UGC-NET – Paper II: Disaster Management (Code: 104)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
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Subject Name: Disaster Management
Subject Code: 104
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – Disaster Management
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II combined)
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COMPLETE LIST OF UNITS
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Unit I: Introduction to Disaster Management:
Unit II: Research Methodology for Disaster Management.
Unit III: Legal Framework, Policies and Governance:
Unit IV: Society, Development and Disasters.
Unit V: Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management:
Unit VI: Health and Disasters:
Unit VII: Environment, Ecology and Climate Change Aspects:
Unit VIII: Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System:
Unit IX: Information & Communications Technology and Other Emerging Technologies:
Unit X: Emergency Response and Management:
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS
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Unit I: Introduction to Disaster Management:
Topic 1: Introduction to Disaster Management (DM):
• Key Terms, Definitions and Concepts related to Disaster – Hazard, Risk, Vulnerability, Exposure, Coping Capacity, Resilience, Conflict, Emergencies and related terms
• Disaster cycle – Phases of Disaster
• Applications of different concepts related to disaster
• Methods of hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment (HVCA)
Topic 2: Natural Hazard:
• Classification of Disaster in detail – History of Disasters and Types of Natural Hazards: Earthquakes, Volcanism, Cyclones, Tsunamis, Floods, Droughts, Famines, Landslides, Avalanches and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood
• Characteristics, causes and damage potential of different natural hazards
Topic 3: Human Induced Disaster:
• Classification of Man-made disasters
• Socio-Technical Disaster-Technological Disaster
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Disasters
Topic 4: Vulnerability and Risk – Assessment and Management:
• Basics of vulnerability and risk assessment
• Concepts of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity
• Analysis of inherent and chronic vulnerabilities
• Disaster risk and its associated parameters
• Disaster risk mitigation measures
• Early warning systems
• Common Alert Protocols (CAP)
Topic 5: Disaster Management in India:
• Hazard and Vulnerability profile of India
• Regional aspects of hazard, risk and vulnerability
• Emerging paradigms and recent developments
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Unit II: Research Methodology for Disaster Management.
Topic 1: Research – Meaning and Concepts:
• Definitions
• Sources of knowledge, History of scientific thought, Paradigm of research
• Theoretical framework of research
• Types of research; Social research, applied research, action research, participatory research
• Formulating research problem
• Literature review—sources of literatures, importance of literature review, Critical literature review, Identifying gap areas from literature review
• Hypothesis—different types, significance, development of working hypothesis, directional and non-directional hypothesis
• Validity & reliability
Topic 2: Research Design, Data Collection and Analysis and Methods:
• Research design—Basic principles, need of research design, features of good design, important concepts relating to research design
• Laws and theories
• Research approaches
• Developing a research plan
• Determining experimental and sample designs
• Types of research methods
• Methods, sources or tools for data collection
• Construction of questionnaire, interview schedule and interview guide
• Sampling—Concepts, types and techniques
• Variables
• Data processing
• Data analysis and statistics
• Methods of hypothesis testing
• Type of errors
• Generalization and interpretation of data
Topic 3: Ethical Considerations:
• Ethical issues in research
• Identifying and avoiding bias
• Academic integrity and prevention of plagiarism
• Guidelines in research
• Informed consent
• Privacy concerns
Topic 4: Disaster Research:
• Definitions and concepts in disaster research
• Methodology and methods of transdisciplinary research
• Methods in contemporary disaster research
• Research methods in disaster and humanitarian settings—Qualitative, quantitative, mixed
• Qualitative and quantitative approaches to risk assessment and risk reduction
• Approaches to qualitative research – Narrative research, Phenomenology, Grounded theory, Ethnography, Autobiography, Case study, Ethnomethodology
• Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
• Research methods for Health emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM)
• Research methods for natural and environmental disasters
• Computational methods for disaster research
• Geographical methods for disaster research
• Disaster reconnaissance
• Ethics and ethical dilemmas in disasters
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Unit III: Legal Framework, Policies and Governance:
Topic 1: Legal Framework Related to Disasters in India:
• Disaster Management Act, 2005
• Other related acts, policies, plans, programmes and legislations
Topic 2: International Legal Framework Related to Disasters:
• Major International legal instruments dealing specifically with Disasters
• Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030
• Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015
• Yokohama Strategy
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
Topic 3: Policies Related to Disasters:
• National Policy on Disaster Management 2009
• National Disaster Management Plan 2019
• State Disaster Management Plans (SDMPs)
• District Disaster Management Plans (DDMPs)
Topic 4: Institutional Arrangements in DM:
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
• District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Topic 5: Disaster Financial Management:
• Disaster Financial Management Team Composition
• Cash flow management, debt monitoring, risk avoidance
• Disaster assessment and expense reimbursement pertaining to damage, emergency protective measures
• Project and Portfolio Management – performing financial analysis, maintaining accurate financial records and documents in preparation for audits
• Supply chain management
• Knowledge of Procurement and Contracting Practices
• Disaster Financial Management Activities
• Disaster Financial Accounting Systems and Management Processes
• Disaster Financial Assistance Programs
• Financial management for humanitarian response
• Disaster Mitigation Fund and Disaster Response Fund at Central and State Levels
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Unit IV: Society, Development and Disasters.
