UPSC Prelims 2022 Science and Technology questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2022 asked 11 science and technology questions in GS Paper I, spread over 2 topics. See the science and technology weightage for 2022 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
Science and Technology 2022: questions by topic
Counted from the 11 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
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Biology, health and biotechnology 4
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Biofilms can form on medical implants within human tissues.
- 2. Biofilms can form on food and food processing surfaces.
- 3. Biofilms can exhibit antibiotic resistance.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three statements are correct (d). A biofilm is a colony of microbes stuck to a surface inside a slimy matrix they make themselves. Statement 1 is right: biofilms form on catheters, artificial joints and other medical implants, causing hard-to-treat infections. Statement 2 is right: they form on food and food-processing surfaces, spreading germs such as Listeria. Statement 3 is right: the matrix shields the bacteria, making them far more resistant to antibiotics, sometimes 1,000 times more.
Notice the everyday example: dental plaque is a biofilm. Biofilms also clog pipes and harm ship hulls. They add to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, which the WHO lists among the top global health threats.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics :
- 1. Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
- 2. The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not naturally occur in our gut.
- 3. Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). Probiotics are live, helpful microbes taken in food or supplements. Statement 1 is right: most are bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and some are yeasts, such as Saccharomyces boulardii. Statement 2 is wrong: the same kinds of microbes live naturally in our gut, as part of the gut microbiome. Statement 3 is right: lactobacilli make the enzyme lactase, which helps digest lactose, the milk sugar, easing lactose intolerance.
Notice the related terms: prebiotics are fibres that feed good bacteria, and synbiotics combine both. Curd (dahi), yoghurt and kefir are common probiotic foods. Probiotics are regulated in India by FSSAI.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements :
- 1. The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
- 2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
- 3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong: Covishield, the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector (ChAdOx1), not mRNA. Statement 2 is right: Sputnik V, from Russia's Gamaleya Institute, uses two human adenovirus vectors (Ad26 and Ad5). Statement 3 is right: Bharat Biotech's Covaxin uses a whole inactivated virus that cannot cause disease.
Notice that the mRNA vaccines were Pfizer-BioNTech's, Moderna's and India's own Gemcovac (Gennova). The 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for the mRNA work. Covishield was withdrawn in 2024 after rare clotting side effects drew attention.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following statements best describes the role of B cells and T cells in the human body ?
Answer (d) & explanation
B cells and T cells protect the body from pathogens (d). B and T lymphocytes are white blood cells that carry out adaptive immunity, which targets particular germs. B cells make antibodies that tag germs. Cytotoxic T cells kill infected cells, and helper T cells organise the whole response. Both keep a memory of past germs, which is why vaccines work. Option (a) is wrong: allergies come from an overreaction of the immune system, not protection from it. Option (b) is wrong: pain and inflammation are eased by drugs like painkillers. Option (c) is wrong: these cells drive immunity; they do not suppress it.
Notice that HIV attacks helper T cells (CD4). CAR-T therapy, now made in India, reprograms a patient's T cells to fight cancer.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Space technology 7
With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements :
- 1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
- 2. As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
- 3. It has seamless portability across the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 3 is correct (b). The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (2021) builds digital health infrastructure: the ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) health ID, and registries of health professionals and facilities. Statement 1 is wrong: joining is voluntary for both private and public hospitals. Statement 2 is wrong: it is also voluntary for citizens; no one must take an ABHA ID. Statement 3 is right: records linked to ABHA are portable across hospitals, labs and States, with the patient's consent.
Notice that ABDM is run by the National Health Authority, which also runs AB-PMJAY, the health insurance scheme of ₹5 lakh a family. In 2024, PMJAY was extended to all citizens aged 70 and above.
"Must" and "every citizen" are the words that rule out statements 1 and 2.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following :
- 1. Aarogya Setu
- 2. CoWIN
- 3. DigiLocker
- 4. DIKSHA
Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All four are built on open-source platforms (d). All four are part of India's digital public infrastructure, built on open-source code and open standards. Item 1 is right: Aarogya Setu, the COVID contact-tracing app, made its code open source in 2020. Item 2 is right: CoWIN, the vaccine registration platform, became an open-source stack (DIVOC) offered to other countries. Item 3 is right: DigiLocker stores official documents digitally on open standards. Item 4 is right: DIKSHA, the school learning platform, is built on Sunbird, an open-source framework.
