In News:

The Ministry of Ayush has launched a nationwide campaign titled “Shatavari – For Better Health” to raise public awareness on the health benefits of Asparagus racemosus (commonly known as Shatavari), especially in the context of women’s health and the broader objective of holistic well-being.

About Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

• Family: Asparagaceae (formerly Liliaceae)
• Common Names: Satawar, Satamuli
• Ayurvedic Significance: Known as the “Queen of Herbs”, Shatavari is praised in classical Ayurvedic texts like Charak Samhita and Ashtang Hridayam for treating women’s reproductive health disorders.
• Name Meaning: ‘Shatavari’ translates to “acceptable to many”, signifying its diverse benefits.
• Botanical Description: It is a woody climber (1–2 meters tall), with pine-needle-like leaves and small white flowers.
• Habitat and Distribution: Found in tropical climates at low altitudes across Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Medicinal Uses

• The dried roots of Shatavari are used medicinally.
• Acts as a tonic, diuretic, galactagogue (promotes lactation), and has ulcer-healing properties.
• Strengthens mucosal resistance and provides cytoprotection.
• Widely used for addressing female reproductive health issues, immunity enhancement, and promoting overall vitality.

The Campaign: “Shatavari – For Better Health”

• Launched by: Shri Prataprao Jadhav, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush.
• Organized by: National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB).

• This campaign follows successful species-specific initiatives on Amla, Moringa, Giloe, and Ashwagandha.
• Shatavari is being positioned as a crucial resource in advancing women’s health, supporting the Panch Pran Goals set by the Prime Minister for a Developed India by 2047.
• Focus on achieving holistic well-being and integrating traditional medicine with public health awareness.

Policy and Financial Support

• Under the Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development, and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants, the Ministry promotes the cultivation and sustainable use of Shatavari.
• Financial assistance of ?18.9 lakhs will be provided to eligible organizations to support awareness and adoption.

In News:

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has recently provided updates in the Rajya Sabha on the National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) 2.0, emphasizing its role in fostering democratic values, constitutional awareness, and active citizenship among Indian youth.

About NYPS 2.0

Launched by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, NYPS 2.0 aims to strengthen the roots of democracy and enhance understanding of parliamentary practices and government functioning among citizens, especially students.

Objectives

• Instill discipline, tolerance for diverse views, and democratic ethos among youth.
• Educate students about the procedures of Parliament, constitutional values, and functioning of the government.
• Encourage a democratic way of life through civic engagement.

Participation Modes via NYPS 2.0 Web Portal

The dedicated web-portal enables inclusive citizen participation in three formats:

• Institutional Participation:
  • Open to all educational institutions.
  • Institutions can organize Youth Parliament sittings as per portal guidelines.
  • Two sub-categories:
    • Kishore Sabha: For students of Class VI to XII.
    • Tarun Sabha: For undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Group Participation: Open to any group of citizens willing to conduct Youth Parliament sittings under defined norms.
• Individual Participation: Citizens can individually engage by taking a quiz on the theme ‘Bhartiya Democracy in Action’.

Training and Educational Resources

To support participants, the portal offers comprehensive e-training material, including:

• Literature on Youth Parliament
• Model Debates, Questions, and List of Business
• Model Scripts
• Video tutorials and other interactive resources

In News:

Patient advocacy groups across India have raised serious concerns over delays in implementing the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) 2021, which has left many rare disease patients — especially children — in life-threatening situations. They have urged the government for immediate intervention to resume life-saving treatments and release stalled funds under the policy.

Rare Diseases:

• Rare diseases are severe, often genetic, life-threatening disorders that impact a small percentage of the population.
• They disproportionately affect children, with 30% of diagnosed patients not surviving beyond age five without timely treatment.
• Examples include Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) such as Gaucher, Pompe, Fabry, and MPS I & II.

About NPRD 2021

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the National Policy for Rare Diseases in March 2021 to streamline the diagnosis, research, and treatment of rare diseases in India.

Key Features of NPRD 2021:

• 63 rare diseases currently included under the policy (as recommended by the Central Technical Committee for Rare Diseases (CTCRD)).
• Categorization of diseases into three groups:
  • Group 1: Diseases amenable to one-time curative treatment.
  • Group 2: Diseases requiring long-term/lifelong treatment with relatively lower cost.
  • Group 3: Diseases requiring very high-cost lifelong therapy where patient selection is critical.

Institutional Support:

• 12 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) identified at premier government hospitals to provide diagnosis and treatment.
• Nidan Kendras established to provide genetic testing and counselling services.
• National Consortium for Research and Development on Therapeutics for Rare Diseases (NCRDTRD) set up to coordinate R&D and promote indigenous drug manufacturing.
• Tax exemptions (on GST and Customs Duty) granted for imported drugs for individual and institutional use.

Financial Provisions:

• Financial assistance of up to ?50 lakh per patient for treatment at CoEs.
• Patients must register at CoEs to receive diagnosis and initiate treatment.

Challenges and Crisis

Despite policy provisions, implementation has been stalled, leading to a healthcare emergency for rare disease patients.

Key Issues Raised:      

• Insufficient funding: The ?50 lakh cap is inadequate for chronic and ultra-rare diseases that need lifelong therapy.
• Administrative delays: Fund disbursement to CoEs has been slow, disrupting continuity of treatment.
• Impact on Patients:
  • Patients like Alishba Khan, Ashok Kumar, Imran Ghoshi, and Adrija Mudy with Gaucher or MPS I have exhausted their funding.
  • Patients who had previously stabilized are now regressing due to interrupted therapy at leading hospitals like AIIMS Delhi, IGICH Bangalore, and IPGMER Kolkata.

Legal Developments:

• On October 4, 2024, the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to:
  • Release additional funds beyond the ?50 lakh limit.
  • Create a ?974 crore National Fund for FY 2024–25 and 2025–26.
• Months later, no concrete action has been taken, further eroding trust in the policy's effectiveness.

Demands by Advocacy Groups

• Sustainable, long-term funding model for lifelong treatment of rare and ultra-rare diseases.
• Immediate fund release to CoEs and simplification of administrative processes.
• Ensure uninterrupted access to essential therapies and expand the scope of financial support.

In News:

Researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed an innovative “self-actuating” drug delivery system that targets rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by delivering therapeutic agents only when needed. This approach offers a revolutionary alternative to conventional systemic treatments.

About Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

• Definition: RA is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, particularly the joints, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
• Commonly Affected Areas: Hands, wrists, and knees — often multiple joints simultaneously.
• Symptoms:
  • Inflammation of joint lining
  • Chronic pain and joint deformity
  • Unsteadiness or balance issues
  • May affect lungs, heart, and eyes
• Cause: The exact cause remains unknown, but it involves an immune response attacking the body’s own tissues.
• Traditional Treatment:
  • Involves Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate
  • Requires frequent dosing
  • May lead to systemic side effects and inefficient drug retention

Breakthrough: Self-Actuating Drug Delivery System

Key Features:

• Targeted Drug Release: Releases medication only in response to biochemical signals in the inflamed synovial environment of RA-affected joints.
• Precision and Safety: Reduces side effects by limiting drug release to flare-ups, minimizing exposure to unaffected areas.
• Main Drug Used: Methotrexate, a widely used anti-rheumatic drug.

Mechanism:

• Microspheres are engineered using polymer-lipid hybrid micro-composites:
  • Lipid Component (Soya Lecithin): Ensures high drug encapsulation efficiency.
  • Polymer Component (Gelatin): Reacts to Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) — enzymes present during RA inflammation.
• Action:
  • Enzymes like MMP-2 and MMP-9 increase during RA flare-ups.
  • These enzymes cleave the gelatin, triggering controlled, pulsatile release of methotrexate.
• Outcome in Animal Studies:
  • Reduced joint swelling and cartilage damage
  • Promoted joint repair
  • Improved drug bioavailability and retention in joints

Significance

• Improved Patient Outcomes:
  • Long-lasting relief with fewer doses
  • Reduced systemic toxicity
  • Personalized therapy based on inflammation levels
  • Enhanced joint function and slower disease progression
• Research Publication: The findings were published in the journal Biomaterial Advances.

Wider Applications

• Potential Use in:
  • Other inflammatory conditions like synovitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Veterinary medicine for arthritis in animals
  • Regenerative medicine and personalized drug delivery

In News:

As of early 2025, 60% of the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is complete. The telescope is expected to begin its first scientific observations by the end of 2028.

About ELT

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is poised to become the world’s most powerful ground-based optical and infrared telescope, with revolutionary capabilities to explore the universe.

• Location: Cerro Armazones, Atacama Desert, northern Chile
• Altitude: 3,046 meters above sea level
• Managing Body: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
• Project Cost: Approximately $1.51 billion (around 1.3 billion euros)
• Completion Target: Late 2020s
• Primary Mirror: Diameter of 39 meters (128 feet) — the largest of its kind
  • Constructed from 798 hexagonal segments, each 1.5 m across and 5 cm thick

Key Scientific Objectives

• Exoplanet Exploration
  • Direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets in habitable zones of nearby stars
  • Analysis of atmospheric biosignatures such as oxygen, water vapor, and methane, aiding the search for extraterrestrial life
• Understanding the Early Universe
  • Observation of the first stars and galaxies formed post-Big Bang
  • Investigation of dark matter and dark energy, crucial for understanding cosmic expansion and the universe’s fate
• Detailed Study of Stars and Galaxies
  • Identification and characterization of individual stars in distant galaxies
  • Analysis of the formation, evolution, and structure of galaxies over cosmic time
• Black Holes and Cosmic Structures
  • Study of supermassive black holes at galactic centers
  • Understanding their role in galaxy dynamics and structure

Why Chile’s Atacama Desert?

• Dry Climate: Very low humidity and cloud cover, ensuring clearer skies
• High Altitude: Thin atmosphere reduces atmospheric interference with incoming light
• Minimal Light Pollution: Remote location offers dark skies critical for deep-space observation
• Dome Structure: Protects sensitive instruments from harsh desert conditions

About the European Southern Observatory (ESO)

• Nature: Leading intergovernmental science and technology organization in the field of astronomy
• Headquarters: Garching, Germany
• Members: 16 countries including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom
• Facilities in Chile:
  • La Silla
  • Paranal
  • Chajnantor
• Mandate: Design, construction, and operation of advanced ground-based telescopes to promote international collaboration and facilitate path-breaking astronomical research