Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The Union Cabinet recently approved a new semiconductor manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh, marking a significant step in India’s semiconductor ambitions. This facility is the sixth under the India Semiconductor Mission, a push for self-reliance in semiconductor technology. The unit is a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn and will be located near Jewar Airport in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region. It will manufacture display driver chips for devices like mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, and more. The plant will have a production capacity of 20,000 wafers per month, with a target output of 36 million chips monthly.

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A new species of ribbon worm called Pararosa vigarae was discovered off the coast of Galicia, Spain, in the Ría de Arosa estuary. It is nicknamed the “accordion worm” because it can contract its body into ring-like folds like an accordion’s bellows. The discovery was confirmed using both external features and molecular genetic analysis. The study was published in Royal Society Open Science on May 7, 2025. This worm is unique in its physical traits and behavior, adding to the biodiversity of the Nemertea phylum. Ribbon worms are predatory and venomous but have simple anatomy, making traditional classification difficult. Understanding marine biodiversity is crucial amid the current biodiversity crisis. Only about 1,350 ribbon worm species are known, but experts estimate 1,400 more may remain undiscovered. This highlights the need to protect marine habitats from environmental threats to conserve unknown species.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the PSLV-C61 mission from Sriharikota to place the EOS-09 satellite into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit. The mission failed due to a problem in the third stage. PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, a four-stage rocket designed by ISRO. It mainly places satellites into Sun-synchronous polar orbits, ideal for Earth observation. The PSLV uses alternating solid and liquid propulsion stages for precision. The first stage uses HTPB-based solid fuel with six strap-on boosters in XL version, producing 4.8 MegaNewtons (MN) thrust. The second stage runs on liquid fuel, with the Vikas engine using Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and Nitrogen Tetroxide (N₂O₄), generating about 8 MN thrust. The third stage uses solid HTPB fuel again. The fourth stage has two liquid engines burning Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON).

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In November 2022 and July 2023, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) observed Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Keck Observatory. Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system and the only one with a thick atmosphere and surface lakes of methane and ethane. It has Earth-like weather patterns, including clouds, rainfall, and changing seasons. Scientists detected clouds in Titan’s mid- and high northern latitudes that rose over time, showing convection-driven weather. This is the first confirmed evidence of such cloud activity near Titan’s northern seas like Kraken Mare and Ligeia Mare. The findings deepen our understanding of Titan’s methane cycle, which works like Earth’s water cycle, and offer clues about prebiotic chemistry on icy moons.

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NASA and Virginia Tech researchers have, for the first time, measured the speed and height of flood waves on U.S. rivers using data from the SWOT satellite. SWOT stands for Surface Water and Ocean Topography and was launched in 2022. It is a joint mission by NASA and the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency. SWOT uses a special instrument called the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) to measure water surface height, width, and elevation. The satellite sends microwaves to water bodies and measures their return time for accurate data. SWOT provides high-resolution images and monitors over 55% of large floods globally. This recent achievement shows SWOT’s powerful role in flood monitoring and disaster management.

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The United States Air Force (USAF) recently conducted a successful test of the LGM-30G Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). This missile is nuclear-capable and can deliver a warhead to any part of the Earth. “L” in LGM means silo-launched, “G” stands for surface attack, and “M” means guided missile. Minuteman III was introduced in the 1970s and was the first U.S. missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs). It is the only land-based missile in the U.S. nuclear triad. It was developed by Douglas Aircraft Company, now part of Boeing. Although it was designed for ten years of use, it has been upgraded and remains active. A new system, called Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), will replace it around 2029. The U.S. currently maintains about 440 Minuteman III missiles in its arsenal.

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Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, under the Department of Science and Technology, have found a new method to detect topological invariants in quantum materials using the spectral function. The spectral function is a quantum tool that shows how energy and particles like electrons behave inside a material. It is commonly used to study electronic structure such as density of states and dispersion relations. The team focused on momentum-space spectral function (SPSF), which acts like a quantum fingerprint showing how electrons are spread across energy and momentum. This method reveals hidden topological features using values like winding numbers in one-dimensional systems and Chern numbers in two-dimensional systems.

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Recently, two Chinese nationals were charged in the United States for allegedly smuggling Fusarium graminearum, an agricultural pathogen, into the country. Fusarium graminearum is an ascomycete fungus that causes Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), which affects crops like wheat, maize, barley, oats, and rice. It produces a toxin called Vomitoxin or Deoxynivalenol, which is harmful to both humans and animals. This fungus reduces crop yield and quality while contaminating grains with toxic mycotoxins. This incident raises concerns about agro-terrorism, which is the deliberate use of plant pathogens or pests to attack agriculture and create economic loss, food insecurity, and public fear.

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China has launched the Zhangheng 1B satellite to strengthen early warning systems for natural disasters by monitoring Earth’s electromagnetic environment. It was launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Developed in partnership with Italy under a 2019 cooperation agreement, the satellite entered orbit as planned. Zhangheng 1B is China’s first satellite focused on studying geophysical fields from space and will work with Zhangheng 1A launched in 2018. It carries nine instruments, including an electric field detector and a high-energy particle sensor built by Italy.

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Recently, scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, developed a next-generation device that produces green hydrogen using only solar energy. Green hydrogen is a clean fuel that can help decarbonize industries, power vehicles, and store renewable energy, but producing it affordably at scale has been difficult. The CeNS device splits water molecules using earth-abundant materials without fossil fuels or expensive resources, making it sustainable and scalable.