Explore 10-year trend analysis of Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims 2025. Get insights on key topics, question patterns, PYQs, and expert preparation tips to tackle 10–14 questions annually with clarity, current affairs, and smart strategy.
theIAShub | 27 May, 2025 | 5773 | 0 |
Cracking the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination requires a smart and focused strategy. Among the various subjects, Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims have gained considerable importance over the years. A careful review of the past 10 years reveals that questions from this section appear regularly and often test both conceptual understanding and awareness of current developments in technology.
This article provides a 10-year analysis of Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims, highlighting their significance, pattern, and tips to prepare effectively.
In the UPSC Prelims 2025, Science & Technology continued to hold significant weight with 15 questions, indicating its steady importance in the exam. The difficulty level of this section was largely moderate to difficult, with questions testing both fundamental scientific understanding and awareness of recent technological developments. The section required not only conceptual clarity but also familiarity with current advancements, making it a key area for aspirants aiming to secure a strong overall score.
UPSC Prelims 2025 tested candidates on key Science & Technology topics, emphasizing both fundamental concepts and recent advancements. Important areas include space technology (ISRO missions, satellite systems), biotechnology (CRISPR, vaccines), AI and robotics, and ICT (5G, 6G, Space Internet). Renewable energy, environmental technologies, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity are also crucial. Aspirants should focus on government schemes, climate-related innovations, and applications of these technologies in national development. A solid grasp of basics like DNA, RNA, and genetic engineering, combined with awareness of current scientific news and government policies, is essential to tackle Science & Tech questions in the UPSC Prelims effectively.
1. Consider the following types of vehicles:
I. Full battery electric vehicles
II. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
III. Fuel cell electric hybrid vehicles
How many of the above are considered as alternative powertrain vehicles?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
2. With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:
I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing.
II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering.
III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
3. In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements:
I. Cobalt
II. Graphite
III. Lithium
IV. Nickel
How many of the above usually make up battery cathodes?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four
4. Consider the following:
I. Cigarette butts
II. Eyeglass lenses
III. Car tyres
How many of them contain plastic?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
5. Consider the following substances:
I. Ethanol
II. Nitroglycerine
III. Urea
Coal gasification technology can be used in the production of how many of them?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
6. What is the common characteristic of the chemical substances generally known as CL-20, HMX and LLM-105, which are sometimes talked about in media?
(a) These are alternatives to hydro-fluorocarbon refrigerants
(b) These are explosives in military weapons
(c) These are high-energy fuels for cruise missiles
(d) These are fuels for rocket propulsion
7. Consider the following statements:
I. It is expected that Majorana 1 chip will enable quantum computing.
II. Majorana 1 chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
III. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
8. With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements:
I. They are man-made proteins.
II. They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens.
III. They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
9. Consider the following statements:
I. No virus can survive in ocean waters.
II. No virus can infect bacteria.
III. No virus can change the cellular transcriptional activity in host cells.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
10. Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
Activated carbon is a good and an attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries.
Statement II:
Activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals.
Statement III:
Activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
11. Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
Studies indicate that carbon dioxide emissions from cement industry account for more than 5% of global carbon emissions.
Statement II:
Silica-bearing clay is mixed with limestone while manufacturing cement.
Statement III:
Limestone is converted into lime during clinker production for cement manufacturing.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
12. Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refrained from signing the ‘Declaration on Climate and Health’.
Statement II:
The COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize health sector.
Statement III:
If India’s health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its health-care system may be compromised.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
13. Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
Scientific studies suggest that a shift is taking place in the Earth’s rotation and axis.
Statement II:
Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections bombarded the Earth’s outermost atmosphere with tremendous amount of energy.
Statement III:
As the Earth’s polar ice melts, the water tends to move towards the equator.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
14. Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change is frequently discussed in global discussions on sustainable development and climate change.
Statement II:
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change sets out the principles of carbon markets.
