Science & Technology MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. The obligation on platforms to label synthetically generated information, and the consequent risk to their statutory immunity, has been created by amending which one of the following instruments?

  • A. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, framed under the Information Technology Act, 2000
  • B. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules framed under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, on notice and consent
  • C. The Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, framed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995
  • D. The directions of 2022 on cyber security incident reporting issued under Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000

Q2. Under the amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 dealing with synthetically generated information, certain categories of computer-assisted content are treated as not attracting the synthetic-content disclosure requirement. Consider the following: 1. Routine editing of a photograph using standard colour-correction filters 2. Machine transcription of a recorded speech into text 3. Charts and diagrams generated by an AI tool from an underlying dataset 4. A face-swap video that places a public figure's face and voice into a fabricated statement Which of the above is/are NOT covered by the exemption from the disclosure requirement?

  1. Routine editing of a photograph using standard colour-correction filters
  2. Machine transcription of a recorded speech into text
  3. Charts and diagrams generated by an AI tool from an underlying dataset
  4. A face-swap video that places a public figure's face and voice into a fabricated statement
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q3. Consider the following statements about AstraZeneca: 1. It was formed in 1999 by the merger of Sweden's Astra AB with the United Kingdom-based Zeneca Group. 2. Astra AB, which dated back to 1913, had as its first blockbuster product an anti-ulcer drug called Xylocaine. 3. Zeneca Group, founded in Britain in 1993, was demerged from Imperial Chemical Industries and held a major share of the oncology market. 4. AstraZeneca's Global Innovation and Technology Centre in India is located at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was formed in 1999 by the merger of Sweden's Astra AB with the United Kingdom-based Zeneca Group.
  2. Astra AB, which dated back to 1913, had as its first blockbuster product an anti-ulcer drug called Xylocaine.
  3. Zeneca Group, founded in Britain in 1993, was demerged from Imperial Chemical Industries and held a major share of the oncology market.
  4. AstraZeneca's Global Innovation and Technology Centre in India is located at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
  • A. 2 and 4
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Andhra Pradesh's deep-tech and health-tech infrastructure: 1. The Amaravati Quantum Valley Tech Park, launched in February 2026, counts IBM, TCS and L&T among its industry partners. 2. The Centre for Development of Telematics has agreed to establish a Centre of Excellence in the Amaravati Quantum Valley for quantum communication and security solutions. 3. The Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone at Visakhapatnam was the country's first medical technology manufacturing park. 4. The National Quantum Mission, with an outlay of about Rs 6,000 crore, is implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Amaravati Quantum Valley Tech Park, launched in February 2026, counts IBM, TCS and L&T among its industry partners.
  2. The Centre for Development of Telematics has agreed to establish a Centre of Excellence in the Amaravati Quantum Valley for quantum communication and security solutions.
  3. The Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone at Visakhapatnam was the country's first medical technology manufacturing park.
  4. The National Quantum Mission, with an outlay of about Rs 6,000 crore, is implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 4 only

Q5. Consider the following statements about the National Cancer Grid (NCG): 1. It is funded by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. 2. Its membership is confined entirely to cancer centres and institutions located within India. 3. Its member organizations together treat about 60 per cent of all new cancer patients in India every year. 4. It is coordinated by the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi, which serves as its apex coordinating centre. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It is funded by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.
  2. Its membership is confined entirely to cancer centres and institutions located within India.
  3. Its member organizations together treat about 60 per cent of all new cancer patients in India every year.
  4. It is coordinated by the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi, which serves as its apex coordinating centre.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The National Cancer Grid, a network created to develop uniform standards of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, is an initiative of the Government of India operationalised through which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Atomic Energy, through its grant-in-aid institution the Tata Memorial Centre
  • B. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the National Health Authority
  • C. The Department of Health Research, through the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research
  • D. The Department of Biotechnology, through the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad

Q7. The GenomeIndia project, which has completed whole genome sequencing of 10,000 individuals drawn from 83 population groups, is funded and spearheaded by which one of the following?

  • A. The Indian Council of Medical Research, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • B. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, through its Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology
  • C. The Department of Atomic Energy, through its grant-in-aid institution the Tata Memorial Centre
  • D. The Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology

Q8. With reference to the whole-genome data resource generated under the GenomeIndia project and dedicated to researchers in January 2025, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. It is hosted by the National Informatics Centre, which stores all biological data generated by every Central scientific department.
  • B. It is archived at the Indian Biological Data Centre, the national repository set up by the Department of Biotechnology at Faridabad.
  • C. It is held by the Indian Council of Medical Research, which is the sole custodian of all human genomic data generated in the country.
  • D. It is held by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, the country's only whole-genome sequencing facility.

Q9. The 'MATCH' precision-oncology trial, in which patients are assigned to treatment arms on the basis of predefined molecular biomarkers in their tumours rather than the organ of origin, is conducted under the aegis of which one of the following?

