National Commission for Indian Medical Systems (NCISM)

The National Commission for Indian Medical Systems recently organized a two-day National Conference, ‘PRANA’ Protecting Rights and Novelties.

• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine is the statutory body constituted under NCISM Act, 2020.
• NCISM has taken Initiatives and reforms in in the field of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa-Rigpa medical systems.
• Objectives – Improve access to quality and affordable Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa (AUS&SR) medical education.
• Ensure availability of adequate and high quality AUS&SR medical professionals in all parts of the country.
• Promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of AUS&SR medical professionals accessible to all the citizens.
• Encourage medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research.
• Objectively assess and rate medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner.
• Maintain a National AUS&SR medical register for India.
• Enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of AUS&SR medical services.
• Have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
• Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK) is an initiative of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS).
• SPARK aims to provide an opportunity to undergraduate Ayurveda students to familiarize themselves with research methodology and techniques.

Nitrous Oxide

According to the ‘global assessment of N2O emissions’ published in the journal Earth System Science Data, India is the world’s second largest source of nitrous oxide (N2O).

• Nitrous oxide or N20 is a colourless gas with pleasant, sweetish odour and taste.
• It is a greenhouse gas that heats up the atmosphere far more than carbon dioxide.
• N20 is a long-lived, potent greenhouse gas that has been accumulating in the atmosphere since the pre-industrial era.
• According to the global assessment of N2O emissions published in the journal Earth System Science Data, the major source of these emissions comes from fertiliser usage.
• Agricultural production using nitrogen fertilizers and animal manure contributed around 75% of the total anthropogenic N2O emissions in the last decade.
• Human-made emissions of N20 come mainly from applying nitrogen fertilizers and animal waste to farmland and pastures.
• N20 is much less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide or methane but its global warming potential is nearly 300 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year time scale.
• N20 is also a strong ozone-depleting substance.
• N2O emissions from human activities have increased by 40% (three million metric tons of N2O per year) in the past four decades.
• India is world’s second largest emitter of nitrous oxide.
• The top five country emitters by volume of anthropogenic N2O emissions in 2020 were:
  1. China (16.7%)
  2. India (10.9%)
  3. The United States (5.7%)
  4. Brazil (5.3%)
  5. Russia (4.6%)

Satnamis

In Chhattisgarh, the Satnami sect is protesting against the government for alleged inaction over the desecration of Jaitkham, a religious site, at Amar Cave in the Baloda Bazar district.

• The Satnamis or Satnam Panth are a religious sect that finds its origins among the so-called "untouchable" castes of north India during the Bhakti era of the 15th-16th centuries.
• Their theological lineage can be traced to the 18th century saint Guru Ghasidas of Chhattisgarh.
• The Satnamis preach the worship of a formless, absolute God through the chanting of "Satnam" or the "true name".
• Early Roots – The antecedents of this sect lie in the nirguna bhakti tradition popularized by mystic saints like Kabir, who rejected ritualism, idolatry and the orthodoxy of organized religion.
• Inspired by Kabir's teachings, a mendicant named Birbhan founded one of the earliest Satnami communities in Narnaul (present-day Haryana) in 1657.
• The Mughals referred to them as a community of "householders" engaged in agriculture and petty trade, with sympathies towards the poor and hostilities against authorities.
• Revolt against Mughal Oppression – If the historical accounts are to be believed, the early Satnamis did not shy away from armed resistance against oppression.
• In 1672, they rose in revolt against the increasing tax demands of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Punjab and Haryana.
• Aurangzeb's brutal crackdown nearly wiped out the community.
• Revival under Ghasidas – It was only in the mid-18th century that the sect saw a revival, first in present-day Uttar Pradesh under Jagjivandas, and then more prominently in Chhattisgarh under the influence of Guru Ghasidas.
• The key principles laid down by Guru Ghasidas for his Satnami followers are:
  • Worship the formless God through Satnam chanting and rejecting idol worship and ritualism.
  • Abstain from flesh and intoxicants and to use brass utensils.
  • Stop working with leather and carcasses.
  • Drop caste surnames in favor of common 'Satnami' identity.
• By the time of his death, Guru Ghasidas had gathered nearly 250,000 followers who embraced these principles and his teachings.
• Modern Times – Over the centuries, many Satnamis adopted Hindu rituals and beliefs, claiming upper-caste origins like Rajputs or Brahmins.
• However, they remained a distinctly Dalit community concentrated in Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas.
• In recent decades, the Satnamis have emerged as an assertive political force in the state.
• Their large numbers and influence over the Scheduled Caste vote make them a factor in swinging elections.
• The recent protests and violence – By Satnamis erupted over the alleged desecration of the Jaitkham shrine.
• Jaitkham shrine is the birthplace of Guru Ghasidas, reflecting their determination to preserve their religious identity.
• As an economically and socially upwardly mobile Dalit community fiercely protective of its distinct culture, the evolution of the Satnamis holds an important lesson in the intersection of caste, religion and politics in India.

Donanemab

Donanemab is a new therapy for Alzheimer’s disease which was recently developed by drug maker Eli Lilly.

• Donanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets depositions of amyloid beta proteins in the brain, one of the defining features of Alzheimer’s disease.
• It slows down cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients by 35.1% at 76 weeks.
• Benefits – Donanemab showed significant slowing of cognitive decline by 35.1% at 76 weeks in early Alzheimer's patients in a phase 3 trial.
• It is meant for those in early stages of Alzheimer's-mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia.
• By slowing decline, it allows patients to retain their functions for longer.
• Risks – Main side effects are brain swelling (24% patients) and brain bleeds (19.7% patients), though mostly asymptomatic.
• 3 treatment-related deaths were reported in the trial.
• Significance – This breakthrough treatment is important as Alzheimer's prevalence is rising globally, including in India where cases may reach 14 million by 2050.
• Lecanemab is also a drug developed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (LC)

• Visceral leishmaniasis is commonly known as kala-azar (KA), a word coined in the late nineteenth century in India.
• Kala-azar (KA) means “black disease”, referring to the greyish or blackish discoloration of the skin during infection.
• Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites which are transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.
• There are 3 main forms of leishmaniases:
  1. Visceral (the most serious form because it is almost always fatal without treatment)
  2. Cutaneous (the most common, usually causing skin ulcers)
  3. Mucocutaneous (affecting mouth, nose and throat)
•  In India Leishmania donovani is the only parasite causing this disease.
• The parasite primarily infects reticuloendothelial system and may be found in abundance in bone marrow, spleen and liver.
• It is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.
• It is the second deadliest parasitic disease in the world, only after malaria.
• Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a condition when Leishmania donovani invades skin cells, resides and develops there and manifests as dermal leisions.
• Some of the kala-azar cases manifests PKDL after a few years of treatment.
• Recently it is believed that PKDL may appear without passing through visceral stage. However, adequate data is yet to be generated on course of PKDL manifestation.