UPSCNotes
Science & Technology

Science & Technology

UPSC Science and Technology notes — space, biotechnology, IT and emerging technology, defence, nuclear energy, nanotechnology and IPR, for Prelims and GS Paper III.

UPSC does not test science as a science exam does. It asks what a technology is, what it is used for, and what it means for India — so these notes lead with applications and policy, not derivations.

What UPSC asks

  • Prelims: basic science behind technologies in the news — satellites and launch vehicles, vaccines and gene editing, semiconductors and AI, nuclear reactors, new materials.
  • Mains GS III: developments in science and technology and their effects in everyday life; achievements of Indians; indigenisation of technology; awareness in IT, space, computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and intellectual property rights.

How to use these notes

Each topic follows what it is → how it works (one paragraph) → applications → India’s status → issues. That is also the shape of a good Mains answer.

Space Technology Space technology for UPSC — ISRO's launch vehicles, orbits, satellite systems, Moon, Mars and Sun missions, … 3 topics Biotechnology and Health Biotechnology for UPSC — recombinant DNA, GM crops and GEAC, CRISPR gene editing, vaccine platforms, stem … 3 topics IT, Computers and Emerging Technologies Emerging technologies for UPSC — AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, 5G, blockchain, IoT and cloud, with … 3 topics Defence Technology Defence technology for UPSC — missile types, IGMDP, BrahMos, missile defence, hypersonics, the nuclear triad, … 3 topics Nuclear Technology and Energy Nuclear technology for UPSC — fission and fusion, reactor parts, India's three-stage programme, PFBR, SMRs, … 3 topics Nanotechnology and New Materials Nanotechnology and new materials for UPSC — nanoscale effects, graphene, nanotubes, quantum dots, smart … 3 topics Intellectual Property Rights IPR for UPSC — IP types and Indian laws, TRIPS and Doha, the Patents Act, Section 3(d), compulsory licensing, … 4 topics Science in Everyday Life Everyday science for UPSC — light, sound, heat, electricity and household chemistry, plus nutrition, vitamins, … 4 topics