MODEL QUESTIONS ON S&T
: Paper GS-III ,2021
(Set 5 )
Identified by :
P.Potayya Sarma
MODEL QUESTIONS:
1)Autonomous Vehicles :
Automobiles were first developed in the year 1879 by Karl
Benz. It was one of the biggest breakthroughs of the time as it made travel
faster and easier. Since then we have experimented with them and have seen many
developments. Continuous research is being done to introduce latest technology
in automobiles. These days we see vehicles connected to smartphones and the
Internet. Cordless calling is making them more productive; GPS systems are
helping to avoid congestions and many more developments are improving our
driving experience. Several tech giants are bringing in vehicles which can
drive themselves with little or no human assistance. These vehicles are
referred as semi-autonomous vehicles. They can steer, accelerate, decelerate,
stop and change lane without human intervention. These developments have led a
way to fully autonomous vehicles which can turn out to be really helpful.
Companies such as GM, Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan etc. are investing both time
and money in these projects to make driving totally free of human interaction.
Though the developments started early, companies have not yet been able to
completely deploy autonomous vehicles on road. Many projects are under
different phases of testing where engineers are continuously working to
overcome challenges. The day is not far away when these vehicles will be taking
us places all by themselves! Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things or
IoT have entered the world of automation in a big way. IoT is a system of
interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with
unique identifiers and has the ability to transfer data over a network without
requiring humanto-human or human-to-computer interaction. Basically, IoT
interconnects various devices to make them more efficient. It interconnects a
group of sensors, software, network connectivity, and necessary electronics to
collect and transfer data connecting objects of daily use to the internet which
further helps in real-time data monitoring. This function is the very basic
requirement for developing autonomous cars
2)What are the Pros and Cons of Autonomous Vehicles ?
Autonomous vehicles offer several advantages to both the
manufacturer and the consumer. But, we should be aware of the problems that
they may have which should be solved in order to avoid serious accidents.
Pros: • Autonomous vehicles can prove to be of great use
once we master the design. They can reduce number of accidents taking out the
‘human error’ component, as the whole system is controlled by complex
algorithms which accurately determine the correct stopping distance from one
vehicle to another. • They can reduce traffic congestion. As the autonomous
cars are connected to each other by the V2V protocol, it helps the vehicles in
“platooning” as they brake or accelerate simultaneously. This increases the
lane capacity and reduces the congestion significantly. Autonomous cars can
pre-detect traffic congestions using GPS and change its route instantly. It can
also detect any constructions and detours. It reacts to the system accordingly.
• An autonomous car drives itself, communicates with various structures and
vehicles, drops you at your destination, locates a vacant spot, parks itself
and therefore reduces parking hassles. • It saves time as the passenger/driver
has spare time to do their work without worrying about road safety. • It
provides wider access of transportation to children, senior citizens and
disabled who would beable to travel without any assistance.
Cons • Autonomous
vehicles are costly, as they have high-end sensors and technology to function.
One needs to pay extra for software, vehicle parts and sensors. • Unexpected
errors in programming may happen. • Autonomous vehicles are continuously
monitoring user data and hackers may break in to steal this data. • Autonomous
vehicles reduce job opportunities. • Sensors may not perform as expected in
certain weather conditions or technical reasons, leading to incorrect data
collection, failures, even accidents
3)Social Distancing :
(General Essay)
IN1956, Issac Asimov, a biochemist and science fiction
writer of The Naked Sun described the life on planet Solaria, wherein
inhabitants follow extreme form of social distancing and communicate through
holographic projections. We never thought that we will have to live through
Issac Asimov’s fiction and as a society would have to give up fundamental human
gestures like touch, hug or cuddle, and that social distancing or
self-isolation will become part of our lives. The practice of social distancing
existed in human civilisations, ancient rituals and its rules are even followed
by nature. In fact, social distancing norms were followed long before any
recorded pandemic. For instance, the Newar civilisation in Nepal practised an
ancient ritual of self-isolation for 2-weeks at Yita Chapa–community hall in
Kathmanduafter travel through Himalayas. Similarly, ‘sutak’ and ‘patak’ were
practised in India for quarantine after birth and death, respectively in
society. The cultural etiquettes like “bowing” (followed in Japan) or “namaste”
(followed in India) is still used as a gesture of greeting to minimise physical
contact between people. In many societies, some social distancing practices
were representative of class or status of person in society. For example, the
Victorian-era “crinoline” was a large, voluminous skirt used to create a
barrier between the genders in social settings. Women also used large hats and
face masks/veils to keep pesky strangers away. The volume of skirt or the size
of their hat represented their respective social status. By mid 1300s,
state-organised responses to control surging communicable diseases were
initiated. Society was vigilant to observe that those who tended patients
carrying infections also eventually fell sick with same infections. So, city
health officials used to put measures in place to limit person-to-person contact.
