Consider the following activities : 1. Spraying pesticides on a crop field 2. Inspecting the craters of active volcanoes 3. Collecting breath samples from spouting whales for DNA analysis At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones ?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3 ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• Agricultural drones already spray pesticides and fertilisers; India's Kisan Drone scheme subsidises them (activity 1).
• Drones fly into volcanic craters to map lava lakes and sample gases where humans cannot go, e.g. at Kilauea and Stromboli (activity 2).
• 'SnotBots' — drones flown through the blow of surfacing whales — collect mucus for DNA, hormone and microbiome analysis (activity 3).
• All three are established uses at current technology levels.
• Hence 1, 2 and 3, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- Whale breath sampling by drone is also done.
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- Pesticide spraying by drone is well established.
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- Volcano crater inspection by drone is routine.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.