UPSC Mains 2024 GS3 Q17 — Disaster management
What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targests of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) (Answer in 250 words) 15
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- What isHow is it determinedDescribeAlso mention
- Scope keywords
- disaster resiliencedeterminedelements of a resilience frameworkglobal targets of Sendai FrameworkDisaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030)
- Implicit sub-parts
- Distinction between 'Disaster Management' and 'Disaster Resilience' to show conceptual depth.
- Quantitative and qualitative metrics used to measure resilience (social, economic, institutional indices).
- The cyclical nature of the framework—pre-disaster, during disaster, and post-disaster recovery phases.
- Alignment of Sendai targets with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Common pitfalls
- Defining resilience simply as 'recovering from disaster' without mentioning the 'build back better' or 'absorptive capacity' aspects.
- Failing to list the specific 7 targets of the Sendai Framework, instead providing generic goals like 'saving lives'.
- Confusing 'elements of a resilience framework' with 'stages of disaster management' (mitigation, response, etc.) instead of focusing on systemic attributes like robustness and redundancy.
- Neglecting to mention the 'How is it determined' part, which requires explaining indices like the Disaster Resilience Index or Community Resilience benchmarks.
- Dimensions required
- Institutional/GovernanceSocial-EconomicInfrastructure/EngineeringEnvironmental/EcologicalGlobal Policy Alignment
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 30-40 words for a crisp definition and the 'determination' logic. Devote 100 words to the elements of the framework using a multi-dimensional lens. Dedicate the final 80-90 words to accurately listing/grouping the 7 Sendai targets (4 reductions and 3 increases). Use the remaining 20 words for a forward-looking conclusion.
Unlock the full analysis for this question
You've seen the question and its examiner-intent decoding. Subscribers also get:
- 🔗 Similar Previous Year Questions — cross-year, cross-paper matches so you study the topic, not the question
- 📚 Source Map — verified citations from Laxmikanth, NCERT, PRS, Yojana, Economic Survey, Spectrum
- 🌱 How this topic is evolving — current-affairs bridge anchored to live TARS news clustering
- 🧭 Examiner's Pattern — how the topic has been framed across every year UPSC has tested it
- ✍️ Answer Skeleton — a structured outline (intro → body → conclusion) you can flesh out
- 🎯 AI evaluation — write your answer, get rubric-based scoring from gs-eval
Or browse 132+ free preview questions across all years and papers — the first 3 questions of every paper are unlocked.
Ready to practice?
Subscribers can attempt this question in 250 words and get an instant, rubric-based evaluation showing where they stand.
Subscribe to evaluate your answer →