1. BPAL REGIMEN (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: The Union Health Ministry has approved the introduction of a new treatment BPaLM regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis in India.

BPaL Regimen

• About: It is a groundbreaking approach for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) utilizing bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid.
• Consist of: Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin
• Duration: Unlike traditional DR-TB treatments that last 18 months, BPaL shortens the treatment period to just 26 weeks.
• Purpose and Focus: BPaL specifically targets drug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly for patients with pre-XDR TB or those who are unresponsive to MDR pulmonary TB treatments.
• Role of Pretomanid: It is a new anti-TB drug, plays a crucial role in the regimen. It has been approved and licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
• Treatment Focus on MDR-TB: The BPaLM regimen specifically targets multi-drug resistant TB, offering a potentially more effective treatment option.
• Global Impact: The regimen has shown promising results in various countries, including Pakistan, South Africa, and Ukraine, marking a significant advancement in the fight against M/XDR-TB.
• NAAT Testing: A nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) is used to detect the DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in respiratory samples, aiding in TB diagnosis.
• Treatment Duration Comparison: BPaL reduces the treatment duration from the traditional 18 to 24 months to around 6 months.
• Simplified Medication: The previous all-oral regimen required nearly 14 different anti-TB drugs daily, while BPaL simplifies the regimen to just three daily tablets.

Current Status of TB in India:

• As per Global TB Report 2023, India had the highest prevalence of Tb. However, India’s efforts have resulted in reduction of TB incidence by 16% in 2022 (from 2015) almost double the pace at which global TB incidence is declining (which is 8.7%).
• India aims to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, which is five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of 2030.
• By adopting this regimen, India strengthens its efforts to meet its ambitious goal of eliminating TB by 2025.
• India’s treatment success rate is 56% for MDR/RR-TB cases and 48% for XDR-TB cases, largely due to prolonged and toxic drug regimens.

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2. LA-NINA (Syllabus GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Global models mis predicted La Nina's onset, leading to significant forecasting errors. The delay in La Nina's arrival has substantial implications for climate predictions and related impacts.

La-Nina

• Definition: La Niña, meaning ‘The Little Girl’ in Spanish, is a phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a significant climate driver.
• ENSO: It involves fluctuations in sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, affecting global atmospheric circulation and weather patterns.
• Phases of ENSO: It has three phases: warm (El Niño), cool (La Niña), and neutral. Each phase influences global weather differently.
• Neutral Phase Conditions: During the neutral phase, the eastern Pacific is cooler than the western Pacific due to the movement of trade winds and upwelling of cooler waters.
• El Nino Phase Conditions: In El Niño, trade winds weaken, leading to warmer sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific and less displacement of warm water.
• La Nina Phase Conditions: In La Niña, trade winds strengthen, pushing more warm water to the western Pacific and making the eastern Pacific cooler.
• Impact on India: La Nina is known to enhance monsoon activity in India, whereas El Niño often suppresses it.
• Recent Events: The most recent El Niño occurred from June 2023 to May 2024, while one of the longest La Niña episodes lasted from 2020 to 2023.

Impact of Delayed La Nina Onset on India's Monsoon

• Role in Monsoon La Nina typically boosts rainfall during India's southwest monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
• Current Status of La Nina: As the monsoon season nears its end, La Niña conditions have not yet emerged in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, meaning it will not directly influence the current rainfall.
• Factors Affecting Rainfall: Other climatic factors beyond La Niña also impact monsoon rainfall, so a delayed onset does not necessarily predict poor monsoon performance.
• Regional Variations: Eastern and northeastern India, along with parts of the north and northwest, have seen deficient rainfall, while central and southern India have enjoyed more than normal precipitation.

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3. NATIONAL TEST HOUSE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed between the National Test House (NTH) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to advance energy efficiency initiatives throughout India.

National Test House

• About: It is a premier scientific and technical institution of this country employed in the service of the country for more than a 110 years.
• Under the: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• Establishment: 1912.
• Largest Testing Laboratory: It is India's largest multi-location multidisciplinary industrial central government's testing laboratory dealing with almost all sorts of testing, calibration, and quality evaluation related to industry, commerce, trade, etc., as per international and national standards.
• Technical Consultancy: It offers technical consultancy, testing, calibration, and quality evaluation across various sectors, adhering to both national and international standards.
• Pioneering Drone Certification: It is the pioneering governmental entity in India for drone certification.
• Branch Locations: Its branches are established at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Varanasi.

