Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Bangladesh became the 8th country in the world to introduce the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) in its routine immunisation programme. Around 50 million children aged 9 months to 15 years will receive the vaccine under a nationwide campaign. India is the major vaccine supplier for this drive but has not yet included TCV in its Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Typhoid fever is caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium and spreads through contaminated food and water or vectors like flies. The disease can lead to fever lasting several weeks, and complications like intestinal perforation can cause death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 9–12 million global typhoid cases and over 1 lakh deaths annually — with India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan as hotspots

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China has achieved the world’s first conversion of thorium into uranium fuel inside a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR). It marks the first-ever experimental data on thorium operation from within a molten salt reactor. The 2 megawatt liquid-fuelled TMSR is currently the only operating reactor successfully using thorium fuel. A Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is a fourth-generation nuclear reactor using molten salt as both coolant and fuel carrier instead of solid rods.

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Blue Origin recently launched NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars. ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) is NASA’s first coordinated multi-spacecraft orbital science mission to Mars. It consists of twin orbiters named Blue and Gold that will observe Mars from different locations simultaneously. The mission is part of NASA’s SIMPLEx (Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration) program.

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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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A global review has identified 57 new living species of foraminifera. Foraminifera, or forams, are single-celled marine organisms found in oceans, coasts, and estuaries. Most have shells and are either planktonic (float in water) or benthic (live on sea floor). They are generally under 500 microns in size, though some tropical species reach 20 cm. Their name comes from foramen (Latin for window), with holes in shells for pseudopodia to gather food. They eat detritus, diatoms, bacteria, algae, and tiny animals like copepods. Shells are made of calcium carbonate (calcareous) or sand grains (agglutinate) with one or multiple coiled chambers.

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Recently, Jamaica declared an outbreak of leptospirosis after the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa. Leptospirosis is a fatal bacterial disease. It is caused by the bacterium Leptospira interrogans, also called Leptospira. The bacteria enter the human body through tiny cracks or wounds in the skin, especially on the feet. It is more common in warm and humid regions across both urban and rural areas. The disease is contagious in animals and occasionally infects humans under suitable environmental conditions.

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Recently, researchers from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi discovered a new deep-sea squid species in the Arabian Sea and named it Taningia silasii (Indian octopus squid). The species was found at a depth of nearly 390 metres off the Kollam coast. It belongs to the family Octopoteuthidae. It is only the second formally recognised species in the Taningia genus. The first species in this genus was Taningia danae, earlier found in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Skyroot Aerospace inaugurated its Infinity Campus in Hyderabad and virtually unveiled Vikram-I, India’s first private commercial orbital rocket. Vikram-I is capable of placing satellites into Earth orbit. This launch marks a major milestone for India’s growing private space sector. The private space sector in India was opened to entrepreneurs three years ago. The development highlights rising startup participation in advanced space technology. It reflects India’s shift toward innovation-driven and private-led space missions.

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Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras developed India’s first Indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) for ports. The system was built by the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) as per guidelines of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoSPW), Government of India. It gives India full control over source code, data, and vessel movement information, ensuring high maritime security. The VTMS is cost-effective, secure, scalable, and easy to maintain.

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Researchers at National Centre for Radio Astrophysics – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA–TIFR), Pune, discovered a new spiral galaxy named Alaknanda. It lies 12 billion light years away and shows a perfect spiral structure. The name comes from the Alaknanda River and the Hindi word for the Milky Way. The galaxy spans 30,000 light years, with two clear spiral arms around a bright central bulge. It forms stars rapidly, producing 60 solar masses per year. It resembles a young Milky Way, formed when our galaxy was only 10% of its current age. The discovery was made using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).