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CSAT · Comprehension · passage theme

Science and technology

38 questions, from 2011 to 2026.

2011

3 questions

Passage

Passage-III

In spring, polar bear mothers emerge from dens with three month old cubs. The mother bear has fasted for as long as eight months but that does not stop the young from demanding full access to her remaining reserves. If there are triplets, the most persistent stands to gain an extra meal and it may have the meal at the expense of others. The smallest of the litter forfeits many meals to stronger siblings. Females are protective of their cubs but tend to ignore family rivalry over food. In 21 years of photographing polar bears, I've only once seen the smallest of triplets survive till autumn.

2011 · Q70

Female polar bears give birth during

  1. (a)spring
  2. (b)summer
  3. (c)autumn
  4. (d)winter
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2011 · Q71

Mother bear

  1. (a)takes sides over cubs
  2. (b)lets the cubs fend for themselves
  3. (c)feeds only their favourites
  4. (d)sees that all cubs get an equal share
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2011 · Q72

With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.Polar bears fast as long as eight months due to non-availability of prey.

2.Polar bears always give birth to triplets.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2013

2 questions

Passage

Crude mineral oil comes out of the earth as a thick brown or black liquid with a strong smell. It is a complex mixture of many different substances, each with its own individual qualities. Most of them are combinations of hydrogen and carbon in varying proportions. Such hydrocarbons are also found in other forms such as bitumen, asphalt and natural gas. Mineral oil originates from the carcasses of tiny animals and from plants that live in the sea. Over millions of years, these dead creatures form large deposits under the sea-bed; and ocean currents cover them with a blanket of sand and silt. As this mineral hardens, it becomes sedimentary rock and effectively shuts out the oxygen, so preventing the complete decomposition of the marine deposits underneath. The layers of sedimentary rock become thicker and heavier. Their pressure produces heat, which transforms the tiny carcasses into crude oil in a process that is still going on today.

2013 · Q32

Mineral oil deposits under the sea do not get completely decomposed because they

  1. (a)are constantly washed by the ocean currents.
  2. (b)become rock and prevent oxygen from entering them.
  3. (c)contain a mixture of hydrogen and carbon.
  4. (d)are carcasses of organisms lying in saline conditions.
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2013 · Q33

Sedimentary rock leads to the formation of oil deposits because

  1. (a)there are no saline conditions below it.
  2. (b)it allows some dissolved oxygen to enter the dead organic matter below it.
  3. (c)weight of overlying sediment layers causes the production of heat.
  4. (d)it contains the substances that catalyze the chemical reactions required to change dead organisms into oil.
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2015

1 question

Passage

Flamingos in large flocks in the wild are social and extremely loyal. They perform group mating dances. Parents are very fond of their chicks, gathering them into crèches for protection while both males and females fly off to search for food.

2015 · Q25

Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage?

  1. (a)Mass nesting in all species of birds is essential to ensure complete survival of their offspring.
  2. (b)Only birds have the capacity to develop social behaviour and thus can do mass nesting to raise their chicks in safety.
  3. (c)Social behaviour in some species of birds increases the odds of survival in an unsafe world.
  4. (d)All species of birds set up crèches for their chicks to teach them social behaviour and loyalty.
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Corollary

2016

1 question

Passage

All humans digest mother's milk as infants, but until cattle began being domesticated 10,000 years ago, children once weaned no longer needed to digest milk. As a result, they stopped making the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the sugar lactose into simple sugars. After humans began herding cattle, it became tremendously advantageous to digest milk, and lactose tolerance evolved independently among cattle herders in Europe, the middle East and Africa. Groups not dependant on cattle, such as the Chinese and Thai, remain lactose intolerant.

2016 · Q65

Which among the following is the most logical assumption that can be made from the above passage?

  1. (a)About 10,000 years ago, the domestication of animals took place in some parts of the world
  2. (b)A permanent change in the food habits of a community can bring about a genetic change in its members
  3. (c)Lactose tolerant people only are capable of getting simple sugars in their bodies
  4. (d)People who are not lactose tolerant cannot digest any dairy product
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2017

1 question

Passage

We live in digital times. The digital is not just something we use strategically and specifically to do a few tasks. Our very perception of who we are, how we connect to the world around us, and the ways in which we define our domains of life, labour and language are hugely structured by the digital technologies. The digital is everywhere and, like air, invisible. We live within digital systems, we live with intimate gadgets, we interact through digital media, and the very presence and imagination of the digital has dramatically restructured our lives. The digital, far from being a tool, is a condition and context that defines the shapes and boundaries of our understanding of the self, the society, and the structure of governance.

