Science and Technology Current Affairs Updates for UPSC IAS Prelims 2025 Examination

News: The Central Government took a significant step under its IndiaAI Mission by launching AIKosha along with an AI Compute Portal. About AIKosha AIKosha is a secured platform designed to provide a comprehensive repository of datasets, models, and use cases to facilitate AI research and innovation in India. Aim: It aims to provide accessible AI… Continue reading AIKosha

News: Viatina-19 cow has made headlines worldwide as the most expensive cow ever sold. This sale made her the world’s most expensive cattle, as per the Guinness World Record. About Viatina-19 Viatina-19 belongs to the Nelore breed, also known as Ongole. It originated in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India and was first introduced to Brazil in the… Continue reading Viatina-19

News: A 500-kg metal object, believed to be space debris, crashed in Kenya, sparking concerns about accountability and legal gaps in space governance. Space Debris and International Laws on Space Debris About Space Debris Space debris refers to defunct, non-functional objects in Earth’s orbit, including fragments of old satellites, spent rocket stages, and collision remnants.… Continue reading Space Debris and International Laws on Space Debris

News: Recently, demand for Bollgard-3 in Punjab has increased ahead of the cotton sowing season. About Bollgard 3 This genetically modified (GM) cotton variety is resistant to pests and was developed by Monsanto over a decade ago. It demonstrates exceptional resistance to insect attacks. The variety incorporates three Bt proteins—Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A—which disrupt the… Continue reading Bollgard 3

News: NASA is set to launch its latest solar mission on March 6, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. About PUNCH Mission The Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) is a solar mission by NASA. Aim: The mission aims to study the Sun’s corona (the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere) and its interaction… Continue reading PUNCH Mission

News: A recent study highlighted that more than one-third of newborns diagnosed with sepsis could die, emphasizing the urgent need for improved infection prevention and antibiotic management. About Neonatal sepsis Neonatal sepsis is a bloodstream infection that affects infants younger than 28 days. Neonatal sepsis is commonly caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli),… Continue reading Neonatal sepsis

News: The Euclid Space Telescope has discovered a new Einstein ring, named Altieri’s ring, in the nearby galaxy NGC 6505. About Euclid Space Telescope The Euclid Space Telescope is a space observatory launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on July 1, 2023, with the mission to explore the dark universe including dark matter and… Continue reading Euclid Space Telescope

News: India’s first space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has made a ground breaking observation by capturing the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere. About Aditya-L1 mission It is India’s first space-based solar observatory designed to study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds, and flares. It was launched on September… Continue reading Aditya-L1 mission

News: NASA’s PUNCH Mission has been in news due to its groundbreaking approach to studying the Sun’s atmosphere and space weather. About Polarimetry to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission It is an advanced solar observation project designed to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, track the origins of solar winds, and analyze Coronal Mass… Continue reading PUNCH Mission

News: NASA is preparing to launch its new space telescope, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer), on February 28, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. About SPHEREx Space Telescope  The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization,… Continue reading SPHEREx Space Telescope

News: Recently, the Ministry of Mines issued a gazette notification shifting Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz from the minor minerals category to the major minerals category. About Major Minerals Minerals in India are classified into two categories: major minerals and minor minerals. The classification is based on their economic significance, industrial applications, and the regulatory… Continue reading Reclassification of Major Minerals

News: Black plastic is commonly used in kitchen utensils, food containers, and household items. However, concerns have emerged regarding its safety due to potential toxic chemical exposure. About Black Plastic It is often made from recycled electronic waste, such as old computers, TVs, and appliances. These electronics contain substances like: Flame retardants (e.g., bromine-based compounds… Continue reading Black Plastic

News: The Bharat Tech Triumph Program (TTP) was launched as part of the Create in India Challenge Season 1 to highlight India’s gaming talent on a global stage. About Bharat Tech Triumph Initiative  It was organized by the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC) and was supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Objective: … Continue reading Bharat Tech Triumph Initiative 

