Science and Technology for AP Exams · Chapter 8

Technology Missions and Flagship S&T Programmes

What to remember

India uses national missions to push science and technology in a planned way. Digital India, Make in India, Startup India and the Atal Innovation Mission are the main ones, and each has a clear aim and a lead ministry or body.
The "revolutions" in farming and food used science to raise output. The Green Revolution (grain), White Revolution (milk), Blue Revolution (fish) and others are named by colour, and exams ask which colour goes with which product.
A mission is a time-bound, focused programme. It brings money, policy and monitoring together, and often has several sub-missions.

Why missions? The mission mode

A mission mode approach sets a clear goal, a time frame, a lead agency and a budget, with regular review. It is used when many departments must work together, such as in health, water, solar power or digital services. Missions usually have a governing council headed by a senior leader and a mission director to run day-to-day work. NITI Aayog is the government's policy think tank and gives strategic guidance. The Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) lead research missions. The Principal Scientific Adviser advises the government on science policy. Examples of national technology missions are the National Solar Mission, National Quantum Mission, National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, and the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Digital India and Make in India

Digital India was launched to make government services available online and to build digital infrastructure for all citizens. Its main pillars include broadband for villages, universal access to mobile connectivity, public internet access, e-governance, electronic manufacturing and digital literacy. Key tools:

Tool	What it does
Aadhaar	12-digit unique identity number issued by UIDAI
UPI	Instant mobile payments between bank accounts
DigiLocker	Cloud storage for official documents
BharatNet	Optical fibre network to connect gram panchayats
UMANG	One mobile app for many government services
e-Sign, CoWIN, e-Hospital	Digital signing, vaccination records, online hospital services

The word JAM stands for Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile; it links bank accounts, identity and phones so that benefits go straight to the person (Direct Benefit Transfer). Andhra Pradesh has been known for strong e-governance, with services delivered through village and ward secretariats; check the latest official release for the present set-up.

Make in India aims to turn India into a design and manufacturing hub. Its technology side covers electronics, defence production, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, solar equipment and semiconductors. It is supported by production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, ease of doing business reforms and foreign direct investment. The aim is more local manufacturing, more jobs and less import dependence. The related Atmanirbhar Bharat idea stresses self-reliance.

Atal Innovation Mission and the start-up ecosystem

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is run by NITI Aayog to build a culture of innovation. Its main parts are:

Programme	Purpose
Atal Tinkering Labs	Hands-on labs in schools to build creative and problem-solving skills in students
Atal Incubation Centres	Support new start-ups with space, mentors and money
Atal Community Innovation Centres	Innovation support for under-served regions
Atal New India Challenges	Grants to solve national problems with technology

Startup India is an initiative to promote start-ups through easier rules, tax benefits for eligible start-ups and a fund to invest in them. Recognition is given by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). A unicorn is a start-up valued at over one billion US dollars. An incubator helps early ideas; an accelerator helps grow existing small firms; venture capital is money invested in high-risk young firms. Technology business incubators in universities and research institutions also work with the Department of Science and Technology. Andhra Pradesh supports start-ups through innovation hubs and incubation centres; check the latest official release for the present list.

Science for agriculture: the colour revolutions

India's early food shortage led to the Green Revolution in the 1960s. It used high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides. Norman Borlaug developed the high-yield wheat varieties, and M. S. Swaminathan is known as the father of the Green Revolution in India. Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh benefited first. Side effects were falling groundwater, soil damage and heavy chemical use, which is why sustainable farming and the "Evergreen Revolution" idea are now discussed.

Revolution	Product	Key point
Green	Food grains	High-yielding seeds, fertilisers, irrigation
White	Milk	Operation Flood; Verghese Kurien; NDDB; Amul model
Blue	Fish and aquaculture	Fish and shrimp production; fish farmer schemes
Yellow	Oilseeds	Mustard, sunflower, groundnut
Golden	Horticulture, honey	Fruits, vegetables, bee keeping
Silver	Eggs and poultry	Poultry growth
Pink	Prawn and onion	Used in different ways; read the context
Round	Potato	Potato production
Grey	Fertilisers	Fertiliser use

The White Revolution, also called Operation Flood, was led by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and made India a leading milk producer. It was built on cooperatives, in which farmers own the dairy. The Blue Revolution promoted fish production through better seed, feed, cages, hatcheries and cold storage; coastal Andhra Pradesh is known for its aquaculture and shrimp farming. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana supports fisheries.

