UPSC IAS Science and Technology Mains Questions

Here we are provided subject-wise previous Year questions for UPSC IAS Science and Technology Mains Questions. This will help more

understanding of the topic and exam pattern.

Provided questions from 2023 to 2013

Syllabus for Science and Technology

1. 1. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
   2. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology
   3. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights

Last Updated on : 07-01-2024

2023 Science & Technology Mains Questions

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?
2. Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.
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 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.

2022 Science & Technology Mains Questions

1. Private players can bring in the innovation needed for developing space-based applications and services”. In light of this statement, highlight the role of the private sector in India’s space science and technology.
2. Starlink will change the internet connectivity “. Discuss the utility of the project in bringing remote connectivity.
3. Indian Biological Data Bank will reduce the dependency of Indian researchers on American and European data banks.” In light of the statement, discuss key features of the indigenous data bank centre.
4.  What are the unique features of the James Webb telescope 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?
5. India’s data storage centre industry has leap-frogged at least a decade in the past couple of years. Discuss.

2021 Science & Technology Mains Questions

1. The Nobel Prize in Physics in 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? 250 words
2. How is the S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world?  150 words
3. What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? 250 words

2020 Science & Technology Mains Questions

1. What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in the health sector?
2. How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered by science-based technologies?
3. The 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 the management of the pandemic.

2019 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme?
2. How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers?
3. Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of a fast breeder reactor programme in India?
4. How is the Government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies?

2018 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics.
2. Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?
3. With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy.

2017 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. 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.
2. India has achieved remarkable successes 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

2016 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.
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?
3. Why 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 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. How can the ‘Digital India’ programme help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the Government taken in this regard?
2. To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment costs and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for the thermal power producers and the related industry?
3. What do you understand by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Protection Positioning Systems’ in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.
4. 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.
5. Discuss the advantages and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in-house machine-based hosting for government businesses.
6. 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 the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-source licensing.

2014 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as our business operations, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment.
2. Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the 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.
3. In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and trade secrets.

2013 – Science and Technology Mains Questions

1. What do you understand by Fixed-Dose drug Combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.
2. What is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Give various salient built-in features of a digital signature.
3. How does 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
4. Bringing out the circumstances in 2005 which forced an amendment to section 3(d) in Indian Patent Law, 1970, discuss how it has been utilized by the Supreme Court in its judgement in rejecting Novartis’ patent application for ‘Glivec’. Discuss briefly the pros and cons of the decision.
5. What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their application in the aviation and automobile industries.