45 Days Strategy: Approach to Science & Technology

45 Days Strategy: Approach to Science & Technology,

Analysis of Pre & Mains Syllabus & PYQs

By Dr. Roman Saini

Overview

1. Importance of Science and Technology

2. Prelims Syllabus

3. Mains Syllabus

4. Previous Year Questions - Prelims

5. Previous Year Questions - Mains

6. Analysis of Trend and Pattern

7. Resources to cover S&T

8. Approach and Strategy

Importance of S&T

● Life without science and technology is unimaginable in today’s times.

● Science and technology is extremely essential not only for an aspiring civil servant but also in our everyday life.

● Almost everything that we see around us is the gift of science and technology.

● Be it the smartphones, fan, wheel, vehicles, cloth, paper, toothbrush, electricity, microwave, vehicles, radio, television, laptops, etc.; everything is the result of science and technology.

● Various objects and devices like computers, modes of transport, washing machines or just anything else can help us save our time and money.

● Science has given us immense knowledge and therefore, it is important to study science.

● Technology has made education itself easier.

● It has provided us options like smart classes, multimedia devices, e-libraries, e-books, etc.

● Information technology, including internet, is an excellent gift of technology. UPSC preparation without internet in today’s times cannot be imagined.

● Just like you learned how to use a smartphone, installed and used an app which made your preparation simpler, similarly knowledge of a new technology makes your life easier and smoother.

● Paperless transactions have opened up new possibilities for the future.

● With the growth of science and technology, there will be driverless cars that do not need a driver, remote controlled devices that can do much more than what you can imagine, robots that resemble human beings, etc.

● You must be aware of the latest technology not just as a civil servant but also as a common human being.

● Almost all the government schemes, programmes etc. nowadays utilize technology especially ICT.

● E-governance is the new fad now.

● As a civil servant, you may have to launch an app, promote a new harvest machine, encourage tech startups, and promote a scientific mindset in your district.

● To do it all, you must yourself be comfortable with S&T first.

● The study of science and technology has an educative influence on the mind, and is of far-reaching importance.

● It makes one rational and a lover of truth.

● It creates realistic attitude to life.

● It is also the enemy of superstition.

● The study of science and technology acts as a perpetual urge to acquire knowledge.

● It deepens our sense of the mystery of creation.

● The more we know of the secrets of nature, the more we realize how much remains to be known.

● As a civil servant, the most important tool you need to excel in your career is knowledge and the urge to acquire more knowledge.

● And lastly, the most important thing for the aspirants - S&T has a significant weightage in both prelims and mains syllabus.

● It covers at least 10-20% of the questions in both prelims and GS paper 3 of mains. So you cannot afford to ignore it.

Prelims syllabus

General Studies Paper I Syllabus

● Current events of national and international importance

● History of India and Indian national movement

● Indian and World Geography- Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the world

● Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political system, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights issues, etc.

● Economic and Social development – sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives etc.

● General issues on environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate change-that do not require subject specialization.

● General science

Mains syllabus

PAPER 4: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3 (250 MARKS)

1. Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.

2. Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

10. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life

11. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

12. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Prelims questions (2011)

● Reasons for Algal blooms in seawater

● Processes which add co2 to Carbon cycle

● Oil-zapper technology

● Coal combustion at thermal plants, pollutants emitted

● Reason for formation of Ozone hole in antarctica

● Microbial fuel cells as a source of energy

● Bioasphalt

● Why carbon dioxide does not remain in lower atmosphere

● Blu-ray disc v/s DVD

● Bluetooth and wifi devices -differences

● Virtual private network

● Reason for lake frozen on top in winter but it is liquid at the bottom

● Difference between cfl and led lamps

● Reason for artificial satellite not falling down

● Asteroids and comets-difference between them

● Geostationary orbit characteristics

● How ionosphere facilitates radio-communication

● Brent crude oil meaning

● Function of heavy water in nuclear reactor

● How do antioxidants help a person maintain health and promote longevity

● Aspartame as artificial sweetener

● Blood group of adopted son

● Trans fats advertisement

● Rationale for developing bt-brinjal

● Significance of dna sequencing

● Tree dies when bark is removed in a circular fashion


● Graphene

● Biopesticides

● Green manure

● Bt brinjal

● Prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created

● UV radiation in the water purification systems

● Stem cells

● Anti-matter (anti-helium nucleus)

● Evidences for the continued expansion of universe?

