Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have developed an ingestible device that can directly sample bacteria from the small intestine. The innovation helps overcome limitations of current methods like endoscopy or stool analysis, which do not accurately reflect upper gut conditions. The pill-sized device remains closed in the stomach and opens only in the intestine to collect bacterial samples, then reseals safely. It uses an enteric-coated gelatin cap that dissolves at intestinal pH, allowing fluid and microbes to enter sampling chambers. The study was conducted in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi and funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

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Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to improve railway operational safety across the Indian Railways network. It was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of Indian Railways. As of December 2025, the system has been commissioned on over 2,000 km of railway routes, with 7,129 km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid, 860 telecom towers installed, 767 stations connected, 3,413 km of trackside equipment deployed, and 4,154 locomotives fitted with Kavach. About 40,000 technicians and operators have been trained, reflecting the scale of operational readiness.

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Astronomers studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around the young star T Chamaeleontis using archival data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). T Chamaeleontis is a young, Sun-like star located about 350 light-years away in the southern constellation Chamaeleon. The star is approximately 70% the size of the Sun, with a surface temperature of around 5,111 K (4,838 °C). It is surrounded by a planet-forming circumstellar disk that contains a wide gap, likely created by a forming protoplanet. Normally, the inner dense regions of such disks block ultraviolet light from reaching outer regions, but the gap exposes these areas.

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Army Hospital (Research and Referral), Delhi, performed India’s first 3D Flex Aqueous Angiography with iStent. The procedure combines advanced imaging with minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness with silent progression. The surgery used a stand-mounted Spectralis system and a 3D operating microscope. The breakthrough allows real-time visualization of aqueous outflow pathways. Surgeons can deliver precise, targeted interventions, improving patient outcomes. The procedure positions Armed Forces Medical Services at the forefront of global ophthalmic care.

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Scientists recently used drones to detect a dangerous Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) among whales in the Arctic. Cetacean morbillivirus is a viral infection affecting marine mammals, especially cetaceans like whales, dolphins, and porpoises. CeMV has caused multiple outbreaks worldwide, particularly in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Transmission occurs through respiratory routes and direct contact, with the virus shed via ocular and respiratory secretions, urine, feces, and sloughed skin. The virus affects the respiratory and neurological systems, leading to mass strandings and deaths of marine mammals.

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Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research used supercomputers to create the first simulation proving the Mpemba effect. The Mpemba effect means hot water can freeze faster than cold water under certain conditions. The effect was first described by Aristotle in his book Meteorologica. It is named after Erasto Mpemba, a Tanzanian student who highlighted it in 1969. Heated water contains microbubbles that enhance convection and faster heat transfer. Warm water evaporates more, removing heat as evaporation is an endothermic process. Warm water is less dense, improving convection and cooling. Frost in cold water acts as an insulator and slows heat loss.

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ISRO’s Aditya-L1 mission decoded the impact of a powerful solar storm on Earth’s magnetic shield. Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar mission, was launched by PSLV-C57 in 2023 and is in a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1). The storm was caused by a massive eruption of solar plasma from the Sun. The most severe effects occurred in turbulent regions that strongly compressed Earth’s magnetic field. Some geostationary satellites were exposed to harsh space conditions. The study highlights the importance of understanding space weather, caused by transient solar activity, affecting satellites, communications, and technology.

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A Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak has been reported in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh, with two deaths in Manasa town. Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is the network of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that controls movement, pain, and sensations. Since the immune system causes the damage, it is an autoimmune disease, also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.

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A 19-year-old college girl in Tamil Nadu died after consuming borax for weight loss. Borax is also called sodium tetraborate decahydrate, a white powdery mineral. It is composed of boron, sodium, and oxygen. It is used in glass and pottery glazes, metallurgy, welding flux, fertilizer additive, soap, disinfectant, mouthwash, and water softener. It naturally occurs in evaporite deposits from seasonal lake evaporation and can be synthetically produced.

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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.