HPAS 2025 Environment & Geography Topic-Wise Solutions
When was the National Centre for Disaster Management established in India?
The National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) was established in 1995 and was originally located at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi. It was later upgraded and renamed as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in 2003, and eventually gained statutory status under the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
Examiners often put 2005 (Option A) to trick you. Do not confuse the old Centre (NCDM – 1995) with the modern apex policy body, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which was established in 2005 following the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Disaster management underwent a massive paradigm shift in India following the 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone, 2001 Bhuj Earthquake, and especially the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Here is the definitive timeline:
| Year | Milestone Event |
|---|---|
| 1995 | National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) established at IIPA, New Delhi. |
| 2003 | NCDM upgraded and renamed as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). |
| 2005 | Disaster Management Act, 2005 enacted by the Government of India. |
| 2005 | National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) established as the apex body headed by the Prime Minister. |
| 2006 | National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) constituted as a specialized rapid response force. |
| 2009 | National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) approved, shifting the focus from relief-centric approaches to prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. |
| 2016 | First-ever National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) released, heavily aligned with the global Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. |
| 2020 | COVID-19 managed as a “notified disaster” under the DM Act, 2005, which gave the central government extraordinary powers to issue nationwide lockdown guidelines. |
State PSCs frequently ask who heads the disaster management authorities at different administrative levels. Memorize this hierarchy:
- National Level (NDMA): Headed by the Prime Minister.
- State Level (SDMA): Headed by the Chief Minister.
- District Level (DDMA): Co-chaired by the District Magistrate (DC) and an elected representative of the local authority.
Arrange the following tiger reserves of India from North to South:
(1) Corbett
(2) Valmiki
(3) Indrawati
(4) Bhadra
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Add detailed solution here.
Arrange the following ecological hotspots of the World from West to East:
(1) Tropical Andes
(2) Upper Guinean Forests
(3) Eastern Madagascar
(4) Melanesia (New Caledonia)
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
The correct sequence from West to East is exactly as they are listed: (1) Tropical Andes → (2) Upper Guinean Forests → (3) Eastern Madagascar → (4) Melanesia. Mapping these out geographically makes the arrangement highly intuitive.
| Order (West to East) | Hotspot | Geographical Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Furthest West) | Tropical Andes | Western coast of South America (approx. 60°W to 80°W). |
| 2 | Upper Guinean Forests | West Africa, stretching from Guinea to Togo (approx. 15°W to 5°E). |
| 3 | Eastern Madagascar | Island of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa (approx. 45°E to 50°E). |
| 4 (Furthest East) | Melanesia (New Caledonia) | Southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia (approx. 165°E). |
The concept of “biodiversity hotspots” was first introduced by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988. Examiners frequently test the two strict criteria required for a region to qualify:
- High Endemism: It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (more than 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics (meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth).
- High Threat Level: It must have lost at least 70% of its original native habitat.
There are currently 36 recognized hotspots worldwide. While they originally covered 15.7% of the Earth’s surface, their intact habitats now cover just 2.5%. Despite their small footprint, they support nearly 43% of all bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species as endemics. Here is their regional breakdown:
| Region | Recognized Hotspots |
|---|---|
| North & Central America | California Floristic Province, Caribbean Islands, Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands, Mesoamerica, North American Coastal Plain. |
| South America | Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests, Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena, and the Tropical Andes (the richest and most diverse hotspot on Earth). |
| Europe & Central Asia | Caucasus, Irano-Anatolian, Mediterranean Basin, Mountains of Central Asia. |
| Africa | Cape Floristic Region, Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, Eastern Afromontane, Guinean Forests of West Africa, Horn of Africa, Madagascar & Indian Ocean Islands, Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany, Succulent Karoo. |
| Asia-Pacific | East Melanesian Islands, Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Japan, Mountains of Southwest China, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Philippines, Polynesia-Micronesia, Southwest Australia, Sundaland, Wallacea, Western Ghats & Sri Lanka. |
Arrange the following National Parks of India from West to East:
(1) Kanha
(2) Vansada
(3) Kaziranga
(4) Bhitarkanika
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Add detailed solution here.
Match List I with List II:
List-I (ICFRE Centre):
(a) IWST
(b) IFB
(c) IFR
(d) RFRI
List-II (Place):
(i) Hyderabad
(ii) Jorhat
(iii) Bengaluru
(iv) Ranchi
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
The correct matching for the list is indeed (C) (iii) (i) (iv) (ii). Here is the step-by-step breakdown of the correct pairs:
- (a) IWST (Institute of Wood Science and Technology) is located in (iii) Bengaluru.
- (b) IFB (Institute of Forest Biodiversity) is located in (i) Hyderabad.
- (c) IFR (Typo in original paper, refers to IFP) is located in (iv) Ranchi.
- (d) RFRI (Rain Forest Research Institute) is located in (ii) Jorhat.
Notice the typo in the original question: (c) IFR. The correct acronym for the institute in Ranchi is IFP (Institute of Forest Productivity). HPPSC is known for occasional typos—always use the process of elimination for the other options to confirm your answer!
The ICFRE is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), headquartered in Dehradun. It oversees various research institutes and advanced centers across India’s different biogeographical regions.
| Institute Name | Acronym | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Arid Forest Research Institute | AFRI | Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| Forest Research Institute | FRI | Dehradun, Uttarakhand |
| Himalayan Forest Research Institute | HFRI | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh |
| Institute of Forest Biodiversity | IFB | Hyderabad, Telangana |
| Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding | IFGTB | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu |
| Institute of Forest Productivity | IFP | Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| Institute of Wood Science and Technology | IWST | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Rain Forest Research Institute | RFRI | Jorhat, Assam |
| Tropical Forest Research Institute | TFRI | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
- Advanced Research Centre for Bamboo and Rattan (ARCBR): Aizawl, Mizoram (A unit of RFRI).
- Centre for Forestry Research and Human Resource Development (CFRHRD): Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh (A satellite center of TFRI).
- Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation (CSFER): Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
- Centre for Forest Based Livelihood and Extension (CFLE): Agartala, Tripura.
- Centre for Coastal Ecosystem (CEC): Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
- Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM): Located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It is a premier sectoral management institute focusing on forestry, environment, and allied sectors.
- Forest Survey of India (FSI): Headquartered in Dehradun. It is responsible for the assessment and monitoring of the forest resources of the country (publishes the biennial State of Forest Report).
- Wildlife Institute of India (WII): Located in Dehradun. It is an internationally acclaimed institution that trains wildlife managers and conducts extensive research on biodiversity and wildlife conservation.
- Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA): Located in Dehradun. It imparts primary training to the Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers.
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON): Located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It specializes in the study of birds and their habitats.
- G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE): Located in Almora, Uttarakhand. It focuses on the sustainable development and ecological security of the Indian Himalayan Region.