Port-cities turned away ships carrying cargo and passengers that were arriving
from any infected area. During middle ages, control of the outbreak of Black
Death (bubonic plague) in Europe and Asia was one early evidence-based
quarantine (derived from the Italian term quaranta giorni, which means 40
days). Sailors and their cargo were under quarantine for 40 days as a
precautionary measure to minimise spread of infections in port-cities. Strict
isolation and community ostracisation for indefinite period was followed for
leprosy patients. Till recent times, diseases like tuberculosis and HIV were
associated with stigma, socialisolation and discrimination. Unfortunately, some
of these social-distancing practices have deepened inequalities in our societies
and ostracisation of infected people. The practice of social distancing is not
restricted to humans and numerous examples are also found in the animal world.
Despite how unnatural social distancing may feel, it is very much a part of
natural world, practised by fishes, mammals, insects and birds. How do these
animals prevent diseases? They simply do it by distancing themselves or by
expelling the diseased one from the community. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
has compiled a list of animal species that include marine turtles, blue whales,
snow leopards, polar bears, jaguars and platypus, which primarily prefer
self-isolation and semi-solitary lives except during mating season. Whereas
some animals choose social distancing strategies that vary from shunning a sick
animal to maintaining interactions with only the closest relatives. In the
animal world, monkeys, fishes, insects, birds, and lobsters detect and distance
themselves from sick members of the community, and this action is termed as
“behavioural immunity” by ecologists.
It is undeniable that the current pandemic has brought
our lives to a standstill and in absence of an efficacious vaccine or drug for
SARS-CoV-2, social distancing is an important and effective preventive measure
to reduce the transmission of the virus. Although socially distancing
ourseleves from individuals with contagious infections is an instinctive
behaviour, social network is a fundamental psychological and physiological need
of every individual. The prolonged social distancing during this pandemic has
reshaped our society into individualism, social rejection, stigma and loss of
community feeling. Longterm isolation will impact the mental and emotional
health of all age-groups and add further to stress and chaos associated with the
pandemic. People who have undergone quranatine or hosptialisation have shown
varying degrees of abnormal psychosocial behaviour. Even healthcare workers who
are tirelessly working for COVID-19 management have to follow strict quranatine
protocols which is further adding to their work-assoicated distress. Although
it is important to maintain physical distance, we need to be socially,
emotionally connected with our family, friends, neighbours and peers, so that
we can support the most vulnerable among us.
3)Corona Virus : Its Holistic Impact on nature and
society (General Essay)
4)Covid-19 : An On-going Battle( General Essay)
Infection mechanism The infection process has a
lock-and-key mechanism. Here the lock is the spike surface glycoproteins
present on SARS-CoV2 virus and the key is the ACE2 receptor present on the
surface of human cell. These ACE2 receptors unlock the virus by binding to
spike surface glycoproteins that allow it to enter into the host body after
which a second protein called TMPRSS2 activates the virus, allowing it to
reproduce and transmit within the cell
Once the virus starts multiplying inside the body, the
infected person starts showing symptoms (symptomatic); although in some cases
no symptoms are observed (asymptomatic). The absence of symptoms does not mean
that the individual is safe and would not spread any infection. In fact, they
may suffer irreversible damage to their vital organs resulting in death. In
Vishakhapatnam, for instance, a doctor working at AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART)
Centre, in the premises of the old Government Hospital in Vijayawada died
suddenly after having breathing problems, though he was asymptomatic otherwise.
