What is agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Explain its working. Describe its applications with suitable examples. Discuss the advantages, risks and challenges associated with agentic AI systems.

Mention the salient features of 'Mission Drishti'. Discuss the imaging techniques used in the satellite launched on 3rd May 2026. Why is it being considered the world's first satellite of its kind?

Distinguish between a Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) and a thermal nuclear reactor. In the context of the first indigenously developed prototype FBR at Kalpakkam, explain the term 'criticality'. What are its implications for the clean energy future of our country?

Explain by giving two examples, how biotechnology has helped Indian farmers in processing their perishable crops.

India aims to become a semiconductor manufacturing hub. What are the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry in India? Mention the salient features of the India Semiconductor Mission.

How does nanotechnology offer significant advancements in the field of agriculture? How can this technology help to uplift the socio-economic status of farmers?

What is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)? What is the potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change?

How can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047? How can biotechnology play a crucial role in this endeavour?

The fusion energy programme in India has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Mention India’s contributions to the international fusion energy project – International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). What will be the implications of the success of this project for the future of global energy?

What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe?

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?

What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.

What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.

Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current fuel shortage.

Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?

What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines ?

Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes ? What are the key goals of this mission ? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race?

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 ?

The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in the 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings ?

What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society?

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 of the pandemic.

How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered by science-based technologies?

What do you understand about nanotechnology and how is it helping in the health sector?

How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers?

What is India’s plan to have its space station
and how will it benefit our space programme?

Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?

Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionised the field of Physics.

Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of the fast breeder reactor programme inIndia?

India has achieved remarkable successs in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space missions, both in terms of technology and logistics? Explain critically

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?

Why is nanotechnology one of the key
technologies of the 21st century?
Describe the salient features of the
Indian Government’s Mission on
Nanoscience and Technology and the
scope of its application in the
development process of the country.

Discuss India’s achievements in the
field of Space Science and Technology.
How the application of this technology
has helped India in its socio-economic
development?

Give an account of the current status
and the targets to be achieved
pertaining to renewable energy sources
in the country. Discuss in brief the
importance of the National Programme
on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a powerful weapon in the country's fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making the database publicly available under open source licensing.

Discuss the advantage and security implication of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in house machine based hosting for government business.

What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel the research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.

What do you understand about “Standard Positioning System” and “Precision positioning system” in the GPS era? Discuss the advantage India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.

Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription, be 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.

Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment.

What are social networking site and what security implications do these sites present?

What do you understand by a run-of-the-ride hydroelectricity project? How is it different from any other hydroelectricity project?

What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their applications in the aviation and automobile industry

How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.

What is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Giver various salient built-in features of a digital signature.

What do you understand by the Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system.

What do you understand by fixed-dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.