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BPSC 2015 — Science & Technology Questions with Answers
All 16 Science & Technology previous-year questions from BPSC 2015, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice Science & Technology as a timed test →- Q1.Institutions
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF)?
- a)1 only
- b)2 only
- c)Both 1 and 2
- d)Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation: NIF is an autonomous body of the DST that supports grassroots innovation and traditional knowledge, not advanced research in elite institutions with foreign collaboration.
- Q2.Health
Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently?
- a)Syria and Jordan
- b)Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia
- c)Philippines and Papua New Guinea
- d)Jamaica and Surinam
Explanation: The major 2014 Ebola outbreak was centred in West Africa, primarily affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
- Q3.Nanotechnology
With reference to the use of nano-technology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- a)1 only
- b)2 only
- c)Both 1 and 2
- d)Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation: Nanotechnology enables targeted drug delivery to specific cells and offers carriers and tools that substantially contribute to gene therapy.
- Q4.Physics
In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about 'IceCube', a particle detector located at South Pole:
- a)1 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: IceCube is the world's largest neutrino detector, spanning a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice and buried deep in it; it detects neutrinos and is not designed as a dark-matter telescope.
- Q5.Communications
With reference to 'Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology', which of the following statements is/are correct?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: NFC is a contactless radio technology that can encrypt sensitive data, but it works only over very short ranges (a few centimetres), not a metre.
- Q6.Space
The term 'Goldilocks Zone' is often seen in the news in the context of
- a)The limits of the habitable zone on the Earth's surface
- b)The region inside the Earth where shale gas is available
- c)The search for Earth-like planets in outer space
- d)The search for meteorites (meteoroids) rich in valuable metals
Explanation: The Goldilocks Zone is the habitable region around a star where temperatures allow liquid water, used in the search for Earth-like exoplanets.
- Q7.Awards
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014 was given to which one of the following?
- a)Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
- b)Indian Institute of Science
- c)Indian Space Research Organisation
- d)Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Explanation: The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2014 was awarded to ISRO for its space achievements including the Mars Orbiter Mission.
- Q8.Space
In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used? 1. Assessment of crop productivity; 2. Locating groundwater resources; 3. Mineral exploration; 4. Telecommunications; 5. Traffic studies.
- a)1, 2 and 3 only
- b)4 and 5 only
- c)1 and 2 only
- d)1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Explanation: IRS (remote sensing) satellites support resource-mapping tasks like crop assessment, groundwater location and mineral exploration; telecommunications and traffic studies use other systems.
- Q9.Polar Research
The term 'IndARC', sometimes seen in the news, is the name of
- a)An indigenously developed, installed radar system for Indian defence
- b)India's satellite to provide services to countries in the Indian Ocean Rim
- c)An Antarctic scientific establishment by India
- d)India's underwater observatory for scientific study of the Arctic region
Explanation: IndARC is India's first underwater moored observatory deployed in the Arctic (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard) to study the Arctic climate.
- Q10.Health
H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases?
- a)AIDS
- b)Bird flu
- c)Dengue
- d)Swine flu
Explanation: The H1N1 virus is the cause of swine flu.
- Q11.Environment
With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements: 1. The decomposition of human waste in the bio-toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum. 2. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.
- a)1 only
- b)2 only
- c)Both 1 and 2
- d)Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation: Bio-toilet decomposition is initiated by a bacterial (anaerobic), not fungal, inoculum, and the end products include methane and carbon dioxide besides water, so neither statement is correct.
- Q12.Energy
With reference to 'fuel cells' in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements: 1. If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products. 2. Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers. 3. Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).
- a)1 only
- b)1 and 2 only
- c)2 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: A pure-hydrogen fuel cell emits only heat and water; fuel cells can power small devices as well as buildings, and they generate Direct Current (DC), not AC, so only statement 1 is correct.
- Q13.Biology
In the context of which of the following do you sometimes find the terms 'pulse, cuticle and quiescence' mentioned in the news?
- a)Hand-painted cotton textile in South India
- b)Hand-painted depiction on bamboo handicrafts in North-Eastern India
- c)Block-painted woollen textile in the Western Himalayan region of India
- d)Hand-painted decorative silk textile in North-Western India
Explanation: The terms 'pulse', 'cuticle' and 'quiescence' are biological characteristics associated with insects, referring to their body covering and dormant states.
- Q14.Biology
With reference to 'Stem Cells', frequently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Stem cells can be derived from mammals only. 2. Stem cells can be used for screening new drugs. 3. Stem cells can be used for medical therapies.
- a)1, 2 and 3
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1 only
Explanation: Stem cells are not confined to mammals; they are used for drug screening and medical therapies, so statements 2 and 3 are correct.
- Q15.Biotechnology
Recently, 'oil zapper' was in the news. What is it?
- a)1 and 3 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 only
- d)1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation: 'Oil Zapper' is an eco-friendly bacterial consortium developed by TERI to clean up oily sludge and oil spills by degrading hydrocarbons.
- Q16.Digital Economy
With reference to a 'Bitcoin', consider the following statements: 1. It is a digital/virtual currency. 2. It is a decentralized currency. 3. It is created by mining. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- a)1, 2 and 3
- b)1 and 2 only
- c)2 and 3 only
- d)1 and 3 only
Explanation: Bitcoin is a digital, decentralized cryptocurrency that is created through a computational process called mining, so all three statements are correct.
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