Modern science in farming includes precision farming with sensors and satellite data, drones for spraying, soil health cards, drip and sprinkler irrigation ("more crop per drop"), hybrid and biofortified seeds, organic and natural farming and crop advice through mobile apps. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex research body for agriculture, with Krishi Vigyan Kendras carrying new technology to farmers. e-NAM is an online national market for farm produce.

Other flagship S&T missions

Space and nuclear: ISRO leads space missions and the Department of Atomic Energy leads the nuclear programme.
Health and biotech: Ayushman Bharat and the Department of Biotechnology promote affordable health technology.
Clean energy: the National Solar Mission and the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Water and city missions: Jal Jeevan Mission for tap water, and Smart Cities Mission for technology in urban services.
Skills: Skill India Mission trains youth in modern skills.
Research: the National Research Foundation supports research in universities and institutions.

Key institutions and how missions are checked

Missions are only useful if progress is measured. Dashboards, third-party reviews and regular reports to a senior committee are used. The Department of Science and Technology also runs the INSPIRE scheme to attract young people to science, and national science awards recognise scientists. CSIR runs many national laboratories and works on practical research such as medicines, materials and leather. DRDO works on defence technology. Technology Development Board gives money to firms that bring new Indian technology to market. Patent filing support and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship cells in colleges help students turn ideas into products. These links between research, industry and farmers are what the missions try to strengthen.

Exam traps

Atal Innovation Mission belongs to NITI Aayog; Startup recognition comes from DPIIT.
Blue is for fish; White is for milk; Yellow is for oilseeds; Green is for grains.
Borlaug developed the wheat seeds; Swaminathan led the Indian effort; Kurien led milk.
Aadhaar is issued by UIDAI; UPI is for payments; DigiLocker stores documents.
Digital India builds digital services; Make in India builds manufacturing.
An incubator supports early ideas; an accelerator grows existing ventures.
BharatNet links gram panchayats with optical fibre; it is not a mobile app.
PLI schemes give incentives linked to production; they are not loans for houses.

One-liners

Atal Tinkering Labs are set up in schools.
Operation Flood is the White Revolution.
Verghese Kurien is linked with the milk cooperative movement.
M. S. Swaminathan is linked with the Green Revolution in India.
The Blue Revolution is about fish production.
A unicorn is valued at over one billion US dollars.
JAM is Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile.
UPI enables instant mobile payments.
BharatNet is an optical fibre network.
ICAR is the apex body for agricultural research.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras take technology to farmers.
Direct Benefit Transfer sends subsidies to bank accounts.

