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Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Gadagadi Ghat turns dumping ground, violates NGT norms
1 2 Cuttack: Gadagadi Ghat, a prominent riverside spot on the banks of the Mahanadi river in Cuttack, has turned into a dumping ground for garbage, in direct violation of National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. The riverbank is now strewn with heaps of solid waste, including plastic bottles, food leftovers, and ritual waste, posing a significant threat to both the environment and public health. The NGT mandates strict norms to protect riverbanks and water bodies from pollution and encroachment. These include a prohibition on dumping solid, liquid, or hazardous waste within 500 metres of a riverbank and require proper waste management systems, especially near religious and public bathing ghats. Municipal bodies are held accountable for enforcing these guidelines and maintaining cleanliness around water bodies. As the holy month of Shravan concluded on Monday, thousands of Kawariyas visited the ghat to collect sacred water from the Mahanadi. However, they were greeted by filthy surroundings and a foul stench emanating from the accumulated waste. Cuttack Mayor Subhash Singh said, "A sanitation team has been instructed to clean the area immediately." He assured that cleaning operations at Gadagadi Ghat would be completed within 48 hours, and action would be taken against those responsible for illegal dumping." Locals and environmental activists have expressed anger over the poor sanitation. "This is not just negligence. It is an insult to the sanctity of the river and the devotees," said Suresh Dash, a local priest. "Despite repeated complaints, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has failed to act." Asutosh Debata, an environmental activist, said, "Dumping garbage near water bodies is a clear violation of NGT norms. It pollutes the river and harms aquatic life. Authorities must act swiftly." He also criticised the poor coordination between civic authorities and event organisers during large religious gatherings. "Every year, after major rituals or festivals, the ghats are left in shambles. The city needs a long-term waste disposal strategy for religious hotspots," added Abhaya Patnaik, a social worker. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
CMC to illuminate new stretch with LED lights
1 2 Cuttack: The Cuttack municipal corporation (CMC) has announced plans to illuminate a newly constructed road stretching from NH-16 to Nuapada, which runs alongside Taladanda canal. The project will see the installation of over 100 octagonal lighting poles equipped with energy-efficient LED lights on the 1.5km-long stretch. Thw initiative comes in response to the increasing vehicular movement on the road, which has raised safety concerns among commuters. "The safety of citizens is our top priority. This project will not only ensure a well-lit road but also reduce the risks of accidents and criminal activities," Cuttack mayor Subhash Singh said. The project has been allocated an estimated budget of Rs 92 lakh, with tenders awarded to a private contractor. Singh added that the work is scheduled to be completed by the end this month. Prabhas Biswal, CMC's electrical engineer, elaborated on the technical aspects and said, "An automatic timer system will be installed, ensuring the lights switch on automatically once the sun sets." This technology-driven approach is expected to reduce manual intervention, improve safety and enhance energy efficiency by monitoring power usage and cutting maintenance costs. Residents of the area have welcomed the move. Rohan Biswal, a resident of Nuapada, said, "We are glad that the long-neglected stretch will finally have proper illumination. CMC must ensure its maintenance properly after installation."