● Electrically charged particles from space

● Capillarity

● Advantages thorium holds over uranium

● Elements which were primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth


● Fruits stored in cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because

● Ball bearings are used in bicycles, cars, etc., because

● Examples of optical illusions

● Reason for thunder in thunderstorm

● Diseases which can be transmitted from one persons to another through tattooing

● Minerals required by human body for the contraction of muscles

● Recombinant DNA technology

● Phenomena responsible for rainbow

● Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because

● Properties of viruses

● Forces of nature

● Higgs boson

● Mycorrhizal biotechnology


● Vitamin and related Deficiency disease

● Nanoparticles

● Agni IV missile

● coalbed methane and shale gas

● Guar gum usage

● Usage of extracts of Neem tree

● Process involved in photosynthesis

● Biometric identification

● Vegetative propagation of plants

● Spacecrafts and their purpose

● Examples of chemical change

● Phenomena used to create transgenic crops

● Usage of Maize

● Organism which do not belong to the class of other three

● Photovoltaics

● Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle

Prelims questions (2015)● Applications of IRS satellites

● IndARC

● H1N1 virus

● Bio toilets

● Fuel cells

● Use of nanotechnology in health sector

● IceCube, a particle detector located at South Pole

● Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology

● Goldilocks Zone

Prelims questions (2016)● Bioinformatics

● Project Loon

● Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)

● Viruses can infect

● Bitcoins

● DigiLocker

● Astrosat

● Mangalyaan

● Li-Fi


● Zika virus

● advantages of bioremediation technique

● The terms ‘Event Horizon’, ‘Singularity’, `String Theory’ and ‘Standard Model’ are sometimes seen in the news in the context of

● genome sequencing

● Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

● Commonly used / consumed materials and Unwanted or controversial chemicals likely to be found in them

● Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)

● Application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology

● Purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project


● 3-D printing

● GPS

● Cyber Attacks Name

● 6th Mass Extinction

● Factors for Plant Diseases

● Leaf Modification in desert

● Internet of Things

● Satellite Launch Vehicles-PSLV & GSLV

● IRNSS

● GM Mustard

● Terms - Context

● Terminal High Altitude Area Defence

● Einstein's General Theory of relativity

● Earth's Magnetic Field & Evolution


● Denisovan

● Recent developments using DNA

● RNA interference (RNAi) technology

● Reasons for multi-drug resistance

● cas9 protein

● Hepatitis B virus and HIV

● Differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)

● Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

● Digital Signature

● Wearable technology and devices

● Blackholes

Mains questions (2013)

1. What do you understand by Fixed Dose drug Combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.

2. What do you understand by Umpire Decision Review System in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how silicone tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system?

3. What is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Give various salient built-in features of a digital signature.

4. How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.

5. What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their application in aviation and automobile industries.


1. Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.

2. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as our business operations, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer oriented. Critically comment.

3. In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and trade secrets.


1. What do you understand by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Protection Positioning Systems’ in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites.

2. What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives that can propel research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.

3. Discuss the advantage and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in-house machine-based hosting for government businesses.

4. India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a powerful weapon in the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons making this database publicly available under open-source licensing


1. What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

2. Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

3. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?

4. Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the salient features of Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the scope of its application in the development process of the country.


1. Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments?

2. India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space mission, both in terms of technology and logistics? Explain critically

3. Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of fast breeder reactor programme in India?


1. Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics.

2. Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma?

3. With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy.

Analysis

Prelims 2014 questionsQ.Consider the following diseases

1. Diphtheria2. Chickenpox3. Smallpox

Which of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India?

A. 1 and 2 onlyB. 3 onlyC. 1, 2 and 3D. None

● Even if you are a beginner in UPSC preparation, few months of newspaper and magazine reading can help you solve this MCQ easily.

● A bit of common sense is also required.

● You can still see people with Chickenpox.

● And Pentavalent vaccine frequently mentioned in news includes Diphtheria in it.

Q.Which of the following is/are the example/examples of chemical change?