Practice questions

The Atal Innovation Mission is run by
1. Supreme Court
2. NITI Aayog
3. Election Commission
4. Reserve Bank of India
Answer
B. NITI Aayog
AIM is a NITI Aayog initiative.
Atal Tinkering Labs are meant mainly for
1. Bank staff
2. Farmers
3. Soldiers
4. School students
Answer
D. School students
They give students hands-on innovation skills.
Which revolution is linked with milk production?
1. Blue
2. Green
3. White
4. Yellow
Answer
C. White
The White Revolution is Operation Flood.
The Blue Revolution is associated with
1. Potato
2. Wheat
3. Oilseeds
4. Fish production
Answer
D. Fish production
Blue Revolution means fisheries and aquaculture.
The Yellow Revolution relates to
1. Oilseeds
2. Fertilisers
3. Eggs
4. Fruits
Answer
A. Oilseeds
Yellow Revolution is for oilseed production.
The Green Revolution mainly increased the production of
1. Silk
2. Food grains
3. Fish
4. Milk
Answer
B. Food grains
It raised wheat and rice output.
Who is known as the father of the Green Revolution in India?
1. Verghese Kurien
2. M. S. Swaminathan
3. Vikram Sarabhai
4. Homi Bhabha
Answer
B. M. S. Swaminathan
M. S. Swaminathan led the Indian effort.
Who is associated with the White Revolution in India?
1. Verghese Kurien
2. M. S. Swaminathan
3. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
4. Norman Borlaug
Answer
A. Verghese Kurien
Verghese Kurien led the dairy cooperative movement.
Operation Flood was implemented by the
1. Atomic Energy Commission
2. Indian Space Research Organisation
3. National Dairy Development Board
4. Survey of India
Answer
C. National Dairy Development Board
NDDB led Operation Flood.
Digital India aims mainly to
1. Close all banks
2. Ban mobile phones
3. Stop exports
4. Provide government services online and improve digital access
Answer
D. Provide government services online and improve digital access
It builds digital infrastructure and services.
Aadhaar is issued by
1. UIDAI
2. TRAI
3. RBI
4. NITI Aayog
Answer
A. UIDAI
The Unique Identification Authority of India issues Aadhaar.
UPI is used for
1. Weather forecasting
2. Land survey
3. Soil testing
4. Instant mobile payments
Answer
D. Instant mobile payments
UPI allows instant payments between bank accounts.
DigiLocker is a facility to
1. Track satellites
2. Test seeds
3. Store official documents digitally
4. Print currency
Answer
C. Store official documents digitally
DigiLocker stores and shares verified documents.
BharatNet aims to connect
1. Airports
2. Gram panchayats with optical fibre
3. Railway stations only
4. Ports
Answer
B. Gram panchayats with optical fibre
BharatNet is an optical fibre network for villages.
JAM trinity stands for
1. Jal, Anna, Marg
2. Jobs, Agriculture, Manufacturing
3. Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile
4. Justice, Authority, Management
Answer
C. Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile
JAM links bank accounts, identity and mobile phones.
Make in India mainly promotes
1. Imports of cars
2. Closing factories
3. Foreign tourism only
4. Manufacturing in India
Answer
D. Manufacturing in India
It aims to make India a manufacturing hub.
Production-linked incentive schemes give benefits based on
1. Production or sales
2. Location of office
3. Number of directors
4. Age of the firm
Answer
A. Production or sales
PLI gives incentives linked to output or sales.
Start-up recognition in India is granted by
1. SEBI
2. DPIIT
3. Supreme Court
4. ISRO
Answer
B. DPIIT
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade recognises start-ups.
A start-up valued at over one billion US dollars is called a
1. Dolphin
2. Phoenix
3. Pegasus
4. Unicorn
Answer
D. Unicorn
Such a start-up is called a unicorn.
Which body is the apex research body for agriculture in India?
1. ICAR
2. ISRO
3. DRDO
4. CSIR
Answer
A. ICAR
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is the apex body.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras are meant to
1. Sell tractors
2. Carry new farm technology to farmers
3. Regulate banks
4. Print farm loans
Answer
B. Carry new farm technology to farmers
KVKs train farmers and demonstrate new methods.
The slogan 'more crop per drop' is linked to
1. Flood irrigation
2. Drip and sprinkler irrigation
3. Rain dance
4. Canal digging only
Answer
B. Drip and sprinkler irrigation
Micro irrigation saves water.
Soil Health Cards tell farmers about
1. Loan dues
2. Weather
3. Nutrient status of their soil
4. Market prices
Answer
C. Nutrient status of their soil
They report soil nutrient status and advise fertiliser use.
A side effect often linked with the Green Revolution is
1. Fall in groundwater and soil damage
2. Loss of all crops
3. Decrease in wheat yield
4. Rise in glacier size
Answer
A. Fall in groundwater and soil damage
Heavy irrigation and chemicals harmed water and soil.
A school wants students to build working models and learn problem solving. Which scheme gives labs for this?
1. Soil Health Card
2. PM-KUSUM
3. Atal Tinkering Labs
4. e-NAM
Answer
C. Atal Tinkering Labs
ATLs are school innovation labs under AIM.
An early-stage idea needs mentors, space and funding. Which type of organisation helps?
1. Customs house
2. Cold storage
3. Stock exchange
4. Incubator
Answer
D. Incubator
Incubators support early-stage start-ups.
Subsidy money sent straight to a beneficiary's bank account is called
1. Cash credit limit
2. Minimum support price
3. Fixed deposit
4. Direct Benefit Transfer
Answer
D. Direct Benefit Transfer
DBT removes middlemen and leakage.
Which cooperative model is behind the success of Operation Flood?
1. Farmer-owned dairy cooperatives
2. Private monopoly
3. Foreign trading firms
4. State-run mills only
Answer
A. Farmer-owned dairy cooperatives
Farmers own the milk cooperatives in the Amul model.
