1. R21/MATRIX-M MALARIA VACCINE
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine has been recommended for use by the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG).
EXPLANATION:
- The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO, following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, which received a WHO recommendation in 2021.
RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is a vaccine that acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa.
- Both vaccines are shown to be safe and effective in preventing malaria in children and, when implemented broadly, are expected to have high public health impact.
- The World Health Organization’s recommendation is required for UNICEF to procure and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, to purchase the vaccine, paving the way for vaccination of children in populations most at risk.
- R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine marks the culmination of 30 years of malaria vaccine research at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute.
R21/MATRIX-M MALARIA VACCINE:
- The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is a subunit vaccine that targets the malaria parasite’s sporozoite stage, the form of the parasite that is injected into the human body by an infected mosquito.
- It is developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s adjuvant technology.
- The vaccine should be administered in a 2-dose schedule with a 3-month interval between doses.
- SAGE recommended that vaccine introduction should be accompanied by a well-designed communication strategy and community engagement.
- Vaccine efficacy against multiple episodes of clinical malaria was similar (78%) over 2 years of follow-up.
- R21/Matrix-M has a favourable safety profile and also induces high levels of malaria-specific anti-NANP antibodies that correlate with the observed protection against clinical malaria.
BENEFITS OF THE R21/MATRIX-M MALARIA VACCINE:
- The WHO’s recommendation of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine is a major milestone in the fight against malaria.
- The vaccine is expected to save millions of lives and help to reduce the burden of malaria on children in Africa and other countries with high malaria transmission.
- R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine demonstrates high efficacy with a reassuring safety profile.
- The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is an easily deployable vaccine that can be manufactured at mass scale and modest cost.
- It enables hundreds of millions of doses to be supplied to countries which are suffering a significant malaria burden.
- The Serum Institute of India has already established production capacity for 100 million doses per annum, which will be doubled over the next two years.
SERUM INSTITUTE OF INDIA:
- Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla.
- Its aim is to manufacture life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices.
- Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses).
- It is estimated that about 65% of the children in the world receive at least one vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute.
- Serum Institute of India is ranked as India’s No. 1 biotechnology company, manufacturing highly specialized life saving biologicals like vaccines using cutting edge genetic, antisera etc.
2. ASTRA MISSILE
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, GS 3: DEFENSE
THE CONTEXT: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed two contracts with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile.
EXPLANATION:
- The Astra is fully integrated on the Su-30MKI.
- In August 2023, it was successfully test fired from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas off the coast of Goa during which the missile was released from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 ft.
ASTRA MISSILE:
- The Astra is a highly advanced missile that is capable of engaging enemy aircraft at ranges of up to 110 kilometers.
- It has been integrated with the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft and is expected to be integrated with other aircraft in the IAF’s fleet in the future.
- The induction of the Astra will significantly enhance the IAF’s air-to-air combat capabilities.
- The missile will give the IAF the ability to engage enemy aircraft at long ranges, even before they are within visual range of the IAF’s fighter jets.
- The Astra is being manufactured indigenously by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), which is a state-owned aerospace and defense company.
- The first batch of Astra missiles is expected to be inducted into the IAF by the end of this year.
- This will give the IAF the ability to begin training its pilots on the use of the missile and to integrate it into its operational doctrine.
- It is a demonstration of India’s ability to develop and manufacture advanced weapons systems indigenously.
Here are some of the benefits that the induction of the Astra will bring to the Indian Air Force:
- Increased air-to-air combat capabilities: The Astra’s long range and high performance will give the IAF the ability to engage enemy aircraft at greater distances and with greater accuracy.
- Reduced dependence on imported weapons systems: The Astra is being manufactured indigenously, which will help to reduce India’s dependence on imported weapons systems.
- Boost for the Indian defense industry: The induction of the Astra will boost the Indian defense industry and help to create jobs.
- The induction of the Astra BVR air-to-air missile into the Indian Air Force is a major milestone in the development of India’s indigenous defense capabilities.
- It is a demonstration of India’s growing technological capabilities and its commitment to self-reliance.
- The induction of the Astra is also a boost for India’s defense industry.
SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2023-10-03/th_chennai/articleGMKBQV3CV-4447703.ece
3. NOBEL PRIZES 2023 IN MEDICINE OR PHYSIOLOGY
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: The Nobel Prizes for 2023 in Medicine or Physiology have been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.
EXPLANATION:
- They were awarded for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modification that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
- Their discoveries have opened up a new chapter in medicine, paving the way for new vaccines for other infectious diseases, including the flu, and treatments for non-infectious diseases such as cancer.
BACKGROUND:
- In their 2008 paper, Karikó and Weissman showed that by modifying specific nucleosides in mRNA, they could significantly reduce the inflammatory response that occurs when mRNA is injected into the body.
- This was a critical finding, as it made it possible to develop mRNA vaccines and therapeutics that were safe and effective.
- In their 2010 paper, Karikó and Weissman reported that nucleoside modification could also increase protein production from mRNA.
- This was another important finding, as it made it possible to develop mRNA vaccines and therapeutics that could produce high levels of therapeutic proteins.
- The cumulative effect of Karikó and Weissman’s research was to remove the two major obstacles that had hindered the clinical applications of mRNA:
- the inflammatory response and
- the low level of protein production.
