Context: The Ministry of Ayush, through the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), has launched the DRAVYA Portal — Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of AYUSH Substances. The portal serves as India’s largest digital repository of Ayurvedic ingredients and products, aimed at modernising and standardising traditional medicinal knowledge.
In its first phase, the DRAVYA Portal will catalogue information on 100 key medicinal substances, integrating both classical Ayurvedic knowledge and modern scientific validation.
About DRAVYA Portal
Full Form:Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of AYUSH Substances (DRAVYA)
Developed by: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of Ayush.
Objective: To create a comprehensive and dynamic database on Ayurvedic raw materials, formulations, and therapeutic properties.
Coverage: Combines information from classical Ayurvedic texts, scientific literature, and field studies.
Key Features:
AI-Ready Framework: Designed to integrate with the Ayush Grid and upcoming digital health initiatives for evidence-based research.
Comprehensive Search: Users can explore medicinal substances used across Ayurveda and other AYUSH systems.
Multi-Domain Data: Each entry includes details on pharmacotherapeutics, botany, chemistry, pharmacology, and safety.
QR Code Integration: Enables standardised information display in medicinal plant gardens, herbariums, and research repositories.
Dynamic and Open Access: The portal continuously evolves with verified data from modern research and classical sources.
Significance:
Knowledge Preservation: Bridges traditional Ayurvedic wisdom with modern scientific validation.
Standardisation: Facilitates evidence-based policymaking and quality assurance in herbal drugs.
Research & Innovation: Supports AI-driven drug discovery and formulation development.
Global Collaboration: Positions India as a leader in digital traditional medicine data architecture under the One Health framework.
Way Forward
Integration with Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) for standard drug codification.
Expansion to cover 5000+ medicinal substances over subsequent phases. Promotion of interdisciplinary research between Ayurveda, biotechnology, and pharmacology sectors.
Context: According to WHO’s first global estimate of e-cigarette use (2024), teenagers are nine times more likely to vape than adults, raising major public health concerns worldwide.
About E-Cigarettes:
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid into an inhalable aerosol.
The liquid typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, flavouring agents, and other chemicals.
Known as vape pens, ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems), or ENNDS (Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems).
Though they may not contain tobacco, they often deliver addictive nicotine doses similar to conventional cigarettes.
WHO’s Key Findings (2024):
15 million teenagers (13–15 yrs) use e-cigarettes globally.
Youth are 9× more likely to vape than adults.
Total vapers: over 100 million, including 86 million adults (mostly in high-income nations).
Tobacco use declined from 1.38 billion (2000) → 1.2 billion (2024).
Regional trends:
Southeast Asia: Male tobacco use fell from 70% → 37% (2000–2024).
Europe: Now the highest tobacco prevalence (24.1%) globally.
Legal Framework in India:
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019
Complete Ban: Prohibits production, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes.
Penalties:
Manufacture/sale/advertisement → Imprisonment up to 1 year or ₹1 lakh fine (first offence); up to 3 years or ₹5 lakh (repeat offence).
Storage → Up to 6 months jail or ₹50,000 fine.
Exemption: Permitted only for research and testing purposes.
Implementation Challenges in India:
Online Accessibility: Over 60% of e-cigarette products remain available on e-commerce platforms (Voluntary Health Association of India, 2023).
Youth Appeal: Flavoured variants and influencer marketing target adolescents.
Lack of Support Systems: Only 1 in 5 tobacco users has access to quitting support or therapy (GATS 2022).
Product Evasion: New disposable or flavoured devices enter India through unregulated channels.
Way Forward:
Digital Surveillance: Deploy AI-based systems to monitor illegal online sales (like the EU’s Track & Trace model).
Youth Awareness: Launch anti-vaping campaigns under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP)—similar to New Zealand’s Vape-Free Schools. Quit Support Expansion: Strengthen helplines like mCessation, which has helped over 3 million users attempt quitting.
Inter-Agency Coordination: Form a Nicotine Product Enforcement Task Force involving MoHFW, IT Ministry, and Customs.
Context: The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a fresh advisory to all States and Union Territories on the rational use of cough syrups in children. The move comes after reports of child deaths in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, allegedly linked to syrups containing Dextromethorphan.
