Cracking the UPSC Mains: Essential Themes for Success

GS-3 (Science and Technology)

This document aims to provide you with insights into important themes that UPSC has
asked in the mains exam and potential topics that UPSC may ask in the 2023 mains exam

 Science and Technology-

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1) What do you understand by Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various

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components. Explain how silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system? (2013)

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2) What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their applications
in aviation and automobile industry (2013)

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3) How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of

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the technology. (2013)

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Prepare following themes-
 Blockchain technology- Government launched Blockchain Project to explore potential of

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Web3.

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 National Quantum mission- Recently, National Quantum Mission received cabinet

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approval

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 5G/6G technology

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 Generative Artificial Intelligence (most important)
 The Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on the job market, skills development,
and economic growth
B) Biotechnology-
1) What do you understand by fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and
demerits. (2013)
2) 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? (2017)
3) Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this
activity benefitted the field of biopharma? (2018)
4) What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will
these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (2021)
Prepare following themes-
 Stem Cell- because A team of scientists in the US and the UK has developed the world's
first ever synthetic human embryo-like structures using stem cells.
 Mitochondrial Treatment

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  Genomic Surveillance- With outbreaks of several pathogens and their variants, including
COVID-19, monkey pox etc., in recent years, need to build a sustainable system for
genomic surveillance is felt.
 CRISPR-CAS 9
 CAR-T therapy
 GM Crops- because Recently the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) issued Guidelines
for Safety Assessment of Genome Edited Plants, 2022 easing norms for research into
genetically modified (GM) crops.
C) IPR-
1) Bring out the circumstances in 2005 which forced amendment to section 3(d) in the India n

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Patent Law, 1970. Discuss how it has been utilized by Supreme Court in its judgment
rejecting Novartis patent application for “Glivec”. Discuss briefly the pros and cons of the

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decision. (2013)

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2) 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.

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(2014)

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3) India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing

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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 making

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this database publicly available under open-source licensing (2015)

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D) Nano-technology-

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1) What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector? (2020)

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2) 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

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its application in the development process of the country (2016)
Prepare following themes-
 Nano-fertilizers for sustainable crop production and maintaining soil health report
released
 Role of Nano technology in drug delivery and Disease Monitoring
E) Robot-
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. (2015)
F) Nuclear-
1) Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India.
What is the advantage of fast breeder reactor programme in India (2017)
Prepare following themes-
 Nuclear fusion power generation
 India’s three-stage nuclear energy program

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G) Medical-
1) Vaccine- 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 to the pandemic. (2020)
2) Vaccine- 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? (2022)
3) The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the
community. What are those challenges and what steps need to be taken to meet them ?
(2022)
4) Anti-biotic- Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the

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contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available

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mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved (2014)

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Prepare following themes-
 One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022-2026) (OH JPA)

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 AI in Health

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 Recently, WHO in partnership with the Global AMR R&D Hub, has released ‘Incentivizing

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the development of New Antibacterial Treatments 2023’ Report.

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 mRNA vaccine its utility, challenges, and difference between mRNA vaccine, DNA
vaccine and other traditional vaccines

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H) Defence-

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1) How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available
in the world? (2020)

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Prepare Following themes-
 India’s first hybrid-sounding rocket launched by private players from Chengalpattu,
Tamil Nadu.
 Applications of Drones in defence
I) Space-
1) 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. (2015)
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 (2016)
3) India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions including the
Chandrayaan and Mars Orbitter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space mission,
both in terms of technology and logistics? Explain critically. ( 2017)
4) What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space
programme? (2019)
5) Webb Space Telescope- Launched 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

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 to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential
benefits does it hold for the human race? (2022)
Prepare following themes-
 Chandrayaan-3
 Recently, Indian Space Policy-2023 was approved by the Government.
 ISRO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission
(RLV LEX)
 NISAR
 Space tourism- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning space tourism by
2030

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 Satellite based communication- because

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 Private Sector in Space programme-

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 Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) Mission

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J) Scientist-

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1) Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show
how it revolutionized the field of Physics. ( 2018)

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2) The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for

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the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of
human beings? (2021)

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Prepare following themes-

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 Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose (J.C. Bose)’s contribution in Science
K) Science and Education-

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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 (2014)
L) Science and Agriculture-
1) How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in
agriculture triggered off by the science-based technologies? ( 2020)
Prepare following themes-
 Drone technology in Agriculture
 AI in Agriculture
M) Science and Traditional Knowledge-
1) How is the government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting
by pharmaceutical companies? ( 2019)
Prepare following themes-
 Cabinet approves widening access to Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) to
users, besides patent offices.

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  Traditional Medicines- because Recently, WHO Director-General laid the foundation
stone for world's first and only Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at
Jamnagar in Gujarat.
N) Another topic-
Prepare following themes-
 Recently, Prime Minister stated that India has embraced technology to revolutionise
governance and uplift service delivery
 NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL POLICY, 2022- The Ministry of Science and Technology has
notified a citizen-centric National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022, to strengthen the
Geospatial sector to support national development

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 Use of Lithium Battery
[Note: Prepare all PYQ themes in depth]

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