Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Astronomers discovered asteroid 2025 PN7 in September 2025 as Earth’s latest quasi-satellite. ‘Quasi’ means almost; the asteroid is not gravitationally bound but orbits the Sun in resonance with Earth. It is an Arjuna-class near-Earth asteroid, named after Mahabharata’s Arjuna. 2025 PN7 orbits the Sun while staying close to Earth and will remain in this quasi-satellite state for approx 128 years. It was first spotted on August 2, 2025, by Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (Pan-STARRS 1) in Hawaii.

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Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute created the world’s first entirely AI-generated genome. The AI-designed virus can infect and kill bacteria, acting as a bacteriophage. Artificial Intelligence (AI) model named Evo was used, employing genome “language models” to design complete viral genomes. Evo was trained on about 2 million viral genomes to learn DNA patterns, gene order, and composition. Scientists guided Evo to mimic phiX174, a small bacteriophage with 11 genes and approximately 5,000 DNA letters. This achievement marks a significant advancement beyond AI-designed proteins or small multi-gene systems. It demonstrates AI’s potential to innovate in synthetic biology and genome engineering.

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Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-Madras) has been nominated as a United Nations (UN) Centre of Excellence (COE) for Artificial Intelligence (AI), capacity building, and skilling. The nomination was announced by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The Centre of Excellence will operate under the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) to support the Global South in AI capacity building. India’s AI mantra is “capacity is the new connectivity” to bridge global AI gaps.

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Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Delhi, launched the city’s first Central Tissue Bank for bone grafting in dental surgeries. The facility was inaugurated by Delhi Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh. Bone grafting helps reverse jawbone loss and supports dental implants, dentures, and tissue regeneration. The tissue bank provides ready access to high-quality bone and soft tissue grafts, reducing cost and addressing limited availability.

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On Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR’s) Foundation Day, 26th September 2025, the SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging) system facility was inaugurated at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi. The facility was designed and developed by CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal. The SODAR system will provide additional atmospheric data for improved weather forecasting and research.

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Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a new siphon-based thermal desalination system for clean drinking water. Traditional solar stills face salt buildup and scaling limits restricting output. The system uses a composite siphon of fabric wick and grooved metallic surface to draw water and flush out salt before crystallization. It is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable, made from aluminum and fabric, powered by solar or waste heat. It is useful for off-grid areas, disaster zones, coastal and island communities facing water stress.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently launched the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission. Its main goal is to study how solar particles are energised and how the heliosphere shields Earth. Heliosphere is a giant bubble formed by the Sun’s solar wind that covers the entire solar system. Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will map the heliosphere’s boundary, trace energetic particles, and improve space weather forecasting. It is positioned at the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1), about 1 million miles from Earth towards the Sun. It will provide near real-time data on solar wind and energetic particles to monitor space weather hazards.

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On October 12, 2025, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated newly developed pulse and barley varieties at the 118th All India Farmers Fair and Agricultural Industry Exhibition held at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) in Uttarakhand. The varieties were developed by GBPUAT students to improve crop productivity and farmer income. Pant Urd-13 and Pant Urd-14 are improved urdbean (black gram) varieties with higher yield and better disease resistance. Pant Matar 554 is a high-yielding pea variety designed to enhance farmers’ earnings. Pant Jau 1106 is a new barley variety introduced to diversify crop options for farmers in the region.

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Health officials in Florida have recently confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), also called “Zombie Deer Disease.” It is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. It attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It is caused by prions, which are infectious misfolded proteins that damage the brain. Prions spread through body fluids like saliva, blood, and urine and can stay in soil and plants for years. Infected animals show weight loss, drooling, and strange behavior. There is no cure or vaccine, and the disease is always fatal.No human cases have been confirmed yet, but experts stay alert.

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The Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE) recently signed agreements with key partners to launch the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Project. The project aims to transform rural India by combining physical and digital (phygital) services. It integrates on-ground service delivery with strong digital infrastructure to empower rural citizens. The initiative uses BharatNet connectivity to ensure smooth and sustainable access to essential services. Three villages have been selected for the pilot — Ari and Umri in Madhya Pradesh, Narakoduru in Andhra Pradesh, and Chaurawala in Uttar Pradesh. Each village will have a Samriddhi Kendra serving as an integrated digital service hub.