Science & Technology for CSE

What is science?

The word science can be defined in many ways.  It had its origin from the Latin word "Scientia" that simply means "to know". But since then, it has branched out into different areas encompassing the whole world around and within us. Generally, science is defined as the medium through which we analyse our various observations. As an illustration take the case of rotation of the Earth. In ancient times, it was assumed that the Sun moved around the static Earth from East to West causing day and night. It was after the Heliocentric Theory of Copernicus that people came to believe that it was the Earth's rotation (and not the Sun's movement) that caused day and night. Thus Science has come up to solve many puzzles that confronted man.

What is technology?

Technology is defined as the application of science. It is the art of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems. For example, if the laws of motion or gravitation are basic science, then space technology is its application. Similarly bio-technology is an application of biology or life-sciences. Acquisition of technical knowledge and invention of new products and processes have greatly improved man's quality of life. 

Science and Technology for the Civil Services Examination

While the Humanities subjects like History, Geography, Polity and Economics are considered as the traditional components of the Civil Services Examination (CSE), Science & Technology is rather an unconventional one. But the recent years have witnessed an increasing significance for this subject in the CSE. From analysing the question papers (Preliminary) of the last 3 years, the Science questions contribute to almost one-fifth of the total questions asked. Thus there is a gradual change visible in the pattern of the CSE.

How to study?

One good advantage for this topic is a good conversion ratio i.e. the ratio between the effort you put in and the output you get. Unlike the other topics, there is less scope of diversifying the type of questions in S&T. Hence if you are thorough with the basic concepts in Science, it is easier to score marks and the effort required is comparatively less compared to other subjects.    

The types of questions asked from S&T can be categorised into 3 kinds:

·         Questions based on basic-science: - Candidates need to have a good understanding of the basic science concepts. Questions like the science behind rainbow, ball-bearings in bicycles or the features of viruses which were asked in previous years can be included in this category.

·         Questions on science in daily-life: - This tests the observation and the scientific attitude of the candidate. Questions like the working of a washing-machine dryer or precautionary measure against sun-stroke can be included in this category.

·         Questions on recent technology: - This part requires the knowledge about the recent advancements in the fields like space, biotechnology, Information Technology etc.  Questions on the Higgs Boson or those about the GM crops can be included in this category.

What to study? – The syllabus

The single most challenging factor for the CSE is its vast syllabus. Hence we need to be careful in selecting the topics that we require and smartly weed out the rest. This can be done based on the SYLLABUS as notified by the UPSC. The syllabus for Science & Technology is as follows:

Preliminary Examination:

·         General Science

Main Examination:

·         Science in daily life

·         Advancements in sectors like IT, Computers, Space technology, Bio technology, Nano technology etc.

·         Indigenisation of technology including the contribution from Indians.

·         Intellectual property rights.

One notable feature of the Examination is the greater importance of life-sciences, both at the Preliminary and the Main level.  Life-sciences imply the science related to living beings – micro-organisms like bacteria, plants, animals including human beings.  Some important areas are epidemiology (i.e.  study on diseases), agricultural technology etc.

Where to study from? – The source

The biggest problem confronting the aspirants is the lack of proper study/reference material for S&T. Unlike the other topics, Science is taught as separate subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Zoology and Botany) in the academic level. Hence, it is difficult to point out a single source for preparing for the CSE. Information need to be collected and collated from multiple sources which is a crucial step in the preparation.

The following sources are recommended:

·         NCERT books on Science: This is for studying the basic concepts in Science. Class IX and Class X are a must read. They touch upon almost all the topics on basic science. Presentation is simple and precise.

·         Electronic and printed publications that deal with applications of science in daily life: Websites like the “Wikipedia” or “howstuffworks” or sections like the “Science Corner” that comes up in “The Hindu” news-paper are worth reading.

·         Newspaper and journals: This is for updating the latest information on advancements in the technological sector.  This is a step by step process that requires real effort.    

Topics for Science & Technology

Rather than studying Science and Technology separately, it is better to link them together. Studying the basic science topics together with their technological areas would provide the required flow to the subject. Rather than mugging up things, it is important to generate interest in the topic so that we can sustain the learning process throughout.

Following is a rough plan for the subject.

Part	Basic Science	Technology
I	- Motion - Earth and Universe	- Space Technology
II	- Matter - Heat, Light and Sound	- Energy Technology - Information Technology - Nano-Technology
III	- Living world - Human physiology	- Life-Sciences - Bio-Technology

Watch out for more information on S&T here......