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General AwarenessMedium Level4 min readTopic 7 of 10

Scientific Research & Technology

ssc-stenographer

Introduction

Science & Tech contributes 4–6 GA marks per SSC Stenographer paper. Questions cover recent ISRO missions, defence technology, basic Physics, Chemistry, Biology and inventions. After this lesson you will own a high-yield checklist that mirrors what SSC repeats year after year.

Core Concept

1. ISRO missions: Chandrayaan-3 (Aug 2023, soft landing on Moon's south pole), Aditya-L1 (Sept 2023 Sun mission), Gaganyaan (upcoming human spaceflight).
2. DRDO: Agni, Prithvi, BrahMos missiles; Tejas LCA.
3. Physics basics: Newton's laws, Ohm's law (V=IR), units (SI: metre, kg, second, ampere).
4. Chemistry basics: Atomic number, valency, common compounds (NaCl, H₂SO₄).
5. Biology basics: Cell organelles, blood groups, vitamins & deficiency diseases (Vit A → night blindness; Vit C → scurvy; Vit D → rickets), human body systems.
6. Inventions: Telephone (Bell), Radio (Marconi), Light bulb (Edison), X-ray (Roentgen), Insulin (Banting & Best).
7. Recent Nobels in Science.
8. IT/AI updates — chatbots, semiconductor missions, India's AI Mission.

Formula Sheet

FieldSample fact
SpaceChandrayaan-3 landed Aug 23 2023
Vitamin deficiencyVit C → scurvy
InventionsTelephone — Alexander Graham Bell
SI unitForce — newton (N)
Atomic no. of Carbon6

Solved Examples

Example 1. Which Indian mission landed on Moon's south pole in August 2023?

  1. Chandrayaan-3.
  2. Answer: Chandrayaan-3.

Example 2. Vitamin deficiency causes scurvy?

  1. Vitamin C deficiency.
  2. Answer: Vitamin C.

Question Patterns

  1. Mission ↔ year/agency.
  2. Inventor ↔ invention.
  3. Vitamin ↔ disease.
  4. SI unit ↔ quantity.
  5. Atomic no. ↔ element.
  6. Recent Nobel laureate.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing Chandrayaan-2 vs 3.

2. Mixing missiles' ranges.

3. Forgetting deficiency-disease pairs.

4. Skipping current Nobel update.

Exam Importance

ExamFrequencyMarksNotes
SSC StenographerHigh4–6Space + biology common
SSC CGLHigh5–8All clusters

Why Science & Technology is high-yield. SSC Stenographer 2026 asks 4–6 Science items per paper. The mix is roughly 40% Biology (human physiology, diseases, vitamins, deficiency disorders, plant kingdom), 30% Chemistry (atomic structure, periodic table, chemical bonding, common compounds, daily-life chemistry), 20% Physics (laws of motion, optics, electricity, modern physics, units), and 10% Modern Tech (ISRO missions, defence systems, IT/AI, biotech, space milestones). Memorise the human-body essentials: 206 bones, 22 skull bones, 24 ribs (12 pairs), 33 vertebrae, smallest bone (stapes), longest bone (femur), largest organ (skin), largest gland (liver), pH of blood (7.4), normal BP (120/80), heart rate (72/min). Memorise vitamin-deficiency pairs (A-night blindness, B1-beriberi, B3-pellagra, B12-pernicious anaemia, C-scurvy, D-rickets, K-bleeding). Memorise SI units: force (N), pressure (Pa), energy (J), power (W), frequency (Hz), charge (C), resistance (Ω). Track ISRO missions yearly: Chandrayaan-3 (2023, lunar south pole landing), Aditya-L1 (2023, solar mission), Gaganyaan (in development), Mangalyaan-2 / Shukrayaan / Mars Lander programs.

