Science & Technology is one of the most current-affairs-driven sections of UPSC CSE Prelims and a key component of Mains GS Paper III. This module spans Space Technology and ISRO missions, Biotechnology and life sciences, Defence Technology and India's missile systems, Nuclear Technology and India's three-stage programme, IT and Cybersecurity, and Emerging Technologies (AI, blockchain, 5G, quantum computing) — with every mission name, article, and numeric fact carried over, plus worked examples and diagrams for each topic.
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
Science & Technology has no strict subject prerequisite, but it connects closely with Indian Economy (PLI schemes, semiconductor mission) and Indian Polity (data protection law, regulatory bodies like GEAC and CERT-In). Once you've worked through the chapters below, head to the Science & Technology hub page to generate practice tests, or explore Study Material for other UPSC CSE subjects.
ISRO missions are asked almost every year in UPSC. Chandrayaan-3, Mangalyaan, Aditya-L1, NavIC, and India's launch vehicles are high-priority topics. Keep track of the latest ISRO achievements for current affairs links.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Established | 1969; HQ Bengaluru |
| Under | Department of Space (DOS); directly under PM; Space Commission is apex body |
| First Indian satellite | Aryabhata (1975, launched by USSR) |
| First indigenously launched satellite | Rohini (RS-1) by SLV-3, 1980; SLV-3 built by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam |
| IN-SPACe | Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (2020); promotes private sector participation in space |
| NSIL | NewSpace India Limited; ISRO's commercial arm; launched OneWeb satellites on LVM3 |
| Vehicle | Type | Payload / Use |
|---|---|---|
| PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) | 4-stage (solid-liquid alternating); workhorse of ISRO | ~1750 kg to SSO; launches Earth observation + navigation satellites; launched 104 satellites in one go (2017) |
| GSLV Mk II | 3-stage with cryogenic upper stage (indigenous); CUS (Cryogenic Upper Stage) | ~2500 kg to GTO; communication satellites |
| LVM3 / GSLV Mk III | Heavy-lift; indigenous cryo + semi-cryo; human-rated | ~10,000 kg to LEO / ~4,000 kg to GTO; used for Chandrayaan-3, OneWeb; Gaganyaan missions |
| SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) | 3-stage solid; quick turnaround (<7 days) | ~500 kg to LEO; low-cost small satellite launches |
| Mission | Year | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrayaan-1 | 2008 | India's first lunar mission; orbiter + Moon Impact Probe; discovered water molecules (OH) on lunar surface |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 2019 | Orbiter (still functional) + Vikram lander (hard landing); Pragyan rover; orbiter continues science operations |
| Chandrayaan-3 | 2023 | Successful soft landing near lunar south pole (23 Aug 2023); India = 4th country to land on Moon (after USSR, USA, China); 1st to land near south pole |
| Mangalyaan (MOM) | 2013 (launched); 2014 (Mars orbit) | India's first Mars mission; 1st Asian country to reach Mars; 1st country to succeed in maiden attempt; lost contact 2022 |
| Aditya-L1 | 2023 | India's first solar observatory mission; positioned at Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point (~1.5 million km from Earth); studies solar wind, corona |
| NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) | Operational ~2018 | India's regional navigation satellite system; 7 satellites; covers India + 1,500 km beyond; independent of GPS; used in fisheries, surveying, disaster management |
| Gaganyaan | Planned 2025 | India's first crewed spaceflight; 3-person crew; LVM3 launch vehicle; TV-D1 abort test successful (2023) |
| IRNSS / NavIC | Series 2013–2018 | 7 satellites (3 GEO + 4 GSO); India's own GPS; signals: L5 and S-band |
Established 1969; HQ Bengaluru; first satellite Aryabhata (1975, USSR-launched)
PSLV (workhorse) · GSLV Mk II (GTO) · LVM3/GSLV Mk III (heavy-lift) · SSLV (small, quick turnaround)
1st soft landing near lunar south pole; India = 4th country to land on Moon
1st Asian country to reach Mars; 1st country to succeed in maiden Mars attempt
Given: Which ISRO launch vehicle carried the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and what distinguishes it from the PSLV?
Solution: Chandrayaan-3 was launched by the LVM3 (GSLV Mk III), a heavy-lift vehicle with indigenous cryogenic and semi-cryogenic stages capable of carrying ~10,000 kg to LEO — far heavier payloads than the PSLV's ~1750 kg to SSO.
