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What is Mosquirix, the first malaria vaccine to get the WHO’s
backing?
Context:
RTS,S/ASO1 (RTS.S), trade name Mosquirix was recently endorsed by World Health
Organisation (WHO).
 It is the first and, to date only, vaccine shown to have the capability of
significantly reducing malaria, and life-threatening severe malaria, in tests on
young African children.
About Mosquirix:
 The vaccine acts against falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally,
and the most prevalent in Africa.
 It is also the first malaria vaccine to be introduced by three national ministries
of health through their childhood immunization programmes — Ghana, Kenya,
and Malawi.
About Malaria:
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to
people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
Malaria burden across the world:
 Malaria is most endemic in Africa, with Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania,
Mozambique, Niger and Burkina Faso together accounting for over half the
yearly deaths.
 Even now, the disease kills over four lakh every year, according to WHO
figures.
 Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by
malaria; in 2019, they accounted for 67% (274,000) of all malaria deaths
worldwide.
 In 2019, India had an estimated 5.6 million cases of malaria compared to
about 20 million cases in 2020.
Countries that have eliminated malaria:
Countries that have achieved at least 3 consecutive years of zero indigenous cases of
malaria are eligible to apply for the WHO certification of malaria elimination.
Over the last two decades, 11 countries have been certified by the WHO Director-
General as malaria-free:

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 United Arab Emirates (2007), Morocco (2010), Turkmenistan (2010), Armenia
(2011), Sri Lanka (2016), Kyrgyzstan (2016), Paraguay (2018), Uzbekistan
(2018), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), and El Salvador (2021).
Challenges ahead:
The latest vaccine is considered only the first step towards effective immunisation of
the global population against malaria. This vaccine is able to prevent severe cases of
malaria in only 30 percent of the cases, and the quest for more effective vaccines is
still underway.
Reasons for the failure to develop a malaria vaccine so far:
1. The complexity of the life-cycle of the malaria-causing parasite, a part of which
is spent in the human host.
2. These parasites are also able to hide inside human cells to avoid being
recognised by the immune system, creating further challenges.
3. Lack of funding and interest in developing a malaria vaccine.
4. The vaccine manufacturers have little incentive for malaria vaccines.
Interpol
Context:
The Interpol has launched an online campaign to apprise people of
major cyberthreats to help them protect their computer systems, networks and
personal information from cybercriminals.
 The three-week campaign, from October 4 to 22, would be run primarily
through social media.
Objective of the campaign:
With cyber threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, in addition to increased
levels of remote work and dependence on digital devices, the campaign will focus
on ransomware, online scams and phishing, and business email compromise.
What is Interpol?
 The International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, is a 194-member
intergovernmental organisation.
 headquartered in Lyon, France.
 Formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started
calling itself Interpol in 1956.

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 India joined the organisation in 1949, and is one of its oldest members.
Interpol’s declared global
policing goals include:
 Countering terrorism,
promoting border integrity
worldwide, protection of
vulnerable communities,
providing a secure
cyberspace for people and
businesses, curbing illicit
markets, supporting
environment security, and
promoting global integrity.
What is the Interpol General
Assembly?
 It is Interpol’s supreme
governing body, and
comprises representatives
from all its member
countries.
 It meets annually for a
session lasting
approximately four days, to
vote on activities and
policy.
 Each country is represented by one or more delegates at the Assembly, who
are typically chiefs of law enforcement agencies.
 The Assembly also elects the members of the Interpol Executive Committee,
the governing body which “provides guidance and direction in between
sessions of the Assembly”.

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UN peacekeepers:
Context:
A total of 836 troops from the Indian Army serving with the UN peacekeeping
mission in South Sudan have been awarded the United Nations medal for their
services to ensure durable peace in the world’s youngest country.
Background:
The civilian, police and military personnel from 73 countries serving with United
Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) are responsible for protecting civilians,
creating conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian aid, supporting the
implementation of a revitalised peace agreement, and monitoring and investigating
human rights.
What is peacekeeping? It’s significance?
 United Nations Peacekeeping is a joint effort between the Department of Peace
Operations and the Department of Operational Support.
 Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council.
 The financial resources of UN Peacekeeping operations are the collective
responsibility of UN Member States.
 According to the UN Charter, every Member State is legally obligated to pay
their respective share for peacekeeping.
Composition:
 UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of
their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and
civilian personnel.
 Peacekeeping forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis.
 Civilian staff of peace operations are international civil servants, recruited and
deployed by the UN Secretariat.
UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
1. Consent of the parties.
2. Impartiality.
3. Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.
Global partnership:
 UN peacekeeping is a unique global partnership. It brings together the General
Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors

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and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace
and security.
 Its strength lies in the legitimacy of the UN Charter and in the wide range of
contributing countries that participate and provide precious resources.
2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry:
Context:
The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David W C
MacMillan “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis”.
Firstly, what is a catalyst? And what is catalysis?
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without
taking part in the reaction, or without undergoing any changes during the chemical
reaction.
 Catalysis is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding
a catalyst.
The major types of catalysts are metals and enzymes.
Contributions of 2021 Nobel Prize Winners- asymmetric organocatalysis:
In 2000, Dr. List and Dr. MacMillan, independent of each other, developed a third
type of catalysis named asymmetric organocatalysis.
 The new catalysts, derived from naturally-occurring chemicals, were greener
and cheaper, and ensured that the end product of the chemical reaction was of
a specific variety — and did not need to go through a purification process to
yield the desired type of compound.
How does it work?
Organocatalysts bind to the
reacting molecules to form
short-lived intermediates that
are more reactive than the
substrate molecules on their
own. Being chiral, the catalyst
transfers its handedness to the
substrate, controlling which
side of the intermediate can
react further.

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Applications of organocatalysis:
Organocatalysis finds several applications in pharmaceutical research and other
industries.
 It has helped streamline the production of existing pharmaceuticals, including
paroxetine, used to treat anxiety and depression, and oseltamivir, a respiratory
infection medication.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY:
Context:
The National Health Authority (NHA), the apex body for implementing the Ayushman
Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), has revised the Health
Benefit Package (HBP) Master under the scheme.
In the revised version of Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2):
 Rates of some packages have been increased by 20% to 400% under the PM-
JAY.
 Rates of around 400 procedures have been revised and one new additional
medical management package related to black fungus has also been added.
Key Features of PM-JAY:
1. The world’s largest health insurance assurance scheme fully financed by the
government.
2. It provides cover of 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care
hospitalization across public and private empaneled hospitals in India.
3. Coverage: Over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable entitled families
(approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for these benefits.
4. Provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point
of service.
5. The National Health Authority (NHA) is the nodal agency responsible for the
nationwide roll-out and implementation of the AB-PMJAY scheme.
6. This scheme is a Centrally sponsored scheme with some Central sector
components.
Eligibility:
1. No restrictions on family size, age or gender.
2. All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one.

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3. Covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization
expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
4. Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country.
5. Services include approximately 1,393 procedures covering all the costs related
to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services,
physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges etc.
6. Public hospitals are reimbursed for the healthcare services at par with the
private hospitals.
As per the latest economic survey:
1. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) contributed to improvement
in many health outcomes in States that implemented the programme.
2. States that joined the PM-JAY, compared to those that did not, experienced
greater penetration of health insurance, reduction in infant and child mortality
rates, realised improved access and utilisation of family planning services and
greater awareness of HIV/AIDS.
3. Across all the States, the proportion of households with health insurance
increased by 54% for States that implemented PM-JAY while falling by 10% in
States that did not.
Coal crisis in India
Context:
India is facing a severe coal shortage.

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Background:
India is the second-largest importer, consumer and producer of coal, and has the
world’s fifth-largest reserves. It mainly imports from Indonesia, Australia and South
Africa.
How bad is the situation?
The situation is “touch and go”, and could be “uncomfortable” for up to six months.
 The coal stocks at its thermal power plants can supply just days of fuel.
 On October 1, the power ministry said that the 135 thermal power plants in
the country had only an average of about 4 days of coal stocks left.
This is worrisome because coal-fired plants make up nearly 70% of India’s power
source mix.
Reasons for the shortage:
 Heavy September rains in coal mining areas hit production and delivery and
plants failed to build up their stocks pre monsoon.
 Diamond had outstripped supply, despite increased buying from coal India.
 Sharp fall in imports due to high prices.
Impact of the shortage:
 If industries face electricity shortages it could delay India’s economic
reopening.
 Some businesses might downscale production.
 India’s population and underdeveloped energy infrastructure will mean the
Power Crisis could hit long and hard.
What next?
 Coal India and NTPC Limited are working to raise output from mines.
 The government is trying to bring more mines on stream to boost supply.
 India will need to amp its imports despite the financial cost.
Recent Reforms In Coal Sector:
 Commercial mining of coal allowed, with 50 blocks to be offered to the
private sector.
 Entry norms will be liberalised as it has done away with the regulation
requiring power plants to use “washed” coal.
 Coal blocks to be offered to private companies on revenue sharing basis in
place of fixed cost.

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 Coal gasification/liquefaction to be incentivised through rebate in revenue
share.
 Coal bed methane (CBM) extraction rights to be auctioned from Coal India’s
coal mines.
Challenges ahead:
1. Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India. It accounts for
55% of the country’s energy needs. The country’s industrial heritage was built
upon indigenous coal.
2. Commercial primary energy consumption in India has grown by about 700% in
the last four decades.
3. The current per capita commercial primary energy consumption in India is
about 350 kgoe/ year which is well below that
of developed countries.
4. Driven by the rising population, expanding economy and a quest for improved
quality of life, energy usage in India is expected to rise.
5. Considering the limited reserve potentiality of petroleum & natural gas, eco-
conservation restriction on hydel project and geo-political perception of nuclear
power, coal will continue to occupy centre-stage of India’s energy scenario.