Salient features of the MoU are: 

• BEE shall recognise NTH as referral laboratory and send its cases pertaining to technical disputes regarding the test results for consultation.
• BEE shall nominate Officers of NTH in their various Technical Committees in consideration of expertise with NTH Officers.
• NTH shall conduct Capacity Building Training to BEE Officers at the NTH Regional Laboratories / BEE Head Quarters at Delhi.
• Complete Review of existing S & L Programme of BEE including Check Testing Procedures.
• Any other Technical matter pertaining to S & L Scheme with mutual consent.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

• Establishment: It was established in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Objective: The primary objective of BEE is to reduce energy intensity in the Indian economy.
• Functions: It coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations; recognizes, identifies, and utilizes the existing resources and infrastructure in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power.

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4. NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Environment)

Context: A recent letter from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) urging 19 states to prioritize the removal of villagers from core tiger zones has sparked criticism from various organizations and activists, who have expressed their concerns to the Union Environment Minister.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• About: It is a statutory organization created under the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 following the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force.
• Constituted under: Section 38 L (1) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Chairperson: Minister of Environment .
• Members include: The authority consists of the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (as Vice-Chairperson), three members of Parliament, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and other members.
• Objectives:

oTo grant statutory authority to Project Tiger, making compliance with its directives a legal requirement.

oTo enhance accountability in the management of Tiger Reserves by facilitating Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the Center and State governments within the federal structure.

oTo establish parliamentary oversight in the process.

oTo cater to the livelihood concerns of local communities residing in the vicinity of Tiger Reserves.

Core Zone

• About: It refers to the portion in a tiger reserve where tribals cannot live and activities such as hunting and collecting forest produce is banned. 
• According to the Wildlife Act: Core zones are to be ‘inviolate’ and these must be made so by coaxing residents to “voluntarily relocate” on “mutually agreed terms and conditions”.
• Buffer Zone: There is a concentric circle outside the ‘core zone’ called the buffer zone where these restrictions are eased but regulated.
• Statistics: There are 55 tiger reserves in India across 19 States with 848 villages comprising 89,808 families in the core zone. 
• Since 1973, 257 of these villages comprising 25,007 families have been relocated. 

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5. INTERPOL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief recently revealed that Interpol issued a record 100 Red Notices last year, the highest number ever, at India's request.

International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)

• About: It is the world's largest international police organization.
• Headquarters: Lyon, France
• Network of nations: A network comprising 192 member nations and headquartered in Lyon, France.
• Objective: To enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place.
• Working mechanism: The Interpol basically connects police across the world even if these individual member nations do not have diplomatic relations. 

oThe Interpol facilitates information exchange, knowledge sharing and research between nations. 

oThis is done by issuing colour-coded 'notices' in four languages - English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.

oThe Interpol doesn't have law enforcement powers such as arrest. 

• India’s status: India has been a member since 1956. 

oNational Central Bureau: India maintains a National Central Bureau which serves as the national platform for cooperation between domestic law enforcement units and the international police community. 

oContact point: The NCB is the designated contact point for the Interpol. 

oCollaboration: India has collaborated with the Interpol in tackling a myriad of organised crimes.

Red Notice

• Issued to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition. 
• Issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant. 
• Other Type of Notice

oYellow Notice

oBlue Notice

oBlack Notice

oGreen Notice

oOrange Notice

oPurple Notice

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6. UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health/Gov. Policies)

Context: NITI Aayog, inaugurated a National Conference on “Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions” in New Delhi.

Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions

• Organized by: NITI Ayog and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Collaboration: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India in collaboration with the Sankala Foundation.
• It is a non-profit organisation registered in 2022 under Section (8) of the Companies Act, 2013 of India.
• Objective: To bring together practitioners, government officials, leading experts, innovators and policy makers in the field of healthcare and digital healthcare technology to explore the way forward for universal access to affordable and quality healthcare services especially to people living in rural, remote and hilly areas.
• Three Technical Sessions: Models of Change in Healthcare’, `Future Frontiers in Digital Health’, and `Technology-enabled Universal Health Coverage.’

Digital Health Initiatives of India

• Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH): The GIDH is a WHO managed network which was unanimously adopted by all G20 countries, invited countries and international organizations.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: rephrase: It aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required.
• National Digital Health Mission (NDHM): To provide every citizen with a unique health id ndhm and enable access to their health records through a digital platform.

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7. GALATHEA BAY PORT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The centre has notified the international trans-shipment hub at Galathea Bay in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a 'Major Port'.

Galathea Bay Port

• About: It is being developed as an International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP).

oA transshipment port serves as a hub where cargo is transferred between vessels for onward shipment to its final destination.

• Location: It is situated in the Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.
• Eligible: It is also eligible for central funding and will be developed under the public-private partnership model.
• Developed in four phases: Phase 1 is proposed to be commissioned in the year 2028 with handling capacity of ~ 4 Million TEUs, increasing to 16 Million TEUs in the ultimate stage of development by 2058.
• Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, four port clusters with a capacity of more than 300 MTPA and two with capacity more than 500 MTPA will be developed.

