UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

In disaster studies,a natural hazard is a potentially damaging physical phenomenon such as an earthquake, flood or cyclone. It becomes a disaster only when it affects vulnerable people and assets. The stem clearly refers to the event before it interacts with society,so the correct term is hazard.

Option A:
A disaster is the serious disruption that occurs when a hazard actually impacts a vulnerable community and overwhelms its capacity to cope. Before this interaction happens, the event is classified as a hazard. Therefore disaster is not the right word in the blank.

Option B:
Hazard denotes the probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging physical event at a specific location. It is one of the components of disaster risk. Because the question emphasises the pre impact stage, hazard is the correct concept.

Option C:
Mitigation refers to measures taken in advance to reduce the potential impact of hazards by lowering vulnerability or modifying the hazard. It is a response strategy, not the physical event itself. Hence it does not fit the stem.

Option D:
Relief concerns immediate assistance after a disaster, including food, medical care and shelter. It occurs after the hazard has caused damage and is therefore not the term required in the question.

A common conceptual expression in disaster studies is that risk results from the interaction between hazard and vulnerability,often simplified as risk equals hazard multiplied by vulnerability. This highlights that a severe hazard may not cause a disaster where vulnerability is low,and vice versa. It underscores the importance of reducing vulnerability through preparedness and mitigation. Therefore the description in the question corresponds to this multiplicative relationship.

Option A:
The expression risk equals hazard multiplied by vulnerability is not a precise mathematical law but a useful heuristic. It reminds planners that both natural processes and social conditions shape disaster outcomes. Because the stem mentions risk as a function of hazard,exposure and vulnerability,this formulation is the closest representation.

Option B:
Risk equals hazard minus capacity suggests a subtraction relationship that is not commonly used in standard disaster risk frameworks. It does not clearly convey the combined influence of hazard and vulnerability. Hence it is not the best answer.

Option C:
Risk equals hazard plus relief is conceptually incorrect,because relief is a response after a disaster,not a factor that creates risk. Relief actually aims to reduce suffering rather than increase risk. Therefore this option is inappropriate.

Option D:
Risk equals vulnerability divided by preparedness is also not a standard expression. While preparedness can reduce vulnerability,dividing one by the other does not capture the role of hazard itself. Thus it fails to summarise the widely used risk formulation referred to in the question.

Statements C and F are wrong, while A, B, D and E are correct. Disaster risk is shaped by hazard, exposure and vulnerability, so focusing only on hazard magnitude ignores why some people are more affected. Disasters are not purely natural; human decisions about where and how to build strongly influence impacts. The other statements correctly highlight how bad development creates risk, how disasters erode development gains, how investment in resilience helps, and how inequality shapes impacts. Thus, the wrong statements together are C and F.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it identifies only C as wrong and ignores F, which also misrepresents disasters as purely natural. As a result, it fails to list all the incorrect statements required.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it includes D as wrong along with C, even though D correctly states that investing in risk reduction protects development investments. Misclassifying D undermines current thinking in disaster risk reduction.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it treats E as wrong in addition to C and F. Statement E is correct in noting that social inequality affects who suffers most, so grouping it with wrong statements makes the option invalid.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it selects exactly C and F, both of which deny key elements of risk creation and responsibility. It aligns with the understanding that disasters are shaped by social conditions, not just by natural hazards.

Disaster risk arises when a potentially damaging physical event interacts with vulnerable people, infrastructure and ecosystems. A strong hazard in an uninhabited area may not create a disaster, whereas a moderate hazard in a very vulnerable community can be devastating. Therefore, risk is commonly conceptualised as a function or product of hazard and vulnerability, with exposure explicitly considered in many formulations.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because hazard alone does not determine risk; context and vulnerability matter greatly.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since vulnerability without a triggering hazard does not lead to a disaster.

Option C:
Option C is correct as it captures the widely used risk equation linking hazard, vulnerability and exposure.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect; early warning and participation reduce risk, but they are not the definition of risk itself.

Statements A, B, C, D and F are correct because they define risk components, show how development choices increase risk, stress DRR measures and recognise build back better. Statement E is wrong because disasters are shaped by vulnerability and exposure linked to development.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it omits D.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits C.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it includes A, B, C, D and F and excludes E.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes E (false).