Science and Technology

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 Syllabus
• Science and Technology- developments and their applications
and effects in everyday life
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology
• Indigenization of technology and developing new technology
• Awareness in the fields of
o IT
o Space
o Computers
o Robotics
o Nano-technology
o Bio-technology
o Issues relating to intellectual property rights.
 Past Year Questions - Mains
Space technology
1. 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. (Answer in 250 words) 15. 2023
2. 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 to its predecessor Space Telescopes ? What
are the key goals of this mission ? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (Answer in
250 words) 15 2023
3. What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? 2019
4. Why is Indian Regional Satellite Navigation System needed? How does it help in navigation. (Paper 1
2018) 150 words 10 marks
5. How doe Juno mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of Earth. (Paper 1 2017) 150
words 10 marks
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
 Past Year Questions - Mains
Biotechnology
1. Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current
fuel shortage. (Answer in 150 words) 2023
2. 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 ? (Answer in 250 words) 15
3. What are the research and developmental achievements in applied
biotechnology/? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of
the society? (Answer in 250 words) 2022
4. How can biotechnology improve the living standards of farmers? 2019
5. Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How
has this activity benefitted the field of biopharmacy? 2018
6. 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
 Past Year Questions - Mains
• Nanotechnology
o What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector? 2020
o 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. 2016

• IPR Related Issues

o How is the government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from
patenting by pharmaceutical companies? 2019
o 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
making this database publicly available under open-source licensing. 2015
o 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.
2014
 Past Year Questions - Mains
• Nuclear Technology
o With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy
programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. 2018
o 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
• Contributions of India in Science and Technology
o How was India benefited from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M.
S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science
respectively? 2019
o Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose
and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics. 2018
• Robotics
o 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
 Past Year Questions - Mains
• ICT
o 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? (Answer in 150 words) 2023
• Defence
o How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system
presently available in the world? (Answer in 150 words) 2022
 Past Year Questions - Mains
• Science and Technology – Developments and Applications
o 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? (Answer in 250
words) 2023
o The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and
Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted
the everyday life of human beings ? (Answer in 250 words) 2022
o 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. 2020
o How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in
agriculture triggered off by the science-based technologies? 2020
o 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
o 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. 2014
 Space Technology

Copyright © 2016 by Vision IAS. [www.visionias.in]

 Topics to Be covered
• Scope of Space Technology
• Why Satellites revolve and why Rockets go upwards? –
Newton’s laws of motion
• Orbit of Planets around sun – Keppler’s laws
• Types of orbits around Earth
• Types of Satellites and their applications
• Launch Vehicles of ISRO
• Significant missions of ISRO
• Emerging trends in Space Technology

Copyright © 2016 by Vision IAS. [www.visionias.in] Subject, Topic & Expert

Copyright © 2016 by Vision IAS. [www.visionias.in] Subject, Topic & Expert
Copyright © 2016 by Vision IAS. [www.visionias.in] Subject, Topic & Expert
Copyright © 2016 by Vision IAS. [www.visionias.in] Subject, Topic & Expert
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Orbits around Earth
 Inclination of Orbits

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 Polar Orbits

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 Geosynchronous, Geostationary and Geo Transfer orbit

Geosynchronous orbit
• satellite completes one orbit
around the earth in one
sidereal day (23 hours 59
minutes, 4.091 seconds)
• an altitude of about 35,786 km
• Communications and
surveillance satellites

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Geosynchronous, Geostationary and Geo Transfer orbit

Geostationary orbit
• Circular Orbit
• a special case of a
geosynchronous orbit
• stay over the same point of
the earth's equator
• Orbit lies in Equatorial plane
Geosynchronous, Geostationary and Geo Transfer orbit

Geo Transfer orbit

• an elliptical orbit used to transfer
a spacecraft from a low altitude
orbit or flight trajectory to
geostationary/geosynchronous
orbit.
• Apogee – 35,786 km
Polar Sun synchronous orbit (PSSO)

Polar Sun synchronous orbit

• satellite's orientation is fixed
relative to the Sun throughout the
year
• whenever the satellite observes a
given ground location, the Sun is
always in the same location in the
sky.
• satellite passes over any given
point of the planet's surface at the
same local solar time.

