Preparedness & Response — Set 4

Correct Answer: B. Nepal earthquake

Operation Maitri was India's large-scale humanitarian relief operation following the April 25, 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal (7.8 magnitude) that killed nearly 9,000 people. India was among the first countries to respond, deploying NDRF teams, military personnel, helicopters, and relief materials within hours of the earthquake. 'Maitri' means 'friendship' in Sanskrit, symbolising India's commitment to helping its neighbour in crisis.

Correct Answer: B. Sorting casualties by injury severity to prioritise treatment and transport

Triage is the process of sorting disaster or mass casualty patients by the urgency and severity of their injuries to prioritise medical treatment and transport when resources are insufficient to treat everyone simultaneously. The word 'triage' comes from the French word meaning 'to sort.' International triage systems used in India include START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) and the more recent SALT (Sort, Assess, Life-saving interventions, Treatment/Transport) protocol.

Correct Answer: C. Red

In the START triage system, Red tag indicates 'Immediate' — casualties with life-threatening injuries that can be saved with rapid medical intervention. Yellow indicates 'Delayed' — serious injuries but stable enough to await treatment. Green indicates 'Minor' (walking wounded). Black indicates 'Deceased/Expectant' — casualties who are dead or whose injuries are so severe that they cannot be saved even with full medical intervention. This colour-coding system enables rapid and consistent casualty sorting at mass casualty incidents.

Correct Answer: B. Sort, Assess, Life-saving interventions, Treatment/Transport

SALT stands for Sort, Assess, Life-saving interventions, Treatment/Transport — a mass casualty triage methodology developed as a more adaptable alternative to the START system. SALT first asks casualties to walk or wave (sorting them into three initial groups), then individually assesses them, performs minimal life-saving interventions (stop bleeding, open airway), and assigns priority for treatment and transport. SALT has been endorsed by the American College of Surgeons and is increasingly used in international mass casualty response.

Correct Answer: A. Aapda Mitra

Aapda Mitra, launched by NDMA, trains community volunteers in disaster-prone — particularly flood-prone — districts across India to perform basic search and rescue, first aid, and disaster response before professional teams arrive. The scheme targets the critical gap in first-response capacity in remote and rural areas where NDRF or SDRF teams may take hours to reach. Over 1 lakh volunteers have been trained, with each volunteer serving as a community resource person for disaster preparedness and response.

Correct Answer: B. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

HADR stands for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — a term used to describe assistance provided by military and civilian agencies to alleviate human suffering in disaster-affected regions, often internationally. India has increasingly engaged in HADR operations globally, leveraging its NDRF capabilities and military assets to assist neighbouring and other countries facing major disasters. India's HADR missions are guided by the principle of being a 'first responder' and 'net security provider' in the Indian Ocean Region.

Correct Answer: C. INCOIS

INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) at Hyderabad operates India's Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), which monitors seismic activity in the Indian Ocean and issues tsunami alerts and warnings to coastal states. ITEWC was established following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and became operational in 2007. The system uses data from bottom pressure recorders, tide gauges, and seismographic networks to detect tsunamis and issue warnings within 7–10 minutes of a triggering earthquake.

Correct Answer: C. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

India's Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) at INCOIS was established in direct response to the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that killed approximately 12,405 people in India due to the absence of an early warning system. The centre became operational in 2007 and is capable of issuing warnings within 7–10 minutes of a triggering earthquake. ITEWC is part of the broader UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System.

Correct Answer: B. Testing and improving preparedness, plans, and coordination among agencies

Mock drills test the effectiveness of disaster management plans, coordination mechanisms, early warning dissemination, and response capabilities by simulating disaster scenarios in a controlled environment. Regular mock drills identify gaps and weaknesses in preparedness that can be addressed before a real disaster. India conducts annual mock drills for cyclone, flood, and earthquake preparedness as mandated by NDMA guidelines for all coastal and hazard-prone districts.

Correct Answer: B. Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery

The four phases of disaster management follow the sequence: Mitigation (reducing risk) → Preparedness (planning and training) → Response (rescue and relief) → Recovery (rebuilding and rehabilitation). This sequence forms a continuous cycle because recovery lessons feed back into improved mitigation and preparedness for future disasters. The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2016 and international frameworks like the Sendai Framework are structured around these four phases.