Scientific Minds — Set 3
Famous People · वैज्ञानिक दिमाग · Questions 21–30 of 50
Which Indian mathematician is known for her mental calculation abilities and was titled the 'Human Computer'?
Correct Answer: A. Shakuntala Devi
• **Shakuntala Devi** = She is an Indian mathematician known for her mental calculation abilities. • **'Human Computer'** — She was titled the **'Human Computer'** and earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for her mental feats. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Janaki Ammal: a renowned botanist; Tessy Thomas: known as the 'Missile Woman of India'; Anna Mani: a physicist and meteorologist.
Who is known as the 'Missile Woman of India' for her role as Project Director for Agni-IV?
Correct Answer: D. Tessy Thomas
• **Tessy Thomas** = She is known as the 'Missile Woman of India' for her role as Project Director for Agni-IV. • **Agni missiles** — She played a critical role in developing the guidance system for the long-range **Agni missiles**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Kalpana Chawla: an Indian-American astronaut; Ritu Karidhal: involved in Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan-2 missions; Muthayya Vanitha: Project Director for Chandrayaan-2.
Which Indian physicist is famous for the steady-state theory of the universe as an alternative to the Big Bang?
Correct Answer: D. Jayant Narlikar
• **Jayant Narlikar** = He is famous for the steady-state theory of the universe as an alternative to the Big Bang. • **Hoyle-Narlikar theory** — He collaborated with Fred Hoyle to develop the **Hoyle-Narlikar theory** of gravitation. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Meghnad Saha: known for the Saha ionization equation in astrophysics; S. Chandrasekhar: awarded the Nobel Prize for his theoretical studies on stellar structure; E.C. George Sudarshan: known for his work on Tachyons and quantum optics.
Who is the Indian scientist known as the 'Father of Indian Paleobotany'?
Correct Answer: A. Birbal Sahni
• **Birbal Sahni** = He is known as the 'Father of Indian Paleobotany'. • **Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences** — He founded the **Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences** in Lucknow. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Salim Ali: a renowned ornithologist, known as the 'Birdman of India'; Jagadish Chandra Bose: a pioneer in radio and microwave optics; Janaki Ammal: a renowned botanist, known for her work on sugarcane and medicinal plants.
Which aerospace scientist served as the Chairman of ISRO during the successful Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)?
Correct Answer: D. K. Radhakrishnan
• **K. Radhakrishnan** = He served as the Chairman of ISRO during the successful Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). • **2014** — Under his leadership, India became the first nation to reach Mars in its debut attempt in **2014**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: K. Sivan: former ISRO Chairman, led Chandrayaan-2 mission; M.G.K. Menon: a prominent physicist and former ISRO Secretary; G. Madhavan Nair: led ISRO during Chandrayaan-1 mission.
Who is the renowned Indian chemist famous for his research on solid-state and structural chemistry and recipient of the Bharat Ratna?
Correct Answer: A. C.N.R. Rao
• **C.N.R. Rao** = He is a renowned Indian chemist famous for his research on solid-state and structural chemistry. • **Bharat Ratna** — He is a recipient of the **Bharat Ratna** and has authored over 1,600 research papers. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: P.C. Ray: known as the 'Father of Indian Pharmaceuticals'; Venki Ramakrishnan: shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for ribosome structure; Har Gobind Khorana: shared the Nobel Prize for his work on the genetic code.
Which scientist is known as the 'Father of Indian Remote Sensing' and served as ISRO Chairman in the 1980s?
Correct Answer: D. U.R. Rao
• **U.R. Rao** = He is known as the 'Father of Indian Remote Sensing'. • **Aryabhata** — He was the key architect of India's satellite program, starting from **Aryabhata**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Satish Dhawan: former Chairman of ISRO, known for his contributions to fluid dynamics; A.S. Kiran Kumar: former ISRO Chairman, known for contributions to earth observation; K. Kasturirangan: former ISRO Chairman, known for his role in India's space program.
Who is the physicist known for his work on Tachyons (particles that travel faster than light) and quantum optics?
Correct Answer: A. E.C. George Sudarshan
• **E.C. George Sudarshan** = He is a physicist known for his work on Tachyons and quantum optics. • **V-A theory** — He made significant contributions to the **V-A theory** of weak interactions in particle physics. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: S.N. Bose: known for his work on quantum mechanics, leading to Bose-Einstein statistics; Jayant Narlikar: famous for the steady-state theory of the universe; Meghnad Saha: known for the Saha ionization equation in astrophysics.
Which Indian physicist was a pioneer in the field of cosmic ray research and established the PRL in Ahmedabad?
Correct Answer: A. Vikram Sarabhai
• **Vikram Sarabhai** = He was a pioneer in the field of cosmic ray research and is known as the 'Father of the Indian Space Program'. • **1947** — He founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad in **1947** to support cosmic ray research. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Homi J. Bhabha: known as the 'Father of the Indian Nuclear Program'; Satish Dhawan: former Chairman of ISRO, known for his contributions to fluid dynamics; M.G.K. Menon: a prominent physicist and former ISRO Secretary.
Who is considered the 'Father of the Green Revolution' globally?
Correct Answer: D. Norman Borlaug
• **Norman Borlaug** = He is considered the 'Father of the Green Revolution' globally. • **1970** — He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in **1970** for developing high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: M.S. Swaminathan: known as the 'Father of the Green Revolution in India'; Louis Pasteur: known for pasteurization and vaccines; Gregor Mendel: known as the 'Father of Genetics'.