Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, National Aeronautics and Space Administration unveiled the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. It is a wide-field space observatory designed to survey large regions of the universe and detect exoplanets. It will study dark matter and dark energy, which together make up about 95% of the universe. The telescope is named after Nancy Grace Roman, known as the “mother of the Hubble Space Telescope.” It costs about USD 4 billion and will be placed 1.5 million km from Earth.

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A recent multicenter study on Kawasaki Disease evaluated adding Prednisolone to standard treatment. The study found that prednisolone did not reduce the incidence of coronary artery lesions after one month. Kawasaki Disease, also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is a rare disease causing fever and inflammation of blood vessels. It mainly affects children below 5 years and is more common in boys than girls. The disease was first identified by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967 in Japan. It is the most common acquired (not present at birth) heart disease in children in developed countries. The immune system attacks blood vessels, especially coronary arteries, leading to inflammation and swelling.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam. The project is part of a major collaboration involving Google Cloud, Adani Group, and Bharti Airtel. Google has committed an investment of USD 15 billion, making it one of India’s largest foreign direct investments. The AI data centre will have a capacity of 1 Gigawatt and will be built over 600 acres. It will enhance India’s artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure.

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India has introduced the SACHET Cell Broadcast system as an indigenous emergency alert service. SACHET (meaning “alert”) is designed to deliver real-time warnings directly to mobile users in geo-targeted areas. The system was launched by the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority. It sends instant alerts during disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and emergencies like wars or gas leaks. A nationwide test message with a siren sound was recently conducted to check its effectiveness. The system uses cell broadcast technology, which is faster and more efficient than traditional SMS alerts

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A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a Netherlands-based cruise ship has caused deaths and illnesses. Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from rodent droppings, saliva, or urine. It causes two major diseases: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), affecting the lungs, and Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), affecting the kidneys. Symptoms begin with flu-like signs such as fever and fatigue, followed by respiratory distress after a few days. There is no specific treatment, and management mainly involves supportive care such as rest and fluids.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Psyche mission captured a crescent image of Mars from nearly 5 million kilometres away. It was launched on 13 October 2023 to study the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche and understand the formation of planetary cores. The spacecraft is expected to reach the asteroid in 2029 and will spend around two years orbiting and studying its surface and composition. The Psyche spacecraft is about the size of a small van and uses solar-electric propulsion powered by xenon gas.

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Indian AI warfare company FWDA announced that India’s first AI combat aircraft, Kaal Bhairava, will be manufactured in Portugal in partnership with SKETCHPIXEL. SKETCHPIXEL will provide simulation technologies, AI integration, communication systems, and interoperability support, while FWDA will retain intellectual property rights over the aircraft’s autonomous systems and airframe design. Kaal Bhairava is a medium-altitude long-endurance autonomous combat aircraft with a range of 3,000 km and endurance exceeding 30 hours. The aircraft includes AI-based target recognition, swarm coordination, and encrypted communication systems.

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Department of Biotechnology organised the UMMID event in New Delhi. UMMID stands for “Unique Methods of Management of Inherited Disorders” and focuses on diagnosis, counselling, screening, and management of rare genetic diseases. The programme aims to promote genome-based, precision-driven, and personalised healthcare in India. It was launched by the Department of Biotechnology to improve access to genetic diagnostics and treatment for inherited disorders. During the event, the UMMID Compendium and UMMID Dashboard were also launched to strengthen monitoring, diagnostics, and outreach. The initiative has benefited nearly three lakh individuals and established around 30 NIDAN Kendras for advanced diagnostics and counselling.

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GigaAI, a robotics startup in China, has developed the SeeLight S1, described as one of the first commercial robotic butlers for household use. The robot was developed by GigaAI, a startup backed by Huawei’s investment arm. The humanoid robot can perform household tasks such as cooking, washing clothes, making beds, and opening curtains. China is promoting such robotics technologies to address labour shortages and demographic challenges.

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Geologists discovered a rare microscopic sunflower-shaped form of Pyrite in lignite coal reserves of Gujarat. Pyrite is a naturally occurring iron disulfide mineral. It is commonly known as “fool’s gold” because of its resemblance to gold. Pyrite has a brass-yellow colour and metallic lustre. Its name comes from the Greek word pyr meaning “fire,” as it produces sparks when struck with metal. Pyrite occurs in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, hydrothermal deposits, coal beds, and even fossils.