Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a new siphon-based thermal desalination system for clean drinking water. Traditional solar stills face salt buildup and scaling limits restricting output. The system uses a composite siphon of fabric wick and grooved metallic surface to draw water and flush out salt before crystallization. It is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable, made from aluminum and fabric, powered by solar or waste heat. It is useful for off-grid areas, disaster zones, coastal and island communities facing water stress.

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A new analysis of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft data shows that Saturn’s moon Enceladus may support life. Cassini was a joint mission of NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and Italian Space Agency (ASI). It was launched on October 15, 1997, to study Saturn and its moons in detail. The mission had NASA’s Cassini orbiter and ESA’s Huygens probe, which landed on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Cassini studied Saturn’s atmosphere, rings, and magnetosphere, along with Titan’s surface and atmosphere. It provided key insights into Saturn’s cloud properties, ring composition, and planetary evolution.

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The Philippines has launched Southeast Asia’s first Coral Larvae Cryobank, a major step to protect marine biodiversity. The cryobank is a scientific facility that freezes and stores coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures. It preserves the genetic material of corals for future reef restoration and scientific research. The facility acts like a “genetic seed vault” for corals to help safeguard biodiversity from climate change and coral bleaching. The project is part of the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are jointly participating in this regional conservation effort.

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On October 13, 2025, TechBharat Research Foundation (TBRF) and Google Cloud India launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Public Good in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP). The initiative was supported by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, particularly its Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (IT, E&C). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and TechBharat Research Foundation (TBRF) for setting up and operating the CoE. TBRF will lead the CoE as a hub for applied AI research and public service solutions. Google Cloud India will provide cloud infrastructure, Gemini AI models, tools, mentorship, and market support.

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Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar mission, made the first direct observation of the Sun’s Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) effects on the Moon. The observation was made by CHACE-2 (Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2), a payload onboard the orbiter. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported that the dayside lunar exosphere pressure increased when the CME impacted the Moon. The total number density of neutral atoms or molecules increased more than tenfold, confirming theoretical predictions for the first time. Chandrayaan-2, launched on 22 July 2019 via GSLV Mk-III M1, carried eight experiment payloads; however, the Vikram lander lost communication during its soft-landing attempt.

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In November 2025, scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) collaborated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to estimate key parameters of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). They used data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload onboard India’s Aditya-L1 mission. VELC is the main payload of Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observatory placed 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. It is an internally occulted solar coronagraph capable of imaging, spectroscopy, and spectro-polarimetry near the solar limb.

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A global review has identified 57 new living species of foraminifera. Foraminifera, or forams, are single-celled marine organisms found in oceans, coasts, and estuaries. Most have shells and are either planktonic (float in water) or benthic (live on sea floor). They are generally under 500 microns in size, though some tropical species reach 20 cm. Their name comes from foramen (Latin for window), with holes in shells for pseudopodia to gather food. They eat detritus, diatoms, bacteria, algae, and tiny animals like copepods. Shells are made of calcium carbonate (calcareous) or sand grains (agglutinate) with one or multiple coiled chambers.

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Telangana’s 1 Bio, India’s first single-use bioprocess design and scale-up facility, was inaugurated at Genome Valley, Hyderabad. It was created to solve the lack of affordable bioprocess scale-up infrastructure despite Telangana’s strong biotech talent. The facility supports start-ups and big companies with end-to-end process development and pilot validation. It was developed by the Government of Telangana, Telangana Lifesciences, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). It has 500-litre bioreactors, advanced processing systems, and analytical labs.

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Niger became the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis, also called river blindness. Niger is the fifth country worldwide to stop transmission of Onchocerca volvulus parasite. Other successful countries are Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico in the Americas. World Health Organisation (WHO) praised Niger’s strong leadership and public health efforts. Onchocerciasis is the second leading infectious cause of blindness after trachoma. It spreads through bites of infected black flies found near rivers. It mainly affects rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen, and some parts of Latin America.

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Ten blackbucks died in Jamshedpur Zoological Park, Jharkhand due to suspected Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS). Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) is also called Pasteurellosis and is caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria. It mainly affects cattle and buffaloes, with young animals more vulnerable. Bacteria survive longer in humid and waterlogged conditions. It spreads through contaminated food, water, air and direct contact.