UPSC Mains PYQs on Science and Technology in Everyday Life (GS Paper 3)
Every UPSC Mains question on Science and Technology in Everyday Life between 2013 and 2025 is listed below, newest year first, with the marks it carried. Filter by microtheme to see one idea across all the years.
By Team MaargX UPSC · UPSC Mains 2013-2025
Short answer: UPSC has asked 14 questions on Science and Technology in Everyday Life (syllabus item 14 of GS Paper 3) between 2013 and 2025, worth 147.5 marks in all, about 2 questions a year. The most-asked microthemes are Medical and Health Technologies (4), Tech in crisis Management (2), Tech solutions for daily challenges (2), Innovative Technologies (2). The busiest year was 2013 (5 questions, 35 marks).
UPSC syllabus, GS Paper 3, item 14: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Find Questions by GS Paper, Syllabus Topic and Microtheme
Step 1 paper → Step 2 syllabus topic → Step 3 subject → Step 4 microtheme. Each step opens after the one before it.
Science and Technology in Everyday Life: questions year-wise with marks
2024 2 questions · 25 marks
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The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits.
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What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards?
2022 2 questions · 25 marks
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What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines?
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Each year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes this cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water and other end products?
2021 1 question · 15 marks
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The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to a Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings?
2020 2 questions · 25 marks
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COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management to the pandemic.
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How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered off by the science-based technologies?
2017 1 question · 10 marks
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Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including Leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments?
2014 1 question · 12.5 marks
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Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor's prescription, the contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
2013 5 questions · 35 marks
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How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
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What is digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Giver various salient built in features of a digital signature.
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What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their applications in aviation and automobile industry What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work?
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What do you understand by fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.
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What do you understand by Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system?
No question matches these choices. Try another year or microtheme, or reset.
Science and Technology in Everyday Life at a Glance
| Syllabus item | GS Paper 3, item 14 (Science & Technology) |
|---|---|
| Questions asked | 14 (2013-2025), about 2 a year |
| Total marks | 147.5 marks |
| Last five years | 5 questions, 65 marks (2021-2025) |
| Usual weight | 10 marks (6 questions) |
| Directive words | Discuss (4), Explain (1) |
| Busiest year | 2013 (5 questions, 35 marks) |
Year-Wise Summary
| Year | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 25 marks |
| 2022 | 2 | 25 marks |
| 2021 | 1 | 15 marks |
| 2020 | 2 | 25 marks |
| 2017 | 1 | 10 marks |
| 2014 | 1 | 12.5 marks |
| 2013 | 5 | 35 marks |
| Total | 14 | 147.5 marks |
Microthemes in Science and Technology in Everyday Life
These are the ideas inside this topic, most asked first. Select one to see all its questions year-wise with marks.
- Medical and Health Technologies 4 · 47.5 marks
- Tech in crisis Management 2 · 30 marks
- Tech solutions for daily challenges 2 · 20 marks
- Innovative Technologies 2 · 10 marks
- Nobel Prizes 1 · 15 marks
- General Science 1 · 10 marks
- Sports and Technology 1 · 10 marks
- Material Science and Industry Applications 1 · 5 marks
Other Topics in GS Paper 3
- 01. Indian Economy: Growth and Development 22 · 272.5 marks
- 02. Inclusive Growth 12 · 145 marks
- 03. Government Budgeting 8 · 97.5 marks
- 04. Major Crops and Cropping Patterns 12 · 157.5 marks
- 05. Irrigation 6 · 72.5 marks
- 06. Agricultural Storage, Transport and Marketing 5 · 57.5 marks
- 07. E-Technology for Farmers 4 · 50 marks
- 08. Farm Subsidies, MSP and PDS 12 · 150 marks
- 09. Animal Rearing 1 · 12.5 marks
- 10. Food Processing Industries 7 · 82.5 marks
- 11. Land Reforms 7 · 77.5 marks
- 12. Liberalisation and Industrial Policy 14 · 160 marks
- 13. Infrastructure and Investment Models 15 · 177.5 marks
- 15. Indian Achievements and Indigenisation in S&T 5 · 57.5 marks
- 16. IT, Space, Robotics, Nano and Biotechnology, IPR 23 · 282.5 marks
- 17. Conservation, Pollution and EIA 32 · 395 marks
- 18. Disaster Management 16 · 205 marks
- 19. Development and Extremism 8 · 97.5 marks
- 20. External State and Non-State Actors 5 · 62.5 marks
- 21. Cyber Security, Media and Money-Laundering 16 · 190 marks
- 22. Border Areas and Organised Crime 20 · 242.5 marks
- 23. Security Forces and Agencies 4 · 57.5 marks
How to Use Mains PYQs Topic Wise
- Start with the microthemes. Open a topic and read its microtheme list. The ones with the most questions are the ideas UPSC returns to.