Answer: LVM3 (GSLV Mk III) — India's heavy-lift, human-rated launch vehicle.
Given: What made Chandrayaan-3's landing in August 2023 historically significant for India?
Solution: Chandrayaan-3 achieved a successful soft landing near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth country to land on the Moon (after USSR, USA, China) and the first country in the world to land near the lunar south pole specifically.
Answer: India became the 4th country to land on the Moon, and the 1st to land near the lunar south pole.
Given: Aditya-L1 is positioned at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point rather than in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Why?
Solution: The L1 Lagrange point (~1.5 million km from Earth toward the Sun) is a stable gravitational point that allows continuous, uninterrupted observation of the Sun without being blocked by Earth — ideal for solar observation missions, unlike LEO which orbits Earth every ~90 minutes and would face regular occlusion.
Answer: L1 provides a stable, continuous, unobstructed view of the Sun, unlike LEO.
Fig. 1.1 — Key ISRO milestones: Chandrayaan-1 (2008) to Gaganyaan (planned 2025).
Biotechnology covers GMOs, CRISPR, vaccines, and biosafety — all frequently combined with current affairs in UPSC. Bt Cotton, GM Mustard, gene therapy, and India's regulatory framework (GEAC) are priority topics.
| Vaccine Type | Mechanism | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Live Attenuated | Weakened pathogen; strong immune response; not suitable for immunocompromised | OPV (oral polio), MMR, BCG, Yellow Fever |
| Killed / Inactivated | Dead pathogen; safer; needs multiple doses | IPV (injectable polio), Hepatitis A, Covaxin (India's COVID vaccine) |
| Subunit / Protein | Only specific protein/antigen from pathogen | Hepatitis B, HPV (Gardasil), Pertussis component |
| mRNA Vaccine | mRNA instructs cells to make antigen; first time used at scale; no DNA integration; degrades quickly | Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna (COVID-19); India: mRNA platform under development |
| Viral Vector | Modified harmless virus carries antigen gene | Covishield (AstraZeneca-Oxford); Sputnik V; J&J |
| DNA Vaccine | DNA plasmid; ZyCoV-D = world's first approved DNA vaccine (India, 2021, COVID-19) | ZyCoV-D (Zydus) |
Only GM crop commercially approved in India (2002); Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis
Nobel Chemistry 2020 — Jennifer Doudna + Emmanuelle Charpentier
Live attenuated · Killed/inactivated · Subunit · mRNA · Viral vector · DNA (ZyCoV-D)
1990–2003; ~3 billion base pairs; ~20,000–25,000 genes sequenced
Given: Which body approved GM Mustard (DMH-11) in India, and what challenges has this approval faced?
Solution: The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), approved GM Mustard in 2022. However, this approval has faced ongoing legal challenges in the Supreme Court.
Answer: GEAC (under MoEFCC) approved it in 2022; it faces Supreme Court challenges.
Given: Covaxin uses a dead/inactivated form of the virus, while Covishield uses a modified harmless virus to carry the antigen gene. Classify each vaccine type.
Solution: Covaxin, developed by ICMR and Bharat Biotech, is a Killed/Inactivated vaccine. Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute, is a Viral Vector vaccine.
Answer: Covaxin = Killed/Inactivated; Covishield = Viral Vector.
Given: Which Indian vaccine was the world's first approved DNA vaccine, and for which disease?
Solution: ZyCoV-D, developed by Zydus Cadila, was approved in India in 2021 as the world's first approved DNA vaccine, developed for COVID-19.
Answer: ZyCoV-D (Zydus) — world's first approved DNA vaccine, for COVID-19.
Fig. 2.1 — Six vaccine platform types: Live Attenuated, Inactivated, Subunit, mRNA, Viral Vector, and DNA, with representative examples.