About Dextromethorphan
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant used in many over-the-counter syrups.
It acts on the brain’s cough centre to reduce coughing but can cause serious side effects in children — such as drowsiness, breathing difficulty, and accidental overdose.
Long-term effects on the developing brain remain unclear, making it unsafe for paediatric use.
Key Guidelines Issued by DGHS
Avoid Routine Use: Most coughs in children are self-limiting and do not require medication.
Age Restriction: Cough syrups must not be prescribed for children below two years.
Clinical Evaluation: For older children, use only after proper medical evaluation — with accurate dosage and for the shortest possible duration.
Avoid Polypharmacy: Syrups containing multiple drug combinations should be avoided.
Non-Drug Remedies: Encourage hydration, steam inhalation, and rest as safer alternatives.
Pharma Compliance: Manufacturers must strictly follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and use pharmaceutical-grade excipients.
Contamination and Safety Investigations
The Health Ministry clarified that syrups linked to the incidents were free from diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) — two highly toxic industrial chemicals responsible for several global poisoning incidents.
In Rajasthan, the formulation in question contained Dextromethorphan, which is not recommended for children under national and WHO safety standards.
Chemical Toxicity Explained
Diethylene Glycol (DEG): Used in antifreeze; causes kidney failure, neurological damage, and death.
Ethylene Glycol (EG): Another toxic antifreeze component that leads to acute kidney injury if ingested.
Significance
Reinforces paediatric drug safety and the need for rational prescription practices.
Aims to prevent avoidable child fatalities from inappropriate or contaminated medicines.
Strengthens pharmaceutical quality control and public health accountability.
Conclusion:
The DGHS advisory highlights India’s growing vigilance in paediatric pharmacovigilance. Rational use of medicines, strict enforcement of safety standards, and public awareness are key to protecting children from preventable drug-related tragedies.
Context: The amended International Health Regulations (IHR) came into effect in September 2025, introducing a new legal category — Pandemic Emergency. These amendments were adopted by consensus at the 77th World Health Assembly in June 2024 through Resolution WHA77.17.
What is a Pandemic Emergency?
A pandemic emergency is a newly defined sub-category of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). It applies when a communicable disease:
Spreads widely across regions and countries,
Overloads health systems,
Causes significant social and economic disruption, and
Requires rapid, coordinated international action.
Thus, it represents a higher threshold built upon the PHEIC framework.
Key Amendments under IHR (2024):
Decision-making: WHO Director-General can determine if a PHEIC amounts to a pandemic emergency (Article 12).
National IHR Authorities: Every country must designate an authority to coordinate across ministries.
Financial Mechanism: A global financing facility is introduced to support developing countries in pandemic preparedness.
States Parties Committee: A non-punitive oversight body to assist and guide implementation.
Features of Pandemic Emergency:
Tiered Alert System: Pandemic emergency is a higher tier beyond PHEIC.
Broader Triggers: Based on health overload, socioeconomic disruption, and whole-of-society response needs.
Equity & Solidarity: Focus on fair access to vaccines, medicines, and financial support.
Respect for Sovereignty: WHO cannot impose domestic measures such as lockdowns; national governments retain control.
Integration: Enriches the PHEIC mechanism, avoiding duplication of procedures.
Significance:
Legal Certainty: Establishes clear criteria for when a global pandemic can be declared.
Faster Response: Enables quicker mobilization of international resources and expertise.
Equity in Support: Developing nations gain access to dedicated financial and technical assistance.
Global Coordination: Reinforces international cooperation while respecting state sovereignty.
Conclusion
The creation of a pandemic emergency category strengthens global health governance by bridging the gap between national sovereignty and international solidarity. It ensures clarity, faster response, and fairer distribution of resources, making the world better prepared for future health crises.
Context: In July 2025, the Supreme Court of India in a landmark verdict ruled that mental health is an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The Court also issued 15 strong guidelines for schools and coaching centres to protect student well-being.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key Provisions of Mental Healthcare Act 2017. Mains: Mental Healthcare in India: Challenges, Govt. Initiatives & Way Forward.