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 Polar Sun synchronous orbit (PSSO)

• This consistent lighting is a useful characteristic for satellites that image the Earth’s surface
• can compare images from the same season over several years
• very useful thing for a weather or Earth Observation/Remote Sensing satellite
• precession of the orbital plane around the Earth due to gravitational irregularities keeps the plane at a constant
angle with respect to a line between the Earth and Sun throughout the year.
• 96–98°, LEO
 UPSC Prelims Questions
Satellites used for telecommunication relay
An artificial satellite orbiting around the are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite
Earth does not fall down. This is so is said to be in such an orbit when
because the attraction of Earth. 1. The orbit is geosynchronous.
(a) Does not exist at such distance
2. The orbit is circular.
(b) Is neutralized by the attraction of
the moon 3. The orbit lies in the plane of the Earth’s
(c) Provides the necessary speed for its equator.
steady motion 4. The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km.
(d) Provides the necessary acceleration
for its motion Select the correct answer using the codes
given below:
(a) 1,2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
 ISRO Classification of Satellites
• Communication
• Earth Observations
• Navigation
• Space Science
• Experimental
• Small Satellite
• University / Academic Institute Satellites
Communication Satellites
 VSAT

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Satellite frequency
Remote sensing satellite
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 LIDAR SAR

Hyperspectral
Imaging
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 NISAR Mission
• NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
• a technique for producing fine-resolution
images
• It requires that the radar be moving either
on an airplane or orbiting in space.
• dual frequency L-band and S- band
radar mission
• map Earth every 12 days from two
directions.
• studying hazards and global
environmental change
• ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse,
and natural hazards such as earthquakes,
tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides
 Satellite Navigation

• It takes four GPS satellites to calculate a • With one satellite you could be
precise location anywhere on an imaginary red sphere.
• three to determine a position on the Earth, • Add a second satellite (green sphere),
and one to adjust for the error in the you can only be where these two
receiver's clock imaginary spheres intersect
 Satellite Navigation

• Add a third satellite (blue sphere) and In this • To correct for the GPS receiver's clock
situation, there are only two points (the two error and find your precise position, a
white points) where you could possibly be fourth satellite (yellow sphere) must be
used.
GPS
 NAVIC

• an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India

• to provide Reliable Position, Navigation and Timing services over India and its
neighbourhood
• 1500 km beyond border
• consists of the IRNSS constellation of seven satellites
• 3 satellites in the geostationary orbit and the remaining 4 in geosynchronous orbits
• Standard Positioning and Restricted Services
 GAGAN
• Airports Authority of India
(AAI) and ISRO
• to provide Satellite-based
Navigation services for civil
aviation applications
• to provide better Air Traffic
Management over Indian
Airspace
Launch vehciles
Stages of a Launch vehicle
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33:47 ᴛ-10
33:57 ʟɪғᴛᴏғғ
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38:17 sᴛᴀɢᴇ 3 sᴇᴩᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
40:27 ᴇɴɢɪɴᴇ ᴄᴜᴛᴏғғ
43:44 sᴛᴀɢᴇ 4 sᴇᴩᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
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51:57 sᴀᴛᴛᴇʟɪᴛᴇ sᴇᴩᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 1
53:16 sᴀᴛᴛᴇʟɪᴛᴇ sᴇᴩᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 2

PSLV
• 1750 kg payload to 600
km
• 1425 kg to GTO
• 4 statge: S-L-S-L
• For LEO
GSLV MK II
• 6000 kg payload to LEO
• 2,250 kg to GTO
• S-L-C
LVM 3 (GSLV MK III)
• 8000 kg payload to 600 km
• 4000 kg to GTO
• 3 stage: S-L-C
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)
• Cost effective launcher, launch on
demand
• 500kg in 500km orbit
• 3 solid propulsion stages and Liquid
Velocity Trimming module as terminal
stage
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk338VXc
b24&t=98s – Falcon 9 Animation
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 Q. For the measurement/estimation of
Q. In which of the following activities which of the following are satellite
are Indian Remote Sensing Satellites images/remote sensing data used?
used?
1. Chlorophyll content in the vegetation of a
1. Assessment of crop productivity specific location
2. Locating groundwater resources
3. Mineral Exploration 2. Greenhouse gas emissions from rice
paddies of a specific location
4. Telecommunications
5. Traffic studies 3. Land surface temperatures of a specific
Select the correct answers using the location
code given below. Select the correct answer using the code
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only given below.
(b) 4 and 5 only
(a) 1 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
 Q. With reference to the Indian Regional
Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider
Q. In which of the following the following statements:
areas can GPS technology be 1. IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary
used? and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
1. Mobile phone operations 2. IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq.
2. Banking operations km beyond its borders.
3. Controlling the power grids 3. India will have its own satellite navigation
Select the correct answer system with full global coverage by the middle
using the code given below: of 2019.