  • A. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization
  • B. The Oncology Center of Excellence of the United States Food and Drug Administration
  • C. The National Cancer Institute of the United States, under the National Institutes of Health
  • D. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding precision oncology and genomic medicine: 1. Precision oncology pairs molecularly targeted agents with predefined driver genes or biomarkers identified in a patient's tumour. 2. Companion diagnostics are tests developed around biomarkers and are used to guide the choice of cancer therapy. 3. Somatic mutations detected by next-generation sequencing are those inherited from a parent and present in every cell of the body. 4. Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, unlike targeted therapy, acts only on cells carrying a specific molecular alteration. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Precision oncology pairs molecularly targeted agents with predefined driver genes or biomarkers identified in a patient's tumour.
  2. Companion diagnostics are tests developed around biomarkers and are used to guide the choice of cancer therapy.
  3. Somatic mutations detected by next-generation sequencing are those inherited from a parent and present in every cell of the body.
  4. Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, unlike targeted therapy, acts only on cells carrying a specific molecular alteration.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q11. Consider the following with reference to the integrated genomic solutions centre agreed upon in the Andhra Pradesh–AstraZeneca India Memorandum of Understanding of July 2026: 1. Lung cancer is among the disease areas identified for the centre at launch. 2. Breast cancer is among the disease areas identified for the centre at launch. 3. Advanced genomic testing and biomarker analysis are its core technologies. 4. It is to come up on the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone campus at Visakhapatnam. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Lung cancer is among the disease areas identified for the centre at launch.
  2. Breast cancer is among the disease areas identified for the centre at launch.
  3. Advanced genomic testing and biomarker analysis are its core technologies.
  4. It is to come up on the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone campus at Visakhapatnam.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q12. With reference to the integrated genomic solutions centre for precision oncology announced in July 2026, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. It is being implemented by the Centre for Development of Telematics under a Centre of Excellence agreement with the State's ITE&C Department.
  • B. It is being set up entirely by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, as a central sector project with no State participation whatsoever.
  • C. It is being executed exclusively by Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Ltd., the sole implementing agency for every genomics project in the State.
  • D. It is being set up under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh with AstraZeneca India.

Q13. In the context of Embraer's recent Indian partnerships, the C-390 Millennium is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A regional passenger jet whose Indian final assembly line Embraer proposes with Adani Defence and Aerospace
  • B. A military transport aircraft that Embraer plans to introduce in India in partnership with the Mahindra Group
  • C. A turboprop basic trainer being co-developed by Embraer with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
  • D. A light utility helicopter to be built in India under an Adani Defence tie-up with an Italian manufacturer

Q14. Consider the following statements regarding India's regulatory response to deepfakes and synthetically generated content: 1. The amendment to the IT Rules, 2021 specifically addressing synthetically generated information was notified in October 2025 vide G.S.R. 120(E). 2. Where synthetically generated information is in audio form, the identifier is required to be audible during the initial ten per cent of its duration. 3. A Standard Operating Procedure on Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery, meant to guide victims, intermediaries and law enforcement agencies, was released in November 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The amendment to the IT Rules, 2021 specifically addressing synthetically generated information was notified in October 2025 vide G.S.R. 120(E).
  2. Where synthetically generated information is in audio form, the identifier is required to be audible during the initial ten per cent of its duration.
  3. A Standard Operating Procedure on Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery, meant to guide victims, intermediaries and law enforcement agencies, was released in November 2025.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q15. The Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the first global standard-setting instrument on the subject, was adopted in November 2021 by how many States?

  • A. 141 UNESCO Member States, constituting a two-thirds majority of the General Conference
  • B. 167 UNESCO Member States, the remainder recording abstentions
  • C. All 195 United Nations Member States, without a single exception
  • D. 193 UNESCO Member States at its General Conference

Q16. The IndiaAI Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024, is implemented through which one of the following bodies?

  • A. IndiaAI, an Independent Business Division under MeitY
  • B. The National e-Governance Division, an autonomous business division functioning under the same Ministry
  • C. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, a scientific society functioning under the same Ministry
  • D. The Frontier Technology Hub established under NITI Aayog's technology and innovation vertical

Q17. The India AI Governance Guidelines released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in November 2025 organise their key recommendations under how many pillars of AI governance?

  • A. Four
  • B. Five
  • C. Six
  • D. Seven

Q18. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a pillar of India's Digital Public Infrastructure, was launched in 2016 by which one of the following?

  • A. National Payments Corporation of India
  • B. Reserve Bank of India
  • C. Unique Identification Authority of India
  • D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q19. The Barakah plant — cited as the model built under a 'gold standard' 123 agreement — is notable as the first commercial nuclear power plant in the Arab world. In which country is it located?

