71. What is ‘Indiaphonte bijoyi’ that was recently seen in news?
[A] Traditional medicine
[B] Invasive weed
[C] Bacteria
[D] Crustacean
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Crustacean]
Notes:
Recently, a new microscopic crustacean named Indiaphonte bijoyi was discovered in the Kavaratti lagoon of the Lakshadweep islands. It is a tiny crustacean belonging to the family Laophontidae under the Copepoda class. The species lives within sediments of aquatic environments, making it a sediment-dwelling organism. It has a semi-cylindrical and slightly flattened body, broader at the centre and narrowing towards the rear end. It is classified as meiofauna, meaning very small invertebrate animals measuring less than one millimetre in size.
72. Which state has announced plans to establish India’s National Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test and Innovation Corridor?
[A] Kerala
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Karnataka
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Odisha]
Notes:
Odisha government partnered with deep-tech startup BonV Aero to create a National Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test and Innovation Corridor. The corridor will be set up at Rangeilunda in Ganjam district. It will be India’s first commercial airport repurposed as a real-world drone testing facility. The agreement was signed at the Wings India 2026 summit in Hyderabad. BonV Aero will lead indigenous research, development, and testing of unmanned aviation systems. The corridor will allow live UAV trials in low-altitude airspace up to 1,000 metres.
73. SPHEREx mission is an initiative of which space organization?
[A] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
[B] European Space Agency (ESA)
[C] China National Space Administration (CNSA)
[D] Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)]
Notes:
NASA’s SPHEREx mission recently observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, the third such object discovered in our solar system. SPHEREx stands for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer. It is a NASA Astrophysics mission launched on March 11, 2025. The telescope has a megaphone-shaped design and will conduct an all-sky spectral survey. It surveys the sky in optical and near-infrared light, which helps study cosmic phenomena invisible to the human eye.
74. The beta version of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the eSankhyiki portal has been launched by which organization?
[A] NITI Aayog
[B] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
[C] National Statistics Office
[D] Reserve Bank of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [National Statistics Office]
Notes:
The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched the beta version of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the eSankhyiki portal. Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a technology that allows users to directly connect datasets with their own Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and applications. It provides a standard method to make official data accessible to Large Language Models (LLMs).
75. Amazon India has partnered with which institution to develop packaging materials from agricultural waste?
[A] IIT Delhi
[B] IIT Kanpur
[C] IIT Roorkee
[D] IISc Bengaluru
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [IIT Roorkee]
Notes:
Amazon India partnered with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to develop non-wood paper packaging from agricultural waste. The project will convert crop residues like wheat straw and bagasse into recyclable and home-compostable packaging materials. It aims to reduce stubble burning, lower dependence on imported virgin wood pulp, and create extra income for farmers. Research will be led by Department of Paper and Packaging Technology and INNOPAP Lab at IIT Roorkee over 15 months.
76. What is “Staphylococcus aureus” that was recently seen in news?
[A] Virus
[B] Bacteria
[C] Fungus
[D] Protozoa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bacteria]
Notes:
An institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in North East India has synthesised a novel biosurfactant effective against the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, non-motile, round-shaped bacterium from the family Staphylococcaceae. It occurs in grape-like clusters and is commonly found in the environment. It affects all mammalian species, including humans, and can be transmitted between species. Transmission occurs through air droplets, direct contact with contaminated objects, or bites from infected persons or animals. It causes minor skin infections, boils, cellulitis, abscesses, scalded skin syndrome, and may lead to pneumonia.
77. Which organisation recently launched the AI image generation model “Nano Banana 2”
[A] Microsoft
[B] OpenAI
[C] Meta
[D] Google
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Google]
Notes:
Google launched Nano Banana 2, its new Artificial Intelligence image generation and editing tool. It is also called Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and replaces Nano Banana Pro with faster performance and high-quality results. It improves text rendering, subject consistency and real-time web content integration. It is integrated across Google Search AI Mode, Google Lens, AI Studio, Gemini Application Programming Interface and Vertex AI. It is available in 141 more countries including India.
78. The Proba-3 Mission is launched by which space agency?
[A] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
[B] Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
[C] Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
[D] European Space Agency (ESA)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [European Space Agency (ESA)]
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.
79. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered by which telescope?
[A] Hubble Space Telescope
[B] Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)
[C] James Webb Space Telescope
[D] Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)]
Notes:
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was recently confirmed by NASA to not collide with the Moon in 2032. It is an Apollo-type asteroid, meaning its orbit crosses Earth’s orbit but remains mostly outside it. It was discovered in 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. In its name, Y indicates discovery in the second half of December, while R4 shows it was the 117th asteroid identified in that period. It is a Near-Earth Object (NEO) with size about 174–220 feet (53–67 metres). It likely originated from the central Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
80. Silverpit Crater, that was recently seen in news, is located in which sea?
[A] North Sea
[B] Red Sea
[C] Arabian sea
[D] Black sea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [North Sea]
Notes:
New research confirmed that the Silverpit Crater was formed by a massive asteroid impact millions of years ago. It lies about 700 metres beneath the seabed in the North Sea, nearly 80 miles off the coast of Yorkshire. The crater was buried under thick sediment layers and was discovered only in 2002. It formed when a high-velocity space rock struck the seabed around 43–46 million years ago. Scientists found “shocked” quartz and feldspar crystals, which form only under extreme pressure during asteroid impacts. The crater is about 3 km wide and surrounded by circular faults extending nearly 20 km.