Science & Technology MCQs for UPSC Prelims — January 2026

Q1. Which one of the following best describes the principal claim made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 in his press briefing of January 2026?

  • A. It would be Asia's first ministerial-level AI summit
  • B. It is shaping up to be the biggest AI summit globally to date
  • C. It is the first AI summit to be jointly hosted by India and a G7 country
  • D. It would be the first AI summit convened under United Nations auspices

Q2. With reference to the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, which of the following are correctly identified as 'Chakras' (thematic pillars) of the Summit framework? 1. Safe and Trusted AI 2. Democratizing AI Resources 3. Defence and Strategic Autonomy 4. Human Capital Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. Safe and Trusted AI
  2. Democratizing AI Resources
  3. Defence and Strategic Autonomy
  4. Human Capital
  • A. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. In the context of the IndiaAI Mission, the term 'AIKosh' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A sovereign cloud platform providing subsidised GPU compute to Indian start-ups
  • B. A unified national datasets and models repository to support development of AI applications
  • C. A venture capital fund of the Government of India for deep-tech AI start-ups
  • D. India's foundation language model trained on Indian languages

Q4. With reference to the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 and its predecessor global AI summits, consider the following statements: 1. It is the first edition of the global AI summit series to be hosted in the Global South. 2. Unlike the Bletchley AI Safety Summit (2023), the India edition was organised around three foundational Sutras — People, Planet and Progress. 3. The summit was preceded by the AI Seoul Summit (2024) and the AI Paris Summit (2025) in the same series. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It is the first edition of the global AI summit series to be hosted in the Global South.
  2. Unlike the Bletchley AI Safety Summit (2023), the India edition was organised around three foundational Sutras — People, Planet and Progress.
  3. The summit was preceded by the AI Seoul Summit (2024) and the AI Paris Summit (2025) in the same series.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. As per the advisory issued in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2026 ruling on stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder, on how many diseases/conditions is stem cell therapy permissible as standard clinical care, based on the Indian Council of Medical Research's recommendations?

  • A. 22
  • B. 28
  • C. 32
  • D. 36

Q6. The National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, 2017 — relied upon by the Supreme Court in its 2026 ruling on stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder — were jointly issued by which one of the following?

  • A. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
  • B. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
  • C. Department of Health Research (DHR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
  • D. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)

Q7. With reference to the regulation of stem cell therapy in India following the Supreme Court's ruling in Yash Charitable Trust v. Union of India (2026), consider the following statements: 1. Autologous bone marrow transplantation is recognised as standard clinical care under the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, 2017. 2. Epithelial therapies for corneal surface disorders are recognised as standard clinical care under the same guidelines. 3. Stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder is among the indications approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research as standard care. 4. Apart from recognised standard-care indications, any other use of stem cells in patients is treated as investigational and permissible only within an approved and monitored clinical trial. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Autologous bone marrow transplantation is recognised as standard clinical care under the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, 2017.
  2. Epithelial therapies for corneal surface disorders are recognised as standard clinical care under the same guidelines.
  3. Stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder is among the indications approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research as standard care.
  4. Apart from recognised standard-care indications, any other use of stem cells in patients is treated as investigational and permissible only within an approved and monitored clinical trial.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. In the Economic Survey 2025-26's discussion of India's shift toward value-driven pharmaceutical manufacturing, a 'biosimilar' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A chemically synthesised generic version of a small-molecule drug whose patent has expired
  • B. A biological product highly similar to an already-approved reference biologic, with no clinically meaningful differences in safety and efficacy
  • C. A wholly novel biologic molecule protected by a fresh product patent
  • D. A single-dose combination of two or more off-patent active pharmaceutical ingredients

Q9. With reference to Kavach and its comparison with global Automatic Train Protection systems, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

  1. Kavach is certified to Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4), the highest safety integrity level.
  2. Like the European ETCS, Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
  3. Kavach uses trackside RFID tags and UHF radio communication.
  4. Kavach is an imported system licensed from the European ERTMS/ETCS consortium.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q10. The Kavach 4.0 rollout — first commissioned on the Sawai Madhopur–Kota section and later expanded to the Palwal–Mathura–Nagda and Howrah–Bardhaman sections — is operationalised on the ground primarily by which one of the following?

