Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, Indian Railways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) to install Machine Vision Based Inspection System (MVIS). Machine Vision Based Inspection System (MVIS) uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inspect trains in real time for better maintenance and safety. It is a wayside system that captures high-resolution images of moving train under-gear. It detects hanging, loose, or missing parts and sends real-time alerts for quick action.

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Recently, on July 1, scientists using the ATLAS telescope in Chile reported the discovery of an interstellar object named 3I/ATLAS. It has been tracked since June 14, 2025 and is believed to be the oldest comet ever observed, possibly over 3 billion years old, predating the solar system. It is classified as an interstellar comet due to its hyperbolic orbit and high speed of 57–68 km/s relative to the Sun. The comet comes from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, suggesting an origin in the Milky Way’s thick disk.

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Chinese researchers led by Professor Zhao Jieliang at Beijing Institute of Technology developed the world’s lightest brain control device to steer bees. It is fixed on the bee’s back with three fine needles connecting to the brain, sending signals to control direction. In trials, bees followed commands with 90% accuracy, including turning, moving forward, and reversing. The bee-based robotic model offers superior mobility, stealth, and adaptability for missions like urban combat, counterterrorism, and disaster relief.

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Indian astronomers recently photographed interstellar comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), also called 3I/ATLAS, using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) in Hanle, Ladakh. The telescope is part of the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), also known as Hanle Observatory. Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is located in the Hanle Valley, Ladakh, at 4500 metres above sea level. It was inaugurated in 2001 and is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru. The observatory is situated in a dry, cold desert with minimal human interference and clear skies.

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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.

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Chinese researchers recently created an in vitro biotransformation (ivBT) system that can make sucrose from methanol. Methanol used in the process is produced from industrial waste or carbon dioxide (CO2). This method shows a new way to convert CO2 into food and useful chemicals. It helps in solving environmental problems and food shortages caused by growing population. Biotransformation means changing a substance using biological agents like enzymes. When this change happens outside the living body, it is called in vitro biotransformation (ivBT). The system uses isolated enzymes or cells for the chemical change.

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Recently, astronomers observed rocky planet formation for the first time by detecting minerals condensing from vapor around a young star named HOPS‑315. HOPS‑315 is a newborn protostar located 1,300 light-years away in the Orion molecular cloud. It has a rotating protoplanetary disc of gas and dust, tilted in a way that allows Earth-based telescopes to view its inner region clearly. This rare view helped scientists directly witness the earliest stages of rocky planet formation. The minerals found—like forsterite and enstatite—match those in chondritic meteorites on Earth. This discovery closely mirrors how our own Solar System may have formed.

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Indian space-tech startup Dhruva Space is set to launch its first commercial satellite mission named LEAP-1. LEAP-1 will carry payloads for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Earth observation. It uses the indigenously developed P-30 satellite platform, which was space-qualified on ISRO’s PSLV-C58 in January 2024 during the LEAP-TD mission. The mission is jointly developed by Dhruva Space, Akula Tech (Australia), and Esper Satellites (Australia).

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Recently, concern was raised that despite the huge human and economic toll of Chagas disease, investment in research and development of diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines remains disproportionately low. Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It spreads mainly through blood-sucking triatomine bugs, also called reduviid or “kissing bugs,” which often bite the face. Infection occurs when parasite-containing feces of the bug enter the body. It can also spread from mother to child, contaminated food or drinks, blood transfusions, organ transplants, or lab accidents. The disease is common in South America, Central America, and Mexico.

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Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (Indian Oil) became the first company in India to secure International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) CORSIA for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Panipat Refinery. The certification is mandatory for commercial SAF production and aligns India with global aviation fuel standards. Certificate was handed over by Cotecna to Indian Oil Chairman A.S. Sahney in New Delhi. ISCC CORSIA, developed under Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ensures sustainability and lifecycle carbon standards.