In News:

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, chronic respiratory ailments, and cancers have emerged as the leading cause of premature mortality globally. A recent Lancet study tracking progress across 185 countries (2010–2019) highlighted a worrying trend for India: unlike most nations where mortality risk from NCDs declined, India witnessed an increase in NCD-related deaths, especially among women.

Key Findings from the Lancet Study

• Rising Mortality Risk: Between 2010–2019, NCD mortality in India increased by 2.1% for females and 0.1% for males, compared to a decline in the previous decade.
• Probability of Death Before 80:
  • Women – rose from 46.6% (2010) to 48.7% (2019).
  • Men – remained high at 57.9% (2019), up from 57.8% (2010).
• Major Drivers: Ischaemic heart disease and diabetes (including kidney disease due to diabetes) contributed most to the rising risk, especially in women over 40 and men over 55.
• Improvements: Declines in deaths from liver cirrhosis, stroke, COPD, and stomach cancer were recorded, largely due to better blood pressure awareness and management.

Causes of the NCD Burden in India

• Lifestyle Factors
  • Rapidly rising obesity, driven by unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.
  • Increased consumption of processed foods, sugary beverages, and trans fats.
  • Tobacco and alcohol use.
• Environmental & Social Factors
  • Urbanization, pollution (ambient and indoor), and chronic stress.
  • Ageing population and poverty-driven dietary imbalances.
• Health System Gaps
  • Limited access to quality primary care and preventive services.
  • Low penetration of screening and early detection programmes in rural areas.

Expert Insights

• Diabetes–Obesity–Heart Disease Spiral: Experts warn that India’s growing obesity rates are fuelling diabetes, which in turn increases risks of cardiovascular complications.
• Policy Solutions Suggested:
  • Aggressive taxation (up to 40%) on sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods.
  • Subsidies for vegetables, fruits, and nutrient-rich foods.
  • Urban planning reforms to create walking spaces and encourage physical activity.
  • Public campaigns against tobacco, alcohol, excess salt, and stress.
  • Tackling pollution as a compounding risk factor.

National Initiatives to Combat NCDs

• National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs (NP-NCD): Launched in 2010, expanded in 2023, focuses on early detection, management, and referral.
• 75/25 Initiative (2023): Targets 75 million people with hypertension and diabetes by 2025 through standardized care.
• Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY: Provides financial protection for tertiary NCD treatment and upgrades PHCs into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
• Eat Right India Movement (FSSAI): Promotes healthier diets and reduction of trans fats.
• Fit India Movement: Encourages regular physical activity and fitness to reduce lifestyle-related risks.

Way Forward

India’s NCD challenge demands a multi-pronged strategy:

• Strengthening primary healthcare for screening and early detection.
• Fiscal measures (taxes and subsidies) to influence dietary choices.
• Health education campaigns to promote lifestyle modifications.
• Integration of NCD management into universal health coverage.
• Climate and pollution control measures, given their direct links to respiratory and cardiac illnesses.

In News:

India’s fisheries sector has been a key driver of food security, livelihoods, and exports. The Blue Revolution (2015) enhanced fish production and modernized infrastructure but left gaps in post-harvest management, market access, fisher welfare, and sustainability.

To bridge these, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri MatsyaSampada Yojana (PMMSY) in September 2020, with an investment of ?20,050 crore. It sought to make the sector ecologically sustainable, economically viable, and socially inclusive. The scheme has now been extended up to 2025–26.

Objectives

PMMSY aims to:

• Harness fisheries potential in a sustainable, equitable, and responsible manner.
• Enhance fish production, diversification, and efficient use of land and water.
• Strengthen value chains through modernized post-harvest infrastructure and quality improvements.
• Double incomes of fishers and generate large-scale employment.
• Enhance contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports.
• Provide social, physical, and economic security for fishers.
• Establish a robust fisheries management and regulatory framework.

The scheme functions through two components:

• Central Sector Scheme (CS): Fully funded by the Centre.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS): Cost-sharing with states, further divided into beneficiary and non-beneficiary oriented activities.