2017 · Q43

Which among the following is the most logical and essential message conveyed by the above passage?

  1. (a)All problems of governance can be solved by using digital technologies.
  2. (b)Speaking of digital technologies is speaking of our life and living.
  3. (c)Our creativity and imagination cannot be expressed without digital media.
  4. (d)Use of digital systems is imperative for the existence of mankind in future.
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

2018

1 question

Passage

Scientific knowledge has its dangers, but so has every great thing. Over and beyond the dangers with which it threatens the present, it opens up as nothing else can, the vision of a possible happy world; a world without poverty, without war, with little illness. Science, whatever unpleasant consequences it may have by the way, is in its very nature a liberator.

2018 · Q51

Which one of the following is the most important implication of the passage?

  1. (a)A happy world is a dream of science.
  2. (b)Science only can build a happy world, but it is also the only major threat.
  3. (c)A happy world is not possible without science.
  4. (d)A happy world is not at all possible with or without science.
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2019

6 questions

Passage

A bat's wings may look like sheets of skin. But underneath, a bat has the same five fingers as an orangutan or a human, as well as a wrist connected to the same cluster of wrist bones connected to the same long bones of the arm. What can be more curious than that the hand of a man, formed for grasping, that of a mole for digging, the leg of the horse, the paddle of the porpoise, and the wing of the bat, should all be constructed on the same pattern?

2019 · Q7

Which one of the following is the most logical, scientific and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?

  1. (a)Different species having similar structure of hands is an example of biodiversity.
  2. (b)Limbs being used by different species for different kinds of work is an example of biodiversity.
  3. (c)Man and the aforementioned animals having similar structure of limbs is an example of coincidence in evolution.
  4. (d)Man and the aforementioned animals have a shared evolutionary history.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

Passage

Low-end IoT (Internet of Things) devices are cheap commodity items: addressing security would add to the cost. This class of items is proliferating with new applications; many home appliances, thermostats, security and monitoring devices and personal convenience devices are part of the IoT. So are fitness trackers, certain medical implants and computer-like devices in automobiles. The IoT is expected to expand exponentially — but new security challenges are daunting.

2019 · Q21

Which one of the following statements is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?

  1. (a)Development of enabling technologies in India can be a big boost to its manufacturing sector.
  2. (b)India is not yet fully ready to adopt IoT in view of the imminent security challenges.
  3. (c)Life becomes more comfortable with the development of cheap low-end IoT devices.
  4. (d)As we go digital, we must recognise the huge threat to Internet security from some IoT devices.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

Passage

What stands in the way of the widespread and careful adoption of 'Genetic Modification (GM)' technology is an 'Intellectual Property Rights' regime that seeks to create private monopolies for such technologies. If GM technology is largely corporate driven, it seeks to maximize profits and that too in the short run. That is why corporations make major investments for herbicide-tolerant and pest-resistant crops. Such properties have only a short window, as soon enough, pests and weeds will evolve to overcome such resistance. This suits the corporations. The National Farmers Commission pointed out that priority must be given in genetic modification to the incorporation of genes that can help impart resistance to drought, salinity and other stresses.

2019 · Q41

Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the above passage?

  1. (a)Public research institutions should take the lead in GM technology and prioritise the technology agenda.
  2. (b)Developing countries should raise this issue in WTO and ensure the abolition of Intellectual Property Rights.
  3. (c)Private corporations should not be allowed to do agribusiness in India, particularly the seed business.
  4. (d)Present Indian circumstances do not favour the cultivation of genetically modified crops.
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

2019 · Q42

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.The issue of effects of natural calamities on agriculture is not given due consideration by GM technology companies.

