Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that 97 central and state laws still have provisions discriminating against persons affected by leprosy. Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is a chronic bacterial infection caused by bacteria Mycobacterium leprae affecting skin, peripheral nerves, and eyes, which can cause permanent disabilities if untreated. The bacteria spread through droplets from the nose and mouth during close, frequent contact with untreated cases. India’s prevalence rate decreased from 57.2 per 10,000 in 1981 to 0.57 per 10,000 in 2025, achieving national elimination status in 2005.

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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.

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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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Researchers from Bose Institute, Kolkata, in collaboration with L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, have developed a peptide therapy for fungal keratitis, a severe infection of the cornea. They designed a 15-residue peptide, SA-XV, derived from the host-defense peptide S100A12, previously known to inhibit fungal growth. SA-XV acts by interacting with fungal cell walls and membranes, translocating into the cytoplasm, binding nuclear DNA to halt the cell cycle, and targeting mitochondria to induce apoptosis.

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Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on Gujarat’s first Bajwa (Vadodara)–Ahmedabad 96 km section. The section covers 17 stations with 23 towers, 20 Kavach huts, 192 km optical fibre cable and 2,872 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system of Indian Railways. Kavach 4.0 prevents Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) and head-on or rear-end collisions. It enforces automatic speed control and Permanent Speed Restrictions. Kavach is certified to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) and approved by Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)

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India inaugurated the world’s second National Environmental Standard Laboratory (NESL) and the world’s fifth National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration at CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi. NESL will provide India-specific calibration and certification of air pollution monitoring systems, supporting regulatory bodies, industries, and startups, and improving policy enforcement under programmes like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

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Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru have developed a novel, non-invasive technique to measure the local density of cold atoms in real time without disturbing their quantum state. The method, called Raman Driven Spin Noise Spectroscopy (RDSNS), overcomes limitations of conventional atom-imaging methods used in cold atom experiments. Cold atoms, cooled near absolute zero, are crucial for quantum computing, quantum sensing, and precision measurement, but traditional detection methods like absorption and fluorescence imaging are often destructive or slow.

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Scientists used first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to discover the fastest-spinning asteroid of its size, named 2025 MN45. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is located on Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes at 8,684 feet altitude. It is named after astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who provided early evidence for dark matter. It is jointly funded by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Energy (DoE). Its goals include studying dark matter and dark energy, mapping the Milky Way, tracking asteroids and comets, and observing changing cosmic objects.

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IIT Madras launched Param Shakti, an indigenously developed supercomputing system with a capacity of 3.1 petaflop, meaning 3.1 quadrillion calculations per second. It is among India’s most powerful supercomputers and will help solve complex research problems faster and more accurately. The system will support advanced research in aerospace, materials, climate modelling, drug discovery, and manufacturing. Param Shakti is built entirely in India by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing using the RUDRA server series and open-source software. It is integrated into the Param Rudra supercomputing cluster with advanced power, cooling, and data centre support.