What to Chase, What to Escape: S&T Edition M Tahleel Shah

S&T Mains Syllabus And Trend Analysis

YEAR MAINS
2013 3-5
(40 – 50 Marks)
2014 3-5
2015 3-5
2016 3-5
2017 3-5
2018 3-5
2019 3-5
2020 3-5
2021 3-5
2022 3-5
2023 3-5
2024 3-5

1. Science and Technology – Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life

• 2024: What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its
advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would
this transition carry any potential hazard?

• 2021: The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano, and Nakamura for the
invention of Blue LEDs in the 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings?

• 2020: How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture
triggered off by science-based technologies?

• 2013: How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the
technology.

• 2013: What do you understand by Umpire Decision Review System in Cricket? Discuss its various
components. Explain how silicone tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system?

No. of
Subject Area Years & Topics
Questions

2024 – Electronic Toll Collection

Emerging Tech 2
2013 – How 3D printing works

Applied Physics /
1 2021 – Blue LED invention
Optoelectronics

Science in Daily Life / 2020 – Interlinking of science with life & agricultural
1
Agriculture Tech transformation

2013 – Umpire Decision Review System (DRS), silicone

Technology in Sports 1
tape trick
2. Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New
Technology

• 2023: 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 subsystems 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.

• 2022: 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?

• 2021: How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the
world? (India not mentioned but only important because India purchased it).

• 2018: Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity
benefitted the field of biopharma?

• 2018: Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it
revolutionized the field of Physics.
• 2018: With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss
the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy?

• 2017: India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and
Mars Orbiter Mission but has not ventured into manned space mission. What are the main obstacles to
launching a manned space mission, both in terms of technology and logistics? Examine critically.

• 2017: 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: 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?

• 2016: Discuss India's achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How has the application of
this technology helped India in its socio-economic development?

• 2015: What do you understand by 'Standard Positioning System' and 'Precision Positioning System' in the GPS
era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven
satellites.

• 2014: Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as
are business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer
oriented. Critically comment.

Subject Area No. of Questions

Space Technology 4 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2023)

Biotechnology & Medical Science 3 (2017, 2018, 2022)
Nuclear Science & Energy 2 (2017, 2018)
Physics (Quantum/Foundational) 1 (2018)
Science Policy / R&D 1 (2014)

3. Awareness in the Fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology, and Issues
Relating to Intellectual Property Rights

a) Information Technology (IT) and Computers

• 2024: Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• 2023: Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you
perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in healthcare?

• 2024: Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures
have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any
other remedies to address the problem.

• 2013: What is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Give various salient built-in features
of a digital signature.

b) Space Technology

• 2024: What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have
been development to prevent such a catastrophe?

• 2022: 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?

c) Robotics

• 2015: 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.

d) Nanotechnology

• 2020: What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector?

• 2016: 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.

e) Biotechnology

• 2023: Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.

• 2021: What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these
achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society?

• 2020: 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.

• 2014: Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription, be 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.

• 2013: What do you understand by Fixed Dose Drug Combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.

f) Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

• 2015: 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 country's fight
against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-
source licensing.

• 2014: In a globalized world, Intellectual Property Rights assume significance and are a source of litigation.
Broadly distinguish between the terms—Copyrights, Patents and Trade Secrets.

• 2013: Bringing out the circumstances in 2005 which forced amendment to the section 3(d) in Indian Patent
Law, 1970, discuss how it has been utilized by the Supreme Court in its judgement in rejecting Novartis'
patent application for 'Glivec'. Discuss briefly the pros and cons of the decision.
S&T Prelims Trend Analysis

YEAR PRELIMS
2013 13

2014 9
2015 9
2016 10
2017 6
2018 13
2019 11
2020 11
2021 11
2022 10
2023 9
2024 13

Based on Mains and Prelims trend analysis the following themes must be covered:

1) Cosmology and Fundamental Physics

2) Space Sector
3) Defense Sector
4) Biotechnology
5) Health and Diseases
6) Energy Sector (special focus on Nuclear Energy)
7) IT, Computers and Electronics
8) AI and Robotics
9) Nanotechnology
10) Intellectual Property Rights