Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Kerala reported another death from Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, PAM), raising the 2025 toll to 27 cases. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis is a rare, fatal brain infection caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Infection occurs when contaminated freshwater enters the nasal cavity, allowing the amoeba to reach the brain via the olfactory nerve. It is found in warm freshwater and soil, especially lakes, rivers, hot springs, and unchlorinated pools.

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Russia has successfully tested its new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone named Poseidon. President Vladimir Putin announced the test, calling it a major success and saying it cannot be intercepted. The test took place just days after Russia also tested the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. Both tests are seen as signals to the United States amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The Poseidon drone was tested using nuclear power for the first time. It reportedly surpasses all current systems in speed and depth. Its nuclear reactor is 100 times smaller than those on submarines. The drone’s nuclear warhead is said to be more powerful than the Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).

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Bangladesh became the 8th country in the world to introduce the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) in its routine immunisation programme. Around 50 million children aged 9 months to 15 years will receive the vaccine under a nationwide campaign. India is the major vaccine supplier for this drive but has not yet included TCV in its Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Typhoid fever is caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium and spreads through contaminated food and water or vectors like flies. The disease can lead to fever lasting several weeks, and complications like intestinal perforation can cause death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 9–12 million global typhoid cases and over 1 lakh deaths annually — with India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan as hotspots

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AIIMS Bhubaneswar has started research on the Cycad plant due to the presence of BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine), a possible neurotoxin. Cycads are palmlike, woody gymnosperm plants. They are ancient species that existed alongside dinosaurs for over 300 million years. They grow in various habitats, from wet rainforests and grasslands to semidesert and seasonally dry forests. Their distribution spans tropical and subtropical regions, including the Americas, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, eastern India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Australia.

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In November 2025, Google announced ‘Project Suncatcher,’ a research initiative to create a solar-powered, space-based AI infrastructure system. The project aims to use Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) aboard satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to explore machine learning scalability. It will use Trillium TPUs designed to withstand up to 15 krad(Si) radiation and advanced thermal radiators to manage heat. In partnership with Planet Labs, two prototype satellites will launch in 2027 to test AI performance and optical communication. Solar-powered satellites will operate in a sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit, generating up to 8 times the power of ground-based installations

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In November 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace launched the Copernicus Sentinel-1D Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) aboard the Ariane 6 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana. The mission, designated VA265, marked a key step in strengthening Europe’s autonomous access to space and Earth observation capability. It is the fourth and final satellite of the first-generation Copernicus Sentinel-1 constellation, completing Europe’s radar imaging network.

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The Assam Government recently banned inter-district movement of live pigs to stop the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a rising concern in the region. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar, with mortality up to 90–100%. It is not zoonotic, meaning it does not infect humans or other livestock. First found in sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now present across Europe, Asia and Africa, with India reporting its first cases in 2020 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Russia successfully launched a new set of undisclosed military satellites. The launch vehicle used was the Angara-1.2 light rocket. It was conducted from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Plesetsk is the world’s northernmost spaceport. The exact number and purpose of the satellites were not disclosed. The mission was carried out for the Russian Defence Ministry. It was executed by a combat crew of the Aerospace Forces.

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The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) launched the steel-cutting ceremony for India’s first all-electric green tug for Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) under the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP). Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), launched by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), aims to shift India’s harbour tugs from diesel to green propulsion. A total of 50 green tugs will be inducted by 2030, with 16 tugs in Phase-1 (2024–2027). National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) is the nodal agency. Tugs use Green Hybrid Propulsion and will later adopt methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen as non-fossil fuels.

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Ten blackbucks died in Jamshedpur Zoological Park, Jharkhand due to suspected Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS). Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) is also called Pasteurellosis and is caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria. It mainly affects cattle and buffaloes, with young animals more vulnerable. Bacteria survive longer in humid and waterlogged conditions. It spreads through contaminated food, water, air and direct contact.