Quick Revision

  • Track ISRO missions every quarter.
  • Memorise vitamin-disease pairs.
  • Know SI units of common quantities.
  • List atomic numbers of first 20 elements.
  • Track latest Nobel winners.
  • Practise 5 Sci-Tech Qs weekly.
  • Cap study time at 60 min.
  • Use NCERT class 8–10 for base.
  • ISRO launches: Chandrayaan-3 (2023), Aditya-L1 (2023), Gaganyaan test (2023–24), upcoming Mars/Venus orbiters.
  • Vitamins: A (retinol/night-blindness), B1 (beriberi), B12 (anaemia), C (scurvy), D (rickets), K (clotting).
  • Diseases: malaria (Plasmodium, Anopheles), dengue (Aedes), TB (Mycobacterium), AIDS (HIV).
  • Physics laws: Newton's three, Ohm's, Archimedes', Pascal's, Bernoulli's — with one application each.
  • Chemistry: pH scale (0–14), states of matter, Mendeleev's periodic table, alloys (brass, bronze, steel).
  • Biology: human body systems, blood groups, DNA structure, photosynthesis equation, food-chain levels.
  • Human body: 206 bones, 5L blood, 78 organs, 11 systems (digestive/respiratory/circulatory/etc.); largest organ — skin; smallest — pineal gland.
  • SI units: metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, candela; derived units — newton, joule, watt, pascal, hertz.
  • Atomic numbers (memorise first 20): H(1), He(2), Li(3), Be(4), B(5), C(6), N(7), O(8), F(9), Ne(10), Na(11), Mg(12), Al(13), Si(14), P(15), S(16), Cl(17), Ar(18), K(19), Ca(20).
  • Computer: CPU (brain), RAM (volatile memory), ROM (permanent), 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, 1 GB = 1024 MB.
  • Internet: TCP/IP protocol, HTTP/HTTPS, IP address, DNS, URL parts; popular search engines, social-media inventors.
  • For SSC Stenographer 2026, expect 1–2 sci-tech items per paper — NCERT-rooted scoring worth 1.5–3 marks.
  • India's nuclear establishments: BARC (Mumbai), IGCAR (Kalpakkam), NPCIL (Mumbai), AEC (Mumbai); civil nuclear power plants — Tarapur, Kalpakkam, Kakrapar, Kaiga, Kudankulam.
  • India's space launch vehicles: SLV, ASLV, PSLV (workhorse), GSLV, GSLV Mk-III/LVM3 (heavy-lift); upcoming SSLV.
  • India's notable scientists: C.V. Raman (Raman effect, Nobel 1930), S. Chandrasekhar (Chandrasekhar limit, Nobel 1983), Har Gobind Khorana (Nobel 1968), Venki Ramakrishnan (Nobel 2009).
  • India's biotech and pharma firsts: world's first elephant patient hospital (Mathura), DNA fingerprinting introduced (1988), polio-free certification (2014), COVID vaccine (Covaxin, 2021).

Test Yourself — 10 Questions

Score: 0 / 10
  1. Q1.SI unit of Force is:

  2. Q2.Vitamin C deficiency causes:

  3. Q3.Chandrayaan-3 landed near which lunar pole?

  4. Q4.The chemical symbol of Gold is:

  5. Q5.Insulin is produced in which organ?

  6. Q6.Which gas is most abundant in Earth's atmosphere?

  7. Q7.ISRO is headquartered in:

  8. Q8.Vitamin D is also known as:

  9. Q9.Speed of light in vacuum is approximately:

  10. Q10.The largest gland in the human body is:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Science questions are asked in SSC Stenographer 2026?
Expect 4–6 Science questions in SSC Stenographer 2026, worth 6–9 marks. Coverage includes Physics (units, motion, light, electricity), Chemistry (elements, acids/bases, periodic table), Biology (cells, organs, diseases) and Technology (ISRO missions, IT, defence).
Which Physics topics are most asked in SSC Stenographer 2026?
SI units, laws of motion, gravitation, work-energy-power, light (reflection/refraction/lenses), sound, electricity (Ohm's law, fuses), magnetism, modern physics (atomic structure, radioactivity). Memorise units like Newton, Pascal, Joule, Watt, Hertz with their formulae.
Which Biology topics are tested in SSC Stenographer 2026?
Human body systems (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous), cell structure, blood groups, vitamins and deficiency diseases, common diseases (TB, malaria, dengue, COVID), photosynthesis, classification of plants and animals. Vitamin–disease pairs are SSC favourites.
Which ISRO missions should I know for SSC Stenographer 2026?
Chandrayaan-1 (2008), Chandrayaan-2 (2019), Chandrayaan-3 (2023 — soft-landed near lunar South Pole), Mangalyaan/MOM (2013 — Mars), Aditya-L1 (2023 — Sun), Gaganyaan (planned crewed mission), GSLV/PSLV launch vehicles, NavIC GPS system, RISAT and Cartosat satellites.
How can I prepare Science quickly for SSC Stenographer 2026?
Cover NCERT Class 6–10 Science textbooks; supplement with Lucent's GK Science section. Build cheat sheets — vitamins/diseases, SI units, ISRO missions chronology, scientific instruments. Daily 30 minutes for 6 weeks moves an average aspirant from 2/6 to 5/6.

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