Milestones and Achievements

In its first five years, PMMSY has significantly reshaped India’s fisheries sector:

• Production: Fish output rose from 141.64 lakh tonnes (2019–20) to a record 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, making India the second-largest fish producer globally (8% of world production).
• Exports: Grew from ?46,662 crore (2019–20) to ?60,524 crore (2023–24), strengthening India’s global seafood footprint.
• Livelihoods: Created nearly 58 lakh jobs and supported 99,018 women beneficiaries, with up to 60% subsidy support for women entrepreneurs.
• Technology adoption: Supported 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS &Biofloc units, 1,525 sea cages, and raceways, making aquaculture more productive and climate-resilient.
• Post-harvest infrastructure: Approved projects worth over ?3,281 crore for 58 fishing harbours, 734 cold storages, 21 wholesale fish markets, 192 retail markets, 6,410 kiosks, and digital fish trade platforms.
• Community resilience: Declared 100 Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages and promoted sustainable technologies like Biofloc, which reduces water use and boosts productivity.

Supplementary Initiatives

• Pradhan Mantri MatsyaKisanSamridhiSah Yojana (PM-MKSSY): Launched in 2024 as a central sub-scheme with an outlay of ?6,000 crore (2023–27). Focuses on formalisation, aquaculture insurance, value chain efficiency, and quality assurance.
• National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP): Introduced in 2024 to digitise the sector, provide work-based digital identities, enhance credit access, ensure traceability, and integrate cooperatives. By September 2025, it had 2.7 million registrations.

Challenges

• Climate stress: Rising sea temperatures and extreme weather threaten coastal ecosystems.
• Infrastructure gaps: Cold storage and transport remain inadequate in remote areas.
• Overfishing: Risks depletion of marine resources.
• Limited reach: Many small-scale fishers lack awareness and access to formal schemes.

In News:

The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular atoll in the South China Sea, has once again become a flashpoint after China announced the establishment of a 3,524-hectare nature reserve in the disputed waters. The move has drawn strong protests from the Philippines, which claims sovereignty over the feature and views China’s step as an assertion of jurisdiction under the guise of ecological protection.

Geographical and Strategic Significance

• The shoal is located about 220 km west of the Philippines’ Luzon Island and falls well within Manila’s 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Claimed by both China (which calls it Huangyan Island) and the Philippines (locally known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc), sovereignty over the shoal remains unsettled.
• Its location near major global shipping lanes that carry over $3 trillion worth of trade annually enhances its geostrategic value.
• The lagoon and surrounding waters are rich in fish stocks, shellfish, and sea cucumbers, making it a vital fishing ground for regional communities.

Historical and Legal Context

• China’s claim: Traced back to maps from the Yuan Dynasty (1200s), Beijing argues historical sovereignty.
• Philippines’ claim: Based on proximity, falling within its EEZ, and backed by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling under UNCLOS, which invalidated China’s “nine-dash line” claim. The ruling, however, did not adjudicate on sovereignty but recognized the shoal as a traditional fishing ground for multiple nations.
• Control: China seized effective control of the shoal in 2012 after a naval standoff and has since maintained coast guard and fishing militia presence, often intercepting Filipino vessels.

China’s Nature Reserve Plan

• China has approved a marine protected area to conserve the coral reef ecosystem of the shoal.
• Chinese officials argue it reflects improved “jurisdiction and governance” and claim Filipino fishermen are responsible for overfishing and pollution.
• Critics, however, view the reserve as a political instrument to strengthen Chinese control and potentially restrict access to Filipino fishermen under the pretext of conservation.
• The Philippines has accused China of coral destruction and giant clam harvesting, raising the possibility of fresh international arbitration on environmental grounds.

Regional and Global Reactions

• Philippines: Strongly protested the move, viewing it as a violation of its sovereign rights. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has leveraged the issue domestically while deepening ties with the United States.
• United States: Condemned the reserve plan as “destabilising and coercive.” Under the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty, Washington has pledged to defend the Philippines against armed attacks, including those occurring “anywhere in the South China Sea.”
• Risk of escalation: Recent incidents—such as the use of water cannons, ramming of boats, and close aerial encounters—underline the danger of miscalculation, though both sides avoid direct combat to prevent escalation.
• Expert views: Chinese analysts frame the reserve as ecological protection, while Philippine experts argue it is a strategic tool to consolidate Beijing’s de facto control and marginalize other claimants.

Implications

• For the Philippines:
  • Raises questions about maritime security and economic livelihood of fishermen.
  • Strengthens its reliance on the U.S. alliance for deterrence.
• For China:
  • Enhances its long-term maritime footprint and jurisdictional claims.
  • Risks further international pushback, reinforcing perceptions of coercion.
• For International Order:
  • Challenges the enforcement of UNCLOS and undermines multilateral dispute settlement mechanisms.
  • Escalates tensions in one of the world’s busiest waterways with direct implications for global trade.

