THEME- SPACE EXPLANATION:-§ Statement 1 is correct: Unlike normal matter dark
matter does not interact with the electromagnetic force. This means it does not
absorb reflect or emit light making it extremely hard to spot. § Statement 2 is correct: Researchers have been able
to infer the existence of dark matter only from the gravitational effect it
seems to have on visible matter. § Statement 3 is not correct: The visible
universe-including Earth the sun other stars and galaxies-is made of protons
neutrons and electrons bundled together into atoms. This ordinary visible
matter makes up less than 5 percent of the mass of the universe. The rest of
the universe is made of dark matter (25 percent) and a force that repels
gravity known as dark energy (70 percent).Notes on Dark energyDark Matter and Dark EnergyThe term ‘dark’ is used to denote the unknown. So dark
energy corresponds to an unknown energy. And dark matter corresponds to unknown
matter whose properties are not clear to scientists.More about Dark Energy: Supernovae observations showed that
the expansion of the Universe rather than slowing is accelerating. Something
not like matter and not like ordinary energy is pushing the galaxies apart.
This “stuff” has been dubbed dark energy but to give it a name is not to
understand it. Whether dark energy is a type of dynamical fluid heretofore
unknown to physics or whether it is a property of the vacuum of empty space or
whether it is some modification to general relativity is not yet known.

THEME- NUCLEAR TECH. EXPLANATION:- BOTH STATEMENTS ARE WRONG. ● To confirm the effectiveness of the integrated
crop-livestock approach scientists use nuclear techniques involving the
nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 isotopes. ● Nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 are stable isotopes and
scientists are able to track these isotopes to measure for example how
efficiently crops consume nitrogen. Scientists do this by introducing samples
of nitrogen-15 into the soil around the crops. Over several months they observe
how much nitrogen-15 is absorbed by the plants. This provides crucial
information about how efficiently the crops use the nutrients. ● Similarly scientists add samples of carbon-13 to the
soil to assess soil quality. As nutrients are recycled in the soil organic
carbon content goes up. Scientists can measure the changes in organic carbon
content by tracking the carbon-13.

THEME- NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION-ALL THREE STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT.
Apsara was the first nuclear research reactor in Asia. It had become
operational in BARC’s Trombay campus in August 1956. It was first nuclear
reactor indigenously developed in India. The design was conceptualised in 1955 by Dr Homi Bhabha the father of Indian Nuclear programme.♣
Apsara was a light water moderated (swimming pool-type) reactor with maximum power output of 1 megawatt thermal (MWt). It burned enriched uranium in form of aluminum alloyed curved plates.
It was utilised for various experiments including neutron activation analysis
radiation damage studies radiation shielding.
The radioisotopes produced by it will be also used in the field of food preservation agriculture and other industries apart from medicine for diagnosis and therapy.

THEME-GENERAL SCIENCEEXPLANATION:-♣
STATEMENT 1 IS CORRECT- Passive immunity is provided when a person is given
antibodies to a disease rather than producing them through his or her own
immune system. A newborn baby acquires passive immunity from its mother through
the placenta. ♣
When antibodies are directly given to protect the body against foreign agents
it is called passive immunity for example foetus receives antibodies from their
mother through the placenta during pregnancy the yellowish fluid colostrum
secreted by mother during the initial days of lactation has abundant antibodies
(IgA) to protect the infant.♣
STATEMENT 2 IS INCORRECT:- Active immunity is slow and takes time to give its
full effective response whereas passive immunity immediately gives effective
response. Passive immunity lasts for few days or shorter duration whereas
active immunity lasts for sufficiently longer period or may be lifelong.

THEME- BIOTECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION:-♣
STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT- CRISPR technology is a simple yet powerful tool for
editing genomes. It allows researchers to easily alter DNA and not RNA
sequences and modify gene function. Its many potential applications include
correcting genetic defects treating and preventing the spread of diseases and
improving crops. ♣
STATEMENT 2 IS CORRECT- CRISPR is shorthand for CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPRs are
specialized stretches of DNA. The protein Cas9 (or CRISPR-associated) is an
enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors capable of cutting strands
of DNA.♣
STATEMENT 3 IS CORRECT- CRISPR technology was adapted from the natural defense
mechanisms of bacteria and archaea (the domain of single-celled
microorganisms). These organisms use CRISPR-derived RNA and various Cas
proteins including Cas9 to foil attacks by viruses and other foreign bodies.
They do so primarily by chopping up and destroying the DNA of a foreign
invader. When these components are transferred into other more complex
organisms it allows for the manipulation of genes or editing.

