IT & Advanced Electronics
🎯 PYQs — IT & Computing (High Frequency)
Most Asked Topics:
- Quantum computing basics (Qubits, Superposition, Entanglement)
- Supercomputing missions in India (PARAM series)
- Semiconductor supply chain (TSMC, Lithography nodes)
- Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and everyday sensors
Common Traps:
- ❌ Quantum computers are NOT for word processing or email (specialized algorithms only)
- ❌ EUV lithography is NOT a widely available tech (ASML monopoly)
- ❌ 5G is NOT just faster 4G (includes URLLC, mMTC)
1. Quantum Technology
Core Principles
| Compare Classical Bits with Qubits, emphasizing Superposition. | - Classical Bit: Can exist only as 0 OR 1. Qubit (Quantum Bit): Can exist as 0, 1, or both simultaneously in a state of Superposition. |
| Explain the concept of Quantum Entanglement. | - Entanglement: Two or more particles linked such that the quantum state of one instantly influences the state of the other, regardless of the distance separating them. |
| What is Quantum Decoherence and what environmental condition is needed to prevent it? | - Quantum Decoherence: The loss of a quantum state due to environmental interference. To maintain stability, quantum systems require temperatures near absolute zero. |
| Explain the concept and security mechanism of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). | - QKD (Quantum Key Distribution): A secure communication method that uses quantum mechanics to encrypt and transmit keys. If an eavesdropper attempts to intercept the transmission, the quantum state collapses, instantly alerting the users. |
| What is the status of QKD development in India? | - India's Status: Firms like QNu Labs (Bengaluru) and QNa Labs are actively working on developing secured QKD communication systems for defense applications. |
QKD Process: Visualized
India's Quantum Initiatives
| What is the National Quantum Mission (NQM)? State the nodal agency, outlay, and timeline. | National Quantum Mission (NQM): - Nodal Agency: Department of Science & Technology (DST). - Financial Outlay: ₹6,003.65 Crore. - Timeline: FY 2023-24 to 2030-31 (8-year mission). |
| List the four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) established under the NQM. | - Core Domains:
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| What are the key target capabilities of the National Quantum Mission? | Key Targets: - Develop intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50 to 1,000 physical qubits. - Establish satellite-based quantum communications over 2,000 km within India. - Implement inter-city Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over 2,000 km via optical fibers. |
| What is QpiAI-Indus? | - QpiAI-Indus: India's indigenous 25-qubit superconducting quantum processor. |
| Describe the RDI Scheme (Research Development & Innovation). | - RDI Scheme: A ₹1 lakh crore fund initiated by DST to provide long-term, low-interest financing for private sector R&D. It operates via a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). |
2. Supercomputing & AI Infrastructure
Supercomputing Basics & Metrics
| Define supercomputing and its core architecture. | - Supercomputing: High-performance computing systems that utilize Parallel Computing (multiple CPUs/GPUs working together to perform complex tasks). |
| How is supercomputing processing speed measured? Define PetaFLOPs and ExaFLOPs. | FLOPs (Floating-point Operations Per Second): Measurement metric for supercomputing speed. - 1 PetaFLOPs: $10^{15}$ operations/second. - 1 ExaFLOPs: $10^{18}$ operations/second (e.g., Frontier in the USA). |
National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)
| When was the NSM launched, and which agencies implement it? | - National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): Launched in 2016. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), implemented by C-DAC and IISc. |
| Map the NSM PARAM supercomputers to their host institutions. | PARAM Family Installations: - PARAM Shivay: First system, installed at IIT-BHU. - PARAM Shakti: IIT Kharagpur. - PARAM Brahma: IISER Pune. - PARAM Sanganak: IIT Kanpur. - PARAM Seva: IIT Gandhinagar. - PARAM Pravega: IISc Bengaluru. - PARAM Ganga: IIT Roorkee. - PARAM Kamrupa: IIT Guwahati. - PARAM Porul: NIT Tiruchirappalli. |
| Name the key weather forecasting supercomputer systems in India and their locations. | Weather Forecasting Systems: - Pratyush: Installed at IITM Pune. - Mihir: Installed at NCMRWF Noida. |
| What are India's premier HPC-AI supercomputing platforms? | HPC-AI Platforms: - AIRAWAT: Located at C-DAC Pune; India's fastest AI supercomputer. - Param Siddhi-AI: Developed by C-DAC. |
AI Computing Infrastructure
| What is the IndiaAI Mission? State its outlay and target GPU capacity. | - IndiaAI Mission: Outlay of ₹10,372 Crore aimed at establishing a 10,000+ GPU supercomputing capacity to support public-private R&D. |
