In News:

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its latest report on global tobacco use, covering trends from 2000 to 2024 and projecting patterns through 2030. The report provides insights into the prevalence of tobacco consumption among individuals aged 15 years and above and assesses progress toward global reduction targets.

Global Tobacco Trends

• Declining Prevalence: Adult tobacco use worldwide decreased from 26.2% in 2010 to 19.5% in 2024.
• Continued Burden: Despite progress, approximately 1 in 5 adults still consumes tobacco.
• Rise of E-Cigarettes: Over 100 million people use e-cigarettes globally, introducing new regulatory and public health challenges.

India’s Tobacco Landscape

• Users (2024): Around 243.48 million Indians aged 15 and above consume tobacco.
• Global Ranking: India is the 2nd largest producer (after China) and 2nd largest exporter (after Brazil) of tobacco.
• Progress: India is projected to achieve a 43% reduction in prevalence between 2010–2025, surpassing the WHO’s NCD target of 30% reduction.

Measures to Control Tobacco Use in India

• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003:
  • Prohibits smoking in public areas.
  • Bans tobacco advertising.
  • Restricts sales to minors.
  • Mandates packaging and labeling standards.
• Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019:Outlaws theproduction, import, sale, and promotion of e-cigarettes and similar devices.
• National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP, 2007–08):
  • Promotes awareness of health risks associated with tobacco.
  • Aligns with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
• Tobacco-Free Film Rules, 2024:Enforces restrictions on tobacco depiction in films and television content.
• Yellow Line Campaign:Marks 100-yard boundaries around schools to enforce tobacco sales bans.
• Taxation and Pricing:Incremental hikes in excise and GST duties on tobacco products, though experts suggest further increases to maximize impact.

About Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

• Botanical Profile: An annual herbaceous plant, native to tropical/subtropical South America, widely cultivated globally.
• Cultivation Requirements:
  • Frost-free period of 90–120 days.
  • Optimal temperature: 20–30°C.
  • Rainfall: Minimum 500 mm; thrives in well-drained sandy loam or alluvial soils.
• Nicotine Content: All parts (except seeds) contain nicotine (2–8%), predominantly concentrated in the leaves (~64% of total plant nicotine).

Significance

The WHO report highlights that while tobacco use is declining globally, substantial public health efforts are still needed, particularly in regulating emerging products like e-cigarettes. India’s multi-pronged approach—legal frameworks, awareness campaigns, taxation, and innovative interventions—demonstrates a strong commitment to achieving tobacco-free goals by 2025.

In News:

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their pioneering work on peripheral immune tolerance. Their research identified the critical role of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in preventing the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues.

The Human Immune System

The immune system protects the body against harmful pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It is composed of:

• Organs: Bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, and tonsils.
• Cells: White blood cells (leukocytes), including lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils.
• Molecules: Antibodies, cytokines, and complement proteins.

Its central challenge is distinguishing between harmful invaders and the body’s own healthy cells, including those altered by mutation or cancer.

B-Cells and T-Cells

Lymphocytes, including B-cells and T-cells, are key players in immune defense.

• B-cells: Produce antibodies to neutralize antigens. Main types include plasma cells and memory cells.
• T-cells: Originate in the bone marrow, mature in the thymus, and migrate to lymphoid tissues and the bloodstream. Types include:
  • Cytotoxic T-cells: Destroy virus-infected and tumor cells.
  • Helper T-cells: Coordinate immune responses by signaling other immune cells.
  • Regulatory T-cells (Tregs): Suppress excessive immune activity, preventing autoimmune reactions and maintaining self-tolerance.

Discovery and Significance

The laureates’ research revealed regulatory T-cells as the immune system’s “security guards,” preventing it from attacking the body.

Key implications:

• Advanced understanding of peripheral tolerance, the mechanism by which the immune system avoids self-damage.
• Informed the development of therapies for autoimmune diseases, cancer, transplantation, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
• Highlighted that tumors may recruit Tregs to evade immune destruction, providing insights for cancer immunotherapy.

The discovery reshaped immunology by showing that the immune system is not solely attack-oriented, but also self-regulating.

About the Nobel Prize

• Established: 1901, through Alfred Nobel’s will (largest share of his fortune dedicated).
• Fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace; Economics added in 1968.
• Awarding Institutions:
  • Karolinska Institute: Physiology or Medicine
  • Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Economics
  • Swedish Academy: Literature
  • Norwegian Nobel Committee: Peace Prize
• Award Venues: Stockholm (all except Peace), Oslo (Peace Prize)
• Administration: Managed by the Nobel Foundation, independent of prize selection.

Selection Process:

1. Nominations are invited from qualified individuals (scientists, professors, former laureates).
2. Expert committees evaluate candidates and recommend winners.
3. Final decisions rest with the respective Nobel institutions.

In News:

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), through Project Himank, has constructed the world’s highest motorable road at Mig La Pass in Ladakh, situated at 19,400 feet above sea level, surpassing the previous record held by Umling La (19,024 ft) in 2021. This achievement highlights India’s engineering capability and strategic preparedness in high-altitude border areas.

About Mig La Pass

• Location: Changthang Plateau, Ladakh.
• Altitude: 19,400 ft, making it the highest motorable road in the world.
• Strategic Significance:
  • Connects Likaru–Mig La–Fukche, forming a third vital corridor from Hanle to Fukche, near the Indo-China border.
  • Enhances logistical and military mobility, strengthening access to forward areas close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• Engineering Features:
  • All-weather road capable of withstanding harsh winters, shifting glaciers, and low oxygen conditions.
  • Designed for continuous vehicular movement, critical for both military and civilian access.
• Tourism Potential: Provides panoramic views of the Indus Valley, potentially boosting local tourism.

Project Himank

• Established: 4 December 1985 at Leh, to develop road communication in Ladakh’s challenging terrain.
• Operational Scope: Works in high-altitude regions with short working seasons and extreme climatic conditions.
• Contributions:
  • Supports the Indian Army in operations, logistics, and connectivity.
  • Ensures maintenance of key routes, including the Leh-Manali and Zojila axes.
  • Executes landslide and avalanche clearance, bridge construction, and snow removal.
  • Aids in restoring road communication and opening airfields in remote areas.
• Engineering Excellence: Demonstrates BRO’s capability to construct durable infrastructure under extreme terrain, low oxygen, and sub-zero temperatures.

In News:

In a significant step toward marine conservation, the Philippines has established Southeast Asia’s first coral larvae cryobank, aimed at safeguarding coral genetic diversity and restoring threatened reef ecosystems. The initiative marks a pioneering regional collaboration among research institutions in the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

About the Coral Cryobank Initiative

• The Coral Larvae Cryobank is designed to freeze and store coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures, thereby preserving their genetic material for future reef restoration.
• It is part of a regional conservation programme supported by the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform, with technical guidance from Dr. Chiahsin Lin and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute.
• The cryobank acts as a “genetic insurance policy” to protect coral biodiversity in the face of rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and habitat destruction.

Cryopreservation: The Science Behind It

Cryopreservation is a process of preserving living cells or tissues at –196°C using liquid nitrogen, which halts all biological activity.

• Cryoprotectant solutions (such as glycerol, DMSO, and ethylene glycol) are used to prevent ice crystal formation that can damage cells.
• The process of vitrification converts the larvae into a glass-like state, allowing them to remain intact indefinitely.
• Laser-assisted thawing enables rapid revival of viable coral larvae, which can later be used for reef restoration and rehabilitation.

This technique ensures that coral genetic material remains preserved even if wild populations are damaged by bleaching events or ocean warming.

The Coral Triangle: The ‘Amazon of the Seas’

• The Coral Triangle, often termed the “Amazon of the Seas”, spans about 6 million sq. km across Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
• It covers two major biogeographic regions — the Indonesian–Philippines Region and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region — and represents the richest marine biodiversity hotspot on Earth.

Key Features

• Home to over 75% of global coral species and one-third of all reef fish.
• Supports six of the world’s seven marine turtle species.
• Sustains the livelihoods and food security of over 120 million people.
• Hosts vast mangrove forests and seagrass ecosystems, critical for carbon sequestration and coastal protection.