Mental health is more than the absence of mental illnesses. It is the foundation for the well-being and effective functioning of individuals. It includes mental well-being, prevention of mental disorders, treatment and rehabilitation.
Mental Health is a Fundamental Right:
The Supreme Court in the Sukdeb Saha vs the State of Andhra Pradesh (2025) judgement explicitly recognised mental health as an integral component of the constitutional Right to Life under Article 21.
This interpretation significantly broadens the scope of Article 21 to encompass psychological well-being, extending beyond mere physical survival.
The judgment laid down binding guidelines (Saha Guidelines) for educational institutions and coaching centers across India. They aim to establish a preventive, remedial, and supportive framework for mental health protection and prevention of suicides by students.
Saha Guidelines:
The SC has ordered a package of binding interim orders referred to as Saha Guidelines for educational institutions and coaching centers across India.
Schools, colleges, hostels and coaching institutes are required to proactively develop support systems to address the issue of mental health.
The SC has directed all States and Union Territories to notify rules within two months for registering private coaching centres and enforcing these guidelines.
District-level monitoring committees, chaired by District Magistrates, have been tasked to oversee compliance and handle complaints.
Until Parliament passes a full code, these guidelines will have legislative force.
Significance of the ruling:
Placing psychological integrity in Article 21 means that the Court has opened up room for these victims (suicide victims) to be heard and safeguarded.
It opens the door for restorative measures i.e., counselling, reform in institutions, mechanisms of accountability that go beyond retribution to prevention.
It will strengthen the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The Act enshrines the right to receive mental health care in India.
Key Provisions of Mental Healthcare Act 2017
The Act provides the legal framework for providing services to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of people with mental illnesses. The Act is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The Actguarantees mental health services for all. The government is responsible for creating opportunities to access less restrictive options for community living such as halfway homes, sheltered accommodations, rehab homes, and supported accommodations.
It decriminalised the attempt to suicide which hitherto was criminal offence under section 309 of Indian Penal Code, and mandates care instead of punishment.
It provided for the concept of ‘Advanced directive’, i.e. a person (suffering from mental illness) shall have the right to specify the manner in which he/she wishes to be treated or not to be treated. The person shall have the right to nominate representatives to take decisions on their behalf regarding treatment.
All States are required to establish a State Mental Health Authority and Mental Health Review Boards (MHRB) bodies that can further draft standards for mental healthcare institutes, oversee their functioning and ensure they comply with the Act.
WHO’s data on Mental Health
As per the recent data from the World Health Organisation:
More than 1 billion people globally are living with mental health disorders (including anxiety and depression).
Mental health conditions affect people of all ages and income levels, and are the second leading cause of long-term disability, contributing to loss of healthy life.
The prevalence of mental health disorders can vary by sex, and women are disproportionately impacted.
Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year.
Progress made in reducing suicide mortality is quite low (only 12% reduction achieved) to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a one -third reduction in suicide rates by 2030.
Challenges:
India has a significant shortfall of mental health professionals, with roughly 0.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, far below the WHO’s recommended ratio of 3 per 100,000 people.
Systemic neglect of mental health and stigma and reluctance to seek help.
Inadequate funding for community-based programmes and the effective utilisation of funds. E.g., India’s direct mental health budget has remained at roughly ₹1,000 crore in recent fiscal years.
Inconsistent implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017.
Way Forward
Active policy interventions and resource allocation by the government.
Measures to train and sensitise the community/society to reduce the stigma around mental health.
Awareness to educate society about mental diseases as done by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Steps to connect the patients with each other by forming a peer network, so that they could listen and support each other.
People experiencing mental health problems should get the same access to safe and effective care as those with physical health problems.
Telemedicine and digital health platforms can extend the reach of mental health services, particularly in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals.
Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges. However, the national tele-mental health programme has expanded, educational development and awareness programmes are happening at an advanced pace.
Context: India’s recently rationalised the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure. Among other sectors, GST reforms were announced in the Healthcare segment. The reforms mark a turning point in the journey towards achieving universal health coverage.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Issues relating to development and management of services relating to Health.
GST Reforms in the Healthcare Sector
Rationale: To make medical care more affordable and accessible for millions, especially for individuals struggling with high costs of treatment or health products.
