Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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A A US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B Lightning II recently conducted its first test missions with the Meteor air-to-air missile. Meteor is a radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA for six European nations (UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden). It has a ramjet engine, enabling controlled flight speed, complex maneuvers, and a range of over 100 km. It flies at Mach 4+ with a large no-escape zone.

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A global survey found that 56.6% of Indians aged 50+ know little about shingles, though over 90% have the virus. Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection causing a painful rash or blisters, often in a band-like pattern. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox and can reactivate in adulthood. Shingles is not contagious, but the virus can spread to someone who never had chickenpox. Symptoms include pain, itching, fever, and fatigue. The Shingrix vaccine helps prevent shingles, and antiviral drugs can reduce its severity.

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Dryad Networks, a Berlin-based environmental Internet of Things (IoT) startup, introduced the Silvaguard drone for ultra-early wildfire detection. The Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based drone enhances fire detection, location, and monitoring using infrared imaging. It works with Silvanet, a solar-powered gas sensor network, detecting fires at the smoldering stage. Each sensor protects an area equal to a football field and attaches to trees. Once Silvanet detects a fire, Silvaguard flies to the location, captures video and infrared images, and sends real-time data to firefighters.

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Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) CARTOSAT-3 satellite captured high-resolution images of earthquake damage in Myanmar. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025. Post-disaster images from March 29 were compared with pre-event data from March 18 to assess damage in Mandalay and Sagaing. CARTOSAT-3 is a third-generation agile advanced Earth observation satellite developed by ISRO. It replaces the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) series and has high-resolution imaging capabilities. It was launched aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C47).

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a bacteria-based technique to repair bricks for lunar habitats. Future lunar missions, like NASA’s Artemis programme, aim to establish permanent settlements on the Moon. Instead of transporting materials from Earth, astronauts will use lunar soil, or regolith, to build structures. IISc developed a method using the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii to create bricks from lunar and Martian soil simulants. The bacterium converts urea and calcium into calcium carbonate crystals, binding soil particles with guar gum. This method is eco-friendly and cost-effective compared to cement.

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A new study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has used Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) barcoding to correctly identify blackfly species that spread river blindness. River blindness, also called Onchocerciasis, is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus and spreads through the bite of infected blackflies of the genus Simulium. These blackflies breed near fast-flowing rivers and streams and mainly affect people in rural and remote areas. The disease causes severe skin itching, skin damage, and in serious cases, permanent blindness. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies river blindness as a major Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, and Latin America.

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Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have developed a made-in-India Organ-on-Chip (OoC), which was earlier imported. Organ-on-Chip is a small, flexible device made of polymers that mimics the structure and function of human organs on a micro scale. It contains tiny channels where living human cells grow and interact, simulating real tissue environments. Different models like lung-on-chip and liver-on-chip have been created to study specific organs. Fluids such as blood or drugs can be passed through the chip to observe their effects on human cells, helping in medical research and drug testing.

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Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) developed an energy-efficient graphene-based technology for oil-water separation to manage oil spills safely and effectively. Graphene is a single atomic layer of graphite, an allotrope of carbon with tightly bonded atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is about 200 times stronger than steel, lightweight, transparent, and highly elastic with excellent thermal conductivity and flexibility. The new technology uses graphene’s unique properties to clean oil spills efficiently with less energy and no toxic residue. Graphene is also used in making microchips, batteries, and biomedical devices due to its versatile nature.

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Indian scientists have developed new ways to study and treat Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC), a rare and aggressive form of Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC) starts in the colon or rectum and gets its name from its ring-shaped cells, where mucus pushes the nucleus to one side. It spreads quickly, resists treatment, and is often detected late, making it deadly. Researchers created Patient-Derived Organoids (PDOs), which are 3D tumour models, and Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDXs), where tumour cells are grown in mice. These models mimic real tumours and help test treatments. Though SRCC is rare globally, in India, cases are almost 10 times higher, often affecting younger people.

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The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has recently acknowledged Type 5 diabetes as a distinct form of the disease. This recognition came at the 75th Diabetes World Congress in Bangkok. Type 5 diabetes is a form of malnutrition-related diabetes that affects lean, undernourished teenagers and young adults, mostly in low- and middle-income regions. Around 20 to 25 million people globally are estimated to suffer from this type, mainly in Asia and Africa. It is caused by a severe defect in insulin secretion due to chronic undernutrition, not by insulin resistance like in Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It was first identified in Jamaica in 1955 as J-type diabetes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognised it in 1985 but later withdrew support in 1999 because of limited research.