MCQ
upsc-p1-science-tech-blockchain-quantum MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 13 upsc-p1-science-tech-blockchain-quantum questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1With reference to blockchain architecture, consider the following statements: 1. Each block may carry a cryptographic hash of the previous block, making retrospective tampering detectable. 2. Blockchain immutability guarantees that the original off-chain input was true and makes unilateral alteration impossible in every situation. 3. Permissioned chains with identified participants may use lighter consensus mechanisms than permissionless proof-of-work systems. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Hash-linking makes alteration evident, and known participants can permit lighter consensus. Statement 2 confuses tamper-evidence with truth: faulty oracle data, stolen keys, coding errors or governance attacks can still corrupt outcomes. Therefore, every option treating statement 2 as correct must be rejected.
Q2The following events describe how hash-linking makes tampering with an old blockchain record evident: A. Tampering becomes detectable. B. Transactions are grouped into blocks. C. Altering an old record changes the hash chain. D. Each block carries the cryptographic hash of the previous block. Arrange the events in the correct causal sequence. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Option C gives the causal sequence. Transactions first form blocks, and each block links to its predecessor through the previous block's hash. Altering an old record then changes the hash chain, which makes the tampering detectable. The other options place detection or alteration before the hash-linked structure exists.
Q3With reference to India's policy framework for blockchain and digital assets, consider the following statements: 1. Vishvasya was launched in 2024 as a national technology stack for trusted blockchain applications. 2. Virtual digital asset service providers were brought under the anti-money-laundering framework in March 2023. 3. The retail digital rupee pilot began on 1 December 2022, and the digital rupee is central bank money rather than a decentralised private crypto-token. Which of the statements given above are correct?
All three statements are correct. Vishvasya belongs to the public-service blockchain infrastructure layer; bringing virtual digital asset service providers under anti-money-laundering duties regulates risk but does not confer legal-tender status; and the retail digital rupee is issued as central bank money. Options A, B and C each omit one correct statement.
Q4Consider the following statements about the National Quantum Mission: Statement I: It was approved on 19 April 2023 for the period 2023-24 to 2030-31 with an outlay of ₹6,003.65 crore. Statement II: Its scope is confined to quantum computers and excludes quantum communication, sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices. Which one of the following is correct?
Statement I is correct. Statement II is incorrect because the Mission has four broad verticals: quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices. Thus the options treating the Mission as computer-only, or rejecting the stated approval details, are eliminated.
Q5With reference to India's digital rupee, consider the following statements: 1. RBI's retail digital rupee pilot began on 1 December 2022. 2. The digital rupee is RBI-issued central bank money at par with the physical rupee, not a decentralised private crypto-token. Which one of the following is correct?
Both statements are correct. The retail pilot began on 1 December 2022. The issuer and monetary status are decisive: the digital rupee is central bank money issued by RBI and equal in value to the physical rupee, unlike a decentralised private crypto-asset.
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6Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below. List I (Concept) A. Shor's algorithm B. Grover's algorithm C. Quantum key distribution D. Post-quantum cryptography List II (Principal association) 1. Classical cryptography designed to resist quantum attacks 2. Communication-security method based on quantum principles 3. Threat to widely used public-key cryptography from a sufficiently capable fault-tolerant quantum computer 4. Quadratic speed-up for unstructured search
7With reference to blockchain architecture, consider the following statements: 1. Each block carries a cryptographic hash of the previous block. 2. Every blockchain is necessarily permissionless. 3. Proof of stake uses locked stake and is less energy-intensive than proof of work. Which of the statements given above are correct? Select the correct answer using the code given below.
8Match List I with List II: List I (Concept) A. Proof of work B. Proof of stake C. Smart contract D. Off-chain input List II (Feature or limitation) 1. Uses locked stake and is less energy-intensive 2. A false original input remains false after recording 3. Uses computational effort and is energy-heavy 4. Executes code-based instructions when pre-set conditions are met Select the correct answer using the code given below.
9The following stages describe the simplified logic of obtaining a useful result from a quantum algorithm: A. Measure the qubit, causing the state to collapse probabilistically. B. Use interference to amplify useful probabilities and suppress wrong paths. C. Repeat runs so that the intended answer is obtained with high probability. D. Represent the quantum system in a superposition of basis states. Arrange the stages in the correct sequence. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
10With reference to security and privacy in frontier technologies, consider the following statements: 1. Hashing personal data removes every possibility of re-identification when that data is combined with other datasets. 2. Encryption, authentication, key management and incident response remain necessary even when a system uses blockchain or artificial intelligence. 3. A cyber attack on a cyber-physical system can cause physical harm. Which of the statements given above are correct? Select the correct answer using the code given below.
11Consider the following statements about quantum computation: Statement I: Measuring a qubit collapses its state probabilistically. Statement II: Quantum algorithms can use interference so that repeated runs make a desired answer more likely while suppressing wrong paths. Which one of the following is correct?
12With reference to quantum security, consider the following statements: 1. Quantum key distribution uses quantum states to detect eavesdropping during key exchange and needs specialised quantum communication hardware. 2. Post-quantum cryptography uses classical algorithms designed to resist quantum attacks and can often run on conventional digital systems after migration. Which one of the following is correct?
13With reference to quantum computing, consider the following statements: 1. A qubit may be represented as a superposition of basis states before measurement. 2. Measuring a qubit leaves its superposition unchanged and always gives a deterministic result. 3. Grover's algorithm provides a quadratic speed-up for unstructured search. Which of the statements given above are correct? Select the correct answer using the code given below.