26 June 2023

• Diplomacy: PM Modi visited Egypt, receiving the Order of the Nile and signing a Strategic Partnership Agreement.
• Health: WHO issued an alert on seven Indian-made cough syrups linked to 300 child deaths. Contaminants: diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
• Pharma: The UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool signed sub-licence agreements with three Indian companies to produce a generic version of the cancer drug Nilotinib.
• Rankings: Vienna topped the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index 2023. India's major cities ranked 141st to 148th.

GS area: International Relations

Prime Minister Modi visited Egypt in June 2023, the first Indian Prime Minister's visit to the country since 2003.

• Order of the Nile: Egypt's highest state honour, instituted in 1915. Awarded to PM Modi by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
• Strategic Partnership Agreement: Signed with four pillars: political, defence and security, economic engagement, and scientific-technological collaboration.
• Three MoUs: Agriculture (technology sharing), archaeology (joint excavation and conservation), and competition law.
• Trade: India-Egypt bilateral trade stood at 6,061 million dollars in 2022-23, a decline of 17 per cent year-on-year. India is Egypt's 6th largest trading partner. Egypt is India's 38th.
• Indian investment: 3.15 billion dollars across 50 projects, sectors including fertilisers, textiles, and software.
• Historical ties: Diplomatic relations established 18 August 1947. India and Egypt co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, along with Yugoslavia, Indonesia, and Ghana.
• First joint exercise: "Exercise Cyclone-I" between Indian and Egyptian special forces was completed in January 2023.

Static linkage: International relations; India's foreign policy.

GS area: Health, Science and Technology (regulation)

The World Health Organisation issued an alert identifying seven Indian-made cough syrups linked to approximately 300 child deaths across several countries.

• Contaminants: Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, used as cheap solvents in place of the safe alternatives glycerine and propylene glycol. The fatal oral dose is 1,000 to 1,500 mg per kg of body weight.
• Why the contamination happens: Ethylene glycol is significantly cheaper than pharmaceutical-grade glycerine. Fraudulent manufacturers substitute it knowing it is not easily detected without laboratory testing.
• Regulatory framework: The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 governs India's pharmaceutical sector. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is the central regulator. The Drug Controller General of India mandated pre-export testing following the WHO alert.
• Country impact: Child deaths reported in the Gambia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and other countries.

Static linkage: Health; governance (pharmaceutical regulation).

GS area: Science and Technology (health), International Relations

The UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool signed sub-licence agreements with three Indian generic pharmaceutical companies to manufacture Nilotinib, a treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.

• CML: A type of blood and bone marrow cancer characterised by uncontrolled growth of abnormal white blood cells. It progresses slowly and is usually diagnosed in the chronic phase.
• Nilotinib: Developed by Novartis under the brand name Tasigna. It is a targeted therapy that inhibits the BCR-ABL kinase enzyme driving CML.
• MPP: Founded in July 2010, headquartered in Geneva. It negotiates voluntary licences from patent holders and sub-licences to generic manufacturers in developing countries, lowering drug prices.
• Coverage: India and seven middle-income countries plus 44 low-income territories. Generic production will bring down the cost of CML treatment substantially.
• MPP track record: Has signed agreements on 13 HIV antiretrovirals, 3 hepatitis C antivirals, 1 TB treatment, and 2 COVID-19 antivirals.

Static linkage: Health; international organisations; intellectual property.

GS area: International Relations, Society

The Economist Intelligence Unit released the Global Liveability Index 2023.

• Methodology: Ranks 173 cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
• Top cities: Vienna (1st), Copenhagen (2nd), Zurich (3rd), Calgary (4th), Vancouver (5th).
• Asian progress: Asia-Pacific cities improved overall. Western European cities slipped slightly.
• Indian cities: New Delhi and Mumbai ranked 141st; Chennai 144th; Ahmedabad 147th; Bengaluru 148th.
• Lowest ranked: Kyiv (165th), Damascus and Tripoli at the bottom.

Static linkage: International organisations; society.

• World Drug Day: 26 June is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed since 1987 following a UN decision. The 2023 theme was "People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention." The UNODC releases its annual World Drug Report on this day.
• Chola idol recovery: Tamil Nadu Police's Idol Wing, with US assistance, recovered 16 antique Chola-era bronze and stone idols from American museums and galleries. The Chola dynasty (9th to 13th century) is known for its bronze Nataraja and other sculptures; their temples include the Brihadisvara at Thanjavur.
• GEMCOVAC-OM price: Gennova's indigenous Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine priced at 2,292 rupees per dose for institutional procurement. Its storage at 2-8 degrees Celsius is the key logistical advantage.