(a) 1 only Which of the statements given above is/are

(b) 2 and 3 only correct?

(c) 1 and 3 only (a) 1 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) None
Q. With reference to India's satellite launch
vehicles, consider the following statements:
1. PSLVs launch the satellite useful for Earth
resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are
designed mainly to launch communication
satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to
remain permanently fixed in the same
position in the sky, as viewed from a
particular location in Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a fourstaged launch vehicle
with the first and third stages using solid
rocket motors; and the second and fourth
stages using liquid rocket engines.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 2 (d) 3 only
 GAGANYAAN
• Precursor missions to Gaganyaan
• Space Capsule Recovery Experiment
(SRE-2007)
• Crew module Atmospheric Reentry
Experiment (CARE-2014)
• GSLV Mk-III (2014)
• Crew Escape System and Pad Abort
Test Vyom Mitra: half humanoid, AI based robotic system for
Unmanned mission before Gaganyaan, developed by ISRO and
• Help from France and Russia IISc
• 3 people (or maybe only 1) for 7 days,
LEO (300-400 km), collaboration with IAF
• If successful – India will be 4th country
after USSR, USA and China
GAGANYAAN
Chandrayaan 3
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 Chandryaan 3 Payloads

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 Aditya L1 mission
• halo orbit around the
Sun-Earth Lagrangian point
(L1),
• about 1.5 million km from the
Earth.
• ISRO‘s first scientific expedition
to study Sun
• 400 kg-class satellite
• 7 payloads on board to study
Sun’s corona, solar emissions,
solar winds and flares, and
Coronal Mass Ejections, and will
carry out round-the-clock
imaging of Sun.
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Aditya L1 mission
 Aditya L1 mission

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 Lagrange Points and Halo Orbit
• 5 special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern
with two larger masses.
• gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the
centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
• The orbits around the Lagrangian point is called Halo Orbit.
• The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted
view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and
Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO.
• L2 is ideal for astronomy because a spacecraft is close enough to
readily communicate with Earth, can keep Sun, Earth and Moon
behind the spacecraft for solar power and provides a clear view of
deep space for our telescopes.
 Solar Corona

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 Solar Flare
Solar Wind

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 CME

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 Geomagnetic Storm

Aurora

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 Sun Spot Cycle
• Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the
surface of the Sun
• cooler than other parts of the Sun’s
surface.
• Strong magnetic fields: they some of
the heat within the Sun from reaching the
surfa
• Sun Spot Cycle: the recurring increase
and decrease in the number of sunspots
over a period averaging about eleven
years.
• Solar Maximum and Solar Minimum
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• Solar Wind, Solar Flare and Coronal Mass
Ejection
Van Allen Radiation Belt
 2022

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 Other proposed missions
• XPOSAT
• X-ray Polarimeter Satellite, is a planned dedicated mission to study
polarisation.
• degree and angle of polarisation of bright X-ray sources
• 5 years, 500-700km orbit
• study neutron stars, supenova remnants, pulsars and regions around
black holes.
• Shukrayaan
• Mangalyaan 2
• Space Station
 Space Debris
• Sources:
o Fragmentation of spacecraft and rocket bodies
o Discarded rocket stages:
o Defunct or outdated satellites
o Human-made objects: Other human-made
objects, such as tools, cameras
o Natural sources: Even natural events, such as
micrometeoroid impacts
• Way Forward:
o Space situational awareness
o Minimizing creation of debris
o Active removal of debris
Weaponization of Space
 Space Tourism

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 Organizational Structure of DoS

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