UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Science and Technology MCQs on plug-in hybrid vehicle, Gram-negative bacteria and more (Week 179)

3. The battery of a PHEV can be charged only by plugging it into an external power source.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Relevance: The questions are relevant to the Prelims syllabus through electric vehicles, hybrid technology and developments in clean transportation. It connects with fuel efficiency, reduction in fossil-fuel consumption and transition towards cleaner mobility.

Explanation

— The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is an iconic American long-range, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is used by the United States Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. The long-range analogy is perhaps what JSW MG Motor India wanted to play on when it decided to christen its newly launched Hector Tomahawk plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), alongside an all-electric version of this new SUV, to emphasise range efficiency.

— Unlike BEVs, which are typically battery electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model S or the Tata Nexon electric that need to be plugged in before the battery is discharged, technologies such as HEVs and PHEVs bring together the best of both worlds.

— For instance, HEVs, or conventional hybrid electric vehicles, such as strong hybrid variants of the Toyota Hycross Hybrid and the Honda City e:HEV in India, or the Toyota Prius HEV sold abroad, combine a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system, like in a regular petrol car, with an electric propulsion system to produce a hybrid drivetrain that substantially lowers fossil fuel usage. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

PHEV (US Dept of Energy)

— The big difference therefore is that a PHEV can be plugged into a power source, which offers an external option to charge the battery that is not available on an HEV. A plug-in hybrid car has a comparatively bigger battery and offers a longer electric range than a traditional HEV. The battery, which gets charged while driving and with regenerative braking, as in an HEV, can be recharged by plugging into a socket if that option is available. Effectively, a PHEV combines the positive attributes of internal combustion (range on long journeys) with those of plug-in electrics (a cleaner engine that typically costs less to run) in a single vehicle, resulting in a combination of features superior to those of a regular HEV. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

— Plug-in hybrids are comparatively more expensive to buy than their internal combustion counterparts, and they are also pricier than normal HEVs, given that the on-board battery in a PHEV is bigger than in an HEV. Running costs for a PHEV, on the other hand, are generally lower, especially if the batteries are charged from an external socket regularly. The important thing is that in the transition to emission-free vehicles, PHEVs offer a genuine progression from hybrids to BEVs, given that they address several concerns with battery electrics — range anxiety being the most important.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements about Gram-negative bacteria:

1. These are a group of bacteria that can cause infections only in the bloodstream.

2. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium.

3. These bacteria do not develop resistance to antibiotics.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct?

(a) All three statements are correct.

(b) There are two correct statements, that include statement 1.

(c) There is only one correct statement.

(d) There is no correct statement.

Relevance: The topic is relevant to the Prelims syllabus through microbiology, infectious diseases and bacterial classification. It is useful for questions connecting microbiology, public health and emerging challenges in disease management.

Explanation

— A major study of hospitalised patients across India has found that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria are more likely to be fatal and more expensive to treat than infections caused by drug-susceptible strains.

— Gram-negative bacteria are a group of bacteria that can cause infections in different parts of the body, including the lungs, urinary tract, wounds and bloodstream. They include common hospital pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacteria can be particularly difficult to treat when they develop resistance to antibiotics. One important group of antibiotics used for serious infections is carbapenems. When these bacteria become resistant to carbapenems, doctors have fewer effective medicines available to treat patients. Hence, statement 2 is correct and statements 1 and 3 are not correct.

— The study, conducted across 20 tertiary-care hospitals between April 2022 and April 2025, analysed data from 159,336 hospitalised patients. Of these, 26,213 had confirmed gram-negative bacterial infections, and 16,025 — or 61.1% — had infections resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.

— The difference in mortality was seen across all four bacteria. Among patients with E. coli infections, 24.4% of those with carbapenem-resistant infections died, compared with 17.3% among those with susceptible infections. For K. pneumoniae, mortality was 31.2% in the resistant group versus 23.5% in the susceptible group.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the different types of map projections, consider the following pairs:

1. Conformal projections – They preserve areas.

2. Equidistant projections – They preserve angles.

3. Compromise projections – They balance distortions in area, shape, distance and direction.

How many of the pairs given above are correctly marked?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Relevance: The question tests conceptual understanding of distortion in area, shape, distance, angle and direction in different projections. It also helps in understanding why different projections are selected for different geographical purposes and spatial representations.

Explanation

— The United Nations has adopted a resolution to shift away from the 16th-century Mercator map of the world towards one that more accurately depicts Africa’s vast size. At a UN General Assembly session, 164 countries (including India) voted to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth design — with the US voting against the Togo-led resolution, and six countries abstaining. Since UN resolutions are not binding, it remains to be seen if or when governments, organisations and classrooms adopt it.’

— There are many different types of projections. Some of them are:

– Conformal projections (which preserve angles) Hence, pair 1 is not correct.

– Equal-area projections (which preserve areas, such as the newly adopted map)

– Equidistant projections (which maintain distance) Hence, pair 2 is not correct.

– Compromise projections (which balances distortions in area, shape, distance and direction rather than preserving any one of them exactly) Hence, pair 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), consider the following statements:

1. It has traditionally been associated with southern Africa.

2. It is highly contagious.

3. The infection is easily transmitted to humans from animals.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Relevance: The question covers infectious diseases, viral pathogens, transmission and disease control, making it relevant to basic biological concepts in Prelims. The question helps in understanding the animal–human disease interface and issues related to zoonotic disease transmission.

Explanation

— After around 60 years, a serotype of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is being reported again in parts of Europe and the Middle East. What makes this “outbreak” even more attention-worthy is that it is also appearing in countries where it has never been detected before.

— Known as SAT-1, the serotype was first identified in 1948 and has traditionally been associated with southern Africa. Although it was occasionally reported in parts of Europe and the Middle East in the 1960s and 1970s, its recent detection across several countries has put the disease back on animal-health authorities’ radar. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), SAT-1 was first reported in Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt and Azerbaijan in 2025. In 2026, Israel, Cyprus, Palestine, China and Mongolia reported their first occurrences. Türkiye, Lebanon and Greece also reported the serotype again after around 60 years.

— FMD is highly contagious, and it doesn’t need direct contact between animals to move from one place to another. The virus can spread from infected animals as well as through contaminated vehicles, equipment, footwear and animal products. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— “FMD SAT-1 is one of the seven serotypes of the foot and mouth disease virus. It has traditionally been associated with parts of Africa, which is why its detection in regions outside its usual range is significant,” Dr Sagar Patange, Head Veterinarian and Surgeon at Karma Foundation, tells indianexpress.com.

— For an infected animal, the illness can be painful and disruptive. It typically begins with fever, followed by fluid-filled blisters and sores in the mouth, on the tongue and around the feet. That can make eating and walking difficult. In cattle and buffaloes, farmers may notice excessive drooling, reduced feed intake, lameness and a sudden decline in milk production.

— FMD is not easily transmitted to humans from infected animals; it primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

AnthroKrishi is an:

(a) initiative by Google that uses artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to provide field-level agricultural intelligence.

(b) initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that uses satellite-based navigation to provide automated irrigation services to farmers.

(c) government programme that uses drones and blockchain technology to create a national database of agricultural landholdings.

(d) artificial intelligence platform developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to provide farmers with weather-based crop insurance recommendations.

Relevance: AnthroKrishi is relevant for UPSC Prelims as it focuses on recent technological developments and their applications in the agriculture and rural sectors. The question helps assess awareness of AI-enabled platforms and their practical applications beyond conventional technological uses.

Explanation

— For centuries, farmers in India have made decisions about weather, demand, prices, input quality, market conditions, and pesticide use based on traditional metrics and short-term historical forecasts. While this approach is not disappearing, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly central to agricultural decision-making. In fact, for today’s farmers, AI literacy is becoming nearly as important as agronomic knowledge itself.

— The AnthroKrishi team employs a sophisticated dual-layer AI system that maps fields and identifies crops, with frequent updates. The first layer segments fields, trees, and water bodies using 15 years of satellite imagery, refreshed every 6 to 12 months to maintain an up-to-date understanding of the landscape.

— The second layer tracks crop types, sowing, and harvesting stages across 12 crops, leveraging six years of data refreshed twice a month to provide near-real-time crop monitoring. These datasets are accessible via APIs and visual layers integrated into Google Earth, despite the coverage being limited to India.

— The development of India-first AI models for agriculture reflects a broader transformation in how frontier technologies, particularly AI, can be applied to redefine farming in India. Talekar agrees that India’s agriculture sector has yet to see a transformative impact on the scale of Aadhaar or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). However, he hopes to see a radical shift driven by artificial intelligence and technology adoption, especially since agriculture has traditionally suffered from significant information gaps.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 163)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 179)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 178)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 178)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 178)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 178)

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