| Explain the Bharat Gen initiative. | - Bharat Gen: A MeitY initiative focused on developing indigenous and localized Generative AI models tailored for India. |
| What is Bhashini and what capability does it offer? | - Bhashini: A multilingual AI translation infrastructure designed to provide "speech-to-speech" translation across the 22 scheduled Indian languages. |
| Define Suncatcher and Ironwood. | - Suncatcher & Ironwood: Google's cloud-based Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) infrastructures designed to accelerate deep learning and AI models. |
3. Semiconductor Manufacturing
Semiconductor Nodes & Fabrication
| What is Moore's Law? | - Moore's Law: An observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles roughly every two years, which corresponds to a doubling of computing speed and capability. |
| Define process node and compare Legacy vs Advanced nodes with applications. | Process Node: Refers to the physical feature size of transistors. Smaller nodes represent higher transistor density, better performance, and lower power consumption. - Legacy Nodes (40–180 nm): Widely used in automotive systems and industrial controllers. - Advanced Nodes (<10 nm): Critical for advanced smartphones, AI accelerators, and supercomputers. |
| What are semiconductor foundries? Give an example of a dominant global player. | - Foundries: Companies that manufacture silicon chips designed by other fabless companies. For example, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) controls over 90% of the advanced node manufacturing market. |
Semiconductor Fabrication: Visualized
India's Semiconductor Initiatives
| Describe the Program for Development of Semiconductors in India, including its outlay and support mechanisms. | Program for Development of Semiconductors: Outlay of ₹76,000 Crore to build silicon/compound fabs, display fabs, and packaging units in India. - Fiscal Support: Flat 50% financial incentive for setting up fabrication facilities. - DLI (Design Linked Incentive): Provides financial and infrastructure support for local fabless chip design startups. |
| What are the key semiconductor projects underway in Gujarat? | Key Projects: - Tata-PSMC joint Venture Fab at Dholera, Gujarat. - Micron's semiconductor assembly and test facility at Sanand, Gujarat. |
| What is the Kairali AI Chip? | - Kairali AI Chip: Kerala's indigenous AI processor designed specifically for low-power edge computing and localized AI inference. |
| Explain the Agrienics Programme. | - Agrienics Programme: A national program run by MeitY and C-DAC Kolkata dedicated to developing electronic technologies for application in agriculture and environmental monitoring. |
4. Sensors, BCI & Geospatial Tech
Everyday Sensors
| Differentiate between Active and Passive Sensors with examples. | - Active Sensors: Generate their own signal and measure the reflection (e.g., Radar, LiDAR). Passive Sensors: Detect external signals naturally emitted from objects (e.g., optical cameras, thermal IR sensors). |
| What is a Transducer? | - Transducer: A device that converts one form of energy into another (e.g., converting physical pressure or heat into an electrical signal). |
| Explain the function and common applications of Accelerometers, Ultrasonic sensors, and Proximity sensors. | Key Sensor Types: - Accelerometer: Measures change in velocity. Used in smartphone screen rotation, automobile airbag deployment systems, and hard drive protection. - Ultrasonic: Emits and detects sound waves to measure distance (e.g., parking sensors). - Proximity: Enables non-contact detection of nearby objects (e.g., elevator doors, smartphone screens). |
| What is SODAR and how is it utilized? | - SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging): An acoustic remote sensing system that transmits sound pulses to measure lower-atmosphere wind profiles and temperature structures (used by the Indian Meteorological Department - IMD). |
Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)
| Define Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). | - Brain-Computer Interface (BCI): A direct communication pathway between an active brain and an external device, bypassing the body's normal neuromuscular pathways. |
| Classify the types of BCI based on invasiveness, stating pros and cons. | BCI Classification: - Invasive: Electrodes surgically implanted directly into the brain's gray matter. Offers the highest signal resolution but carries high surgical and medical risks. - Minimally Invasive: Electrodes placed inside the skull but outside the active brain tissue (e.g., inserted via blood vessels). - Non-Invasive: Sensors placed on the surface of the scalp (e.g., EEG caps). Safe and simple but has lower signal quality. |
| What is Blindsight BCI technology? | - Blindsight: A visual prosthesis (e.g., Neuralink's design) that bypasses damaged retinas to stimulate the brain's visual cortex directly, aiming to restore visual perception. |
