Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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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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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.

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In a big step towards clean nuclear energy, China has launched the world’s first Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) in Wuyi City, Gansu Province, located in the Gobi Desert. This thorium-based reactor started in October 2023 and generates 2 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The project received a $444 million investment since 2011 and is a major shift in global nuclear innovation during China’s trade tensions with the United States (US). China plans to build a 10 MW version by 2030, showing long-term goals in clean energy. Thorium is safer than uranium, creates less radioactive waste, and cannot be easily used for weapons. It must be turned into Uranium-233 (U-233) to be used in reactors, making it complex but promising for safe and sustainable energy.

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A new non-contact wearable device developed by researchers from the United States and South Korea can monitor health by measuring skin flux without touching the skin. The device is about the size of a smartphone and tracks molecular movements like vapour leaving the body and chemicals entering through the skin. It was developed under the leadership of Professor John A. Rogers at Northwestern University, USA. It creates a small sealed microclimate next to the skin and uses wireless electronics and tiny sensors to detect water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A remote-controlled valve adjusts the chamber’s openness for accurate comparisons.

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The Hubble Space Telescope recently completed 35 years of space exploration since its launch on April 24, 1990. It is the first dedicated space-based telescope system and is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. The idea of such a telescope was first proposed in the 1940s by US astronomer Lyman Spitzer. It was launched as a joint mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA contributed 15% of the mission’s cost in return for 15% of observation time. Its launch was delayed from 1986 to 1990 due to technical issues and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Hubble orbits Earth at around 569 km in Low Earth Orbit and observes ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. It was designed to be repaired and upgraded in space, making it a renewable telescope. This historic telescope continues to help scientists understand galaxies, stars, and the vast universe beyond Earth.

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Indian and US researchers have recently discovered a new subtype of Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), a rare, inherited form of diabetes. MODY is caused by genetic mutations that lead to impaired insulin production or function. It is typically diagnosed in adolescents or young adults under 35 years of age, without significant obesity. The discovery was made by researchers from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This breakthrough could change the way certain forms of MODY are diagnosed and treated, offering better solutions for patients. MODY is divided into 14 subtypes, each linked to different gene mutations.

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On April 2, 2025, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported that asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 3.8% chance of hitting the Moon on December 22, 2032. YR4 is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) discovered in December 2024 using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. It is classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO) because its orbit brings it close to Earth—within 1.3 times the Earth-Sun distance. In February 2025, YR4 triggered NASA’s highest-ever asteroid impact alert. Infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope estimates its size at around 65 metres, similar to a 10-storey building. Since it is below 140 metres in size, it is not labeled a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid.” Earlier, it had a 1% chance of hitting Earth, but updated analysis now shows almost no threat to our planet.

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A recent large-scale study from South Korea, published in the European Heart Journal, found that people vaccinated against shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus stays dormant in nerve cells and can reactivate later in life when the immune system weakens. Shingles appears as a painful rash with blisters, usually on one side of the body, and can cause symptoms like burning, headache, and fever. The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a nerve pain that can last for months. Shingles is not directly contagious but the virus can infect someone who never had chickenpox. It mainly affects people over 50 or those with weak immune systems.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the PSLV-C61 mission from Sriharikota to place the EOS-09 satellite into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit. The mission failed due to a problem in the third stage. PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, a four-stage rocket designed by ISRO. It mainly places satellites into Sun-synchronous polar orbits, ideal for Earth observation. The PSLV uses alternating solid and liquid propulsion stages for precision. The first stage uses HTPB-based solid fuel with six strap-on boosters in XL version, producing 4.8 MegaNewtons (MN) thrust. The second stage runs on liquid fuel, with the Vikas engine using Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and Nitrogen Tetroxide (N₂O₄), generating about 8 MN thrust. The third stage uses solid HTPB fuel again. The fourth stage has two liquid engines burning Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON).

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Recently, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar. The event was held during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, organised by the African Union and World Health Organization (WHO). Kala-azar is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by a protozoan parasite and is fatal if untreated, showing symptoms like fever, fatigue, weight loss, and enlarged spleen and liver. More than 70% of global kala-azar cases are in Eastern Africa, where half of the affected are children under 15, according to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The MoU encourages more investment and better strategies to eliminate kala-azar and improve public health responses.