UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment Flashcards

24 sample cards from the General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What is the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 and its coverage?

   The NFSA, 2013 provides subsidized foodgrains through the PDS to about two-thirds of the population (up to 75% rural and 50% urban), giving eligible households 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at highly subsidized prices, with priority and Antyodaya categories.

2. What is the difference between core and non-core industries (Index of Eight Core Industries)?

   Core industries are key basic industries whose output drives the wider economy. India's Index of Eight Core Industries covers: Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity. They have a high weight (~40%) in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

3. What is the difference between disinvestment and privatisation?

   Disinvestment is the sale of a portion of government equity in a public-sector enterprise (the state may retain control). Privatisation is the transfer of ownership/management control to private hands, typically when the government's stake falls below 51% or is fully sold.

4. What is the difference between a Current Account Deficit (CAD) and a Balance of Payments (BoP) deficit?

   CAD occurs when a country's imports of goods, services, and transfers exceed its exports (current account). A BoP situation covers both the current and capital accounts; an overall BoP imbalance is financed by changes in foreign exchange reserves.

5. What is the difference between balance of trade and balance of payments?

   Balance of trade is the difference between the value of merchandise (goods) exports and imports only. Balance of payments is a comprehensive record of all economic transactions (current + capital + financial accounts) between residents of a country and the rest of the world.

6. What distinguishes infrastructure as 'economic' versus 'social' infrastructure?

   Economic infrastructure directly supports production and the economy (transport, power, telecom, irrigation). Social infrastructure supports human capital and quality of life (education, health, sanitation, housing). Both are essential for sustainable development.

7. What is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and a common model used in infrastructure?

   A PPP is a long-term contract between a government body and a private party to provide a public asset or service, sharing risk and reward. A common model is BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), where the private party builds and operates the asset for a period before transferring it to the government.

8. What is the difference between Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning?

   AI is the broad field of machines performing tasks requiring human-like intelligence. Machine Learning is a subset of AI where systems learn patterns from data without explicit programming. Deep Learning is a subset of ML using multi-layered (deep) neural networks to learn complex representations.

9. What is blockchain technology and its key characteristics?

   Blockchain is a distributed, decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across many computers in linked, cryptographically secured 'blocks.' Its key features are decentralization, immutability (records cannot be altered retroactively), transparency, and consensus-based validation.

10. What is the difference between classical computing bits and quantum computing qubits?

    Classical bits exist as either 0 or 1. Qubits can exist in superposition (both 0 and 1 simultaneously) and can be entangled, allowing quantum computers to process many possibilities in parallel and potentially solve certain problems exponentially faster.

11. What is the difference between a GSLV and a PSLV launch vehicle?

    PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is mainly used for placing remote-sensing/Earth-observation satellites in polar/sun-synchronous orbits and lighter payloads. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) carries heavier communication satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and uses a cryogenic upper stage.

12. What is the difference between a geostationary orbit and a sun-synchronous (polar) orbit?

    A geostationary orbit is ~35,786 km above the equator where a satellite's period matches Earth's rotation, so it appears fixed overhead (used for communication/weather). A sun-synchronous polar orbit is a low Earth orbit passing near the poles, crossing each location at the same local solar time (used for Earth observation/remote sensing).

13. What is the difference between ballistic missiles and cruise missiles?

    Ballistic missiles follow a high, arched trajectory powered only during the initial boost phase, then free-fall under gravity (e.g., Agni). Cruise missiles fly at low altitude on a relatively flat, self-propelled path the entire flight, are guided continuously, and can maneuver (e.g., BrahMos).

14. What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

    Fission splits a heavy nucleus (e.g., Uranium-235) into lighter nuclei, releasing energy; it powers current nuclear reactors. Fusion combines light nuclei (e.g., hydrogen isotopes) into a heavier one, releasing far more energy; it powers the sun and is the goal of reactors like ITER.

15. What are the three stages of India's nuclear power programme?

    Stage 1: Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium, producing plutonium. Stage 2: Fast Breeder Reactors using plutonium and producing U-233 from thorium. Stage 3: Reactors using the U-233/thorium cycle, exploiting India's large thorium reserves.

16. What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources, with examples?

    Renewable sources replenish naturally and are virtually inexhaustible (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, tidal). Non-renewable sources exist in finite amounts and deplete with use (coal, petroleum, natural gas, conventional nuclear fuels like uranium).

17. What does IPR stand for, and name its main types?

    IPR stands for Intellectual Property Rights—legal rights protecting creations of the mind. Main types: Patents (inventions), Copyrights (literary/artistic works), Trademarks (brand identifiers), Geographical Indications (origin-linked goods), Industrial Designs, and Trade Secrets.

18. What is the difference between a vaccine and an antibiotic?

    A vaccine is a preventive agent that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies/memory cells against a specific pathogen before infection. An antibiotic is a treatment drug that kills or inhibits bacteria during an existing infection; antibiotics do not work against viruses.

19. What is the difference between an ecosystem's food chain and food web?

    A food chain is a single linear sequence of who eats whom (producer → herbivore → carnivore). A food web is an interconnected network of many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem, giving a more realistic picture of feeding relationships.

20. What is the '10 percent law' of energy transfer in an ecosystem?

    Formulated by Lindeman, the 10% law states that only about 10% of the energy stored at one trophic level is transferred to the next higher level; the remaining ~90% is lost mainly as heat through respiration and metabolic activities.

21. What is the difference between an endemic species and an endangered species?

    An endemic species is one found naturally only in a particular geographic region and nowhere else. An endangered species is one at serious risk of extinction. A species can be both, but the terms describe distribution versus conservation status respectively.

22. What is the difference between in-situ and ex-situ conservation, with examples?

    In-situ conservation protects species in their natural habitat (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves). Ex-situ conservation protects species outside their natural habitat (zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, gene banks).

23. What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming?

    The greenhouse effect is the natural process by which greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, water vapor) trap heat in the atmosphere, keeping Earth warm enough for life. Global warming is the human-induced enhancement of this effect, causing a long-term rise in average global temperatures.

24. What is the difference between the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement?

    The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set binding emission-reduction targets only on developed (Annex I) countries based on 'common but differentiated responsibilities.' The Paris Agreement (2015) applies to all countries through voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aiming to limit warming well below 2°C (preferably 1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels.

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General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment flashcards FAQ