In Focus by The Hindu

This month, there’s been a lot of excitement in the medical world over the approval given to treatments for diseases that based on genome editing. What’s this all about? In 2020, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was given to two women scientists, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their discovery of what is essentially a genetic scissors, a tool that allows scientists to cut specific sites of a human being’s DNA, or to edit it, by making minor changes.

This tool, known as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, opened up opportunities to treat certain genetic or inherited disorders. Two of these are blood disorders, beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease, up until now could only be cured through bone marrow transplants. Now, they can potentially be cured by editing the patient’s own genes.

In the Union Budget this year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a sickle cell anaemia mission - to eliminate the condition by 2047. India is the second-worst affected country in terms of predicted births with sickle cell anaemia.

As exciting as these new developments sound, they will likely be extremely expensive and therefore, probably unaffordable to many. Also, the clinical trials, have at present, only evaluated a small number of patients for relatively short durations and there is a need to constantly monitor the safety and efficacy of these therapies.

So what exactly does genome editing involve? Can its potential be expanded to treat far more diseases, and what lies ahead in this field? What are the concerns surrouding this - could there be unintended consequences to genetic modifications?

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This has been a question that has triggered a lot of research, a lot of debate and a lot of questions. A recent meta-analysis of 34 studies looked at excessive screen use and its links to your cognitive functioning. The results of the analysis, conducted by researchers in Australia, says that there is a clear link between disordered screen behaviour – or persisting with screen use even when it’s harmful for you, and your cognitive performance, specifically your attention and executive functioning. They found that sustained attention, the ability to maintain your focus for an extended period was affected – and this is something many of us may have felt as devices have increasingly taken over our lives, whether it’s for work, learning or recreation.

In India, smartphone use and internet subscribers grew during the Covid-19 pandemic period, particularly as schools went online with digital learning.

So what does all of this device time do to our brains, our functioning, our interactions with others and our productivity? How does addictive device use affect your mental health, and how much of a problem is it in India? And crucially, how much screen time is good for you? Tune in to find out.

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As Israel continues its indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza, causing thousands of civilian deaths, it has continued to enjoy unconditional military and political backing from the United States. Last week, as the US vetoed yet another resolution at the UN calling for a ceasefire, it found itself almost completely isolated on the world stage.

A few days ago, President Joe Biden said that Israel risks losing international support if it continued to bomb Gaza indiscriminately. Does this suggest the US is thinking of recalibrating its support?

What has been the nature of the US’s historical backing of Israel? Is the Biden administration’s Middle-East policy venturing into uncharted territory? With the US launching a ten-nation force to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, is it at risk of getting dragged into a wider regional war?

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In August this year, the Union government introduced three Bills to overhaul the country’s criminal justice system. The were – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 to replace the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973; and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 to replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Last week, the government withdrew these three bills and reintroduced newer versions of them. It has said claimed the recommendations of a Parliamentary Standing Committee have been incorporated in the newer versions. There has been little public debate or consultations on such a large scale legislative move to alter the base of the criminal justice system.

What are the major changes envisaged in these bills? Do they enhance or curtail civil liberties? Is there merit in the fears that they seek to weaponise the police by expanding their powers? 

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A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

While the judgement has been hailed as a historic one, it has also raised concerns regarding the federal system, which is understood to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

So, what exactly was the judicial reasoning behind the Supreme Court judgement, and what are its larger implications, especially for other Indian states, and the federal structure? 

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This year’s edition of the United Nations climate summit, COP-28, concluded in Dubai earlier this week. It began with a lot of expectations – especially on the key issue of phasing out fossil fuels. In the end, a deal seems to have been worked out – to transition away from fossil fuels.

What exactly does the ‘Dubai Consensus’ entail? What are the other major takeaways from the summit? What progress, if any, has been made on climate justice? And given the slow and limited progress in CoP meetings, are there alternative modes of collective decision-making on climate action?

Guest: Kanchi Kohli, Researcher (Environment, Law and Governance) and co-author of the book ‘Development of Environmental Laws in India’.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

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Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei, a self-described ‘anarcho-capitalist’, has threatened to disband his country’s currency, the peso, and adopt the US dollar in its place.

Argentina has been grappling with hyperinflation for a long time – it was above in November 2023. Milei has argued that dollarisation of the Argentine economy will bring inflation down, and usher in a stable climate favourable for investment. How exactly does dollarisation work? What are the risks it entails? And what has been the experience of countries such as Ecuador which have already tried it? 

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Reports of a spike in respiratory illnesses in China have recently caused some amount of panic. Perhaps this is not surprising considering that next month will mark four years since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and changed the world as we knew it. The current surge of illnesses however, have been reported primarily among children. 

On November 22, the World Health Organisation requested information from China about these infections. Subsequently, Chinese authorities have said that the outbreak is due to a number of pathogens – all of them known, none of them new. On November 26, the Indian government asked State Governments to ensure that the influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illnesses (SARI) be closely monitored, particularly in children and adolescents. Several State governments have since then, stepped up their surveillance measures, especially as winter sets in, in many parts of India while parts of the south are experiencing heavy rains. We have since heard about RSV, adenoviruses and mycloplasma that have been the causes behind many of these infections.

So what are these pathogens that have caused the Chinese outbreak? Why are they affecting children? Does India have cause for concern? And what measures can we take to safeguard ourselves? We discuss these and more in this episode. Tune in!

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The BJP has won the elections in three of the four states whose results were declared on Sunday. It has won in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress bagged Telengana. In Mizoram, the Zoram People’s Movement is headed for a majority.

The BJP has stamped its dominance in the Hindi heartland. The results, however, seem to have taken many by surprise – especially the margins of victory. What went wrong for the Congress, especially in Chhattisgarh, where it was expected to win? What were the deciding factors in MP and Rajasthan? What lessons can Congress draw from its win in Telangana? And what do the Congress’s losses mean for the INDIA alliance, in the context of the 2024 general elections?

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A politician known as the ‘Dutch Donald Trump’ has won the general elections in the Netherlands. Geert Wilders, the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom, or PVV as it is known, is a frontrunner to be the next Dutch Prime Minister after his party won 37 seats, ahead of the outgoing PM Mark Rutte’s VVD, which got only 24.

Wilders is both anti-Islam and anti-immigration. He is also anti-EU and is opposed to sending weapons to Ukraine. His victory in a country known for its tolerance and multiculturalism has come as a surprise.

How did he end up winning? What are the chances of him heading the next government? What are the implications of his victory for the immigrant minorities, and the Muslims in particular, who comprise 5% of the Dutch population?

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