Key Highlights of GST Reforms in the Healthcare Sector:
Removal of GST on Insurance:
Complete removal of GST on individual health and life insurance premiums. Earlier, an 18% GST rate was applied to the health insurance premiums.
The reform covers all types of individual life insurance: Term, Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP), Endowment, health insurance plans such as family floaters and senior citizen policies. Even reinsurance is included.
GST cut on Medicines:
GST on most medicines is lowered to 5%, and tax on life-saving drugs is cut to zero. This simplifies compliance and lowers prices in supply chains for health product manufacturers and service providers.
GST cut on Medical Devices:
Medical devices and diagnostic kits are now largely under a uniform 5% GST slab, from 12% GST or 18% GST earlier. E.g., CT scan machines are now taxed at only 5% compared to 18% earlier. This reduces the procurement costs of devices and would potentially lower patient charges over time.
Common services such as blood tests, X-rays, and MRIs at laboratories may also become a little cheaper.
GST exempt on Critical Care Units (unchanged):
All critical care units i.e., Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care Unit (CCU), Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU), and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are fully exempt from GST regardless of cost. This ensures that lifesaving care remains tax-free.
Non-intensive care unit (ICU) rooms above ₹5,000 per day would attract 5% GST without input tax credit.
GST exempt on Core Medical Services (unchanged):
Core medical services provided by hospitals, doctors, and paramedics remain GST-exempt, keeping treatment itself untaxed.
Push towards Preventive Healthcare:
GST on gymnasiums, fitness centres, yoga studios, salons, barbers and wellness services is down from 18% to 5%.
Cigarettes remain heavily taxed at 28% GST plus compensation cess, which adds up to an effective tax of between 52% and 88%.
A new 40% sin goods slab has been announced but will only apply once cess liabilities are cleared.
Sugary drinks (whether aerated, sweetened, or flavoured) have been moved to the new 40% slab, up from 28% plus cess, to discourage consumption.
Significance:
Increase insurance coverage: Insurance coverage in India is only ~3.7% of GDP at present, compared to a global average of 6.8%. However, clear monitoring is required to ensure insurance providers pass on the GST benefit to the consumers.
Reduce OOPE: Share of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in Total Health Expenditure was around 47% in FY20. Cutting costs for life-saving medicines, simplifying taxes on equipment, and lowering rates on preventive services supports the entire health-care chain and would reduce OOPE.
Context: The Union government has granted licence to five firms for manufacturing and commercialisation of AdFalciVax,India’s first indigenous recombinant multistage malaria vaccine, developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and its partners.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Malaria & Malaria vaccines.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
AdFalciVax: Indigenous Malaria Vaccine
India’s first indigenous recombinant multistage malaria vaccine.
Developed by: Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar under the ICMR.
The vaccine is designed to prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and also reduce community transmission of the parasite.
Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite (responsible for the most lethal form of malaria) and difficult to control.
AdFalciVax is a recombinant malaria vaccine (made using genetic engineering). The vaccine uses Lactococcus lactis (a genetically engineered food-grade bacterial host).
Pieces of DNA from the malaria parasite (Plasmodium) are inserted into Lactococcus lactis (a safe bacterium often used in dairy fermentation).
This genetically engineered bacterium acts as a bio-factory to produce the malaria antigens.
2. Multistage Malaria Vaccine:
Existing Malaria vaccines like RTS, S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M are single-stage vaccines i.e., they target the pre-erythrocytic/sporozoite stage.
Sporozoite stage is the stage when an infected female mosquito injects sporozoites (infectious cells of Plasmodium parasites) in the skin of a mammalian host.
AdFalciVax is amultistage vaccine i.e., it targets the two key stages of the Pasmodium parasite’s life cycle:
pre-erythrocytic/sporozoite stage
erythrocytic / blood stage: when the parasite infects red blood cells. (Only a few sporozoites leave the skin and travel through the bloodstream to reach the liver).
AdFalciVax targets the parasite before it enters the bloodstream, thus stopping the infection at the transmission stage. Hence, AdFalciVax vaccine not only protects the vaccinated human from developing Malaria but also reduces community transmission.
Advantages of AdFalciVax
Preclinical data suggest that AdFalciVax have advantages over existing single-stage vaccines.
Broader protection by targeting two vulnerable parasite stages.
Affordable, stable, and scalable solution.
Thermal stability: Vaccine remains effective for over 9 months at room temperature.
Lower risk of immune evasion and potential for better long-term immunity.
Pre-clinical validation of the vaccine
The pre-clinical validation of the vaccine has been conducted in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research and National Institute of Immunology (NII).
Need for the Vaccine
Reduce Malaria burden: Malaria remains one of the major public health problems in India. India carries 1.4% of the global malaria case burden, and accounted for 66% of cases in the Southeast Asia region.
Meet India’s target under National Health Mission: Annual Malaria Incidence to be less than 1 in 1000 individuals.
The government aims to facilitate the commercialisation of the vaccine to prevent and minimise malaria transmission.
Context: In 2024, the Indian government issued revised guidelines under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. These guidelines provide a framework for assessing the extent of disability of people with two copies of the sickle cell gene, or with both sickle cell and beta thalassaemia, or Hb D.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Key facts about Sickle Cell Anaemia; Rights to Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
Mains: Issues in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016.
The RPWD Act 2016 marked a step towards protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, and promoting their full inclusion in society. The law aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promises dignity, equality, and non-discrimination.
About Rights to Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
The Act defines persons with disabilities as a person with physical, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.
Types of disabilities covered under the Act are increased from 7 to 21. It includes various physical and mental disabilities like acid attack victims, dwarfism and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Persons with benchmark disabilities are entitled to free school education up to 18 years of age, reservations in higher educational institutions, development assistance programmes, and government employment.
Reservation: It mandates a 4% reservation in public employment and 5% reservation in educational institutions for PwD.
The Act mandates both public and private institutions to make infrastructure accessible and provide ICT consumer products for PwD.
Sickle Cell Anaemia
It is an inherited or genetic blood disorder that affects haemoglobin, the protein in Red Blood Cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.
Healthy RBCs are soft and round. In SCD, the haemoglobin is abnormal, which causes the RBCs to become hard and sticky and look like a sickle.
These rigid, sticky cells die early and often get stuck in blood vessels, clogging the flow of blood. As a result, different parts of the body do not get the oxygen they need. This can cause pain and other serious health problems such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
Treatment:
It is a lifelong illness. The only cure comes in the form of gene therapy and stem cell transplants, however, both are costly and still in developmental stages.
Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023) aims to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful, progressive, and disabling blood disorder, disproportionately affecting marginalised communities like Tribals.
Narrow lens of disability in Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016
Not-inclusive: The Act extends reservations in public sector employment under the 4% quota for persons with vision and hearing loss, locomotor disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. However, individuals with SCD and other blood disorders are not included in the quota.
Subjectivity in benchmark disability: The benchmark disability under the Act must meet a certain threshold of impairment, specifically 40% or more. However, different hospitals, medical boards, and doctors can assign different disability percentages to the same person, depending on their personal judgment.
Certificationbottlenecks: A medical authority, including chief medical officer, evaluates and certifies disability. Diagnosis reports of confirmatory tests must be from a government or standard lab. The certification process can be largely inaccessible for Adivasi and Dalit patients in rural or remote areas.
Way Forward
Extending job reservations to individuals with SCD and related blood disorders would acknowledge their condition as a significant, lifelong disability.
Reforming the certification process to account for fluctuating and invisible disabilities would reflect a rights-based lens rather than a purely biomedical one.
Improve Accessibility: Mobile medical units in tribal and rural areas for on-site certification and treatment.
Disability is not only shaped by physical health, but also by social exclusion, structural barriers, and policy gaps. The continual reliance on biomedical scoring and exclusion of people with SCD from full protections undermines the very purpose of recognising the condition under the Act.
Unless India’s recognition of SCD brings real rights and protections, it risks becoming exclusion disguised as inclusion.
Context: Recently, the US reported its first human case of New World screwworm infestation, a flesh-eating parasite once eradicated in 1966 through the Sterile Insect Technique.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about New World Screwworm.
What is the New World Screwworm?
