Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, a deadly accident occurred at the pharma unit of Sigachi Industries in Hyderabad, raising the death toll to 36. The unit manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC). Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) is a free-flowing powder extracted from refined wood pulp. It is inert, nontoxic, fiber-rich, chewable, and not absorbed during digestion. Wood is the main source of pharmaceutical MCC, with cellulose chains bound by polymers and hydrogen bonds.

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Scientists at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Delhi, have recently used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to boost phosphate uptake in japonica rice varieties. CRISPR-Cas9 is a modern gene-editing tool used to precisely modify plant traits. Japonica rice is one of the two major eco-geographical races of Oryza sativa, the other being Indica. It is mainly grown in northern and eastern China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Japonica has short to medium grains, which are thick, sticky, and harder than regular white rice.

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The world’s first-ever malaria treatment suitable for babies and very young children has been approved for use. Drug manufacturer Novartis has received approval from Swiss authorities for its new malaria drug named Coartem. The development of the drug is very significant, as the overwhelming majority of malaria-related deaths occur in the under-five age group. Most malaria-related deaths are recorded on the African continent. Malaria accounted for more than half a million deaths worldwide in 2023.

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Recently, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (VRO) in Chile released its first images, capturing 10 million galaxies, 2,000+ new asteroids, and stars with changing brightness. It is located on Cerro Pachon Mountain, Northern Chile, at an altitude of 8,684 feet. VRO was formerly called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and renamed in 2019 to honour Vera C. Rubin, who discovered dark matter evidence. It is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE).

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Indian astronomers recently photographed interstellar comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), also called 3I/ATLAS, using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) in Hanle, Ladakh. The telescope is part of the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), also known as Hanle Observatory. Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is located in the Hanle Valley, Ladakh, at 4500 metres above sea level. It was inaugurated in 2001 and is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru. The observatory is situated in a dry, cold desert with minimal human interference and clear skies.

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Recently, the Ministry of Health in China launched an emergency campaign to protect people at risk of Chikungunya fever. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The name comes from the Makonde language, meaning “bent over in pain” due to joint pain. It is spread through bites of infected female mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes also transmit dengue and Zika viruses. It is not contagious and cannot spread from person to person directly.

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Recently, NASA launched a twin satellite mission called TRACERS, which stands for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites. The satellites were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission aims to study magnetic reconnection, a powerful process where magnetic field lines snap and release energy. This process happens when solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere (magnetic shield).

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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, a new blood group named CRIB was discovered in a South Indian woman from Kolar district, Karnataka. The discovery was announced at the 35th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) held in Milan, Italy. CRIB stands for Cromer India Bangalore and is part of the Cromer (CR) blood group system. This blood group was previously unidentified anywhere in the world. The discovery took 10 months of research and molecular testing by international experts.