Consider the following activities:Spraying pesticides on a crop fieldInspecting the craters of activ

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2020 UPSC Prelims Science & Technology paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims Science & Technology?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims Science & Technology, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2020 question covers Science & Technology in Current Affairs topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2020 Science & Technology question has a hard difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

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You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

Consider the following activities:Spraying pesticides on a crop fieldInspecting the craters of active volcanoesCollecting breath samples from spouting whales for DNA analysis.At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: D — 1, 2 and 3Step-by-step Solution:Activity 1 — Spraying pesticides: Correct. Drones are increasingly used for precision agriculture, including pesticide spraying (e.g., in Telangana and several US states). ✓Activity 2 — Inspecting volcanic craters: Correct. Drones can access hazardous areas like active volcano craters to collect data and images where humans cannot safely go. ✓Activity 3 — Collecting whale breath samples: Correct. Australian scientists have used drones flying above whale blowholes to collect mucus spray for DNA and health analysis. ✓Why other options are incorrect:Option A (1 and 2 only): Incorrect because activity 3 is also feasible with drones.Option B (2 and 3 only): Incorrect because activity 1 is also feasible.Option C (1 and 3 only): Incorrect because activity 2 is also feasible.Key Concept: Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have expanded beyond defence into agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and wildlife research. India is drafting regulations (Unmanned Aircraft System Rules) to govern their use while promoting innovation in sectors like agriculture and infrastructure inspection.

Consider the following activities:Spraying pesticides on a crop fieldInspecting the craters of active volcanoesCollecting breath samples from spouting whales for DNA analysis.At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones?

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Consider the following activities:Spraying pesticides on a crop fieldInspecting the craters of active volcanoesCollecting breath samples from spouting whales for DNA analysis.At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones?

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