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Q64 (IAS/2018) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Science and technology initiatives Official Key

Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in news Context / Topic 1. Belle II experiment - Artificial Intelligence - Digital/ 2. Blockchain technology Cryptocurrency 3. CRISPR - Cas9 - Particle Physics Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B (2 only) because only the second pair is correctly matched.

**Pair 1 is incorrect:** The Belle II experiment is a particle physics experiment designed to study the properties of B mesons (heavy particles containing a bottom quark).[1] It is not related to artificial intelligence or digital technology.

**Pair 2 is correct:** Cryptocurrencies are based on the decentralized ledger-based blockchain technology which seeks to make the currency system decentralized, unlike the present government-issued centralized form.[2] This pair correctly associates blockchain technology with digital/cryptocurrency.

**Pair 3 is incorrect:** CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technology used in biotechnology and genetic engineering, not particle physics. It is a molecular tool for editing DNA sequences in living organisms.

Therefore, only pair 2 is correctly matched, making option B the correct answer.

Sources
  1. [2] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 7: Money and Banking > CRYPTOCURRENCIES > p. 160
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in news Context / Topic 1. Belle II experiment - Artificial Intelligence - Digital…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 3.3/10

This question is a classic 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'. It looks difficult because of 'Belle II', but it is actually a sitter designed to reward basic awareness. You only needed to know that CRISPR is related to Biology (Genes), not Physics, to eliminate all incorrect options.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In news contexts, is the Belle II experiment associated with artificial intelligence?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The Belle II experiment is a particle physics experiment designed to study the properties of B mesons (heavy particles containing a bottom quark)."
Why this source?
  • Defines what Belle II actually is, identifying it as a particle physics experiment.
  • States the experiment studies B mesons, which ties it to particle physics rather than AI.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0): Present > p. 232
Strength: 4/5
“With rapid development in the fields of information technology and hardware, the world is about to witness a fourth industrial revolution i.e., Industry 4.0, which is rooted in a new technological phenomenon - digitalization. This digitalization enables us to build a new virtual world from which we can steer the physical world. While Industry 3.0 focussed on the automation of single machines and processes, Industry 4.0 concentrates on the end-to-end digitisation of all physical assets and their integration into digital ecosystems with value chain partners. Driven by the power of big data, high computing capacity, artificial intelligence and analytics, Industry 4.0 aims to completely digitise the manufacturing sector.”
Why relevant

States a general pattern: Industry 4.0 and modern technological projects are driven by big data, high computing capacity and artificial intelligence.

How to extend

A student could note that large-scale scientific experiments producing large datasets (like particle physics experiments) often fit this pattern and therefore check news for 'Belle II + AI' mentions or descriptions of data/compute needs.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > X Krishi Megh > p. 332
Strength: 4/5
“Krishi Megh is the data recovery centre of ICAR. It has been built to mitigate the risk and enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India. It is equipped with the latest technologies like artificial intelligence and deep learning software for building and deploying deep learning-based applications through image analysis, disease identification in livestock, etc.”
Why relevant

Gives an example of a scientific/data centre (Krishi Megh) explicitly equipped with AI and deep learning for image analysis and research-support tasks.

How to extend

By analogy, one could infer that research infrastructures handling complex data (Belle II as a collider experiment) might also employ AI and so search news coverage for AI roles at Belle II.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > Application of Technology in Agriculture: > p. 357
Strength: 3/5
“• Artificial Intelligence can be used with historic weather data to predict the best time for sowing of seeds. With the help of historic data from the farms, AI can predict other stages of the farming process such as when to irrigate the field and apply fertilizers etc. to get the maximum yield with least input cost.• Farmers are also using AI to create seasonal forecasting models to improve agricultural accuracy and increase productivity. These models are able to predict upcoming weather patterns months ahead to assist decisions of farmers.• IoT-led devices with remote sensors can be placed at farms to record crop, soil, humidity, and weather conditions in real-time and the data collected by the device is harnessed using AI and ML to generate farm-specific, crop-specific, and crop-stage-”
Why relevant

Shows a concrete, recurring newsworthy theme: AI is routinely reported as applied technology across domains (predictive models, IoT, sensor data).

How to extend

A student can extend this by recognizing news often highlights cross-domain AI use and therefore specifically look for news items that pair 'Belle II' with AI applications (data analysis, pattern recognition).

