Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Telangana’s 1 Bio, India’s first single-use bioprocess design and scale-up facility, was inaugurated at Genome Valley, Hyderabad. It was created to solve the lack of affordable bioprocess scale-up infrastructure despite Telangana’s strong biotech talent. The facility supports start-ups and big companies with end-to-end process development and pilot validation. It was developed by the Government of Telangana, Telangana Lifesciences, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). It has 500-litre bioreactors, advanced processing systems, and analytical labs.

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The World Health Organization has issued the first global guidelines on Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs for weight loss. GLP-1 receptor agonists are synthetic medicines used to treat adult obesity and type-2 diabetes. These drugs are mainly injectable, while oral versions are under development. Leading examples are Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, now available in India. They increase insulin, reduce glucagon, slow stomach emptying, and suppress appetite, helping control blood sugar and body weight.

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Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru develop a new method to improve water-splitting catalysts for clean hydrogen production. The key problem addressed is the slow Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) compared to the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). They work on Coordination Polymers (COPs), made of metal ions and organic molecules, used in electrolysis. Coordination Polymers (COPs) normally show low activity because water blocks their active reaction sites. The team applies argon plasma treatment to create coordinatively unsaturated metal sites. This sharply improves the electrocatalytic performance without damaging structure.

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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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A recent study found that the shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of death from dementia. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful skin rash. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in nerve cells and can reactivate when immunity becomes weak. Shingles usually appears as a painful stripe of blisters on one side of the body, face, or neck. It is not directly contagious but can spread chickenpox to unvaccinated people. It mainly affects people over 50 years or those with weak immune systems. The Shingrix vaccine helps prevent shingles and its complications.

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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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India launched its first hydrogen-powered water taxi service in Varanasi on December 10, 2025. The service was inaugurated by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, marking a major advancement in India’s clean transport initiatives. The water taxi has been built by Cochin Shipyard, integrating modern engineering with sustainability. It operates on a hybrid electric–hydrogen propulsion system, ensuring zero emissions, low noise levels and high environmental safety. The vessel is equipped with five hydrogen cylinders and 3 kW solar panels, which help meet auxiliary power needs.

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Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, developed a new nanoparticle-based therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Conventional AD therapies target only one feature like amyloid aggregation or oxidative stress, giving limited benefit. The new therapy uses nanoparticles integrating polyphenol (from green tea), dopamine (a neurotransmitter), and tryptophan (an amino acid). These form EGCG-dopamine-tryptophan nanoparticles (EDTNPs) targeting amyloid aggregation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuronal degeneration simultaneously.

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Astronomers studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around the young star T Chamaeleontis using archival data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). T Chamaeleontis is a young, Sun-like star located about 350 light-years away in the southern constellation Chamaeleon. The star is approximately 70% the size of the Sun, with a surface temperature of around 5,111 K (4,838 °C). It is surrounded by a planet-forming circumstellar disk that contains a wide gap, likely created by a forming protoplanet. Normally, the inner dense regions of such disks block ultraviolet light from reaching outer regions, but the gap exposes these areas.

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Iran launched three domestically-built observation satellites—Zafar-2, Paya, and Kowsar 1.5—into space from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome using a Soyuz rocket. The satellites were designed by Iran’s private sector for observation purposes. Paya is Iran’s most advanced imaging satellite, using artificial intelligence for higher-resolution images. The satellites will focus on water resource management, environmental monitoring, and mapping. The Soyuz rocket was chosen for its reliability in transporting sensitive satellites. Iran has conducted ten satellite launches in the last two years, including one in July 2025 from Russia.