In News:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently licensed its indigenous multi-stage malaria vaccine, AdFalciVax, to five Indian pharmaceutical companies — Indian Immunologicals Limited, Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Panacea Biotec Limited, Biological E Limited, and Zydus Lifesciences.
• The technology transfer follows an Expression of Interest (EoI) process launched in July 2025, inviting eligible organisations to commercialise the vaccine.

About AdFalciVax

AdFalciVax is India’s first recombinant multi-stage malaria vaccine, developed by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, under ICMR. It is specifically designed to tackle Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal malaria parasite responsible for high morbidity and mortality across tropical regions.

Key Features

• Dual-purpose protection: Prevents Plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals and reduces community-level transmission.
• Pre-bloodstream targeting: Stops the parasite before it reaches the bloodstream, breaking the infection cycle.
• Novel technology: Uses Lactococcus lactis, a genetically engineered food-grade bacterial host, as its delivery system.
• Dual-antigen approach:
  • PfCSP (Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein) – prevents initial infection.
  • Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 fusion proteins – block parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes.
• Validated research: Pre-clinical trials conducted in collaboration with ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, supported by the Department of Biotechnology.

Licensing and Technology Transfer

The licences are granted on a non-exclusive basis, enabling multiple companies to develop, manufacture, and commercialise the vaccine simultaneously. This model is expected to:

• Accelerate vaccine production and reduce costs.
• Ensure wide accessibility within India and potentially in malaria-endemic regions abroad.
• Strengthen India’s position in vaccine innovation and biotechnology.

Significance

• Public health impact: With malaria still a major global health challenge, AdFalciVax offers a potential breakthrough in reducing disease burden.
• Strategic milestone: Marks India’s entry into the development of advanced recombinant vaccines targeting multi-stage pathogens.
• Global relevance: Supports the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of reducing malaria cases and deaths by at least 90% by 2030 under the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria.

In News:

Bengaluru has recently witnessed the declaration of 8.6 acres of green cover at Cantonment Railway Colony as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS)—the second in the city after the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK). This decision marks a crucial step in safeguarding urban green spaces under increasing developmental pressures.

Citizen-led Conservation Movement

• The site was earlier earmarked for commercial development by the Rail Land Development Authority in collaboration with private real estate players. However, strong resistance emerged from citizens and environmental groups, particularly the ParisarakkagiNaavu organization. A large-scale campaign saw the participation of over 15,000 residents, of whom only two opposed the proposal, reflecting strong public consensus in favor of conservation.
• This site houses 371 trees across nearly 50 species, highlighting its ecological diversity. The move demonstrates how community activism and participatory governance can effectively influence environmental decision-making.

About Biodiversity Heritage Sites

Biodiversity Heritage Sites are unique ecosystems identified for their ecological, cultural, and evolutionary significance. They may encompass terrestrial, aquatic, coastal, or marine ecosystems. Key features include:

• High species richness (wild and domesticated), including endemic and threatened species.
• Presence of keystone species, wild ancestors of cultivated plants, or species of evolutionary importance.
• Historical or cultural relevance, such as fossil beds or sites linked with traditional practices.

The first BHS in India was the Nallur Tamarind Grove (2007, Karnataka), and since then, several others have been declared across states.

Legal Framework

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (Section 37) empowers state governments to notify areas of biodiversity importance as BHS, in consultation with local bodies. Key provisions include:

• State autonomy in management, conservation, and framing rehabilitation schemes for affected communities.
• Community participation, with no restrictions on prevailing traditional practices unless voluntarily adopted.
• Purpose: Enhancing quality of life and ensuring sustainable use of biodiversity resources.

Thus, the Cantonment Colony green cover’s recognition aligns with both ecological imperatives and community welfare.

Significance for Bengaluru and Urban India

• Urban ecological security: Protecting 8.6 acres of dense green cover helps counteract urban heat islands, air pollution, and biodiversity loss in one of India’s most rapidly expanding cities.
• Community stewardship: The initiative illustrates how local involvement strengthens environmental governance.
• Policy relevance: The case highlights the role of public consultation in environmental decision-making, setting a precedent for other urban centers facing similar challenges.