CONTENTS

1. 2024 Index Report Assesses Pharmaceutical Efforts in Expanding Access to Medicine
2. Satyendra Nath Bose
3. Global Negotiations in Busan Aim to Forge Treaty on Ending Plastic Pollution
4. Kanhirapoil Megalithic Site
5. Reang Tribe

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2024 Index Report Assesses Pharmaceutical Efforts in Expanding Access to Medicine

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Context:

The Access to Medicine Foundation recently released its 2024 Index Report, which evaluates the efforts of pharmaceutical companies to improve access to medicines in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This assessment highlights the various strategies and initiatives pharmaceutical companies are undertaking to address health care disparities despite persistent challenges.

Relevance:

GS II: Health

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Highlights of the Access to Medicine Index Report 2024
2. Needs and Challenges in Accessing Medicines in LMICs

Highlights of the Access to Medicine Index Report 2024

Clinical Trial Disparities:

• Limited Representation: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which house 80% of the world’s population, only conduct 43% of global clinical trials. This restricts LMIC populations from participating in the development of new medicines and delays their access to innovative treatments.

Distribution of Technology and Licenses:

• Concentration in Few Countries: Voluntary licensing and technology transfers are largely concentrated in countries like Brazil, China, and India, leaving regions like sub-Saharan Africa with limited access to medicines.

Inclusive Business Models:

• Lack of Strategic Focus: While some pharmaceutical companies adopt inclusive business models, over 61% of products assessed do not have specific strategies targeting low-income countries, emphasizing ongoing inequalities.

Research and Development Trends:

• Shifting Priorities: There is a noticeable decline in R&D investments for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases that predominantly affect LMICs.

Equity in Access:

• Call for Improvement: The report underscores the urgent need for pharmaceutical companies to enhance their efforts and develop transparent strategies for equitable access to medicines.

Needs and Challenges in Accessing Medicines in LMICs

Health Burdens:

• Dual Disease Burden: LMICs grapple with both infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which overload their fragile healthcare systems. WHO reports show 86% of premature NCD deaths occur in LMICs.

Essential Healthcare Supplies:

• Need for Affordable Solutions: There is a critical need for affordable, high-quality medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines to tackle these challenges and reduce preventable mortality.

Local Manufacturing:

• Strengthening Capabilities: Enhancing local pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution networks is vital for ensuring a reliable supply of essential medicines and reducing dependency on imports.

Economic and Infrastructure Barriers:

• High Costs and Poor Infrastructure: Economic barriers, such as the high cost of medications and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, significantly hinder access. Additionally, inadequate transportation and cold chain facilities impair efficient medicine distribution, especially in rural areas.

Regulatory and Supply Chain Issues:

• Regulatory Weaknesses: Weak regulatory frameworks lead to the proliferation of substandard and counterfeit medicines, compromising treatment efficacy and safety. Supply chain disruptions during crises further exacerbate medicine shortages.

Focus of Pharmaceutical Innovation:

• Neglected Diseases: Pharmaceutical innovation often overlooks diseases that are prevalent in LMICs, such as maternal health and childhood illnesses, focusing instead on conditions more common in high-income countries.

Healthcare Professional Shortage:

• Limited Medical Staff: A shortage of trained healthcare professionals in LMICs restricts appropriate prescription and medication management, especially in rural areas.

Cultural and Educational Barriers:

• Low Health Literacy: Cultural beliefs and low health literacy levels complicate adherence to prescribed treatments, challenging efforts to ensure equitable access to essential medicines.

-Source: The Hindu

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Satyendra Nath Bose

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Context:

Recently, the centenary of ‘Bose-Einstein’ statistics was celebrated, honouring Satyendra Nath Bose’s groundbreaking work on particle indistinguishability.  His contributions laid the foundation for key advancements in quantum mechanics, including the Bose-Einstein Condensate, and continue to shape modern physics. 

Relevance:

GS I: History

Dimensions of the Article:

1. About Satyendra Nath Bose
2. Association with Einstein
3. Invention of Boson
4. Return to India

About Satyendra Nath Bose

• Born on January 1, 1894, Bose grew up and studied in Kolkata, where he solidified his position as an exemplary academician.
• His father, an accountant in the Executive Engineering Department of the East Indian Railways, gave him an arithmetic problem to solve every day before going to work, encouraging Bose’s interest in mathematics.
• By the age of 15, he began pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at the Presidency College, and later finished his MSc in Mixed Mathematics in 1915.
• Bose topped his class for both degrees and at 22, he was appointed as a lecturer at Calcutta University, along with astrophysicist Meghnad Saha.

