1. Which country was certified by WHO as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in August 2025?
[A] Somalia
[B] Ethiopia
[C] Botswana
[D] Kenya
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kenya]
Notes:
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. It is a parasitic disease spread by infected tsetse fly bites, endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. It has two forms: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (92% cases, chronic, found in West and Central Africa) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (8% cases, acute, found in East and Southern Africa). Rural communities relying on farming, fishing, herding, or hunting face higher risk. WHO has validated the gambiense form’s elimination in Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Chad, Guinea, and now Kenya.
2. India’s first fully indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation is led by which private company?
[A] Skyroot Aerospace
[B] Pixxel Space
[C] Agnikul Cosmo
[D] Bellatrix Aerospace
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Pixxel Space]
Notes:
India recently launched its first fully indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation. It is developed by a private consortium led by Pixxel Space under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The satellites carry advanced sensors like Panchromatic, Multispectral, Hyperspectral, and Microwave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). They will provide Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and Value-Added Services (VAS). This reduces India’s dependence on foreign satellite data and ensures national data sovereignty. It positions India as a global leader in geospatial intelligence
3. National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is jointly implemented by which two government bodies?
[A] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Department of Science and Technology
[B] Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[C] Indian Space Research Organization and Department of Biotechnology
[D] Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Science and Technology
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Department of Science and Technology ]
Notes:
The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) was launched in April 2015 by the Government of India with a budget of Rs.4,500 crore. Its vision is to achieve self-reliance and global leadership in supercomputing and provide state-of-the-art facilities to researchers. It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. As of August 2025, 37 supercomputers with 40 Petaflops capacity are installed across IITs, IISc, R&D labs and Tier-II/III cities. This information was submitted in the Lok Sabha today by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology.
4. National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories functions under the administrative control of which department?
[A] Department of Science & Technology
[B] Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
[C] Department of Pharmaceuticals
[D] None of the Above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade]
Notes:
Recently, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) launched its new Medical Application Portal. NABL is a non-profit autonomous organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. It functions under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The new portal aims to streamline medical testing and accreditation processes efficiently.
5. Which company has launched the Learning Accelerator program in India to empower the education ecosystem with Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
[A] OpenAI
[B] Microsoft AI
[C] Scale AI
[D] Nvidia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [OpenAI]
Notes:
OpenAI has launched the Learning Accelerator program in India to empower the education ecosystem with Artificial Intelligence (AI). India is one of the largest ChatGPT markets, with millions of students using AI for assignments, research, and learning. The initiative will distribute 5 lakh ChatGPT licences to students and educators across schools, universities, and research institutes. Government schools (Classes 1–12) will receive ChatGPT access through the Ministry of Education for lesson planning and personalized student engagement. Technical institutes under All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will get AI tools for skill-building.
6. What is the name of the newly developed hand-held, non-invasive brain injury diagnostic tool by ICMR and collaborators?
[A] NEUROSCAN
[B] BRAIN SAFE
[C] NEURONIC
[D] CEREBO
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [CEREBO]
Notes:
CEREBO is a hand-held, portable, non-invasive brain injury diagnostic tool developed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Medical Device & Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS), AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and Bioscan Research. It is designed for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) and detects intracranial bleeding and edema within a minute. The device is safe for infants and pregnant women and usable by paramedics and unskilled personnel. CEREBO provides colour-coded, radiation-free, cost-effective results where CT or MRI scans are inaccessible or delayed. It can be deployed in ambulances, trauma centres, rural clinics, and disaster response units.
7. Researchers have found evidence that interstellar dust grains align with magnetic fields in the Milky Way. Interstellar dust grains are composed of which materials?
[A] Iron and nickel
[B] Silicates and carbonaceous material
[C] Hydrogen and helium
[D] Oxygen and nitrogen
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Silicates and carbonaceous material]
Notes:
Scientists have found that tiny interstellar dust grains act as storytellers of the universe. A team led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, provided the strongest observational evidence of how these dust grains align with magnetic fields in the Milky Way. Dust grains are a few micrometers in size, made of silicates and carbonaceous material, and exist throughout the interstellar medium. They play a key role in star and planet formation and cause starlight polarization detected since 1949.
8. Which NASA mission recently spotted two rocky exoplanets orbiting the star TOI-2322?
[A] Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
[B] Artemis Program
[C] James Webb Space Telescope
[D] Hubble Space Telescope
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)]
Notes:
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission has discovered two rocky exoplanets around star TOI-2322, located 195 light-years away. Scientists detected them by observing small dips in the star’s brightness, indicating planets passing in front. TOI-2322 b is nearly Earth-sized, completes one orbit in 11 days, and has a very hot surface temperature of about 330°C. TOI-2322 c is almost twice Earth’s size, about 18 times heavier, and has a dense structure similar to Earth’s layers. The planets were confirmed using space telescopes and ground tools, showing successful global collaboration in astronomy.
9. Japanese Encephalitis (JE), that was recently seen in news, is caused by which agent?
[A] Bacteria
[B] Virus
[C] Fungus
[D] Protozoa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Virus]
Notes:
Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever are rising due to rapid urbanisation, climate change, and global travel. A new study published on 3 September in Science Translational Medicine shows waning immunity against Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) can worsen dengue outcomes. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese Encephalitis (B) virus. Transmission occurs through infected Culex mosquitoes of the Vishnui group, not from human to human. It is most common in rural Asia, especially during monsoon seasons. Both viruses belong to the genus Orthoflavivirus and show cross-immune interactions.
10. What is the causative agent of False Smut Disease, that was recently seen in news?
[A] Bacteria
[B] Virus
[C] Fungus
[D] Protozoa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Fungus]
Notes:
In Punjab, incessant rainfall and floods stopped farmers from spraying anti-fungal medicines. This has led to the emergence of false smut disease, locally called haldi rog, in paddy crops. False smut is a major fungal disease of rice caused by Ustilaginoidea virens. The fungus attacks during the flowering stage, but symptoms appear after panicle emergence. Infected grains show black fungal growth, later covered with yellow fungal mass. It reduces seed germination and significantly lowers yield depending on infection level.