24.07.25

New Malaria Vaccine Candidate: AdVacFxalVax

• Developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• Shows over 90% protection against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite.
• Set for further testing, trials, and commercial development with private partners.

Significance for Global Health

• Malaria remains a major killer, especially in Africa and Asia.
• Existing vaccines (like RTS,S) offer limited protection; AdVacFxalVax could offer longer immunity.
• India’s malaria cases and deaths have significantly declined but remain a concern.

How AdVacFxalVax Works

• Stimulates both antibody and T-cell responses by targeting two parasite parts (PfCSP and Pf34/48).
• Provides two lines of defense: preventing liver infection and stopping parasite spread from red blood cells.
• Uses alum adjuvant, a safe and reliable immune booster.

Potential Advantages

• Potential for longer-lasting protection.
• Proven safe in animal trials; human trials are pending.

Context: Malaria in India

• India aims to eliminate malaria by 2030.
• Cases and deaths have dropped considerably due to surveillance and control efforts.
• Endemic states include Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Tripura.

• 1803 annexation by Colonel Harcourt.
• Dethronement of King Mukunda Deva II.
• British disregard for promises regarding land grants (parganas).
• Paikas faced loss of land and political status.
• Imposition of new revenue demands, salt taxes, and trade restrictions.

• Led by Bakshi Jagabandhu.
• Revolt by Paikas and over 400 Kondh tribals.
• Attacked British establishments and looted treasury offices.
• Suppressed but resistance continued for years.

Why in News: A Ministry of Social Justice study analyzed 54 hazardous cleaning deaths linked to manual scavenging across 8 States/UTs in 2022-2023. This highlights the ongoing issue of sewer and septic tank cleaning deaths, even as manual scavenging is officially banned.

Lack of Safety Gear: In 90% of analyzed deaths (49 out of 54), workers had no safety equipment. The few who did had only minimal protection like gloves. Most deaths occurred without mechanized equipment.

Institutional Negligence: Agencies often lacked equipment readiness, and awareness drives about safety laws were absent or incomplete.

No Informed Consent: Workers frequently entered sewers without consent, and even when consent was obtained, they weren’t informed of the risks.

Exploitative Hiring: The majority of workers were hired informally on individual contracts, lacking the security of direct government or PSU employment.

Legal Framework: Manual scavenging is banned under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR Act). It also violates fundamental rights like Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) and Article 21 (right to life). Supreme Court guidelines mandate significant compensation for deaths and disabilities.

NAMASTE Scheme: This government scheme aims to address hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, having identified over 84,000 workers. While some have received PPE kits, implementation varies.

Challenges: Manual scavengers face severe health risks from toxic gases, social stigma, economic exploitation, and psychological issues.

• Why in News: Provides a reality check for policymakers on urban sanitation, backed by elaborate assessments, third-party verification, and feedback from 140 million residents.

• Why in News: This theme has the potential to drive economic activity and empower local communities through waste management.

• Why in News: Allows smaller cities and those previously lagging (like in Odisha) to compete and improve, showing cleanliness is achievable across diverse urban areas.

• Why in News: Creates a “premier league” of top performers, motivating them to set new benchmarks and inspiring others.

• Why in News: This holistic approach identifies gaps in India’s progress and drives improvements across the entire sanitation ecosystem.

• Why in News: Showcases replicable models for waste management and urban rejuvenation, demonstrating that cities can transform from challenges to leaders.

• Why in News: Demonstrates effective policy design and resource mobilization that has driven progress in sanitation nationwide.

• Why in News: Points to crucial next steps for sustainable urban sanitation, focusing on citizen participation and market-based solutions.

• Why: The US cites alleged anti-Israel bias and supports “woke, divisive cultural and social causes” out of step with American policy.

• Previous Exits: First under Reagan (1984) due to mismanagement and Soviet alignment; second under Trump (2017) due to anti-Israel bias after Palestine’s membership.

• Precedent: The US and Israel halted UNESCO funding in 2011 after Palestine joined.

• Opportunities: Increased diplomatic influence, shaping global agendas, projecting soft power, and advocating for Indian heritage sites.
• Challenges: Funding cuts may affect Indian projects, and rising Chinese influence could strain India’s resources and geopolitical balance.

• Why: To address threats like deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change impacting hornbills.

• Why: These species are crucial seed dispersers and keystone species vital for forest regeneration.

• Why: A comprehensive approach ensures broader landscape-level conservation for hornbills.

• Why: These actions directly support hornbill survival and habitat restoration.

• Why: Engages local communities as stakeholders, fostering long-term conservation success.

• Why: Leverages expertise for effective and scientifically-backed conservation strategies.

• Why: Demonstrates Tamil Nadu’s commitment to diverse and multi-faceted wildlife conservation.

• Real-world simulations: Focuses on IT and Operational Technology (OT) systems, critical infrastructure breaches, deepfakes, AI malware, and API security.
• STRATEX (Strategic Decision-Making Exercise): Enhances senior leadership response to national cyber crises.
• CISO Conclave: Engages top security officers on emerging trends and policy frameworks in cybersecurity and AI.
• Cybersecurity Startup Exhibition: Showcases indigenous innovations for digital self-reliance.

IMF Recognition: IMF highlighted UPI’s role in transforming India’s digital payments, emphasizing its interoperability.

• Why: This international endorsement signifies UPI’s success and potential global influence.

