Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Kerala reported another death from Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, PAM), raising the 2025 toll to 27 cases. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis is a rare, fatal brain infection caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Infection occurs when contaminated freshwater enters the nasal cavity, allowing the amoeba to reach the brain via the olfactory nerve. It is found in warm freshwater and soil, especially lakes, rivers, hot springs, and unchlorinated pools.

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In November 2025, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Joint Venture (JV) under the Ministry of Power (MoP), announced India’s largest Geothermal Energy Technology (GET) pilot project in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The project will be implemented at two tourism hubs — Araku Valley and Visakhapatnam (Vizag). It uses geothermal systems like Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) Systems and Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP). The system works by using the earth’s constant underground temperature at a depth of 7–8 meters (m) for eco-friendly heating and cooling. The technology has a short payback period of 3–4 years, ideal for hotels and tourism infrastructure.

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Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Mounjaro became India’s top-selling drug by value in October 2025. It overtook GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Augmentin, a widely used antibiotic. Mounjaro earned ₹1 billion ($11.38 million) in October, while Augmentin made ₹800 million. By volume, Augmentin sold 5,784 units, whereas Mounjaro sold only 85 units due to its high price. Mounjaro helps control blood sugar and slow digestion and belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class used for obesity and diabetes. It was launched in India in March 2025 and has earned ₹3.33 billion till October. Mounjaro’s consumption was 10 times higher than rival Wegovy by Novo Nordisk, launched in June 2025. Eli Lilly sold 262,000 units, while Novo Nordisk sold 26,000 units in October.

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The Assam Government recently banned inter-district movement of live pigs to stop the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a rising concern in the region. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar, with mortality up to 90–100%. It is not zoonotic, meaning it does not infect humans or other livestock. First found in sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now present across Europe, Asia and Africa, with India reporting its first cases in 2020 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean submersible mission to reach 6,000 metres depth. Testing is delayed due to late supply of syntactic foam from France, now expected by year-end after testing in Norway. The project is led by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A steel model has been tested up to 100 metres; a 500-metre trial is planned by April next year. The final titanium hull, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, will be tested in Russia. The mission will carry three crew members to collect seabed soil and rocks for future deep-sea mining.

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ISRO Chairman V Narayanan inaugurated Ananth Technologies’ Ananth Centre of Excellence for Navigation (ACEN) in Thiruvananthapuram. ACEN is India’s first private-sector navigation innovation hub. Ananth Technologies, founded in 1992, contributes to ISRO and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) missions with expertise in precision sensors, airworthiness, and system integration. Navigation is crucial for missiles, aircraft, ships, and satellites; reliance on foreign GPS revealed strategic vulnerabilities. ACEN will handle Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of navigation systems domestically.

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Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru develop a new method to improve water-splitting catalysts for clean hydrogen production. The key problem addressed is the slow Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) compared to the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). They work on Coordination Polymers (COPs), made of metal ions and organic molecules, used in electrolysis. Coordination Polymers (COPs) normally show low activity because water blocks their active reaction sites. The team applies argon plasma treatment to create coordinatively unsaturated metal sites. This sharply improves the electrocatalytic performance without damaging structure.

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that 97 central and state laws still have provisions discriminating against persons affected by leprosy. Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is a chronic bacterial infection caused by bacteria Mycobacterium leprae affecting skin, peripheral nerves, and eyes, which can cause permanent disabilities if untreated. The bacteria spread through droplets from the nose and mouth during close, frequent contact with untreated cases. India’s prevalence rate decreased from 57.2 per 10,000 in 1981 to 0.57 per 10,000 in 2025, achieving national elimination status in 2005.

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Ten blackbucks died in Jamshedpur Zoological Park, Jharkhand due to suspected Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS). Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) is also called Pasteurellosis and is caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria. It mainly affects cattle and buffaloes, with young animals more vulnerable. Bacteria survive longer in humid and waterlogged conditions. It spreads through contaminated food, water, air and direct contact.

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Bluetongue Virus (BTV) has recently been detected in more suspected cases in Northern Ireland, raising concerns about livestock health. Bluetongue is a severe haemorrhagic disease that affects animals and is infectious, but it is non-contagious and spreads only through insect vectors. The virus mainly infects domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as wild animals like buffalo, deer, antelope, and camels, with sheep being the most severely affected. It spreads primarily through the bites of infected Culicoides midges, which are tiny blood-feeding insects commonly found on farms. There is no effective treatment for bluetongue, but vaccines are available for certain strains and are used in Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe.