In News:

• The Government of India has issued comprehensive guidelines for establishing 72,300 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, backed by a ?2,000 crore support package under the ?10,900 crore PM E-DRIVE Scheme.
• The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), is a major step toward strengthening India’s EV ecosystem, promoting sustainable transportation, and advancing the nation’s net-zero emissions goals.

About the PM E-DRIVE Scheme

The PM E-DRIVE (Electric Vehicle Development, Revolution, Innovation, Vision, and Empowerment)scheme is a flagship government initiative aimed at accelerating EV adoption through infrastructure development and fiscal incentives. The scheme aligns with India’s broader vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, energy security, and climate action.

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries
• Project Implementation Agency:Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• Financial Outlay: ?10,900 crore
• Support for EV Charging Infrastructure: ?2,000 crore

Objectives

• To create an accessible, reliable, and affordable public EV charging network.
• To reduce range anxiety among EV users and accelerate adoption.
• To decarbonize transport, thereby contributing to India’s net-zero by 2070 target.
• To promote domestic manufacturing of EV components and charging equipment under Make in India.

Key Features of the Guidelines

1. Subsidy Framework

The new guidelines introduce a tiered subsidy structure to ensure equitable deployment across varied locations:

• 100% Subsidy - Applicable for installations in government premises, educational institutions, residential colonies,hospitals, and public buildings, provided free public access is ensured.
• 80% Subsidy on Infrastructure + 70% on Equipment - Applicable to high-traffic areas such as railway stations, airports, bus depots, metro stations, municipal parking lots, oil PSU retail outlets, and toll plazas managed by NHAI or state agencies.
• 80% Subsidy - Extended to shopping malls, markets, highway outlets, and battery-swapping stations.

This financial assistance aims to minimize the initial investment barrier for operators and encourage private sector participation.

2. Priority Deployment Areas

The rollout prioritizes:

• Urban Centres: Cities with population above one million, state capitals, andsmart cities.
• Transit and Commercial Hubs:Airports, railway stations, bus terminals, and fuel stations.
• Transport Corridors:Highways and expressways with high vehicular density.
• Metro-linked Satellite Towns: To support inter-city EV travel and logistics operations.

3. Implementation Mechanism

• Nodal Agencies: State governments and designated agencies will aggregate demand, identify sites, and submit proposals through a dedicated online portal.
• Two-Phase Subsidy Release: Financial assistance will be provided in two tranches, linked to compliance, operational readiness, and performance metrics.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: BHEL, as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA), will oversee site selection, infrastructure rollout, and ensure timely completion in coordination with state bodies.

In News:

• In a significant step toward technological self-reliance, the Prime Minister of India launched Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL)fully indigenous 4G network stack and commissioned around 98,000 mobile towers nationwide.
• With this, India becomes the fifth country globally—after Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China—to design and deploy its own telecom stack, strengthening the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India missions.

About BSNL’s Swadeshi 4G Network Stack

The Swadeshi 4G network stack is India’s first fully indigenous end-to-end telecom system, integrating both hardware and software components. It is a cloud-native, software-driven, and 5G-ready architecture developed under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Institutions Involved

• Core Network: Developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
• Radio Access Network (RAN): Designed by Tejas Networks.
• Integration & Deployment: Managed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
• Implementation: Carried out by BSNL, with government support through the Digital Bharat Nidhi programme.

Key Features

• Fully Indigenous: Entirely built with Indian technology and manufacturing.
• Cloud-Native & Software-Driven: Enables seamless upgrades and efficient resource use.
• Future-Ready: Designed for smooth transition to 5G and later 6G without hardware overhauls.
• Green Infrastructure: Towers are solar-powered, making it India’s largest cluster of sustainable telecom sites.
• Applications Supported: Digital payments, e-governance, telemedicine, online education, precision farming, and more.

Implementation Highlights

• Infrastructure Rollout:
  • Commissioned ~98,000 mobile towers, including 92,600 4G-enabled sites, built at a cost of approximately ?37,000 crore.
  • Deployed across multiple states — Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, and Bihar.
• Connectivity Expansion:
  • Around 29,000 villages have already been connected under the 4G Saturation Project.
  • The next phase will connect 26,700 unserved villages, including 2,472 in Odisha, covering border, tribal, and left-wing extremism-affected regions.
  • Expected to serve over 2 million new subscribers.

Significance

1. Strategic Autonomy & National Security: The project enhances India’s strategic independence in critical digital infrastructure by reducing reliance on foreign telecom vendors. This bolsters cybersecurity and ensures data sovereignty—a crucial factor for national security.

2. Economic Growth & Job Creation: The indigenous 4G rollout boosts domestic manufacturing, R&D investment, and employment across the telecom and electronics sectors. It supports Make in India and promotes export competitiveness in telecom technology.

3. Digital Inclusion: By connecting remote, border, and tribal areas, the project narrows the digital divide, empowering rural communities with e-governance services, online education, digital payments, and telehealth access.

4. Green and Sustainable Infrastructure: With the inclusion of solar-powered telecom sites, the initiative promotes environmentally sustainable growth, aligning with India’s Net Zero ambitions.

5. Future-Ready Ecosystem: The indigenous stack’s 5G-ready architecture provides a foundation for next-generation connectivity, supporting AI, IoT, smart agriculture, autonomous mobility, and industrial automation applications.

In News:

India has recently added two wetlands from Bihar — Gokul Jalashay (Buxar district) and Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran district) — to the List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
With these inclusions, India now has 93 Ramsar sites, covering a total area of 13,60,719 hectares, consolidating its position as Asia’s leading country in terms of Ramsar designations and third globally, after the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144).

About the New Ramsar Sites

1. Gokul Jalashay (Buxar District)

• Type: Oxbow lake, situated on the southern edge of the River Ganga.
• Ecological Role: Acts as a natural flood buffer, reducing inundation risk for nearby settlements.
• Biodiversity: Supports over 50 species of resident and migratory birds and provides fish breeding grounds.
• Socio-economic Importance: Local communities depend on the lake for fishing, agriculture, and irrigation, integrating ecological sustainability with livelihoods.
• Cultural Practice: Villagers collectively clean and restore the wetland annually during a traditional festival, reflecting community-led conservation.

2. Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran District)

• Type: Oxbow lake located within the Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Biodiversity: Hosts 280 plant species, including Alysicarpus roxburghianus, an Indian endemic.
• Avifauna: Serves as a key wintering habitat for over 35 migratory bird species, notably the vulnerable Common Pochard (Aythya ferina).
• Ecological Significance: Functions as a biodiversity hotspot and climate buffer, maintaining the hydrological balance in the region.

Understanding Oxbow Lakes

• An oxbow lake is a crescent-shaped waterbody formed when a meandering river is cut off from its main channel due to erosion and deposition processes. These lakes often evolve into rich wetland ecosystems, supporting diverse aquatic flora and fauna.

About Wetlands

• Wetlands are areas where water saturation—either permanent or seasonal—creates conditions that sustain distinctive plant and animal communities.
• They include marshes, fens, peatlands, floodplains, estuaries, and even shallow marine areas (up to 6 metres deep).
• They serve as ecological ecotones, forming transitions between terrestrial and aquatic systems and offering critical ecosystem services like flood control, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support.

The Ramsar Convention

• Adopted: 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; came into force in 1975.
• Nature: An intergovernmental treaty under the auspices of UNESCO.
• Objective: To promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• Criteria: A site must meet at least one of nine criteria, such as supporting 20,000 or more waterbirds, or hosting endangered species.
• India’s Participation: Ratified in 1982; currently one of the most active contracting parties.

Montreux Record

The Montreux Record is a register of threatened Ramsar sites where ecological character has degraded due to human interference or pollution.

• Indian sites listed:
  1. Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)– 1990
  2. Loktak Lake (Manipur) – 1993
• Chilika Lake (Odisha) was earlier listed in 1993 but successfully removed in 2002, becoming Asia’s first site to be delisted after restoration efforts.

In News:

Australia has recently approved Lecanemab, a groundbreaking drug for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Marketed under the brand name Leqembi, it represents a significant scientific advancement in tackling the root causes of Alzheimer’s, rather than merely alleviating its symptoms. However, concerns about its cost, accessibility, and safety continue to temper global enthusiasm.

About Lecanemab

• Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody drug developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, in collaboration with Biogen.
• It belongs to a new generation of Alzheimer’s drugs designed to slow disease progression by targeting amyloid-beta proteins—abnormal clumps in the brain believed to cause neuronal damage and memory loss.
• Unlike traditional Alzheimer’s medications that address symptoms, Lecanemab acts on the underlying pathological process of the disease.
• It is administered intravenously (IV) through a drip, typically on a fortnightly basis for the initial 18 months, followed by monthly maintenance doses.

