Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, ISRO is preparing to launch three navigation satellites for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) by next year. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also called Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), is developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is an independent and fully indigenous satellite navigation system, under India’s full control. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) was designed as a 7-satellite constellation to cover India and 1,500 km around it.

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In July 2025, ISRO announced that the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite has been mounted on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) ahead of its launch. All systems of the rocket have been successfully checked. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and ISRO to study Earth’s changing ecosystems. GSLV is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits (GTOs). It can carry heavier payloads than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

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Recently, India and the United States marked their first space collaboration with the successful launch of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) by ISRO’s GSLV-F16 rocket. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) injected NISAR into the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) at around 745 km altitude in a 19-minute flight. The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is the world’s first Earth observation satellite mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will study land deformation, ice movement, ecosystems, and oceanic regions with high precision.

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Recently, Bengaluru-based space company Protoplanet launched the Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE) station in Ladakh’s Tso Kar region. HOPE is a moon and Mars simulation research station mimicking off-Earth terrain and environment. It is located in the high-altitude cold desert of Tso Kar basin, Ladakh. The project is developed by Protoplanet with technical and financial support from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It aims to study human psychological, physiological, and epigenetic responses in extreme isolation. It supports India’s long-term space goals including a crewed lunar mission by 2040 and a space station by 2035.

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Recently, African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak was confirmed at a pig farm in Ravas Brahmanan village, Patiala, Punjab. District authorities have taken immediate action to contain the spread. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boars. It does not affect humans or other animal species. It causes high mortality (up to 90–100%) and severely impacts pig farming. It originated in sub-Saharan Africa and has spread to Europe, Asia, and Africa. In India, it was first detected in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in Feb–Mar 2020.

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Recently, IIT Roorkee developed a new drug candidate, Compound 3b, to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria. It targets KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, a World Health Organization (WHO) top-priority superbug. Compound 3b is a β-lactamase inhibitor that stops bacterial enzymes from breaking down antibiotics. It works with the antibiotic Meropenem, restoring its effectiveness against resistant infections. Preclinical lab and animal tests showed major infection reduction in lungs and safety to human cells. It marks a major step against antimicrobial resistance and boosts India’s role in global biomedical research.

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Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona inaugurated a state-of-the-art space laboratory at Mechuka in Shi-Yomi district. The lab is named Pasang Wangchuk Sona ISRO Space Laboratory in honour of his late father. It was set up at Mechuka Government Higher Secondary School in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Muskaan Foundation. The lab will provide students hands-on experience in space science and technology. It aims to foster curiosity, innovation, and scientific thinking among youth.

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Recently, Kerala’s health department issued an alert in Kozhikode after three cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) were reported. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, also called the “brain-eating amoeba.” This amoeba lives in warm freshwater, soil, swimming pools, hot tubs, and infects through the nose. It mainly affects young, active people and has a mortality rate above 95%. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) progresses rapidly and is often fatal within days, while Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE) progresses slowly.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that Nepal has eliminated rubella as a public health problem. Rubella, also called German measles or three-day measles, is a contagious viral infection known for its red rash. It is caused by the Rubella virus, a single-stranded RNA virus, different from the measles virus. Rubella spreads through coughing, sneezing, contaminated surfaces, and from mother to fetus during pregnancy. This can lead to fetal death or Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), causing hearing loss, eye and heart defects, autism, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid problems.

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The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) was launched in April 2015 by the Government of India with a budget of Rs.4,500 crore. Its vision is to achieve self-reliance and global leadership in supercomputing and provide state-of-the-art facilities to researchers. It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. As of August 2025, 37 supercomputers with 40 Petaflops capacity are installed across IITs, IISc, R&D labs and Tier-II/III cities. This information was submitted in the Lok Sabha today by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology.