Mention the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in 2021 and their impact on regional environment. (Answer in 150 words)

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2021 में घटित ज्वालामुखी विस्फोटों की वैश्विक घटनाओं का उल्लेख करते हुए क्षेत्रीय पर्यावरण पर उनके द्वारा पड़े प्रभाव को बताइए । (150 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2021 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.

Europe and the Atlantic: Fagradalsfjall (Iceland, from March) sent lava flows and SO₂ pollution; La Soufrière (St Vincent, April) caused ashfall and mass evacuation; Cumbre Vieja (La Palma, September–December) destroyed about 2,988 buildings, its lava entering the Atlantic damaged marine habitat, and toxic gases degraded air quality.

Africa: Nyiragongo (DR Congo, May) sent lava into Goma's suburbs, killed 32, and made about 400,000 flee; groundwater contamination and Lake Kivu gas risks followed.

Asia: Semeru (Indonesia, December) killed over 50; ash and lahars buried villages in East Java and damaged farmland.

Regionally, ash caused respiratory hazards, water acidification and crop damage, while sulphur dioxide degraded air quality.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: Geography: explain the mechanism, then location follows; Link physical geography to human outcome

What earns full marks: Names specific 2021 events and clearly links physical mechanisms to distinct regional environmental outcomes.

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

The answer Identify 2021 eruptions and explain their specific regional environmental consequences. 10 marks · 150 words

highlight— name the salient points → one line of substance each → close
Must cover
- Name specific 2021 eruptions (e.g., La Palma, Nyiragongo, Semeru)
- Explain the physical mechanism (e.g., lava flow, ashfall, lahar, gas emission)
- Link eruption to specific regional environmental impact (e.g., soil burial, air quality)
- Distinguish between local and wider regional effects
Loses marks
- Narrating chronology without explaining the environmental mechanism
- Listing eruptions without linking them to specific regional impacts
- Using emotive words instead of geographical analysis
Earns more
- Mention specific impact on agriculture or water sources
- Reference the 'Ring of Fire' or specific tectonic setting
- Note the duration of the environmental impact
Extra mark
- 30-second sketch map locating the eruptions
- One robust statistic on ash dispersal or damage

What "Mention" is asking you to do

Put specific factual content on record — the names, features, targets or instances the stem asks for. Mention is usually the subordinate half of a larger question, so it must be done fully but quickly, leaving room for the part that carries the main directive.

Structure that answers it

The items named directly, without preamble → one qualifying detail against each → straight on to the part of the stem the marks actually sit in

Where marks are lost

Gesturing at the category instead of naming the particulars, or expanding it until the analytical half of the question is squeezed.

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