UPSC Science and technology Previous Year Questions

The fusion energy programme in India has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Mention India’s contributions to the international fusion energy project-International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). What will be the implications of the success of this project for the future of global energy? (Answer in 150 words)

How does nanotechnology offer significant advancements in the field of agriculture? How can this technology help to uplift the socio-economic status of farmers? (Answer in 250 words)

India aims to become a semiconductor manufacturing hub. What are the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry in India? Mention the salient features of the India Semiconductor Mission. (Answer in 250 words)

With reference to 'Direct Air Capture', an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct? I. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration. II. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing. III. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. AI and II only
2. BIII only
3. CI, II and III
4. DNone of the above statements is correct

Consider the following pairs (Plant : Description): I. Cassava : Woody shrub II. Ginger : Herb with pseudostem III. Malabar spinach : Herbaceous climber IV. Mint : Annual shrub V. Papaya : Woody shrub. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. AOnly two
2. BOnly three
3. COnly four
4. DAll five

Consider the following types of vehicles: I. Full battery electric vehicles II. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles III. Fuel cell-electric hybrid vehicles. How many of the above are considered as alternative powertrain vehicles?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements: I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as the source of power supply. How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements: I. Cobalt II. Graphite III. Lithium IV. Nickel. How many of the above usually make up the cathode of the battery?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. COnly three
4. DAll the four

Consider the following substances: I. Ethanol II. Nitroglycerine III. Urea. Coal gasification technology can be used in the production of how many of them?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

What is the common characteristic of the chemical substances generally known as CL-20, HMX and LLM-105, which are sometimes talked about in media?

1. AThese are alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants
2. BThese are explosives in military weapons
3. CThese are high-energy fuels for cruise missiles
4. DThese are fuels for rocket propulsion

Consider the following statements: I. It is expected that Majorana 1 chip will enable quantum computing. II. Majorana 1 chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS). III. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. AI and II only
2. BII and III only
3. CI and III only
4. DI, II and III

With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements: I. They are man-made proteins. II. They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens. III. They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. AI and II only
2. BII and III only
3. CI and III only
4. DI, II and III

Consider the following statements: I. No virus can survive in ocean waters. II. No virus can infect bacteria. III. No virus can change the cellular transcriptional activity in host cells. How many of the above statements are correct?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

Consider the following statements: Statement I: Some rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of flat television screens and computer monitors. Statement II: Some rare earth elements have phosphorescent properties. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
2. BBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
3. CStatement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
4. DStatement I is not correct but Statement II is correct

Consider the following statements: I. Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a 'future ready' railway system by 2028. II. 'Kavach' is an Automatic Train Protection system developed in collaboration with Germany. III. 'Kavach' system consists of RFID tags fitted on track in the station section. Which of the statements given above are not correct?

1. AI and II only
2. BII and III only
3. CI and III only
4. DI, II and III

Consider the following space missions: I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan. How many of the above space missions encourage and support microgravity research?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

Artificial way of causing rainfall to reduce air pollution makes use of

1. Asilver iodide and potassium iodide
2. Bsilver nitrate and potassium iodide
3. Csilver iodide and potassium nitrate
4. Dsilver nitrate and potassium chloride

GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) uses a system of ground-based stations to provide necessary augmentation. Which of the following statements is/are correct in respect of GAGAN? I. It is designed to provide additional accuracy and integrity. II. It will allow more uniform and high quality air traffic management. III. Its benefits will be available only in aviation but not in other modes of transportation. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. AI, II and III
2. BII and III only
3. COnly I
4. DI and II only

What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although, India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this limited commercialization. (Answer in 150 words)

What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards? (Answer in 150 words)