Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Euclid Space Telescope captured one of the most detailed images of the Milky Way’s central region, revealing over 60 million stars in a single image. Euclid is a 1.2-metre space telescope launched by the European Space Agency in 2023. It is designed to map billions of galaxies and study the expansion and evolution of the Universe. Its primary objective is to explore the dark Universe, including dark matter and dark energy.

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted India’s first satellite-based landing system (SLS) approach on a jet aircraft (Airbus A320) at Udaipur. The system was developed using the GAGAN (GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) system jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India. SLS enables aircraft to perform precision-like landings at airports without Instrument Landing System (ILS). It uses Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) technology to provide accurate horizontal and vertical guidance during landing. The system significantly enhances aviation safety, especially at secondary and remote airports.

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Astronomers using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) have discovered a new millisecond pulsar. The discovery is part of the ongoing Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART) survey. The MWA is a low-frequency radio telescope located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO), Western Australia. It is also a key precursor site for the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. The telescope is a collaboration of 20 research institutions across five countries: Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and the United States. It is led by Curtin University, Australia.

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Scientists at Raiganj University discovered a new bacterial species named Micromonospora shyamaprasadii. It was discovered in West Bengal from the mulberry rhizosphere (soil around mulberry roots). The species was named in honour of Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 125th birth anniversary. The bacterium shows antibiotic potential by producing compounds that inhibit harmful bacteria.

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Novo Nordisk India launched Awiqli (insulin icodec), the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Awiqli reduces insulin injections from 365 per year to 52 per year, simplifying diabetes management. It showed better HbA1c reduction and improved Time in Range compared with once-daily insulin glargine U100 in the ONWARDS-1 clinical programme. The treatment aims to improve patient adherence by reducing the psychological and physical burden of daily insulin injections. India has over 101 million people with diabetes and 136 million people with prediabetes.

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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Drone Federation India (DFI), launched NIDAR 2.0 (2026–27) under the SwaYaan initiative in New Delhi. The challenge promotes autonomous drone systems, indigenous avionics, and drone component innovation. Track 1 focuses on autonomous swarm drones for disaster management and GPS-denied navigation, while Track 2 focuses on indigenous flight controllers and autopilots using the VEGA processor. The SwaYaan initiative, approved in 2022 with an outlay of ₹89.87 crore, has trained over 51,000 people to strengthen India’s drone ecosystem.

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The United States has reported a widespread outbreak of cyclo­sporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Cyclosporiasis is a food-borne intestinal disease caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The infection primarily affects the digestive system and can cause prolonged gastrointestinal illness if untreated. It spreads through the faecal-oral route by consuming food or water contaminated with infected faeces. The disease does not spread directly from person to person, as the parasite must mature in the environment before becoming infectious.

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China successfully launched the Gravity-1 commercial rocket from the East China Sea. It marked the first far-sea launch by a privately developed commercial rocket in China. The rocket was developed by ORIENSPACE and launched from a sea-based launch vessel. The mission placed nine satellites into orbit to support Earth observation, AI applications, disaster management, agriculture, and resource mapping.

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SHetA2 is a small molecule oral therapy developed to prevent HPV infection from progressing to cervical cancer. It is designed to treat HPV-induced cervical dysplasia (precancerous lesions) and cervical cancer. The therapy has been developed through collaboration between ICMR’s National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), India, and the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson Cancer Center, USA. SHetA2 targets the proteins mortalin, hsc70, and Grp78, which help the HPV cancer-causing protein survive. The therapy is currently being evaluated in an oral capsule form.

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ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal has developed India’s first indigenous live attenuated African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine. The vaccine is based on the MA-104 cell line. It was field-validated with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD). It is recommended for healthy pigs above 8 weeks of age. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. It is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). ASF was first detected in India in 2020. There is no effective treatment for ASF.