7 November 2024

• Health: India achieved a 17.7 per cent TB incidence decline from 2015 to 2023, surpassing the global average.
• Science: RNA editing emerged as a safer alternative to DNA editing for treating genetic disorders, with clinical applications advancing globally.
• Education: PM Vidyalaxmi scheme provided collateral-free education loans to students at NIRF-ranked institutions.
• Agriculture: Agrivoltaic farming combined solar panels with crop cultivation on the same land, offering dual-use land efficiency.

GS area: Health, Government Schemes

India achieved a 17.7 per cent decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, outpacing the global average reduction.

• SDG targets: SDG 3.3 calls for an 80 per cent reduction in TB incidence and 90 per cent reduction in TB mortality by 2025 relative to 2015 levels. India is behind on these targets but ahead of comparable nations.
• NTEP: National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Implements India's National Strategic Plan 2017-2025.
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana: Provides Direct Benefit Transfer nutrition support to TB patients. Ensuring adequate nutrition is critical to treatment success.
• PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: Over 1.5 lakh "Ni-kshay Mitras" (community supporters) provide food, nutrition and support to TB patients.
• Challenges: Drug-resistant TB, resource constraints, social stigma and high burden states in eastern India remain difficult.
• India's target: Eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global 2030 target.

Static linkage: Public health, disease elimination programmes, SDGs.

GS area: Science and Technology

Companies like Wave Life Sciences are advancing RNA editing toward clinical use for genetic disorders.

• DNA editing vs. RNA editing: DNA editing (CRISPR-Cas9) makes permanent changes to the genome. RNA editing makes temporary changes to the RNA transcript, which does not alter the underlying gene.
• Mechanism: Uses ADAR enzymes (Adenosine Deaminases Acting on RNA) to convert adenosine to inosine in the RNA molecule. The cell reads inosine as guanosine, effectively changing the amino acid produced.
• Why safer: Uses the body's own enzymes. The effect is temporary and reversible. Off-target changes are still a concern, but they do not permanently alter the genome.
• Applications: Huntington's disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and neurological and eye conditions.
• Limitation: Effects are temporary, requiring repeated treatments. Delivery to target tissues is technically challenging.

Static linkage: Biotechnology, gene editing, science and technology.

GS area: Government Schemes, Education

The PM Vidyalaxmi scheme was active, providing collateral-free education loans to students at top institutions.

• Eligibility: Students admitted to the top 860 institutions ranked by the National Institutional Ranking Framework.
• Loan amount: Collateral-free, guarantor-free loans. The government provides a 75 per cent credit guarantee on loans up to 7.5 lakh rupees.
• Interest subvention: 3 per cent for families earning up to 8 lakh rupees annually.
• Scale: Approximately 22 lakh students per year can benefit.
• Implementation: Ministry of Education via scheduled commercial banks.
• NIRF: National Institutional Ranking Framework. Annual ranking of Indian higher education institutions across categories.

Static linkage: Education policy, government schemes, higher education.

GS area: Agriculture, Environment, Science and Technology

Agrivoltaic farming combines solar panels with crop cultivation on the same land.

• Design: Solar panels are elevated 2 to 3 metres above the ground, allowing crops to grow beneath them.
• Benefits for crops: The panels provide partial shade that reduces evaporation and protects crops from heat stress. Certain crops (leafy vegetables, tubers) actually yield better under partial shade.
• Benefits for solar: Plants release moisture through transpiration, keeping panels cooler and marginally improving efficiency.
• Land efficiency: Dual use of the same land area for food and energy production addresses the land-use competition between agriculture and solar parks.
• Climate resilience: Reduces crop vulnerability to extreme heat events.

Static linkage: Agricultural technology, renewable energy, food-energy nexus.

GS area: International Relations, Defence

The third edition of MAHASAGAR (Maritime Heads for Active Security And Growth for All in Region) was conducted virtually.

• Participants: Naval leaders from 10 Indian Ocean Region littoral nations.
• Purpose: Maritime security training and capacity-building for Indian Ocean nations.
• Frequency: Bi-annual. Started in 2023.
• India's maritime doctrine: The Indian Ocean Region is central to India's strategic interests. India promotes SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) as its maritime policy framework.
• Relevance: IOR nations face common threats: piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, and non-traditional security challenges.

Static linkage: Indian Ocean, maritime security, SAGAR doctrine.

• Markhor: The world's largest wild goat (Capra falconeri). Distinctive corkscrew horns up to 160 cm long. Males weigh 80 to 110 kg. Found between 600 and 3,600 metres altitude in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Tajikistan. IUCN Near Threatened. Threats include poaching and competition with livestock.
• Land Port Darranga: Located in Assam's Tamulpur district, 700 metres from the Indo-Bhutan border. Spans 14.5 acres. Proximity to National Highway 27 makes it a key trade checkpoint. Bhutan's customs facility is adjacent.
• Gravity energy storage: Uses gravitational force to store renewable energy. Lifts heavy masses when energy is surplus; releases them to generate electricity on demand. Low maintenance over decades. Limitation: higher setup costs and geographic constraints compared to battery storage.