Prelims Focus 10th December 2025

10/12/2025

23 3 minutes read

Gallbladder Cancer: The Gangetic Belt Challenge

In News: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a significant public health issue in India’s Gangetic belt, particularly affecting states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. The region reports one of the highest incidences of GBC globally, with women disproportionately impacted and often diagnosed at advanced stages.

Key Risk Factors

Environmental pollution, especially contamination of water, soil, and food, is a major driver. Industrial effluents, pesticide residues, and adulterated mustard oil increase exposure to carcinogens.
High levels of heavy metals, particularly arsenic in groundwater and soil, are strongly linked to GBC in the Gangetic plains, especially in Bihar.
Gallstones are present in nearly 95% of GBC patients in this region, making them a primary risk factor.
Socio-economic factors such as poverty, poor sanitation, and gender inequality further exacerbate the problem.

Public Health and Policy Concerns

Despite its high burden, GBC remains neglected in national health agendas and cancer registries, with limited surveillance and weak enforcement of pollution laws.
Systemic failures in environmental governance and lack of longitudinal studies hinder effective interventions.
There is an urgent need for population-based research, stricter pollution controls, and improved public health measures to address this growing epidemic.

NATGRID

In News: NATGRID is currently receiving around 45,000 data-access requests per month, reflecting a significant increase in its use by law enforcement agencies across India.

At the 2024 DGP Conference, chaired by the Prime Minister, all agencies were directed to scale up their reliance on NATGRID for investigations.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has further instructed states to extensively use the platform to access multiple government and private datasets, enhancing investigative capabilities and inter-agency coordination.
This expansion of access, now including state-level officers, aims to streamline intelligence gathering and improve the speed and accuracy of criminal and security investigations.

About:

NATGRID, or the National Intelligence Grid, is an integrated intelligence database platform in India, established to enhance counter-terrorism and internal security capabilities.
It was conceptualized in 2008–2009 following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and officially became operational in 2020.
NATGRID connects databases from various government and private agencies, providing real-time access to information such as immigration records, banking details, travel history, phone data, and more, to authorized law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Serendipity Arts Festival

In News: An important cultural centre of the Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) is the Old GMC Complex in Panjim, Goa, an 1800s heritage building, previously one of the oldest medical schools in Asia.

The Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) is a renowned international arts festival held in Goa, India.
Serendipity Arts Festival is a multidisciplinary Festival that is able to draw in performative, visual and culinary activities in India and other parts of the world in a manner never seen before. It tries to revitalize arts production, awareness and practice in South Asia.
It also puts local culture on the forefront with performances and culinary experiences (including percussion music to Goan ghumat, immersive tavern-style dining, and tastings of Goan culinary customs across various communities).
Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) is focused on community dialogue within art forms that relate local past, present and global outlooks.

Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to Raise Tobacco Duties

In News: The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed by the Parliament with the Rajya Sabha giving it a green light and referring it back to the Lok Sabha.

The Bill aims at modifying the Central Excise Act, 1944. The Act lays down the effect of charging and paying duty of central excise on the goods produced or manufactured in India.
In 2017, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) repealed central excise duties on a wide range of items, unless the item is considered to be tobacco and tobacco products.
Tobacco and tobacco products still have a 3-layered taxation system which includes GST, GST compensation cess and central excise duty.