Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system developed by ISRO.
It is officially named NavIC.

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1: “IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.”
✅ Correct
The original IRNSS configuration comprises 7 satellites:
• 3 in geostationary orbit (above the equator, fixed over a point)
• 4 in inclined geosynchronous orbit (move in a figure-eight path relative to Earth)
📍 This is a factual recall — you either know it or not.

Statement 2: “IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.”
❌ Incorrect
IRNSS coverage is much larger — entire India + up to 1500 km beyond borders.
5500 sq. km is factually wrong and misleading.
📍 Trick in numbers — UPSC tests if you catch the misleading figure.

Statement 3: “India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.”
❌ Incorrect
IRNSS is regional, not global like GPS, GLONASS, etc.
📍 Checks conceptual clarity — many may wrongly assume IRNSS is a global system.

🎯 UPSC’s Intention: This question tests:
1. Precision in factual data – satellite count and orbits
2. Ability to spot exaggerated or inaccurate claims

🔍 Strategy Tip: Always double-check figures (like km coverage, satellite count, and years).
The UPSC often frames questions with one correct and two subtly incorrect statements to test your ability to eliminate options smartly.

✅ Test your understanding of Satellite Navigation Systems — a crucial topic linking space technology with national security and development

📌Biotechnology

This question is based on the General Theory of Relativity (GTR), proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915. It fundamentally changed our understanding of gravity, space, and time.

Statement-wise Explanation

Statement 1: Light is affected by gravity
✅ Correct
It is one of the key predictions of GTR.
Massive objects like stars and black holes bend the path of light, a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
This was experimentally confirmed during the 1919 solar eclipse by Sir Arthur Eddington.

Statement 2: The Universe is constantly expanding
✅ Correct
While Einstein initially believed in a static universe, his equations allowed for expansion or contraction.
The Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) solutions to Einstein's equations describe an expanding universe.
Edwin Hubble confirmed this, and the cosmic microwave background radiation later provided further support.
Thus, the expanding universe is a cosmological implication of General Relativity.

Statement 3: Matter warps its surrounding space-time
✅ Correct
This is the central idea of General Relativity.
Massive objects curve the space-time fabric, and this curvature is what we perceive as gravity.
This explains why planets orbit the Sun — they follow curved paths in the warped space-time.

📌Analysis of the Question

The question tests your conceptual clarity of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity (GTR) — a topic often mentioned in the news (e.g. black holes, gravitational waves).
Whether you can distinguish between direct predictions of GTR vs related but independent cosmological observations.

🎯 Difficulty Level

Moderate to High

🧠Type of Question

Conceptual + Current Affairs-based
Tests basic awareness of trending scientific and technological terms often seen in news or PIB articles.

🎯What it Tests

Your ability to associate terms with their correct domains.
Awareness of interdisciplinary topics: AI, biotechnology, digital tech, particle physics.
Distinguishing between buzzwords and actual context of use.

🧩Difficulty Level

Moderate: Not fact-heavy, but requires updated general awareness.