News: Recently, astronomers conducted an extensive study on coronal holes. The study suggests that coronal holes influence Indian monsoon rainfall through their radiative effects. About Solar Coronal Holes Solar coronal holes are regions on the Sun’s outer atmosphere (corona) that appear dark in X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images due to their lower density and… Continue reading Solar Coronal Holes

News: Recently, Microsoft introduced its latest Majorana 1 chip. About Majorana 1 Aim: Majorana 1 aims to bring quantum computing closer to real-world applications by addressing key challenges in the field. Reduced Error Rates: It utilizes the properties of Majorana fermions to improve fault tolerance, making computations more stable and reliable. 20 Years in the… Continue reading Majorana 1 Chip

News: IN-SPACe officially announced that TAF will promote space technology development. The initiative is expected to accelerate innovation and support space startups. About Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) The Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) is an initiative launched by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to support and accelerate the development of India’s space… Continue reading Technology Adoption Fund (TAF)

News: The US has proposed gaining access to 50% of Ukraine’s mineral resources in return for military support. Trump claims that Ukraine owes the US $500 billion worth of resources in exchange for past military aid. About Ukraine’s Critical Minerals Abundant Reserves: Ukraine possesses 22 of the 50 strategic minerals identified as critical by the… Continue reading Ukraine’s Critical Minerals

News: Earthquake swarms are in the news due to a recent spate of seismic activity on the Greek island of Santorini and surrounding areas. About Earthquake Swarm An earthquake swarm is a sequence of many small to moderate earthquakes occurring in a localized area over a short period of time, without a single, large “mainshock”… Continue reading Earthquake Swarm

News: Meta has announced Project Waterworth which is its most ambitious subsea cable project. About Project Waterworth Aim: The project aims to enhance global internet connectivity using AI and machine learning. Focus: It will focus on better cable deployment and maintenance for a more reliable internet. It will be the world’s longest and highest-capacity subsea… Continue reading Project Waterworth

News: Indirect prompt injection attacks have recently gained attention as a serious cybersecurity threat targeting AI chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs). About Indirect Prompt Injection: It is a technique used to manipulate AI chatbots into executing malicious commands. Exploits the chatbot’s ability to follow embedded instructions within processed content. How It Works Attackers… Continue reading Indirect Prompt Injection

News: The XR Creator Hackathon is in the news because its Delhi chapter was recently held on 8th February 2025 at 91 Springboard, Noida, as part of the WAVE Summit initiative. About Extended Reality (XR) Extended Reality (XR) is a broad term that includes all immersive technologies that blend the real and virtual worlds. It covers… Continue reading Extended Reality (XR)

News: The Ugandan government and the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed a new Sudan virus disease (SVD) outbreak in February 2025. About Sudan Virus Caused by: Sudan virus (SUDV) is part of the Orthoebolavirus genus, the same family as the Ebola virus. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.… Continue reading Sudan Virus

News: The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope discovered a rare Einstein ring around a galaxy called NGC 6505, located 590 million light-years from Earth. The images were captured in September 2023 and released on February 12, 2025. About Einstein Ring An Einstein ring is a ring-shaped pattern of light formed due to gravitational… Continue reading Einstein Ring

News: In a pioneering medical achievement, doctors in Chennai successfully performed a kidney transplant on a patient with the Bombay blood group, using an organ from a donor with a different blood type. The team adapted the Japanese technique of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) to lower anti-H antibody levels, preventing organ rejection and making an… Continue reading Bombay Blood Group

News: Recently, an eight year-old girl from Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, passed away after battling brucellosis for nearly two months. About Brucellosis Brucellosis is a bacterial infection caused by various Brucella species. It primarily affects livestock, including cattle, swine, goats, sheep, and dogs. Humans get infected through direct contact with infected animals, consuming contaminated animal products,… Continue reading Brucellosis 