1. Crystallization of sodium chloride2. Melting of ice3. Souring of milk

Select the correct answer using the code given below

a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 3 onlyc. 1, 2 and 3d. None

● A very simple and straightforward question from NCERT science Class 7 chapter 6 page 64

● Highlights the importance of reading NCERTs well

Q. Consider the following pairs :

Vitamin Deficiency disease

1. Vitamin C Scurvy2. Vitamin D Rickets3. Vitamin E Night blindness

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

A. 1 and 2 onlyB. 3 onlyC. 1, 2 and 3D. None

● Another cakewalk kind of a question.

● Anyone preparing even for SSC or Bank PO (cramming just Lucent GK) can get it right.

● You cannot afford to get these kinds of questions wrong in the exam hall.

Prelims 2015 questionsQ. In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used?1. Assessment of crop productivity2. Locating ground water resources3. Mineral exploration4. Telecommunications5. Traffic studies

Select the correct answer using the code given belowa) 1, 2 and 3 onlyb) 4 and 5 onlyc) 1 and 2 onlyd) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

● Looks tough but easy if you apply a bit of logic.

● GSATs are used for telecommunications so option b and d are eliminated.

● Now if your basics are clear, one of the most common applications of remote sensing is mineral exploration.

● So, logic also helps a lot in scoring high marks in prelims.

Q. With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements :

1. If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.2. Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.3. Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3

● You could solve this using logic again.

● A single fuel cell generates a tiny amount of direct current (DC) electricity.

● If you knew this fact, statement 3 gets incorrect and only option a is left.

Q. With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements:

1. The decomposition of human waste in the bio-toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum.2. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2

● Hot topic of that year but it asks basics only.

● Statements with extreme terms like “only”, “Never”, “always” etc. are generally incorrect.

● Anyways, you know that one of the products of compost from human waste has to be methane.

● And the decomposing agent is bacteria and not fungus.

Prelims 2016 questions

Q. ‘Project Loon’, sometimes seen in the news, is related to

(a) waste management technology

(b) wireless communication technology

(c) solar power production technology

(d) water conservation technology

● Current affairs based question that was in news many times that year.

Q.With reference to ‘Bitcoins’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries.2. Anyone with a Bitcoin address can send and receive Bitcoins from anyone

else with a Bitcoin address.3. Online payments can be sent without either side knowing the identity of

the other.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3

● Another hot topic in recent times.

● Very simple question if you know the basics of bitcoin

Q. With reference to `Astrosat’, the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Other than USA and Russia, India is the only country to have launched a similar observatory into space.

2. Astrosat is a 2000 kg satellite placed in an orbit at 1650 km above the surface of the Earth.


(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2

● Another current affairs based question.


Q. Consider the following statements:

1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.

2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2

● Current affairs based question that was in news almost every week last year

Q. The terms ‘Event Horizon’, ‘Singularity’, `String Theory’ and ‘Standard Model’ are sometimes seen in the news in the context of

(a) Observation and understanding of the Universe

(b) Study of the solar and the lunar eclipses

(c) Placing satellites in the orbit of the Earth

(d) Origin and evolution of living organisms on the Earth

● Even if you are not a huge fan of S&T and do not know the other three, you must have read about standard model, Higgs Boson, CERN experiment etc many times in the newspaper.

● You should get this question right.

Q. Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are used to create digital display in many devices. What are the advantages of OLED displays over Liquid Crystal displays?

1. OLED displays can be fabricated on flexible plastic substrates.2. Roll-up displays embedded in clothing can be made using OLEDs.3. Transparent displays are possible using OLEDs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below

(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 1, 2 and 3(d) None of the above statements is correct

● UPSC is fond of asking these type of questions.

○ Comparing old technology with new ones.

○ Technologies which are of very common use.

● Prepare them well.

Prelims 2018 questionsQ. Consider the following statements:

1. Light is affected by gravity. 2. The Universe is constantly expanding. 3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.

Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3

● Current affairs based question

● It was in news the previous year in the context of Ligo detector, Stephen

Hawking

http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/a-theory-is-validated-revelations-are-promised-indian-ligo-rolls-4873162/



Q. When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. The smart mirror in your bathroom shows the day's weather and also indicates the level of water in your overhead tank. After you take some groceries from your refrigerator for making breakfast, it recognises the shortage of stock in it and places an order for the supply of fresh grocery items. When you step out of your house and lock the door, all lights, fans, geysers and AC machines get switched off automatically. On your way to office, your car warns you about traffic congestion ahead and suggests an alternative route, and if you are late for a meeting, it sends a message to your office accordingly.