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 4. Unleashing the potential > p. 447
Strength: 3/5
“• For enhancing ease of doing business, more than 39,000 compliances have been reduced and more than 3,400 legal provisions have been decriminalized. For furthering the trust-based governance, Govt. has introduced the Jan Vishwas Bill to amend 42 Central Acts.• For realizing the vision of "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India", three centres of excellence for Artificial Intelligence will be set-up in top educational institutions.• In cases of failure by MSMEs to execute contracts during the Covid period, 95 per cent of the forfeited amount relating to bid or performance security, will be returned to them by government and government undertakings.• An Entity DigiLocker will be set up for use by MSMEs, large business and charitable trusts.”
Why relevant

Describes policy push to create AI centres of excellence and 'Make AI work for India', indicating institutional emphasis on applying AI broadly, including to scientific/technical projects.

How to extend

A student could use this to justify checking institutional press releases or news about collaborations between Belle II partner institutions and AI centres or projects.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 1: National Income > POTENTIAL GDP > p. 9
Strength: 2/5
“Major challenges for India in achieving Potential GDP: • 1. Gender inequality (for reference that gender equality boosts potential GDP by 26%). • 2. The issue of unemployment and under-employment. • 3. Use of old age production methods to produce goods. • 4. Need for a user-friendly regulatory framework in terms of easy entry and exit policy for corporates. As per recent reports, it has been predicted that the introduction of GST has boosted the potential GDP of India by 6.7 per cent. Moreover, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can add up to $450-$500 billion to GDP by 2025, as predicted by NASSCOM.”
Why relevant

Mentions the economic importance and prevalence of AI (large GDP impact), implying AI is a widely reported technology and commonly linked in news to major technical endeavours.

How to extend

A student might infer that if Belle II is newsworthy, journalists may highlight any AI involvement; they should therefore search news archives for such linking terms.

Statement 2
In news contexts, is blockchain technology primarily associated with cryptocurrency?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 7: Money and Banking > CRYPTOCURRENCIES > p. 160
Presence: 5/5
“A cryptocurrency is a digital money transferred over the internet. Cryptocurrencies are based on the decentralized ledger-based blockchain technology which seeks to make the currency system decentralized, unlike the present government-issued centralized form. Some popular cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. However, the cryptocurrencies have the following disadvantages: • These are not backed by any physical assets, unlike the gold reserve in case of fiat currencies. • It is still prone to hacking, and there have been instances of theft of Bitcoins from digital wallet, making them risky. • The anonymity in use of cryptocurrencies may actually facilitate several illegal activities like terror funding, smuggling, drugs trade, money laundering and other criminal activities.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states cryptocurrencies are based on decentralized ledger-based blockchain technology.
  • Names examples (Bitcoin, Ethereum) linking mainstream crypto coverage to blockchain.
  • Frames blockchain as the foundational technology for digital money, aligning with how news links the two.
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > What are Crypto currencies? > p. 77
Presence: 4/5
“For solving the puzzles, these systems are rewarded with crypto currencies. This process is called mining. At the backend of these transactions is technology called blockchain.• Crypto currencies derive their value as they can be mined/generated only in limited numbers. The willingness of people to hold/possess it impacts the price of the crypto currency (asset) in the same way as the gold price gets impacted.• They are neither legal tenders nor fiat currency.”
Why this source?
  • Says the backend of cryptocurrency transactions is technology called blockchain.
  • Describes mining and crypto generation with blockchain as the supporting system, reinforcing the association.
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > Advantages of CBDC > p. 79
Presence: 4/5
“For example, if a commercial bank collapses, then our savings could potentially be wiped out, but this would not be the case with CBDCs, which we can hold on to our own in digital form and could be as trusted as cash.• CBDCs would be as convenient as payment apps and it also benefits from the same blockchain technology (Distributed Ledger Technology) which supports crypto currency.• Payments would be faster and easier without any delay as there is no settlement issue• Legal tender-based payment which will be efficient, trusted and regulated.• Higher seigniorage due to lower cost of printing, transportation/distribution and storing paper currency.• Introduction of CBDC would lead to a more robust, efficient, trusted, regulated and legal tender-based payments option.• E-rupee would offer features of physical cash like trust, safety and settlement facility”
Why this source?
  • States that blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technology) supports cryptocurrency and is cited in discussions of digital currencies.
  • Links blockchain with payment technologies and digital-currency debates that commonly appear in news reports.
Statement 3
In news contexts, is CRISPR–Cas9 associated with particle physics?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 1: The Universe, The Big Bang Theory, Galaxies & Stellar Evolution > UPSC Prelims 2019] Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant 'blackholes' billions of light-years away from the earth. What is the significance of this observation? > p. 6
Strength: 5/5
“[UPSC Prelims 2019] Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant 'blackholes' billions of light-years away from the earth. What is the significance of this observation? • a) 'Higgs boson particles' were detected.• b) 'Gravitational waves' were detected.• c) Possibility of intergalactic space travel through 'wormhole' was confirmed.• d) It enabled the scientists to understand 'singularity'.”
Why relevant

This snippet shows that news items explicitly about particle-physics topics (e.g., detection of 'Higgs boson particles' and gravitational waves) use the word 'particles' in a physics/cosmology sense.