- This made it possible to develop mRNA vaccines and therapeutics that could be used to treat a wide range of diseases.
WHAT mRNA DOES:
- Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is a form of nucleic acid that tells cells what to do based on the information contained in DNA.
- Unlike DNA, which acts as an instruction manual for life contained in every cell, mRNA is a temporary piece of genetic code that can create a protein or repair damage.
MRNA carries genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosomes.
WHAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE NOBEL LAUREATES?
- Karikó and Weissman’s key breakthrough was in finding a way to alter the building blocks of RNA, called nucleotides, in order to make our bodies produce an immune response.
- Their fundamental work in using modified nucleotides, the building blocks of RNA, to avoid activation of the innate immune system will be key to the successful use of future RNA vaccines and new RNA based medicines.
HOW IS mRNA VACCINES DIFFER FROM OTHER VACCINES?
Vector vaccines:
- Many vaccines use weakened or dead versions of the viruses they’re targeting not enough to make a person sick.
- But the amount will make the immune system respond so the body will produce antibodies if it encounters the real virus.
Subunit vaccine technology:
- Another related technique subunit vaccine technology is employed in protein subunit vaccines uses purified pieces of a virus in order to trigger an immune response.
- However, development of those types of vaccines can be lengthy, and it can be difficult to modify them quickly.
Messenger RNA-based vaccine technology:
- Messenger RNA-based vaccine technology doesn’t rely on a modified version of a virus to produce an immune response.
- It uses modified mRNA to tell the body’s cells to produce proteins that train the immune system to defend the body against a particular disease.
POTENTIAL BEYOND FIGHTING COVID-19:
- Early studies suggest mRNA technology shows promise as a treatment for cancers, including melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
- It is being studied for use in vaccines for seasonal flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and HIV.
- Other avenues of ongoing mRNA research include exploring a new avenue to treat autoimmune diseases.
- And mRNA technology is also being checked out as a possible alternative to gene therapy for intractable conditions such as sickle cell disease.
4. AFSPA, 1958
TAG: GS 3: INTERNAL SECURITY
THE CONTEXT: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA has been extended by the Assam government in four districts namely Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo of the State for six more months.
EXPLANATION:
- The AFSPA has also been withdrawn from Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao with effect from October 1, 2023.
THE ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT, 1958:
- The AFSPA grants unrestricted authority to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police forces stationed in “disturbed areas”.
- They have the authority to kill anyone acting against the law, to arrest and search any location without a warrant, and to do so while being shielded from legal action and prosecution.
- In order to address the Naga revolt, the law was originally implemented in 1958.
- When the Act was revised in 1972, the Central government and the States got the authority to designate a region as “disturbed” at the same time.
- Meghalaya was subject to the AFSPA for 27 years before the MHA abolished it on April 1st, 2018, after Tripura had revoked the Act in 2015.
- Parts of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh currently have AFSFA.
CRITICISM OF AFSPA:
- The Act gives unfettered powers to the armed forces and the Central armed police forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone who is acting in a way to create disharmony in the society.
- It empowers armed forces to search any place without a warrant and also gives them insulation from prosecution and legal rights.
- The use of these extraordinary powers by the armed forces has frequently sparked accusations of fake encounters and other human rights abuses by security forces in unrest areas.
- It raises concerns about the permanent installation of the AFSPA in some states, including Nagaland, Manipur and J&K.
AFSPA WITHDRAWL:
- The ‘Disturbed Area’ notification has been in force since 1990 in the whole of Assam.
- AFSPA was removed from the entire State of Assam except for nine districts at the beginning of April 2022.
- The districts under the stringent law later dropped to eight as the Act was withdrawn from the Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar district.
- Assam is going through a peaceful stage after witnessing a volatile past during the last three to four decades, the act has been withdrawn from most of the districts.
- It has been lifted from four of Assam’s eight districts where it was in force while being extended in the remaining four.
For more related news on AFSPA, please refer to September current affairs.
5. BIHAR CASTE SURVEY RESULT
TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
THE CONTEXT: The Bihar government released its caste-based survey results, which revealed that Other backward castes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward castes (EBCs) constitute 63 per cent of the state’s population.
EXPLANATION:
- The data of the caste-based survey conducted in Bihar has been released on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
- The survey provides information about the economic condition of everyone.
- The caste survey had 17-point socio-economic indicators.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY REPORT:
- The survey indicates that the majority community Hindu is 81.99 per cent while in the minority, Muslims 17.7 per cent.
- The other religions in the minority community are less than one per cent of the total population which includes Christians, Sikhs, and Jains.
- The survey report released by the Bihar government suggested that the state’s population stood a little over 13.07 crores, of which the Extremely Backward Castes with 36 per cent is the largest followed by the Other backward castes (OBCs) which is 27.13 per cent.
- Other backward castes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward castes (EBCs) constitute 63 per cent of the state’s population.
- Dalits account for 19.65 and Scheduled Tribes (ST) is 1.68 per cent of the total population in the state.
For more information, please refer to the august current affairs magazine. Bihar caste survey, its legality and difference between caste and census has been covered holistically. Also refer the “Mains Focus” of 3rd October 2023.
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