News: The “Nuclear Mission” was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. About Nuclear Mission The “Nuclear Mission” marks a historic shift in India’s energy policy, enabling nuclear power to emerge as a major energy source.  This initiative aligns with India’s commitment to energy security, self-sufficiency, and sustainability, aiming to position the country as a global leader… Continue reading Nuclear Mission

News: The discovery of Gaia BH3, a massive stellar black hole, has gained significant attention due to its scientific importance, uniqueness, and implications for astrophysics. About Gaia BH1  It was detected in June 2022 in Gaia’s third dataset. It was found through a star’s rapid motion around an invisible mass. Mass: 9 times that of… Continue reading Discovery of Nearby Black Holes

News: Recently, India made significant strides in biomedical research with the dedication of its first Ferret Research Facility, the launch of GARBH-INi-DRISHTI, and a Technology Transfer Agreement between THSTI and a private company.  About GARBH-INi-DRISHTI  It is a digital platform that stores and shares important health data collected from over 12,000 pregnant women, newborns, and… Continue reading GARBHINI-DRISHTI

Context: Amplifiers play a crucial role in many fields, from entertainment and communication to medicine and astronomy.  About Amplifier An amplifier is an electronic device that increases the strength of a signal. It takes a weak electrical signal and makes it stronger so it can be heard or processed more effectively. For example, in audio… Continue reading Amplifier

News: The WHO has released guidelines recommending low-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) to improve cardiovascular health. About WHO’s New Guidelines on Salt Consumption The guidelines suggest reducing sodium chloride (NaCl) in table salt and replacing it with potassium chloride (KCl). The goal is to limit sodium intake to less than 2 grams per day to reduce… Continue reading WHO’s Recommendation for Low Sodium Salt Alternatives

News: The Indian government has adopted a targeted approach to contain leprosy transmission in five states—Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha where the disease has the highest prevalence. About National Strategic Plan (NSP) & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27) It was launched on January 30, 2023, to achieve zero leprosy transmission by 2027, ahead of the… Continue reading India’s Approach to Combat Leprosy Transmission

News: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reported a technical glitch in its NVS-02 navigation satellite, launched on January 29, 2025, as part of its 100th successful mission. About NVS-02  NVS-02 is an advanced navigation satellite launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as part of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system. … Continue reading NVS-02 Satellite

News: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Suzetrigine, a new non-opioid painkiller. About Suzetrigine Suzetrigine is a  non-opioid painkiller developed by US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Unlike opioids, which work in the brain, suzetrigine blocks pain signals before they reach the brain. It targets nociceptors (specialized nerve endings that sense pain). This prevents the… Continue reading Suzetrigine

News: Recently, DeepSeek’s R1 model has created a major disruption in the global AI industry. About DeepSeek  DeepSeek is a Chinese AI startup based in Hangzhou. It recently launched the R1 model, which has disrupted the global AI sector. DeepSeek R1 is an open-source AI mode which is known for high efficiency at a lower… Continue reading DeepSeek 

News: Asteroid Bennu has been making headlines due to NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) mission, which aims to collect and return samples from the asteroid to Earth. About Asteroid Bennu Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid located about 200 million miles away from Earth. It was discovered in 1999 by the NASA-funded… Continue reading Asteroid Bennu

News- Recently China’s ‘artificial sun’, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor, sustained plasma for 1,000 seconds, breaking its 2023 record of 403 seconds. About Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor It is a fusion research device located at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) in Hefei, China. It… Continue reading China’s ‘Artificial sun’ EAST

News- Recently, doctors treating patients from J&K’s Baddal village said that organophosphate could be behind the 17 deaths that had spread panic in the village. About Organophosphate Organophosphates are chemical compounds formed through the esterification process involving phosphoric acid and alcohol. Esterification is a chemical reaction where two reactants like alcohol and acid combine to… Continue reading Organophosphate

News– Researchers from Switzerland have announced the development of a gene-editing technique that may potentially aid in the treatment of Stargardt disease. About Stargardt Disease It is a rare inherited genetic disorder that leads to progressive vision loss, especially in children and young adults. Cause: The disease is caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene,… Continue reading Stargardt disease

