Preparedness & Response — Set 7

Correct Answer: C. ISRO (NRSC)

ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) provides satellite-based Earth observation data for disaster monitoring, damage assessment, and recovery planning in India. NRSC maintains an Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) that activates within hours of any major disaster to provide satellite imagery and analysis to NDMA and state authorities. ISRO's constellation of Earth observation satellites — including Resourcesat, Cartosat, and RISAT — provides comprehensive coverage for all types of disaster monitoring.

Correct Answer: B. It is the critical period during which survival rates for trapped victims are highest

The 72-hour window refers to the critical period immediately following an earthquake during which the probability of extracting living survivors from collapsed structures is highest, declining sharply thereafter as dehydration, injury, and environmental exposure reduce survival chances. This biological reality makes rapid deployment of USAR teams and specialised equipment within the first 72 hours of an earthquake the highest priority in response planning. India pre-positions NDRF teams in seismically active zones precisely to reduce response time and maximise survival in the 72-hour window.

Correct Answer: C. Reconstruction of destroyed bridges

Reconstruction of destroyed bridges is part of the Recovery phase, not Preparedness. Preparedness encompasses activities undertaken before a disaster to improve response capability — including early warning systems, evacuation planning, contingency plan development, training and mock drills, stockpiling relief supplies, and establishing coordination mechanisms. Recovery begins after the immediate response phase and focuses on restoring normal conditions, while Build Back Better ensures improved conditions post-recovery.

Correct Answer: B. BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, and NSG (central armed police forces)

NDRF battalions are constituted from six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs): Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and National Security Guard (NSG). Personnel from these forces undergo specialised disaster response training to become NDRF responders. The multi-force composition brings diverse skills and ensures that NDRF can be rapidly augmented from large pool of trained personnel during major disasters.

Correct Answer: B. Organised medical response to multiple casualties that overwhelm normal capacity

Mass casualty management is the organised medical response to incidents involving multiple casualties that exceed the normal treatment capacity of available medical resources. It involves triage, on-scene medical stabilisation, coordinated hospital activation, coordinated patient distribution to avoid overwhelming single hospitals, and resource tracking. India's Health Emergency Response Protocol, developed by the Ministry of Health and NDMA, provides guidelines for mass casualty management in hospitals and at the disaster scene.

Correct Answer: B. Unity of Command

Unity of Command is the ICS principle that every individual involved in an incident receives orders from only one designated supervisor, preventing confusion from multiple conflicting instructions. Unity of Command combined with Unified Command (where multiple agencies share command responsibilities) ensures clear accountability and prevents duplication or gaps in response activities. This principle is critical in multi-agency disaster responses where police, fire, medical, NDRF, and military all operate simultaneously.

Correct Answer: C. Sendai, Japan

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 was adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in March 2015. It succeeded the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 as the global disaster risk reduction framework. The Sendai Framework has 187 signatory countries and provides the global roadmap for reducing disaster risk and losses in the period 2015–2030.

Correct Answer: B. HEICS (Hospital Emergency Incident Command System)

Hospital preparedness for mass casualties requires the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS), which adapts the ICS to the hospital setting, providing clear roles and responsibilities for hospital administrators, medical staff, and support services during surge events. HEICS enables hospitals to rapidly expand capacity, divert non-critical patients, mobilise additional staff, and manage patient surge in an organised manner. India's NDMA mandates HEICS implementation in all government and district hospitals as part of national hospital preparedness standards.

Correct Answer: B. NDMA provides policy and administrative oversight while MHA controls NDRF operations

NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) provides policy direction, coordination guidelines, and oversight for NDRF, while the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) exercises administrative and operational control over NDRF. The DG NDRF operates under MHA and coordinates directly with NDMA during disasters. This dual-oversight structure ensures that operational decisions are made by the line ministry (MHA) while strategic disaster management policy is set by the PM-chaired NDMA.

Correct Answer: B. Government allocations, insurance, catastrophe bonds, and international aid

Disaster risk financing instruments include a spectrum of mechanisms: ex-ante (pre-disaster) instruments such as government contingency funds (SDRF/NDRF), insurance, catastrophe bonds, and regional risk pools; and ex-post (post-disaster) instruments such as emergency supplementary budgets and international humanitarian assistance. Diversifying disaster risk financing reduces fiscal vulnerability to major disasters. India's NDMF (National Disaster Mitigation Fund) and NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) are the primary government-funded instruments for disaster risk financing.