41. Batten disease, that was recently seen in news, primarily affects which part of the human body?
[A] Heart
[B] Lungs
[C] Kidneys
[D] Brain
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Brain]
Notes:
Recently, researchers found that male and female brains respond differently as Batten Disease progresses, opening new paths for treatment. Batten Disease is a rare genetic disorder affecting the brain and nervous system. It is congenital, progressive, and terminal, leading to steady decline in nervous system function. Symptoms include loss of vision and seizures, beginning in infancy, childhood, or rarely adulthood. Life expectancy varies from early childhood to the twenties depending on the form.
42. Which cities have been selected for the development of the four Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) in India?
[A] Pune, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, Kerala
[B] Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu
[C] Bengaluru, Lucknow, Indore, Kerala
[D] Bhopal, Jaipur, Varanasi, Karnataka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Pune, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, Kerala]
Notes:
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.
43. What is the name of India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease?
[A] SCD-CURE
[B] GEN-EDIT 1
[C] BIRSA 101
[D] HematoGene
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [BIRSA 101]
Notes:
India’s first indigenous CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), named BIRSA 101, was recently launched by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology. It is developed by CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) – Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). BIRSA 101 uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to precisely correct the genetic mutation causing SCD. The therapy is administered as a one-time infusion, after which the body produces normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.
44. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme is implemented by which government department?
[A] Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
[B] Department of Biotechnology
[C] Department of Commerce
[D] Department of Science and Technology
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Department of Science and Technology ]
Notes:
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programme is becoming popular among young startups and innovators. It works under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations which is NIDHI. It encourages graduate students to choose entrepreneurship as a career. It provides financial and non-financial support in the form of a fellowship. It offers startup infrastructure, mentoring, technical guidance, and industry support. It is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology with NCL Venture Centre.
45. What is the name of India’s first private commercial orbital rocket unveiled by Skyroot Aerospace?
[A] Agni-I
[B] Gaganyaan
[C] Aditya-I
[D] Vikram-I
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Vikram-I]
Notes:
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.
46. Where is the headquarters of International Astronomical Union (IAU) located?
[A] Paris
[B] Geneva
[C] Rome
[D] Beijing
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Paris]
Notes:
A 3.5-billion-year-old crater on Mars is named after Indian geologist M. S. Krishnan. The naming was approved by the International Astronomical Union. The International Astronomical Union was founded in 1919. It promotes astronomy research, education, and global cooperation. It standardizes astronomical constants and naming of celestial bodies. It alone has the authority to name planets, craters, and space features. It holds a General Assembly every three years. Its headquarters is in Paris.
47. Which institutes jointly developed the OncoMark AI model to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment at the molecular level?
[A] AIIMS Delhi and IIT Delhi
[B] S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences and Ashoka University
[C] NIMHANS Bengaluru and IIT Bombay
[D] None of the Above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences and Ashoka University]
Notes:
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.
48. Which space agency’s Perseverance rover recently detected electrical activity in Mars’ atmosphere for the first time?
[A] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
[B] European Space Agency (ESA)
[C] Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
[D] Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)]
Notes:
NASA’s Perseverance Rover recently detected electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, marking a major scientific breakthrough. Perseverance, also called “Percy”, is part of the Mars 2020 Mission. It landed in 2021 inside the ancient river delta of Jezero Crater. Its main goal is to search for signs of past life and collect rock and soil samples for future return to Earth. It can detect organic matter, study minerals, map chemical composition, and closely observe distant terrain. It is the first rover to record sounds on Mars and send them back to Earth.
49. Which telescope was used to discover the spiral galaxy “Alaknanda” ?
[A] Hubble Space Telescope
[B] Spitzer Space Telescope
[C] Chandra X-ray Observatory
[D] James Webb Space Telescope
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [James Webb Space Telescope]
Notes:
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).
50. Which country has become the first in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness?
[A] Niger
[B] Rwanda
[C] Algeria
[D] Ethiopia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Niger]
Notes:
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.