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:
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.
Watch out for more information on S&T here......
Part
|
Basic Science
|
Technology
|
I
|
- Earth and Universe |
|
II
|
- Heat, Light and Sound |
- Information Technology - Nano-Technology |
III
|
- Human physiology |
- Bio-Technology |
Watch out for more information on S&T here......
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