Massive Scale and Adoption: UPI handles immense transaction volumes and user/merchant numbers, surpassing global payment giants.

• Why: Demonstrates UPI’s dominance and integration into everyday Indian life, powering a significant portion of digital payments.

Seamless Transactions & Security: UPI enables instant, 24/7, secure transactions through features like Virtual Payment Addresses (VPAs) and two-factor authentication.

• Why: Enhances user convenience and trust by simplifying payments and protecting sensitive bank details.

Interoperability: UPI allows transactions across different apps and banks, moving beyond closed-loop systems.

• Why: Fosters competition and innovation among payment apps, leading to better user experiences and greater payment flexibility.

Financial Inclusion: Zero-cost, real-time transfers make digital payments accessible to small businesses and first-time users.

• Why: Empowers micro-businesses and promotes digital literacy, expanding access to financial services.

Global Expansion: UPI is active in multiple countries and being pushed for adoption in BRICS nations.

• Why: Positions India as a leader in digital payment innovation and facilitates easier cross-border transactions for Indians.

• Why it’s news: This is a historic advisory opinion, clarifying legal obligations under major climate treaties like the Paris Agreement.

• Why it’s news: Establishes a potential legal basis for climate reparations and accountability.

• Why it’s news: Demonstrates the ICJ’s evolving role in addressing critical global issues and sets a precedent for legal challenges.

• Why it’s news: Highlights the ICJ’s authority and its capacity to interpret international law in new and critical areas like climate change.

• Why it’s news: Reinforces the ICJ’s importance in shaping international environmental law.

• A digital addressing framework by Department of Posts.
• Aims to revolutionize address creation, sharing, and management.

• DIGIPIN: 10-character alphanumeric code mapping addresses to a unique 4×4 meter grid using geospatial coordinates. Replaces traditional PIN codes with hyper-local precision. Developed indigenously with open-source architecture.
• Digital Address Layer: Allows personalized digital address handles with consent-based sharing and revocation, enabling privacy and real-time updates, similar to UPI.

• Accuracy: Eliminates ambiguity.
• Inclusion: Supports urban/rural, multilingual users.
• Governance: Aids scheme targeting, disaster response, infrastructure planning.
• Commerce: Reduces e-commerce delivery failures.
• Privacy: User-controlled data access.

RBI’s FI-Index Hits 67 in March 2025: This marks a significant increase from 64.2 in March 2024, indicating deeper financial engagement.

• Why in News: Shows tangible progress in making financial services accessible and usable for more people.

Driven by Usage and Quality: The rise is primarily attributed to improved usage of financial services and enhanced quality, alongside sustained financial literacy.

• Why in News: Highlights that the focus is shifting from mere access to meaningful engagement and impact at the grassroots level.

Comprehensive Measure: The index covers banking, investment, insurance, pension, and postal sectors, reflecting a holistic view of financial inclusion.

• Why in News: Demonstrates the broad scope of the RBI’s efforts and the interconnectedness of various financial services in achieving inclusion.

Key Parameters and Weights: Consists of Access (35%), Usage (45%), and Quality (20%), with Quality including financial literacy, consumer protection, and service equity.

• Why in News: Emphasizes the importance of usage and quality, particularly financial literacy, as critical drivers of financial inclusion, not just availability of services.

Cumulative Progress: The index, without a base year, reflects cumulative efforts over time, growing from 43.4 in March 2017 to 67 in March 2025.

• Why in News: Underscores the sustained, long-term commitment and success of ecosystem-wide initiatives in bringing underserved communities into the formal financial system.

What is Animal Testing? It involves using animals (vertebrates like rats, mice, dogs, monkeys, and some invertebrates like octopuses) in experiments to assess the safety and effectiveness of products (medicines, cosmetics) or advance scientific knowledge. Methods include injecting substances, surgery, inhalation of toxic gases, and inducing distress.

Historical Context: Humans were previously used in feeding experiments for food supply toxicity tests, but a shift to animals occurred due to perceived unpredictability of human subjects and the desire for “controllable basic principles.”

Ethical Concerns: Experiments often cause pain, distress, or death. Animals cannot provide informed consent. Legal and cultural variations in protection standards exist, and findings may not accurately translate to humans, leading to questionable effectiveness and animal suffering.

Ineffectiveness: There’s a consensus that animal testing is not always effective in predicting human harm due to interspecies differences.

Alternatives – Tissue Engineering: Advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine allow for lab cultivation of artificial organs and tissues (muscles, pancreas, skin, bone marrow, etc.) for testing.

Benefits of Shifting: Using lab-grown models is more ethical, kind, and can advance the field of tissue engineering. It promotes compassion and respect for animals.

Recommendations:

• Amend The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 to mandate considering lab-grown models over live animals.
• Scientists and organizations should use lab-grown or bioartificial models wherever feasible.
• Restructure current lab procedures to minimize or eliminate animal testing by moving to “ex-corpus” or artificial biological models.
• Collaborate with tissue-engineering firms to produce artificial models.
• Use regenerative medicine to replicate biological systems outside the body.
• Promote awareness of animal suffering and a change in values.
• Utilize 2D radiographic imagery and 3D visual models for educational purposes, replacing animal dissection.

The Pledge: A call to make civilization more hospitable to life by changing procedures, laws, and practices to recognize the inherent dignity of animals and conduct testing on biological substances.