Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology announced the development of four Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) across India. Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) aim to demonstrate the full green hydrogen value chain, from production, storage, transport to utilization. The project has a total investment of ₹485 crore. HVICs aim to build a local hydrogen ecosystem, connecting supply and demand across transport, industry, and energy, while fostering research, innovation, and skills. The four clusters are being developed in Pune, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, and Kerala.

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The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)–Larsen & Toubro (L&T) consortium has indigenously built India’s first private Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The PSLV is scheduled to launch the Oceansat satellite early next year. India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a 2022 contract with the HAL–L&T consortium for end-to-end production of five PSLV-XL rockets. This move shifts PSLV manufacturing from ISRO to industry partners while ISRO focuses on new missions and research. The consortium has faced production challenges, resolved with ISRO’s support. HAL also received technology for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to fully own and operate its production.

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Indian scientists developed a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment at the molecular level. The tool, called OncoMark, was created by S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences and Ashoka University under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It studies cancer through biological “hallmarks” like metastasis, immune evasion, and genomic instability. It goes beyond Tumor–Node–Metastasis (TNM) staging, which often misses hidden tumor behavior. The model was trained on 3.1 million single cells from 14 cancer types. It achieved over 99% accuracy in internal testing and 96% accuracy on patient data.

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Bluetongue Virus (BTV) has recently been detected in more suspected cases in Northern Ireland, raising concerns about livestock health. Bluetongue is a severe haemorrhagic disease that affects animals and is infectious, but it is non-contagious and spreads only through insect vectors. The virus mainly infects domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as wild animals like buffalo, deer, antelope, and camels, with sheep being the most severely affected. It spreads primarily through the bites of infected Culicoides midges, which are tiny blood-feeding insects commonly found on farms. There is no effective treatment for bluetongue, but vaccines are available for certain strains and are used in Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe.

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Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has hosted ATMAN 3.0, an eight-week Health Technology (HealthTech) accelerator programme. The programme is conducted by the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at IIT Bombay. ATMAN 3.0 is supported by the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It aims to transform early-stage HealthTech startups into investment-ready ventures. Thirteen startups were selected from 173 applicants after a competitive pitching process. Each selected startup can receive seed funding support of one crore rupees or more. The programme will conclude with a Demo Day on 9 January 2026 at Novotel, Mumbai International Airport.

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VoxelGrids, a Zoho-backed Indian start-up, has developed India’s first indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, marking a major milestone for Made-in-India medical technology. The MRI scanner has been deployed at Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur, Maharashtra, after a 12-year development effort led by founder Arjun Arunachalam. It does not use liquid helium, making it around 40% cheaper to build and significantly reducing operating and power costs. VoxelGrids offers a pay-per-use model, helping smaller hospitals afford MRI services without high upfront costs.

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Iran launched three domestically-built observation satellites—Zafar-2, Paya, and Kowsar 1.5—into space from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome using a Soyuz rocket. The satellites were designed by Iran’s private sector for observation purposes. Paya is Iran’s most advanced imaging satellite, using artificial intelligence for higher-resolution images. The satellites will focus on water resource management, environmental monitoring, and mapping. The Soyuz rocket was chosen for its reliability in transporting sensitive satellites. Iran has conducted ten satellite launches in the last two years, including one in July 2025 from Russia.

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SpaceX successfully launched the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation–Flight Model 3 (CSG-FM3) Earth Observation Satellite for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministry of Defence using a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This mission marked the third satellite in the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation series, the first SpaceX launch of 2026, and the first orbital rocket launch globally in 2026. CSG-FM3 is part of Italy’s advanced COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation, developed to strengthen global radar imaging and Earth observation capabilities.

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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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Astronomers from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences studied the W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) star. They used data from Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope and NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). W UMa is a low-mass contact binary and an eclipsing binary variable star. The two stars share a single outer atmosphere and orbit each other. W UMa stars show light curves with nearly equal minima and continuous brightness variation. Studying W UMa helps determine stellar masses, radii, and temperatures, aiding understanding of stellar evolution.