Q120. Which among the following are consequences of deforestation?
A. Land erosion
B. Landslides
C. Increase in wastelands
D. Higher cropland productivity
E. Overgrazing
[UGC NET Sociology – 10 Sep 2026 | 2026]
A. C, D and E only
B. A only
C. A, B and C only
D. A, D and E only
Answer: C. A, B and C only
Explanation: Forest roots reinforce slopes and their canopy intercepts heavy rain. Clearing vegetation accelerates soil erosion, can destabilise hillsides and may turn productive land into wasteland. Higher cropland productivity is not an inevitable effect of deforestation, and overgrazing is a separate pressure.
Q119. Which technology permits geographically targeted disaster alerts to reach mobile phones simultaneously without ordinary SMS or internet access?
[RRB Group D – 18 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. Short Message Peer Protocol
B. Cell Broadcast System
C. Satellite Direct Frequency
D. Optical Fiber Multicasting
Answer: B. Cell Broadcast System
Explanation: Cell broadcast sends alerts to all compatible handsets connected to selected mobile-network cells. It helps authorities deliver area-specific warnings about cyclones, floods and other emergencies rapidly, even when ordinary messaging services are congested or mobile internet connectivity is unavailable.
Q118. Cyclone Montha, which affected India in October 2025, struck the coast of which state?
[RRB Group D – 11 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. West Bengal
B. Odisha
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Tamil Nadu
Answer: C. Andhra Pradesh
Explanation: Cyclone Montha developed over the Bay of Bengal in the post-monsoon season and crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast. North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones can produce damaging winds, coastal inundation and torrential rainfall, making early evacuation and accurate landfall forecasts particularly important.
Q117. A 2026 pilot early-warning programme for glacial lake outburst floods was carried out in which Himalayan state?
[RRB Group D – 6 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. Sikkim
B. Himachal Pradesh
C. Arunachal Pradesh
D. Uttarakhand
Answer: B. Himachal Pradesh
Explanation: Himachal Pradesh hosted sensor-based monitoring of vulnerable glacial lakes, including sites in Lahaul and Spiti. A glacial lake outburst flood can release water and debris with very little warning; downstream alarms and monitoring can therefore save lives.
Q116. What was the primary objective of the national project approved by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and NDMA in December 2025?
[RRB Group D – 5 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. Buying firefighting drones for metropolitan areas
B. Strengthening community-based disaster risk reduction through Panchayati Raj Institutions
C. Constructing a new national cyclone warning centre
D. Building underground tsunami shelters in the Andaman Islands
Answer: B. Strengthening community-based disaster risk reduction through Panchayati Raj Institutions
Explanation: The project aimed to strengthen local preparedness using Panchayati Raj Institutions as community-level partners. Village bodies can identify vulnerable households, prepare evacuation plans and coordinate relief. Disaster resilience improves when early warnings translate into organised local action, not merely national advisories.
Q115. Which organisation coordinated disaster response and preparedness for cyclones on India’s eastern coast in April 2026?
[RRB Group D – 4 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. National Disaster Management Authority
B. India Meteorological Department
C. National Institute of Disaster Management
D. State Disaster Response Forces
Answer: A. National Disaster Management Authority
Explanation: The NDMA provides national policy direction and coordinates preparedness efforts. The India Meteorological Department issues technical cyclone forecasts, while response forces and state authorities undertake operations. Distinguishing these responsibilities is essential when assessing India’s multi-agency disaster-management arrangements.
Q114. Which Manipur district was identified as the epicentral area of an earthquake in April 2026?
[RRB Group D – 3 Aug 2026 | 2026]
A. Kamjong
B. Senapati
C. Ukhrul
D. Churachandpur
Answer: A. Kamjong
Explanation: Kamjong in eastern Manipur was reported as the epicentral district. The northeastern states lie near an active tectonic region where crustal deformation generates frequent earthquakes. An epicentre is the surface location vertically above an earthquake’s focus beneath the ground.
Q113. Which global earthquake belt releases the greatest share of seismic energy?
[DSSSB Assistant Superintendent – 1 Jul 2026 | 2026]
A. Alpide belt
B. East African Rift
C. Circum-Pacific belt
D. Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Answer: C. Circum-Pacific belt
Explanation: The Circum-Pacific belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, surrounds the Pacific Ocean and includes numerous subduction zones. Strong earthquakes are concentrated there. India’s Himalayan seismicity mainly belongs to the Alpine-Himalayan belt, a different major plate-boundary system.
Q112. The sudden downward movement of soil or rock masses on a slope under gravity is called what?
[UGC NET Paper I – 29 Jun 2026 | 2026]
A. Erosion
B. Mining
C. Landslide
D. Earthquake
Answer: C. Landslide
Explanation: A landslide involves downslope movement of soil, debris or rock under gravity. Intense rainfall, earthquakes, weathering and human slope cutting can trigger it. The Himalayan states and parts of the Western Ghats are prominent Indian regions vulnerable to landslide hazards.
Q111. Tropical cyclones form mainly due to which conditions?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate – 17 Jun 2026 | 2026]
A. Low-pressure systems over warm ocean waters
B. High-pressure systems over land
C. Rising continental winds
D. Fast-moving cold fronts
Answer: A. Low-pressure systems over warm ocean waters
Explanation: Tropical cyclones need sufficiently warm seas, moisture, low-level convergence and favourable atmospheric circulation. Rising humid air condenses, releasing latent heat that strengthens a low-pressure vortex. The Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea both generate storms affecting the Indian coastline.