Indian Express
27-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: AdFalciVax and the fight against malaria — What you must-know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your UPSC Current Affairs Knowledge Nugget for today on AdFalciVax and malaria. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited the country's vaccine manufacturers to partner with it to launch and sell a malaria vaccine, AdFalciVax, that its Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneshwar, has developed. In this context, let's know about this new vaccine and malaria. 1. AdFalciVax is a chimeric recombinant vaccine — a type of vaccine that uses different parts of the genes of a pathogen (in this case, Plasmodium) to create target proteins that trigger an immune response after being injected. 2. AdFalciVax uses two types of target proteins to prevent the spread of infection in two different ways. ↪ It uses the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) to prevent infection in the person who has been immunised. The CSP is produced during the sporozoite stage (when a parasite can infect a new host) and the liver stage (when a parasite enters liver cells, multiplies, and then infects red blood cells) of the parasite. 'Any immune response generated against these stages protects the immunised person from getting the infection.' Subhash Singh, project manager for development of the vaccine at the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar told The Indian Express. ↪ The vaccine also uses the Pro6C protein, a fusion of parts of two different proteins — Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 — produced by Plasmodium falciparum. This protein prevents the spread of infection in the community. 3. Researchers have found that AdFalciVax provided more than 90% protection against infection in mice. The candidate vaccine has yet to undergo rigorous human trials, and the preliminary results have been obtained only through testing on animals. 4. The ICMR wants to partner with a company that can further develop its candidate vaccine, carry out human clinical trials, and scale up for commercial production. Although the ICMR will share the technology of developing AdFalciVax with the chosen company, it will continue to hold the intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property rights generated during the collaboration will be held jointly by the ICMR and the company. 5. Notably, AdFalciVax mainly targets two parts of Plasmodium falciparum, a pathogen that is the most common source of malaria in humans. In India, however, the disease is caused by Plasmodium vivax against which AdFalciVax is ineffective. To combat malaria, scientists have been working to develop a vaccine for decades but with limited success. Recently, two vaccines—RTS,S and R21—were approved for use, but their efficacy, at 75%, is quite low. That's why the announcement about ICMR's candidate vaccine has given new hope in the fight against the disease. World Malaria Day is observed every year on 25th April by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness and drive action against malaria. The theme for World Malaria Day 2025 is 'Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.' 1. Having claimed millions of lives, malaria has been one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Currently, the disease kills about four lakh people annually, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. 2. Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, typically causing symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications such as seizures, fluid in the lungs, organ damage, and death. 3. It is most endemic in Africa — Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Niger, and Burkina Faso together account for more than half the yearly deaths. 1. India has demonstrated significant progress in reducing malaria cases and associated mortality in the country's high-endemic states, according to the findings of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) 'World Malaria Report 2024′. 2. 'India exited the HBHI [high-burden to high-impact] group officially in 2024 due to significant progress in reducing the malaria incidence and mortality observed in its high-endemic states,' the report observed. 3.'Nationwide, the number of estimated malaria cases in India decreased from 6.4 million in 2017 (the year before the HBHI's introduction) to 2 million cases in 2023 (69 per cent decrease). Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased from 11,100 to 3,500 (68 per cent decrease) during the same period,' it said. 4. The HBHI refers to a targeted WHO initiative aimed at the most acutely malaria-impacted regions of the world, including several countries in Africa. Widespread resistance of malarial parasite to drugs like chloroquine has prompted attempts to develop a malarial vaccine to combat malaria. Why is it difficult to develop an effective malaria vaccine? (UPSC CSE 2010) (a) Malaria is caused by several species of Plasmodium (b) Man does not develop immunity to malaria during natural infection (c) Vaccines can be developed only against bacteria (d) Man is only an intermediate host and not the definitive host (Sources: India registers 'significant progress' in reducing malaria cases: WHO, WHO report says India reduces malaria caseload, deaths by 69% each) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
Indian Express
24-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
How new ICMR vaccine gives new hope in fight against malaria
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a promising candidate vaccine for malaria, which it will now further develop, test and manufacture for commercial purposes in partnership with private companies. Known as AdFalciVax, the vaccine mainly targets two parts of Plasmodium falciparum, a pathogen that is the most common source of malaria in humans. In India, however, the disease is caused by Plasmodium vivax against which AdFalciVax is ineffective. Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, typically causing symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications such as seizures, fluid in the lungs, organ damage, and death. Having claimed millions of lives, malaria has been one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Currently, the disease kills about four lakh people annually, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. Malaria is most endemic in Africa — Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Niger, and Burkina Faso together account for more than half the yearly deaths. The disease is also present in India, although malaria deaths have sharply reduced in the country in recent years. According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), reported malaria deaths stood at 1,151in 1995, and came down to only 93 in 2020 and 83 in 2022. Note that these figures are much lower than the numbers provided annually by the WHO. The organisation's 'World Malaria Report' says there were 5,511 deaths due to the disease in India in 2022. This discrepancy is due to WHO providing estimates and NVBDCP providing only the number of confirmed deaths, which may not have been officially reported. To combat malaria, scientists have been working to develop a vaccine for decades but with limited success. Recently, two vaccines—RTS,S and R21—were approved for use, but their efficacy, at 75%, is quite low. That's why the announcement about ICMR's candidate vaccine has given new hope in the fight against the disease. AdFalciVax is a chimeric recombinant vaccine — a type of vaccine that uses different parts of the genes of a pathogen (in this case, Plasmodium) to create target proteins that trigger an immune response after being injected. AdFalciVax uses two types of target proteins to prevent the spread of infection in two different ways. n It uses the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) to prevent infection in the person who has been immunised. The CSP is produced during the sporozoite stage (when a parasite can infect a new host) and the liver stage (when a parasite enters liver cells, multiplies, and then infects red blood cells) of the parasite. Subhash Singh, project manager for development of the vaccine at the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, told The Indian Express: 'Any immune response generated against these stages protects the immunised person from getting the infection.' n The vaccine also uses the Pro6C protein, a fusion of parts of two different proteins — Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 — produced by Plasmodium falciparum. This protein prevents the spread of infection in the community. 'The Pro6C protein… stops further spread of the disease by disrupting the lifecycle of the pathogen. It disrupts the development of the parasite in the midgut of a mosquito preventing further transmission,' Singh said. Unlike AdFalciVax, RTS,S and R21 only use the CSP protein, and can prevent infection only in vaccinated persons. Unlike AdFalciVax, RTS,S and R21 vaccines also do not use full-length CSP proteins. This is why the ICMR's candidate vaccine is 'likely to produce a stronger immune response and better protect against infection,' according to Singh. Researchers have found that AdFalciVax provided more than 90% protection against infection in mice. The candidate vaccine has yet to undergo rigorous human trials, and the preliminary results have been obtained only through testing on animals. Studies have also suggested that AdFalciVax produces an immune response that may last longer than that produced by the other two vaccines. Singh said: 'One of the challenges of existing vaccines is that the immune response is short-lived. People need a fifth booster shot even after four primary doses. We do not know how this will work in humans, but preliminary indications show that three doses of the ICMR candidate vaccine produced robust protection against infection in mice for more than three months. This roughly translates to a decade in human life.' AdFalciVax also contains an adjuvant — a substance used in vaccines to boost the body's immune response against the targeted disease — called alum. Singh says the use of alum is beneficial as it does not pose a risk of causing chronic inflammation, unlike adjuvants such as AS01 and Matrix M, which are used in RTS,S and R21. Alum is also known to be reliable, and has been used in numerous vaccines used in childhood immunisation programs over the years. Another advantage is that alum in AdFalciVax can remain stable at room temperature for at least nine months, according to initial studies. This might make it possible to 'transport the vaccines without maintaining the cold chain,' Singh said. The ICMR wants to partner with a company that can further develop its candidate vaccine, carry out human clinical trials, and scale up for commercial production. Although the ICMR will share the technology of developing AdFalciVax with the chosen company, it will continue to hold the intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property rights generated during the collaboration will be held jointly by the ICMR and the company. The ICMR will also earn 2% royalty on any sales of the vaccine. Authors from both the company and the ICMR will be credited in any research papers generated, and all data will be jointly owned.
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
ICMR invites partners to launch and sell its new malaria vaccine
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited the country's vaccine manufacturers to partner with it to launch and sell a malaria vaccine that its Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneshwar, has developed. Called AdFalciVax, it is a recombinant vaccine, meaning parts of the genes that encode for targets are inserted into a cell, the target proteins are expressed, and then used to trigger an immune response. Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes. While the current vaccine protects against the most common one that causes infection in humans called plasmodium falciparum, there are at least four other parasites from the same family known to cause infection in humans. P. vivax is the other one that commonly causes malaria infections, especially in India. The others — p malariae, p ovale, and p knowlesi — cause fewer infections. While the pre-clinical studies have already shown positive indications, the company that collaborates with the ICMR will be responsible for further development, human clinical trials, and scale-up for commercial production. The vaccine contains the genetic material of two targets — one for a major protein called CSP found on the surface of the malaria parasite and another for a combination of parts of two proteins that affect the pathogen's lifecycle. 'There are some key differences in the ICMR vaccine as compared to the other two currently in the market. One, this vaccine used the DNA for the whole CSP protein instead of just a few parts, meaning it is likely to produce a stronger immune response. Two, the other target that is used prevents the development of the p. falciparum in the mosquito's midgut during its lifecycle. What this essentially means is that it prevents the infection not only in the vaccinated person, but stops the further spread of the disease by disrupting the lifecycle of the pathogen even when it has already been picked up by a mosquito from an infected person for further transmission,' said Dr Subhash Singh, project manager for development of the vaccine. Senior scientist Dr Susheel Singh and director Dr Sanghamitra Pati were part of the development process. The pre-clinical validation was done in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Medical Research and the National Institute of Immunology. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
