UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Heat waves and shifting patterns of mosquitoes and other vectors are closely linked to changes in temperature and rainfall patterns. These are direct manifestations of climate change. The stem connects heat stress and vector borne diseases to a type of change,which clearly is climate change. Therefore Option C is the correct choice.

Option A:
Industrial change may alter employment and pollution but does not by itself explain systematic shifts in temperature and disease vectors. It is not the most accurate term here.

Option B:
Demographic change refers to shifts in population size, age and distribution. While these affect vulnerability,they are not the main driver named in scientific assessments for heat stress trends.

Option C:
Climate change alters temperature,precipitation and extreme weather patterns,creating conditions favourable for some vectors and harmful to health. This is exactly the link mentioned in the question.

Option D:
Technological change can influence health through new tools and risks,but it is not the primary cause of the specific trends in heat stress and vector distribution described in the stem.

Climate justice highlights the ethical dimensions of climate change,stressing that historical emitters bear greater responsibility for mitigation and support to vulnerable populations. It links human rights,development and climate policy. The stem clearly refers to fair sharing of burdens and attention to those least responsible yet most affected,which defines climate justice. Thus Option B is the correct choice.

Option A:
Procedural justice focuses on fairness in decision making (participation,transparency) and is narrower than the climate-specific equity framing described.

Option B:
“Climate” completes the established term “climate justice,”which addresses fairness in responsibilities and impacts of climate change actions,matching the stem.

Option C:
Restorative justice concerns repairing harm and can be relevant,but it is not the standard label for the climate fairness framework described.

Option D:
Distributive justice is a general fairness concept; “climate justice” is the specific term used for this climate-focused context.

Statements A, C and D correctly capture core ideas in disaster risk reduction. Statement A presents the standard formulation of disaster risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability and capacity, C lists important non-structural measures and D stresses mainstreaming risk reduction into development planning. Statement B is incorrect because non-structural measures are also crucial, and statement E is wrong as preparedness involves planning, training and mitigation-oriented actions, not just response. Therefore, the combination that includes A, C and D only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes A and C but excludes D. While A and C are correct, D is also a valid statement since integrating disaster risk reduction into development plans significantly lowers future vulnerabilities and losses. Leaving out a correct statement means this combination is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it adds statement E to A and C. Statement E wrongly restricts disaster preparedness to emergency response, ignoring its preventive and capacity-building aspects. The presence of an incorrect statement makes this combination unacceptable.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it groups A, C and D, all of which align with widely accepted disaster management frameworks. It recognises the multi-dimensional nature of risk, the importance of non-structural measures and the need to integrate risk reduction into development. Since it excludes the incorrect statements B and E, this combination fully satisfies the requirement.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes statements A, B, C and D. Although A, C and D are correct, B is wrong because structural measures are not the only tools for risk reduction; behavioural, institutional and policy measures are equally important. Including a false statement makes this combination invalid.

A gendered perspective in environmental studies emphasises that environmental policies and impacts are experienced differently by women and men due to socially constructed roles and power relations. It calls for analysing resource access, decision making and vulnerability through a gender lens. The stem describes exactly this differentiated approach,so gendered is the correct term.

Option A:
An ecocentric perspective places intrinsic value on ecosystems and non human nature, often downplaying human social distinctions. While important,it does not focus on differences between women and men as stated in the question.

Option B:
A gendered perspective helps reveal how women may bear disproportionate burdens of environmental degradation, such as walking longer distances for water or fuelwood. It also highlights their knowledge and contributions to resource management. This reasoning aligns closely with the stem.

Option C:
A technocratic approach emphasises technical expertise and engineering solutions, sometimes neglecting social and gender dimensions. It is not specifically concerned with unequal roles or vulnerabilities by gender.

Option D:
Neo classical refers to a school of economic thought that assumes rational individuals and competitive markets. Although it can be applied to environmental issues, it does not inherently address gendered differences.

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.

Standard disaster risk frameworks express risk as a combination of hazard,exposure and vulnerability. Vulnerability captures the susceptibility of elements at risk to damage, given a hazard of certain intensity. The stem refers to this tripartite conceptualisation,so vulnerability correctly completes the expression.

Option A:
Vulnerability encompasses physical, social, economic and environmental factors that increase the likelihood of harm. Even with the same hazard and exposure, communities with lower vulnerability experience less disaster impact. This fits exactly with the role described in the question.

Option B:
Relief is the immediate assistance provided after a disaster and is part of response,not a component of risk. While important, it does not define the likelihood of loss before an event occurs.

Option C:
Reconstruction involves rebuilding infrastructure and livelihoods in the long term recovery phase. It takes place after a disaster has happened and is not part of the risk formula.

Option D:
Mitigation denotes measures taken to reduce disaster risk by lowering vulnerability or modifying hazards. It is an action applied to components of risk rather than one of those components itself.