Significance of Galathea Port

• Trade Facilitation: ICTP at Galathea Bay will enhance EXIM trade by leveraging its location on a key international shipping route.
• Forex Savings: By reducing reliance on foreign ports for transshipment, the project will save foreign exchange and attract foreign direct investment.
• Boost to Indian Ports: Increased economic activity will benefit other Indian ports by redistributing cargo and fostering regional trade.
• Proximity to Key Choke Points: The port’s location near strategic chokepoints like the Malacca Strait will offer advantages in global shipping routes.
• Connectivity: The port will strengthen India’s connectivity with major international routes connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia.

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8. REGIONAL RURAL BANKS (RRBS) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Union Ministry of Finance is planning to consolidate the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) under a policy of “One State, One RRB” to improve their efficiency and avoid undue competition among sponsoring public sector banks.

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

• About: This is a government owned scheduled commercial bank of India that operates at regional level in different states of India.
• Establishment: 26 September 1975 and the RRB Act 1976
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Five RRBs: Set up on 2 October 1975 on the recommendations of the Narsimha Committee.
• Ownership: Central government, state government, and the sponsoring bank with 50%, 15%, and 35% shareholding respectively.
• First RRBs Bank: Prathama Bank, Uttar Pradesh.
• Functions of RRBs: Providing basic banking services in rural and semi-urban areas, facilities such as locker services, internet and mobile banking, debit and credit cards, extend credit to rural individuals like small farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, while also accepting deposits.

One State, One RRB

• Aim: To improve their efficiency and avoid undue competition among sponsoring public sector banks.
• To reduce the total number of RRBs from 43 at present to around 30,” said a senior government official requesting anonymity.
• Significance: It will help with this and also reduce competition among them.

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9. SAMRIDH (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: MeitY has launched the 2nd Cohort of its Startup Accelerators program for Product Innovation, Development, and Growth (SAMRIDH).

SAMRIDH

• About: It is a flagship programme of MeitY for startups acceleration under National Policy on Software Products – 2019. 
• Launched: August 2021
• Aim: To support 300 software product startups with outlay of ₹99 crore over a period of 4 years.
• Implemented by: MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH), Digital India Corporation (DIC).
• Eligibility Criteria for Accelerator:

oMust be a registered Section-8/Society or Not-for-Profit Company (eligible to hold equity) with operations in India.

oThe Accelerator and its team should have over 3 years of startup experience, having supported more than 50 startups, with at least 10 receiving external investment.

oRequired to have experience in running startup program cohorts with activities aligned with the SAMRIDH program’s desirable criteria.

• Strategic Impact:

oFocus Areas: Enhances software product startups' market readiness and growth potential.

oNational Policy Alignment: Supports the goals of the National Policy on Software Products – 2019.

Second Cohort SAMRIDH

• About: As part of this programme, the second cohort SAMRIDH was launched September 2024.
• Agenda: It is a part of the 100-day agenda of the Government of India to select and support 125 startups through potential accelerators so as to achieve the target of nurturing 300 startups.

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10. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1/2 – Art& culture/Gov. Bodies)

Context: The ASI informed a Parliamentary panel that shared ownership of protected monuments with the Waqf Board has led to conflicts. This issue is a key concern in the ongoing discussions on the Waqf Bill.

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act)

• Passed by: Parliament in 1958.
• Aim: To protect and preserve ancient monuments for future generations.
• It also provides for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for protection of sculptures, carvings and other such objects.
• Applicability: Covers monuments over 100 years old, regardless of ownership (public or private).
• Protected Area: A 100-metre radius around the monument is off-limits for construction.
• Ancient Monument is defined as: “Any structure, erection, or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription, or monolith which is of historical, archaeological, or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years”.
• Archaeological sites and remains: It mean “any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than 100 years”.
• AMASR Amendment Bill: 

oThe Bill allowing the construction of public works in “prohibited areas”, and the approval and impact assessment of such public works.

oDefinition of Public Works: “Construction works related to infrastructure financed and carried out by any department or offices of the central government for public purposes which is necessary for the safety or security of the public at large and emergent necessity is based on specific instance of danger to the safety or security of the public at large and there is no reasonable possibility of any other viable alternative to such construction beyond the limits of the prohibited area”.

Archaeological Survey of India

• About: It is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. 
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture
• Founded in: 1861
• Father of Indian Archaeology: Alexander Cunningham
• Function: The organization is responsible for the management and preservation of over 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites, and national heritage.
• Heritage Preservation: Engaging in a range of activities, the organization conducts surveys of antiquarian remains, explores archaeological sites, and undertakes excavation projects. 

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