Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) partnered with Intel India to launch a specialized Agentic AI skill development initiative. This program focuses on equipping students and IT professionals with practical training in goal-oriented AI systems. Unlike standard digital literacy programs, this initiative emphasizes hands-on experience in sequential reasoning, planning, and digital tool integration. The collaboration aims to build a robust Indian workforce capable of deploying highly autonomous AI agents across various sectors, thereby strengthening the nation’s technological capabilities in advanced computing domains.

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The Government approved Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 on 5 May 2026 to provide credit support to businesses affected by external economic disruptions. The scheme is implemented by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) and aims to facilitate additional credit flow of up to ₹2.55 lakh crore. ECLGS 5.0 will remain operational until 31 March 2027 or until ₹2.55 lakh crore in guarantees are issued, whichever is earlier. As of August 2026, 6,73,979 guarantees worth ₹2,50,024 crore had been issued, with MSMEs accounting for 97.3% of guarantees by number.

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The compact spherical tokamak named ‘Pragya’ was developed by the Indian fusion-technology startup Pranos Fusion. Launched in 2026, it represents a significant milestone in India’s private-sector contribution to nuclear fusion research. Pragya utilizes a low-aspect-ratio spherical geometry to confine high-temperature plasma. Unlike traditional large tokamaks, compact spherical tokamaks offer a more cost-effective and space-efficient platform for experimental plasma physics. This development highlights the growing role of domestic private enterprises in deep-tech and advanced clean energy sectors within India.

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IIT (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad has secured an Indian patent for an electrochemical technology to recover copper from wastewater. The patented invention is titled “An Electrochemical Reactor for Cathodic Recovery of Copper from Wastewater.” The patent was granted by the Patent Office, Government of India. The reactor uses a cathodic electrochemical process to extract copper from wastewater. During treatment, copper gets deposited on an electrode, from where it can be recovered. The technology promotes resource recovery and circular economy principles.

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Premier Energies has commissioned India’s largest solar cell manufacturing facility at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh. The facility has a capacity of 7 GW and manufactures N-type TOPCon G12R solar cells. The facility has started trial runs. With this facility, Premier Energies’ total solar cell manufacturing capacity has increased to 10.6 GW. The company claims this makes it India’s largest solar cell manufacturer.

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National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has become India’s first NIT with a dedicated campus-based astronomical observatory. The Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics is equipped with a high-performance 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The facility is developed with scientific guidance from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. It will enable advanced astronomical observation and imaging of the Moon, planets, nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies. The observatory is expected to promote astronomy education, research and practical training among students and researchers.

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Recently, an international team led by scientists from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, studied the blazar OJ 287 to understand its changing brightness, colour and binary black-hole system. The study involved 106 scientists from 48 institutions across 18 countries. Researchers observed OJ 287 using around two dozen telescopes from 2015 to 2025. OJ 287 is located about 4 billion light-years from Earth and contains two supermassive black holes orbiting each other every 12 years. OJ 287 is a blazar, producing powerful plasma jets travelling at nearly the speed of light and directed towards Earth. It shows a distinctive double-peaked pattern in brightness, first identified in 1988.

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Recently, Japan’s space agency, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), announced plans to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, the world’s first mission to bring samples back from Phobos, one of Mars’s two moons. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard Japan’s H3 rocket and is expected to return to Earth in 2031. The mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of soil from Phobos to investigate the origins of Mars’s moons and their possible connection to the formation of the solar system. Phobos and Deimos are the two natural satellites of Mars. Scientists are investigating whether they formed from debris after an impact on Mars or are captured asteroids.

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Researchers have developed Lumina, a large computational cosmological simulation model to study the evolution of the universe during its first two billion years. The model incorporates dark matter, ordinary matter, radiation and cosmic reionisation to simulate the evolution of the early universe. Lumina generates testable predictions that can be compared with actual astronomical observations. It helps scientists understand how dark matter created gravitational wells that attracted gas and enabled the formation of the first stars and galaxies. The simulation numerically models physical processes involved in the formation of cosmic structures.

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The ancient Martian meteorite ‘Teghaza 001’ was discovered in Mali, West Africa. This unique space rock has provided scientists with vital evidence regarding the presence of ancient liquid water that chemically altered parts of Mars’s early crust. Analysis of its mineral composition and trapped atmospheric gases confirmed its Martian provenance. Unlike samples returned by spacecraft missions, Martian meteorites are naturally ejected from Mars by high-energy planetary impact events, travel through interplanetary space, and eventually fall onto Earth’s surface as meteorites.