India's missile systems, DRDO, indigenous defence platforms, and arms control treaties are regularly tested. The Make in India push in defence (Atmanirbhar Bharat) and export targets are current affairs-linked topics.
| Missile | Type | Range / Speed | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agni-I to V | Ballistic (surface-to-surface) | 700 km (Agni-I) to 5,000+ km (Agni-V); Agni-V = ICBM range | India's strategic nuclear deterrent; DRDO + BDL developed; Agni-V first tested 2012 |
| Prithvi-I/II/III | Ballistic (surface-to-surface) | 150–350 km; liquid-fuelled | First indigenously developed ballistic missile (Prithvi-I, 1988) |
| BrahMos | Supersonic cruise missile | 300–500 km; Mach 2.8–3.0 | India-Russia joint venture (Brahmaputra + Moskva rivers); surface-launched, ship-launched, air-launched; world's fastest operational cruise missile; exported to Philippines (2022) |
| Akash | Surface-to-air (SAM) | 30 km range; Mach 2.5 | Indigenously developed; protects against aircraft + missiles; supersonic |
| Nag | Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) | 500 m – 4 km | Third generation; fire-and-forget; imaging infrared seeker; Helina = helicopter-launched version |
| Astra | Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) air-to-air | 80–100 km | India's first indigenous BVR AAM; for Tejas, Sukhoi-30MKI |
| S-400 Triumf | Russian SAM system | 400 km range; targets aircraft, missiles, drones | India purchased 5 squadrons; partial delivery complete; triggered CAATSA concerns with USA |
| Treaty | India's Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1968) | Non-signatory | Considers discriminatory (only P-5 recognised as NWS); but is a de facto nuclear state |
| CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 1996) | Not ratified | Objects to not entering into force; Pokhran-II tests 1998 (Operation Shakti) |
| MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) | Member since 2016 | Controls export of missiles and related technology |
| Australia Group | Member since 2018 | Controls export of chemical and biological weapons-related material |
| Wassenaar Arrangement | Member since 2017 | Controls export of conventional arms and dual-use technologies |
| NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) | Not a member | India pushing for membership; China blocks; India-US nuclear deal (2008) gave waiver |
India-Russia joint venture; Mach 2.8–3.0; world's fastest operational cruise missile
5,000+ km range — ICBM class; India's strategic nuclear deterrent
Land (Agni) + Air (fighter-delivered) + Sea (INS Arihant, K-15/K-4 SLBMs)
MTCR (2016), Wassenaar (2017), Australia Group (2018) — but not NPT, CTBT, or NSG
Given: BrahMos is named after which two rivers, and what is its speed classification?
Solution: BrahMos is named after the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers, reflecting its status as an India-Russia joint venture. It is classified as a supersonic cruise missile, travelling at Mach 2.8–3.0.
Answer: Brahmaputra + Moskva; supersonic (Mach 2.8–3.0).
Given: What does INS Arihant complete for India's strategic capabilities, and why is this significant?
Solution: INS Arihant is India's first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). Its induction, carrying K-15 Sagarika/K-4 SLBMs, completed India's nuclear triad — the capability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea — significantly enhancing second-strike survivability.
Answer: It completed India's nuclear triad (land + air + sea delivery capability).
Given: India is a member of the MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group, but not of the NPT, CTBT, or NSG. Why does India accept the former group but not the latter?
Solution: The MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group are export-control regimes (controlling missile technology, conventional arms/dual-use tech, and chemical/biological weapons material respectively) — India joined these to demonstrate responsible behaviour. The NPT and CTBT, however, are seen by India as discriminatory (only recognizing the P-5 as legitimate nuclear states), and NSG membership has been blocked by China.
Answer: The former are export-control regimes India voluntarily joined; the latter are seen as discriminatory or blocked by geopolitics.
Fig. 3.1 — India's nuclear triad: land (Agni missiles), air (fighter-delivered), and sea (INS Arihant SLBMs).
India's three-stage nuclear programme, nuclear power plants, and arms control treaties (NPT, CTBT, NSG) are important for UPSC. The India-US nuclear deal and Pokhran tests are frequently asked in Prelims and Mains.