In the context of emerging communication technologies, which one of the following terms best applies to the above scenario?

(a) Border Gateway Protocol

(b) Internet of Things

(c) Internet Protocol

(d) Virtual Private Network

● Again it was in constantly in news.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#62b751471d09



Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Birds2. Dust blowing 3. Rain4. Wind blowing

Which of the above spread plant diseases?

(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 2 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

● It was based on some basic understanding akin to the mechanism of

pollination works and impact of climatic factors on the flora.

● Also was in news in the previous year.

https://www.indiaagronet.com/indiaagronet/Disease_management/content/transmission_of_plant_diseases.htm




Q. Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘blackholes’ billions of lightyears 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 inter-galactic space travel through ‘wormhole’ was confirmed.

(d) It enabled the scientists to understand ‘singularity’.

● It is a current affairs based question.

● In fact, the 2017 Nobel prize was also awarded for detection of gravitational waves arising from the merger of blackholes.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/the-many-indians-who-helped-discover-ripples-in-spacetime-fabric/article9891369.ece

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/biggest-collision-of-black-holes-forms-the-largest-known-black-hole-80-times-larger-than-sun-1402173-2018-12-04






Q. Consider the following statements: A digital signature is

1. an electronic record that identifies the certifying authority issuing it2. used to serve as a proof of identity of an individual to access information or

serve on Internet3. an electronic method of signing an electronic document and ensuring that the

original content is unchanged

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3

● It is a technology based question.

● A UPSC aspirant needs to have a basic understanding of technologies which are commonly used.

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/digital-signature-electronic-documents-digital-signature-certificate-online-transactions-2844290/




Q. ‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. Why?

1. It is used in developing gene silencing therapies.2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer.3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies.4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens.


(a) 1, 2 and 4(b) 2 and 3(c) 1 and 3(d) 1 and 4 only

● It is a biotechnology based question.

● Such recent developments in biotechnology are relevant for the exam.

● It is also mentioned in 12th std NCERT - Chapter 12, Biotechnology and its applications.

http://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/lebo112.pdf

https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/qQSEpNfNPUEShuTezgvMaO/RNA-technologies-and-Indias-path-forward.html

http://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/lebo112.pdf



● UPSC has never required in depth knowledge of science and technological phenomenon in prelims as well as mains except a basic understanding of the science phenomena in your surroundings.

● Its range has limited to uses, advantages, implications, applications and feasibility of the particular phenomena or technology.

● Out of 11 questions asked in 2019, 7-8 questions can be easily attempted if you have followed current affairs for the last one or two years.

● Prelims 2019 contained more technology related questions than basic science.

● For the past 3-4 years, most of the questions of S&T are from latest developments and current affairs.

● Pure general science has diminished in value.

● The best approach is to scout for science and tech related news, especially those topics that are India-relevant.

● Further, the overall weightage of current affairs in prelims has increased. Therefore, current affairs needs solid preparation.

● A question can be put in geography, environment as well as Science domain depending on various dimensions.

● It should not bother you whether the question is from Physics or Geography or anything.

● Basically, UPSC asks questions on concepts and a single question can have multiple concepts at the same time.

● If you are weak in any of the given concept, then it becomes quite difficult to solve the question.

● So, when it comes to basics and the concepts, you should try to clear as many concepts as you can, even if you do not like to study science and tech.

● If you still lack confidence about the basics of S&T, then try to cover it up by solid preparation of S&T related current affairs.

Resources

● NCERTs- Class 6-10 (detailed) & class 12 (selective)

● In the next lesson, we will discuss in detail how to cover science NCERTs

● The Hindu for S&T related current affairs

● One Current affairs monthly for compilation of all S&T related news

● Science reporter (selective reading)

● Wikipedia for reference and understanding miscellaneous terms and concepts

● Lucent GK (very selective; mainly for various charts and compilations)

Approach and strategy

● First of all, you should do away with any kind of science phobia you have.

