Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Bangladesh became the 8th country in the world to introduce the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) in its routine immunisation programme. Around 50 million children aged 9 months to 15 years will receive the vaccine under a nationwide campaign. India is the major vaccine supplier for this drive but has not yet included TCV in its Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Typhoid fever is caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium and spreads through contaminated food and water or vectors like flies. The disease can lead to fever lasting several weeks, and complications like intestinal perforation can cause death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 9–12 million global typhoid cases and over 1 lakh deaths annually — with India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan as hotspots

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In November 2025, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Joint Venture (JV) under the Ministry of Power (MoP), announced India’s largest Geothermal Energy Technology (GET) pilot project in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The project will be implemented at two tourism hubs — Araku Valley and Visakhapatnam (Vizag). It uses geothermal systems like Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) Systems and Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP). The system works by using the earth’s constant underground temperature at a depth of 7–8 meters (m) for eco-friendly heating and cooling. The technology has a short payback period of 3–4 years, ideal for hotels and tourism infrastructure.

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Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, inaugurated India’s first and largest Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system. The VRFB has a capacity of 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) at NTPC’s NETRA Research & Development Centre in Greater Noida. This milestone advances India’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions and strengthens renewable energy integration and national grid resilience. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is a modern technology offering an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, expanding the pool of usable elements for battery systems.

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Recently, IIT Bombay developed India’s first Quantum Diamond Microscope under the National Quantum Mission. The microscope uses Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centres in diamond to image magnetic fields at nanoscale resolution at room temperature. It enables advanced research in neuroscience, materials science, and non-destructive semiconductor testing. This innovation marks India’s first patent in quantum sensing technology. The development strengthens India’s national capability in frontier quantum instrumentation and promotes technological self-reliance in advanced scientific research.

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The World Health Organization has issued the first global guidelines on Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs for weight loss. GLP-1 receptor agonists are synthetic medicines used to treat adult obesity and type-2 diabetes. These drugs are mainly injectable, while oral versions are under development. Leading examples are Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, now available in India. They increase insulin, reduce glucagon, slow stomach emptying, and suppress appetite, helping control blood sugar and body weight.

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Niger became the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis, also called river blindness. Niger is the fifth country worldwide to stop transmission of Onchocerca volvulus parasite. Other successful countries are Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico in the Americas. World Health Organisation (WHO) praised Niger’s strong leadership and public health efforts. Onchocerciasis is the second leading infectious cause of blindness after trachoma. It spreads through bites of infected black flies found near rivers. It mainly affects rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen, and some parts of Latin America.

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Bluetongue Virus (BTV) has recently been detected in more suspected cases in Northern Ireland, raising concerns about livestock health. Bluetongue is a severe haemorrhagic disease that affects animals and is infectious, but it is non-contagious and spreads only through insect vectors. The virus mainly infects domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as wild animals like buffalo, deer, antelope, and camels, with sheep being the most severely affected. It spreads primarily through the bites of infected Culicoides midges, which are tiny blood-feeding insects commonly found on farms. There is no effective treatment for bluetongue, but vaccines are available for certain strains and are used in Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe.

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Chandrayaan-3’s lander payload RAMBHA-LP (Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere – Langmuir Probe) detected an active plasma environment in the Moon’s south polar region. Plasma, the 4th state of matter, is electrically neutral and contains charged particles like ions and free electrons. RAMBHA-LP uses a hypersensitive Langmuir probe mounted on a boom to avoid interference from the lander. It measures electron density and electron temperature near the lunar surface, helping understand the plasma behaviour at the Moon’s South Pole.

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India launched its first hydrogen-powered water taxi service in Varanasi on December 10, 2025. The service was inaugurated by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, marking a major advancement in India’s clean transport initiatives. The water taxi has been built by Cochin Shipyard, integrating modern engineering with sustainability. It operates on a hybrid electric–hydrogen propulsion system, ensuring zero emissions, low noise levels and high environmental safety. The vessel is equipped with five hydrogen cylinders and 3 kW solar panels, which help meet auxiliary power needs.

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India launched DHRUV64, the country’s first 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor, fully developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Programme. DHRUV64 aims to reduce India’s dependence on imported processors and supports both strategic and commercial applications. The processor features modern architectural enhancements for improved efficiency, multitasking, and reliability, and integrates seamlessly with hardware for applications like 5G, automotive systems, consumer electronics, industrial automation, and the Internet of Things. India contributes nearly 20% to global microprocessor production, highlighting the importance of indigenous chip development.