THEME-MISC.EXPLANATION:-Statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.♣
International Classification of Disease (ICD) o It is WHO’s Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual (DSM) which is a global health information standard for
mortality and morbidity. ● It is used in clinical care and research to define
diseases and study patterns manage health care monitor outcomes and allocate
resources. ● In 1893 first international List of causes of Death
was issued. Thereafter since the formation of WHO in 1948 ICD is being published.
● ICD-10 was published in May 1990. WHO has classified
excessive gaming as a mental disorder under its 11th International
Classification of Disease (ICD).

THEME-SPACE EXPLANATION:-

Quasars are extremely distant objects in our known universe. They are the
farthest objects away from our galaxy that can be seen. Quasars are extremely bright masses of energy and light.
Quasars are believed to produce their energy from massive black holes in the
center of the galaxies in which the quasars are located.

● A pulsar (short for pulsating radio star) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation.

● Brown dwarfs are objects which are too large to be
called planets and too small to be stars. They have masses that range between twice the mass of Jupiter and the lower mass limit for nuclear reactions (0.08 times the mass of our sun).

● Dark nebulae are interstellar clouds that contain a very high concentration of dust. This allows them to scatter and absorb all incident optical light making them completely opaque at visible wavelengths.

THEME- ENERGYSIMILAR QUESTION WAS ASKED IN 2014.EXPLANATION:-♣
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell (previously termed solar battery) is an
electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity
by the photovoltaic cells which is physical and chemical phenomenon. Hence
statement 1 is correct.♣
It is a form of photoelectric cell defined as a device whose electrical
characteristics such as current voltage or resistance vary when exposed to
light. Solar cells are the building blocks of photovoltaic modules otherwise
known as solar panels. Solar cells are described as being photovoltaic irrespective
of whether the source is sunlight or an artificial light. ♣
They are used as a photodetector (for example infrared radiation) detecting
light or other electromagnetic radiation near the visible range or measuring
light intensity. China became the second country in the world to construct a
photovoltaic highway. France introduced the worlds first photovoltaic road in
2016. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

THEME-BIOTECHNOLOGYSimilar questions was asked in 2012 and 13.EXPLANATION-Statement 1 is incorrect- Induced pluripotent stem cells
(iPSC) produced by genetically manipulating human skin cells to produce
embryonic-like stem cells that are capable of forming any cell types of the
body. Statement 2 is correct- Tissues derived from iPSCs will be a
nearly identical match to the cell donor and thus probably avoid rejection by
the immune system.More on iPSC:-• Induced pluripotent stem cells (also known as iPS cells or
iPSCs) are a type of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated directly from
adult cells. The iPSC technology was pioneered by Shinya Yamanaka’s lab in
Kyoto Japan who showed in 2006 that the introduction of four specific genes
encoding transcription factors could convert adult cells into pluripotent stem
cells. • Pluripotent stem cells hold promise in the field of regenerative
medicine. Because they can propagate indefinitely as well as give rise to every
other cell type in the body (such as neurons heart pancreatic and liver cells)
they represent a single source of cells that could be used to replace those
lost to damage or disease.• The most well-known type of pluripotent stem cell is the
embryonic stem cell. However since the generation of embryonic stem cells
involves destruction (or at least manipulation) [4] of the pre-implantation
stage embryo there has been much controversy surrounding their use.• Further because embryonic stem cells can only be derived
from embryos it has so far not been feasible to create patient-matched
embryonic stem cell lines.• Since iPSCs can be derived directly from adult tissues they
not only bypass the need for embryos but can be made in a patient-matched
manner which means that each individual could have their own pluripotent stem
cell line. • These unlimited supplies of autologous cells could be used
to generate transplants without the risk of immune rejection. • While the iPSC technology has not yet advanced to a stage
where therapeutic transplants have been deemed safe iPSCs are readily being
used in personalized drug discovery efforts and understanding the
patient-specific basis of disease.

THEME-SPACEEXPLANATION:-
STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT & 2 IS CORRECT– Spaceward Bound programme”
Research The Spaceward Bound is a NASA project that educates future space
explorers and funds expeditions to places with extreme climate conditions.

THEME- ENERGYSIMILAR QUESTION WAS ASKED IN 2014/15.

EXPLANATION:- statement 2 is incorrect– In contrast shale
gas resources form within the organic-rich shale source rock. The low
permeability of the shale greatly inhibits the gas from migrating to more
permeable reservoir rocks.

