23 May 2024

• Conservation: World Turtle Day observed on 23 May. India's NMCG marked the day with focus on Gangetic river turtles.
• Health: The Serum Institute of India began exporting the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to African countries. It is the second WHO-recommended malaria vaccine.
• Public health: A girl in Kerala died from infection by Naegleria fowleri, the "brain-eating amoeba," causing Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis.
• Technology: The EU's AI Act, the world's first comprehensive AI regulation with a risk-based categorisation system, was completing its ratification process.

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity)

23 May is observed as World Turtle Day, established by the American Tortoise Rescue organisation since 2000.

• Theme 2024: "Let's Party," marking the observation's anniversary.
• NMCG: The National Mission for Clean Ganga, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), marked the day by highlighting work on Gangetic river turtles.
• Gangetic turtles: Several turtle species are endemic to or heavily dependent on the Ganga river system. The Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) and the Indian tent turtle (Pangshura tentoria) are among the frequently highlighted species.
• Wildlife Protection Act: Most Indian freshwater turtle species are listed under Schedules I or IV of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, protecting them from hunting and trade.
• Global statistics: Of 353 turtle and tortoise species known globally, more than half are threatened with extinction, making turtles and tortoises the most threatened vertebrate group.
• Poaching: India is a significant source and transit country for turtle trafficking, particularly for the shell trade and the illegal pet trade.

Static linkage: Biodiversity, river ecology, Wildlife Protection Act, NMCG.

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

The Serum Institute of India (SII) began exporting the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to African countries in May 2024.

• R21/Matrix-M: A vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria developed by the University of Oxford. The adjuvant (Matrix-M, an immune-boosting component) is from Novavax. SII manufactures it at scale.
• WHO recommendation: R21/Matrix-M received WHO prequalification and recommendation in October 2023, making it the second WHO-recommended malaria vaccine.
• First malaria vaccine: RTS,S/AS01 (brand name Mosquirix), developed by GSK, received WHO recommendation in 2021 and was deployed in pilot programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
• Malaria burden: Malaria kills approximately 600,000 people annually, primarily children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria.
• SII's role: The Serum Institute, headquartered in Pune, is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume. Its ability to manufacture R21 at scale is critical for affordable global access.
• India as global vaccine hub: India supplies over 60 per cent of global vaccine demand, primarily through SII and the Bharat Biotech.

Static linkage: India's pharmaceutical exports, WHO prequalification, malaria burden.

GS area: Science and Technology (Public Health)

A girl in Kerala died from Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri, a rare but almost always fatal brain infection.

• Naegleria fowleri: A free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater bodies (lakes, rivers, hot springs, poorly maintained swimming pools). It is sometimes called the "brain-eating amoeba."
• Entry route: The amoeba enters the body through the nasal passage when infected water is forcefully sniffed, splashed, or inhaled. It then travels along the olfactory nerve to the brain.
• PAM: Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis causes rapid destruction of brain tissue, leading to headache, fever, nausea, hallucinations, and death within 1-18 days of exposure. Fatality rate is over 97 per cent.
• India context: Kerala has recorded periodic cases, often linked to ritual bathing in warm freshwater. Cases increase during summer when water temperatures rise and amoeba populations increase.
• WHO NTD list: Naegleria fowleri infection is not formally on the WHO Neglected Tropical Disease list but is a notifiable disease in some countries.

Static linkage: Public health, waterborne pathogens, tropical diseases.

GS area: Governance (Technology Policy, International)

The EU's Artificial Intelligence Act, described as the world's first comprehensive AI regulation, was in the final stages of ratification following European Parliament approval in April 2024.

• Risk-based categorisation: The Act classifies AI systems by risk level:
  • Unacceptable risk: Banned outright (social scoring, subliminal manipulation, real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces).
  • High risk: Subject to strict requirements before deployment (AI in recruitment, credit scoring, autonomous vehicles, medical devices, educational assessment, critical infrastructure).
  • Limited risk: Lighter transparency obligations (chatbots must disclose being AI).
  • Minimal risk: No specific obligations (spam filters, AI-enabled video games).
• Extraterritorial reach: The Act applies to AI systems used in the EU regardless of where the developer is located, similar to GDPR.
• India's approach: India does not yet have equivalent AI legislation. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 covers personal data but not AI systems specifically.
• Global significance: As the world's largest regulatory bloc, the EU's AI Act is expected to set de facto global standards, similar to GDPR's influence on data protection globally.

Static linkage: Technology regulation, AI governance, India's data protection law.

GS area: Geography (River Systems)

Ujani Dam, Maharashtra, was in the news related to its water storage and regional irrigation status.

• Location: Solapur district, Maharashtra.
• River: The dam is built across the Bhima River.
• Bhima River: A tributary of the Krishna River. The Bhima flows through Maharashtra and Karnataka before joining the Krishna.
• Hydropower: Ujani has a 12 MW hydroelectric generation capacity.
• Krishna River basin: The Krishna originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar and flows eastward through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. Its major tributaries include Bhima, Tungabhadra, and Musi.

Static linkage: Maharashtra river geography, Krishna basin, dam management.

• Copernicus Emergency Management Service: The EU's satellite-based emergency mapping system (part of the Copernicus Earth Observation programme) was activated for search and rescue in Iran following the helicopter crash site. Copernicus provides satellite imagery within hours of an emergency activation request. India does not use Copernicus but has its own Earth observation satellites under ISRO's Earth Observation Satellite series.
• Global AI regulation landscape: Beyond the EU AI Act, the United States issued an Executive Order on AI safety in October 2023. The UK adopted a principles-based approach through its AI Safety Institute. China passed AI-specific regulations for generative AI in August 2023. India is in consultations for an AI policy framework.
• Lok Sabha Phase 6 approaching: Phase 6 was scheduled for 25 May. Campaign silence came into effect 48 hours before, consistent with the Model Code of Conduct.