Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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New research revealed the largest diphtheria outbreak in Western Europe in 70 years started in 2022. The outbreak mainly affected vulnerable groups like migrants and the homeless. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This bacteria produces a toxin that attacks the respiratory tract and can spread through the body. Transmission occurs through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. It can also spread by contact with infected open sores or ulcers on the skin.

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A Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs has affected 79 people in seven U.S. states, with 21 hospitalized, as per recent reports. Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes food poisoning, also called Salmonella infection. It lives in the intestines of animals and spreads through their feces into contaminated food or water.

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Recently, India’s first agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) named Kruti was launched by the startup Krutrim. It is a next-generation Generative AI (GenAI) tool that goes beyond just providing information. Kruti can act independently to manage complex tasks, make decisions, and solve problems for users and organizations. It uses advanced reasoning and step-by-step planning to handle multi-layered challenges without constant human input. It processes large amounts of data from various sources to create strategies and complete tasks on its own.

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Recently, the Ministry of Defence announced that scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated quantum communication over more than 1 km in free space. Quantum communication is a super secure method of sending information using tiny particles like photons. It uses principles of quantum physics, especially entanglement, to make communication channels tamper-proof. If someone tries to intercept the photons, the disturbance will be detected, revealing the breach. This makes quantum communication highly valuable for defence and national security.

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China has launched the Zhangheng 1B satellite to strengthen early warning systems for natural disasters by monitoring Earth’s electromagnetic environment. It was launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Developed in partnership with Italy under a 2019 cooperation agreement, the satellite entered orbit as planned. Zhangheng 1B is China’s first satellite focused on studying geophysical fields from space and will work with Zhangheng 1A launched in 2018. It carries nine instruments, including an electric field detector and a high-energy particle sensor built by Italy.

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Recently, the Union Health Ministry announced plans to integrate India’s Rare Donor Registry with the national online blood management platform called e-Rakt Kosh. e-Rakt Kosh is an online blood bank management system implemented under the National Health Mission. It is the official portal for all blood-related services in India. It provides real-time information on blood availability, blood banks, and donation camps across the country.

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Recently, India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla made history by piloting the Axiom-4 mission aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He became the first Indian in 41 years to cross the Kármán line after Rakesh Sharma’s spaceflight in 1984. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shukla and called him the first Indian en route to the International Space Station (ISS). This marks a major milestone for India in human spaceflight and international space collaboration.

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Recently, Google DeepMind launched a new Artificial Intelligence model called AlphaGenome. AlphaGenome aims to predict accurately how individual mutations in human Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) affect their functions and impact human health. It is built on DeepMind’s earlier genomics model named Enformer and works alongside AlphaMissense, which focuses on classifying the effects of variants in protein-coding regions. The model can analyze very long DNA sequences up to one million base pairs and generate highly detailed predictions.

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Recently, Novo Nordisk launched its weight-loss injection semaglutide in India after Eli Lilly introduced tirzepatide. These are Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which are drugs that copy the action of GLP-1, a gut hormone released after eating. GLP-1 helps control blood sugar, fat metabolism, and appetite in the body. These medicines usually come as injections, though oral forms are being developed. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are two leading GLP-1 Drugs. Semaglutide and tirzepatide transforming the treatment of obesity and diabetes in India.

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Recently, an eight-week study in Brazil found that Kombucha improves gut bacteria in people with obesity by increasing good microbes and reducing harmful ones. However, it did not improve blood sugar or inflammation markers. Kombucha is a fermented tea that offers complex flavors without much sugar or caffeine. It originated in northeast China around 220 BCE and was known for its energizing and detoxifying effects. Kombucha is becoming popular in India, with the market growing from 45 million in 2020 to 102 million in 2024.