61. Which institute has developed CRYODIL for buffalo semen cryopreservation?
[A] National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal
[B] National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru
[C] Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar
[D] Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru]
Notes:
Scientists at the National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), have developed CRYODIL. CRYODIL is a ready-to-use, egg yolk-free semen extender for buffaloes. It is the first such solution developed in India for buffalo semen cryopreservation. It has a long shelf life of 18 months or more. The post-thaw progressive motility of sperm in CRYODIL is significantly higher than in traditional egg-yolk-based extenders. It improves sperm movement and viability after freezing and thawing, increasing fertilisation success.
62. What type of exoplanet is “GJ 251c” that was recently seen in news?
[A] Gas giant
[B] Ice giant
[C] Mini-Neptune
[D] Super-Earth
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Super-Earth]
Notes:
In October 2025, scientists discovered a new exoplanet named GJ 251c, located less than 20 light-years from Earth. The discovery was made by an international team, including researchers from Penn State University (PSU), USA. The finding was published in The Astronomical Journal. GJ 251c is a super-Earth, about four times the mass of Earth and likely rocky in composition. It was detected using the radial-velocity method, with data from the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) at PSU’s Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The discovery provides key insights into planetary formation and the search for potentially habitable exoplanets.
63. Which country has achieved the world’s first conversion of thorium into uranium fuel inside a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR)?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] China
[C] Japan
[D] India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
China has achieved the world’s first conversion of thorium into uranium fuel inside a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR). It marks the first-ever experimental data on thorium operation from within a molten salt reactor. The 2 megawatt liquid-fuelled TMSR is currently the only operating reactor successfully using thorium fuel. A Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is a fourth-generation nuclear reactor using molten salt as both coolant and fuel carrier instead of solid rods.
64. Which university secured a national patent for a machine learning-based technology to extract rainfall data from radar signals?
[A] Delhi University
[B] Banaras Hindu University
[C] Cochin University of Science and Technology
[D] Lucknow University
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Cochin University of Science and Technology]
Notes:
The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has received a national patent for a machine learning-based radar technology to extract accurate rainfall data. The system was developed at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR). It uses a Hybrid Adaptive Bi-Gaussian Fitting Algorithm with a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to separate rain and air turbulence echoes. The innovation helps radars clean their data in real time, improving rainfall and wind accuracy up to 5 km in the troposphere. It enhances flood forecasting and early warning systems for Kerala, a state prone to extreme monsoon events.
65. Where is India’s first 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) Vanadium Redox Flow Battery system installed?
[A] Greater Noida
[B] Chennai
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Bengaluru
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Greater Noida]
Notes:
Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, inaugurated India’s first and largest Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system. The VRFB has a capacity of 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) at NTPC’s NETRA Research & Development Centre in Greater Noida. This milestone advances India’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions and strengthens renewable energy integration and national grid resilience. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is a modern technology offering an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, expanding the pool of usable elements for battery systems.
66. Which species is the natural host of the Marburg virus disease that was recently reported in Ethiopia?
[A] Aedes aegypti mosquito
[B] Fruit Bat
[C] Honeybee
[D] Rat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Fruit Bat]
Notes:
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Ethiopia’s first-ever outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD). MVD is a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus. It was first identified in 1967 in Marburg, Germany. The causative agents are Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV) of the species Orthomarburgvirus marburgense. The natural host is the fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus of the Pteropodidae family. It spreads from infected bats to humans and then through contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.
67. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme is implemented by which government department?
[A] Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
[B] Department of Biotechnology
[C] Department of Commerce
[D] Department of Science and Technology
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Department of Science and Technology ]
Notes:
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programme is becoming popular among young startups and innovators. It works under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations which is NIDHI. It encourages graduate students to choose entrepreneurship as a career. It provides financial and non-financial support in the form of a fellowship. It offers startup infrastructure, mentoring, technical guidance, and industry support. It is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology with NCL Venture Centre.
68. Where was India’s first all-composite airframe two-seater trainer aircraft, Hansa-3(NG), launched?
[A] Bengaluru
[B] New Delhi
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Mumbai
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Bengaluru]
Notes:
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, launched Hansa-3(NG), first indigenous all-composite two-seater trainer aircraft for Private Pilot License (PPL) and Commercial Pilot License (CPL) training at CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru. Hansa-3(NG) reduces foreign dependence and boosts aviation entrepreneurship. The aircraft will help flying clubs meet India’s growing demand for trained pilots.
69. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) functions under the administrative control of which department?
[A] Department of Science and Technology (DST)
[B] Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
[C] Department of Space (DOS)
[D] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Department of Space (DOS)]
Notes:
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has signed 70 Technology Transfer Agreements with industry. NSIL was incorporated on 6 March 2019 under the Companies Act, 2013, and works under the Department of Space (DOS), Government of India. It helps Indian industries take up high-technology space activities and promotes commercial use of India’s space products and services.
70. Which organization launched RESPOND Basket 2025?
[A] Defence Research and Development Organisation
[B] Indian Space Research Organisation
[C] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
[D] Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Indian Space Research Organisation]
Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently launched RESPOND Basket 2025. The programme invites research proposals from premier universities and recognised academic and R&D institutions. It focuses on areas relevant to ISRO’s upcoming missions and national priorities. RESPOND Basket 2025 supports projects including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan missions, Venus orbiter, and a human Moon landing. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between ISRO and academic institutions and foster research aligned with India’s space ambitions.