During World war I:

• These were tough times for Indian researchers as World War I had broken out and, European scientific journals came to India quite infrequently.
• Not only this, most of the research papers weren’t available in English and both Bose and Saha had to learn scientific terms in German and French languages to read published works.
• However, the new skill came in handy for them in 1919, when they published English translations of Albert Einstein’s special and general relativity papers.
• Two years later, Bose was appointed to the position of Reader in Physics at the University of Dhaka.
• It was here that he made his most significant contributions to physics.

Association with Einstein

• While teaching Planck’s formula for the distribution of energy from black body radiation, Bose began questioning the way particles were counted — his basic argument was that one photon of light is not distinguishable from another of the same colour — and came up with his own derivation, instead of relying on classical electrodynamics like his predecessors.
• Bose first sent his findings, recorded in a paper titled Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta, to a famous science journal called The Philosophical Magazine. However, the paper was rejected.
• Bose didn’t lose hope and made the bold decision of sending his research to Einstein.
• Impressed by Bose’s findings, Einstein not only arranged for the publication of the paper but also translated it into German.
• The publication of the paper completely changed the Indian physicist’s life and career.
• He was soon granted study leave from his university for two years and allowed to visit Europe.
• During his trip, Bose got an opportunity to meet other famous scientists of that era, such as Paul Langevin and Madame Curie.

Invention of Boson

• He went on to work with Einstein and together they developed what is now known as the Bose-Einstein statistics.
• Today, in honour of his legacy, any particle that obeys the Bose-Einstein statistics is called a boson.
• On his 129th birth anniversary, we take a look at the Indian physicist’s illustrious legacy and stellar achievements.

Return to India

• After his two-year stay in Europe, Bose came back to India and was appointed professor of physics and then Head of Department at Dhaka University in 1927.
• Here, he completely devoted himself to teaching and guiding research.
• Bose designed equipment for setting up an X-ray crystallography laboratory at the university, and wrote several papers on a range of subjects, such as ‘D2 Statistics’, and ‘Total Reflection of Electromagnetic Waves in the Ionosphere’.
• In 1945, he left Dhaka to return to his alma mater, the University of Calcutta, as the Khaira Professor of Physics.
• He retired from the University of Calcutta in 1956 and spent a year as the Vice Chancellor at the Viswa-Bharati University.
• Bose was awarded Padma Vibhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in the country, by the Indian government in 1954 and five years later, was appointed as National Professor, the highest honour in India for scholars. He lived the remainder of his life in Kolkata, until his death in 1974.

-Source: Indian Express

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Global Negotiations in Busan Aim to Forge Treaty on Ending Plastic Pollution

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Context:

In a significant step toward global environmental governance, representatives from over 170 countries are convening in Busan, South Korea, for the fifth and final round of negotiations aimed at establishing a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution, including its detrimental effects on marine environments. This initiative follows a commitment made during the 2022 UN Environmental Assembly, which set a goal to finalize the treaty by the end of 2024.

Relevance:

GS III: Environment and Ecology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Background on Global Plastic Treaty Efforts
2. Urgency for a Global Plastic Treaty
3. India’s Position on the Treaty

Background on Global Plastic Treaty Efforts

• UNEA Resolution 2022: Initiated the process to combat plastic pollution globally, setting up an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) tasked with creating a legally binding instrument to regulate plastic production and usage.
• Global Agreement: By 2022, 175 nations committed to forging a legally binding agreement by 2024, aiming to mitigate the environmental impact of plastics.

Urgency for a Global Plastic Treaty

• Rising Production: Plastic production has surged, with forecasts suggesting a jump to 700 million tonnes by 2040.
• Environmental Impact: With plastic taking up to 500 years to decompose and less than 10% currently recycled, waste is escalating, significantly harming ecosystems and human health.
• Emissions Concerns: Plastics contributed 3.6% to global emissions in 2020, a figure that could rise by 2050 under current trends.
• India’s Contribution: Notably, India leads with 20% of global plastic emissions.

Negotiation Dynamics

• Scope of Negotiations: The focus is to develop comprehensive regulations that cover the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.
• Key Proposals: Proposals include banning certain plastics, implementing binding recycling targets, and regulating chemical additives.
• Just Transition: There is a concerted effort to ensure that the transition impacts workers and communities fairly, supporting those affected by changes in the plastic production sector.

