Current Affairs – July 08, 2025

{GS1 – Geo – PG – Climatology} Polar Anticyclone

• Context (UN): South America experienced an unusually cold winter due to a strong polar anticyclone, leading to snowfall in Chile’s Atacama Desert for the first time in over a decade.

• The cold spell was caused by an Antarctic high that reached unusually far north into South America.

About Polar Anticyclone

• A polar anticyclone is a high-pressure system that forms over polar regions by sinking cold air; it peaks in winter because of radiative heat loss.
• It is a cold-core high with maximum strength close to the surface, driven by cold, dense, sinking air.
• Sinking cold air increases surface pressure, creating stable conditions with clear skies, fog, frost, and sharp nighttime cooling.
• In winter, they migrate eastward and equatorward due to pressure shifts, bringing cold air to lower latitudes. In summer, they move equatorward, causing cool, dry weather.
• They interact with polar fronts, forming cold fronts that cause storms and temperature drops.
• Notable Examples: Siberian High (Eurasia), Canadian High (North America), and the Antarctic High.

Formation Process

• Surface Cooling: Surface cooling raises near-surface air density, causing cold, heavy air to sink.
• Pressure Buildup: Cold air sinks, compresses, and warms, remaining dense and raising surface pressure.
• Rotation: Accumulated air diverges and deflects by the Coriolis force, forming a rotating high.

India and Polar Anticyclones

• India lies beyond the reach of polar anticyclones but is seasonally influenced by Central Asian highs.
• Cold Waves: Siberian High outflows trigger cold wave conditions in northern India during winter.
• Fog Formation: Stable polar air enhances night cooling, causing dense fog over the Gangetic plains.
• Western Disturbances: Polar highs guide western disturbances toward NW India and the western Himalayas.

{GS1 – Geo – PG – Climatology} Roll clouds

• Context (TOI): Amid an intense heatwave, Portugal witnessed a spectacular and unusual Roll cloud.

• Roll clouds, also known as volutus, are a rare atmospheric phenomenon and part of a larger category known as arcus clouds.
• The roll clouds are horizontal, cylindrical and appear to ‘roll’ along the sky like a tube, unlike the typical storm clouds.
• Roll clouds are entirely unrelated to seismic activity or tidal waves, though they look dramatic and sometimes resemble giant tsunami waves.

Credit: ABC News

How are Roll Clouds Formed?

• Warm, dry air ascends quickly because of intense surface heating (such as in a heatwave).
• This rising air collides with cooler, more humid sea breezes coming from the ocean.
• The difference between air masses produces turbulence and condensation, resulting in the formation of a roll-shaped cloud.

Threats Associated

• While the cloud itself poses no threat, it is often accompanied by sudden, strong gusts, which can catch people off guard.
• Experts warn that extreme weather events, including these rolling clouds, may increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change and rising heat waves.

Arcus Clouds Arcus clouds are low, horizontal cloud formations that appear along the leading edge of thunderstorm outflows or cold fronts. They are often associated with turbulent weather and mark the boundary between warm and cool air masses. There are two main types of arcus clouds, i.e., Shelf Clouds and Roll clouds. Shelf Clouds are typically attached to the base of a thunderstorm. They appear like a wedge or a shelf hanging from the sky. These clouds often signal the arrival of strong winds, heavy rain, and other severe weather conditions. Roll clouds may also arise in the absence of thunderstorms.

{GS2 – IR – Africa} PM’s Visit to Ghana

• Context (IE): India is repositioning itself as a pivotal development partner in Africa, as evidenced by the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Ghana.

Key Outcomes of Present Visit

• Elevation of partnership: India-Ghana reset their ties to a “Comprehensive Partnership”, which drives a wide range of cooperation in the future.
• Both nations signed four MoUs in various areas.
  • Traditional Medicine and Ayurveda: Holds relevance to harness Africa’s health sector potential.
  • Quality of products: India’s BIS and its Ghanaian counterpart aim to facilitate trade and investment through quality assurance and mutual recognition.
  • Culture: Cultural exchange program for 2025-2029 aligns with India’s soft power diplomacy.
  • Institution: Both nations intended to establish a Joint Commission to track and chart the progress of diplomatic relations. This means that high-level officials will meet periodically.