2.In the long run, GM technology will not be able to solve agricultural problems arising due to global warming.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

Passage

In a study, scientists compared the microbiomes of poorly nourished and well nourished infants and young children. Gut microbes were isolated from faecal samples of malnourished and healthy children. The microbiome was "immature" and less diverse in malnourished children compared to the better developed "mature" microbiome found in healthy children of the same age. According to some studies, the chemical composition of mother's milk has shown the presence of a modified sugar (sialylated oligosaccharides). This is not utilized by the baby for its own nutrition. However, the bacteria constituting the infant's microbiome thrive on this sugar which serves as their food. Malnourished mothers have low levels of this sugar in their milk. Consequently, the microbiomes of their infants fail to mature. That in turn, leads to malnourished babies.

2019 · Q63

Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial inference that can be derived from the above passage?

  1. (a)If malnourished condition in children is caused by gut bacteria, it cannot be treated.
  2. (b)The guts of malnourished babies should be inoculated with mature microbiomes.
  3. (c)Babies of malnourished mothers should be fed with dairy milk fortified with sialylated oligosaccharides instead of mother's milk.
  4. (d)Research on benign effects of gut bacteria on nutrition has policy implications.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2019 · Q64

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.Processed probiotic foods are a solution to treat the children suffering from malnutrition due to immature gut bacteria composition.

2.The babies of malnourished mothers generally tend to be malnourished.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2020

3 questions

Passage

Although most of the Genetically Modified (GM) crops cultivated now are genetically engineered for a single trait, in future, crops genetically engineered for more than one trait will be the norm. Thus, biotechnology’s role in agriculture and the regulation of the same cannot be understood solely in the context of the current generation of GM crops. Instead, there is a need to take a comprehensive look, taking into account various aspects, including socio-economic impacts, so that the potential of the technology can be harnessed while minimizing negative impacts. Given the importance of biotechnology in developing varieties that can help in climate change mitigation and adaptation, not using biotechnology as a part of the climate change action plan cannot be an option. Domestic regulation of biotechnology cannot be viewed in isolation of trade policy and obligations under various international treaties and conventions.

2020 · Q5

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.Biotechnology regulation is an evolving process.

2.Participation of people is needed in policy decisions regarding biotechnology regulation.

3.Biotechnology regulation should take into account socio-economic aspects in decision-making.

4.Wider involvement of political executive in biotechnology regulation improves its effectiveness in dealing with the country’s trade policies and international obligations.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?

  1. (a)1, 2 and 4 only
  2. (b)1 and 3 only
  3. (c)2, 3 and 4 only
  4. (d)1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2020 · Q6

Which one of the following statements best implies the crux of the passage?

  1. (a)Precautionary principle is not given importance in current debate on developing GM crops.
  2. (b)Biotechnology is not currently used in climate change mitigation and adaptation mechanisms.
  3. (c)Biotechnology’s role is not confined to the current priorities of developing GM crops.
  4. (d)The negative impacts of biotechnology are not properly understood.
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

Passage

Genome editing is different from genome modification. Genome editing typically involves finding the part of a plant genome that could be changed to render it less vulnerable to disease, or resistant to certain herbicides, or to increase yields. Researchers use ‘molecular scissors’ to dissect the genome and repair it, which is a process that occurs naturally when plants are under attack from diseases and can throw up new mutations that enable the plant to survive future attacks. This evolutionary process can effectively be speeded up now that it is possible to examine plant genomes in detail in laboratories, and create mechanisms through which the relevant genes can be altered very precisely.

2020 · Q64

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.Genome editing does not require the transfer of genes from one plant to another.

2.Through genome editing, the chosen genes can be altered precisely in a manner akin to the natural process that helps plants to adapt to the environmental factors.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2021

3 questions

Passage

Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies. A modern car is a computer on wheels; an aeroplane is a computer on wings. The arrival of the “Internet of Things” will see computers baked into everything from road signs and MRI scanners to prosthetics and insulin pumps. There is little evidence that these gadgets will be any more trustworthy than their desktop counterparts. Hackers have already proved that they can take remote control of internet connected cars and pacemakers.

2021 · Q13

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above?

  1. (a)Computers are not completely safe.
  2. (b)Companies producing the software do not take cyber security seriously.
  3. (c)Stringent data security laws are needed.
  4. (d)The present trend of communication technologies will affect our lives in future.
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

Passage

There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters. Overusing these substances can create superbugs, pathogens that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along humans. Mindful of that, some farming companies have stopped using the drugs to make chickens gain weight faster. Since Denmark banned antibiotic growth promoters in the 1990s, the major pork exporter says it is producing more pigs — and the animals get fewer diseases.

