What to Read in The Hindu Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1: ​​Ensuring compliance

Context

Firms producing substandard drugs must be held accountable for their actions.

Introduction

The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat aims to make India a self-reliant manufacturing powerhouse, but this ambition must rest on a foundation of strict quality control. Repeated lapses, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, highlight the urgent need for stronger regulation, accountability, and ethical manufacturing practices to ensure India’s credibility as a trusted global producer.

Atmanirbhar Bharat and Quality Concerns

• Aspirational Vision:Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) represents a worthy national goal, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing and global competitiveness.
• Need for Quality Assurance:However, without a strong and sustained quality control framework, this aspiration risks being undermined.

Challenges in the Pharmaceutical Sector

• Repeated Quality Issues:The pharmaceutical industry — a key pillar of India’s global image — has faced recurring concerns over drug quality, especially with cough syrups.
• Recent Controversy:The Union Health Ministry recently tightened drug compliance norms following reports of diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination in Coldrif cough syrup manufactured by a private company.

Findings and Investigations

• Triggering Incident: Tests were ordered after the syrup was suspected in the deaths of at least 16 childrenin Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Contradictory Results:The Health Ministry’s early tests found no DEG in samples from these states.
  • However, Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Departmentdetected DEG in one batch within its jurisdiction.
• Non-Compliance Recorded:Inspections revealed several violations of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) under the Drugs Rules.
• Source of Contamination:The contaminated batch used non-pharmacopoeial grade propylene glycol, likely introducing DEG and ethylene glycol, both nephrotoxic (kidney-damaging) substances.
• Actions Taken:
  • The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)recommended cancellation of the firm’s manufacturing licence.
  • A doctorwho had prescribed the syrup to many of the affected children was arrested.

Need for Stronger Oversight

• Zero Tolerance Policy:India must adopt a zero-threshold approach to poor-quality drugs — no compromise on public safety.
• Proactive Enforcement:Swift monitoring and enforcement are essential; action should not wait until tragedies occur.
• Existing Framework:Robust Good Laboratory Practices already exist; the issue lies in consistent enforcement and surprise inspections.
• Accountability Measures:Every reported violation must lead to strict corrective action, setting a deterrent precedent within the industry.
• Message to Industry:The government must convey clearly that any negligence or violation endangering human life will not be tolerated.

Conclusion

Ensuring self-reliance with integrity demands unwavering commitment to drug safety and quality control. India’s growth story loses credibility if lives are endangered by negligence. A vigilant regulatory system, backed by ethical industry conduct and transparent enforcement, is essential to make Atmanirbhar Bharat not just a slogan, but a model of responsible and reliable nation-building.

 

Editorial 2: ​​Kept in check

Context

The Nobel laureates’ discoveries have fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the immune system.

Introduction

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honours groundbreaking discoveries that reshaped our understanding of autoimmune regulation. Through the pioneering work of Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi, scientists uncovered the crucial role of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and the FOXP3 gene in maintaining immune balance. Their findings revealed how the body prevents harmful self-reactivity, laying the foundation for targeted therapies in autoimmune diseases, transplantation, and cancer, and redefining immunity as a dynamic system of control and restraint.

Nobel Prize 2025: Breakthrough in Autoimmune Regulation

• The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicinehonours landmark discoveries that transformed how science understands autoimmune regulation.
• Researchers are now uncovering the genetic, molecular, and environmental factorsinfluencing autoimmune conditions, opening doors to early diagnosis and targeted therapies.

Key Contributors and Discoveries

1. The Foundational Work

• The prize recognises the contributions of Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi.
• Their pioneering research revealed the crucial role of regulatory T-cells (Tregs)and the transcription factor FOXP3 in maintaining immune tolerance.

2. Gaps in Early Immunology

• By the 1990s, scientists understood that self-reactive T-cellswere deleted during maturation.
• However, this did not explain why some autoreactive T-cellspersisted in healthy individuals.
• Sakaguchihypothesised an additional control mechanism operating outside the thymus (in the periphery).

3. Discovery of Tregs

• In 1995, Sakaguchi’s team identified a subset of CD4⁺T-cells (now known as Tregs) whose removal in mice caused severe autoimmune disorders.
• Restoring these cells prevented disease, proving their protective, regulatory function.

4. Discovery of FOXP3

• Around the same time, Brunkowand Ramsdell, working at Celltech Chiroscience, studied scurfy mice that developed fatal multi-organ autoimmunity.
• They traced the cause to a mutation on the X chromosome, identifying a truncated gene, which they named FOXP3.
• Loss of this gene caused immune system collapse.
• Later, clinicians found FOXP3 mutationsin boys with lethal autoimmune disorders, confirming its vital role in immune regulation.

5. The Paradigm Shift

• These discoveries showed that self-tolerancedepends not only on deleting harmful cells but also on a molecular switch—the FOXP3-driven differentiation and maintenance of Tregs.

Modern Therapeutic Applications

1. Autoimmune Diseases

• Experimental therapiesnow aim to expand or stabilise Tregs to control excessive immune responses.
• Clinical trialsshow that enhancing Tregs can reduce inflammation without causing general immunosuppression.

2. Organ Transplantation

• Engineered Tregsare being tested to improve graft acceptance and reduce rejection risks.

3. Cancer Immunotherapy

• Scientists are exploring selective depletionor reprogramming of tumour-associated Tregs to boost anti-tumour immunity without triggering autoimmunity.

Broader Impact and Ongoing Challenges

1. Redefining the Immune System

• The laureates’ work reframed immunity as a dynamic balancebetween activation and restraint, not a simple on/off response.

2. Role of Private Sector Research

• The success of Brunkow and Ramsdell, working within industry laboratories, highlights how private researchcan yield groundbreaking scientific insights.

3. Remaining Challenges

• Experts caution against oversimplifying immune regulation—it involves multiple overlapping pathways, not one central mechanism.
• Translating lab findings into safe, scalable therapiesremains complex.
• High costsof cell-based therapies exacerbate inequalities in healthcare access, posing ethical and policy challenges.

Conclusion

The 2025 Nobel Prize celebrates a transformative chapter in immunology, illuminating how Tregs and FOXP3preserve immune balance. These insights have reshaped medicine, inspiring therapies for autoimmunity, transplantation, and cancer. Yet, as science advances, ensuring equitable access, safety, and affordability remains crucial to truly realise the promise of these discoveries.