Science and Technology
42 questions
2025
- 2025 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)? What is the potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change?
- 2025 · GS3 · 10 marksThe 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?
- 2025 · GS3 · 10 marksHow can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047? How can biotechnology play a crucial role in this endeavour?
- 2025 · GS3 · 15 marksIndia 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.
- 2025 · GS3 · 15 marksHow does nanotechnology offer significant advancements in the field of agriculture? How can this technology help to uplift the socio-economic status of farmers?
2024
- 2024 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe?
- 2024 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat 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 less commercialization.
- 2024 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat 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?
2023
- 2023 · GS3 · 10 marksIntroduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?
- 2023 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.
- 2023 · GS3 · 10 marksDiscuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.
2022
- 2022 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines?
- 2022 · GS3 · 10 marksEach year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes this cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water and other end products?
- 2022 · GS3 · 15 marksLaunched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race?
2021
- 2021 · GS3 · 15 marksThe Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in the 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings?
- 2021 · GS3 · 15 marksWhat are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society?
2020
- 2020 · GS3 · 15 marksCOVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management of the pandemic.
- 2020 · GS3 · 10 marksHow is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered by science-based technologies?
- 2020 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat do you understand about nanotechnology and how is it helping in the health sector?
2019
2018
- 2018 · GS3 · 15 marksWhy is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?
- 2018 · GS3 · 10 marksDiscuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionised the field of Physics.
2017
- 2017 · GS3 · 15 marksGive an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of the fast breeder reactor programme in India?
- 2017 · GS3 · 10 marksIndia has achieved remarkable successs in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space missions, both in terms of technology and logistics? Explain critically
- 2017 · GS3 · 10 marksStem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments?
2016
- 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksGive an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
- 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksDiscuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?
- 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhy is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the salient features of the Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country.
2015
- 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marksDiscuss the advantage and security implication of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in house machine based hosting for government business.
- 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhat are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel the research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.
- 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marksIndia’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a powerful weapon in the country's fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making the database publicly available under open source licensing.
- 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marksWhat do you understand about “Standard Positioning System” and “Precision positioning system” in the GPS era? Discuss the advantage India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.
2014
- 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marksCan overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription, be contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
- 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marksScientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment.
2013
- 2013 · GS3 · 5 marksHow does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
- 2013 · GS3 · 5 marksWhat is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Giver various salient built-in features of a digital signature.
- 2013 · GS3 · 5 marksWhat is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their applications in the aviation and automobile industry
- 2013 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat are social networking site and what security implications do these sites present?
- 2013 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat do you understand by fixed-dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.
- 2013 · GS3 · 5 marksWhat do you understand by a run-of-the-ride hydroelectricity project? How is it different from any other hydroelectricity project?
- 2013 · GS3 · 10 marksWhat do you understand by the Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system.