12th March 2025

Explanation - The sarus crane (Antigone antigone) is a large non-migratory crane. It is found in open wetlands in South Asia, seasonally flooded Dipterocarpus forests in Southeast Asia, and Eucalyptus-dominated woodlands and grasslands in Australia. The Sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world standing 152-156 cm tall with a wingspan of 240cm. The sarus crane is easily distinguished from other cranes in the region by its overall grey colour and the contrasting red head and upper neck. The main threat to the Sarus crane in India is habitat loss and degradation due to draining the wetland and conversion of land for agriculture. Status - Listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 of India and as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List

Explanation - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI was established on the basis of a decision by the Swedish Parliament and receives a substantial part of its funding in the form of an annual grant from the Swedish Government. It releases the annual report 'Trends in World Military Expenditure'.

Explanation - The Kisan Credit Card Scheme is implemented by Scheduled Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks and Cooperatives. The model scheme was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on the recommendation of V Gupta committee. In Budget 2018-19, the government extended the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers for meeting working capital needs.

Explanation - Swine flu is caused by type A influenza viruses and primarily affects pigs, but human infections can occur. The first confirmed case of H1N1 in India was reported in May 2009, and the virus has caused significant outbreaks in subsequent years. Swine flu can spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, or touching contaminated surfaces. Symptoms of swine flu in humans include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and sometimes diarrhoea and vomiting. As of now, there is no specific vaccine available to protect against swine flu.

Explanation - The Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) is a temperature probe. It can be driven into the moon's surface using a motor to a depth of up to 10 cm. It has 10 sensors. It measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the South Pole to understand its thermal behaviour.

It was developed by the Space Physics Laboratory of ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), together with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad. Its findings reflect this variation between the moon's surface, which is covered by a patina of loose rocks and dust called the lunar regolith and 10 cm under it. Its data show that at the moon's surface (where the lander is located, a point between the craters Manzinus C and Simpelius N), the temperature is 40-50 degrees But just under 80 mm under, it plunges to around -10 degrees C.