Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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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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BatEchoMon stands for Bat Echolocation Monitoring, India’s first real-time automated bat monitoring system. It was developed by Kadambari Deshpande and Vedant Barje under Jagdish Krishnaswamy at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru. It is part of the Long-Term Urban Ecological Observatory at IIHS’s School of Environment and Sustainability. BatEchoMon detects, records, analyses, and classifies bat sounds using echolocation. It uses an ultrasonic microphone, a Raspberry Pi microprocessor, solar-powered battery, and Wi-Fi unit. It activates at sunset and works through the night using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to identify bat calls.

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World Chagas Disease Day is observed every year on April 14 to raise awareness about the devastating impact of Chagas disease. The theme for World Chagas Disease Day 2025 is “Prevent, Control, Care: Everyone’s role in Chagas disease,” emphasizing the need for accessible healthcare and ongoing patient support. Chagas disease is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, found in the feces of the triatomine bug. It primarily affects regions in South America, Central America, and Mexico. If untreated, Chagas disease can lead to serious heart and digestive issues. Early treatment targets killing the parasite, while chronic cases focus on managing symptoms.

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Scientists have found strong signs of possible extraterrestrial life on the exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light years from Earth in the Leo constellation. This is the second and more promising detection of life-related chemicals in the planet’s atmosphere. The findings were made using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched in December 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most powerful space observatory, built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA). A team from Cambridge University, led by Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, studied the planet’s atmosphere. They found chemical traces of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these gases are produced only by marine phytoplankton and some bacteria. This raises the possibility of biological activity on K2-18b.

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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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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay discovered a host protein that uses tiny tweezer-like machines to kill germs before they harm the body. The study, led by Professor Anirban Banerjee, found that this protein works like a special operation unit to detect and neutralize threats. When bacteria attack, human cells tag them as a “Red Flag” using a protein called “Ubiquitin.” Cells then target the flagged bacteria, tearing apart their surface proteins, similar to piranhas attacking prey. This discovery could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering hope for more effective treatments against infections.

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Aryabhata, launched on April 19, 1975, was India’s first indigenously-built satellite, named after the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata. The satellite was launched with Soviet assistance from Kapustin Yar. Aryabhata made India one of the 11 countries capable of sending satellites into orbit. It was designed for solar physics and X-ray astronomy experiments but faced a power failure after five days. Despite this, Aryabhata transmitted data for several more days and remained in orbit for nearly 17 years. The launch of Aryabhata laid the foundation for India’s growing space program, marking 50 years of India’s space achievements in 2025.

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AIIMS Raipur has successfully performed its first Swap Kidney Transplant, also known as a Kidney Paired Transplant. With this, it became the first among the newer All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the first government hospital in Chhattisgarh to perform this complex surgery. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare highlighted it as a major step in advanced healthcare. This procedure helps patients with end-stage kidney disease by increasing transplant options through donor pairing. Swap Kidney Transplant is estimated to boost the number of kidney transplants by 15 percent. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has recommended all states and Union Territories adopt this method to improve donor availability.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the second short hot test of the semicryogenic engine that will power the Semicryogenic booster stage of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3). A semicryogenic engine uses a cryogenic oxidizer like Liquid Oxygen and a hydrocarbon-based fuel like kerosene. It combines the advantages of cryogenic and conventional engines, offering better efficiency and operational simplicity. In comparison, a fully cryogenic engine uses both fuel and oxidizer in liquid form, like Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen, giving 100% efficiency without causing greenhouse gas emissions. This successful test marks a key step towards upgrading LVM3 for future heavy-lift missions.

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Amazon has launched the first 27 satellites under its Project Kuiper to build an internet-from-space network. Project Kuiper is Amazon’s satellite broadband initiative using Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is up to 2,000 kilometers above Earth. It includes around 3,232 satellites, ground stations, and customer terminals to provide the service. The goal is to deliver high-speed, low-latency, and affordable internet to remote and underserved regions globally. The project is named after the Kuiper Belt, a distant region of the solar system beyond the eight planets. It is Amazon’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system.