09-02-2024 CARE mains practice

Topic- Biotechnology:

Introduction:
CRISPR has quickly risen in popularity as a research tool in recent times. While researchers in western countries have come up with sickle cell treatment with its help, there are chances of it still being beyond reach for most of the patients in developing world including India.

Body :

• About CRISPR-Cas9
• Sickle cell anemia treatment in India and CRISPR-Cas9
• Benefits of CRISPR-Cas9
• Ethical concerns
• Indian regulation

Conclusion :

Scientists generally agree that CRISPR-Cas9 should be allowed for use in the creation of human disease models and in understanding the development and molecular mechanisms of diseases. However, it should be prohibited for the purposes of eugenics or enhancement. Guidelines, laws, and dialogues around ethical, societal, and safety issues need to evolve parallelly as technology evolves

 

UPSC Syllabus Biotechnology:

Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in India to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including leukaemia, Thalassemia, damaged cornea and several burns. Describe briefly what stem cell therapy is and what advantages it has over other treatments? (UPSC Main 2017)
Introduction
CRISPR has quickly risen in popularity as a research tool in recent times. While researchers in western countries have come up with sickle cell treatment with its help, there are chances of it still being beyond reach for most of the patients in developing world including India.

Body Status : 

About CRISPR-Cas9

• The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, in recognition of their discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors.
• CRISPR stands for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”. It’s a gene-editing tool that researchers use to modify the DNA of living organisms.
• Casgevy and Lyfgenia, the two cell-based gene therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sickle cell anemia treatment and beta-thalassemia utilise the Nobel-winning CRISPR/Cas 9 genome editing technology.
• Indian researchers are working on indigenous treatment involving CRISPR genome editing to reduce the cost.

 

Sickle cell anemia treatment in India and CRISPR-Cas9

• The Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission launched in India on 1^st July 2023 aims to strengthen the existing healthcare system and improve primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare teams. “
• Casgevy costs 2.2 million US$ per patient to treat sickle-cell anemia. Indian researchers are working on indigenous treatment involving CRISPR genome editing to reduce the cost.
• While researchers are doing their best to find a cost-effective treatment, there are chances of it still being beyond reach for most of them.
• The tribal population which is affected the most has limited healthcare access as they live in remote areas where there is a scarcity of healthcare professionals.

Benefits of CRISPR-Cas9

CRISPR is a gene editing technology that has the potential to offer many benefits, including:

• Curing genetic diseases: CRISPR is a powerful technology that has the potential to transform the field of medicine. Scientists can use CRISPR to edit genes and correct genetic defects such as sickle cell anemia and hemophilia that cause diseases.
• Improving crop yields and hardiness: CRISPR could potentially improve crop yields and hardiness. CRISPR could help India become more self-sufficient and reset the global balance of power in food production.
• Creating cell and animal models: CRISPR allows scientists to quickly create cell and animal models, which researchers can use to accelerate research into diseases such as cancer and mental illness.
• Modeling human diseases: Scientists have successfully elucidated genetic pathways for diseases by introducing disease-causing mutations into nonhuman animals. This allows scientists to model human diseases in the laboratory with speed and precision.

Ethical concerns

CRISPR-Cas9 is a genomic editing technique that has raised many ethical concerns. Some of these concerns include:

• In 2018, a Chinese researcher’s disclosure of creating a ‘designer baby’ has caused widespread concern in the scientific community.
• There is a risk of off-target mutations that may cause unwanted side effects. For example, unintended modification of a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene can result in cancer.
• The gene editing technology has also raised concerns regarding it becoming a commodity that wealthy parents will exploit to improve the fate of their children not only for therapeutic purposes but for genetic enhancement.
• There is a risk of exploitation for eugenics, as our knowledge about the long-term effects of CRISPR is incomplete.
• There is also a risk associated with the potential modification of plant breeding practices due to the ease and efficacy of genome editing, which could lead to acceleration and multiplex genome editing .

 

Indian regulation

• India is at its infancy when it comes to genome editing.
• The decision-making process for CRISPR research is governed by the existing legal and regulatory framework.
• The New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules (2019) classify Gene Therapy Products (GTPs), including those developed through CRISPR, as new drugs, subjecting them to a thorough approval process by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• Additional requirements will be determined following the ICMR-DBT National guidelines for GTPs and oversight by bodies such as the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) and the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) as applicable.
• Moreover, all biomedical and health research in India must adhere to the ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017.

Conclusion
Scientists generally agree that CRISPR-Cas9 should be allowed for use in the creation of human disease models and in understanding the development and molecular mechanisms of diseases. However, it should be prohibited for the purposes of eugenics or enhancement.

 

Topic- Constitutional Bodies

Introduction
A committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mandated to select the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners would meet for the first time. This is the first meeting of the committee since a new law to appoint the CEC and other ECs came into effect this year.

Body

• Constitutional provisions
• Supreme Court rulings
• Legislation introduced by the Centre
• Concerns raised by the Opposition

Conclusion

The office of Election Commission plays an important role in ensuring the elections are conducted in a fair manner. Thus, it becomes imperative that the only person with impeccable record is appointed, and to ensure impartiality, consultative process should be followed to ensure autonomy to the office.

 

UPSC Syllabus Constitutional Bodies:

Why was this question asked?
Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in the light of the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct (UPSC Main 2022)

Introduction:
A committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mandated to select the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners would meet for the first time. This is the first meeting of the committee since a new law to appoint the CEC and other ECs came into effect this year.
Body Status

Constitutional provisions

• Article 324 provides for the composition of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• It consists of the CEC and two other ECs. The Constitution provides that the appointment of the CEC and EC shall, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, be made by the President.
• While the existing parliamentary law provides for their conditions of service, it is silent with respect to appointments.
• The appointments till date are made by the President, that is the Central Government and there is no mechanism for ensuring independence during the appointment process.

 

Supreme Court rulings

• Dinesh Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms (1990) and the Law Commission in its 255th report on Electoral Reforms (2015), had suggested that the CEC and ECs should be appointed by a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Leader of the Opposition or the largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
• Considering these recommendations, the Supreme Court, exercising its powers under Article 142 (to issue directions for doing ‘complete justice’ in any matter), laid down that the CEC and ECs shall be
• appointed by a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the CJI and the Leader of the Opposition or the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
• It said that this mechanism shall be in place till Parliament enacts a law on this matter.

Legislation introduced by the Centre

• In line with the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Centre introduced a Bill in Parliament in August 2023 to establish a procedure for appointing Election Commissioners.
• The Bill was passed in December 2023 and enshrines a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• The committee will select the new Election Commissioner from a shortlist of five candidates provided by a screening panel headed by the Law Minister and including two Union secretaries.

Concerns raised by the Opposition:

• Despite the implementation of the consultative process, concerns have been raised by the Opposition regarding the composition of the committee responsible for selecting Election Commissioners.
• The Opposition argues that this composition, with the Prime Minister and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, may undermine the independence of the Election Commission.
• The concerns are rooted in the potential influence of the Executive in the selection process, potentially compromising the impartiality and autonomy of the Election Commission.

 

Conclusion

The office of Election Commission plays an important role in ensuring the elections are conducted in a fair manner. Thus, it becomes imperative that the only person with impeccable record are appointed, and to ensure impartiality, consultative process should be followed to ensure autonomy to the office.