Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Russia announced plans to launch the Venera-D mission to revisit Venus before 2036. Preliminary design work will begin in January 2026 under the new national space programme. The mission is being developed in collaboration with the Lavochkin Association. It will include a lander, a balloon probe, and an orbital spacecraft for comprehensive study of Venus. The design phase will take two years to complete. The launch is expected between 2034 and 2036, with the exact date decided after the design phase.

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Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi unveiled India’s first Integrated Global Financial Technology Capability Hub (I-GFTCH) in Bhubaneswar under the BharatNetra initiative. It is launched with Singapore-headquartered Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN). It aims to promote entrepreneurship, industry-ready skills, inclusive finance, and employment. Odisha plans Deep Neural Network laboratories and centres of excellence to boost research and development (R&D). The state produces 1.8 lakh graduates annually and is first in India to implement an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy. A dedicated FinTech and Global Capability Centre (GCC) policy will attract global investments.

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The Department of Health and Human Services recently confirmed the first human case of the flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm, in the United States. New World screwworm is a blue-grey blowfly usually found in South America and the Caribbean. Its larvae burrow screwlike into living tissue, causing dangerous infestations. Female flies lay eggs in open wounds or cavities, with up to 3,000 eggs in their lifespan. Symptoms include non-healing wounds, bleeding, foul smell, and sensation of movement. Infestation is extremely painful and can be fatal if untreated.

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Gaza has recently reported a surge in Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), raising health concerns. Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system controls muscle movement, pain, temperature, and touch sensations. It is also called Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP). It commonly affects people between 30 and 50 years of age. It usually follows viral or bacterial infections, vaccination, or surgery.

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CEREBO is a hand-held, portable, non-invasive brain injury diagnostic tool developed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Medical Device & Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS), AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and Bioscan Research. It is designed for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) and detects intracranial bleeding and edema within a minute. The device is safe for infants and pregnant women and usable by paramedics and unskilled personnel. CEREBO provides colour-coded, radiation-free, cost-effective results where CT or MRI scans are inaccessible or delayed. It can be deployed in ambulances, trauma centres, rural clinics, and disaster response units.

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European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter, a joint project with NASA, was launched in 2020 to study the Sun closely. It became the first spacecraft to image the Sun’s poles. A new study in Astronomy and Astrophysics traced the origin of Solar Energetic Electrons (SEE) emitted by the Sun. Solar Energetic Electrons (SEE) linked to solar flares arise from small surface explosions, while others are released gradually with Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), huge eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields. The Solar Orbiter flew through electron streams and studied the space environment between the Sun and spacecraft. Understanding SEE and CMEs is crucial for space weather prediction, protecting satellites, GPS, power grids, and astronauts. The mission aims to study the Sun’s 11-year magnetic cycle, corona heating, solar wind formation, and acceleration.

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India unveiled its first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, Vikram 3201, at Semicon India 2025. It is designed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) and fabricated by Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh. Vikram 3201 is designed specifically for rockets and satellites, unlike processors in smartphones or laptops. It is an upgrade of Vikram 1601, a 16-bit processor used in ISRO launch vehicles since 2009. The processor manages navigation, control, and mission management in launch vehicles. The launch supports India’s semiconductor self-reliance, with five units under construction under the Design-Linked Incentive scheme.

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Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI) proposed a mission called PRATUSH to study the Cosmic Dawn. PRATUSH stands for Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen. It is a radio telescope to be placed on the far side of the Moon. It is built by Raman Research Institute (RRI) Bengaluru with collaboration from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will use a wideband antenna (30–250 MHz), a self-calibratable analog receiver, and a digital correlator with 100 kHz spectral resolution. It will observe large sky regions continuously and record spectra of radio emission. Its nominal lifetime is two years to collect high-quality data.

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Researchers at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) discovered protein p47’s new role as a “mechanical chaperone.” P47 is a cofactor protein known for assisting p97 in protein trafficking, degradation, and membrane fusion. Study revealed p47 boosts mechanical efficiency of protein extraction from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to cytoplasm. It stabilizes polypeptides under stress, guides them through pores, prevents misfolding, and improves translocation. This is the first single-molecule evidence of autonomous, force-dependent chaperone-like activity by p47. Discovery opens new therapeutic possibilities for diseases linked to protein instability.

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Astronomers discovered asteroid 2025 PN7 in September 2025 as Earth’s latest quasi-satellite. ‘Quasi’ means almost; the asteroid is not gravitationally bound but orbits the Sun in resonance with Earth. It is an Arjuna-class near-Earth asteroid, named after Mahabharata’s Arjuna. 2025 PN7 orbits the Sun while staying close to Earth and will remain in this quasi-satellite state for approx 128 years. It was first spotted on August 2, 2025, by Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (Pan-STARRS 1) in Hawaii.