1. Shale Gas Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped
within shale formations. Shales are fine grained sedimentary rocks that can be
rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. Over the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed access to large volumes of shale gas that were previously uneconomical to produce. 2. Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing (commonly called fracking or hydrofracking) is a technique in which water chemicals and sand are pumped into the well to unlock the hydrocarbons trapped in shale formations by opening cracks (fractures) in the rock and allowing natural gas to flow from the shale into the well. When used in conjunction with horizontal drilling hydraulic fracturing enables gas producers to extract shale gas at reasonable cost. Without these techniques, natural gas does not flow to the well rapidly and commercial quantities cannot be produced from shale.

3. Shale Gas vs. Conventional Gas Conventional gas reservoirs are created when natural gas migrates toward the Earth’s surface from an organic-rich source formation into highly permeable reservoir rock where it is trapped by an overlying layer of impermeable rock. In contrast shale gas resources form within the organic-rich shale source rock. The low permeability of the shale greatly inhibits the gas from migrating to more permeable reservoir rocks. Without horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing shale gas production would not be economically feasible because the natural gas would not flow from the formation at high enough rates to justify the cost of drilling.

THEME-DEFENCESimilar Question was asked by UPSC in 2017 prelims.

EXPLANATION-

• Statement 1 is not correct: It is an intermediate-range surface to a surface ballistic missile.

• Statement 2 is not correct: The nuclear-capable missile
has a strike range of 5500 to 5800 km. Its range extends to entire Pakistan and also northernmost parts of China thus adding to our defence preparedness. It has been developed by DRDO.

• Statement 3 is correct: It can be transported and swiftly
launched from anywhere on land. It can even be launched from canisters. Also it can be launched from a mobile platform which gives the flexibility of the armed forces to transport and fire it swiftly from anywhere they want.

THEME-BIOTECHNOLOGYSIMILAR QUESTIONS WAS ASKED IN 2008 AND ’09.

EXPLANATION- statement 3 is wrong; It’s not India but USA. MORE ON Human Genome Project (HGP):-• The Human Genome Project (HGP) was a large international and multi-institutional effort that took 13 years [1990-2003] and $2.7 billion to produce a blueprint of the sequence of genes and spaces between genes that make up a typical human genome. • Human Genome Project – Write (HGP – Write) the Human Genome Project–write (HGP write) now underway to synthesise a human genome from scratch. The original HGP was a “read” in that it used chemicals and instruments to decipher the genome for the first time. •

The new project its proponents say is to write or build an
artificial human genome with sophisticated bioengineering tools. A group of
scientists from the United States recently proposed an ambitious project named as Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write) to create a genetic blueprint or synthetic human genome.

• The project envisions on the same scale as the Human
Genome Project-Read (HGP-Read) which had sequenced the human genome in 2003.

• HGP-Write seeks to reduce the cost of engineering DNA
segments synthetically in the laboratory. The potential benefits of HGP-write
to India include providing new solutions to diseases like malaria dengue and
chikungunya.

• The tools techniques and technologies that are going to be
developed through HGP-write will be universally applicable to all organisms
especially at an earlier stage for organisms with smaller genomes (for example
viruses) towards building individual genes and genomes efficiently and in an
inexpensive manner.

• It also aims at improving the ability to chemically manufacture DNA with one of the goals being to synthetically create an entire human genome.

THEME- EXPLANATION:-
Statement 1 is correct: It is also known as convention on cybercrime. It is the
first international treaty seeking to address computer crime by harmonizing
national laws improving investigative techniques and increasing cooperation
among nations. The Budapest Convention provides for the criminalisation of
conduct ranging from illegal access data and systems interference to
computer-related fraud and child pornography procedural law tools to make
investigation of cybercrime and securing of e-evidence in relation to any crime
more effective and international police and judicial cooperation on cybercrime
and e-evidence.
Statement 2 is not correct: India is non- signatory of Budapest Convention. It
has 56 members including US and UK. It was drawn up by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in France with the active participation of the Council of Europe’s observer states Canada Japan South Africa and the United States. It was opened for signature in Budapest on 23 November 2001 and it entered into force on 1 July 2004. India is planning to join this convention soon.

THEME-NANOTECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION:- ONLY 3RD STATEMENT IS CORRECT.♣
STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT-Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an allotrope of carbon-
they are cylindrical hollow fibers comprised of a single sheet of pure graphite
(a hexagonal lattice of carbon) having a diameter of 0.7 to 50 nanometers with
lengths generally in the range of 10’s of microns. Being a hollow tube
comprised entirely of carbon they are also extremely light weight. They have
novel properties that make them potentially useful in a wide variety of
applications in nanotechnology electronics optics and other fields of materials
science. Carbon fibers are fibers about 5–10 micrometers in diameter and
composed mostly of carbon atoms. ♣
STATEMENT 2 IS INCORRECT– Carbon nanotubes are different than carbon nanofibers
(CNFs). CNFs are usually several micrometers long and have a diameter of about
200 nm. Carbon fibers have been used for decades to strengthen compound but
they do not have the same lattice structure as CNTs. ♣
Instead they consist of a combination of several forms of carbon and/or several
layers of graphite which are stacked at various angles on amorphous carbon
(where atoms do not arrange themselves in ordered structures). ♣
CNFs have similar properties as CNTs but their tensile strength is lower owing
to their variable structure and they are not hollow inside.♣
STATEMENT 3 IS CORRECT:– CNT metal matrix composites have excellent electrical
properties and are used as reinforcement to metals in order to enhance their
electrical properties. ♣
Carbon nanotubes have extremely high thermal conductivity that allows metal
matrix carbon nanotubes to be used for thermal management.

THEME- NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION:-STATEMENT 2 IS WRONG.• Fast breeder reactor are so called because they use fast
neutrons for sustaining the chain reaction hence no moderator is needed and
besides generating power they also breed more fissile species (plutonium) than
they consume. • India becomes the sixth nation having the technology to
build and operate a FBTR besides USA UK France Japan and the then USSR.Notes on FBR• Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) has been
carrying out a comprehensive R&D on sodium cooled fast breeder reactor
technology for the past 30 years. A test reactor called Fast Breeder Test
Reactors (FBTR) is in operation from 1985 onwards which has provided valuable
feedback. Based on this experience and also taking into account the
international experience design of a 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor
(PFBR) has been done. • The design has been peer reviewed by international design
agencies. With respect to manufacturing an elaborate manufacturing technology
development program was undertaken which helped in identifying the major
industries towards demonstration of indigenous capability. • Currently all the components and equipments especially the
oversized heavy components have been successfully manufactured by Indian
industries and erected in PFBR project. By following the above approach India
has mastered the design and manufacturing of sodium cooled Fast Breeder
Reactors (FBR).• FBRs are designed with several safety measures and
features which follow redundancy and diversity principles. Fast Breeder
Reactors are safe and efficient apart from the benefits from environmental
considerations. Economic viability of FBRs depends on successful operation of
PFBR and subsequently successful commissioning and operation of FBRs in the
country.

THEME-BIOTECHNOLOGY

EXPLANATION-

● statement 1 is correct-Although E. coli is known to the general population for the infectious nature of one particular strain (0157:H7) few people are aware of how versatile and useful E. coli is to genetic research. The E. coli genome was the first to be completely sequenced (in 1997).

● E. coli is the well-understood bacterium in the world and is an extremely important model organism in many fields of research particularly molecular biology genetics and biochemistry.

● statement 2 is incorrect- It is easy to grow under laboratory conditions and research strains are very safe to work with. As with many bacteria E. coli grows quickly this allows many generations to be studied in a short time. In fact under ideal conditions E. coli cells can double in number after only 20 minutes.

● statement 3 is correct- E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a type of bacteria that normally lives in intestines. It’s also found in the gut of some animals.

● statement 4 is incorrect- There are many types of E. coli and most of them are harmless. But some can cause bloody diarrhea. Some strains of E. coli bacteria may also cause severe anemia or kidney failure which can lead to death. Other strains of E. coli can cause urinary tract infections or other infections.

THEME- BIOTECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION:-♣
Statement 1 is not correct: Three Parent In Vitro Fertilization Technique is
used to replace mother‘s faulty Mitochondrial DNA with healthy Mitochondria
from a donor woman during IVF process thus also named as ―three-parent‖
Baby. ♣
As Mitochondria are inherited solely from the mother and this results into
cases of babies been born with rare mitochondrial diseases if mother has the
faulty mitochondrial DNA. ♣
Thus such technology is used to avoid the inheritance of any mitochondrial
diseases from mother not any genetic diseases. ♣
Statement 2 is correct: UK became the first country to have officially approved
procedures to create ―three-parent babies.

THEME-IT EXPLANATION:- statement 2 is incorrect.
STATEMENT 1 IS CORRECT– A supercomputer is a computer with a high-level computational capacity compared to a general-purpose computer. Performance of a supercomputer is measured in floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million instructions per second (MIPS).
STATEMENT 2 IS INCORRECT– the fastest supercomputer in the world is the Summit made by the USA.

THEME-BIO-TECHNOLOGYEXPLANATION:-♣
STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT- Start-up Sohum has made the technology appropriate
for the resource constrained settings and aims to cater to nearly 26 million
babies born every year in India. ♣
STATEMENT 2 IS CORRCT- Sohum is a low cost and unique device which uses
brainstem auditory evoked response the gold standard in auditory testing to
check for hearing response in a newborn