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GS Paper: GS3-15.Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.

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

  • What do you understand by Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system?

  • What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their applications in aviation and automobile industry

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

  • What do you understand by fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.

  • Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the 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.

  • 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?

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

    India’s foodgrains production has surged from 50.8 million tons in 1950-51 to over 357 million tons in 2025. Science has played an important role in this transformation.

    Science Interwoven Deeply With Our Lives

    Healthcare – Vaccines, antibiotics, diagnostics (RT-PCR) have improved life expectancy from 62 in 1990 to 73 in 2025.

    Communication & Connectivity – Internet, smartphones, satellites have transformed education, governance, and commerce. Eg- PM e-Vidya

    Transport – Electric vehicles, GPS, high-speed transport have increased mobility. Eg- Vande Bharat

    Energy Infrastructure – Renewables, smart grids etc shape modern living standards.

    Daily Convenience – Refrigeration, water purification, digital payments, and sensor-based devices ease everyday life.

    Disaster Management – Weather forecasting, early-warning systems save lives during cyclones and floods.

    e-Governance has improved ease of access for citizens. Eg- m-Passport Seva

    Striking Changes in Agriculture Triggered by Science-Based Technologies

    Green Revolution HYVs increased wheat yields from 12 MT (1960s) to 55 MT (1980s).

    Biotechnology & Genetics – Bt cotton reduced pesticide use by 40-60%.

    Precision Farming & Sensors – Use of drones, IoT soil sensors, GIS mapping improves fertilizer and water efficiency.

    Micro-Irrigation – Drip & sprinkler systems increase water-use efficiency by 40-70%.

    Mechanization – Harvesters, seed drills, transplanters reduce labour cost and increase timeliness of operations.

    Climate-Smart Agriculture – Drought-/flood-tolerant seeds reduce climate risk. Eg- Swarna Sub-1 rice

    Post-Harvest & Storage Technologies – Cold chains, ripening chambers, packhouses reduce losses and enable access to distant markets.

    Digital Agriculture – e-NAM, agritech platforms, Kisan drones improve market access and real-time advisory.

    Soil & Water Management Tools – Soil health cards, nano-urea, and microbial biofertilisers improve soil fertility.

    When science meets scale, when innovation becomes inclusive, when technology drives transformation, the foundation for great achievements is laid – PM Modi

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

    The Blue LEDs invention triggered a fundamental shift in lighting technology, comparable to the transition from the candle to the incandescent bulb. Without the Blue LED, the world was stuck with energy-inefficient incandescent bulbs and mercury-laden fluorescent lamps.

    Impact on Everyday Life

    Energy Efficiency: LEDs convert 50% of energy to light, compared to just 4% for incandescent bulbs lasting 100,000 hours. This efficiency slashes global CO2 emissions.

    Electronics & Mobility: Provided the essential backlighting for LCD screens in smartphones and laptops, allowing for thinner designs and significantly longer battery life.

    Cost-saving: Eg- 50000 hours of white LEDs cost $86 compared to $350 in incandescent light.

    Democratization of Light: Enabled low-power, solar-powered LED lamps, providing safe and affordable light to over a billion people in off-grid rural areas.

    New innovations: Eg- New screens of mobiles & TV which are more efficient & sustainable.

    Advancements in Healthcare and Sanitation

    Water Purification: UV-light emitting diodes are used to sterilize drinking water by destroying the DNA of bacteria and viruses.

    Medical Treatment: Blue light is used in phototherapy to treat neonatal jaundice and certain skin conditions.

    Sustainable Agriculture (Vertical Farming)

    Blue light is essential for photosynthesis.

    Indoor Farming: By fine-tuning light “recipes” using Blue and Red LEDs, farmers can grow food indoors in urban environments without pesticides, using 90% less water

    Enhanced Communication and Connectivity

    Optical Storage: The development of the blue laser led to Blu-ray technology, allowing for much higher data storage densities than earlier red-laser CDs or DVDs.

    Li-Fi: Current research is using Blue LEDs for Light Fidelity (Li-Fi), a high-speed wireless communication technology that transmits data through light pulses.

    Government initiatives promoting LEDs

    UJALA ( Unnat Jyoti by affordable LED for all)

    Street Lighting National Program (SLNP) as Prakash Rath

    In 2026, as we strive for Net Zero goals, the Blue LED remains our most effective tool for “decarbonizing” the night.

  • 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?

    Vaccines are biological preparations that provide immunity against infectious diseases by training the immune system to fight pathogens. India has emerged as a global vaccine hub, supplying over 60% of global vaccine demand through indigenous vaccine development.

    Basic Principle Behind Vaccine Development

    Mimicking natural infection: Vaccines imitate infections to safely activate the body’s immune defenses.

    Antigen as the key component: Vaccines contain antigens that trigger antibody production. These may include:

    Weakened or killed pathogens

    Pathogen fragments or genetic material

    Inactivated bacterial toxins (toxoids)

    Types of vaccine platform:

    Live-attenuated vaccines: Use weakened living pathogens, providing strong immunity but posing risks to immunocompromised individuals. Eg- MMR and Chickenpox vaccines.

    Non-live vaccines: Use killed pathogens or subunits, making them safer but requiring booster doses due to shorter immunity. Eg- DTaP vaccine.

    Addressing viral mutations: Vaccines for rapidly mutating viruses are periodically updated to maintain protection. Eg- Seasonal flu vaccines and COVID-19 boosters.

    How Vaccines Work?

    Immune system activation: Vaccine antigens are recognized as foreign threats, activating white blood cells to multiply and respond.

    Antibody production: White blood cells produce antibodies that specifically identify and neutralize the pathogen.

    Immunological memory: After the antigen is removed, memory cells remain in the body, providing long-term immunity.

    Protection against disease: On future exposure, memory cells rapidly produce antibodies, preventing severe illness or death.

    Approaches Adopted by Indian Vaccine Manufacturers for COVID-19

    Inactivated whole-virion platform (Covaxin): Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research developed a vaccine using chemically inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus to safely trigger immunity.

    Viral vector platform (Covishield): Serum Institute of India(SII) used a harmless chimpanzee adenovirus carrying spike protein genetic code to stimulate immune response.

    Recombinant protein subunit platform (Covovax & Corbevax): SII and Biological E developed vaccines using purified spike proteins with adjuvants to induce antibodies.

    DNA plasmid platform (ZyCoV-D): Zydus Cadila developed the world’s first human DNA vaccine using plasmid DNA delivered through a needle-free injector.

    mRNA platform (GEMCOVAC-19): Gennova Biopharmaceuticals developed an mRNA vaccine using lipid nanoparticles to deliver spike-protein instructions safely into cells.

    India’s diverse COVID-19 vaccine response-from inactivated vaccines to DNA and mRNA platforms-has strengthened its role as the Pharmacy of the World. Expanding indigenous R&D and ensuring timely immunization remain vital for achieving United Nations SDG 3(Good Health and Well-being)