- Read the demand words. Note how questions begin: discuss, examine, critically analyse, comment. Each asks for a different answer structure.
- Write by marks. A 10-mark question needs a tight answer of about 150 words, and a 15-mark question about 250 words.
- Cover all years of a microtheme. Write the oldest and the latest question on the same microtheme, and see how the angle changed.
- Revise and rewrite. Revise the topic from the notes, and write the same question again after a week.
For the method in full, read the Mains answer writing strategy. The official papers are on our UPSC PYQs page.
Questions are shown as printed in the UPSC Civil Services (Main) General Studies papers of 2013-2025. The grouping into topics and microthemes is by Team MaargX UPSC. Check any wording against the official paper on upsc.gov.in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Mains questions have been asked on Science and Technology in Everyday Life?
14 questions on Science and Technology in Everyday Life appeared in UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 between 2013 and 2025, worth 147.5 marks in all. That is about 2 questions a year. Every one of them is listed on this page, year-wise with its marks.
Which Science and Technology in Everyday Life microthemes does UPSC ask most often?
The most-asked microthemes in Science and Technology in Everyday Life are Medical and Health Technologies (4), Tech in crisis Management (2), Tech solutions for daily challenges (2), Innovative Technologies (2). The number in brackets is how many questions each has had since 2013. Use the microtheme filter to see all of them together, year by year, with marks.
In which year was Science and Technology in Everyday Life asked the most in UPSC Mains?
The busiest year for Science and Technology in Everyday Life was 2013 (5 questions, 35 marks). The lightest was 2021 (1 questions, 15 marks). Treat these swings as noise: UPSC does not repeat a fixed pattern, so cover the whole topic.
How many marks do Science and Technology in Everyday Life questions carry?
Of the 14 questions on Science and Technology in Everyday Life, 4 of 15 marks, 1 of 12.5 marks, 6 of 10 marks, 3 of 5 marks. Plan your word limit by marks: 10-marker answers run to about 150 words and 15-marker answers to about 250 words.
What kind of questions does UPSC ask on Science and Technology in Everyday Life?
The directive words in the 14 questions on Science and Technology in Everyday Life are Discuss (4), Explain (1). Match your answer to the word: discuss and examine want both sides with a conclusion, while comment and critically analyse want a reasoned stand.
Is Science and Technology in Everyday Life important for UPSC Mains?
In the last five years (2021-2025) UPSC asked 5 questions on Science and Technology in Everyday Life, worth 65 marks. In the first five years (2013-2017) it asked 7, worth 57.5 marks.
Which GS paper does Science and Technology in Everyday Life belong to?
Science and Technology in Everyday Life belongs to UPSC Mains GS Paper 3, titled Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management. The questions on this page are all from that paper.
How should I use these Science and Technology in Everyday Life PYQs?
Read the microtheme list first, then pick one and write two or three answers in the time limit. Compare each with what the question demands (discuss, examine, critically analyse). Revise the topic from the Maarg Manthan notes and write the same question again after a week.
Official Sources
These are the primary sources behind this page. Rules, dates and papers can change, so confirm them on the official pages.
- UPSC: Previous Year Question Papers
- UPSC: Previous Year Question Papers (Archives)
- UPSC: Revised Syllabus and Scheme
- UPSC: Civil Services Examination Rules