  • A. Zonal Railways under the Ministry of Railways
  • B. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL)
  • C. National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL)
  • D. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)

Q11. The technical specification of Kavach Version 4.0 was approved by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)
  • B. Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
  • C. RailTel Corporation of India
  • D. Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET)

Q12. With reference to the institutional framework of the Kavach programme, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

  1. The Ministry of Railways is the implementing ministry for Kavach.
  2. RDSO, headquartered at Lucknow, developed the Kavach specification.
  3. Kavach was developed in association with three Indian firms/OEMs.
  4. The Kavach technical specification is approved by NITI Aayog.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q13. Regarding the development history of Kavach, which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The precursor TCAS was developed by RDSO in association with three Indian firms.
  2. RDSO approved the Kavach Version 4.0 specification on 16 July 2024.
  3. Following the Version 4.0 approval, Kavach 4.0 was first commissioned on the Sawai Madhopur–Kota section.
  4. Field trials of Kavach on passenger trains began in the year 2012.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q14. With reference to the evolution of the Kavach system, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

  1. Kavach originated from the Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) developed with Indian manufacturers.
  2. Kavach was adopted as the National ATP system in July 2020.
  3. The Kavach Version 4.0 specification was approved by RDSO in July 2024.
  4. Kavach Version 4.0 was first commissioned in the year 2020 on the Vadodara–Virar section.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q15. Which of the following is/are correctly identified as core safety functions of the Kavach system?

  1. Prevention of Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD).
  2. Automatic application of brakes when a train over-speeds.
  3. Automatic issuance of e-tickets to onboard passengers.
  4. Protection against head-on and rear-end train collisions.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q16. Which one of the following institutions served as the lead knowledge partner for the Research Symposium of the India AI Impact Summit 2026?

  • A. IIIT Hyderabad
  • B. IIT Madras
  • C. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
  • D. IIT Delhi

Q17. The subsidised GPU compute made available under the IndiaAI Mission is intended for certain categories of users. Consider the following four categories: 1. Startups 2. Researchers and students 3. Public institutions 4. Only foreign commercial data-centre operators based outside India Which of the above is/are correctly identified as intended beneficiaries of the subsidised compute?

  1. Startups
  2. Researchers and students
  3. Public institutions
  4. Only foreign commercial data-centre operators based outside India
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q18. With reference to the AI compute capacity announcements at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, consider the following statements: 1. Prior to the February 2026 announcement, India's common compute capacity stood at about 38,000 GPUs. 2. The additional GPUs announced at the Summit are set to take the total to over 58,000 GPUs. 3. GPUs made available under the IndiaAI Mission are provided to users free of charge. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Prior to the February 2026 announcement, India's common compute capacity stood at about 38,000 GPUs.
  2. The additional GPUs announced at the Summit are set to take the total to over 58,000 GPUs.
  3. GPUs made available under the IndiaAI Mission are provided to users free of charge.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q19. Among the outcomes of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the 'Global AI Impact Commons' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A voluntary initiative featuring 80+ impact stories across 30+ countries
  • B. A binding treaty committing signatories to mandatory AI safety audits
  • C. A shared pool of GPUs contributed by member states for open compute access
  • D. A dedicated fund to finance AI startups from the Global South

Q20. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is the latest in a continuing series of global AI summits. Which one of the following correctly identifies the host country and year of the summit that immediately preceded it in this series?