When it comes to sudden deaths, silent hypoxia caused by SARS-CoV-2 may be the
main cause of death. More studies are required to identify why exactly the
virus causes silent hypoxia, compared to other viruses like influenza, where it
is not seen as often.
5)Role of Science & Technology in Achieving ‘Zero
Hunger’ (UNSDG Goal 2)
6)Raining of Services from Clouds (IT) (MeghRaj)
Clue : Today the world is driven by technology and online
systems are predominant in almost every sector of society. This rapid
digitization has created a digital world around us, which is connected to the
physical world in which we live. Internet plays a vital role is this digital
world through the medium of “cloud computing”-a concept that has helped the
world to attain new heights. Cloud computing is the ondemand availability of
computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without
direct active management by the user. In the simplest form, this “cloud” refers
to a giant remote space linked through the Internet. This space contains a huge
number of computing devices, software applications, development tools, mammoth
data repositories with trillions of bits of data being generated per second and
much more
7) Good Diet Good Thoughts Aahaar Kranti
Aahaar Kranti is a movement to raise awareness about the
importance of nutritionally balanced diet in India. It is an effort to rouse
the people to the value of our traditional diet, to the healing powers of local
fruits and vegetables, and to the miracles of a balanced diet. We all know that
nutrition is at the heart of many things in our lives. It is required from
birth all the way till our last breath. Thousands of studies have linked the
importance of nutrition for better health and longevity across all ages.
Thus, Aahaar Kranti is meant to focus on nutritionally
balanced diets (Uttam Aahaar Santulit Aahaar) that can be completely repleted
through locally sourced fruits and vegetables. For this message to reach our
masses, it is thus, necessary that Aahaar Kranti reaches every nook and corner
of the country. It, therefore, plans to train teachers, and reach through them
the multitudes of students and their families. India has remained the world
leader or Vishwa guru for ages, and in case of diet and nutrition, it has
remained a source for a number of researches made in this domain. It is time
again for India to set a model with Aahaar Kranti for the entire world.
8) Time to restore the Ecosystem (1972 – 2022 )
Clue :
50 years and counting! Since 1972, we have been
celebrating June 5 as the World Environment Day. This year too we shall be
celebrating it in India amidst the dark of the pandemic’s second surge.
Whenever we talk of environment, what normally comes to our mind are the thick
clouds of smoke emanating from the chimneys of the eighties and the nineties or
the thick flow of effluents from the factories into our once-pristinely fast-flowing
rivers. Kudos to efforts by activists both at the governmental and the
non-governmental level, a lot has been done so far. Yet, a lot more remains to
be done. Biodiversity has been badly affected. The WWF report of 2020 reveals
that there is 68 per cent of species loss in the last fifty years. Similarly,
in the last five decades, conversion of land for agriculture has resulted in
more than seventy per cent of global biodiversity loss and a similar amount of
tree cover loss. In fact, in a list of top five global risks facing our planet,
most are related to our ecosystem, its loss, repair, and restoration. Chief
among them are the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation,
environmental damage like oil-spills in the oceans and seas, radioactive leakages,
and natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, geomagnetic storms, and
volcanic eruptions. There is a lot that remains to be repaired and restored in
our ecosystems, especially in developing and under-developed nations. This is
what broadly defines the theme of this year’s World Environment Day.