India- Ghana Relations

• India-Ghana relations date back to the Nehruvian era as non-aligned partners of the Global South. The present visit, after 30 years, signals a strategic reset of engagement with West Africa.

Key Drivers of the Relations

• Trade: Bilateral trade stands at $3 billion. Both are acknowledged to increase in the coming years.
  • Nearly 850+ projects by Indian companies are operating in Ghana. India plans to double it in five years. And in other areas, such as renewable energy, fintech, and agriculture.
• Credit Support: India’s unconditional Line of credit to support Ghana’s infrastructure projects. e.g EXIM Bank funded the Tema-Mpakadan Standard Gauge Railway Line.
• Technology: Ghana became one of the first countries to incorporate the UPI payment system into its financial system.
• Security: India pledged to extend training, capacity building, and cybersecurity collaboration & reframed the security engagement as “Security through Solidarity” to set an accommodating narrative.
• Shared Voice of Global South: Focusing on reforms in global governance & pushing for a multipolar world.

Strengthening Relations: Recommendations

• Operationalising the Joint Commission Mechanism: Meeting regularly to review progress, resolve bottlenecks, and plan future areas of collaboration.
• Diversifying Trade and Investment: Encourage Indian private sector investment in Ghanaian sectors such as agri-tech, solar energy, pharmaceuticals, and MSMEs to create job opportunities.
• Strengthening Educational and Skill Partnerships: Expand scholarships, vocational training, and academic exchanges to foster long-term people-to-people ties and capacity building.
• Cultural Diplomacy: Promote Indian culture, including Ayurveda, yoga, and languages, through festivals, media, and educational institutions in Ghana to strengthen India’s soft power influence.

Also Read > India-Africa Relations.

{GS2 – IR – Middle East} UAE Nomination-Based Golden Visa Scheme

• Context (IE): The UAE launched a nomination-based golden visa scheme for residents of India and Bangladesh, requiring a one-time fee of AED 100,000 (around ₹23.3 lakh).

• The pilot scheme will gradually expand to China and other CEPA partner countries.

Key Features

• The UAE’s nomination-based golden visa program is a long-term residency program allowing foreigners to live, work, and study in the country.
• The visa is usually issued for either 5 or 10 years and renews automatically if eligible.
• It covers two groups:

1. Investors: Individuals investing AED 2 million+ in business/real estate, or projects worth AED 500,000+.
2. Outstanding Talent: Eminent professionals like doctors, scientists, artists, athletes, PhD holders, and top students.

• Visa holders with approval can bring spouses, children, and domestic staff under the same permit.

How Is the Nomination-Based Golden Visa Policy Different?

• The visa moves from an investment-based to a government-nominated system, focusing on skills and sector expertise.
• Unlike earlier 5–10 year visas, the nomination-based model offers permanent residency.
• The policy covers individuals with exceptional talent, unlike investor-only standard visas.
• Unlike standard visas, applicants can apply remotely without visiting the UAE.
• The nomination-based visa requires extensive background checks, unlike standard visas.

About Golden Visas Golden visas are residency permits granted to foreigners in exchange for significant financial investments. They help bypass immigration requirements like job offers or educational qualifications. They provide long-term residency rights without granting citizenship or voting privileges. Over 100 countries, including Portugal, Greece, Malta, and the UAE, provide golden visa programs.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – FRs} Legality of Phone-Tapping

• Context (IE): In two separate cases, the Delhi High Court and the Madras High Court recently delivered divergent judgments on the legality of phone-tapping.

• The Delhi High Court upheld a trial court’s decision to admit phone-tapping evidence collected by CBI. It emphasized the gravity of Corruption and its far-reaching impact on national governance and development.

Madras High Court Ruling

• The Madras HC quashed an MHA interception order, 2011. The court ruled that the interception was not justified under the legal framework, particularly Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act.
• It stressed that the term “public emergency” must be construed narrowly and cannot be expanded to include tax evasion cases.
• Additionally, the court stated that the phone tap was unlawful because it did not comply with the procedural standards set by the Supreme Court in a 1997 ruling.

Supreme Court’s 1997 Ruling

• In its landmark 1997 ruling in People’s Union of Civil Liberties vs Union of India, the Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act.
• While upholding the law, the court established procedural safeguards for its application.

Procedural Safeguards

• Phone Tapping Order: It can be issued only by the Home Secretary of the state and central governments, and this power cannot be delegated to officers below the rank of Joint Secretary.
• Exploring Other Means: The authorizing authority must also consider whether the information could “reasonably be acquired by other means”.
• Review Committee: Within two months of ordering a phone tap, a committee comprising the Cabinet Secretary, the Law Secretary, and the Telecom Secretary shall review the order.
  • At the state level, the committee shall comprise the chief secretary, the law secretary, and another member, other than the home secretary.
• The scrutiny by the board has also been included under Rule 419-A (17) of the Telegraph Rules.

Also Read> Phone Tapping

{GS2 – Polity – IC} North Eastern Region District SDG Index (2023-24)

• Context (PIB): NITI Aayog released the 2^nd edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index (2023-24).

• The Index covers 15 SDGs and ranks 121 of 131 districts of the NER.

Key Findings

• Improvement in the Overall Performance of Districts: 85% of the districts of the NER are in the Front Runner category compared to the previous edition, where 62% of the districts were in this category.

• All districts in Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura have achieved Front Runner status, with no districts falling in the Aspirant or Achiever categories.

• Highest Score: Mizoram has the highest-scoring district, i.e., Hnahthial, at 81.43.
• Lowest Score: Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest-scoring district, i.e., Longding, with a score of 58.71.
• Consistent Performance: Sikkim has the narrowest range (5.5 points) in terms of the score difference between the highest and lowest districts, indicating the most consistent performance across its districts.
• Minimum Intra-State Variation: Tripura has the distinction of having some of the highest-scoring districts with minimum intra-state variation (6.5 points).
• Maximum Intra-State Variation: Nagaland exhibits the widest range (15.07 points between its highest- and lowest-performing districts), indicating significant intra-state disparity.

About the Index

• The NER District SDG Index measures the performance of districts across the eight North Eastern states on the SDGs.
• The 1^st edition of the NER District SDG Index Report 2021–22 was released in August 2021.
• The Index is developed by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER), with technical support from UNDP.
• It is based on the methodology adopted by the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index, the principal and official tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs at the national and State/Union Territory levels.
• Categories:
  1. Achiever: Score equals 100 (achieved the targets set for identified indicators);
  2. Front Runner: Score between 65 and 99 (excluding 100);
  3. Performer: Score between 50 and 65 (excluding 65);
  4. Aspirant: Score less than 50.

Significance

• The NER District SDG Index marks a significant step forward in localising the global goals by translating them into region-specific targets and tracking progress at the district level.
• The ‘Indian Model of SDG Localisation’, anchored in the core SDG principle of ‘leaving no one behind‘, reflects India’s relentless efforts towards the ‘2030 Agenda’.

{GS2 – Polity – IC} The Hindi Language Debate in Maharashtra

• Context (TH): Recently, Maharashtra government issued a resolution mandating Hindi as the third language from Grades 1 to 5 in all State Board schools, citing NEP 2020’s three-language formula.

• The move, a shift from the earlier practice of introducing third language from Grade 5, sparked backlash & was eventually withdrawn, raising concerns over federalism, linguistic rights, & educational policy.

NEP 2020: Key Provisions and Interpretations The NEP recommends the three-language formula, promoting multilingualism with flexibility. It suggests that at least two of the three languages be native to India, without specifying which language must be taught. The emphasis is on the mother tongue/home language (R1), a second Indian language (R2), and an optional third language. However, it does not mandate Hindi, rather, it encourages local and classical languages based on child-centric, context-sensitive pedagogy.

Opposition and Core Concerns

• Imposition of Hindi in a state with a strong Marathi linguistic identity, undermining the cultural fabric.
• Cognitive burden on young learners by forcing a third language from Grade 1.
• Lack of consultation with Maharashtra’s language committee and educational experts.
• Seen as an instance of “cultural hegemony” part of a larger ideological push for “Hindi-Hindu-Hi

Broader Implications

• Language and Identity: The episode highlights how language policy remains deeply intertwined with regional identity and federal politics.
• Central vs State Autonomy: It rekindles debates about linguistic imposition vs cultural preservation, especially under a centralised education vision like NEP 2020.
• Pedagogical Validity: Educational experts argue that early education should prioritise comprehension and cognitive ease, not language overload. Emphasis is needed on mother tongue instruction in early grades, aligning with global best practices.
• Implementation Gaps in NEP 2020: While NEP talks of inclusivity and choice, implementation often veers toward standardisation and centralisation, risking alienation.

