Health, Diseases and Biotechnology MCQs for UPSC Prelims

This Health, Diseases and Biotechnology MCQ practice paper for UPSC Prelims has 15 carefully selected questions on communicable diseases, vaccines, genetic engineering, GM crops, gene editing and the major health programmes of India. Each answer comes with a simple explanation, so you can strengthen your concepts while you practise.

Why Health and Biotechnology Matters

Science and Technology questions in the Prelims lean heavily towards health and biotechnology, because these topics are often in the news. UPSC asks what a disease or a technology is, how it works and what India is doing about it. A basic understanding of the science and the current developments gives you a very good score in this area.

Instructions

• Total questions: 15. Suggested time: 15 minutes.
• Each correct answer gives 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks, as in the real Prelims.
• Attempt the questions first and check the answer key only after you finish.

Practice Questions

Q1. Malaria is caused by:
(a) A virus
(b) A bacterium
(c) A protozoan (Plasmodium)
(d) A fungus

Q2. Dengue and Chikungunya are spread by which mosquito?
(a) Anopheles
(b) Aedes
(c) Culex
(d) Mansonia

Q3. Which of the following diseases is caused by bacteria?
(a) Polio
(b) Tuberculosis
(c) Measles
(d) Dengue

Q4. The BCG vaccine is given for protection against:
(a) Typhoid
(b) Tuberculosis
(c) Cholera
(d) Hepatitis B

Q5. India was certified polio-free by the WHO in:
(a) 2000
(b) 2010
(c) 2014
(d) 2019

Q6. The first disease to be globally eradicated by vaccination was:
(a) Polio
(b) Smallpox
(c) Measles
(d) Rinderpest

Q7. Recombinant DNA technology is used to produce:
(a) Antibiotics from soil
(b) Human insulin using bacteria
(c) Fertilisers
(d) Cement

Q8. Which of the following is the only genetically modified crop approved for commercial cultivation in India?
(a) Bt cotton
(b) Bt brinjal
(c) GM mustard
(d) Bt maize

Q9. CRISPR-Cas9 is a technology used for:
(a) Gene editing
(b) Space travel
(c) Water purification
(d) Communication

Q10. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is used for:
(a) Making many copies of a DNA segment
(b) Measuring blood pressure
(c) Cleaning water
(d) Treating cancer

Q11. An mRNA vaccine works by:
(a) Injecting the dead virus
(b) Giving the instructions to the body's cells to make a viral protein
(c) Giving antibiotics
(d) Giving antibodies directly

Q12. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) develops mainly because of:
(a) Use of vaccines
(b) Overuse and misuse of antibiotics
(c) Exercise
(d) Use of vitamins

Q13. Which Indian programme provides health insurance of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year?
(a) Janani Suraksha Yojana
(b) Ayushman Bharat - PM-JAY
(c) Mission Indradhanush
(d) National AIDS Control Programme

Q14. The World Health Organization has its headquarters at:
(a) New York
(b) Geneva
(c) Paris
(d) Vienna

Q15. Stem cells are special because they:
(a) Cannot divide
(b) Can develop into different types of cells
(c) Are found only in plants
(d) Are non-living

Answer Key with Explanations

1. Q1: (c) Malaria is caused by the protozoan Plasmodium and is spread by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.
2. Q2: (b) Aedes aegypti spreads dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever.
3. Q3: (b) Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Polio, measles and dengue are viral diseases.
4. Q4: (b) BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) is the vaccine used against tuberculosis.
5. Q5: (c) The WHO declared the South-East Asia region, including India, polio-free in March 2014.
6. Q6: (b) Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980. Rinderpest, an animal disease, was declared eradicated in 2011.
7. Q7: (b) Genes for human insulin are inserted into bacteria like E. coli, which then produce insulin on a large scale.
8. Q8: (a) Bt cotton, approved in 2002, is the only GM crop commercially grown in India. The regulatory body is the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
9. Q9: (a) CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing tool that can cut and change the DNA at a specific place. Its inventors got the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.
10. Q10: (a) PCR amplifies a small amount of DNA into millions of copies, and is used in disease detection, including COVID-19 testing, and in DNA fingerprinting.
11. Q11: (b) An mRNA vaccine gives the cells the genetic instructions to produce a harmless viral protein, which trains the immune system.
12. Q12: (b) The overuse and misuse of antibiotics let microbes evolve and become resistant, which is a major global health threat.
13. Q13: (b) Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, launched in 2018, gives a cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care.
14. Q14: (b) The WHO is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland, and it is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
15. Q15: (b) Stem cells can divide and change into many specialised cell types, and are used in research and regenerative medicine.

Key Concepts to Revise After This Test

Quick Fact Sheet

• The Human Genome Project was completed in 2003.
• Insulin was the first human protein produced through recombinant DNA technology.
• Dolly the sheep (1996) was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
• Antibiotics do not work against viruses.
• The Department of Biotechnology is under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• A vaccine gives active immunity, while an antibody injection gives passive immunity.
• India aims to eliminate tuberculosis ahead of the global target of 2030.

How to Prepare Health and Biotechnology for the Prelims

For health and biotechnology, make a table of diseases with the cause, the vector, the symptom and the vaccine. Learn the basic terms of genetic engineering with one real example for each. Read the science news every week and note the technology, the working principle, the use and the Indian link. Practise MCQs and solve statement-type questions. You can also read our free Science and Technology notes for simple revision, and use our other practice papers on the site for mixed practice.

Tricks for Solving Health and Biotechnology Questions

• Know the cause of a disease. It tells you if antibiotics or vaccines work.
• Link a technology with its use. PCR with testing, CRISPR with editing, recombinant DNA with insulin.
• Use the news. New vaccines, outbreaks and new gene therapies are favourite topics.

Terms You Must Know

Epidemic is a sudden rise of a disease in a region, pandemic is its spread across many countries, and endemic means that the disease is always present in an area. Immunity is the body's ability to fight a disease, and herd immunity is the protection of a community when enough people are immune. Keep these definitions ready, because UPSC often uses them in statement-based questions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing up the vectors of the diseases.
• Thinking that antibiotics can treat viral diseases.
• Confusing GM crops with hybrid crops.
• Not knowing the regulatory body for GM crops.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many questions come from Science and Technology in the UPSC Prelims?

Usually 6 to 12 questions, with many in health, biotechnology, space and technology.

What is the difference between a vaccine and an antibiotic?

A vaccine prevents a disease by training the immune system, while an antibiotic treats bacterial infections.

What is a GM crop?

It is a crop in which a gene from another organism has been inserted to give it a new trait.

What is gene editing?

It is the process of changing the DNA of an organism at a specific place with a tool like CRISPR.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

It is the ability of microbes to survive the medicines that used to kill them.

How should I prepare health topics?

Make a table of diseases, causes, vectors and vaccines, and follow the news on new health programmes.

Is it useful for the Mains?

Yes. It is a part of GS III and supports answers on health and technology.