Mechanism of Action

• Lecanemab works by using lab-engineered antibodies that bind to amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. Once bound, the antibodies trigger the body’s immune system—particularly microglial cells—to clear these toxic protein deposits.
• This helps reduce amyloid build-up, thereby slowing neuronal damage and cognitive decline. Clinical imaging, such as PET scans, has shown significant reductions in amyloid levels among treated patients.

Efficacy and Clinical Evidence

The approval of Lecanemab followed a large phase 3 clinical trial involving 1,734 participants with early-stage Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment.

• Over an 18-month period, patients receiving Lecanemab showed a 27% reduction in disease progression compared to those given a placebo.
• This translated to roughly five months of slower cognitive decline.
• Long-term follow-up data suggest continued benefit for up to four years of treatment.

However, the drug does not reverse existing symptoms, and its benefit is limited to the early stages of the disease.

Safety Concerns and Side Effects

Despite its promise, Lecanemab poses significant safety risks.

• About 12.6% of trial participants developed brain swelling (ARIA-E), while those carrying two copies of the ApoE4 gene—linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk—had a 32.6% incidence.
• 22% of those affected reported symptoms such as headache, dizziness, or vision problems, and a few cases of fatal brain hemorrhage were reported, particularly in patients also taking blood thinners.
• Regular MRI scans every three months are required to monitor these side effects.

Cost and Accessibility

• Lecanemab remains prohibitively expensive, costing around A$40,000 per year in Australia. It is not yet subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and associated costs such as MRI and PET scans further limit access.
• The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has also raised concerns about whether the modest benefits justify the financial and healthcare burden.

Comparison with Similar Drugs

• Lecanemab follows Donanemab, another monoclonal antibody drug approved earlier in 2024. Both operate on similar mechanisms, with comparable efficacy and risk profiles.
• PBAC previously rejected Donanemab’s inclusion under the PBS, citing uncertain benefits relative to cost and patient safety—concerns that now shadow Lecanemab as well.

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60–80% of all cases. It damages brain areas responsible for memory, thinking, and language, leading to cognitive decline and loss of independence.
While age is the main risk factor (most cases occur after 65 years), genetic and environmental influences also play a role.

In News:

• The Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), established in 1996, is a key multilateral export control regime that promotes transparency and responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.
• It succeeded the Cold War-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM). The name originates from Wassenaar, a suburb of The Hague (Netherlands), where the agreement was finalized in 1995.

Objectives and Structure

The primary goal of the WA is to prevent destabilizing accumulations of arms and sensitive technologies by ensuring that exports do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities that threaten international security. It seeks to achieve this through:

• Transparency and information exchange among member states on sensitive technology transfers.
• Control lists that detail conventional weapons, dual-use items, and technologies of military significance.

The Arrangement currently has 42 member countries, including major arms exporters. India became a member in 2017, enhancing its credentials as a responsible nuclear power and gaining access to advanced technologies. The Secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria.

Mechanism of Operation

• Member states voluntarily exchange information regarding exports and denials of items on the WA control lists. These include chemicals, materials, software, and production technologies that can have both civilian and military applications. Through this exchange, the Arrangement aims to ensure that exports do not reach entities or nations that could undermine global or regional security.
• India has aligned the WA’s control lists with its SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies) export framework, strengthening its export control system in line with international standards.

Emerging Challenges in the Digital Era

While the WA has evolved over time—such as by including controls on ‘intrusion software’—its framework largely focuses on physical exports like hardware, chips, and devices. However, modern technology increasingly operates through cloud-based services, data transfers, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) models, which do not always involve physical movement of goods.

This shift has created grey areas in export control enforcement. For example, when major tech infrastructure providers like Microsoft offer cloud computing or AI tools that could be misused for surveillance or repression, existing WA rules struggle to regulate such virtual exports. These challenges highlight the Arrangement’s limitations in addressing non-tangible, digital transfers of dual-use technologies.

The Need for Reform

To remain relevant, the Wassenaar Arrangement must modernize its control lists and definitions to address technologies such as:

• Cloud computing and virtualized infrastructure,
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms,
• Big data analytics and cybersecurity tools.

Strengthening coordination among member states to govern cross-border data flows and digital exports is crucial. The Arrangement should also explore mechanisms for real-time information sharing, capacity-building for developing members, and greater inclusivity in decision-making.