9) “Climate Change : The Change We can not ignore”
(General Essay )
Clue:
COVID-19 occupied extreme attention for more than a year,
pushing many other issues to the backstage. One of them is the problem of
Climate Change, which is expected to impact the globe more forcefully, but
rather slowly than a pandemic. Recently, on the last Earth day, the United
States hosted 2-day Leaders’ Summit on Climate in which more than 40 nations
participated. At the meet, the UN Secretary-General called for urgent action to
reduce emissions to net-zero by mid-century as agreed upon in the Paris Climate
Change Agreement. He said, “Mother Nature will not wait”. In 1966, the WMO
(World Meteorological Organization) coined the term Climatic Change to define
climatic variability beyond 10 years. Later, the word was replaced by Climate
Change to denote long-term changes in the climate due to human activities.
Global warming, a major factor for Climate Change, is
considered to have started in 1712. It was then that the steam engine became
available, ushering in the Industrial Revolution. In 1885, Karl Benz built an
internal-combustion engine motor car pumping more greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. In 1938, Guy Callender, a British, concluded that the Earth’s
temperature had risen in the previous century, mainly due to atmospheric CO2
rise. While these were significant steps in the history of Climate change, the
significance of the phenomenon came to the fore in 1972, with the first UN
Conference on Environment, held at Stockholm. By 1975 global warming became a
household term when US scientist Wallace Broecker explained how human race was
disturbing the climate by generating about 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
every year. Realizing the need for a concerted action, all the nations came
together to address the issue. In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) was constituted to collect evidences related to Climate Change.
In 1990 the IPCC presented 1st Assessment Report, concluding that the Earth’s
temperature had risen by 0.3 to 0.6°C
from the previous century due to human activities. That
set the stage for the Earth Summit which was held in Rio de Janeiro where the
first agreement was reached for stabilization of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Developed Nations agreed to reduce their emission to the levels of
1990. In its Second Report, submitted in 1995, IPCC concluded that humans were
changing the Earth’s climate. It meant that if Climate Change was to be halted
or slowed down in its track, humans need to change their behaviour. Therefore,
in 1997, an agreement was reached at Kyoto, Japan to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases. Developed nations, excepting the US, pledged to cut
greenhouse gases emissions by 5% between 2008 and 2012.
In 1998, global warming and El Niño caused a temperature rise of 0.520°C
compared to the 1961 and 1990 mean. The IPCC concluded that the Earth’s
temperature increase in 20th century was mainly due to burning of fossil fuels
and also it was likely to be the highest during the last millennium. By 2008
the atmospheric CO2 reached 380ppm from 315ppm in 1958. IPCC’s Fourth Report
published in 2007 concluded that man-made greenhouse gases were responsible for
Climate Change. Global Warming Climate Change and global warming are now
synonymous. Global warming indicates increase in the Earth’s surface
temperature while Climate Change includes global warming and other changes due
to rise in the atmospheric greenhouse gases. Joseph Fourier had described this
phenomenon to be responsible for the warm atmosphere. Due to that the average
temperature of the Earth remains about 15°C. If the greenhouse effect becomes
stronger, the Earth’s temperature rises, resulting in Climate Change, including
Earth’s warming, changes in precipitation, droughts, floods, intense storms
etc. Greenhouse Gases Common greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are water
vapour, CO2 , methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and certain halogen containing
gases, produced naturally as well as by humans. Greenhouse gases in the Earth’s
atmosphere are presently higher than ever before. Concentrations of CO2 ,
methane and nitrous oxide are at the highest levels in the past 800,000 years.
Thermal power plants are major greenhouse gases contributors as most of them
burn coal. Most motor vehicles utilize fossil fuels, adding greenhouse gases.
Huge quantities of plastics reach landfills and oceans, releasing methane and
CO2 on decomposition. Forests and coral reefs are important sinks for CO2 . But
these are being destroyed for various reasons.
