest observed count is 4 in 2024. These counts describe historical coverage, not the probability of a future exam question.

Method: topic hierarchy adapted from the supplied GS1–GS4 topic-map PDFs (2013–2025); questions are linked using MainsBuddy metadata term matching, restricted to GS3. Overlapping themes may include the same question. 2026 questions are mapped as a separate extension beyond the PDFs. Cross-topic matches may occur; these are provisional classifications, not verified question-level PDF mappings.

Questions by year

Answer-writing intelligence

Directives recorded for mapped questions include Discuss, Analyse, Elucidate, Describe, Discuss with examples. Compare how the demand changes across years: identify the directive, split the question into its components, and practise within the stated mark allocation.

Mapped previous year questions

1. 2026 · GS3 · 10 marksDiscuss how the contradiction between ‘rapid infrastructure development’ and ‘disaster-risk reduction’ in ecologically-sensitive areas of India can be managed, with suitable examples.
2. 2026 · GS3 · 15 marks“Community participation is the cornerstone of effective disaster management”. Analyse this statement with suitable examples from India. Also discuss the challenges to community participation and measures to strengthen it.
3. 2024 · GS3 · 10 marksIndustrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government's initiatives in this regard.
4. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marksElucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss.
5. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).
6. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marksFlooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major floods in the last two decades in India. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling such floods.
7. 2023 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India. Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies.
8. 2021 · GS3 · 10 marksDiscuss India’s vulnerability to earthquake-related hazards. Give examples, including salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades.
9. 2021 · GS3 · 15 marksDescribe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy.
10. 2020 · GS3 · 15 marksDiscuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India, departing from the earlier reactive approach.
11. 2019 · GS3 · 10 marksVulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and their threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters.
12. 2019 · GS3 · 15 marksDisaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help in disaster mitigation in the case of landslides.
13. 2018 · GS3 · 15 marksDescribe various measures taken in India for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) before and after signing the ‘Sendai Framework for DRR (2015–2030).’ How is this framework different from the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005’?
14. 2017 · GS3 · 15 marksOn December 2004, the tsunami wreaked havoc on 14 countries, including India. Discuss the factors responsible for the occurrence of a tsunami and its effects on life and the economy. In the light of NDMA guidelines (2010), describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.
15. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksThe frequency of urban floods due to high-intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing reasons for urban floods, highlight mechanisms for preparedness to reduce risk during such events.
16. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWith reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.
17. 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marksThe frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian subcontinent. However, India’s preparedness for mitigating their impact has significant gaps. Discuss various aspects.
18. 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marksDrought 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.
19. 2013 · GS3 · 10 marksHow important are vulnerability and risk assessment for pre-disaster management? As an administrator, what key areas would you focus on in a Disaster Management System?