The sustainable livelihood approach looks at how people use various assets such as natural, human, social and financial capital to make a living. It stresses resilience to shocks, diversification of income and conservation of the resource base. The goal is to enable poor households to secure better livelihoods in a way that is environmentally sustainable. Therefore, the option highlighting assets, capabilities and non-degrading use of resources is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because short-term food aid, while important in emergencies, does not build long-term livelihood security. It addresses symptoms rather than underlying vulnerability.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it captures the central ideas of building assets and coping capacity while protecting the environment. This long-term view is central to sustainable livelihoods thinking.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since mass migration can increase urban stress and does not automatically create sustainable livelihoods. It may shift poverty from rural to urban areas.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because reliance on a single cash crop can increase risk and degrade soils. Sustainable livelihoods usually promote diversification and resource-conserving practices.

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.

Climate justice highlights that the impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed,with poorer and marginalised groups often suffering the most despite contributing least to emissions. It calls for equitable allocation of mitigation and adaptation responsibilities. This perspective links climate policy to human rights and social justice. Hence the description in the question clearly refers to climate justice.

Option A:
Climate neutrality describes a state in which net greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to zero,typically through reductions and offsets. It is a technical goal rather than a framework for examining fairness. Therefore it does not match the ethical and political focus described in the stem.

Option B:
Climate justice analyses how historical emissions,capabilities and vulnerabilities differ among countries and communities. It argues that these differences should guide who does what in responding to climate change. This emphasis on fairness and disproportionate burden aligns exactly with the question.

Option C:
Climate normalcy is not a widely used term in climate discourse. It does not represent a recognised ethical framework. Thus it is not an appropriate option here.

Option D:
Climatic determinism is an outdated idea that climate largely determines cultural and societal development. It has been criticised for oversimplification and bias. It is unrelated to debates about fairness in climate responsibility.

Statements A, C, D, E and F are correct because they reflect multi-directional links among poverty, population dynamics and environmental change, including pressure on commons, overuse for survival, role of human development, poverty traps and integrated policy responses. Statement B is false since the impact of population growth depends on consumption levels, technology and governance; it is not automatically degrading in all cases. Thus, the option that includes all true statements and excludes B is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it captures both the pressures that can arise from poverty and population and the ways in which improved human development and integrated policies can moderate these pressures. It rejects simplistic views that treat population growth as the sole determinant of environmental degradation.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes B, which overgeneralises the relationship between population and environment and ignores the role of mediating factors such as institutions, technology and behaviour.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it omits F and therefore ignores the importance of policies that jointly tackle poverty and environmental sustainability, which are central to this unit.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it leaves out A, so it fails to mention high-density pressure on common property resources, one of the classic examples in the poverty–environment discussion.

Statements A, B and C are correct and reflect the core ideas of climate justice and equity in global negotiations. A notes differentiated responsibility, B points to the historical role of developed countries and C refers to the principle embodying equity concerns. Statement D is incorrect because climate justice highlights that vulnerable communities and poorer countries often bear disproportionate impacts. Therefore, the combination with A, B and C only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it includes only A and B and leaves out C. While A and B are true, C is also correct and central to the equity principle in climate agreements. By omitting C, the option fails to capture the full conceptual picture.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it selects A, B and D and erroneously accepts D as correct. D contradicts the basic claim of climate justice that vulnerability and inequality shape climate impacts, so including it invalidates the combination.

Option C:
Option C is correct since it combines all the true statements and excludes the false one. It accurately captures responsibility, historical emissions and the normative principle used in agreements. As such, it fully matches the unit’s emphasis on climate justice.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it brings together B, C and D and leaves out A. Besides omitting A, which is correct, it accepts D, which denies the link between socio-economic vulnerability and climate impacts. This makes the combination inconsistent with climate justice discourse.

The term climate refugees is used to describe people who must leave their homes due to climate related impacts like flooding,desertification or extreme storms. Although not yet a formal legal category,it captures the idea of displacement driven mainly by environmental change. The stem explicitly refers to migration due to climate change impacts,so climate refugees is the most appropriate description. Therefore Option D is correct.

Option A:
Seasonal migrants move temporarily, often for agricultural work or tourism jobs, and typically return home after the season. Their movement is usually economic rather than primarily climate driven,so this term does not fit the situation in the question.

Option B:
Internally displaced workers is not a common technical term. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) may be uprooted by conflict or disasters,but the phrase in the option does not specifically refer to climate change impacts.

Option C:
Eco tourists are travellers who visit natural areas for recreation and learning,aiming to minimise their environmental footprint. Their movement is voluntary and recreational,not forced displacement due to environmental stress,so this option is inappropriate.

Option D:
Climate refugees emphasise that climate change can intersect with social and political vulnerabilities to force people to move. While debates continue about terminology, the phrase best captures the type of displacement described in the stem.