Way Forward

• Review Language Policy: Public dialogue and stakeholder engagement including parents, teachers, and regional experts must be prioritised in shaping language policy.
• Reinforce State Autonomy: While NEP sets broad goals, states must retain the freedom to tailor policies to local needs.
• Pedagogy First: Any language policy must be guided by child psychology and educational research, not political narratives.
• Safeguard Linguistic Diversity: India’s multilingual richness must be protected forced homogenisation risks social disharmony.

{GS3 – IE – Development} Economic Potential of Indian Cities

• Context (IE): Cities serve as the driving force behind India’s future development, innovation, and employment opportunities. They hold the key to India’s robust and sustainable economic growth to achieve $30 trillion economy by 2047.

Potential of the Cities

• GDP contribution: Indian cities contribute to 2/3rd of the overall GDP in India.
• Innovation: India ranks at 39^th position in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, with Bengaluru emerging as the most innovative city.
• Start-ups: With more than 100 Unicorns, Indian cities host numerous start-ups, making them the third-largest hub, according to the World Bank.
• Infrastructure: Growing investments in key connectivity projects for enhancing inter-city connections, e.g. Mumbai-Bengaluru and Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway.
• Foreign Capital: Nearly 90% of FDI is attracted to key cities in India, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, etc

• Population: Urban population is expected to reach 850 million by 2047.

Key Issues Faced by Indian Cities

• Pollution: As per Air report 2025, 8 out of the top 10 polluted cities are in India, and Delhi is the most polluted capital city in the world.
• Waste Management: India is estimated to generate 62 million tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste annually. Currently, only 70% is collected, and 30% is being processed (MoHUA report)
• Urban Spacing: Congested and overburdened cities are leading to narrow urban spaces and pollution. Boston Consulting Group has stated that average city dweller spends 1.5-2 hours stuck in traffic daily.
• Planning: There is a dearth of skilled urban planners, a centralised approach, and unsustainable plans. India has only one planner for 1 lakh population, other developed nations have 1:5000 (NITI Aayog).
• Governance: Apathy of local bodies in providing basic amenities, punctual waste collection, and transparent policies for effective taxation, e.g. Only 0.2% of GDP amounts to urban property tax collection.
• Housing: Absence of affordable housing for urban dwellers, increase in slum spaces causing disease, pollution and negligence.
  • Indian cities are projected to have a shortfall of 31 million affordable houses by 2030 (CII report).
• Infrastructure: Urban infrastructure has been fragile due to delays, corruption, financial crunch and sub-standard quality, e.g. India’s average mobile internet speed is just around 100 Mbps.
• Resource constraints: Rising water stress due to high demand in urban areas as the population grows rapidly. NITI Aayog predicted that 40% of India’s population would face water scarcity by 2030.
• Climate Change: The rising global temperature has led to increased urban flooding and the formation of urban heat islands, primarily due to emissions, e.g. Floods in Chennai (2015) and Mumbai (2017).

Way Ahead

• Combat Air Pollution: Counter air pollution from vehicles through complete electrification, strict implementation of Construction and Demolition Waste norms.
  • Budget 2025-26 created a ₹ 1 lakh crore ‘Urban Challenge Fund’ to support ULBs.
• Competitiveness: Strengthening the liveability index of Indian cities and encouraging best performers with financial incentives.
• Waste Management: State governments should purchase automated vehicles for cleaning roads, and prompt ULBs for door-to-door collection of waste.
  • Prioritise the circular economy in urban areas, which can unlock $73.5 trillion annually by 2030.
• Policy reforms: Effective implementation of the 74^th Amendment Act, robust taxation policies like land value capture through digital land records & municipal bond markets.
• Sufficient urban spacing: Increasing the floor space index (FSI) and floor area ratio (FAR) will promote vertical growth, thereby decongesting urban space.
• Digital Infrastructure: Requires cutting spectrum prices to attract investment, building extensive fibre-optic networks, and deploying 5G nationally.

{GS3 – S&T – Defence} AI-led Warfare/Agentic Warfare

• Context (IE): The global military landscape is undergoing a profound transformation with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven warfare, often referred to as “agentic warfare.”