  • A. Saudi Arabia
  • B. Egypt
  • C. Jordan
  • D. United Arab Emirates

Q20. With reference to the world's first hydrogen fuel cell passenger train, consider the following statements: 1. The world's first hydrogen fuel cell passenger train, the Coradia iLint, entered service in Germany. 2. It began commercial passenger service in the year 2018. 3. It was first deployed in the German state of Lower Saxony. 4. It was manufactured by the Japanese company Hitachi. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The world's first hydrogen fuel cell passenger train, the Coradia iLint, entered service in Germany.
  2. It began commercial passenger service in the year 2018.
  3. It was first deployed in the German state of Lower Saxony.
  4. It was manufactured by the Japanese company Hitachi.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q21. The indigenous hydrogen storage and refuelling facility at Jind — the country's largest railway hydrogen facility — can store nearly how much hydrogen at a time?

  • A. ~300 kg
  • B. ~3,000 kg
  • C. ~30,000 kg
  • D. ~500 kg

Q22. The 2021 IROAF tender for India's first Hydrogen Fuel Cell based train was floated for which railway section (about 89 km), which later became the site of India's first hydrogen train?

  • A. Rewari–Rohtak
  • B. Kalka–Shimla
  • C. Sonipat–Jind
  • D. Kazipet–Vijayawada

Q23. The 'Hydrogen for Heritage' initiative for running hydrogen trains on heritage/hill routes is implemented under the administrative authority of which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Railways
  • B. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • C. Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Q24. With reference to the 'Hydrogen for Heritage' initiative of Indian Railways, consider the following statements: 1. Indian Railways plans to run 35 hydrogen trains under the initiative. 2. Each hydrogen train under the scheme is estimated to cost about ₹80 crore. 3. Ground infrastructure per route is estimated at about ₹70 crore. 4. Field trials of the first prototype on the Jind–Sonipat section were expected to commence in 2028–29. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Indian Railways plans to run 35 hydrogen trains under the initiative.
  2. Each hydrogen train under the scheme is estimated to cost about ₹80 crore.
  3. Ground infrastructure per route is estimated at about ₹70 crore.
  4. Field trials of the first prototype on the Jind–Sonipat section were expected to commence in 2028–29.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q25. Consider the following statements comparing a hydrogen fuel cell train with conventional trains: 1. Unlike a diesel-electric train, a hydrogen fuel cell train has zero tailpipe carbon emissions. 2. Unlike a conventional electric train, a hydrogen fuel cell train does not require continuous overhead electrification. 3. Unlike a diesel train, a hydrogen fuel cell train generates significantly greater noise during operation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike a diesel-electric train, a hydrogen fuel cell train has zero tailpipe carbon emissions.
  2. Unlike a conventional electric train, a hydrogen fuel cell train does not require continuous overhead electrification.
  3. Unlike a diesel train, a hydrogen fuel cell train generates significantly greater noise during operation.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q26. Regarding the working of the hydrogen fuel cell system on India's hydrogen train, consider the following statements: 1. In the fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity that propels the train. 2. The only by-product of the reaction, emitted during operation, is water vapour. 3. The train continuously draws traction power from overhead electric lines. 4. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries support the fuel-cell power system on board. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. In the fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity that propels the train.
  2. The only by-product of the reaction, emitted during operation, is water vapour.
  3. The train continuously draws traction power from overhead electric lines.
  4. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries support the fuel-cell power system on board.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 2, 3 and 4

Q27. The claim that NaMo Green Rail is the world's longest and most powerful hydrogen train-set 'on broad gauge' refers to its operation on track of which rail-to-rail width?

  • A. 1,435 mm
  • B. 1,676 mm
  • C. 1,000 mm
  • D. 762 mm

Q28. India's NaMo Green Rail is described as among the world's most powerful hydrogen train-sets on broad gauge on account of a total propulsion power rating of about:

  • A. 1,600 kW
  • B. 4,500 kW
  • C. 2,400 kW (≈3,200 HP)
  • D. 800 kW

Q29. With reference to India's first hydrogen fuel cell train, consider the following statements: 1. It was flagged off on the Jind–Sonipat section of the Northern Railway in July 2026. 2. It has a 10-coach configuration and was designed, engineered and integrated in India. 3. Its supporting hydrogen storage and refuelling facility, the country's largest railway hydrogen facility, is located at Sonipat. 4. It runs on the metre-gauge network as a retrofitted electric multiple unit. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. It was flagged off on the Jind–Sonipat section of the Northern Railway in July 2026.
  2. It has a 10-coach configuration and was designed, engineered and integrated in India.
  3. Its supporting hydrogen storage and refuelling facility, the country's largest railway hydrogen facility, is located at Sonipat.
  4. It runs on the metre-gauge network as a retrofitted electric multiple unit.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q30. The pilot project to operationalise India's first hydrogen fuel cell train on the Jind–Sonipat section was executed by Indian Railways primarily through which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)
  • B. Indian Railways Organisation of Alternative Fuels (IROAF)
  • C. Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
  • D. Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai