CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• The Union Health Ministry has recently rolled out the BPaLM regimen for treating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) as part of its National TB Elimination Program.
• Overview of the BPaLM Regimen:
  • Purpose: This new treatment regimen targets multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
  • Introduction: It was launched by the Union Health Ministry under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).
  • Composition: The regimen includes a combination of four drugs—Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and optionally Moxifloxacin.
  • New Drug: Pretomanid is a recent addition to the anti-TB arsenal, having been approved and licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• Efficacy:
  • Effectiveness: The BPaLM regimen offers a safer and more efficient treatment compared to traditional MDR-TB therapies.
  • Patient-Friendly: It is an all-oral regimen with a reduced pill burden, making it easier for patients to adhere to.
  • Treatment Duration: It can achieve cure for drug-resistant TB in just six months, a significant reduction from the previous treatment span of up to 20 months, while also causing fewer side effects.

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• Conservation groups across India have called for the cessation of what they deem the 'illegal' relocation of villagers from tiger reserves, a directive recently issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• About the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
  • Purpose: The NTCA is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to enhance tiger conservation efforts.
  • Formation: It was created in 2005 following recommendations from the tiger task force and was formally recognized as a statutory authority under Section 38L of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006.
• Objectives:
  • Legal Authority: To grant statutory power to Project Tiger, making its directives legally binding.
  • Accountability: To promote accountability between the Center and States in managing Tiger Reserves, facilitating agreements through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) within the federal framework.
  • Oversight: To provide a parliamentary oversight mechanism.
  • Livelihood: To address and balance the livelihood concerns of local communities surrounding Tiger Reserves.
• NTCA Composition:
  • Chairperson: Minister in charge of MoEFCC
  • Vice-Chairperson: Minister of State in MoEFCC
  • Members: Three Members of Parliament, Secretary of MoEFCC, and additional members.
• Powers and Functions:
  • Plan Approval: To approve tiger conservation plans developed by State Governments.
  • Ecological Maintenance: To ensure sustainable ecology within tiger reserves, prohibiting land use that could harm the environment.
  • Tourism Regulations: To formulate and enforce rules and guidelines for tourism activities in Tiger Reserves under Project Tiger.
  • Conflict Resolution: To address human-wildlife conflicts and promote coexistence outside national parks, tiger reserves, or sanctuaries.
  • Public Information: To provide updates on conservation plans, tiger population estimates, habitat status, and report any incidents related to tiger conservation.
  • Research Coordination: To oversee and coordinate research and monitoring of tiger populations.
  • Support and Capacity-Building: To facilitate and support state management of tiger reserves, and offer scientific, IT, and legal assistance, along with capacity-building programs for staff and officers.

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• The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has temporarily suspended the recent acquisition of Coastal Energen, a power generating company, by a consortium led by Adani Power.
• About the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT):
  • Establishment: NCLAT is a quasi-judicial body established under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013, to hear appeals against orders of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), effective from June 1, 2016.
  • Purpose: The tribunal aims to accelerate the resolution of corporate disputes and enhance transparency and efficiency in corporate governance and insolvency processes in India.
• Functions:
  • Appeals: It hears appeals against orders issued by the NCLT under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
  • Insolvency Appeals: It also reviews appeals against orders made by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Sections 202 and 211 of the IBC.
  • Competition Appeals: It adjudicates appeals related to decisions or directions from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
  • Financial Reporting: It serves as the appellate authority for appeals against orders from the National Financial Reporting Authority.
  • Advisory Role: It provides advisory opinions on legal issues referred by the President of India.
• Headquarters and Composition:
  • Location: New Delhi.
  • Structure: The tribunal comprises a chairperson along with judicial and technical members, appointed by the Central Government based on their expertise in fields such as law, finance, accountancy, management, and administration.
• Case Disposal:
  • Appeal Process: Upon receiving an appeal, the NCLAT reviews the case after allowing the parties to be heard, and can confirm, alter, or overturn the appealed order.
  • Timeliness: The tribunal must resolve appeals within six months from their receipt.
  • Further Appeals: Decisions of the NCLAT can be appealed to the Supreme Court.

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• The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) has recently warned that financialisation could lead to distortions in India’s macroeconomic outcomes.
• About Financialisation:
  • Definition: Financialisation describes the growing dominance of a country’s financial sector in relation to its overall economy.
  • Process: It involves the increasing influence of financial markets, institutions, and financial elites over economic policies and outcomes.
  • Shift in Focus: This process signifies a transition from traditional industrial or productive sectors, such as manufacturing, to financial activities that involve trading, managing, and speculating on financial assets.
  • Market Dynamics: Financialisation encompasses the expansion of transactions and the involvement of diverse market players across various economic and societal domains.
  • Historical Context: It has emerged as economies have moved away from industrial capitalism.
  • Impact: Financialisation affects both macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions by altering the structure and functioning of financial markets, influencing corporate behavior, and shaping economic policies.
  • Sectoral Effects: It has led to higher income growth in the financial sector compared to other sectors of the economy.