What is AI-led or Agentic Warfare?

• Agentic warfare refers to the use of AI agents-intelligent, autonomous systems capable of performing a wide range of military functions such as surveillance, targeting, logistical planning, electronic warfare, and decision-making with minimal or no human intervention.

Key Components

• Autonomous Weapon Systems: Capable of identifying and engaging targets independently.
• C4ISR Integration: Fusion of command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) with AI systems.
• Real-time Data Analysis: Predictive analytics and decision support powered by AI.
• Cyber and Electromagnetic Warfare: Cognitive systems capable of disrupting enemy communication and navigation through AI-driven signals intelligence.

Global Trend

• Israel: Israel’s use of the Lavender AI system in Gaza reportedly identified 37,000 Hamas targets, marking what some analysts call the world’s first “AI war”.
• Pakistan: China is actively supporting Pakistan’s Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing, which now runs a sophisticated Cognitive Electronic Warfare program using AI and machine learning.
• China: China is integrating AI into its defence through a phased approach. Example: Generative AI-driven drone swarms that autonomously locate and jam enemy radars.

Advantages of AI-led Warfare

• Speed and Precision: AI enables rapid data analysis and decision-making, reducing response time in dynamic combat scenarios.
• Force Multiplication: Smaller military units can achieve larger objectives by leveraging AI-driven systems, such as drones and robotics.
• Reduced Human Risk: Autonomous platforms operate in high-risk zones, minimising casualties.
• Enhanced Surveillance & Reconnaissance: AI systems integrate data from satellites and UAVs to track enemy activity, detect emerging patterns, and provide real-time situational awareness.
• Data-Driven Strategy: AI enhances mission planning by analysing intelligence and optimising logistics in real time.
• Improved Logistics and Maintenance: AI helps predict equipment failures, automates supply chain decisions, and manages fuel and ammunition more efficiently, thereby boosting operational readiness.

Risks and Concerns

• Loss of Human Control: Reduced oversight in autonomous systems may lead to accidental escalation or unintended attacks.
• Ethical and Legal Dilemmas: AI-led strikes raise accountability issues and challenge existing laws of armed conflict.
• Cyber Vulnerabilities: AI systems are susceptible to hacking, manipulation, and data poisoning, posing a threat to mission integrity.
• Algorithmic Bias: AI systems trained on flawed or limited data may misidentify threats or disproportionately target specific groups, resulting in unintended harm or discrimination.
• ‘Black Box’ Problem: AI decisions are often difficult to explain. Military personnel may not fully understand why an AI acted in a certain way, making it hard to audit or correct errors.
• AI Arms Race: The development of AI-driven warfare triggers an arms race among nations to develop autonomous weapons, thereby increasing global instability and reducing the chances of disarmament or cooperation.

Way Forward

• Responsible AI Use: While agentic AI holds transformative potential, its integration into warfare must be guided by ethical, legal, and strategic frameworks that ensure its responsible use.
• Capacity building: India should focus on developing indigenous AI capabilities, invest in cyber-resilient infrastructure, and promote international cooperation on AI arms regulation.
• A balanced approach that ensures human oversight, safeguards data integrity, and prioritises accountability will be key to leveraging AI’s advantages while mitigating its risks.

Read More> AI in Defence

{GS3 – S&T – Space} Vera C Rubin Space Observatory

• Context (IE) The Observatory is named after Vera C Rubin, an American astronomer who first provided evidence of dark matter in the 1970s. It will help produce wide-ranging night sky images.

Key features

• Location: Cerro Pachón, Andes Mountains, Chile (8,684 ft altitude).
• Telescope: Simonyi Survey Telescope with a three-mirror design for wide field imaging.
• Largest digital camera: 3,200 megapixels, weighs 2,800 kg, size of a small car. Sensitive enough to detect objects 100 million times dimmer than visible to the naked eye.
• Wide field of view: Captures an area equal to 40 full Moons in a single shot. Surpasses the Hubble Space Telescope (1%) and the James Webb Telescope (75%) in sky coverage.
• Fastest telescope: Moves and stabilises in just 5 seconds. Captures up to 1,000 images per night, scanning the entire sky every 3 days.