Statement III:
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change intends to promote inter-country non-market strategies to reach their climate targets.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
15. Which one of the following launched the ‘Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific’?
(a) The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
(b) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
(c) The New Development Bank (NDB)
(d) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
16. With reference to ‘Direct Air Capture’, an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration.
II. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing.
III. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) I and II only
(b) III only
(c) I, II and III
(d) None of the above statements is correct
17. Regarding Peacock tarantula (Gooty tarantula), consider the following statements:
I. It is an omnivorous crustacean.
II. Its natural habitat in India is only limited to some forest areas.
III. In its natural habitat, it is an arboreal species.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I only
(b) I and III
(c) II only
(d) II and III
18. Consider the following statements:
I. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO₂ / capita.
II. In terms of CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.
III. Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO₂ emissions in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I and III only
(b) II only
(c) II and III only
(d) I, II and III
19. Consider the following pairs :
Plant Description
I. Cassava : Woody shrub
II. Ginger : Herb with pseudostem
III. Malabar spinach : Herbaceous climber
IV. Mint : Annual shrub
V. Papaya : Woody shrub
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three (marked)
(c) Only four (also marked)
(d) All the five
20. With reference to the planet Earth, consider the following statements:
I. Rain forests produce more oxygen than that produced by oceans.
II. Marine phytoplankton and photosynthetic bacteria produce about 50% of world’s oxygen.
III. Well-oxygenated surface water contains several folds higher oxygen than that in atmospheric air.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I and II
(b) II only
(c) I and III
(d) None of the above statements is correct
| Prelims Question Paper 2025 |
| UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2025 |
The table below shows the number of Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims asked in the past 10 years. This data helps aspirants understand the weightage and prepare accordingly:
| Year | Science & Technology Questions |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 13 |
The trend of Science & Technology questions in UPSC Prelims from 2013 to 2024 shows moderate but consistent weightage. On average, around 10–14 questions are asked each year, with a few fluctuations. For instance, the highest number of questions (16) appeared in 2014 and 14 in both 2013 and 2021, while the lowest (7) were seen in 2019. This indicates that Science & Technology remains a key component of the General Studies Paper 1. Aspirants must stay updated with current scientific developments and have a clear understanding of fundamental concepts to perform well in this section.
Battery storage
Biomass generators
Fuel cells
Rooftop solar photovoltaic units
How many of the above are considered “Distributed Energy Resources”?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Groundnut
Horse-gram
Soybean
How many of the above belong to the pea family?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Q.3 Which one of the following words/phrases is most appropriately used to denote “an interoperable network of 3D virtual worlds that can be accessed simultaneously by millions of users, who can exert property rights over virtual items”?
(a) Big data analytics
(b) Cryptography
(c) Metaverse
(d) Virtual matrix
Q.4 With reference to radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), consider the following statements :
RTGs are miniature fission reactors.
RTGs are used for powering the onboard systems of spacecraft.
RTGs can use Plutonium-238, which is a by-product of weapons development.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
To excel in Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims, aspirants should focus on the following key areas:
Here are a few reasons why Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims deserve extra attention:
A strong grasp of Science & Technology Questions in UPSC Prelims can significantly boost your overall score. Focus on dynamic areas, stay updated with innovations, and integrate your preparation with current affairs. The UPSC increasingly favors interdisciplinary questions, so ensure you understand both the concept and its application.
You should cover topics like space missions (ISRO), biotechnology, health technologies, IT and communication (like 5G, AI), defence technologies, and renewable energy. Stay updated with current affairs in these areas.
NCERTs (Class 6–10 Science and Class 12 Biology) are good for basic understanding. However, for UPSC-level preparation, they should be supplemented with current affairs, PIB releases, and science-focused magazines like Science Reporter.
Read newspapers like The Hindu or Indian Express, follow government press releases (PIB), and use monthly compilations by reliable coaching institutes. Focus on recent innovations, missions, and schemes.
No, UPSC focuses on application-based and current-affairs-oriented science. You need basic conceptual clarity, but there is no need to dive deep into complex theories or formulas unless they are relevant to current events.
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