| Aspect | Fission | Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Heavy nucleus (U-235, Pu-239) splits into smaller nuclei; chain reaction | Light nuclei (H-2, H-3) combine to form heavier nucleus; requires extreme temperature (~100 million °C) |
| Energy released | Large; controlled in reactors / uncontrolled in bombs | Even larger; clean (helium + neutron byproduct); no long-lived radioactive waste |
| Current use | Nuclear power plants, atomic bombs | Experimental (ITER project); hydrogen bomb (uncontrolled); Sun's energy source |
| Fuel | Uranium-235, Plutonium-239 | Deuterium, Tritium (hydrogen isotopes) |
| India status | Operating 7 nuclear power plants (23 reactors) | India partner in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, France) |
| Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| DAE established | 1954 | Department of Atomic Energy; under PM; Homi J. Bhabha = first chairman |
| BARC established | 1954 (AEET); renamed 1966 | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay (Mumbai); India's premier nuclear research centre |
| Pokhran-I (Smiling Buddha) | 1974 | First nuclear test; peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE); PM Indira Gandhi |
| Pokhran-II (Operation Shakti) | 1998 (May 11–13) | Five tests; India declared nuclear weapon state; PM Vajpayee; triggered CTBT debate |
| India-US Nuclear Deal (123 Agreement) | 2005 (announced); 2008 (finalised) | Ended India's nuclear isolation; NSG waiver; civil nuclear cooperation; separates civil and military facilities |
| No-First-Use (NFU) policy | 1998 | India declared NFU: will not use nuclear weapons first; credible minimum deterrence |
Fission: Uranium-235, Plutonium-239. Fusion: Deuterium, Tritium.
Stage 1: PHWR (uranium) → Stage 2: FBR (plutonium+thorium) → Stage 3: Thorium reactors
Pokhran-I (1974, Smiling Buddha, Indira Gandhi) · Pokhran-II (1998, Operation Shakti, Vajpayee)
\(Q=10\) — ten times more fusion energy output than input; 35 nations including India
Given: Why does India's nuclear programme ultimately move toward thorium-based reactors (Stage 3) rather than staying with uranium?
Solution: India has limited uranium reserves but holds approximately 25% of the world's thorium reserves. The three-stage programme, designed by Homi Bhabha, was structured specifically to convert this thorium abundance into a long-term, self-sufficient energy source, since thorium itself is not directly fissile and must be bred into fissile material using the plutonium generated in Stage 2.
Answer: India's vast thorium reserves (~25% of global reserves) versus limited uranium reserves drove this strategic choice for long-term energy independence.
Given: What is the key difference in how Pokhran-I (1974) and Pokhran-II (1998) are officially characterised?
Solution: Pokhran-I ("Smiling Buddha," 1974, under PM Indira Gandhi) was described by India as a "peaceful nuclear explosion" (PNE). Pokhran-II ("Operation Shakti," 1998, under PM Vajpayee) consisted of five tests and led India to explicitly declare itself a nuclear weapon state.
Answer: Pokhran-I was framed as a peaceful nuclear explosion; Pokhran-II was an explicit declaration of nuclear weapon status.
Given: What does India's No-First-Use (NFU) policy, declared in 1998, commit India to?
Solution: India's NFU policy commits that India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict — nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation to a nuclear attack — while maintaining what India calls "credible minimum deterrence."
Answer: India will not use nuclear weapons first; retaliation only, under credible minimum deterrence.
Fig. 4.1 — India's three-stage nuclear programme: PHWR → FBR → Thorium reactors.
IT, cybersecurity, and digital governance are increasingly tested in UPSC. IT Act 2000, CERT-In, Digital India, data protection, and India's semiconductor push are standard topics. AI and quantum computing are emerging themes.
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) | Under MeitY; India's national cybersecurity agency; handles cyber incidents; issues alerts; mandatory reporting of incidents within 6 hours (2022 directive) |
| NCIIPC (National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre) | Under NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation); protects critical infrastructure (power, banking, telecom, defence) |
| MeitY | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; nods IT Act, Digital India, India Semiconductor Mission |
| NASSCOM | National Association of Software and Service Companies; industry body for IT sector |
| Initiative | Launch | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Digital India Programme | 2015 | 9 pillars: BharatNet, digital infrastructure, e-governance, digital literacy; vision = digitally empowered society and knowledge economy |
| BharatNet | 2011 (NOFN); 2016 (BharatNet) | Optical fibre connectivity to all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats; world's largest rural broadband project |
| UPI (Unified Payments Interface) | 2016 (NPCI) | Real-time bank-to-bank payments; India = world's largest real-time payment ecosystem; ~10 billion transactions/month (2024) |
| Aadhaar | 2009 (UIDAI); first card 2010 | 12-digit unique biometric ID; ~1.35 billion enrolled; used for DBT, e-KYC, financial inclusion |
| India AI Mission | 2024 | ₹10,371 crore; AI compute infrastructure, IndiaAI datasets platform, AI safety framework; 10,000 GPU compute by govt. |
| India Semiconductor Mission | 2021 | Build domestic semiconductor fabrication (fab) capability; ₹76,000 crore incentive scheme; Micron (USA) fab at Sanand, Gujarat (first to break ground) |
Shreya Singhal case (2015) — unconstitutional, violated Article 19 (freedom of speech)
Mandatory cyber incident reporting within 6 hours (2022 directive), under MeitY
Launched 2015; 9 pillars including BharatNet, e-governance, digital infrastructure
Data Fiduciary + Data Principal framework; Data Protection Board; penalties up to ₹250 crore
Given: Why was Section 66A of the IT Act struck down by the Supreme Court, and in which case?