About 90% of aerosols come from natural sources; the rest
from fossil fuels and biomass burning. Chemical fertilizers release nitrous
oxide from soil. Cattles generate methane during food digestion. Also, rice
fields generate methane, adding to the global warming. Kyoto Protocol and
Beyond The Stern Review Report published in 2006 warned that Climate Change
could cause drop in global GDP by up to 20% by 21st century end. Climate Change
could affect hundreds of millions of people globally through water scarcity,
food shortages, diseases, and environmental degradation. In 2006 carbon
emissions reached 8 billion tonnes/annum, the highest ever in the history of
Earth. In 2012, the Arctic ice reached its lowest level since 1979. In 2013 the
mean concentration of CO2 crossed 400 ppm and touched 417.6ppm in May 2020.
Impacts of Climate Change Climate Change can have various impacts. Most of the
world will have higher average temperatures. But certain regions will turn
colder. Some regions will become drier while others may receive more than usual
rain or snow. Storms, droughts and floods will be more frequent. The trouble
is, at present, it is not possible to predict which regions will experience
what. Summer in Indian cities is turning hotter and more humid, as indicated by
data collected between1951 and 2010 at 283 weather stations. Indians may face
the wrath of heat-waves, as even 0.5°C rise in summer can substantially
increase heat-related deaths. If oceans continue becoming warmer, water volume
will expand. Faster melting of ice and snow will add more water. The net result
will be a rise in the sea level posing direct threat to the coastal areas and
islands, affecting millions of people. Average global sea level rise was 1.7
mm/year from 1901 and 2010,
between 1971 and 2010 it was 2.0 mm/ year and between
1993 and 2021 the rise was between 2.8 and 3.5 mm/year. A harbinger of such
danger was felt in 2017, when a large chunk of ice, more than a trillion metric
tons, broke away from the Antarctic Peninsula. About a third of the Antarctic
ice shelf may collapse with Earth’s warming. Their melting will add water to
the oceans and greater sea level rise. It is predicted that by the end of the
21st century more than 95% of the ocean area may rise, affecting 70% of coastlines.
Sea level rise is already visible along the Indian coasts. Estimated rise is
between 1.06 to 1.75mm/year and Bengal coast is recording the maximum. In the
Gulf of Kutch, the rise ranges between 0.4 to 2 mm. Submergence of coastland
and destruction of the ecosystems have been reported for about 10,000-km
stretch in Sundarbans. In Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai the low lying areas are
showing faster erosion damaging coral reefs and wetlands. In Odisha fields
close to the sea coast eroded and submerged. Several million Indians living
close to the sea may have to move inland causing population issues. Impacts on
Agriculture Climate Change will make it difficult for crops to thrive in their
own habitats. Various crops require different degrees of rainfall. Due to
Climate Change, rain patterns may change causing crop failures. India, the
second largest producer of rice and wheat, will be affected
he most. A rise between 2 to 4°C can bring down rice
yield substantially. The International Rice Research Institute has predicted
about 20% yield reduction for every 1°C rise in temperature. A rise of about
2°C can reduce wheat crop in most places. In India wheat contributes more than
35% of the total grain production. Climate Change can reduce production by 10-
40% by the end of the current century. Brazil, China, parts of Africa and
south-east Asia also are likely to suffer. Obvious outcome will be food
shortages. Rainfall anomaly can cause devastations. For example, heavy rainfall
claimed at least 100 lives in Sri Lanka during May, 2017. Some places received
a year's rainfall in just 24 hours. Floods and landslides caused heavy losses.
Large areas such as Uttarakhand in India face flash floods regularly. With
changing climate, flash floods can be frequent or more severe or both.
Innovations In India, farmers are preferring crops such as millets, which
tolerate higher temperatures and drought. Another possibility is Quinoa
(Chenopodium quinoa). It grows even in drought conditions. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) has selected it as one of the crops for food security in the
next century. About 500 farmers in Doda district (J&K) are growing lavender
to replace maize and as a result getting up to four-fold income. Global Warming
and Climate Change are here for sure. They can’t be reversed, but surely their
progress can be halted or slowed with concerted action by individuals as well
as nations. The World Environment Day is the occasion for all of us to remind
ourselves of our role in this and play it honestly.
