Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The Assam Government recently banned inter-district movement of live pigs to stop the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a rising concern in the region. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar, with mortality up to 90–100%. It is not zoonotic, meaning it does not infect humans or other livestock. First found in sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now present across Europe, Asia and Africa, with India reporting its first cases in 2020 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Google inaugurated its largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure hardware engineering centre outside the US in Taipei, Taiwan. The centre will focus on AI infrastructure hardware engineering for Google’s global operations. Technology developed and tested at the centre will be deployed across Google’s global data centres. These AI systems support billions of Google devices and services worldwide. The centre reinforces Taiwan’s role as a key hub for global AI innovation.

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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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Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean submersible mission to reach 6,000 metres depth. Testing is delayed due to late supply of syntactic foam from France, now expected by year-end after testing in Norway. The project is led by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A steel model has been tested up to 100 metres; a 500-metre trial is planned by April next year. The final titanium hull, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, will be tested in Russia. The mission will carry three crew members to collect seabed soil and rocks for future deep-sea mining.

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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).

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Chandrayaan-3’s lander payload RAMBHA-LP (Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere – Langmuir Probe) detected an active plasma environment in the Moon’s south polar region. Plasma, the 4th state of matter, is electrically neutral and contains charged particles like ions and free electrons. RAMBHA-LP uses a hypersensitive Langmuir probe mounted on a boom to avoid interference from the lander. It measures electron density and electron temperature near the lunar surface, helping understand the plasma behaviour at the Moon’s South Pole.

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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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India launched DHRUV64, the country’s first 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor, fully developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Programme. DHRUV64 aims to reduce India’s dependence on imported processors and supports both strategic and commercial applications. The processor features modern architectural enhancements for improved efficiency, multitasking, and reliability, and integrates seamlessly with hardware for applications like 5G, automotive systems, consumer electronics, industrial automation, and the Internet of Things. India contributes nearly 20% to global microprocessor production, highlighting the importance of indigenous chip development.

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Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) informed that CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR–CFTRI), Mysuru worked on four Grant-in-Aid projects on annatto. Annatto is a natural food colour and flavour from seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), native to tropical Americas. Nearly 70% of natural food colours come from annatto, giving yellow-orange colour to cheese, butter, yogurt, sausages, smoked fish, ice cream, and baked goods. Colour comes from carotenoid pigments; seeds are ground into powder or paste or extracted as dye. It adds mild peppery, nutty and floral flavour; safe in normal amounts but may cause allergies.

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Army Hospital (Research and Referral), Delhi, performed India’s first 3D Flex Aqueous Angiography with iStent. The procedure combines advanced imaging with minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness with silent progression. The surgery used a stand-mounted Spectralis system and a 3D operating microscope. The breakthrough allows real-time visualization of aqueous outflow pathways. Surgeons can deliver precise, targeted interventions, improving patient outcomes. The procedure positions Armed Forces Medical Services at the forefront of global ophthalmic care.