Solution: Section 66A, which criminalised sending "offensive" messages, was struck down in the Shreya Singhal vs Union of India case (2015). The Supreme Court held that its vague and broad wording violated the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19.
Answer: Shreya Singhal case (2015) — struck down as unconstitutional, violating Article 19.
Given: What is the difference in role between CERT-In and NCIIPC?
Solution: CERT-In (under MeitY) is India's national cybersecurity agency, handling general cyber incidents and issuing alerts, with mandatory reporting within 6 hours. NCIIPC (under NTRO) has a narrower, specialised mandate — protecting "critical information infrastructure" specifically, such as power, banking, telecom, and defence systems.
Answer: CERT-In handles general national cybersecurity; NCIIPC protects critical infrastructure sectors specifically.
Given: Under the DPDP Act 2023, what is the difference between a "Data Fiduciary" and a "Data Principal"?
Solution: A Data Fiduciary is the entity (company or organisation) that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data. A Data Principal is the individual whose personal data is being processed — the person to whom the data belongs.
Answer: Data Fiduciary = the entity processing data; Data Principal = the individual whose data it is.
Fig. 5.1 — Key milestones in India's digital governance journey, 2015–2024.
AI, blockchain, 5G, quantum computing, nanotechnology, and 3D printing are increasingly tested in UPSC. These are dynamic topics — link them with current government initiatives and recent developments for Prelims and Mains.
| Technology | Scale / Basics | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Nanotechnology | 1–100 nanometres (\(1\text{ nm} = 10^{-9}\text{ m}\)); manipulates matter at atomic/molecular scale | Drug delivery (nanoparticles cross BBB), cancer therapy, water purification, stronger materials, nanoelectronics; India's Nano Mission under DST |
| 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) | Layer-by-layer fabrication from digital design; materials: plastics, metals, concrete, bio-ink | Aerospace (GE jet engine nozzles), medical (prosthetics, organs-on-chip), construction (IIT Madras 3D-printed house), defence (rapid prototyping) |
| Internet of Things (IoT) | Interconnected devices that collect and exchange data via internet without human intervention | Smart homes, smart cities, precision agriculture, industrial automation, wearables, healthcare monitoring |
IPR are legal rights that protect creations of the mind, giving the creator a time-bound monopoly to encourage innovation and indigenisation of technology — a GS-III concern for a knowledge economy.
| Type | Protects | Term (India) |
|---|---|---|
| Patent | New, non-obvious, useful inventions | 20 years (Patents Act 1970) |
| Copyright | Literary, artistic, musical, software works | Life of author + 60 years |
| Trademark | Brand names, logos, marks | 10 years, renewable |
| Geographical Indication (GI) | Region-specific goods (Darjeeling tea, Banarasi saree) | 10 years, renewable |
| Industrial Design | Aesthetic shape/appearance of a product | 10 + 5 years |
India's framework is TRIPS-compliant (WTO); the National IPR Policy 2016 ("Creative India; Innovative India") coordinates promotion. Landmark case: Novartis v. Union of India (2013) upheld Sec. 3(d) of the Patents Act, barring "evergreening" of patents — balancing innovation incentives with access to affordable medicines.
AI (broad) ⊃ Machine Learning (learns from data) ⊃ Deep Learning (multi-layer neural networks)
PoW (Bitcoin, energy-intensive) vs PoS (Ethereum post-Merge, energy-efficient)
\(1\text{ nm} = 10^{-9}\text{ m}\); operates at 1–100 nm range
₹6,000 crore over 5 years; 4 domains: computing, communication, sensing, materials
Given: Why is Bitcoin's Proof of Work considered less energy-efficient than Ethereum's current consensus mechanism?
