Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Scientists have identified the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (BbLDH) as essential for the survival and infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by Bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and can affect the skin, heart, brain, and joints. It is transmitted exclusively through the bite of infected deer ticks (black-legged ticks) and cannot spread via human contact, pets, air, food, water, or insect vectors such as mosquitoes and fleas. The disease is prevalent in wooded and grassy regions, particularly in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, with higher incidence during warmer months.

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On March 22, 2025, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe reached 6 million km from the Sun, setting a new record for the closest spacecraft approach. It was launched on August 12, 2018, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It aims to study the Sun’s corona, solar wind, and magnetic field. The probe follows a highly elliptical orbit, using Venus’ gravity to move closer to the Sun. It is the fastest human-made object, reaching speeds of 692,000 km/hr. It will ultimately come within 6.16 million km of the Sun, about seven times closer than any previous spacecraft.

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The government has launched ZooWIN, a digital platform to track real-time availability of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) and anti-snake venom (ASV) nationwide. ZooWIN is similar to Co-WIN and U-WIN, centralizing data for better coordination among healthcare providers, municipal authorities, and veterinary services. It supports the Union Health Ministry’s efforts to combat rabies and snakebites under the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE). India records 3–4 million snakebites annually, causing around 50,000 deaths, half of the global snakebite mortality. The platform is initially piloted in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.

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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut, will pilot the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a milestone for India in global space missions. Axiom Space, a private company in Houston, is organizing Ax-4 in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA), Poland, and Hungary. The mission crew includes Peggy Whitson (commander), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The team will stay for 14 days aboard the ISS and carry out around 60 scientific experiments, highlighting international cooperation in space exploration.

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The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch the Biomass satellite mission by the end of April 2025 using the Vega C rocket from French Guiana. Biomass is the seventh Earth Explorer satellite under ESA’s climate and Earth systems programme. It will study global forests, measuring carbon levels and forest health to understand their role in the carbon cycle. The satellite uses radar to quantify forest biomass and carbon content from space. It will also create detailed 3D models of forest structures and monitor changes over time, helping climate research and forest conservation efforts.

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Sunbird is a nuclear fusion-powered rocket developed by Pulsar Fusion, a British startup, to transform interplanetary travel with much faster speeds. It could reach up to 805,000 km/h, surpassing the current fastest object, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which travels at 692,000 km/h. With this speed, Sunbird could reduce travel time to Mars by almost half and reach Pluto in just 4 years. A major orbital test is planned in 2027, showing progress in next-generation space propulsion. Nuclear fusion, which powers Sunbird, fuses atoms like stars do, giving high energy with minimal radioactive waste, unlike nuclear fission.

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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 Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have launched a pilot Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) project in Kerala. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is a technology that allows Electric Vehicles (EVs) to send stored power back to the grid when not in use. V2G is the most studied application, though it is part of a broader framework including Vehicle to Home (V2H) and Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) systems.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has predicted that wheat production from eight major states will reach 122.724 million tonnes by March 31, 2025. This estimate was made using satellite-based remote sensing technology for better accuracy and timely updates. ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has developed a system called CROP, which stands for Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress. CROP is a semi-automated and scalable system that monitors crop sowing, growth, and harvesting in near real-time. It mainly supports agricultural planning during the Rabi season. This comes as remote sensing in agriculture marks 50 years of global use.

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Recently, a new oral antibiotic called gepotidacin showed promising results against drug-resistant gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), also known as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is sometimes called ‘the clap’. It is especially common in teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 24. Gepotidacin offers new hope in treating this infection, which is becoming harder to cure with existing antibiotics.