Science and Technology Current Affairs 2025-26: Your Complete UPSC Prelims Guide
Science and technology current affairs are now a consistent source of 4-6 questions in UPSC Prelims every year. This archive covers the most critical developments from 2025-26 across ISRO, AI, biotechnology, and emerging tech that you absolutely cannot afford to skip.
Science and Technology Current Affairs 2025-26: Your Complete UPSC Prelims Guide
India's Gaganyaan program crossed a major milestone in early 2025 when ISRO successfully completed the second uncrewed test flight, bringing India's first human spaceflight mission one step closer to reality. That single development has already found its way into mock tests across coaching institutes from Rajinder Nagar to Anna Nagar. And that's just one story.
Here's the thing. Science and technology current affairs are no longer the "bonus questions" they once were in PT. The pattern has shifted. UPSC Prelims 2023 had 6 direct S&T questions. Prelims 2024 maintained that trend. If you're preparing for UPSC 2026, ignoring this section is like leaving 24-30 marks on the table.
This blog covers the most important science and technology developments from 2025-26 that are directly relevant to your Prelims prep. Think of it as your one-stop archive. Let's get into it.
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Table of Contents
- ISRO and India's Space Programme Updates 2025-26
- Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology in India
- Biotechnology, Health and Life Sciences
- Nuclear, Defence and Emerging Technologies
- Environment-Linked Science Developments
- Quick Reference: Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
ISRO and India's Space Programme Updates 2025-26
You probably already know that ISRO is a perennial favourite in UPSC Prelims. But do you know exactly which missions matter and why? Let's break it down.
Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO's human spaceflight program remained the headline story through 2025. The mission involves sending Indian astronauts, called Vyomanauts, to low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 400 km. The TV-D2 abort test and subsequent pad abort tests confirmed critical crew escape system functionality. UPSC loves asking about the specific orbit altitude, the term "Vyomanauts," and the associated crew module.
Chandrayaan-4 Planning: Following the spectacular success of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touching down near the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023, ISRO began detailed planning for Chandrayaan-4. This mission aims to demonstrate lunar sample return capability. It's a two-module mission involving a lander and an ascent vehicle. The collaboration angle with JAXA of Japan is worth noting for GS2 bilateral relations.
NISAR Satellite: The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, jointly developed by NASA and ISRO, was launched in 2024. NISAR will map Earth's surface every 12 days and is particularly relevant for disaster monitoring, agriculture assessment, and glacier studies. The fact that this is a bilateral science collaboration makes it relevant for both GS3 science and GS2 international relations.
Aditya-L1: India's first solar observatory reached the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in January 2024 and has been transmitting data since. Questions on Lagrange points, solar wind, coronal mass ejections, and the payloads aboard Aditya-L1 are all fair game.
Takeaway: Don't just memorize mission names. Know the objectives, orbit types, collaborating agencies, and the scientific significance of each ISRO mission.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology in India
Real talk. Artificial Intelligence is now one of the fastest-growing areas of S&T questions in UPSC Prelims. And it's not just conceptual. The examiner wants to know if you're tracking real policy and real institutions.
IndiaAI Mission: The Indian government launched the IndiaAI Mission in March 2024 with a budget outlay of Rs 10,371 crore. The mission has seven pillars: IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe and Trusted AI. Expect a question that asks you to identify which of these is or is not a pillar.
AI Safety and Governance: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been drafting AI governance frameworks. India's position at global AI summits, including the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in November 2023 and the Seoul AI Summit in 2024, signals India's growing role in shaping global AI norms. This is rich material for GS2 international organizations.
5G Rollout and 6G Research: India's 6G Technology Innovation Group under the Department of Telecommunications released a technology innovation roadmap. India aims to be among the first nations to launch 6G by 2030. The Bharat 6G Vision document is an important policy document to be aware of.
Digital Public Infrastructure: India's DPI stack, covering Aadhaar, UPI, and the Account Aggregator framework, has been recognized globally. The G20 under India's presidency in 2023 formally endorsed India's DPI model as a global template. This has cross-sectional relevance for GS2 governance questions.
Counterintuitive insight: Most aspirants focus only on ISRO and defence for S&T questions. But in recent Prelims papers, AI governance, digital public infrastructure, and data protection policy have generated more questions than traditional space topics. Adjust your reading accordingly.
Takeaway: Track MeitY, NASSCOM reports, and government AI mission documents. AI policy is now as important as AI concepts for Prelims.
Biotechnology, Health and Life Sciences
This section is criminally underrated by most aspirants. Don't make that mistake.
mRNA Vaccine Technology in India: Post-COVID, India accelerated its mRNA vaccine development capabilities. The Department of Biotechnology has been supporting mRNA-based vaccine research through institutions like the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology. Understanding mRNA technology at a basic level, how it works, how it differs from traditional vaccines, is now essential for Prelims.
Gene Editing and CRISPR: CRISPR-Cas9 based therapies received major international attention when Casgevy, the world's first approved CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease, was approved by the UK's MHRA in November 2023 and the US FDA in December 2023. India has a significant burden of sickle cell disease, especially in tribal populations, which gives this extra policy relevance linking to GS2 health policy.
Biosafety and GM Crops: The controversy around GM mustard, specifically Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 or DMH-11, continued through 2024-25. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee approved it, but its commercial release remained a subject of regulatory and judicial scrutiny. This topic bridges GS3 science, agriculture, and environmental law.
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One Health Framework: The convergence of human, animal, and environmental health under the One Health approach has been gaining traction in Indian health policy. The G20 under India's presidency included One Health as a priority agenda. Understanding One Health is relevant for questions on zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and pandemic preparedness.