2021 · Q22

Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above?

  1. (a)People should avoid consuming the products of animal farming.
  2. (b)Foods of animal origin should be replaced with foods of plant origin.
  3. (c)Using antibiotics on animals should be banned.
  4. (d)Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

Passage

In the immediate future, we will see the increasing commodification of many new technologies — artificial intelligence and robotics, 3D manufacturing, custom made biological and pharmaceutical products, lethal autonomous weapons and driverless cars. This will pose conundrums. The moral question of how a driverless car will decide between hitting a jaywalker and swerving and damaging the car has often been debated. The answer is both simple — save the human life — and complex. At which angle should the car swerve — just enough to save the jaywalker or more than enough? If the driverless car is in Dublin, who would take the decision? The Irish Government, or the car’s original code writer in California, or a software programmer in Hyderabad to whom maintenance is outsourced? If different national jurisdictions have different fine print on prioritising a human life, how will it affect insurance and investment decisions, including transnational ones?

2021 · Q42

Which of the following statements best reflect the rational, plausible and practical implications that can be derived from the passage given above?

1.Too much globalization is not in the best interests of any country.

2.Modern technologies are increasingly blurring the economic borders.

3.Innovation and capital have impinged on the domain of the State.

4.Public policy of every country should focus on developing its own supply chains.

5.Geopolitics will have to reconcile to many ambiguities and uncertainties.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. (a)1, 4 and 5 only
  2. (b)1, 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. (c)2, 3 and 5 only
  4. (d)1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2022

5 questions

Passage

Natural selection cannot anticipate future environments on the earth. Therefore, the set of existing organisms can never be fully prepared for environmental catastrophes that await life. An outcome of this is the extinction of those species which cannot overcome environmental adversity. This failure to survive, in modern terms, can be attributed to the genomes which are unable to withstand geological vagaries or biological mishaps (infections, diseases and so on). In biological evolution on the earth, extinction of species has been a major feature. The earth may presently have up to ten million species, yet more than 90% of species that have ever lived on the earth are now extinct. Once again, the creationist doctrines fail to satisfactorily address why a divine creator will firstly bother to create millions of species and then allow them to perish. The Darwinian explanation for extinct life is once again simple, elegant and at once convincing—organisms go extinct as a function of environmental or biological assaults for which their inheritance deems them ill-equipped. Therefore, the so-called Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all. Evolution happens—this is a fact. The mechanism of evolution (Darwin proposed natural selection) is amply supported by scientific data. Indeed, to date no single zoological, botanical, geological, paleontological, genetic or physical evidence has refuted either of the central two main Darwinian ideas. If religion is not taken into consideration, Darwinian laws are acceptable just like the laws proposed by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Einstein—sets of natural laws that explain natural phenomena in the universe.

2022 · Q31

According to the passage, natural selection cannot anticipate future environments on the earth as

1.species not fully prepared to face the environmental changes that await them will face extinction

2.all the existing species would get extinct as their genomes will not withstand biological mishaps

3.inability of the genome to withstand environmental changes would result in extinction

4.extinction of species is a common feature

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1, 2 and 3
  2. (b)2, 3 and 4
  3. (c)1, 3 and 4
  4. (d)1, 2 and 4
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2022 · Q32

The passage suggests that Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all because

  1. (a)it does not satisfy the creationist doctrine
  2. (b)extinction is a function of environment and biological assaults
  3. (c)there are no evidences to refute it
  4. (d)existence of organisms is attributed to a creator
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2022 · Q33

With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.Only species that have the ability to overcome environmental catastrophes will survive and perpetuate.

2.More than 90% of the species on the earth are in the danger of getting extinct due to drastic changes in the environment.

3.Darwin’s theory explains all the natural phenomena.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)1 and 2 only
  3. (c)3 only
  4. (d)1, 2 and 3
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

Passage

To encourage research is one of the functions of a university. Contemporary universities have encouraged research, not only in those cases where research is necessary, but on all sorts of entirely unprofitable subjects as well. Scientific research is probably never completely valueless. However silly and insignificant it may seem, however mechanical and unintelligent the labours of the researchers, there is always a chance that the results may be of value to the investigator of talent, who can use the facts collected for him by uninspired but industrious researchers as the basis of some fruitful generalization. But where research is not original, but consists in the mere rearrangement of existing materials, where its object is not scientific but literary or historical, then there is a risk of the whole business becoming merely futile.

