1)Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
How does Al help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in
the use of Al in healthcare? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2)The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing
worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key
benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles? (15 Marks, 250
Words)
3)What 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 system 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. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2022
1)Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy
needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from
fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain. (15 Marks, 250
Words)
2)Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space
Telescope has been much 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? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
3)What 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? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2021
1)How is the S-400 air defence system technically
superior to any other system presently available in the world? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2)What are the research and developmental achievements in
applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of
society? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
3)The 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? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2020
1)What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it
helping in health sector? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2)COVID-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. (15 Marks, 250
Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2019
1)How can biotechnology help to improve the living
standards of farmers? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
2)What is India's plan to have its own space station and
how will it benefit our space programme? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2018
1)With growing energy needs should India keep on
expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear
energy? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
2)Discuss the work of 'Bose-Einstein Statistics' done by
Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics.(10 Marks, 150
Words)
3)Why is there so much activity in the field of
biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma? (15
Marks, 250 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2017
1)India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned
space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into
manned space mission. What are the main obstacles to launching a manned space mission, both in
terms of technology and logistics? Examine critically.(10 Marks, 150 Words)
2)Give an account of the growth and development of
nuclear science and technology in India. What is theadvantage of fast breeder reactor programme
in India? (15 Marks, 250 Words)
3)Stem 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?(10 Marks, 150 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2016
1)Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of
the 21st century? Describe the salient features of Indian Government's Mission on Nanoscience
and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country (12.5
Marks, 200 Words)
2)Discuss 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? (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2015
1)What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be
sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel research in premier
research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
2)India'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 country's fight against erroneous patents. Discuss
the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-source licensing (12.5
Marks, 200 Words)
3)What do you understand by 'Standard Positioning System'
and 'Precision Positioning System' in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from
its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2014
1)Can 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. (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
2)Scientific research in Indian universities is
declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as are business professions,
engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumeroriented. Critically
comment (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
3)In a globalized world, Intellectual Property Rights
assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms
Copyrights, Patents and Trade Secrets (12.5 Marks, 200 Words)
UPSC Mains Science & Technology - 2013
1)What do you understand by Umpire Decision Review System
in Cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicone tape on the edge of a bat may
fool the system? (10 Marks, 200 Words)
2)(a) What is a digital signature? What does its
authentication mean? Give various salient built-in features of a digital signature.(5 Marks, 100
Words)
(b) How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the
technology (5 Marks, 100 Words)
3)Bringing out the circumstances in 2005 which forced
amendment to the section 3(d) in Indian Patent Law, 1970, discuss how it has been utilized by
the Supreme Court in its judgement in rejecting Novratis" patent application for 'Glivec.
Discuss briefly the pros and cons of the decision. (10 Marks, 200 Words)
4)What do you understand by Fixed Dose Drug Combinations
(FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits (10 Marks, 200 Words)
5)(a) What is an FRP composite material? How are they
manufactured? Discuss their applications in aviation and automobile industries. (5 Marks, 100
Words)
(b) What do you understand by Run-of-river hydroelectricity project? How is it different from
any other hydroelectricity project? (5 Marks, 100 Words)
