UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Contemporary disaster management frameworks stress that it is more effective to reduce risk before disasters occur than to focus only on relief afterwards. This involves identifying hazards, mitigating vulnerabilities, building preparedness and strengthening early warning and resilience. The key shift is from purely reactive relief to proactive risk reduction and preparedness.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because abandoning mitigation and preparedness would increase disaster losses and keep the approach reactive and short-term.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it describes the widely accepted move towards disaster risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness as emphasised in international frameworks like the Sendai Framework.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since modern practice encourages community participation and local capacity, not only top-down control.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because relying on fate and neglecting early warning systems contradicts the evidence-based, preventive approach of modern disaster management.

Statements A, B and D are correct and together explain the distinction between mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is about reducing emissions, adaptation is about adjusting systems to cope with impacts and climate-resilient crops are a clear example of adaptation. Statement C is conceptually incorrect in this context because afforestation and tree planting as carbon sinks are typically classified as mitigation actions, although they may have some adaptive co-benefits. Hence, the combination that includes A, B and D only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes A and B but omits D, which is also a correct example of adaptation. While A and B provide definitions, leaving out D means the option does not fully represent the set of correct statements requested. A complete answer must recognise a concrete adaptation example as well.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it groups B and D only, leaving out A. Although B and D are correct, A is also correct in defining mitigation, and the question asks for all correct statements. Excluding a valid definition of mitigation makes this combination incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it brings together the accurate definition of mitigation, the accurate definition of adaptation and a valid example of adaptation in the form of climate-resilient crops. It appropriately excludes C, which mislabels a typical mitigation measure as adaptation. By balancing conceptual clarity with relevant examples, this option best fits the question.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements A, B, C and D as correct. Since C misclassifies tree planting solely as adaptation, accepting it alongside the other statements blurs the important conceptual distinction between mitigation and adaptation. The presence of this incorrect statement invalidates the combination.

Climate smart agriculture (CSA) is explicitly defined as an approach that pursues three objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity,adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions where possible. The stem restates these three aims,so climate smart agriculture is clearly the intended term. Therefore Option C is correct.

Option A:
Subsistence agriculture focuses on producing food mainly for household consumption with low external inputs. It is not inherently designed around climate resilience or mitigation objectives,so it does not match the description.

Option B:
Intensive agriculture emphasises high yields per unit area,often through heavy use of fertilisers,irrigation and pesticides. Without specific safeguards,it can worsen emissions and vulnerability,which is opposite to the climate smart goals.

Option C:
Climate smart agriculture encourages practices like improved crop varieties,water management,agroforestry and better livestock feeding. These techniques address productivity,resilience and emissions together,just as the question describes.

Option D:
Slash and burn agriculture involves clearing and burning vegetation to create temporary fields. It can lead to deforestation and higher emissions and is generally not considered climate smart,so this option is inappropriate.

Statements A, B and D are correct and reflect the objectives and principles of climate finance and technology transfer. Climate finance supports mitigation and adaptation, technology transfer promotes access to clean technologies and equity considerations such as common but differentiated responsibilities shape negotiations. Statements C and E are incorrect because adaptation also needs finance and the private sector plays a significant role in providing funds and investments. Thus, the combination A, B and D only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it brings together the three statements that align with the design of climate regimes and excludes those that restrict finance to mitigation or deny private sector roles. It acknowledges both the public and private dimensions and the equity principles embedded in climate agreements.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it adds statement E, which falsely claims that private sector investment has no role in climate finance. In practice, many climate funds and mechanisms explicitly aim to leverage private capital, so including E makes the option wrong.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it includes statement C, which wrongly restricts finance to mitigation. Adaptation, particularly in vulnerable countries, also requires substantial financial support, so accepting C contradicts the broad mandate of climate finance.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it claims that all five statements are correct, thereby accepting both C and E. Doing so would ignore the adaptation dimension and the well-documented role of private investment.

Option E is incorrect as it groups B, D and E together. While B and D are correct, E is not, and the presence of this false statement invalidates the combination even though it contains two correct elements.

Option F is incorrect because it is composed entirely of statements C, D and E, among which only D is correct. Statements C and E misrepresent the scope of climate finance and the actors involved, so this option cannot be accepted.

The disaster management cycle describes a continuous sequence of activities aimed at reducing risk and managing events when they occur. Mitigation involves measures to prevent hazards from becoming disasters or to lessen their impacts. Preparedness includes planning, training and early warning systems. Response covers immediate actions during and after the disaster, while recovery focuses on restoring normalcy and building back better. Listing mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery together therefore accurately depicts the cycle, as in Option A.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it includes all major phases recognised in standard disaster management frameworks. Together they convey a proactive and reactive approach that extends beyond short-term relief.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect; hazard creation, panic and passive waiting are not desirable components of disaster management. Effective systems seek to reduce hazards and avoid panic through planning and communication.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because development, industrialisation, urbanisation and globalisation are broader socio-economic processes, not specific stages of disaster management. They can influence risk but are not themselves management components.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as evacuation alone cannot substitute for comprehensive mitigation, preparedness and recovery planning. A narrow focus on evacuation misses many essential tasks before and after a disaster.

Climate policy distinguishes between mitigation, which tackles the causes of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, which helps people and ecosystems cope with the impacts that still occur.

Option A:
Incorrect, because it reverses the roles of mitigation and adaptation; adjusting to impacts is adaptation, and reducing emissions is mitigation.

Option B:
Incorrect; using the terms interchangeably hides an important conceptual and policy distinction.

Option C:
Correct; it clearly states that mitigation reduces the magnitude of climate change while adaptation adjusts systems to its effects.

Option D:
Incorrect; adaptation cannot fully substitute for mitigation, because unchecked emissions could create impacts beyond the capacity to adapt.