Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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On May 19, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) honoured Austria, Norway, Oman, and Singapore for eliminating industrially produced trans fats from their national food supply. The announcement was made at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Trans fats, also called trans-fatty acids (TFA), are harmful unsaturated fats linked to over 278,000 deaths each year. WHO launched the global goal in 2018 to eliminate trans fats by 2025, but progress remains slow. By May 2025, 60 countries had adopted best-practice policies, covering only 46% of the global population. India implemented such a policy in 2022 through the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Second Amendment Regulations, 2021. India is among the leading Asian countries in enforcing best-practice policies, alongside Thailand.

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Chinese scientists recently discovered a new species of bacteria named Niallia tiangongensis aboard the Tiangong Space Station. The Tiangong Space Station, meaning ‘Sky Palace’, is a Chinese-owned and permanently crewed space station in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). It is the final phase of China’s Manned Space Program, developed after earlier missions Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2. The first module, Tianhe, was launched in April 2021 and connects two science modules, Wentian and Mengtian, with a planned space telescope called Xuntian.

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China is preparing to launch the Tianwen-2 mission to explore and sample the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo‘oalewa. The mission will be launched by the Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. It is led by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Tianwen-2 will first study asteroid Kamo‘oalewa and then travel to study comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the asteroid belt. Kamo‘oalewa is a quasi-satellite of Earth discovered in 2016, which orbits the Sun while staying close to Earth due to gravitational influence. Tianwen-2 will collect samples using a “touch-and-go” method, with a backup “anchor-and-attach” technique.

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a new high-efficiency tandem solar cell with nearly 30% power conversion efficiency compared to the current 20%. This innovation was developed at the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) and uses a four-terminal (4T) tandem structure. The top layer is made of semi-transparent halide perovskite, while the bottom layer uses traditional silicon, allowing both to work independently for better efficiency. Perovskite materials, known for excellent light absorption and low cost, now have improved durability of up to 10 years. The new design also works well in heat and low-light, making it ideal for India’s climate and helping reduce solar energy costs to ₹1 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This breakthrough boosts India’s clean energy goals by enhancing output and land-use efficiency.

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Delhi recently witnessed intense storms that appeared in the shape of a crescent or archer’s bow, technically known as bow echoes. A bow echo is a line of thunderstorms that appears curved like a bow on weather radar, also called a squall line. Sometimes, this bow echo can be part of a larger squall line system. It usually stretches from 20 to 100 kilometres and lasts for three to six hours. The term bow echo was introduced in the 1970s by Ted Fujita, a meteorologist famous for creating the Fujita Scale to measure tornado intensity.

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Recently, despite the launch of the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) in 2021 and a financial aid programme, over 300 patients, mostly children with Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs), are not receiving proper medical treatment. LSDs are rare genetic disorders where harmful substances build up inside cells due to enzyme deficiencies. They are caused by mutations in the genes that produce lysosomal enzymes, which help break down waste in cells. These diseases can severely affect organs and quality of life.

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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, France’s national blood agency, the French Blood Establishment (EFS), discovered a new blood group system called “Gwada negative,” officially recognised by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). It is scientifically named EMM-negative and registered as ISBT042. The name “Gwada negative” refers to the Guadeloupean origin of the woman who carries this rare blood type. This blood group is defined by the absence of the EMM antigen, a high-incidence antigen usually present in almost all humans.

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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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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla recently launched path-breaking Myogenesis experiments on the International Space Station (ISS), showing India’s progress in space research. Myogenesis is the process of forming muscle fibers. It is a complex and controlled process important for developing and maintaining skeletal muscle tissue. Myogenesis helps build body muscles that support movement, posture, and metabolism. It happens through the transformation of precursor cells called myoblasts into multinucleated muscle fibers. Studying myogenesis helps understand muscle diseases and develop therapies.