Q11. The number 1729 is famously known as the Hardy-Ramanujan number. What is the unique mathematical property of this number?
Recent Advances, Indian Contributors and Indigenization: RAS Prelims MCQs
154 RAS Prelims MCQs on recent advances, Indian contributors and indigenisation cover Indian scientists and their work, recent technology and defence indigenisation. C. V. Raman, Ramanujan, Kalam, Bhabha, Khorana, mRNA vaccines, the Bhashini mission, INS Vikrant and defence exports are asked as facts, pairs and statements.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 11–20 of 154 questions
Q12. Srinivasa Ramanujan made significant contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. His work on Mock theta functions is currently finding applications in which modern scientific field?
Explanation
Srinivasa Ramanujan’s work on mock theta functions, written shortly before his death, remained a mystery for decades. Modern physicists have discovered that these functions are essential for understanding the entropy of black holes. His insights into these complex mathematical structures now provide foundational tools for advanced theoretical physics research, particularly in string theory and high-energy particle physics applications.
Q13. Which of the following best defines the concept of highly composite numbers, a field extensively studied by Ramanujan?
Explanation
Highly composite numbers were a major area of research for Ramanujan. These are integers that have a higher count of divisors than any integer preceding them in the number sequence. His detailed study of these numbers provided deep insights into the distribution of divisors and has significant implications in number theory, helping mathematicians understand the nature of composite integers.
Q14. Select the correct chronological order of events in the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan from the given options:
A. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society
B. Began formal collaboration with G.H. Hardy in England
C. Published his first paper in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society
D. Returned to India due to declining health
A. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society
B. Began formal collaboration with G.H. Hardy in England
C. Published his first paper in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society
D. Returned to India due to declining health
Explanation
Srinivasa Ramanujan’s career followed a specific timeline starting with his early publications in India. He first published in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society before moving to England to collaborate with G.H. Hardy. His excellence led to his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, but declining health eventually forced his return to India in 1919.
Q15. Which of the following is the most appropriate description of Ramanujan’s approach to mathematics?
Explanation
Ramanujan possessed a unique and intuitive approach to mathematics, often stating results and identities without documenting the intermediate logical steps or formal proofs. He claimed his insights were revealed to him through divine inspiration. While Western mathematicians initially found this method unconventional, subsequent verification proved that most of his complex theorems and identities were remarkably accurate and revolutionary.
Q16. Consider the following statements regarding Ramanujan’s work:
Statement I: He independently discovered results originally obtained by Gauss, Kummer, and others.
Statement II: His research focused entirely on applied mathematics and mechanical engineering problems.
Which of the following is correct?
Statement I: He independently discovered results originally obtained by Gauss, Kummer, and others.
Statement II: His research focused entirely on applied mathematics and mechanical engineering problems.
Which of the following is correct?
Explanation
Ramanujan independently discovered many advanced mathematical results that had been previously established by famous European mathematicians, often using entirely original methods. However, his work was centered on pure mathematics, including number theory and infinite series, rather than applied mathematics or mechanical engineering.
Q17. Which of the following fields of mathematics is an exception and was NOT a primary focus of Srinivasa Ramanujan’s research?
Explanation
Srinivasa Ramanujan specialized in pure mathematics, making legendary contributions to the study of the partition function, elliptic integrals, and hypergeometric series. These areas form the core of his mathematical legacy. Statistical mechanics, while a significant field of science involving mathematical principles, was not a primary focus of his research; instead, it was more closely associated with Satyendra Nath Bose.
Q18. What was the direct effect of the collaboration between Srinivasa Ramanujan and the English mathematician G.H. Hardy?
Explanation
The partnership between Ramanujan and G.H. Hardy was instrumental in bringing Ramanujan’s genius to the global stage. Hardy provided the necessary formal framework and rigorous proof-writing that the mathematical community required. This collaboration resulted in the systematic publication of Ramanujan’s intuitive results in prestigious journals, ensuring his groundbreaking theorems were recognized, preserved, and studied by mathematicians worldwide.
Q19. Consider the following statements regarding Srinivasa Ramanujan:
I. He was completely self-taught in advanced mathematics.
II. He was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
III. National Mathematics Day in India is celebrated on his birth anniversary, December 22.
IV. He won the Fields Medal for his work on prime numbers.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
I. He was completely self-taught in advanced mathematics.
II. He was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
III. National Mathematics Day in India is celebrated on his birth anniversary, December 22.
IV. He won the Fields Medal for his work on prime numbers.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Ramanujan was largely self-taught and became the first Indian Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. His birth anniversary on December 22 is honored as National Mathematics Day. While he made profound contributions to prime number theory, he did not win the Fields Medal, as the award was established in 1936, years after his untimely death in 1920.
Q20. Who among the following is universally acknowledged as the father of the Indian nuclear programme?
Explanation
Homi Jehangir Bhabha is universally recognized as the visionary leader who established India’s nuclear research infrastructure. He founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay. His strategic planning and scientific excellence laid the groundwork for India to achieve self-reliance in nuclear energy, earning him the title of the father of the programme.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 11 | (d) The smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two ways |
| 12 | (b) Black hole thermodynamics and string theory |
| 13 | (c) Positive integers possessing more divisors than any smaller positive integer |
| 14 | (a) C, B, A, D |
| 15 | (b) Relying on intuition and insight, often omitting formal proofs |
| 16 | (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect |
| 17 | (a) Statistical mechanics |
| 18 | (c) The formalization and global publication of his intuitive theorems |
| 19 | (a) I, II, and III only |
| 20 | (c) Homi J. Bhabha |
Key facts from Recent Advances, Indian Contributors and Indigenization
- C. V. Raman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for the scattering of light; National Science Day on 28 February marks the discovery of the Raman Effect.
- The IGMDP began in 1983; Kalam promoted PURA, the Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas.
- Homi J. Bhabha is the father of the Indian nuclear programme, and his three-stage plan uses PHWRs, fast breeder reactors and thorium reactors.
- Har Gobind Khorana showed that nucleotide triplets code for specific amino acids.
- mRNA vaccines do not enter the nucleus or alter the genome; the cell breaks down the mRNA after making the viral protein.
- Bhashini uses AI to break language barriers; INS Vikrant (IAC-1) is the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier; India is seeking export orders for ATAGS artillery.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Recent Advances, Indian Contributors and Indigenization?
This page has 154 practice MCQs on Recent Advances, Indian Contributors and Indigenization (Science and Technology). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Why is National Science Day celebrated on 28 February?
To commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect on 28 February 1928 by C. V. Raman. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his work on the scattering of light.
What does PURA stand for?
Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas, a concept advocated by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. It aimed to give villages the roads, connectivity and services of towns so that rural development would be balanced.
Do mRNA vaccines change human DNA?
No. mRNA vaccines do not enter the nucleus of the cell or integrate with the human genome. The cell uses the instruction to make the viral protein and then breaks down the mRNA.