UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 28
With reference to the scientific progress of ancient India, which of the statements given below are correct?
- Different kinds of specialized surgical instruments were in common use by 1st century AD.
- Transplant of internal organs in the human body had begun by the beginning of 3rd century AD.
- The concept of sine of an angle was known in 5th century AD.
- The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals was known in 7th century AD.
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Correct Option: C
Explanation: Ancient Indian medicine and mathematics developed surgical tools, trigonometric sine and cyclic-quadrilateral results, but not modern organ transplantation.
Statement/Item-wise Analysis:
1: Correct - Sushruta medical traditions describe specialised surgical instruments long before the modern period.
2: Incorrect - Reliable evidence does not show successful modern internal-organ transplantation by the 3rd century CE.
3: Correct - Aryabhata’s 5th-century work used the sine/jya concept.
4: Correct - Brahmagupta described results on cyclic quadrilaterals in the 7th century.
Option-wise Analysis:
A: Incorrect - includes incorrect item 2; omits correct items 3, 4.
B: Incorrect - omits correct item 1.
C: Correct - includes exactly the valid statements/items and excludes the invalid ones.
D: Incorrect - includes incorrect item 2.