How to extend

A student could check whether news stories that mention CRISPR–Cas9 also mention these physics-specific keywords (Higgs, gravitational waves, black holes) to assess association.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 1: The Universe, The Big Bang Theory, Galaxies & Stellar Evolution > 1.3. Evidence for Big Bang Theory > p. 3
Strength: 4/5
“• Physical phenomena such as cosmological redshift, and the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation and gravitational waves, have added weight to the Big Bang Theory.”
Why relevant

Notes that physical phenomena (cosmic microwave background, gravitational waves) appear in news as evidence for major physics theories—showing a pattern of physics-related 'particle' coverage in news.

How to extend

Compare frequency of CRISPR–Cas9 appearing alongside cosmology/particle-physics terms in news archives to test for association.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.9.3. Tlpes of radiation particles > p. 82
Strength: 4/5
“• Alpha particles, can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin. • Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal. • Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.”
Why relevant

Discusses 'alpha, beta, gamma' radiation particles—an example of 'particle' used in a physical/radiation context distinct from biological usage.

How to extend

Use this disciplinary separation (radiation/physics vs. biology) to hypothesize CRISPR–Cas9 is more likely to co-occur with biology/medicine terms than with radiation/particle-physics terms, then verify by searching news co-occurrence.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 5: Earths Magnetic Field (Geomagnetic Field) > Van Allen Radiation Belt > p. 69
Strength: 3/5
“Beyond the belts, they face additional hazards from cosmic rays and solar particle events.”
Why relevant

Mentions cosmic rays and solar particle events as news-relevant hazards—another instance where 'particle' refers to astrophysical phenomena in news items.

How to extend

A student could contrast CRISPR–Cas9 news stories with headlines about cosmic rays/solar particles to see if the topics overlap or remain separate.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > 7.4 How Particles Move in Different States of Matter? > p. 109
Strength: 3/5
“Let us find out about the movement of particles in the three states of matter.”
Why relevant

Describes 'particles' in the context of matter and chemistry/education, showing that 'particle' is a polysemous term used across domains (education/chemistry vs. physics vs. biology).

How to extend

Recognize the multiple meanings of 'particle' and search for CRISPR–Cas9 co-occurrence with domain-specific qualifiers (e.g., 'Cas9 particle' vs 'Higgs particle') to disambiguate news association.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC Science & Tech matching questions rely heavily on 'Category Errors'. They test if you can distinguish a Biological tool from a Physical experiment. You don't need to know how Belle II works; you just need to know it isn't AI, or more simply, that CRISPR isn't Physics.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter disguised as a Bouncer. Solvable via 'Option Elimination' using basic Science current affairs (CRISPR = Biology). Source: Standard Science Tech compilations.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Emerging Technologies & Scientific Contexts. The syllabus theme is 'Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology'.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Categorize terms into domains. Biology: CRISPR, CAR-T, mRNA, Cas9 vs Cas13. Physics: LIGO (Gravitational Waves), CERN (Higgs Boson), ITER (Fusion), INO (Neutrinos). Digital: Blockchain, NFT, Web 3.0, Edge Computing.
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not obsess over the technical depth of every experiment. Focus on the 'Parent Domain'. The examiner's favorite trap is Cross-Domain Swapping (e.g., putting a Biology term under Physics). If the domain doesn't match, the pair is false.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 AI applications in agriculture
💡 The insight

Several references describe concrete uses of AI for sowing forecasts, irrigation timing, seasonal forecasting and image-based disease identification in farming contexts.

High-yield for UPSC: AI's sectoral applications are often asked in prelims/mains (technology-policy link). Understanding concrete examples (agriculture use-cases) helps answer questions on technology adoption, rural policy and digital agriculture. Connects to questions on e-governance and rural development; practice by mapping AI use-cases to policy instruments.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > Application of Technology in Agriculture: > p. 357
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > X Krishi Megh > p. 332
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is the Belle II experiment associated with artificial intellig..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Industry 4.0 and AI as a driver of digitalisation
💡 The insight

One reference frames Industry 4.0 around digitalisation driven by big data, high computing capacity and artificial intelligence.

Important for UPSC: conceptual grasp of Industry 4.0 clarifies how AI fits into broader industrial policy and economic transformation questions. Useful for GS III (economy, technology) and essay topics; enables linking AI to manufacturing, productivity and policy measures.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0): Present > p. 232
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is the Belle II experiment associated with artificial intellig..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Government initiatives and institutional support for AI
💡 The insight

Evidence shows government plans such as centres of excellence for AI and institutional programmes referencing 'Make AI in India'.

