Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, a new microscopic crustacean named Indiaphonte bijoyi was discovered in the Kavaratti lagoon of the Lakshadweep islands. It is a tiny crustacean belonging to the family Laophontidae under the Copepoda class. The species lives within sediments of aquatic environments, making it a sediment-dwelling organism. It has a semi-cylindrical and slightly flattened body, broader at the centre and narrowing towards the rear end. It is classified as meiofauna, meaning very small invertebrate animals measuring less than one millimetre in size.

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Haven-1 is planned as the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit (LEO). It is a single-module station and a precursor to the larger multi-module Haven-2. It is being developed by American aerospace company Vast with support from NASA and private partners. It will host short-duration missions for microgravity research, in-space manufacturing, and orbital tourism.

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Japan officially ended the Akatsuki mission after losing contact with the spacecraft for over a year. Akatsuki, also called PLANET-C or Venus Climate Orbiter (VCO), was operated by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It was the only active spacecraft orbiting Venus, studying volcanism and atmospheric dynamics, especially super-rotation.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), scabies is among the most common skin diseases in developing countries. Scabies is a contagious parasitic skin infestation found worldwide. It is caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which burrows under the skin and causes an itchy rash. It is more common in hot and tropical regions like India. WHO classifies scabies as a Neglected Tropical Disease due to its impact on poor communities.

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Indian scientists from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru under Department of Science and Technology (DST) developed a solar-powered energy storage device that captures and stores energy in a single unit. The device is known as a photo-rechargeable supercapacitor. Unlike conventional systems, it combines energy harvesting and storage, reducing cost, energy loss, system complexity, and footprint. It enables portable, wearable, off-grid applications, reduces reliance on fossil fuels and conventional batteries, and works in remote areas.

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Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the first open call of the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The initiative has been launched under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to support indigenous technology commercialisation. The RDI Fund provides long-term, low-interest financing to high-risk, high-impact private sector innovations. It has a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore with 2–4 percent interest and repayment up to 15 years. The first call targets Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above projects in areas like artificial intelligence and deep-tech.

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The European Space Agency (ESA) released a high-resolution satellite image through the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. The image captures the venues planned for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The image highlights land features, terrain, and human-made infrastructure in great detail. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is an Earth observation satellite mission developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation programme. The mission focuses on monitoring changes and variability in land surface conditions.

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Researchers discovered a new marine worm species named Paraleocrates indica in the muddy banks of the Champa Estuary in the Bay of Bengal. It is the first record of this rare genus from Indian waters and only the third species worldwide in this genus. The worm belongs to the Hesionidae family, known for colourful bristle worms that often live symbiotically with other marine organisms like starfish. It appears reddish, measures 14–35 millimetres, and has a unique eye structure with front eyes five times larger than the back ones.

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Amazon India partnered with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to develop non-wood paper packaging from agricultural waste. The project will convert crop residues like wheat straw and bagasse into recyclable and home-compostable packaging materials. It aims to reduce stubble burning, lower dependence on imported virgin wood pulp, and create extra income for farmers. Research will be led by Department of Paper and Packaging Technology and INNOPAP Lab at IIT Roorkee over 15 months.

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Three Indian space start-ups- Astrome Technologies (Bengaluru), Azista Industries (Hyderabad), and Dhruva Space (Hyderabad)- were selected by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to develop indigenous small satellite bus platforms. The selection was under Satellite Bus as a Service (SBaaS) initiative, announced in April 2025, inviting proposals from Indian Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs). 15 proposals were received by July 2025; the three selected companies underwent a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process. Each selected firm will receive a ₹5 crore grant to develop a robust, modular, and scalable small satellite bus capable of hosting multiple customer payloads.