National Biopharma Mission: This government-supported initiative, operating under the Department of Biotechnology, aims to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India. The Innovate in India program under this mission is worth noting.
Takeaway: Read biotechnology from a policy lens, not just a science lens. Know the approving bodies, flagship missions, and India's specific disease burden context.
Nuclear, Defence and Emerging Technologies
Nuclear Energy Expansion: India's Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has been expanding capacity. The government approved 10 indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors in 2023 to be built in fleet mode. India's nuclear doctrine of "No First Use" remains unchanged, but questions about civilian nuclear energy are more frequent in Prelims than military nuclear policy.
Agni-V MIRV Test: In March 2024, India successfully tested the Agni-V missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle technology. This made India one of a small club of nations, including the US, Russia, China, France, and UK, to possess MIRV capability. That's a classic fact-type Prelims question.
Quantum Technology: India's National Quantum Mission was approved by the Cabinet in April 2023 with a budget of Rs 6,003.65 crore for 2023-24 to 2030-31. The mission targets development of quantum computers, quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum materials. Institutions like IISc, IITs, TIFR, and C-DAC are the implementing agencies.
Semiconductor Mission: India Semiconductor Mission, launched under MeitY, aims to develop a domestic semiconductor ecosystem. The approval of three semiconductor fabrication projects in 2024, including the Tata Electronics plant in Dholera and a unit in Morigaon, Assam, was a landmark development. This is geopolitically significant given global chip supply chain tensions.
Hypersonic Missiles: DRDO conducted tests of hypersonic technology demonstrators. Understanding the difference between hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles is a useful conceptual distinction for Prelims.
Takeaway: For defence tech, always connect the technology to a strategic or geopolitical context. UPSC rarely asks pure technical facts. They want you to understand the significance.
Environment-Linked Science Developments
Science and environment overlap significantly in UPSC Prelims. This section often gets asked in ways that feel like environment questions but are really science questions in disguise.
Climate Modeling and IITM Pune: The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology runs India's Earth System Model, used for long-range monsoon forecasting. UPSC has previously asked about institutions involved in climate modeling. IITM Pune, IMD, and NCMRWF are key institutions to know.
Carbon Capture Technology: India's National Action Plan on Climate Change includes research on carbon capture, utilization, and storage. The concept of Direct Air Capture and its cost challenges, currently around $300-400 per tonne of CO2, is relevant background for GS3 environment questions.
Green Hydrogen Mission: India's National Green Hydrogen Mission, approved in January 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore, targets 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen production annually by 2030. The electrolyzer technology behind green hydrogen production, which uses renewable electricity to split water, is a key concept.
Deep Ocean Mission: India's Deep Ocean Mission under the Ministry of Earth Sciences covers six major components, including exploration of deep-sea biodiversity, development of the MATSYA 6000 submersible, and deep-sea mining exploration for polymetallic nodules. The MATSYA 6000 can dive to 6,000 metres and is being developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology.
Light Pollution and Astronomy: The government has been looking at dark sky reserves as part of astro-tourism promotion. This niche topic has appeared in state PCS exams and may become relevant for UPSC Prelims as well.
Takeaway: Environment-linked science questions often test institutional knowledge. Know which ministry runs which mission and what specific technologies or resources are being targeted.
Quick Reference: Key Takeaways
| Topic | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Gaganyaan Mission | Human spaceflight to 400 km LEO, crew called Vyomanauts, two uncrewed tests done before crewed flight |
| IndiaAI Mission | Launched March 2024, Rs 10,371 crore budget, seven pillars including Compute Capacity and Safe AI |
| Agni-V MIRV | Tested March 2024, India joins US, Russia, China, France, UK in MIRV-capable nations |
| National Quantum Mission | Approved April 2023, Rs 6,003.65 crore, covers quantum computing, communication, sensing |
| Deep Ocean Mission | MATSYA 6000 submersible, 6,000 m depth capability, polymetallic nodule exploration |
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on the trend from Prelims 2021 to 2024, S&T typically contributes 4-7 questions. These come from space missions, health tech, defence technology, and digital policy. The count has been rising steadily, making this a high-priority section for any serious aspirant.
Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4, Aditya-L1, and NISAR are the top four. Also track any new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle missions and India's planned Venus orbiter mission called Shukrayaan-1. Knowing orbital details, collaborating agencies, and scientific objectives is key.
Both. The mission itself falls under GS3 technology and economic development. But its governance aspects, including safe AI policy, data protection, and international AI summits, are relevant for GS2 governance and international relations. Don't silo your reading.
A MIRV-equipped missile carries multiple warheads that can independently target different locations. A conventional ballistic missile carries a single warhead. Agni-V tested MIRV capability in March 2024, making India one of six nations with this technology.
Stick to PIB, ISRO official website, DST press releases, MeitY documents, and Science Reporter magazine published by CSIR. Avoid relying solely on newspaper summaries. Primary sources give you precision that matches UPSC's style of questioning.
Focus on the policy layer, not the physics. Know the National Quantum Mission budget, duration, objectives, and implementing institutions. Understand basic applications: quantum computers for cryptography, quantum communication for secure data, quantum sensing for precision measurement. You don't need to understand quantum mechanics to answer Prelims questions.
Final Thoughts
Science and technology current affairs reward aspirants who are consistent, not those who cram at the last minute. If you're reading this as part of your 2026 Prelims prep, you're already ahead of aspirants who treat S&T as an afterthought. The 2025-26 period has been extraordinarily rich in developments, from MIRV tests to the IndiaAI Mission to deep ocean exploration. Connect each development to a policy framework, a ministry, or a bilateral relationship, and you'll find that S&T stops feeling like rote learning and starts feeling like connected understanding. That's when your scores actually improve. Keep reading, keep connecting, and trust the process.
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