Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Researchers at Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram recently detected circularly polarised radio emission near a young protostar about 4,500 light-years away. A protostar is the earliest stage in star formation, formed from a collapsing giant molecular cloud in the interstellar medium. As the cloud collapses, gravitational energy turns into heat, warming the forming protostar. The protostar stage lasts from 100,000 to 10 million years depending on the star’s mass. It begins with a dense molecular cloud core and ends with a pre-main-sequence star.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump was recently diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). CVI is a condition where leg veins cannot efficiently return blood to the heart, causing blood to pool in the legs. Normally, vein valves help blood flow upward, but in CVI, these valves don’t function properly. It can lead to symptoms like leg pain, swelling, cramps, skin changes, varicose veins, and leg ulcers. CVI is more common in people who are overweight, pregnant, have a family history, or had leg injuries, surgery, or blood clots.

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Recently, Indian researchers identified a key gene in pineapple that can fight the deadly Fusariosis disease. Fusariosis is caused by the fungus Fusarium moniliforme and damages stems, blackens leaves, and rots fruits from inside. It leads to major losses in pineapple farming and makes harvests unreliable. Researchers from Bose Institute under Department of Science and Technology (DST) identified AcSERK3 gene (Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor Kinase). Overexpression of this gene boosted pineapple’s natural immunity.

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Recently, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured the first detailed images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passed through our solar system. This offers scientists a rare chance to study a comet originating from another star system. Comets are ancient objects made of dust and ice that orbit the Sun and are leftovers from the solar system’s formation around 6 billion years ago. They are best known for their long, glowing tails. A comet has four visible parts: nucleus, coma, ion tail, and dust tail. This discovery helps scientists better understand the nature of interstellar objects and early solar system formation.

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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 Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has recently issued the Revised National Action Plan on Glanders. Glanders is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei and mainly affects equines like horses, mules, and donkeys, with risks to other animals and humans. It causes nodules and ulcerations in the respiratory tract and lungs, with a skin form known as farcy. Transmission occurs through contaminated food or water, infected harness equipment, or horse meat. It is a World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease and must be notified under the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

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Prime Minister of India welcomed the agreement between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the Chandrayaan-5 mission under the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) programme. LUPEX is jointly developed by ISRO and JAXA to explore the Moon’s southern polar region. The mission aims to investigate the presence of water and other elements, potentially as surface ice, and demonstrate innovative surface exploration technologies. It features a lander developed by ISRO and a rover developed by JAXA. The rover will autonomously search for water-rich areas, drill, sample soil, and analyze it with onboard instruments.

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A study of fossil leaves from Nagaland revealed how Antarctica influenced the Indian Monsoons. Fossil leaves from the Laisong Formation in Nagaland revealed that the region once had a warm and wet climate with very high rainfall and temperatures. The fossils matched the period when massive ice sheets began forming in Antarctica, showing a global connection. Growth of Antarctic ice reshaped global wind and rainfall patterns by shifting the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) toward the tropics. This shift brought intense monsoonal rains to Northeast India and led to the evolution of the monsoon system. The research used CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) method to analyze fossil leaves. CLAMP treats fossil leaves as “climate fingerprints” to reconstruct past climates.

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AIIMS New Delhi has become the first government medical college in India to offer training on the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. The advanced system was inaugurated at the Skills, E-Learning and Telemedicine (SET) Facility. AIIMS Delhi now becomes the only institution in India with two robotic systems for training—the da Vinci system and the Hugo robotic trainer by Medtronic. The initiative provides hands-on training for students, residents, nurses, and faculty. Training will cover urology, gynaecology, general surgery, surgical oncology, and head & neck surgery.

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Recently, the first-of-its-kind Swastik Lotus Garden was inaugurated at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, during the CSIR Startup Conclave. The garden features 60 lotus varieties from across the world and 50 species of water lilies. Conservation is ensured through advanced genetic methods, light regulation, and scientific treatments. CSIR technologies were transferred to private companies for public access, including perfumes Frotus-Rudra, Frotus-Kumbh, air-freshener Frotus Fresh, green firecrackers, aromatherapy oil Relaxomap, and portable water analysis kits. The initiative strengthens scientific innovation, conservation, and entrepreneurship at grassroots and national levels.