News: A Thiruvananthapuram court recently sentenced a 24-year-old woman to death for poisoning her boyfriend in 2022 with the herbicide paraquat. About Paraquat Paraquat, also known as paraquat dichloride or methyl viologen, is one of the world’s most-used herbicides. It a highly toxic chemical which is mainly used to control weeds and dry out crops… Continue reading Paraquat poisoning

News: The Prime Minister has congratulated Digantara for the successful launch of Mission SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking).  About Mission SCOT   It is the world’s first commercial satellite for surveillance of Resident Space Objects (as small as 5cm) orbiting the Earth to ensure safer space operations.  Surveillance of Outer Space or Situational Space… Continue reading Mission SCOT

Source: The post IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy has been created, based on the article “150 years of IMD: What the weather agency has planned for the future” published in “Indian Express” on 17th January 2025 UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Disaster and disaster management. Context: The article discusses the India… Continue reading IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy

News: Authorities in the United States are using planes to drop pink fire retardant to curb the Southern California Wildfires.  About Pink Fire Retardant  Fire retardant is a mix of chemicals used to extinguish or slow down the spread of fires.  Authorities in the US most commonly rely on Phos-Chek, a type of fire retardant,… Continue reading Pink Fire Retardant

Source: The post Earthquakes in Himalayas Threaten Lives and Infrastructure has been created, based on the article “Damage control: Adherence to existing regulations can limit the impact of earthquakes” published in “The Hindu” on 10th January 2025 UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-Disaster and disaster management. Context: The article discusses a recent earthquake in Tibet that… Continue reading Earthquakes in Himalayas Threaten Lives and Infrastructure

News: The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in Caenorhabditis elegans transformed our understanding of gene regulation. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2024 for discovering miRNAs in C. elegans. About MicroRNAs (miRNAs) Definition– MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules, typically around 20-22 nucleotides long, that play a crucial… Continue reading MicroRNAs and Caenorhabditis elegans

News: India and the U.S. announced cooperation on co-production of U.S. sonobuoys for Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy. About Sonobuoys Sonobuoys are expendable, electro-mechanical acoustic devices used to detect underwater sounds, such as those made by submarines or ships. Working Mechanism: Sonobuoys are dropped from aircraft or ships in canisters and activate… Continue reading Sonobuoys

News: Several state governments have issued health advisories after detection of the first Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Bengaluru.  About HMPV  It is a respiratory virus that causes upper respiratory infection and mild infections that are like common cold.  Sometimes, it can also cause lower respiratory infections like pneumonia, asthma flare-ups or may deteriorate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary… Continue reading Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Explanation

News: Air India has announced the rollout of Wi-fi Internet connectivity services on selected domestic and international flights.  Technologies used to provide in-flight internet   It operates primarily on two kinds of technology:   Ground based cellular towers- An antenna, placed around the plane’s belly, picks up signals from the nearest tower on ground to… Continue reading Working of in-flight Internet

Source: This post onNeed of Cyclone prediction in Indiahas been created based on article “Why better prediction of cyclone intensity, heavy rainfall is needed” published in The Hindu on 30th December 2024. UPSC Syllabus topics: GS 3- Disaster Management Context: The article underscores the urgent need for improving the prediction of tropical cyclone intensity and… Continue reading Need of Cyclone prediction in India

News: The UN General Assembly recently adopted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime. UN Convention against Cybercrime About UN Convention against Cybercrime It is a landmark global agreement adopted by 193 UN member states. Its goal is to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime and protect societies from digital threats. The treaty will… Continue reading UN Convention against Cybercrime

News: Cephalopods, such as octopuses and squids, are increasingly recognized for their intelligence. This has sparked calls for humane treatment regulations comparable to those for vertebrates. Cephalopods Explaination About Cephalopods: Cephalopods are a class within the phylum Mollusca, which includes octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Cephalopods are cold-blooded (ectothermic), meaning their body temperature is regulated… Continue reading Cephalopods Explaination