CUET UG General Test General Knowledge Science and Technology Space Health Environment AI

Must-Know (15–20 detailed bullets)

• Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023, making India the first country to achieve this feat.
• The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), launched on 5 November 2013, made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit on 24 September 2014.
• ISRO developed the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) satellite system, comprising 7 satellites, providing regional navigation services over India and 1500 km around it.
• The Human Genome Project (completed in 2003) mapped all 3.1 billion base pairs of human DNA; India contributed through the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.
• CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technology adapted from a bacterial immune defense mechanism against viruses; it allows precise modification of DNA sequences.
• The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 under the UNFCCC, aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts toward 1.5°C.
• The Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol mandates the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration.
• The Montreal Protocol (1987) is the only UN treaty ratified by all 197 UN member states; it targets the phaseout of ozone-depleting substances like CFCs.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched in 2019 aims to reduce particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations by 20–30% by 2024 (base year 2017).
• The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set binding emission reduction targets for developed countries under Annex I; it operationalized the UNFCCC.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established in 1988 by UNEP and WMO, assesses scientific information on climate change; its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was released between 2021–2023.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to machines simulating human intelligence processes such as learning, reasoning, and self-correction; machine learning is a subset of AI based on algorithms that improve through data exposure.
• The term "One Health" recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected; it guides responses to zoonotic diseases like Nipah and COVID-19.
• The National Health Policy 2017 aims to increase public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP; as of 2023, actual spending remains below this target.
• The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), launched in 2018, provides health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), launched in 2018, promotes AI, robotics, quantum computing, and IoT under the Department of Science and Technology.
• The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a crew of three astronauts to low Earth orbit (400 km altitude) for seven days using the HLVM3 launch vehicle; first uncrewed test flight occurred in 2023.
• The ozone layer absorbs 97–99% of the Sun’s medium-frequency ultraviolet light (UV-B, 280–315 nm); it is primarily located in the stratosphere.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro; it entered into force in 1994.
• The term "Anthropocene" is informally used to describe the current geological age where human activity significantly impacts Earth's geology and ecosystems; not yet formally recognized by the International Commission on Stratigraphy.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — The topic integrates factual recall (dates, names) with conceptual understanding (e.g., AI subsets, climate agreements), requiring both memorization and application.

Common CUET Traps (3 bullets)

• Trap: Confusing the launch year of Mangalyaan (2013) with its Mars orbit entry (2014).
  Avoid: Remember: launched in 2013, entered orbit in 2014.
• Trap: Assuming the Montreal Protocol addresses climate change broadly, rather than specifically ozone depletion.
  Avoid: Montreal Protocol = CFCs and ozone layer; Paris Agreement = climate change and CO₂.
• Trap: Believing CRISPR-Cas9 is a human invention rather than adapted from bacterial immunity.
  Avoid: CRISPR is a natural bacterial defense system repurposed for gene editing.

Practice MCQs (5 questions)

Q1. Which of the following missions made India the first country to successfully land near the lunar south pole?
A. Chandrayaan-1
B. Chandrayaan-2
C. Chandrayaan-3
D. Mangalyaan

Answer: C
Explanation: Chandrayaan-3 landed on 23 August 2023 near the south pole, succeeding after Chandrayaan-2's crash in 2019.
Why others fail: Chandrayaan-1 confirmed water molecules but did not land; Chandrayaan-2 orbiter succeeded but lander failed.

Q2. The Kigali Amendment is associated with the phase-down of which group of chemicals?
A. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
B. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
C. Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
D. Methane (CH₄)

Answer: B
Explanation: The Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol mandates HFC reduction, which are potent greenhouse gases.
Why others fail: CFCs are phased out under the original Montreal Protocol, not Kigali.

Q3. Which AI technique enables systems to learn patterns from data without explicit programming?
A. Robotics
B. Natural Language Processing
C. Machine Learning
D. Computer Vision

Answer: C
Explanation: Machine learning allows systems to improve performance through data-driven training.
Why others fail: NLP and computer vision are applications of AI, not the learning mechanism itself.

Q4. Under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, what is the annual health cover provided per family?
A. ₹3 lakh
B. ₹5 lakh
C. ₹7 lakh
D. ₹10 lakh

Answer: B
Explanation: AB-PMJAY offers ₹5 lakh per family per year for hospitalization.
Why others fail: ₹10 lakh is sometimes confused with state schemes; ₹5 lakh is the correct central figure.

Q5. Which of the following best describes the 'One Health' approach?
A. Universal health coverage for all citizens
B. Integration of traditional and modern medicine
C. Interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health
D. Digital health records for disease tracking

Answer: C
Explanation: One Health emphasizes that human, animal, and ecosystem health are interdependent, especially in zoonotic disease control.
Why others fail: Option A refers to health policy goals, not the ecological scope of One Health.

Last‑Minute Revision (15–20 one‑liners)

• ⚠️ Chandrayaan-3 landing date: 23 August 2023 — near south pole.
• ⚠️ Mangalyaan launch: 5 November 2013; Mars orbit: 24 September 2014.
• ⚠️ NavIC = 7 satellites (3 GEO + 4 GSO).
• ⚠️ Human Genome Project completed in 2003 — 3.1 billion base pairs.
• ⚠️ CRISPR-Cas9: bacterial origin, gene editing tool.
• ⚠️ Paris Agreement: 2015, <2°C warming goal.
• ⚠️ Kigali Amendment: 2016, HFC phase-down.
• ⚠️ Montreal Protocol: 1987, CFCs, universal ratification.
• ⚠️ NCAP: 2019, 20–30% PM reduction by 2024 (base 2017).
• ⚠️ Kyoto Protocol: 1997, binding targets for developed nations.
• ⚠️ IPCC: 1988, UNEP + WMO, AR6 (2021–2023).
• ⚠️ AI > Machine Learning > Deep Learning — hierarchy.
• ⚠️ One Health: human + animal + environment link.
• ⚠️ National Health Policy 2017: 2.5% GDP health spending target.
• ⚠️ AB-PMJAY: ₹5 lakh/family/year, launched 2018.
• ⚠️ NM-ICPS: 2018, promotes AI, quantum tech, robotics.
• ⚠️ Gaganyaan: 3 astronauts, 400 km orbit, 7 days mission.
• ⚠️ Ozone layer: 97–99% UV-B absorption, in stratosphere.
• ⚠️ UNFCCC: 1992 Rio Summit, entered force 1994.
• ⚠️ Anthropocene: not formal, human-driven geological impact.