Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, a scintillometer was installed at the Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) in Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu. It is an optical instrument used to measure heat and moisture exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. The device transmits a light beam between two fixed points to collect data. Turbulent air causes minute fluctuations in the beam, called scintillations, which are analysed to estimate heat transfer. It was installed as part of the TRRI Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) to enhance climate and crop research.

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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.

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The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)–Larsen & Toubro (L&T) consortium has indigenously built India’s first private Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The PSLV is scheduled to launch the Oceansat satellite early next year. India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a 2022 contract with the HAL–L&T consortium for end-to-end production of five PSLV-XL rockets. This move shifts PSLV manufacturing from ISRO to industry partners while ISRO focuses on new missions and research. The consortium has faced production challenges, resolved with ISRO’s support. HAL also received technology for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to fully own and operate its production.

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Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean submersible mission to reach 6,000 metres depth. Testing is delayed due to late supply of syntactic foam from France, now expected by year-end after testing in Norway. The project is led by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A steel model has been tested up to 100 metres; a 500-metre trial is planned by April next year. The final titanium hull, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, will be tested in Russia. The mission will carry three crew members to collect seabed soil and rocks for future deep-sea mining.

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A recent study found that the shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of death from dementia. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful skin rash. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in nerve cells and can reactivate when immunity becomes weak. Shingles usually appears as a painful stripe of blisters on one side of the body, face, or neck. It is not directly contagious but can spread chickenpox to unvaccinated people. It mainly affects people over 50 years or those with weak immune systems. The Shingrix vaccine helps prevent shingles and its complications.

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AvironiX Drones, a deep-tech company based in Chennai, has launched a new agricultural spraying drone called AviSpray-10c. The AviSpray-10c is a compact and smaller next-generation spraying drone, designed specifically for Indian farming needs. The drone was developed to reduce the cost, operational difficulty, and manpower requirements usually associated with drone-based crop spraying. Unlike many drones built only in laboratory settings, the AviSpray-10c has been tested and validated through extensive real-world field deployments.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. MAVEN is a Mars orbiter that studied how the planet’s atmosphere escapes into space for over ten years. It is the first mission dedicated to studying the upper atmosphere of Mars. It is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program to understand Mars and its past habitability. The mission studied how atmospheric loss changed Mars’s climate over time.

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The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC-ITS) at Ahmedabad Civil Medical College completed 500 kidney transplants in 2025, setting a national record for a public hospital. Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC-ITS) is the only government-run hospital in India to perform 500 kidney transplants in a single year, reinforcing its leadership in kidney transplantation. The institute operates under Gujarat government’s Health Department and provides advanced medical care to economically weaker patients.

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Recently, an observational study on cellulitis was published in the International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds. Cellulitis is a common skin infection caused mainly by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria. It usually affects the legs, feet, and toes but can also involve face, arms, hands, and fingers. The infection affects tissues beneath the skin. Risk factors include skin wounds or a weakened immune system, which allow bacteria to enter easily. Cellulitis is generally not contagious, except rarely through open-wound contact with an infected person.

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Recently, the government announced relaxation for deep-tech startups to get recognition under the Industrial Research and Development Promotion Program (IRDPP). It is a Research and Development (R&D) programme of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. The programme supports research in Engineering Science, Environmental Science, Natural and Applied Sciences, Agricultural, Medical, and Social Sciences. Funding and recognition are provided by DSIR.