Consider the statements: 1. Digital India builds digital services and infrastructure. 2. Make in India promotes manufacturing.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements: 1. Atal Innovation Mission is run by NITI Aayog. 2. It includes Atal Incubation Centres.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Neither 1 nor 2
4. Both 1 and 2
Answer
D. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements: 1. Blue Revolution is for oilseeds. 2. White Revolution is for milk.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
Blue Revolution is for fish, not oilseeds.
Consider the statements: 1. Norman Borlaug developed high-yield wheat varieties. 2. M. S. Swaminathan is linked with the Green Revolution in India.
1. Both 1 and 2
2. 1 only
3. 2 only
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements: 1. Aadhaar is a 12-digit number. 2. Aadhaar is issued by TRAI.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
UIDAI issues Aadhaar, not TRAI.
Consider the statements: 1. Start-up recognition is given by DPIIT. 2. A unicorn is valued at over one billion US dollars.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements: 1. Krishi Vigyan Kendras are linked with ICAR. 2. Precision farming can use sensors and satellite data.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Neither 1 nor 2
4. Both 1 and 2
Answer
D. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements: 1. An incubator helps early-stage ideas. 2. Venture capital is money invested in young, high-risk firms.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Match the revolution with its product: 1. Green - A. Milk 2. White - B. Food grains 3. Blue - C. Fish
1. 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
2. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
3. 1-B, 2-C, 3-A
4. 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
Answer
B. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
Green is grains, White is milk, Blue is fish.
Match the programme with its focus: 1. Atal Tinkering Labs - A. Start-up support 2. Atal Incubation Centres - B. School labs 3. Startup India - C. Policy for start-ups
1. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B
2. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
3. 1-B, 2-C, 3-A
4. 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
Answer
B. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
ATLs are school labs; incubation centres support start-ups; Startup India is the policy drive.
Match the digital tool with its use: 1. UPI - A. Documents storage 2. DigiLocker - B. Fibre network 3. BharatNet - C. Payments
1. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
2. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B
3. 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
4. 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
Answer
B. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B
UPI is payments, DigiLocker is document storage, BharatNet is fibre.
Match the person with the area: 1. Verghese Kurien - A. Milk cooperatives 2. M. S. Swaminathan - B. Green Revolution 3. Norman Borlaug - C. High-yield wheat
1. 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
2. 1-A, 2-C, 3-B
3. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
4. 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
Answer
D. 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
Each pair is correct in option A.
Which one is a mission-mode feature?
1. No time frame
2. No lead agency
3. Clear goal, time frame and review
4. No budget
Answer
C. Clear goal, time frame and review
Missions have goals, time limits, lead bodies and monitoring.
Which of the following is a government think tank that guides policy?
1. NITI Aayog
2. IRDAI
3. TRAI
4. BIS
Answer
A. NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog is the policy think tank.
Biofortified seeds are developed to
1. Make crops taller only
2. Increase nutrient content of crops
3. Remove all pests
4. Reduce rainfall
Answer
B. Increase nutrient content of crops
Biofortification raises nutrients such as iron or zinc in crops.
Which scheme supports fisheries development?
1. PM-KUSUM
2. UJALA
3. PM Matsya Sampada Yojana
4. Skill India
Answer
C. PM Matsya Sampada Yojana
PMMSY is the fisheries scheme.

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1.The Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia-Pacific (CSSTEAP) is at: (RRB NTPC CBT-I (12/03/2021) Shift 1)
2.Who is considered the world's first programmer? A. Alan Turing B. Ada Lovelace C. Tim Berners - Lee D. Steve Wozniak (RRB NTPC Tier I (07/04/2016) Shift 3)
3.Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) is a premier S&T organisation under which of the following ministries of the Government of India? (RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I (28/08/2025) Shift 1)
4.SONAR technology uses ultrasound to ________.
5.The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the GSLV phase-4 programmes consisting of five GSLV flights during the period______. (RRB NTPC CBT-I (31/01/2021) Shift 2)
6.In which year was the Mars Orbit Mission (MOM), Mangalyaan launched? (RRB NTPC Tier I (29/03/2016) Shift 3)
7.In which year did the Government of India approve ISRO's proposal for the first Indian Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-1? (RRB NTPC CBT-I (19/01/2021) Shift 2)
8.Mission Shakti is related to: (RRB NTPC CBT-I (27/01/2021) Shift 1)
9.Which of the following is a branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers, especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules?
10.Which technology uses acoustic waves to locate objects in the ocean?

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