2022 · Q71

The author’s assumption about scientific research is that

  1. (a)it is never very valuable
  2. (b)it is sometimes very valuable
  3. (c)it is never without some value
  4. (d)it is always very valuable
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2022 · Q72

According to the author

  1. (a)not many research results can be of value to an intelligent investigator
  2. (b)a research result is always valuable to an intelligent investigator
  3. (c)any research result can be of value to an intelligent investigator
  4. (d)a research result must always be of some value to an intelligent investigator
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

2024

5 questions

Passage

We take it for granted now that science has a social responsibility. The idea would not have occurred to Newton or Galileo. They thought of science as an account of the world as it is, and the only responsibility that they acknowledged was to tell the truth. The idea that science is a social enterprise is modern, and it begins at the industrial revolution. We are surprised that we cannot trace a social sense further back, because we nurse the illusion that the industrial revolution ended a golden age.

2024 · Q23

Which one of the following statements best reflects the thinking of the author about the science?

  1. (a)Science must value the commitment of the scientists.
  2. (b)Science is a product of civilized society and must be used for the promotion of scientific awareness in people.
  3. (c)Industrial revolution was made possible by the advancements in science.
  4. (d)Science must pursue truth but be responsible for social welfare.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

Passage

“The history of science is the real history of mankind.” In this striking epigram, a nineteenth-century writer links science with its background. Like most epigrams, its power lies in emphasizing by contrast an aspect of truth which may be easily overlooked. In this case, it is easy to overlook the relations between science and mankind, and to treat the former as some abstract third party, which can sometimes be praised for its beneficial influences, but frequently and conveniently blamed for the horrors of war. Science and mankind cannot be divorced from time to time at men’s convenience. Yet we have seen that, in spite of countless opportunities of improvement, the opening years of the present period of civilization have been dominated by international conflict. Is this the inevitable result of the progress of science or does the fault lie elsewhere?

2024 · Q31

Which of the following is/are emphatically conveyed by the author of the passage?

1.Without science, mankind could not have continued to exist till today.

2.It is the science that will ultimately determine the destiny of mankind.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2024 · Q32

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1.The horrors of modern life are the inevitable result of the progress of science.

2.The aspect of truth likely to be overlooked is that science is what man has made it.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

Passage

Evolution has endowed caterpillars that feed on corn with a unique ability, they can induce the plant to turn off its defence against insect predators. This helps caterpillars to eat more and grow faster. The agent that causes this effect is the caterpillar’s faeces or frass. The find could throw new light on compounds associated with plant response to pathogens like fungi or bacteria.

2024 · Q53

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical message conveyed by the passage?

  1. (a)Farmers can use caterpillars to feed on weeds in their crop fields/plantations.
  2. (b)This finding can help in the development of clinically useful antimicrobial compounds.
  3. (c)This finding can help in the development of organic, ecologically sustainable pesticides.
  4. (d)Caterpillars can be genetically modified to be predators of the other plant pests.
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

Passage

Now-a-days there is a growing trend to use interconnected home devices. As consumers increasingly network their homes, the connected home device manufacturers and service providers will seek to overcome “thin profit margins by gathering more of our personal data—with or without our agreement—turning the home into a corporate storefront”. Corporate marketers will have powerful incentives to observe consumer behaviour to understand the buying needs and preferences of the device owners.

2024 · Q62

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical message implied by the passage?

  1. (a)Knowledge of consumer behaviour leads to more capital expenditure in manufacturing sector.
  2. (b)Knowledge of consumer behaviour stimulates the growth of commerce and trade and thus helps in the overall economic development of the country.
  3. (c)Interconnected devices give a lot of comfort to home users and improve the overall quality of life.
  4. (d)Interconnected devices can be at security risk and home users may have privacy risk.
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

2026

7 questions

Passage

When SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in 2019, it was a truly novel virus for the world. At that time, no one in the world had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or had specific immunity against it. In contrast, people across the world have been exposed to HMPV for decades and the virus is well-studied. HMPV and SARS-CoV-2 belong to two very different virus families with fundamentally different characteristics and epidemiology, with strong seasonality seen in HMPV, unlike SARS-CoV-2. Both viruses cause different severity of symptoms, particularly over the long term, and the affected population segments do not fully overlap. In general, HMPV causes milder illness with deaths being very rare and with no long-term post-viral symptoms.

