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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On November 17, 2025, Karnataka’s Department of Electronics, IT & BT, with KEONICS, launched KEO, a compact, affordable and AI-ready personal computer designed entirely in Karnataka. KEO stands for Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source, built on an open-source RISC-V processor with a Linux-based OS. It features an on-device AI core that works without internet and includes BUDDH, an AI agent trained on the Karnataka DSERT syllabus to help students in low-connectivity areas. KEO will be deployed across schools, universities, businesses, homes and government offices, supporting locally adaptable, home-grown computing.

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Sentinel-6B was recently launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, marking a major step in global ocean monitoring. It is a joint mission of NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and European Space Agency (ESA). It will track rising sea levels and their impacts, continuing the work of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched in 2020. It orbits Earth at 7.2 km per second, completing one revolution in 112 minutes. It will measure sea levels with accuracy up to one inch, covering over 90% of oceans. Its mission life is 5.5 years. It carries six science instruments and uses fixed plus deployable solar panels in a non-Sun-synchronous orbit

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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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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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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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Scientists at the Bose Institute, Kolkata have developed GlowCas9, a CRISPR protein that glows during gene editing. It is a bioluminescent Cas9, created by fusing Cas9 with a split nano-luciferase enzyme from deep-sea shrimp proteins. GlowCas9 is highly stable, retaining structure and activity even at higher temperatures. When Cas9 folds correctly, the luciferase pieces reconnect and produce light, enabling real-time, non-harmful tracking of gene editing in cells, tissues, and plant leaves. It improves the precision of Homology-Directed Repair (HDR), a key DNA repair process for genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia and muscular dystrophy. GlowCas9 advances theratracking, the visual monitoring of molecular gene therapy in action.

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AIIMS, New Delhi has conducted India’s first clinical trial of an indigenously evaluated advanced stroke treatment device named the Supernova Stent, marking a major milestone in India’s medical research and device innovation. The Supernova Stent is specifically designed for India’s diverse patient population, where strokes tend to occur at a younger age compared to Western countries, making it more suitable for local clinical needs. AIIMS highlighted that this is India’s first stroke intervention device to receive clearance based entirely on a domestic clinical trial, strengthening confidence in indigenous clinical research capabilities.

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Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to improve railway operational safety across the Indian Railways network. It was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of Indian Railways. As of December 2025, the system has been commissioned on over 2,000 km of railway routes, with 7,129 km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid, 860 telecom towers installed, 767 stations connected, 3,413 km of trackside equipment deployed, and 4,154 locomotives fitted with Kavach. About 40,000 technicians and operators have been trained, reflecting the scale of operational readiness.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. MAVEN is a Mars orbiter that studied how the planet’s atmosphere escapes into space for over ten years. It is the first mission dedicated to studying the upper atmosphere of Mars. It is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program to understand Mars and its past habitability. The mission studied how atmospheric loss changed Mars’s climate over time.