Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) developed an agriculture waste-based packaging material. It offers a sustainable alternative to plastic foams like Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). Fungi such as Ganoderma lucidum (medicinal mushroom) and Pleurotus ostreatus (edible mushroom) were grown on waste. Five substrates were used: cardboard, sawdust, paper, cocopith, and hay. Ganoderma on cardboard showed higher compressive strength than EPS. India generates over 350 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually. This innovation can help reduce four million tonnes of plastic waste produced in India.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered learning app named Tutoz. The app is developed by Revin Techno Solutions, a start-up incubated at IIT Palakkad. Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan officially launched the app at IIT Palakkad. Tutoz is designed for competitive exams like Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and Common Admission Test (CAT). The initiative aims to bridge rural learning gaps and boost India’s digital education mission.

Notes:
V. O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port, Thoothukudi, became the first Indian port to produce green hydrogen and achieve over 1 MW rooftop solar power generation. The announcement came during the Green Ports and Shipping Conference under NAVIC Cell-3 (Green Initiatives and Pollution Control), Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The event is part of roadshows ahead of India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, showcasing maritime sustainability and innovation. The conference discussed maritime decarbonisation, green financing, and policy frameworks for achieving India’s 2070 net-zero target.

Notes:
Pfizer recently launched its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) for adults in India. PCV20 protects against 20 serotypes causing most pneumococcal diseases. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. It can cause mild infections like ear infections and severe ones like pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Around 90 serotypes exist globally; few cause most diseases. It is a major global health issue, especially affecting young children and the elderly in developing countries.

Notes:
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (Indian Oil) became the first company in India to secure International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) CORSIA for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Panipat Refinery. The certification is mandatory for commercial SAF production and aligns India with global aviation fuel standards. Certificate was handed over by Cotecna to Indian Oil Chairman A.S. Sahney in New Delhi. ISCC CORSIA, developed under Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ensures sustainability and lifecycle carbon standards.

Notes:
On 15 August 2025, Chinese commercial aerospace company Geespace successfully completed the fourth orbital deployment of GEESATCOM (Geely Constellation) by launching 11 satellites from waters off Rizhao, Shandong Province aboard a single rocket. All satellites entered their planned 600 km orbits and are operating normally. GEESATCOM, independently developed and operated by Geespace, supports satellite Internet of Things (IoT) testing and inter-satellite communications. It also provides Earth observation for ecological and environmental monitoring.

Notes:
Russia announced plans to launch the Venera-D mission to revisit Venus before 2036. Preliminary design work will begin in January 2026 under the new national space programme. The mission is being developed in collaboration with the Lavochkin Association. It will include a lander, a balloon probe, and an orbital spacecraft for comprehensive study of Venus. The design phase will take two years to complete. The launch is expected between 2034 and 2036, with the exact date decided after the design phase.

Notes:
Recently, Kerala’s health department issued an alert in Kozhikode after three cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) were reported. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, also called the “brain-eating amoeba.” This amoeba lives in warm freshwater, soil, swimming pools, hot tubs, and infects through the nose. It mainly affects young, active people and has a mortality rate above 95%. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) progresses rapidly and is often fatal within days, while Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE) progresses slowly.

Notes:
Israeli defense technology firm Elbit Systems recently launched its advanced JUPITER space camera aboard the National Advanced Optical System (NAOS) satellite. The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. JUPITER supports military operations, environmental monitoring, scientific research, and wide-span observation missions. It features a large aperture, lightweight design, high-resolution panchromatic channel for black-and-white imaging, and a Near Infrared (NIR) channel for vegetation, water, and material analysis. The camera can capture continuous long image strips covering large areas efficiently.

Notes:
For decades, aspirin was the main drug to prevent heart attacks and strokes. A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress and published in The Lancet shows clopidogrel, a blood-thinning antiplatelet drug, may be more effective. Review of seven clinical trials with 29,000 coronary artery disease patients found clopidogrel 14% more effective than aspirin in lowering major cardiovascular risks. Importantly, there was no higher risk of serious bleeding compared to aspirin. Clopidogrel (a P2Y₁₂ inhibitor) works by blocking platelet receptors to stop dangerous blood clots. It is low-cost, widely available, and safe, making it a strong candidate to replace aspirin in treatment guidelines.