Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Maldives has become the first country in the world to achieve triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. According to WHO, around 25,000 HIV-positive pregnant women globally need treatment to prevent transmission to babies. Hepatitis B still affects over 42 million people in the WHO Southeast Asia Region. In Maldives, over 95% of pregnant women receive antenatal care with almost universal testing for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.

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Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), India developed a sensitive method to detect toxic molecules like Rhodamine B. The method uses the coffee-ring effect combined with nanotechnology for enhanced detection. The coffee-ring effect occurs when a droplet evaporates, and capillary flow moves particles from the center to the edge, forming a ring-shaped deposition pattern. Rhodamine B is a water-soluble synthetic dye with bright pink fluorescence. It is widely used in fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and ELISA biochemical assays. Rhodamine B is toxic and carcinogenic, affecting skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. This method provides a rapid and effective tool for detecting hazardous dyes in research and environmental monitoring.

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India has recently developed its first indigenously discovered antibiotic, Nafithromycin. It was developed with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The antibiotic is marketed under the trade name “Miqnaf.” It is the first molecule fully conceptualized, developed, and clinically validated in India. Nafithromycin addresses Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and is effective against resistant respiratory infections. It is especially useful for cancer patients and poorly controlled diabetics. The drug treats Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) and targets both typical and atypical pathogens. No similar antibiotic in this class has been developed globally for over 30 years.

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Fibromyalgia is a real, chronic health condition affecting 2–3% of the global population. It causes long-term pain and tenderness in muscles and soft tissues. Common symptoms include fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory issues, stress, anxiety, and depression. The exact cause is unknown, but affected individuals have heightened sensitivity to pain. Symptoms often appear in flare-ups that come and go. Other symptoms include headaches, migraines, digestive issues, restless leg syndrome, and temporomandibular jaw disorders. There is no cure, but treatment helps control symptoms.

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Scientists at the National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), have developed CRYODIL. CRYODIL is a ready-to-use, egg yolk-free semen extender for buffaloes. It is the first such solution developed in India for buffalo semen cryopreservation. It has a long shelf life of 18 months or more. The post-thaw progressive motility of sperm in CRYODIL is significantly higher than in traditional egg-yolk-based extenders. It improves sperm movement and viability after freezing and thawing, increasing fertilisation success.

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Russia has launched its newest nuclear submarine ‘Khabarovsk’, built to carry the underwater nuclear drone ‘Doomsday Missile’ (Poseidon). Poseidon is an unmanned, nuclear-powered underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It can travel at extremely high speeds and operate at great ocean depths, making it hard to detect or intercept. The missile can travel intercontinental distances underwater and strike coastal targets. It serves as a strategic nuclear deterrent, designed for massive retaliatory destruction in case of a nuclear conflict.

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The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has received a national patent for a machine learning-based radar technology to extract accurate rainfall data. The system was developed at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR). It uses a Hybrid Adaptive Bi-Gaussian Fitting Algorithm with a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to separate rain and air turbulence echoes. The innovation helps radars clean their data in real time, improving rainfall and wind accuracy up to 5 km in the troposphere. It enhances flood forecasting and early warning systems for Kerala, a state prone to extreme monsoon events.

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Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, inaugurated India’s first and largest Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system. The VRFB has a capacity of 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) at NTPC’s NETRA Research & Development Centre in Greater Noida. This milestone advances India’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions and strengthens renewable energy integration and national grid resilience. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is a modern technology offering an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, expanding the pool of usable elements for battery systems.

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India’s first indigenous CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), named BIRSA 101, was recently launched by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology. It is developed by CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) – Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). BIRSA 101 uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to precisely correct the genetic mutation causing SCD. The therapy is administered as a one-time infusion, after which the body produces normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.

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Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean submersible mission to reach 6,000 metres depth. Testing is delayed due to late supply of syntactic foam from France, now expected by year-end after testing in Norway. The project is led by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A steel model has been tested up to 100 metres; a 500-metre trial is planned by April next year. The final titanium hull, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, will be tested in Russia. The mission will carry three crew members to collect seabed soil and rocks for future deep-sea mining.