2026 · Q26

Which of the following conclusions is/are valid?

1.Though SARS-CoV-2 and HMPV are similar viruses with somewhat different epidemiology, the former became a pandemic because it was novel and people had not been exposed to it in the past.

2.The two viruses have fundamentally different impacts on human populations and should not therefore be dealt with in a similar manner.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)Both 1 and 2
  4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

2026 · Q27

Which of the following reflect the intent of the writer in the above passage?

1.To evolve methodologies for objective analysis of the two viruses

2.To establish the epidemiological similarities and differences between the two viruses

3.To offer a better understanding of the remedies of HMPV when analysed in conjunction with SARS-CoV-2

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 and 2
  2. (b)2 and 3
  3. (c)1 and 3
  4. (d)None of the above
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

2026 · Q28

Which of the following statements reflect the logical and rational inferences that can be drawn from the passage?

1.HMPV has, historically, had longer documentation of studies when compared with SARS-CoV-2.

2.The two viruses are different from each other and this results in markedly different outcomes amongst those affected.

3.Long-term impacts of the two viruses are dissimilar and this is an important differentiator between them.

4.One of the common factors between the two viruses is seasonal specificity.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 and 2 only
  2. (b)1, 2 and 3
  3. (c)3 and 4
  4. (d)1 and 3 only
Show answer

UPSC key: (b)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

Passage

India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest detection and control, and crop yield optimisation. However, penetration is limited to a small subset of tech-savvy farmers. In the US and in Europe, generative AI tools have started offering precision farming at scale, integrating large datasets to provide real-time agronomic insights. For at-scale integration and accessibility of AI tools in India, it would be helpful to develop Indian languages-based AI tools for smallholder farmers, partner with AgTechs to create affordable AI solutions, and disseminate AI-based advisory services through government programmes.

2026 · Q31

Which of the following assumptions is/are valid?

1.Agricultural productivity has marched ahead in the West because of the economies of scale facilitated by the adoption of AI tools.

2.Affordable AI tools rendered available in local languages can help AI-based solutions reach more and more small farmers.

3.Though penetration is as yet low, critical application areas deploying AI tools are already in use in India.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1, 2 and 3
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)1 and 3 only
  4. (d)2 and 3 only
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Assumption

2026 · Q32

Which of the following statements is/are not correct?

1.Tech-savvy farmers will drive the AgTech companies of the future.

2.The development of advisory services by the government programmes for the use of AI tools in agriculture would be helpful.

3.In the US and Europe, AI tools have replaced traditional agricultural practices.

4.The integration of large datasets for use in real-time agronomic analysis is already a reality.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 and 3 only
  2. (b)1, 3 and 4
  3. (c)2 and 4
  4. (d)3 only
Show answer

UPSC key: (a)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Detail (according to the passage)

Passage

Previous waves of customer-service technology, including email and those pesky voice menus, stoked concerns of job losses, only for them to fail to materialise. AI could yet prove different. And if it does, its effects may be salutary. Human agents could be freed up to spend more time on creative and rewarding tasks, like using feedback to make products and services better—and thereby spend less time listening to irate customers!

2026 · Q52

Which one among the following statements most appropriately reflects the point of view of the given passage?

  1. (a)If AI were to take over customer service, there would be no work left for human subjects to do.
  2. (b)Irritating voice menus and email could not achieve human redundancy to the extent that AI might.
  3. (c)The value of human intervention in the workplace affected by AI might be enhanced through redirection towards more fulfilling tasks.
  4. (d)Unlike previous waves in customer-service technology, AI has raised the alarm of worker replacement.
Show answer

UPSC key: (c)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Main idea

2026 · Q53

Which of the following conclusions, made on the basis of the given passage, is/are correct?

1.The advent of new customer-service technology had invariably sparked fears about job losses.

2.Often it is found that instead of job losses, alternative channels for employee engagement are discovered while certain tasks are replaced by technology.

3.The advent of technology inevitably leads to stressful outcomes.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a)1 and 3
  2. (b)2 only
  3. (c)3 only
  4. (d)1 and 2
Show answer

UPSC key: (d)

Comprehension · Science and technology · Inference

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