Constitution of India in Sindhi Language
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
- Recently, the Vice-President released the latest version of the Constitution of India in the Sindhi language in both Devanagari and Persian scripts.
- About Sindhi
- It is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Pakistan and in India, with smaller communities worldwide.
- It was officially included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India by the 21st Constitutional Amendment Act 1967.
- It is one of the oldest and most melodious languages with a rich literary tradition blending Vedantic and Sufi philosophies that promote unity, love, and brotherhood.
- Original Language of the Constitution
- Drafted originally in English, a Translation Committee under Ghanshyam Das Gupta produced the official Hindi version.
- Both English and Hindi versions were signed by Constituent Assembly members and submitted to Rajendra Prasad on 24 January 1950.
- Source :Air
Justice Varma Resigns Amid Proceedings For Removal
Syllabus: GS2/Polity & Governance; Judiciary
Context
- Recently, Justice Yashwant Varma, an Allahabad High Court judge submitted his resignation to the President of India..
- About Judiciary in India
- India has a single unified judiciary (unlike the US dual system).
- Supreme Court of India (Top level); Articles 124–147
- High Courts (State level); Articles 214–231
- Subordinate Courts (District & lower courts); Articles 233–237
- This structure ensures uniform interpretation of law across the country.
- Key Features of Indian Judiciary
- Independence of Judiciary (basic structure doctrine)
- Judicial Review, as it can strike down unconstitutional laws
- Separation of Powers
- Rule of Law
- High Court Judges
- High Court judges are governed mainly by:
- Article 214: High Courts for States
- Article 216: Constitution of High Courts
- Article 217: Appointment & conditions of office
- Article 218: Application of provisions of removal (same as SC judges)
- Article 219: Oath or affirmation
- Article 220–224: Other provisions (practice restrictions, additional judges, etc.)
- Appointment of High Court Judges [Article 217(1)]: By the President of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Governor of the State, and Chief Justice of the High Court (for other judges).
- Qualifications: A person must be a citizen of India. Held judicial office for 10 years, or been an advocate of a High Court for 10 years.
- Tenure (Term of Office): Holds office until age of 62 years (Article 217(1))
- Oath or Affirmation (Article 219): Judge must take oath before the Governor of the State; Oath includes upholding Constitution, and performing duties without fear or favour.
- Removal of High Court Judges
- Grounds: Proved misbehaviour & Incapacity;
- Procedure (Impeachment-like): Motion introduced in Parliament; supported by special majority (majority of total membership, and 2/3rd of members present & voting), address sent to President and President orders removal.
- Resignation: Judge may resign by writing to the President of India.
- Source: News On AIR
Keytruda
Syllabus: GS2/Health
Context
- Recent investigations exposed a dangerous counterfeit market for Keytruda in India, fuelled by hospital-level supply chain breaches.
- What is Keytruda?
- Brand name for Pembrolizumab, a revolutionary immunotherapy / checkpoint inhibitor drug for advanced and aggressive cancers.
- Manufactured by Merck & Co. (USA) known as MSD outside the US and Canada.
- Unlike traditional treatments that attack tumours directly, Keytruda empowers the body’s own immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy is a type of medical treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight diseases.
- While chemo and radiotherapy directly kill cancer cells and some healthy cells along with it, immunotherapy pushes the body’s own immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells.
- Being highly targeted, immunotherapy spares healthy cells.
- These therapies have been shown to extend life even in patients with aggressive forms of cancer.
- Other Types of Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatments
- CAR-T cell therapy involves collecting a patient’s own T cells, engineering them to create chimeric receptors, multiplying these modified cells, and returning them to the patient.
- These engineered T cells can then identify, attach to, and destroy cancer cells that would normally evade immune detection.
- mRNA vaccines for cancer are currently under development.
- Unlike vaccines for infections given to healthy individuals, cancer vaccines are administered to patients who already have certain cancers to prevent relapse.
- These vaccines train the immune system to identify proteins called neoantigens found only in cancer cells.
- Once recognised, the immune system remembers these markers for years, continuing to fight cancer and prevent recurrence.
- Implications for India’s Cancer Fight
- Rising Burden: India’s cancer cases projected to surge by nearly 74% by 2045 making access to drugs like Keytruda critical.
- Affordability Crisis: Extreme cost creates a dual-tier health system, only the wealthy or specially insured can access top-tier immunotherapy.
- Counterfeit Risk: Price-driven desperation has opened the door to fake drug markets, with hospital supply chains as weak links posing lethal risks to patients.
- Source: IE
Sentinel Species
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
Context
- Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) upgraded from Near Threatened to Endangered on the IUCN Red List, driven by climate-induced sea-ice loss.
- As a sentinel species, its decline signals broader Antarctic ecosystem stress, populations projected to halve by the 2080s.
- What is a Sentinel Species?
- It is a plant or animal whose health reflects the overall condition of the ecosystem it inhabits.
- They respond quickly and visibly to environmental stressors such as pollution, disease, and climate change.
- They act as early warning systems, allowing detection of ecological imbalance before it becomes widespread.
- Examples of Sentinel Species
- Amphibians (Frogs): Frogs have permeable skin, making them highly sensitive to pollutants and pathogens. Decline in frog populations is often an early indicator of ecosystem stress.
- Canaries in Coal Mines: Historically used to detect carbon monoxide poisoning. They showed distress before humans due to faster metabolism.
- Honeybees: Used to monitor agricultural chemicals and pesticide loads. Decline in bee populations signals ecosystem imbalance and pollination crisis.
- Polar Bears: Indicators of Arctic ecosystem health and contaminant accumulation. Reflect impacts of climate change and ice loss.
- About IUCN
- Created in 1948.
- Headquarter: Gland, Switzerland
- It is a membership union, and works closely with international frameworks.
- India, a State Member since 1969.
- It is an intergovernmental and NGO network (hybrid organisation)
- Source: TH
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