● You might find science scary, boring and worthless if you do not have a science background.

● But, you have to study it anyways if you want to crack UPSC.

● For UPSC, you don't have to study S&T as if you are applying for NASA to become a scientist.

● A general understanding of common phenomena around us and an awareness of latest developments in S&T is all that is required of you.

● As a general rule, you should start with concepts which find relevance in our daily life like rainbow, mirage, lightning, twinkling of stars, rusting, etc.

● And supplement the basics with a solid preparation of S&T related current affairs.

● Concept building takes time and will come gradually. So do not get disheartened in the beginning.

● Have a curious mind and try to find logic and science behind everything.

● A curious mind will help you not just in cracking UPSC prelims but also in your professional and personal life.

● Whenever you read NCERTs or any source and come across a natural phenomenon you observe daily but did not bother to find out the basic science behind it, google it or read all about it on wikipedia.

● UPSC is fond of asking questions on these topics only.

● Your conceptual clarity will help you in elimination of options if the question is not direct.

● For physical sciences, apart from basics of natural phenomena mentioned in the previous slide, focus on previous year’s Nobel prizes, hot topics like Higgs Boson, Neutrino and so on.

● For chemical science, do not go into various reactions and formulae.

● Get a broad understanding of the causes and mechanisms of various chemical change and phenomena.

● NCERT is your basic source. Supplement it with Google.

● Biology and biological sciences should be one of your must-focus areas as it also has a linkage with ecology and environment part of the syllabus.

● Basics of Botany is a must to prepare as well.

● Almost all aspects of plant life have been asked in prelims in one way or the other. So, prepare it well.

● Apart from it, focus on biotechnology, stem cells and latest developments as UPSC has been asking questions from this area recently.

● Also, have an understanding of all recent technologies, those that are being used and are obtaining relevance day by day.

● In current affairs, focus on major achievements in the field of science and of Indian institutions like DRDO, ISRO etc.

● New satellites, missions like MOM, technologies like NFC, LTE etc, issues like Net Neutrality, Internet of things and so on should be covered well.

Notes-Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR)● Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) of Sikkim Range - 1,220 m to

8,586 m above sea level 11 Indian reserves now listed in World Network of Biosphere Reserves UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WHBR)

● The decision to include Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in WNBR was taken at the 30th Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia, 2018.

● Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is India's first and foremost biosphere reserves.

● Last - Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Kerala in 2016.

● Species - Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Beer and herbivores species of Musk deer, Great Tibetan Sheep, Blue Sheep, Boral and Barking Deer.

● Over 500 species and sub-species of birds, including high-altitude pheasants — Monal Pheasants, Tragopan Pheasants and Blood Pheasants (the State Bird)

● One of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots Medicinal plants are found in Dzongu Valley 4,500 species of flowering plants in the KBR, including 424 medicinal plants and 36 rhododendrons, 60 species of primulas and 11 varieties of oaks .

Notes-Khangchendzonga National Park

● Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), which comprises the core area of the KBR, was inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on July 17, 2016.

● The very 1st and only one in India - Culture + Natural

● 86% of core lies in the Alpine zone, Rest - Himalayan wet temperate and subtropical moist deciduous forest.

● KBR = 41% of Sikkim’s Area

● Advantage: Boost in collaborative research and tourism

● 2,931 sq km area of the KBR, 1,784 sq km is the core area of the biosphere sphere, 835 sq km buffer area and 311 sq km comprises transition area between habitation and the biosphere reserve.

● Sikkim, with a population of about 6 lakh, gets 15 lakh tourists annually.

● UNESCO Biosphere reserves (686 sites in 122 countries) are site-specific examples of sustainable development.

● They aim to reconcile people with nature, are established by countries and recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

● They promote models of sustainable development based on sound science, economic development which respects the environment and cultural values of local populations.

● They often have highly innovative and participative governance systems.

● Increasingly, biosphere reserves are recognized and used as learning places for sustainable development and for the monitoring and mitigation of climate change.

● UNESCO World Heritage sites are properties which are inscribed under the World Heritage Convention for their outstanding universal value.

● The main concerns are the conservation and management of exceptional natural and cultural sites, as well as raising awareness for heritage preservation.

Thank You

Documents

45 Days Strategy: Approach to Science & Technology