Scientific Objectives

• Data Collection: The observatory will continuously scan the southern sky for ten years, creating an unprecedented long-term record of celestial activity. It will collect nearly 20TB of data.
• Asteroid tracking: It is expected to discover over 5 million asteroids and approximately 100,000 near-Earth objects, significantly expanding our knowledge of planetary defence.

Credits: IE

• Real-Time detection: Estimated 10 million alerts per night for changes in the sky.
• Dark matter: Major role in mapping dark matter and understanding dark energy by measuring weak gravitational lensing.
• Celestial activities: Observing transient astronomical events like supernovae, gamma-ray blasts, quasar visibility, etc.

Dark Matter is the mysterious component of the universe that contributes approximately 27% and 68% to its total content. They do not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation and are inferred to exist based on their gravitational effects on visible matter.

{Prelims – In News} India’s first Equine Disease-Free Compartment

• Context (PIB): The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) officially recognised India’s first Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) at the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre in Meerut.

• It meets the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code standards for compartmentalisation.
• It was created by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying to support equine sports and trade.
• The certification will enable Indian sport horses to compete and travel internationally. It will significantly boost India’s prospects in the equine trade, breeding and sports.

What is Equine Disease-Free Compartment?

• The EDFC is a designated zone declared free of certain equine diseases, such as Equine Influenza, Piroplasmosis, glanders, and Surra.
  • India has been free of the African horse sickness disease since 2014.

Compartmentalisation is a disease control approach where a subpopulation of animals with a distinct health status is managed separately under strict biosecurity.

{Prelims – In News} SAKSHAM-3000

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Communications launched SAKSHAM‑3000 as an indigenous high‑capacity switch‑cum‑router that handles both local data flow and external network routing.

Local Data Flow (Switching): Transfers data within a single network, e.g., between office computers. External Network Routing: Transmits data to other networks, such as when accessing a website.

About SAKSHAM-3000

• SAKSHAM‑3000 is a compact, 25.6 Tbps switch-router indigenously designed and developed by C‑DOT.
• It manages high-volume data traffic for sectors such as telecom, AI, cloud, defence, etc.

High-Speed Performance and Scalability

• Data 25.6 Tb/s: Offers aggregate throughput of 25.6 terabits per second for hyperscale operations.
• Ultra-Low Latency: Minimises delay to support real-time systems, such as surveillance and automation.
• Flexible Range: Supports Ethernet speeds from 1 to 400Gbps for various network requirements.
• Energy Efficiency: Uses low‑power parts and swappable units to cut energy and maintenance costs.
• MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): Guides data along the predefined optimal paths for faster and secure transmission.

Network Control and Synchronisation

• PTP (Precision Time Protocol): Synchronizes the clocks of network devices with microsecond precision.
• Sync-E (Synchronous Ethernet): Transmits timing signals over Ethernet to maintain synchronisation.
• WRR (Weighted Round Robin): Allocates bandwidth based on service priority for timely transmission.
• WRED (Weighted Random Early Detection): Eases congestion by discarding low-priority data before the network overloads.
• CROS (Router Operating System): Runs on the indigenous modular OS developed by C‑DOT for secure and autonomous network control.

{Prelims – Sci – Bio – Diseases} DengiALL

• Context (IE): ICMR announced that DengiALL has reached the 50% enrollment mark in its Phase 3 trial.

• DengiALL is a tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate developed by Panacea Biotec under NIH license.
• Modelled on NIH’s dengue formulation, it includes all four live-attenuated dengue virus subtypes.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) facilitates clinical trials in India, while CDSCO, under the DCGI, handles their approval and regulation. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary biomedical research agency of the United States, supporting global research on infectious diseases

About Dengue

• Dengue, also known as breakbone fever, is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Dengue virus, a member of the Flavivirus genus.
• Transmission: It spreads via infected female Aedes mosquito bites and can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy.
• Symptoms: Key symptoms include high fever, joint and muscle pain, rashes, vomiting, etc.
• Treatment: There is no cure for dengue; only supportive care manages symptoms and prevents complications.

Complications

• Severe Dengue: It causes plasma leakage and internal bleeding, with symptoms like bloody vomit, blood in stool, and bleeding gums.
• Dengue Shock Syndrome: It results from severe plasma leakage leading to low blood pressure and organ failure.
• Thrombocytopenia: Dengue reduces platelet count due to bone marrow suppression and immune attack on platelets.