TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (27th JUNE 2023)

1. NEW GUIDELINES ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED INSECTS

TAG:  PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Department of Biotechnology issued the ‘Guidelines for Genetically Engineered Insects. They provide procedural roadmaps for those interested in creating GE insects.

EXPLANATION:

• India’s bioeconomy contributes 2.6% to the GDP.
• In April 2023, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) released its ‘Bioeconomy Report 2022’ report, envisioning this contribution to be closer to 5% by 2030.
• This ambitious leap of $220 billion in eight years will require aggressive investment and policy support. .
• Along with more money, policies that enable risk-taking appetite within Indian scientists will be required to create an ecosystem of innovation and industrial action.
• Despite a slight uptick during COVID-19, when DBT led the vaccine and diagnostics efforts, funding hasn’t returned to the pre-pandemic level. The current allocation is also only 0.0001% of India’s GDP, and it needs to be significantly revised if biotechnology is to be of any serious consequence for the economy.

Issues:

Uncertainty of purpose:

• The guidelines note that GE insects are becoming globally available and are intended to help Indian researchers navigate regulatory requirements.
• However, the guidelines don’t specify the purposes for which GE insects may be approved in India or how the DBT, as a promoter of biotechnology, envisions their use.
• The guidelines only provide regulatory procedures for R&D on insects with some beneficial applications.
• The emphasis of using GE insects appears to be on uplifting the standard of living by reducing disease burden, enabling food security and conserving the environment.
• The guidelines which are more procedural in nature than indicative of governmental policy set out forms and instructions for using GE insects of various types.
• The approval for these experiments comes under the broad ambit of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation, a body under the DBT.
• The guidelines have been harmonised to guidance from the World Health Organisation on GE mosquitoes.
• GE mosquitoes represent the most advanced application for this technology yet the guidelines seem to downplay the economic opportunities that such insects provide.
• Engineering honey bees to make better-quality and/or quantities of honey will help reduce imports and also maybe facilitate exports.
• Similarly, GE silkworms may be used to produce finer and/or cheaper silk, affecting prices and boosting sales. But the guidelines and policy are both quiet on how GE insects can benefit the bioeconomy and for which purposes the government might approve the insects’ release.

Uncertainty for researchers

• The guidelines are applicable only to research and not to confined trials or deployment. That is, once the insects are ‘made’ and tested in the laboratory, researchers can conduct trials with them on the approval of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), of the Union Environment Ministry.
• Government authorities will also have to closely follow the deployment of these insects. Once deployed, GE insects can’t be recalled, and unlike genetically modified foods, they are not amenable to individual consumer choice.
• So wider community engagement and monitoring of the impact of GE will be required. The nature of the technology products – i.e. mosquitoes, honey bees, etc. – also make their private use difficult.
• In any case, the government will be the primary buyer in many cases, such as ‘GE mosquitoes for disease alleviation’ or ‘honey bees for increased pollination’.
• On the other hand, as honey bees populations decrease, genetically edited honey bees which live longer, might be of use in India.
• On a related note, the guidelines define GE insects by their risk group and not by the end product.

Uncertainty of ambit

• The guidelines offer standard operating procedures for GE mosquitoes, crop pests, and beneficial insects but what ‘beneficial’ means, in the context of GE insects, is not clear.
• The lack of clarity about the insects and the modifications to them that are deemed ‘beneficial’ will impede funders and scientists from investing in this research. In a country with low public as well as private funding, the absence of a precise stance to identify and  promote research priorities hampers progress.
• Other gene-editing guidelines contain similar ambiguity, such as the National Guidelines for Gene Therapy Product Development and Clinical Trials. They identify a gene-therapy product as “any entity which includes a nucleic acid component being delivered by various means for therapeutic benefit”. But they don’t “define therapeutic benefit”, creating confusion on which gene therapy products will actually be permitted.
• Further, genetic engineering can also be used to unintentionally generate malicious products. In 2016, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency floated an ‘Insect Allies’ programme with the idea of creating insect vectors to deliver gene-editing components to plants that are threatened by pests. Scientists quickly pointed out that this application could also be used to create bioweapons. Similarly, the new guidelines don’t sufficiently account for more dangerous possibilities.

2. CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT (CSE) REPORT ON EMISSION

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: As of April 2023, however, only 5 per cent of the country’s installed coal-based thermal power generation capacities had the FGD mechanism in place, according to a new report by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

EXPLANATION:

• Emission reduction has been the unequivocally accepted pathway for limiting global warming.  But despite ambitious targets, one of the most polluting sectors of India coal-based thermal power generation  was found to be brazenly flouting emission norms and not doing the bare minimum required to reduce their environmental footprint.
• A case in point is the poor implementation of the sulphur dioxide emissions regulations issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2015.
• The ministry made it mandatory for thermal power plants to instal a flue gas de-sulfurization (FGD) system to remove sulphur dioxide from their exhaust.
• Moreover, 17 per cent of the overall coal power capacity was still at very initial stages of compliance.
• The organisation analysed the updated status of FGD systems in thermal power plants from data released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the technical arm of the Union Ministry of Power.
• The findings for eastern India were abysmal as no plant in the region was found to be compliant of SO2 emissions norms.
• Maharashtra has the highest capacity complying with the norms, followed by Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, showed the analysis.
• Only 0.81 GW of the 32.63 GW newly commissioned capacity is complying with the norms, the researchers found.
• Just 57 per cent of the capacity within 10 kilometres of Delhi-NCR or million-plus cities will be able to meet the deadline, based on the analysis. Around 11 per cent of the capacity within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas is unlikely to meet the deadline.
• Around 13 gigawatts of the installed capacity is now likely to comply because of the extension in deadline, the report noted.
• None of the plants that have installed FGDs or are reported to be complying with SOx norms are state-owned, the analysts found.
• The latest National Electricity Plan (NEP) for 2022-32 cited various factors that may have delayed the implementation of the norms: The sector’s dependency on the external market for some FGD components, novelty of the technology for the Indian market and the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Electricity Plan:

• The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has notified the National Electricity Plan (NEP) for the period of 2022-32.
• The plan document, which was released on May 31, 2023, includes a review of the last five years (2017-22), a detailed plan for the next five years (2022-27), and the prospective plan for the next five years (2027-32).

Peak demand

• According to the NEP document, the projected All-India peak electricity demand and electrical energy requirement are 277.2 GW and 1,907.8 BU for FY27 and 366.4 GW and 2473.8 BU for FY32, as per 20th Electric Power Survey (EPS) Demand projections.
• The energy requirement & peak demand are inclusive of the impact due to increased adoption of electric vehicles, installation of solar rooftops, production of green hydrogen, Saubhagya scheme, etc, a government release said.

Generation Capacity

• Based on generation planning studies carried out under the purview of preparation of the National Electricity Plan for the period of 2022-27, the likely installed power generation capacity for FY27 is 609,591 MW, and that for FY32 is 900,422 MW.
• The projection of total capacity addition is in line with the target of the country to achieve a non-fossil-based installed capacity of around 500 GW by the year 2029-30.
• NEP envisages that the share of non-fossil-based capacity is likely to increase to 57.4 percent by the end of FY27 and may further increase to 68.4 percent by the end of FY23, from around 42.5 percent as on April 2023.
• The average PLF of the total installed coal capacity of 235.1 GW is likely to be about 58.4 percent in 2026-27and that of 259.6 GW of coal-based capacity is likely to be about 58.7 percent in 2031-32.
• The project battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity is projected at 8,680 mw for FY27. For FY32, the estimated figure is 47,244 MW. BESS capacity is based on four-hour storage. The corresponding power available would therefore be 34,720 MWh and 236,220 MWh, respectively.
• The domestic coal requirement has been estimated to be 866.4 million tonnes for FY276 and 1025.8 million tonnes for FY32 and an estimated requirement of 28.9 million tonnes of coal imports for the plants designed to run on imported coal.

3. FLASH FLOODS

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Flash floods have led to landslides in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The Chandigarh-Manali highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides since in parts of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut (in HP) on the Pandoh–Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded as a result.

EXPLANATION:

• Flash floods refers to a flood situation, but one that occurs in a much shorter span of time, under six hours, and is a highly localised phenomenon.
• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) added that there was no warning for flash floods. But flash floods are not simply a situation of excessive rains, there are certain criteria for terming rains as such.
• Excessive or continuous rainfall over a period of days, or during particular seasons, can lead to stagnation of water and cause flooding.
• Flash floods refer to such a situation, but occurring in a much shorter span of time, and are highly localised.
• For instance, the US’s meteorological agency, the National Weather Service, says flash floods are caused when rainfall creates flooding in less than 6 hours. It adds that flash floods can also be caused by factors apart from rainfall, like when water goes beyond the levels of a dam.
• In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time. Himalayan states further face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years.
• Frequently, flash floods are accompanied by landslides, which are sudden movements of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope. It is common in mountainous terrains, where there are conditions created for it in terms of the soil, rock, geology and slope.
• Natural causes that trigger landslides include heavy rainfall, earthquakes, snowmelting and undercutting of slopes due to Landslides can also be caused by human activities, such as excavation, cutting of hills and trees, excessive infrastructure development, and overgrazing by cattle. India is one of the countries most likely to face landslides.
• Flash flooding commonly happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more They can occur in urban areas located near small rivers, since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground.

How common are flash floods and floods?

• According to government data from a project by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, India is the worst flood-affected country in the world, after Bangladesh, and accounts for one-fifth of the global death count due to floods. Flash floods have been commonly witnessed in cities like Chennai and Mumbai. Depression and cyclonic storms in the coastal areas of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and others also cause flash floods.
• Further, data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) states that one of the reasons for flood situations occurring so frequently is that nearly 75 per cent of the total Indian rainfall is concentrated over a short monsoon season of four months (June to September).
• As a result, the rivers witness a heavy discharge during these months. About 40 million hectares of land in the country are liable to floods according to the National Flood Commission, and an average of 18.6 million hectares of land are affected annually.
• Flash floods may in the future, begin to take place after wildfires that have been taking place more frequently. This is because wildfires destroy forests and other vegetation, which in turn weakens the soil and makes it less permeable for water to seep through.

4. GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX 2023

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has recently unveiled its highly anticipated list of the ‘Most Liveable Cities in the World 2023’.

EXPLANATION:

• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has recently unveiled its highly anticipated list of the ‘Most Liveable Cities in the World 2023’.
• Through an evaluation of five metrics, including healthcare, culture, environment, education, and stability, this ranking offers insights into the cities that excel in providing an exceptional quality of life.
• This year, the index covered 172 cities and for the second year in a row, Vienna, Austria, has been named the best city to live in the world.
• The Global Liveability Index 2023 attributed Vienna’s success to its “unsurpassed combination of stability, good infrastructure, strong education and healthcare services, and plenty of culture and entertainment.”
• Denmark’s capital Copenhagen also retained its second-place position in the list. Following it are two Australian cities, Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. “The Australian cities, which bounced up and down the rankings during the pandemic, are now in third and fourth place.
• They have seen their scores in the healthcare category improve since last year when they were still affected by Covid waves that stressed their healthcare systems.
• Three Canadian cities Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto also made it to the top ten list. From Asia, Japan’s Osaka was ranked number 10 in the rankings.
• According to EIU, the index rose last year to reach a 15-year high as the world recovered from the pandemic. The average index score is now 76.2 out of 100, up from 73.2 a year ago.
• Despite overall growth in the index score, stability saw a marginal decline.
• It is because of instances of civil unrest in many cities amid a cost-of-living crisis and an uptick in crimes in some cities. The EIU added that those in Western Europe in particular, have slipped in rankings due to increased instances of workers’ strikes failing to “match gains” made by cities in Asia and the Middle East.

List of the top 10 cities in the world in 2023:

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
8. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan

5. MEDICINES PATENT POOL (MPP)

TAG: GS 2: HEALTH ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: In a move that would make certain cancer drugs more accessible and cheaper for patients, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) signed sub-licence agreements with three India-based companies, Eugia, Hetero and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, along with Indonesian firm BrightGene to manufacture generic versions of Novartis’ cancer treatment drug Nilotinib. The drug is used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a type of blood-cell cancer.

EXPLANATION:

• These are the first sub-licence agreements that MPP has signed for a cancer treatment drug and are the result of a licence agreement signed between MPP and Novartis Pharma AG in October 2022 for their patented cancer medicine. Nilotinib is sold under the brand name Tasigna and marketed worldwide by Novartis.
• According to information released by MPP, a United Nations-backed group working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the selected manufacturers can manufacture generic versions of Nilotinib in India and seven middle-income countries and supply it in 44 territories included in the licence through a non-exclusive licence agreement, subject to local regulatory authorisation.
• The licence includes the opportunity to develop and supply generic versions of Nilotinib in seven middle-income countries, namely Egypt, Guatemala, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tunisia, where patents on the product are pending or in force.
• In 2020, the World Health Organization reported that more than 3.5 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in LMICs and premature deaths from cancer in these countries will rise from 2.3 million to 4 million in the next 20 years.
• MPP, said that they have worked with the four generic manufacturers to develop generic Nilotinib and bring an affordable treatment option to people diagnosed with CML in the selected countries.
• Voluntary licensing is a truly impactful way of delivering affordable treatments to tackle the ever-rising burden of cancer in LMICs.
• President of Global Health and Sustainability added that great gains have been seen in cancer survival in the richest countries over the last decade.
• Through ‘public-private partnerships’, it aims to address barriers to healthcare and expand access to innovative treatment solutions for the long-term for as many people as possible regardless of location or socio-economic situation.

Medicines Patent Pool:

• The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries.
• Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders, to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
• MPP has signed agreements with 18 patent holders for 14 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 12 COVID-19 technologies.
• MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.

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