Solution (a)

Kilauea Volcano volcano erupted from at least two vents inside its deep summit crater after a two-year break.

Kilauea, also called Mount Kilauea, the world’s most active volcanic mass, located on the southeastern part of the island of Hawaii, Hawaii state, U.S.

It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, which has erupted almost continuously between 1983 and 2018.

It had a lava lake in its crater from the last decade of that eruption.

When erupting, Kilauea spews large amount of sulfur dioxide.

This sulfur dioxide forms volcanic smog, when it mixes with oxygen, sunlight and other gases in the air.

Solution (a)

In news: Himachal Pradesh is doing a door-to-door surveillance campaign to screen the state’s entire population for symptoms of leprosy.

It is chronic, curable infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.

It affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, and eyes.

Symptoms include light-coloured or red skin patches with reduced sensation, numbness and weakness in hands and feet.

Claw hands, drop foot, eye damage, skin nodules, lesions and ulcers are some of the visible impairments associated with leprosy.

The disease is treatable with multi-drug therapy within 6-12 months, which combines three drugs to kill the pathogen and cure the victim.

India officially became leprosy free in 2005.

Solution (b)

In news: Recently, the Prime Minister has virtually released the next installment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi:

Launched in February 2019, it is a Central Sector Scheme, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

On its first anniversary, the PM-KISAN Mobile App developed and designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was launched.

Under the scheme, the Centre transfers an amount of Rs. 6,000 per year, in three equal installments, directly into the bank accounts of the all landholding farmers irrespective of the size of their landholdings.

The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with the State/UT Governments.

It aims to:

• Reduce the input cost of the farmers.
• Ensure a fair price for the crop.
• Open new markets for the farmers to sell their crop.
• Supplement the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs).

Solution (c)

In news: Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has asked Odisha to submit a status report on the adverse impact of tourism on Satkosia Tiger Reserve.

Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Bhubaneswar comprises two adjoining sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary.

It is located in the Angul district of Odisha where the Mahanadi River passes through a 22 km long gorge in the Eastern Ghats Mountains. The area is also a part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.

Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing to immense biodiversity. The major plant communities are mixed deciduous forests including Sal and riverine forest.

Solution (c)

Chandrayaan-2

• It is an integrated 3-in-1 spacecraft of around 3,877 kg consisting of an Orbiter of the Moon, Vikram (after Vikram Sarabhai) – the lander and Pragyan (wisdom) – the rover, all equipped with scientific instruments to study the moon.
• The Chandrayaan-2 was India’s first attempt to land on the lunar surface.
• ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed in September last year. Its orbiter, which is still in the lunar orbit, has a mission life of seven years.

Objective:

• Try and build on the evidence of water molecules shown by Chandrayaan-1 and study the extent and distribution of water on the Moon.
• Study topography, seismography, composition of lunar surface and the lunar atmosphere.
• The study of ancient rocks and craters can offer indications of origin and evolution of the Moon.
• The South Pole region of the Moon also contains clues to the fossil records of early solar systems. Thus, it can improve our understanding of the early solar system as well.