Science and Technology previous Year Questions from 2015(UPSC/ IAS)

1. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014 was given to which of the following? (upsc / IAS 2015)

2. With reference to ‘Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) It is a contactless communication technology that uses electromagnetic radio fields

(2) NFC is designed for use by devices which can be at a distance of even a metre from each other

(3) NFC can use encryption when sending sensitive information.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

3. In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about ‘IceCube’,

a particle detector located at South Pole, which was recently in the news : (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) It is the world’s largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.

(2) It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter

(3) It is buried deep in the ice.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

4. With reference to the use of nanotechnology in the health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct? (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology

(2) Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

5. With reference to ‘fly ash’ produced by the power plants using the coal as fuel, which of the following statements is/are correct? (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) Fly ash can be used in the production of bricks for building construction

(2) Fly ash can be used as a replacement for some of the Portland cement contents of concrete

(3) Fly ash is made up of silicon dioxide and calcium oxide only, and does not contain any toxic elements.

Select the correct answer using the code given below

6. With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity,

consider the following statements : (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.

(2) Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.

(3) Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

7. H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases? (upsc / IAS 2015)

8. The term ‘IndARC’ sometimes seen in the news, is the name of? (upsc / IAS 2015)

9. In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used? (upsc / IAS 2015)

(1) Assessment of crop productivity

(2) Locating ground water resources

(3) Mineral exploration

(4) Telecommunications

(5) Traffic studies

Select the correct answer using the code given below

10. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the (upsc / IAS 2015)