  • A. France, 2025
  • B. Republic of Korea, 2025
  • C. United Kingdom, 2024
  • D. France, 2024

Q21. As part of the National Test House (NTH) modernisation reported for 2025, consider the following new facilities: 1. An Electric Vehicle Testing Facility at NTH (Eastern Region), Kolkata. 2. A Drone Testing Facility at NTH (Northern Region), Ghaziabad. 3. A Chemical Testing Laboratory at NTH (Northern Region), Ghaziabad. 4. A Semiconductor Fabrication Facility at NTH, Chennai. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. An Electric Vehicle Testing Facility at NTH (Eastern Region), Kolkata.
  2. A Drone Testing Facility at NTH (Northern Region), Ghaziabad.
  3. A Chemical Testing Laboratory at NTH (Northern Region), Ghaziabad.
  4. A Semiconductor Fabrication Facility at NTH, Chennai.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q22. With reference to the administrative control of the RDI Scheme, consider the following statements: 1. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is the nodal department for implementation of the RDI Scheme. 2. The Empowered Group of Secretaries overseeing the Scheme is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. 3. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is the custodian of the ₹1 lakh crore corpus under the Scheme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is the nodal department for implementation of the RDI Scheme.
  2. The Empowered Group of Secretaries overseeing the Scheme is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
  3. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is the custodian of the ₹1 lakh crore corpus under the Scheme.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q23. With reference to the sunrise/strategic sectors under the RDI Scheme, consider the following statements: 1. Digital economy, including digital agriculture, is among the named sunrise sectors. 2. Technologies whose indigenisation is important for strategic reasons or economic security are covered under the Scheme. 3. The list of sunrise sectors is fixed by statute and cannot be expanded by the ANRF Executive Council or the EGoS. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Digital economy, including digital agriculture, is among the named sunrise sectors.
  2. Technologies whose indigenisation is important for strategic reasons or economic security are covered under the Scheme.
  3. The list of sunrise sectors is fixed by statute and cannot be expanded by the ANRF Executive Council or the EGoS.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q24. With reference to how funds move through the two tiers of the RDI Scheme, consider the following statements: 1. The Special Purpose Fund established within ANRF directly invests in industries and startups. 2. Funding by the second-level fund managers is normally in the form of long-term loans at low or nil interest rates. 3. The Scheme permits financing only as loans and never through equity. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Special Purpose Fund established within ANRF directly invests in industries and startups.
  2. Funding by the second-level fund managers is normally in the form of long-term loans at low or nil interest rates.
  3. The Scheme permits financing only as loans and never through equity.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q25. Which single body provides the overarching strategic direction to the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme?

  • A. The Executive Council of ANRF
  • B. The Empowered Group of Secretaries
  • C. The Governing Board of ANRF
  • D. The Department of Science and Technology

Q26. The Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet envisages its ₹1 lakh crore corpus being deployed over a period of how many years?

  • A. Four years
  • B. Five years
  • C. Six years
  • D. Seven years

Q27. Under the ANRF Act, 2023, who is the chairperson of the Executive Council constituted to implement the provisions of the Act?

  • A. The Prime Minister
  • B. The Principal Scientific Adviser
  • C. The Cabinet Secretary
  • D. The Union Minister of Science and Technology

Q28. Under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023, the President of the Governing Board may appoint or nominate up to how many experts drawn from the natural sciences, engineering and technology to the Governing Board?

  • A. Four
  • B. Five
  • C. Six
  • D. Eight

Q29. IN-GRES, the platform used for the Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment, is best described as:

  • A. A GIS-based web application developed by CGWB with IIT-Hyderabad for standardized ground water resource estimation using GEC-2015 methodology
  • B. A real-time telemetric network of piezometers monitoring ground water levels
  • C. A satellite (GRACE)-based system for monitoring ground water storage changes
  • D. A national online registry of no-objection certificates for ground water extraction

Q30. As highlighted alongside the telecom achievements in the Economic Survey 2025-26, India became only the how-many-th nation in the world to achieve autonomous satellite docking through the SpaDeX mission?

  • A. Second
  • B. Third
  • C. Fourth
  • D. Fifth