Divergent National Views

• Production Cap Controversy: There is a divide among nations, with some oil and gas-rich countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, and India opposing strict caps on production. They prefer focusing on enhancing waste management.
• Support for Stringent Measures: Countries like Rwanda, Peru, and the EU are pushing for ambitious targets to reduce pollution drastically.

India’s Position on the Treaty

• Opposition to Production Limits: India contends that restrictions on polymer production go beyond the initial mandate set by the UNEA resolution.
• Advocacy for Support: India stresses the importance of financial aid, technology transfers, and technical support as central elements of the treaty.
• Regulatory Approach: India argues for a scientific basis in deciding on harmful chemicals in plastics, preferring to manage such issues domestically.
• Pragmatic Phase-Out: While India implemented a ban on certain single-use plastics in 2022, it advocates for a pragmatic, nationally-driven phase-out strategy in the treaty.
• Infrastructure and Financial Mechanisms: Emphasizes the need for a clear assessment of infrastructure needs and reliable funding for effective waste management.

-Source: The Hindu

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Kanhirapoil Megalithic Site

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Context:

A remarkable archaeological discovery has come to light at Kanhirapoil in Madikkai panchayat in Kerala state and experts believe these carvings date back to the Megalithic period.

Relevance:

GS I: History

Kanhirapoil Megalithic Site in Kerala

• Location and Discovery: The Kanhirapoil megalithic site is situated in Kerala, where significant prehistoric carvings were discovered on private property.

Major Archaeological Findings:

• Carved Footprints: Researchers have uncovered 24 pairs of footprints carved into rock, with sizes ranging from six to ten inches, indicating the presence of both children and adults.
• Human Figure and Pits: Alongside the footprints, a detailed human figure is etched, surrounded by four circular pits, suggesting a ceremonial or symbolic purpose.
• Tool Marks: The carvings were made using iron tools, pointing to sophisticated craftsmanship of the era.
• Similarities with Other Sites: The carvings show resemblances to prehistoric rock art at Avalakki Pera in Udupi district, Karnataka, highlighting cultural connections or common artistic traditions across regions.

Insights into Megaliths

Types of Megalithic Structures:

• Burial Sites: Often include dolmenoid cists (stone burial chambers), cairn circles (stone-built enclosures), and distinctive capstones (mushroom-shaped burial chambers prevalent in Kerala).
• Commemorative Memorials: Non-sepulchral megaliths such as menhirs, which are large upright stones.

Historical Context and Distribution:

• Time Period: Most megaliths in India are dated to the Iron Age, roughly between 1500 BC and 500 BC.
• Geographical Spread: These ancient structures are primarily found in Maharashtra (Vidarbha region), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, indicating a widespread megalithic culture in peninsular India.

-Source: The Hindu

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Reang Tribe

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Context:

The ethnic Reang community has demanded that Tripura declare a holiday on Hojagiri Day, which celebrates the traditional Hojagiri dance.

Relevance:

GS I: History

Reang Tribe

• Known locally as “Bru,” the Reang tribe is the second-largest tribal community in Tripura, following the old Tripuri clan.
• They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tripura.
• Besides Tripura, Reangs are also present in neighboring Mizoram and parts of Assam.

Historical Background

• Originating from the Shan State in Upper Burma (now Myanmar), the Reangs migrated in various waves to the Chittagang Hill Tracts and subsequently to southern Tripura.
• A distinct group migrated to Tripura via Assam and Mizoram in the 18th century.
• Ethnicity and Language:
  • The Reangs belong to the Indo-Mongoloid racial stock.
  • Their language, Kaubru, influences the Kuki language and is part of the broader Kok-Borok dialect within the Tibeto-Burmese linguistic family.

Cultural and Social Structure

• Clan Division: Ethnically divided into two major clans, Meska and Molsoi.
• Governance: They maintain a rigid, well-ordered, and structured self-governing system.
• Economic Practices:
  • Historically, they engaged in ‘Huk’ or Jhum cultivation, a form typical among Tripuri tribes, but have now transitioned to modern agricultural practices.

Religious Beliefs and Practices

• Current Faith: The majority of Reangs in Tripura adhere to Hinduism, worshiping gods and goddesses similar to those in mainstream Hindu faith.
• Deities: They worship several local deities, including Buraha, Bonirao, Songragma, Jampira, and Lampra.

Cultural Contributions

• Hojagiri Folk Dance: The Hojagiri folk dance of the Reang clan has gained significant acclaim globally, showcasing their rich cultural heritage.

-Source: The Hindu