Notice the India Stack: Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker and consent-based data sharing. India pushed DPI globally during its G20 presidency (2023), with the Global DPI Repository.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Web 3.0, consider the following statements :
- 1. Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data.
- 2. In Web 3.0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.
- 3. Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three statements are correct (d). Web 3.0 is the idea of a decentralised internet built on blockchains. Statement 1 is right: users hold their own data and digital assets in wallets, rather than leaving them with big platforms. Statement 2 is right: applications, including social networks, can run on public blockchains. Statement 3 is right: decisions can be made by users collectively, for example through DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations), rather than by one company.
Notice the earlier stages: Web 1.0 was read-only static pages; Web 2.0 is today's interactive, platform-run web of social media. Web 3.0 is linked with cryptocurrencies and NFTs. India taxes crypto gains at 30%, with 1% TDS.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to “Software as a Service (SaaS)”, consider the following statements :
- 1. SaaS buyers can customise the user interface and can change data fields.
- 2. SaaS users can access their data through their mobile devices.
- 3. Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail are forms of SaaS.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three statements are correct (d). In Software as a Service, the provider hosts the software in the cloud, and users reach it through a browser or app. Statement 1 is right: buyers can usually configure the user interface and change data fields to suit their needs. Statement 2 is right: users can reach their data from any device, including mobiles, over the internet. Statement 3 is right: webmail services such as Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail are everyday examples of SaaS.
Notice the three cloud layers: SaaS (ready software, such as Gmail), PaaS (Platform as a Service, a platform for developers) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service, raw servers and storage). India's government cloud initiative is MeghRaj.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following is the context in which the term “qubit” is mentioned ?
Answer (b) & explanation
A qubit relates to quantum computing (b). A qubit, or quantum bit, is the basic unit of quantum computing. An ordinary bit is either 0 or 1. Through superposition, a qubit can be 0 and 1 at once, and qubits can be entangled, so their states are linked. This lets quantum computers solve some problems, such as cryptography and molecular modelling, far faster. It is not a term from cloud services (a), visible light communication (c) such as Li-Fi, or wireless technology (d).
Notice India's National Quantum Mission (2023), with about ₹6,000 crore, which aims to build 50–1,000 qubit machines within eight years. 2025 was the UN's International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following communication technologies :
- 1. Closed-circuit Television
- 2. Radio Frequency Identification
- 3. Wireless Local Area Network
Which of the above are considered Short-Range devices/technologies ?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are short-range technologies (d). Short-Range Devices (SRDs) are low-power radio transmitters that work over short distances and have little potential to interfere with other services. Item 1 is right: wireless CCTV links send video over short ranges. Item 2 is right: RFID tags, used in FASTag and shop security, are read from close range. Item 3 is right: Wireless LAN, or Wi-Fi, covers a home or office. Bluetooth, NFC, wireless alarms and car remotes are other SRDs.
Notice that the Department of Telecommunications delicenses many SRD bands, such as parts of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for Wi-Fi, so no licence is needed. In 2024, it delicensed the lower 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible effects on the Earth ?
- 1. GPS and navigation systems could fail.
- 2. Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
- 3. Power grids could be damaged.
- 4. Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
- 5. Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
- 6. Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.
- 7. Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Effects 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 are possible (c). A big solar storm disturbs Earth's ionosphere and magnetic field. Item 1 is right: it disrupts GPS and navigation signals. Item 3 is right: it induces currents that can damage power grids, as in Quebec in 1989. Item 4 is right: it spreads auroras to low latitudes. Item 6 is right: it heats the upper air, which drags satellites down; SpaceX lost about 40 Starlink satellites in 2022. Item 7 is right: it blocks shortwave (HF) radio over the poles. Items 2 and 5 are wrong: it cannot cause tsunamis or forest fires.
Notice the Carrington Event (1859), the strongest storm on record. India's Aditya-L1 (2023) studies the Sun from the L1 point.
Remove the two impossible effects, tsunamis and forest fires. Only option (c) is left.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
All years by topic
Every question from 2011 to 2026, grouped by syllabus topic, with year-wise trends.