Topic 1: Disaster Challenges of Vulnerable Population:
• Dimensions and Factors affecting vulnerabilities
• Differential vulnerability of people based on caste, class, gender, age, location, disability, religion, etc.
• Disaster challenges due to multiple vulnerabilities
• Cascading vulnerabilities and impacts
• Intersectionality, vulnerability and resilience
Topic 2: Gender and Disasters:
• Understanding Sex, Gender and Gendered Vulnerability in Disasters
• Gender differentials in disaster cycle, coping strategies and resilience
• Gender-Inclusive and Gender-Sensitive DM and their best practices
• Women, work and livelihood issue in disasters
Topic 3: Children and Disasters:
• Basic Concepts in Child-Centered DRR
• Vulnerability of Children in Disasters
• Children in disaster cycle, their coping strategies and resilience
• Child-Inclusive and Child-Sensitive DM and their best practices
Topic 4: Elderly and Disasters:
• Basic Concepts of DRR for elderly population
• Vulnerability of elderly in Disasters
• Older people in disaster cycle, their coping strategies and resilience
• Elderly-Inclusive and Elderly-Sensitive DM and their best practices
Topic 5: Disability and Disasters:
• Basic Concepts and Terminologies related to Disability e.g. Impairment, Disability and Handicap, etc.
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016)
• Types and Models of Disability
• Vulnerability of Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
• Differential impact of Disasters on PwD
• Disability issues in disaster cycle
• Coping strategies and resilience of PwD
• Disability inclusive DRR (Approaches; Identifying PwD; VCA and Early Warning Systems; Search, Rescue and Evacuation; Shelter Management; Guidelines for Accessibility; Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material; Rehabilitation)
• Disability-Sensitive DM and their best practices
• Disaster and Emergency Frameworks and their References to Disability
• Disability Frameworks and their References to Disasters
Topic 6: Development and Disasters:
• Sustainable development
• Impact of development projects such as dams, embankments, changes in land-use etc.
• Vulnerability to shanty settlements
• Vulnerability in the city, Risk in Urban areas, Issues in urban planning, Initiatives for risk reduction in India
• Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
Topic 7: Indian Knowledge System in Disaster Management:
• Local knowledge and practices for DRR
• Indian knowledge about disasters – early warning systems and indicators; coping strategies and disaster response
• Distinctive settlement patterns, livelihood preferences, sociocultural practices and traditions
• Managing the natural resources and disaster risks
• Literary sources about DM
• Global best practices and lessons learned
Topic 8: Economic Aspects of Disasters:
• Identifying the Natural Disasters with Potential Financial Implications
• Measuring Local Government Financial Vulnerability to Natural Disasters
• Measuring the Financial Capacity of Local Governments to Address Natural Disasters
• Identifying Regional Financial Vulnerabilities
• Direct and Indirect costs due to disasters
• Welfare losses and damages due to disasters
• Challenges in making economic assessments of disaster losses
Topic 9: Poverty, Livelihood and Disasters:
• Poverty and DRR
• Livelihoods and DRR
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Unit V: Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management:
Topic 1: Roles of Local Institutions:
• Roles and Responsibilities of Community, Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies (PRIs/ULBs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stake-holders in DM
Topic 2: Reducing Risk of Disasters in Communities:
• Strategies of Risk reduction
• People’s participation
• Role of civil society and volunteer organizations
• Activities and roles of community action for DRR
• Participatory risk assessment methods
• Culture of safety, prevention, mitigation and preparedness
Topic 3: Community Risk Management:
• Community Assets and Social Wealth
• Community risk mapping
• Living with Risk
• Policy Perspectives -Sendai Framework for DRR
• Conflict Resolution through Collaboration and Consensus
• Citizens Forum, Public Voices and Public Sphere
• Social Justice Challenges
• Media Advocacy for DM
• Building Resilience for Disaster Risk Management
• Disaster Literacy of Communities
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Unit VI: Health and Disasters:
Topic 1: Health Systems and Infrastructure:
• National and Local Health Systems
• Tiers of Healthcare Services
• Clinical Services
• Health Information System
• Human Resources for Health
• Monitoring and evaluation of health systems
• Evaluation of disaster programs and projects
• Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems & Infrastructure
Topic 2: Disaster Health and Communicable Diseases:
• Concepts of Disaster Health, Endemic, Outbreak, Epidemic and Pandemic
• Health Consequences of Disasters
• Health-EDRM Framework
• Public health preparedness and response
• Communicable diseases as public health threats
