Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) recently solved the mystery behind X-ray emissions in black hole jets. IXPE is a joint satellite mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Italian Space Agency, launched on December 9, 2021. It is the first satellite designed to measure the polarisation of X-ray light, helping scientists study extreme cosmic environments. The mission focused on blazars, which are a type of active galactic nucleus with a supermassive black hole ejecting a powerful jet of particles aimed toward Earth.

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Scientists recently found signs of ancient wildfires, called palaeofires, from the Permian Period about 250 million years ago in the Godavari Basin. Palaeofires are wildfire events recorded in ancient rocks, helping us understand Earth’s past vegetation, climate changes, and coal formation. The study covered a long geological timescale, from the Late Silurian to the present Quaternary Period. Researchers used methods like Palynofacies analysis, Raman Spectroscopy, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy to study tiny fossils and charcoal. They clearly identified charcoal formed on-site (in situ) and transported charcoal (ex situ), solving a major geological debate. They also found that sea-level changes affected how fire residues were preserved—more intact during sea-level drops (regressive) and more scattered during sea-level rise (transgressive).

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India has launched its first 3-nanometre (3nm) chip design centres in Noida and Bengaluru, marking a major step in advanced semiconductor development. These centres have been set up by Renesas Electronics India Private Limited, placing India among a few nations working on next-generation chip design. The initiative is part of a broader government plan to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem including design, fabrication, ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging), and supply chain support.

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Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed a high-pressure nanoporous multilayered polymeric membrane for seawater desalination. The project was carried out by Defence Materials Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. This membrane is made to suit the needs of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), especially to resist chloride ion damage in salty seawater. It will be used on Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) of the Coast Guard to ensure a self-reliant supply of freshwater onboard. Desalination means removing salts from seawater to make it usable for drinking or industry.

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Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a new iron-doped catalyst. This catalyst improves oxygen-related electrocatalytic reactions. Oxygen electrocatalysis is important for clean energy technologies like water splitting to produce hydrogen, generating clean fuels, and making hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). These technologies often face challenges such as slow reaction speeds, high energy use, and expensive materials. They usually depend on precious metals like platinum (Pt) and ruthenium (Ru). The new iron-based catalyst aims to reduce costs and improve efficiency in these clean energy processes.

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India will launch its first manned deep-ocean mission called Samudrayaan by 2026 to explore marine resources up to 6,000 metres deep. The mission is part of the Deep Ocean Mission and will use an indigenously developed submersible named MATSYA 6000. MATSYA 6000 is a 4th generation manned submersible vehicle designed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai. It can carry three people and operate for 12 hours, with an emergency endurance of 96 hours. The research vessel Sagar Nidhi will be used to deploy and recover MATSYA 6000 during the mission.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism now affects 1 in 31 children in the United States as of 2022, up from 1 in 36 in 2020. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects brain development, causing challenges in communication, social skills, behaviour, and learning. Symptoms usually appear before age 3, but diagnosis may be delayed due to low awareness. Individuals with ASD may show repetitive actions, limited interests, and unique learning or movement styles. ASD results from both genetic and environmental factors, with genetics playing a major role. No evidence links vaccines to autism, and such claims are false and harmful.

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Recently, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar. The event was held during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, organised by the African Union and World Health Organization (WHO). Kala-azar is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by a protozoan parasite and is fatal if untreated, showing symptoms like fever, fatigue, weight loss, and enlarged spleen and liver. More than 70% of global kala-azar cases are in Eastern Africa, where half of the affected are children under 15, according to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The MoU encourages more investment and better strategies to eliminate kala-azar and improve public health responses.

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Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, under the Department of Science and Technology, have found a new method to detect topological invariants in quantum materials using the spectral function. The spectral function is a quantum tool that shows how energy and particles like electrons behave inside a material. It is commonly used to study electronic structure such as density of states and dispersion relations. The team focused on momentum-space spectral function (SPSF), which acts like a quantum fingerprint showing how electrons are spread across energy and momentum. This method reveals hidden topological features using values like winding numbers in one-dimensional systems and Chern numbers in two-dimensional systems.

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Recently, the Battery Aadhaar Initiative was launched under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at the Battery Summit 2025. Tata Elxsi showcased a technology demonstrator of Battery Aadhaar using its MOBIUS+ platform, which acts as a Digital Product Passport for batteries. Each battery pack will get a unique digital identity under this initiative. This helps track manufacturing origin, battery chemistry, safety certifications, and lifecycle performance. It allows monitoring of key parameters like charge-discharge cycles, enabling predictive maintenance and efficient recycling. The initiative also aims to prevent counterfeit batteries, increase consumer trust, and promote a circular economy.