Science – Fill in the Blank – GK Questions

Quantum teleportation: entangled pair shared between sender/receiver; Bell measurement + classical bits enable state reconstruction. Does not transmit matter/energy; foundational for quantum internet. India's QuEST program advances this research. [[DST Reports]]

scRNA-seq profiles gene expression in individual cells, identifying rare cell types, developmental trajectories, disease subpopulations. Revolutionized immunology, neuroscience, cancer research. [[DBT Reports, NCERT Biology Class 12]]

Federated learning: model updates (not raw data) are shared from edge devices to central server. Preserves privacy, reduces bandwidth; used in healthcare (hospital data), mobile keyboards, IoT. Key for GDPR/DPDP-compliant AI. [[MeitY Reports]]

VRFBs use V²⁺/V³⁺ (negative) and VO²⁺/VO₂⁺ (positive) couples in separate tanks. Power (stack size) and energy (tank volume) decoupled; ideal for grid-scale storage with long cycle life. [[MNRE Reports, NCERT Chemistry Class 12]]

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) use ecosystems to address societal challenges: mangroves for coastal protection, forests for carbon sinks, urban green spaces for heat mitigation. Cost-effective, co-benefits for biodiversity. [[MoEFCC, UNEP Reports]]

Metamaterials have sub-wavelength structures designed to manipulate EM waves in ways natural materials cannot. Applications: superlenses, cloaking, compact antennas. Active research area in photonics and acoustics. [[NCERT Physics Class 12, DST Reports]]

Gene drives could spread malaria-resistance genes or suppress Anopheles populations. High potential but raises ecological/ethical concerns. Strict biosafety protocols under DBT guidelines govern research in India. [[DBT Reports, NCERT Biology Class 12]]

6G (2030+) aims for convergence of communication, sensing, computing, and AI: holographic telepresence, tactile internet, ubiquitous intelligence. Requires breakthroughs in THz tech, materials, energy efficiency. [[TRAI, MeitY Reports]]

LNPs fuse with cell membranes or are internalized via endocytosis; endosomal escape releases mRNA into cytoplasm for translation. Key innovation enabling mRNA vaccine efficacy and stability. [[ICMR Reports, NCERT Biology Class 12]]

Cesium-133 hyperfine transition (9,192,631,770 Hz) defines the SI second. Atomic clocks enable GPS positioning accuracy (~5-10 m). Next-gen optical clocks (Sr, Yb) promise 100x improvement. [[NCERT Physics Class 11, ISRO Reports]]

Memristors (memory resistors) emulate synaptic plasticity, enabling low-power, parallel processing for AI tasks. Applications: edge AI, robotics, brain-machine interfaces. India's National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems supports R&D. [[MeitY, DST Reports]]

India announced net-zero by 2070 at COP26 (2021), with interim targets: 500 GW non-fossil capacity, 50% renewable energy, 1 billion tonne CO₂ reduction by 2030. Balanced approach considering development needs. [[MoEFCC, NITI Aayog Reports]]

Organoids derived from pluripotent or adult stem cells self-organize into tissue-like structures. Used for disease modeling (e.g., brain, gut, liver), drug screening, and personalized medicine. Ethical alternative to animal testing. [[DBT Reports, NCERT Biology Class 12]]

AlphaFold predicts 3D protein structures from amino acid sequences with atomic accuracy, revolutionizing structural biology. Critical for rational drug design, understanding disease mechanisms, and enzyme engineering. [[DBT Reports, NCERT Biology Class 12]]

MIC (CH₃NCO) leak from Union Carbide plant caused one of the world's worst industrial disasters. Led to strengthened environmental regulations, disaster management protocols, and corporate accountability norms in India. [[MoEFCC Reports]]

BharatNet (formerly NOFN) is the world's largest rural broadband project, connecting ~2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats via optical fiber. Enables e-governance, telemedicine, education in rural India. [[MeitY Reports]]

Atal Bhujal Yojana (2020) is a World Bank-assisted scheme for participatory groundwater management in water-stressed areas. Aims to improve water security and livelihoods. [[Jal Shakti Ministry Reports]]

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) offers ₹5 lakh annual coverage for ~50 crore beneficiaries. World's largest government-funded healthcare program. [[NHA, MoHFW Reports]]

Sendai Framework emphasizes proactive risk reduction: understanding risk, strengthening governance, investing in resilience, enhancing preparedness. India aligns national policies with its targets. [[NDMA, UNDRR Reports]]

Zeolites (e.g., ZSM-5) have shape-selective pores for catalytic cracking, isomerization. Solid acid catalysts easily separated from products. Critical for clean fuel production. [[NCERT Chemistry Class 12]]