• Principles of communicable disease prevention and control
• Major disease in emergency and non-emergency settings
• Setting up disease control programmes
• Monitoring, evaluation and research for disease control programmes
Topic 3: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Emergencies:
• Diseases related to water, sanitation and hygiene
• Community involvement in hygiene promotion, disease prevention and mitigation
• Improving environmental conditions
• Water quantity and water quality
• Emergency water supply strategy and techniques
• Water-borne and water-induced diseases
• Vector borne diseases control
• Water and sanitation in cholera outbreak response
• Hygiene and Food Safety
• Solid waste management
• Excreta disposal
• Planning guidelines for institutions
Topic 4: Disaster Epidemiology:
• Basic concepts of Epidemiology
• Epidemiological triad
• Role of the epidemiology in disasters
• Methods and methodological challenges in disaster epidemiology
• Disaster-related exposures, mortality and morbidity
• Health Management Information System (HMIS)
• Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)
• Disaster Registries
• Epidemiological Survey
• Post-disaster epidemiological investigations/studies
• Influenza epidemiology
Topic 5: Outbreak Investigation and Response:
• Definition and criteria of Outbreak
• Steps of an Outbreak Investigation
• Prevention of outbreaks
• Trigger alerts
• Principles and methods of investigations for Food, Water, Air, Vector borne outbreaks
Topic 6: Public Health Surveillance:
• Concept and types of surveillance
• Indicator & Event based Surveillance
• Surveillance – design, evaluation and common problems
• Components of Surveillance System
• Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS)
Topic 7: Biological Disasters, Pandemics and Public Health Emergencies:
• Infectious diseases, Biological disasters, Epidemics, Pandemics and Public Health Emergencies – Concepts, Impacts, Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery
• Early Warnings and Containment Strategies
• DRR and DM measures
• Biological hazards – types and risk groups
• Biological warfare and Bioterrorism – Threats, Capacity building, Response
• Biosafety and Biosecurity
• Agrocrime and Agroterrorism
• Healthcare waste, biomedical waste and their management
• Pandemic – Basics, Stages, Risks, Impacts, Mitigation and Case Studies
• International Health Regulations (IHR)
• Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC)
• Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)
• Rapid Response Teams and Capacity Building
• Mass vaccination issues
Topic 8: Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases:
• Emerging diseases
• Remerging diseases
• Factors for emergence of new diseases
• Zoonotic diseases
• Overview of common emerging and Re-Emerging diseases
Topic 9: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support:
• Stressors, protective factors and mental health disorder in emergencies and disasters
• Disaster mental health – Basics, Phases, Response, Responders
• Normal and abnormal human response to disaster
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• General measures and psychosocial support interventions
• Psychological First Aid (PFA), Psychological Debriefings, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Community Based Interventions
• Disaster Mental Health Counselling
• Managing stress and well-being
Topic 10: One Health:
• Basics of One Health Concept
• One Health Preparedness
• One Health Approach for DM
Topic 11: Other Emerging Health Related Issues:
• Risk Assessment and Management in Health Organizations
• Health advice for emergency responders
• Health in DRR Frameworks
• Health related vulnerability and rehabilitation
• CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive) disasters – Basics, Case studies and Management Strategies
• Nutrition and Food Safety, Care of Road Traffic Injuries victims
• Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
• Maternal health and safe motherhood
• Infant and young child feeding
• Antimicrobial Resistance
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Unit VII: Environment, Ecology and Climate Change Aspects:
Topic 1: Introduction to Environment:
• The global concern
• Natural Resources and Energy resources- Renewable and Non-Renewable
• Water resources and Forest resources
• Biodiversity and conservation, Threats to biodiversity
Topic 2: Introduction to Ecology:
• Branches of ecology, Habitat and Ecological niche
• Ecosystem – Concepts, types, component, function and structure
• Biogeochemical cycles
Topic 3: Energy Flow in Ecosystem:
• Law of thermodynamics, flow of energy in an ecosystem
• Food chains, Food web
• Ecological pyramids
• Ecological balance
• Community dynamics, hydrosphere, xerosere
• Population dynamics – structural and functional aspects of population-death antagonism
Topic 4: Introduction to Environmental Pollution:
• Sources of pollution
• Different types of pollution – Air, water, soil, marine, noise, thermal
• Pollution case studies – London smog disaster, Ganga and Yamuna pollution, etc.