Solution: Bitcoin uses Proof of Work (PoW), which requires miners to solve computationally intensive puzzles, consuming enormous energy. Ethereum, after "the Merge," switched to Proof of Stake (PoS), where validators are chosen based on the amount of cryptocurrency they stake rather than computational power, making it far more energy-efficient.
Answer: PoW (Bitcoin) requires energy-intensive computation; PoS (Ethereum) selects validators by stake, using far less energy.
Given: If a nanoparticle used in drug delivery is 50 nanometres in diameter, how many metres is that?
Solution: Since \(1\text{ nm} = 10^{-9}\text{ m}\), a 50 nm particle equals \(50 \times 10^{-9}\text{ m} = 5 \times 10^{-8}\text{ m}\).
Answer: \(5 \times 10^{-8}\) metres (0.00000005 m).
Given: What are the four domains covered under India's National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA)?
Solution: NM-QTA, launched in 2023 with a ₹6,000 crore outlay over 5 years, covers four domains: quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum materials.
Answer: Computing, communication, sensing, and materials.
Fig. 6.1 — AI is the broadest category; Machine Learning is a subset of AI; Deep Learning is a subset of ML using multi-layer neural networks.
Bengaluru; established 1969
Aryabhata (1975, launched by USSR)
Workhorse; 104 satellites in single launch (2017)
Heavy-lift; Chandrayaan-3 + OneWeb launch vehicle
Water molecules on Moon (2008)
1st soft landing near lunar south pole (23 Aug 2023); 4th country to land on Moon
1st Asian Mars mission; 1st country to succeed in maiden attempt (2014)
India's first solar observatory; L1 Lagrange point (2023)
India + 1,500 km; 7 satellites
India's first crewed mission; planned 2025; LVM3
Only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India (2002)
Approves GMOs; under MoEFCC
2020; Jennifer Doudna + Emmanuelle Charpentier
World's first approved DNA vaccine; India (2021); COVID-19
Mach 2.8–3.0; India-Russia joint venture
September 2022; India's first indigenous aircraft carrier
Completed India's nuclear triad (SSBN)
Pokhran-I 1974 (Smiling Buddha); Pokhran-II 1998 (Operation Shakti)
NPT, CTBT, NSG (seeking membership)
3-stage Bhabha programme; Stage 3 = thorium (25% global reserves)
Trombay, Mumbai
Struck down by SC 2015 (Shreya Singhal case)
Under MeitY; 6-hour incident reporting (2022 directive)
2015; 9 pillars
2016; NPCI; world's largest real-time payment ecosystem
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023
2021; Micron fab at Sanand, Gujarat
October 2022 (Jio + Airtel)
2023; ₹6,000 crore; quantum computing/communication/sensing/materials
2024; ₹10,371 crore; 10,000 GPU
5 MT/year by 2030; National Green Hydrogen Mission 2023
| Topic | Prelims Focus | Mains GS-III Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Space Technology | Mission-year-achievement matching; launch vehicle specs | Space policy, commercialisation (IN-SPACe, NSIL) |
| Biotechnology | GMO facts, vaccine platform matching, Nobel prizes | Biosafety regulation, ethical debates (gene editing, GM crops) |
| Defence Technology | Missile-range-type matching; treaty membership facts | Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence; strategic deterrence policy |
| Nuclear Technology | Fission/fusion facts; nuclear milestone dates | Energy security, three-stage programme rationale |
| IT & Cybersecurity | IT Act sections; cybersecurity body roles | Data protection framework, digital governance challenges |
| Emerging Technologies | Technology definitions; government mission facts | AI governance, technology adoption and equity concerns |
Q1. Mangalyaan was launched in 2013 and reached Mars orbit in 2014. India's PSLV launched 104 satellites in a single mission in 2017. How many years after Mangalyaan's Mars arrival did this record launch occur?
Q2. Pokhran-I was in 1974 and Pokhran-II was in 1998. How many years apart were India's two nuclear test series?
Q3. A nanoparticle measures 20 nanometres. Given \(1\text{ nm} = 10^{-9}\text{ m}\), express its size in metres.
Q4. India's 5G launched in October 2022. The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched in 2023. How many months (approximately) apart were these two launches?
Q5. The India Semiconductor Mission (2021) and the India AI Mission (2024) were launched how many years apart?