Threats to Coral Ecosystems

The Coral Triangle faces escalating threats due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures.

• Rising sea temperatures trigger coral bleaching, where corals expel symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), turning white and losing energy sources.
• The Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2020 report found that 14% of the world’s corals were lost between 2009 and 2018.
• Projections indicate that 70–90% of live corals could vanish by 2050 without effective conservation.
• Destructive fishing, coastal pollution, and unregulated tourism further degrade reef habitats.

Understanding Corals

• Corals are marine invertebrates belonging to the Cnidaria phylum.
• They consist of tiny organisms called polyps, which secrete calcium carbonate skeletons that form coral reefs.
• The color of corals arises from symbiotic algae within their tissues, essential for nutrient exchange.
• Types of coral reefs:
  1. Fringing reefs – develop along shorelines
  2. Barrier reefs – found in open water separated from land by lagoons
  3. Atolls – circular reefs surrounding submerged volcanoes
• Coral reefs act as nurseries for one-fourth of all marine life, providing food, shelter, and breeding grounds.

Significance of Coral Cryobanking

The cryobank serves as a long-term safeguard for coral biodiversity by ensuring viable genetic material remains preserved even in the event of large-scale reef degradation.
Key benefits include:

• Conservation of genetic diversity for future breeding and research.
• Restoration of degraded reefs through reintroduction of cryopreserved larvae.
• Strengthening regional resilience against climate-induced coral loss.
• Promotion of scientific cooperation across Southeast Asian nations.

In News:

The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), launched in 2015 under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), is India’s flagship programme to promote organic farming. Over the past decade, it has become central to the country’s efforts to shift from input-intensive agriculture toward sustainable, eco-friendly, and farmer-led models of food production.

Rationale and Need

Indian agriculture, though rooted in traditional knowledge, has witnessed increasing soil degradation, declining biodiversity, and rising chemical dependence. PKVY aims to restore ecological balance, ensure food safety, and enhance farmer incomes through a structured transition to organic farming.

Key Objectives

• Promote chemical-free, eco-agriculture and improve soil health.
• Support farmer collectives in production, certification, and marketing.
• Ensure sustainable income generation through premium pricing and reduced input costs.
• Build domestic and export markets for certified organic products.
• Foster climate-resilient agriculture and biodiversity conservation.

Implementation Framework

PKVY operates on a cluster-based model, where farmers are mobilized in groups of 20 hectares to adopt organic practices collectively.

Each participating farmer receives ?31,500 per hectare for three years, distributed as:

• ?15,000 for on-farm/off-farm organic inputs (via DBT)
• ?4,500 for marketing, packaging & branding
• ?3,000 for certification and residue analysis
• ?9,000 for training & capacity building

Implementation follows a bottom-up approach:

• Farmers approach Regional Councils, which compile and submit Annual Action Plans to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Funds are released by the Centre to States, and then to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ensuring transparency and timely assistance.

Eligibility is open to all farmers and institutions, with a landholding limit of two hectares per beneficiary.

Organic Certification Framework

To ensure market credibility, PKVY integrates two certification systems:

• National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP):
  • Administered by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
  • A third-party certification ensuring compliance with global organic standards for production, processing, and exports.
• Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India):
  • Operated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
  • A community-based, peer-review system allowing small and marginal farmers to self-certify through mutual verification.
  • Recognized for the domestic market under the Jaivik Bharat logo.

To accelerate certification, the Large Area Certification (LAC) programme was launched in 2020–21 for areas where chemical farming was never practiced—such as tribal belts, islands, and eco-preserved zones. The LAC model reduces the conversion period from 2–3 years to a few months.

Associated Initiatives

• Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): Supports organic farming in the NE states through value-chain and market linkages.
• Jaivik Kheti Portal: A digital marketplace connecting farmers, buyers, and input suppliers for direct sale of organic produce.
• Formation of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): Strengthening collective marketing and input access for organic producers.

India’s Organic Landscape

• India ranks 4th globally in certified organic area (IFOAM, 2022) and 1st in the number of organic farmers.
• Madhya Pradesh has the largest certified area, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• Organic exports: valued at $708 million (2022–23), with global market potential exceeding $138 billion.