Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen spreading globally and becoming more deadly. Indian researchers from Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, in collaboration with the US National Institutes of Health, led the study. The fungus can grow and persist on human skin, inside the body (e.g., gut), or in the environment. Invasive infections caused by C. auris affect about 6.5 million people annually. It can cause serious infections including bloodstream infections, meningitis, bone infections, burn/wound infections, and urinary tract infections. The pathogen is gaining virulence and poses a significant global health threat.

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Scientists recently used drones to detect a dangerous Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) among whales in the Arctic. Cetacean morbillivirus is a viral infection affecting marine mammals, especially cetaceans like whales, dolphins, and porpoises. CeMV has caused multiple outbreaks worldwide, particularly in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Transmission occurs through respiratory routes and direct contact, with the virus shed via ocular and respiratory secretions, urine, feces, and sloughed skin. The virus affects the respiratory and neurological systems, leading to mass strandings and deaths of marine mammals.

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ISRO’s maiden home-made dust detector, Dust EXperiment (DEX), detects interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) striking Earth roughly every 1,000 seconds. DEX is the first Indian-made instrument designed to study high-speed interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) . Interplanetary Dust Particles are microscopic fragments originating from comets and asteroids. The instrument was flown on the POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) of PSLV-C58. Dust EXperiment (DEX) was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.

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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope discovered a new astronomical object named Cloud-9. Cloud-9 is a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter-dominated cloud, classified as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud (RELHIC). It is located 14 million light-years from Earth, near the spiral galaxy Messier 94 (M94). The cloud is made of neutral hydrogen (H I) spanning about 4,900 light-years, with a mass approx 1 million times the Sun. Cloud-9’s dark matter mass is estimated at 5 billion solar masses. It is a relic of early galaxy formation, a “failed galaxy” that did not form stars.

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Recently, phytoplasma-induced root wilt disease has severely damaged traditional coconut-growing areas in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. It is caused by phytoplasma bacteria and is one of the most devastating coconut palm diseases. It was first identified over 150 years ago in Erattupetta, Kerala, it is classified as a non-fatal disease. The disease does not kill palms but drastically reduces their productivity. It spreads through insect vectors, wind movement, and continuous coconut plantations. Spread is faster in sandy, sandy loam, and alluvial soils and is worsened by erratic temperatures and whitefly pests.

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Recently, lunar regolith brought by China’s Chang’e-6 mission revealed that the Moon formed from the remains of an ancient collision with Earth. Chang’e-6 is China’s first human sampling and return mission from the Moon’s far side, part of the Chang’e lunar exploration program. It was launched on 3 May 2024 via Long March-5 rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan. The mission includes an orbiter, returner, lander, and ascender. The lander used sensors (microwave, laser, optical) and collected samples via drilling and a robotic arm. It is China’s second successful mission to the Moon’s far side after Chang’e-4 in 2019.

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Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur researchers developed a new method to predict solar cycles. A solar cycle is an about 11-year cycle of solar activity controlled by the Sun’s magnetic field. It is measured by the number and intensity of sunspots seen on the Sun’s surface. Around every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic field flips, swapping north and south poles. Sunspots increase and decrease as magnetic activity changes on the Sun. The cycle starts with solar minimum, when sunspots are very few. Activity rises to solar maximum, when sunspots are highest. After this, activity declines back to solar minimum and a new cycle begins.

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Odisha government partnered with deep-tech startup BonV Aero to create a National Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test and Innovation Corridor. The corridor will be set up at Rangeilunda in Ganjam district. It will be India’s first commercial airport repurposed as a real-world drone testing facility. The agreement was signed at the Wings India 2026 summit in Hyderabad. BonV Aero will lead indigenous research, development, and testing of unmanned aviation systems. The corridor will allow live UAV trials in low-altitude airspace up to 1,000 metres.

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India entered the quantum era with the launch of the Amaravati Quantum Valley on 8 February 2026. It is supported by the ₹6,000 crore National Quantum Mission to make India a global deep-tech power. The Amaravati Quantum Valley is India’s first integrated quantum ecosystem spread over 50 acres. It brings together government, universities, and companies like International Business Machines (IBM) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). It is located in Andhra Pradesh. It will support healthcare, finance, defence, secure communication, and create jobs while strengthening national security.

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A new study shows that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), widely used in India to detect type-2 diabetes, may not always show the true blood glucose level. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a blood test that tells the average blood sugar level of the last two to three months. The test measures the percentage of red blood cells (RBCs) whose hemoglobin is coated with glucose. This works because glucose sticks to hemoglobin for the full life of RBCs, which is about three months. A high HbA1c value means long-term high blood sugar, indicating diabetes. Diabetes can lead to heart, kidney, and nerve diseases.