Quick Theory Capsule

Science & Technology (S&T) questions in Railway exams test factual recall rather than deep derivation. Roughly 70 % of questions come from Defence & Space, Medical & Agriculture tech, IT & Mobile, and Energy & Transport—all areas where India has flagship missions or global rankings. Focus on year, place, use, and nickname of every launch, missile, satellite, or super-computer; examiners love “first-in-India” and “nick-name” type facts.

Second, acronyms & full-forms are high-yield (ISRO, DRDO, BARC, IRNSS, LHC, DNA, LED, GPS, 5G, AI, etc.). Remember the expansion, parent ministry, and one-liner purpose. Finally, link technology to application: if you see “NavIC”, instantly think “desi GPS for railways & fishermen”; if you spot “BrahMos”, recall “supersonic cruise missile = Indo-Russia”. These two-second mnemonic chains save 20-30 s per question.

Practice MCQs

1. [Easy] The PSLV-C54 mission carried India’s first privately built Earth-imaging satellite. Name it.
   A) EOS-06
   B) Anand
   C) Oceansat-3
   D) Pixxel-TD1

2. [Easy] Which Indian missile is a joint venture with Russia and can be launched from land, sea & air?
   A) Agni-V
   B) Prithvi-II
   C) BrahMos
   D) Akash-NG

3. [Easy] The world’s cheapest Mars mission—India’s Mangalyaan—was launched by which PSLV variant?
   A) PSLV-C25
   B) PSLV-XL
   C) PSLV-DL
   D) PSLV-CA

4. [Easy] What does the letter “N” stand for in “Li-ion” battery that powers Indian Railways’ Vande Bharat trains?
   A) Nickel
   B) Nano
   C) Nitrogen
   D) Niobium

5. [Easy] India’s first indigenously built nuclear submarine is:
   A) INS Arihant
   B) INS Kalvari
   C) INS Vikrant
   D) INS Arighat

6. [Medium] The reactor that produces weapon-grade plutonium in India is:
   A) Apsara
   B) Dhruva
   C) Kamini
   D) Zerlina

7. [Medium] Which of the following is NOT part of India’s “NAVIC” constellation?
   A) IRNSS-1A
   B) IRNSS-1I
   C) GSAT-7A
   D) IRNSS-1G

8. [Medium] The cryogenic engine used in GSLV Mk-III is called:
   A) Vikas
   B) Kaveri
   C) CE-20
   D) RD-180

9. [Medium] India’s first COVID-19 vaccine to receive WHO’s EUL (Emergency Use Listing) was:
   A) Covaxin
   B) Covishield
   C) Corbevax
   D) Sputnik V

10. [Medium] “Project 75-I” of Indian Navy relates to:
    A) Aircraft carriers
    B) Nuclear submarines
    C) Conventional diesel-electric submarines
    D) Stealth frigates

11. [Medium] The location of India’s first “5G lab” for rail trials opened in 2023 is:
    A) IIT-Madras
    B) Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bhopal
    C) RailTel, Hyderabad
    D) South Central Railway, Secunderabad

12. [Medium] Which Indian supercomputer ranked in global top-100 as of June 2023?
    A) PARAM Siddhi
    B) Pratyush
    C) Mihir
    D) ANURAG

13. [Medium] “DHARMA” is the name of:
    A) DRDO’s anti-satellite missile
    B) ISRO’s reusable launch vehicle
    C) BARC’s reactor safety code
    D) IIT-D’s COVID ventilator

14. [Medium] India’s first indigenous “Beyond Visual Range” air-to-air missile is:
    A) Astra
    B) Rudram
    C) Helina
    D) Amogha

15. [Medium] The alloy used in the indigenised “Bogie-Mounted Brake System” of Indian Railways that prevents corrosion is:
    A) Inconel
    B) Duralumin
    C) Corten
    D) Ni-Cr-Mo steel

16. [Hard] “S band” frequency used by IRNSS satellites lies approximately between:
    A) 30-300 kHz
    B) 3-30 MHz
    C) 2-4 GHz
    D) 30-300 GHz

17. [Hard] The “CE-20” cryo engine uses which fuel-oxidiser pair?
    A) UDMH + N₂O₄
    B) RP-1 + LOX
    C) LH₂ + LOX
    D) MMH + MON-3

18. [Hard] India’s first “Genome Valley” biotech cluster is located at:
    A) Bengaluru
    B) Hyderabad
    C) Pune
    D) Faridabad

19. [Hard] “ATGM” Nag operates on which guidance principle?
    A) Millimetre-wave radar
    B) Imaging infra-red
    C) Fibre-optic wire
    D) Millimetre-wave + IIR dual mode

20. [Hard] The “Dark Matter” research facility planned to come up in India is:
    A) INO (Theni)
    B) LIGO-India
    C) DUNE (Jaduguda)
    D) CMS (CERN-India)

21. [Hard] Which of the following is India’s first “Made-in-India” 9 mm carbine for army?
    A) ASMI
    B) Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC)
    C) Amogh
    D) Ghatak

22. [Hard] “TROPEX” is an Indian Navy:
    A) Torpedo exercise
    B) Theatre-level operational readiness exercise
    C) Ship-building protocol
    D) Satellite series

23. [Hard] The “Gaganyaan” crew module will splash down in which ocean for first unmanned test?
    A) Arabian Sea
    B) Bay of Bengal
    C) Indian Ocean (south of Oz)
    D) Andaman Sea

24. [Hard] India’s first “Quantum Key Distribution” link (over 100 km) was demonstrated between:
    A) Delhi-Jaipur
    B) Hyderabad-Vijayawada
    C) Mumbai-Pune
    D) Bengaluru-Chennai

25. [Hard] “UDAN” 5G refers to:
    A) Rural 5G connectivity for airports
    B) Indigenous 5G radio by TCS-CDOT
    C) 5G spectrum auction band
    D) 5G satellites under IN-SPACe

Shortcuts & Tips

1. ISRO launches: remember “C” number = chronological (C54 latest). Mk-III renamed LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mk-3) from 2022—don’t trip.
2. Missile tree: Agni (ballistic), Prithvi (short-range), Akash (air), Nag (tank), BrahMos (universal cruise). Prefixes = range (Agni-1/2/3/4/5).
3. Rail-tech: Vande Bharat = Train-18 (prototype 2018); Kavach = anti-collision; Li-ion = 135 km/h self-propelled coaches.
4. Acronym hack: IRNSS = NaVIC (7 sats, 3 GEO + 4 GSO); GSLV = Geo-Synchronous, PSLV = Polar; cryo engine only in GSLV.
5. Time-saver: If two options look similar (e.g., INS Arihant vs Arighat) pick the earlier/older one unless question says “2nd” or “upgraded”.

Revise these 5 lines daily = 80 % S&T questions in pocket.