Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
In the Union Budget, the government approved National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) and National Large Optical–Near Infrared Telescope. National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) is a 2-metre aperture solar telescope being set up at Merak near Pangong Tso Lake. It will study the Sun in visible and near-infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. It will help in understanding solar dynamics, magnetism and space weather affecting Earth and satellites. National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) will become India’s third ground-based solar observatory.

Notes:
Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched indigenous Tetanus and Diphtheria vaccine at Central Research Institute, Kasauli in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh. Vaccine supports vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in health sector. India is known as Pharmacy of the World. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is world’s largest immunization programme. Central Research Institute will supply 5.5 million vaccine doses by April 2026 to strengthen immunization coverage.

Notes:
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Satcom Industry Association of India released cyber security guidelines for India’s space ecosystem. The guidelines were unveiled at the DefSat Conference & Expo 2026 in New Delhi. The framework follows a “defense in depth, breadth and height” approach and integrates public-private perspectives. CERT-In operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, providing 24×7 incident response services. SIA-India represents India’s satellite sector, including operators, manufacturers, startups, academia, and legal firms, to shape policy and promote global collaboration.

Notes:
Astronomers from Indian Institute of Astrophysics discovered the origin of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) shock for the first time. The CME-driven shock was recorded forming at a distance of about 1,30,000 km above the solar surface. This is the first confirmed detection of the “birth stage” of CME shocks, resolving a long-standing debate about their origin. Instruments used include the Gauribidanur Radio Telescope and Aditya-L1’s Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload. Detecting shocks at onset helps predict solar storms more accurately and protects satellites, GPS systems, and power grids from damage.

Notes:
Proba-3 recently made news after European Space Agency lost contact with one of its two spacecraft. It is European Space Agency’s first mission focused on precision formation flying, where two satellites operate in extremely accurate coordination. The mission aims to create an artificial solar eclipse to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere (corona). This helps scientists observe the faint solar corona, which is normally hidden by the Sun’s intense brightness. The mission includes two small satellites: a Coronagraph spacecraft and an Occulter spacecraft shaped like the solar disc.

Notes:
A new study found that Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) not only changed the motion of an asteroid but also slightly altered the orbit of the asteroid pair around the Sun. DART was launched in 2021 by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to test asteroid deflection technology. It was the first planetary defence mission to change an asteroid’s path using the kinetic impact method. The spacecraft targeted a binary asteroid system of Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. In 2022, the spacecraft intentionally crashed into Dimorphos to alter its orbit around Didymos. The impact successfully changed the asteroid’s motion, proving humans can potentially deflect hazardous near-Earth objects in space.

Notes:
A pilot plant for manufacturing Nd-Fe-B (Neodymium-Iron-Boron) rare earth permanent magnets has been established at International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The facility adopts an end-to-end “mineral-to-market” approach, covering processes from strip-cast alloy production to finished sintered magnets, enabling a self-reliant manufacturing ecosystem. Nd-Fe-B magnets are critical components used in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, electronics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. The initiative aims to reduce import dependence, address global supply chain vulnerabilities, and strengthen India’s position in the global rare earth value chain.

Notes:
NASA has unveiled a new map of the ocean floor using data from the SWOT Satellite. The SWOT Satellite was developed by NASA in collaboration with Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France. Its main objective is to conduct the first global survey of Earth’s surface water and observe detailed ocean surface topography. The satellite measures how water bodies change over time to track variations in lakes, rivers, and oceans. It maps the ocean floor indirectly by detecting tiny changes in water height, which reveal the features beneath the ocean surface.

Notes:
Recent research shows PACE Satellite can detect nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution at very fine scales, identifying emissions from individual factories and highways. This is a major advancement in air quality monitoring and environmental governance. PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ocean Ecosystem) is a NASA satellite mission. It was launched in 2024 into a Sun-synchronous orbit for consistent global observation. It provides hyperspectral coverage of Earth every 1–2 days. It improves climate studies by offering finer wavelength resolution than earlier satellites.

Notes:
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited, a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has deployed ALAISA (Aluminium AI Support Agent: Artificial Intelligence-based assistant for industrial support). ALAISA is a humanoid, AI-powered assistant designed to enhance shop-floor efficiency, safety, and workforce capability. It is operational at BALCO’s Chhattisgarh smelter and acts as a real-time training and decision-support interface. It provides guidance on SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures: step-by-step work instructions), SMPs (Standard Maintenance Practices), and safety protocols.