UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India enters into an era of 'Clean, Green Highways', with the successful Technology Transfer titled “Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads”, an indigenous innovation developed by CSIR‑Central Road Researc...
Q1. The 'Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads' technology was jointly developed by CSIR-CRRI and CSIR-IIP, both of which function under which one of the following Union ministries?
- A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- B. Ministry of Science and Technology
- C. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Q2. With reference to the two CSIR laboratories that co-developed the bio-bitumen technology, consider the following statements:
1. CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), which handled the road/pavement application, is headquartered at New Delhi.
2. CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), the partner for bio-oil upgrading, is located at Dehradun.
3. CSIR-IIP, rather than CSIR-CRRI, is the designated national laboratory for road and pavement research.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), which handled the road/pavement application, is headquartered at New Delhi.
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), the partner for bio-oil upgrading, is located at Dehradun.
- CSIR-IIP, rather than CSIR-CRRI, is the designated national laboratory for road and pavement research.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. The pyrolysis route used in the bio-bitumen technology is described as yielding several value streams. Which of the following are correctly identified as outputs of this pyrolysis process?
1. Bio-binder for roads
2. Energy-efficient gaseous fuel
3. Bio-pesticide fractions
4. Elemental sulphur for fertilizers
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Bio-binder for roads
- Energy-efficient gaseous fuel
- Bio-pesticide fractions
- Elemental sulphur for fertilizers
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. As per the technology, up to what maximum percentage of conventional bitumen can be replaced by bio-bitumen without loss of performance?
Q5. With reference to the first bio-bitumen-blended highway stretch, consider the following statements:
1. It is located near the Kamptee milestone on NH-44.
2. It lies along the Nagpur–Jabalpur route.
3. It was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
4. It is claimed to be Europe's first bio-bitumen-blended highway stretch.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It is located near the Kamptee milestone on NH-44.
- It lies along the Nagpur–Jabalpur route.
- It was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
- It is claimed to be Europe's first bio-bitumen-blended highway stretch.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 4 only
- D. 1 and 4
Q6. The first bio-bitumen-blended national highway stretch was inaugurated by the Union Minister who heads which one of the following ministries?
- A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- B. Ministry of Science and Technology
- C. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- D. Ministry of Heavy Industries
Q7. Conventional bitumen, which bio-bitumen seeks to partially substitute, is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A residue obtained from the refining of petroleum crude
- B. A naturally occurring metallic mineral ore
- C. A by-product of coal-tar distillation only
- D. A resin extracted directly from plants
Q8. The 2025 estimate that indigenous bio-bitumen technology could save around ₹40,000 crore in imports annually for India was announced by which one of the following?
- A. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science & Technology
- B. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways
- C. Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas
- D. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR
Q9. The bio-bitumen initiative is described as promoting a 'circular economy'. In this context, a circular economy is best defined as which one of the following?
- A. An economic model in which waste such as crop residue is kept in use as raw material instead of being discarded or burnt
- B. An economy in which money circulates only among domestic producers
- C. An economy whose output grows in fixed cyclical business phases
- D. An economic model concerned solely with the recycling of plastics
Q10. In the circular-economy pyrolysis route applied to crop residue, how many principal product streams (bio-oil, char/carbon and gaseous fuel) are generated?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five
Q11. With reference to the 2025 Technology Transfer event on bio-bitumen, which of the following are correctly identified?
1. It marked India's announced entry into an era of 'Clean, Green Highways'.
2. It was addressed by Dr Jitendra Singh, Vice-President of CSIR.
3. India was described as the first country to scale bio-bitumen to commercial level within the same year.
4. The Bio-Binder technology was transferred exclusively to public-sector oil marketing companies.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It marked India's announced entry into an era of 'Clean, Green Highways'.
- It was addressed by Dr Jitendra Singh, Vice-President of CSIR.
- India was described as the first country to scale bio-bitumen to commercial level within the same year.
- The Bio-Binder technology was transferred exclusively to public-sector oil marketing companies.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q12. With reference to the organisational structure of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), consider the following statements:
1. The President of CSIR is the Prime Minister of India.
2. The Vice-President of CSIR is the Union Minister for Science and Technology.
3. CSIR is a statutory body established by a special Act of Parliament.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The President of CSIR is the Prime Minister of India.
- The Vice-President of CSIR is the Union Minister for Science and Technology.
- CSIR is a statutory body established by a special Act of Parliament.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3