Vital for UPSC: knowing policy measures and institutional responses to AI informs answers on technology governance, planning and public sector adoption. Helps frame critiques and recommendations in mains answers and interviews; study official schemes and institutional roles.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 15: Budget and Economic Survey > 4. Unleashing the potential > p. 447
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is the Belle II experiment associated with artificial intellig..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Blockchain as the underlying technology for cryptocurrencies
💡 The insight

Multiple references state that cryptocurrencies are built on blockchain/DLT and that crypto transactions use blockchain as the backend.

High-yield for questions on digital currencies, fintech and monetary policy; helps answer why news links blockchain and crypto, and frames debates on regulation and systemic risk. Connects to topics on money, payments, and technology policy—practice by mapping tech to policy implications.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 7: Money and Banking > CRYPTOCURRENCIES > p. 160
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > What are Crypto currencies? > p. 77
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > Advantages of CBDC > p. 79
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is blockchain technology primarily associated with cryptocurre..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Non-crypto applications of blockchain (supply chain & finance)
💡 The insight

Evidence shows blockchain used in warehouse receipt finance and as an emerging IT skill area beyond cryptocurrencies.

Important for balanced answers in UPSC: shows blockchain is not only crypto — useful for questions on agriculture, supply chains, and governance reforms. Enables comparative/nuanced answers on tech adoption and public policy; link to case studies improves answer depth.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 12: Supply Chain and Food Processing Industry > Use of Blockchain technology in Warehouse Receipt Finance > p. 373
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Some initiatives of Govt. of India for Skilling: > p. 241
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is blockchain technology primarily associated with cryptocurre..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 CBDC vs private cryptocurrencies & regulatory concerns
💡 The insight

References discuss central banks' responses (e‑rupee/CBDC) and legal/regulatory actions around private crypto, tying blockchain debates to policy choices.

Core for questions on monetary sovereignty, legal frameworks and financial stability: helps frame arguments for/against private crypto and for CBDC adoption. Prepares aspirants for policy-analysis questions and judiciary/administration angles.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > Why RBI launched e-Rupee? > p. 78
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > Advantages of CBDC > p. 79
  • Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 90: Landmark Judgements and Their Impact > INTERNET AND MOBILE ASSOCIATION OF INDIA CASE (2020) > p. 644
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is blockchain technology primarily associated with cryptocurre..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Discipline-specific meanings of 'particle'
💡 The insight

The references show 'particle' used in multiple contexts (constituents of matter, radiation), so distinguishing disciplinary usage helps judge whether a term like CRISPR–Cas9 (biological) relates to 'particle' in physics.

High-yield for news-interpretation questions: UPSC often requires distinguishing similar terms across science disciplines. Mastering this reduces category errors (confusing biological tools with physics concepts) and helps eliminate distractors in MCQs and mains answers. Practice by mapping key terms to their domain-specific meanings.

📚 Reading List :
  • Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > 7.4 How Particles Move in Different States of Matter? > p. 109
  • Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > Safety first > p. 101
  • Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > Snapshots > p. 113
🔗 Anchor: "In news contexts, is CRISPR–Cas9 associated with particle physics?"
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Since Belle II (B-Mesons/Antimatter) appeared, watch out for 'Muon g-2' (Standard Model anomalies) or 'XENON1T' (Dark Matter). Also, distinguish Cas9 (DNA cutting) from Cas13 (RNA targeting) for future nuance.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Domain Mismatch' Hack. Look at Pair 3: CRISPR is the most famous gene-editing tool (Biology). The option pairs it with 'Particle Physics'. This is a fundamental category error. If 3 is wrong, options A, C, and D are eliminated instantly. Answer is B.

🔗 Mains Connection

Link CRISPR to GS-4 (Ethics) via the 'Designer Babies' debate (He Jiankui case). Link Blockchain to GS-2 (Governance) via Land Record Modernization and Tamper-proof Supply Chains, moving beyond just Crypto.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2016 · Q30 Relevance score: 2.06

Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in the news Their origin 1. Annex-I Countries : Cartagena Protocol 2. Certified Emissions Reductions : Nagoya Protocol 3. Clean Development Mechanism : Kyoto Protocol Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

IAS · 2016 · Q19 Relevance score: 0.23

Consider the following pairs : Community sometimes mentioned in the news 1. Kurd : Bangladesh 2. Madhesi : Nepal 3. Rohingya : Myanmar Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

IAS · 2014 · Q36 Relevance score: -0.78

Consider the following pairs : Region often in news Country 1. Chechnya : Russian Federation 2. Darfur : Mali 3. Swat Valley : Iraq Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?