The New World screwworm is a type of blue-grey blowfly, scientifically called Cochliomyia hominivorax. The parasite’s Latin name (hominivorax) literally means man-eater, reflecting its destructive nature.
It is mainly found in South America and the Caribbean though outbreaks have occurred in other regions.
Female screwworms are attracted to open wounds or natural entry points like the nasal cavity of warm-blooded animals and rarely humans.
A single female can lay up to 300 eggs at once, and nearly 3000 eggs during her lifespan of 10-30 days. These eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into living flesh in a screw-like manner, feeding on tissue.
After feeding, the larvae fall to the ground, burrow into the soil, and later emerge as adult flies.
Deadly threat of New World Screwworm Infestations:
New World screwworm infestations can be extremely painful, especially in humans, with a high mortality rate if left untreated.
Once an infestation starts, it often attracts more flies that lay more eggs and depending on where the wound is, the maggots can make their way into vulnerable tissue like the brain, or enlarge the wound to the point of causing severe infection and sepsis.
Symptoms of Infestation include:
Wounds or sores that do not heal
Bleeding from open sores
Feeling larvae movement within a skin wound or sore
A foul-smelling odour from the site of the infestation.
Reasons for the recent spread of New World screwworms:
The US eradicated screwworms in 1966 using the sterile insect technique, where billions of sterile males were released to prevent reproduction.
This method was later used to eliminate screwworms in Mexico (1970s), Central America (early 2000s), and to contain a Florida outbreak in 2017. Despite eradication efforts, new cases have recently been reported in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
Experts suggest movement of infested cattle across borders as possible reasons for the recent spread of New World screwworms.
Context: The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) recently issued a direction stating that women patients and relatives of deceased donors will receive priority in organ allocation. This is part of a 10-point advisory aimed at addressing gender disparity in organ transplants and encouraging donations.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: State of Organ Donation in India and world.Mains: Gender Disparity in Organ Transplants in India.
India’s Organ Transplant Paradox
A study in the British Medical Journal titled “India’s organ transplant paradox: women donate the most and receive the least” highlighted striking imbalances:
Between 2019 and 2023, 63.8% of all living organ donors in India were women. In the same period, men accounted for 69.8% of all organ recipients, showing a stark gender gap.
Out of 56,509 living organ donations made in the last five years, 36,038 donations came from women. However, only 17,041 transplants were performed on women, while 39,447 transplants went to men.
This indicates that women form the majority of donors but remain a minority among recipients.
Legal Framework for Organ Donation in India:
The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994 provides the basic legal framework for organ donation and transplantation in India.
The Act permits organ donation by both living donors and deceased (brain-stem dead) donors, subject to strict medical and ethical conditions.
It prohibits commercial trade in human organs, making buying or selling of organs a punishable offence with stringent financial and judicial penalties.
An amendment in 2011 expanded the scope of the law to include the donation of human tissues.
The Act has established the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) as the apex body to oversee Organ donation. All hospitals engaged in organ retrieval or transplantation be registered and linked with NOTTO.
Status of Organ Donation:
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) around 1,30,000 solid organ transplants are performed worldwide each year, but this meets only about 10% of the global demand.
Countries with streamlined donor systems and higher public awareness, such as Spain and the U.S., have achieved much better organ donation rates.
In India, the demand-supply gap is severe. Every year, nearly 1.8 lakh people develop end-stage kidney disease, but only around 12,000 kidney transplants are performed. Due to this shortage, a large number of patients are forced to remain on dialysis or face premature death.
An organ donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and can help many more through tissue donation such as corneas, skin, and bones.
However, lack of awareness, cultural myths, and hesitation to discuss organ donation within families remain the biggest obstacles in organ donation.
Context: Rising Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India highlight the need to reform GST on sin goods through a Health-Focused Tax Framework.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: GST rates on Sin goods, India’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) surge.
Mains: Structural gaps in the current GST framework for sin goods.
India’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) surge
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for nearly 63-67% of annual deaths in India.
Four major NCDs- cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory conditions, and diabetes- cause nearly 80% of premature NCD deaths.
Key drivers of India’s NCD surge:
Rising consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs), Alcohol, and Tobacco.
Inactivity
Obesity
Poor diet
Pollution
Strong fiscal and policy measures to curb these products are crucial to reverse this trend. The WHO has long advocated higher taxes on tobacco, and now recommends similar measures for alcohol and sugary drinks, with potential taxes on Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) under review.
Structural Gaps in GST Framework on Sin Goods
The 139th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health highlighted that Tobacco products in India remain among the cheapest globally.
India’s current tax share on Tobaccois well below the WHO-recommended minimum of 75%. It is around 58% for Cigarettes and just 22% for Bidis, revealing a significant gap in effective Tobacco taxation.
GST rates require consensus among states via the GST Council. This makes annual or inflation-linked revisions difficult, leading to increased affordability of harmful goods over time.
Alcohol taxation varies widely by State, leading to price disparities, with some States like Gujarat, Bihar, and Nagaland enforcing full bans.
Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) are taxed at 28%, but lack a dedicated health cess. Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) are often taxed at lower rates.
Tobacco products also attract two key non-GST levies: Central Excise Duty (CED) and National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD).
Though CED was initially subsumed under GST, it was reintroduced in Budget 2019-20 to restore fiscal control.
NCCD, introduced in 2001 for disaster relief, remains in place.
What can be done?
The 56th GST Council meeting is expected to consider a 40% GST slab on sin goods. However, raising the rate from 28% to 40% alone may not suffice, especially with the Compensation Cess ending in 2026. A comprehensive approach is needed:
Revise Central Excise Duty (CED) and National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD).
Create a standalone adjustable GST slab for sin products, making them less affordable over time.
Introduce a dedicated Health Tax on harmful products like SSB, UPFs and tobacco. An additional Health Tax, alongside CED and NCCD can increase the overall tax burden within the GST framework, generate fiscal space, and fund public health initiatives like anti-tobacco efforts, awareness campaigns, and detox programmes.
There remains considerable scope to increase tobacco taxes, close loopholes, and expand the tax base. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive health tax framework for tobacco, SSBs, and UPFs.
Context: Two GLP-1 drugs- Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, are now available in the Indian market.
Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide belong to a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, originally developed to treat diabetes and obesity.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about GLP-1 Drugs.
What are GLP-1 Drugs?
GLP-1 is an incretin hormone and a neurotransmitter naturally secreted from the small intestine and hindbrain in the human body, after one eats a meal. It travels to the pancreas, where it helps to regulate blood sugar by increasing insulin and decreasing glucagon.
GLP-1 RA (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are a new class of drugs that mimic naturally-occurring gut hormones called incretin (GLP-1 is one such incretin). Thus, they regulate appetite and digestion, helping users feel full faster and consume fewer calories.
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide both mimic the action of GLP-1. Tirzepatide additionally also mimics the action of another hormone called GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide).
How GLP-1 Drugs Work?
GLP-1 drugs impact centres in the brain associated with control of hunger and satiety, to effectively tell us that we have had enough to eat and need to stop eating. They work by:
improving the secretion of insulin that allows more of the glucose in the bloodstream to enter cells where it can be used for energy.
inhibiting the secretion of the hormone glucagon that stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream.
slowing down the emptying of the stomach so that the glucose levels in the bloodstream does not spike.
reducing appetite by signalling to the brain that one is satiated.
The drugs can be self-administered by the patient once a week via subcutaneous injection (similar to insulin). Semaglutide is also available as an oral tablet.
Utility of GLP-1 Drugs:
Weight loss: Extremely effective for weight-loss helping people lose on an average 15% to 20% of their body weight, equivalent to otherwise lost with bariatric surgeries.
Diabetes: GLP-1 drugs infusion significantly increases insulin levels and lowers glucose levels in diabetic patients.
Alzheimer’s: Some evidence shows that the drugs are associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Other Conditions: Found to be effective and are being studied for conditions including- cardiovascular diseases, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea. Studies have shown a 69% reduction in heart failure events.
Potential Side Effects of GLP-1 Drugs:
Common side effects include- nausea, vomiting, acidity, burping, hiccups, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and appetite loss.
Rarer complications include- pancreatitis, retinal changes (necessitating eye exams), and increased risk of medullary thyroid carcinoma, especially for those with a family history.