• Cost of pollution management
• Causes of environmental pollution
Topic 5: Climate Resilience:
• Climatology – Origin, composition and structure of the atmosphere
• Insolation, Distribution of temperature, atmospheric pressure and motion
• General atmospheric circulation
• Classification of world climates
• Koppen’s and Thornthwaite’s Schemes
• Heat Budget
• Hydrological Cycle
• Climate resilience – meaning, concept, indicators, causes and theories
Topic 6: Environmental Health, Safety and Disasters:
• Hailstorms
• Heat waves, terminal heat and heat related illness
• Cold waves, frost and fog
• Climate change – Global warming, Acid rains, Ozone layer depletion
• Effect of weather, climate variability and climate change on population health
Topic 7: Eco-based Approach and Nature Based Solutions for Disaster Management:
• Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction (EcoDRR) – Introduction, tools and approaches
• Natural resources management, traditional environmental wisdom and disasters
• Disaster risk management – PEDRR (Partnership for Environment and DRR), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and its linkages with EcoDRR
• Ecological approaches and integrated ecosystem management
• Nature Based Solutions (NBSs)
Topic 8: Occupational Health and Safety:
• Occupational Hazards – overview, classification, role in different industries
• Indian Occupational Safety Scenario
• Concept and spectrum of occupational health
• Occupational health services – Basics, Structure, Functional units and Activities
• Occupational health screening
• Occupational diseases, Notifiable occupational diseases – effects and prevention
• Cardio pulmonary resuscitation, audiometric tests, eye tests, vital function tests
• Industrial toxicology – local, systemic, chronic, temporary and cumulative effects, carcinogens entry into human systems
• Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Ergonomics
• Industrial disasters – classification, investigation, and prevention
• Agricultural respiratory hazards and diseases
• Corporate and office hazards and diseases
• Occupational Health, safety and disaster prevention
Topic 9: Accident Investigation and Reporting:
• Incident Recall Technique (IRT)
• Disaster control
• Job safety analysis, safety survey, safety inspection, safety sampling
• Safety Audit
• Concept of an accident, reportable and non-reportable accidents
• Unsafe act and condition, Principles of accident prevention
• Role of safety committee, Accident causation models, Cost of accident
• Overall accident investigation process – Response to accidents, India reporting requirement, Planning document, Planning matrix, Investigators Kit, functions of investigator, four types of evidences, records of accidents, accident reports
Topic 10: Fire Disaster Safety:
• Forest Fire, Wild Fire and Fire Following Earthquakes
• Vulnerability assessment
• Risk Assessment
• Mitigation, preparedness and response
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Unit VIII: Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System:
Topic 1: Basics of Remote Sensing:
• History, Development, Definition, Concept & Principles of Remote Sensing
• Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) and its Characteristics
• Wavelength Regions and their Significance
• Interaction of EMR with Atmosphere and Earth’s Surface – Absorption, Reflectance and Scattering, Atmospheric Windows, Energy Balance Equation, Spectral Response and Spectral Signature, Spectral, Spatial, Temporal and Radiometric resolutions
• Concept of satellite, sensor, orbit
• Satellite image and various interpretation techniques
• Digital image processing techniques
Topic 2: Basic Concepts of Geographic Information System (GIS):
• Definition, Philosophy & Historical evolution of GIS
• Spatial vs. non-spatial data
• Components of GIS, Spatial data models – Raster and Vector; advantages & disadvantages
• Raster Data & its Representation – Data Structure & File format, Data Compression (block code, chain code, run length code, quadtree, MrSID)
• Vector data representation – Data Structure & File format, Topology
• Advantage of DBMS in Context of GIS
• Data input and projections, Geometric transformation of raster and vector data
Topic 3: DRR Using GIS and RS:
• RS & GIS Global and national initiatives for Disaster Risk Management
• Hazard Evaluation and Zonation – Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
• Damage assessment – Land use planning and regulation for sustainable development
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Unit IX: Information & Communications Technology and Other Emerging Technologies:
Topic 1: Introduction to Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and its Applications:
• ICT Approaches in DM
• Changing Media Environments and the Efficient Use of ICT for Disaster Communication
• Disaster Informatics and Multimedia Educational Application for Risk Reduction
• Current State and Solutions for Future Challenges in Alerting Technologies
• ICT Applications, tools and techniques
• Efficient Deployment of ICT Tools
• Utilizing ICT Applications for Decision Support in Disaster Mitigation
Topic 2: Sensor Technologies and Computing Infrastructure in DRR:
• Introduction to the Sensor Technologies
• Types of Sensor Systems, benefits and limitations, efficient use
• Design and Deployment practices
• Use of Sensor Technologies and Computing Infrastructure for Environmental Risks, Emergency and Rescue Operations
Topic 3: Other Emerging Technologies for Disaster Risk Management:
• Big Data, Machine Learning and Database Management
• Artificial Intelligence, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Robotics
• Social Media
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Unit X: Emergency Response and Management:
Topic 1: Emergency Response:
• Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) for disaster response
• Information Management System
• Warning Dissemination
• First Responders
• Evacuation
• Search and Rescue operations
• Relief operations
• Emergency Operation Center (EOC)
• Incident Response System – overview, features, Incident Response Teams
• Resource Management & Networking – India Disaster Resource Network
• Role of Disaster Response Forces and Community Based Organizations (CBO) in emergency response mechanism
Topic 2: Emergency Health Services:
• Health in Emergencies
• Planning, continuity and access for Emergency Health Services
• Prehospital Care – First Aid in different cases, Basic Life Support (BLS), Wound Management, Handling of injured persons
• First Aid Triage – Principles, Types, and triage systems
• Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) – Framework and key concepts
• Mass Casualty Management
• Emergency Medical Preparedness and Response
• Hospital emergency disaster management plan
• Hospital Safety and Preparedness
• Health Emergency Teams
• Identification and Handling of Human Remains
Topic 3: Risk Communication:
• Disaster and Communication – Role of Communication in Disaster, Nature and Scope of Communication
• Models and Processes of Communication as Applied to DM
• Sender and Receiver Oriented Views
• Seven Traditions of Communication and its relevance to DM
• Normative Perspective on Disaster Communication, Disaster Warnings as Risk Communication – Risk Perception, Hazard Awareness
• Cultural Influences on Risk Communication
• Cultural Cognition Theory of Risk Approaches Influencing Hazard Adjustment and Adoption
Topic 4: Media and Public Affairs:
• Overview of the Media and Public Affairs
• Role of Media in DM and Humanitarian Crisis
• Objectives of Mass Media
• Ethical Issues in Disaster Communication
• Understanding News Media Coverage of Disaster, Biases and Stereotypes
• Reporting on Disaster Issues and Challenges, Newsworthiness, Phases of Disaster Reporting, Sources of News, Checklist for Disaster Reporting
• Media Relations during Emergency Situations
• Alternative Media During Crisis
• Tools for Social Media – Applications and Use
Topic 5: Shelter and Emergency Settlements:
• Assistance to self-sheltering populations
• Emergency Shelter and Intermediate Shelter
• Short-term shelter in existing buildings
• Site selection and arrangement of emergency settlements
• Longer-term issues for emergency settlements
• Vector and Pest Control
Topic 6: Emergency Support Functions:
• Emergency Support Functions and their details
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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
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Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
- Total Questions: 100
- Total Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Negative Marking: No
- Duration: 3 Hours (Combined with Paper I)
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Additional Notes (if any):
- No additional notes present in source.
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY
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Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 53
Subject: Disaster Management
Subject Code: 104
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
Source: Official NTA/UGC Syllabus
Status: “As per latest official syllabus”
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