Geospatial Technology & LiDAR
| What is Geospatial Technology and what tools does it encompass? | - Geospatial Technology: Tools and techniques used to acquire, store, process, and analyze geographic data. Encompasses Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). |
| Explain the concept of LiDAR. | - LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): A remote sensing method that uses pulsed lasers to measure distance and range to objects, generating highly accurate, high-resolution 3D maps of the terrain. |
| What is Operation Dronagiri and its policy framework? | - Operation Dronagiri: A pilot project launched under the National Geospatial Policy 2022 to facilitate integrated geospatial data sharing across sectors like agriculture, disaster management, and urban planning. |
5. Hardware, Networking & Additive Manufacturing
Hardware & Undersea Cables
| What is Vikram3201? Detail its architecture, designer, and foundry. | - Vikram3201: India's first indigenous 32-bit microprocessor. It uses a RISC architecture, was developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC/ISRO), and is fabricated at SCL Chandigarh. |
| Explain the Bitchat application. | - Bitchat: A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networking application developed by DRDO for decentralized, multi-hop communication without requiring a central network database. |
| What is Project Waterworth? | - Project Waterworth: An undersea fiber-optic cable project led by a Meta consortium, landing in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, to boost international data bandwidth and connectivity. |
| How does FASTag operate? State the technology and frequency band. | - FASTag: An electronic toll collection system that utilizes RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology operating in the 865–867 MHz frequency band. |
Additive Manufacturing (3D & 4D Printing)
| Compare 3D and 4D Printing. What is the key added dimension in 4D printing? | - 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing): A process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital CAD file by laying down successive layers of material. 4D Printing: Adds the dimension of Time. A 4D-printed object can alter its shape, chemical properties, or function post-fabrication in response to external stimuli (such as heat, water, light, or electric currents). |
| State the major applications of 3D and 4D printing technologies. | - Applications: Bio-printing of biological tissues and organs, self-assembling or self-repairing structural components, and smart textiles that adapt to temperature/moisture. |
🎯 UPSC Prelims 2026 Questions & Explanations
| fabricated indigenously, it is officially recognized as the first h... | - Question 45: fabricated indigenously, it is officially recognized as the first homegrown 64-bit dual-core microprocessor operating at a speed of 1.0 GHz. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) recently introduced a national standard to test and assess bomb disposal system. Which of the following statements with regard to this system is/are correct? 1. The new standard is known as IS 19445: 2025. It will improve interoperability of equipment across agencies. Correct Answer: (D) Key Concepts & Explanation: daily-news-summary/artic/le/2025-12-19/the-hindu/science-and-technology/making-sense-of-dhruv64-indigenous-microprocess-or The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced IS 19445:2025, a national standard for the testing and evaluation of bomb disposal systems. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced the new standard to enhance interoperability and ensure uniformity of equipment used by various agencies involved in bomb disposal and counter-IED operations across India. Recently, in the news as mentioned in the stem of the question CA https://timesofi.ndia.indiatimes.com/india/is-194452025-bis-introduces-new-standard-to-test-bomb-disposal-system-to-improve-countrys-security/articles/how/126203680.cmshttps://www.pi.b.gov.in/PressR Year Asked: Prelims 2026 |
High-Yield S&T Rapid Revision: IT, AI & Emerging Tech
- Blockchain: Decentralized, cryptographic public ledger enabling secure transaction validation (MeitY).
- Quantum Tech: Processing information using quantum bits or qubits utilizing superposition and entanglement principles, backed by the National Quantum Mission (DST).
- Web 3.0: Decentralized web architecture utilizing blockchain, decentralizing data ownership through DAOs and NFTs (MeitY).
- Communication Tech: 5G technology employing millimeter wave and sub-6 GHz spectrums; Li-Fi using light waves for short-range communication; NFC operating at distances under 10 centimeters (DoT).
- AI: Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) using generator and discriminator models to create synthetic content (MeitY).