Science & Technology Notes For UPSC - General Science Notes For IAS Preparation

Science & Technology is one of the subjects included in the civil services examination. Many questions circling around this subject have been asked both in UPSC Prelims and Mains.

To help aspirants prepare for IAS Exam, this article will provide them with the pdfs of UPSC notes on Science and Technology. Science and Technology is part of the UPSC Mains Syllabus (GS III). Also, science subjects like Botany, Chemistry, and Biology are part of the optional subject choices in the IAS Mains exam. Subjects with a scientific base are high scoring, yet they often pose a challenge to IAS aspirants, as students find it hard to make notes balancing both static and dynamic topics/issues in the news.

This article will provide articles on important issues for Science & Technology for UPSC 2023.

Daily News

Important Science & Technology Notes for UPSC

The following articles are important for IAS Exam:

Chikungunya Sixth Mass Extinction CMS-01 Satellite m-RNA Vaccine
Ajeya Warrior National Science Day INS Vagir Hidden Hunger
S-400 Missile System Quick Reaction Surface-to-air Missile (QRSAM) MILAN – ATGM INS-Jalashwa
#Foss4GOV Innovation Challenge Respond Programme of ISRO e-Santa Types of Orbits
Nutrition & India National Food Security Act (NFSA) Wuhan Coronavirus Green Revolution
National Nutrition Strategy PDS & TPDS Trachoma Blue Revolution
Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme Malnutrition Enzymes Pink Revolution
Global Hunger Index National Health Mission (NHM) Hypoxia Golden Revolution
Sustainable Development Goals Diseases & Causing Agent Stem Cells National Cyber Security Policy
Zero Hunger Programme Dengue Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
POSHAN Abhiyan Zoonotic Diseases Japanese Encephalitis NATGRID
Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food Nipah Virus Genetically Modified Crops (GM Crops) Electronic Warfare  (EW) Devices in India
Junking Junk Food Tissue Culture High Yield Crops in India (HYV)  Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) 
Surface to Air Missile (SAM) Air – To – Air Missiles Surface – To – Surface Missiles Anti-tank Missile
National Security Council Internal Security Forces in India Central Intelligence & Investigative Agencies Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA)

How to prepare Science and Technology for the UPSC exam?

  • Read/prepare notes
  • Read NCERTs
  • Check UPSC previous year question papers
  • If a Science subject is your optional subject, have a definite strategy
  • Follow daily news analysis

To get an idea about the types of questions asked in the prelims examination, candidates can download the compilation of the previous year UPSC Prelims Science and Technology Questions from the linked article.

Science and Technology Notes for UPSC Prelims exam and IAS Mains

Topics PDF
  • Biology – Human Organ Systems
    • Integumentary system
    • Digestive system
    • Respiratory system
    • Circulatory system
    • Nervous system
    • Muscular system
    • Skeletal system
  • Biology – Human Organ Systems (contd.)
    • Endocrine system
    • Reproductive system
  • Food and Nutrition
    • Important Terms
    • Hunger and Malnutrition
    • FSSAI Act 2006
    • Occupational Lifestyle Diseases
  • Biotechnology
    • Definition and explanation
    • Transgenic and Cisgenic Organisms
    • Types
    • Bt Brinjal
    • Bt Cotton
    • Genetic Pollution
    • Concerns about GM food

 

  • Information Technology
    • Important terms in IT
    • Cyber Warfare
  • Nanotechnology
    • Definition and basic information
    • Approaches to Nano Tech
    • Applications of Nanotechnology
  • Optics
    • Reflection
    • Refraction
  • Space Technology
    • Space Research
    • Types of Orbits
    • Geostationary v/s Geosynchronous
    • Types of Satellites
    • Challenges in building a Cryogenic engine
  • Modulation
    • Types of Modulation
    • Need for Modulation
  • Electromagnetic Spectrum
    • Important Terms
    • Types of EM Spectrum
  • Different generations in Wireless Telephony
    • 3G v/s 4G
  • Telecom Policies in India

Science and Technology Books for UPSC

The following list is recommended  for UPSC Science and Technology:

  • Science & Technology For Civil Services Exams – Ravi P Agrahari
  • Science and Technology in India – Kalpana Rajaram – Spectrum
  • General Science For Civil Services Preliminary Examinations – S.A.Majid
  • 1000 Plus Questions on General Science – TMH
  • Science and Technology – Neeraj Nachiketa
  • NCERT books for standards IX, X, XI, XII

General Science for UPSC prelims

For the UPSC prelims exam, general knowledge of school level science is enough as the questions are rarely too technical. However, aspirants also need to track current affairs while preparing Science and Technology for both prelims and IAS mains.

Here are a few IAS exam questions from previous year’s Prelims papers to give you an idea.

Q.1 India-based Neutrino Observatory is included by the Planning Commission as a mega-science project under the 11th five-Year Plan. In this context, consider the following statements:

  1. Neutrinos are chargeless elementary particles that travel close to the speed of light.
  2. Neutrinos are created in nuclear reactions of beta decay.
  3. Neutrinos have a negligible, but nonzero mass.
  4. Trillions of neutrinos pass through the human body every second.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Solution: d

Q.2 During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the sky is produced by the

  1. Meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
  2. Lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
  3. Violent upward movement of air and water particles

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3

(C) 1 and 3

(d) None of the above produces the thunder

Solution: C

Q.3 Consider the following:

  1. Electromagnetic radiation
  2. Geothermal energy
  3. Gravitational force
  4. Plate movements
  5. Rotation of the earth
  6. Revolution of the earth

Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the earth?

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

(b) 1, 3, 5 and 6 only

(c) 2, 4, 5 and 6 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Solution: d

Q.4 Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred

  1. across different species of plants
  2. from animals to plants
  3. from microorganisms to higher organisms

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1,2 and 3

Solution: a

Q.5 ‘Ethanol’ has widespread usages and application. Consider the statements with reference to it

(1) It cannot be used as rocket propellant

(2) It can be used in thermometer

(3) It can be used as an antiseptic

(4) It causes cancer

(5) It can cause birth defects

(6) It cannot be used in DNA extraction because it is highly toxic

Correct code/s

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5

(b) 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6

(c) 2, 3, 4 and 6

(d) 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: d

IAS Exam pattern UPSC Eligibility
IAS Prelims: UPSC MCQ On Science & Technology Current Affairs Quiz
Success Rate Of Different Optional Subjects In UPSC Mains Daily News Analysis
UPSC Syllabus UPSC 2023Calendar
IAS Subjects for Science Students UPSC Prelims Exam: Important Chapters in NCERT for Science & Technology
UPSC Previous Year Question Papers How to Prepare for Science Subjects for UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam
Complete List Of NCERT Books Needed For UPSC Preparation How To Read Yojana Magazine for IAS Preparation

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