Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has already discovered over 2,100 new asteroids before officially starting operations. Vera C. Rubin Observatory is located in Chile. It is designed to scan the night sky repeatedly and is expected to find millions of unknown space objects. The observatory can help track dangerous asteroids that may collide with Earth, enhancing planetary defense. Some asteroids found have comet-like tails, and it might even spot interstellar objects from outside our solar system. It may also discover Planet Nine, a mystery planet far beyond known planets.

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Recently, in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, the Prime Minister of India announced that India has been declared free of Trachoma, a bacterial eye disease. Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through contact with the eyes, eyelids, or throat secretions of infected people. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls it a neglected tropical disease, affecting around 150 million people worldwide. In 2017, India was declared free from infective Trachoma, with surveillance continuing until 2024.

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Recently, the Ministry of Power announced a task force to develop the India Energy Stack, a new digital platform for the energy sector. The India Energy Stack is a Digital Public Infrastructure to create a secure, standard, and open system for managing and innovating across the electricity sector. It will give unique identification numbers for consumers, assets, and transactions. It will allow real-time, consent-based data sharing and use open Application Programming Interfaces for smooth integration.

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Recently, the Union government ordered fast-tracking of 52 surveillance satellites under the Space-Based Surveillance-III (SBS-III) programme. The SBS-III was approved in October 2023 by the Cabinet Committee on Security led by the Prime Minister. It plans 21 satellites by Indian Space Research Organisation and 31 by private companies. The first launch is due by April 2026, with the full network ready by 2029. The Defence Space Agency under Integrated Defence Staff leads this project and coordinates with Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and the armed forces for space security.

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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.

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Recently, a deadly accident occurred at the pharma unit of Sigachi Industries in Hyderabad, raising the death toll to 36. The unit manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC). Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) is a free-flowing powder extracted from refined wood pulp. It is inert, nontoxic, fiber-rich, chewable, and not absorbed during digestion. Wood is the main source of pharmaceutical MCC, with cellulose chains bound by polymers and hydrogen bonds.

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Recently, the Kerala Health Minister confirmed 425 people are on the Nipah virus contact list across the state. Nipah Virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic virus spreading from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food or directly from person to person. Fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family are its natural hosts. NiV infection can be without symptoms, mild, or cause serious breathing illness and deadly brain swelling.

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Google recently launched the Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) Application Programming Interface (API) to provide crop and field activity data across India. AMED API is an open-source artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool designed to monitor crops and detect agricultural events at field level. It offers data on crop type, crop season, field size, and past three years’ agricultural activity. It helps in farm management by providing insights on soil, water, climate needs, and expected harvest volume.

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Recently, a team from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to detect ancient Buddhist stupas and buried structures in Yamuna Nagar district, Haryana. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a high-resolution geophysical method that uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to explore underground features. These waves interact with subsurface materials and are reflected, refracted, or scattered based on their type. GPR typically detects features up to a depth of around 10 meters. It is useful for locating bedrock depth, water tables, soil layers, buried stream channels, cavities, and fractures.

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Recently, the Ministry of Health in China launched an emergency campaign to protect people at risk of Chikungunya fever. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The name comes from the Makonde language, meaning “bent over in pain” due to joint pain. It is spread through bites of infected female mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes also transmit dengue and Zika viruses. It is not contagious and cannot spread from person to person directly.