Prelims Focus 27th June 2025

Chemotherapy drug

In News: A recent landmark study has revealed that about one-fifth (around 20%) of chemotherapy drug samples tested failed quality and potency standards. The study analyzed 189 samples of seven key chemotherapy drugs, including cisplatin, methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide, which are on the WHO’s essential medicines list. 

• Chemotherapy is a systemic cancer treatment that uses powerful drugs to kill or inhibit the growth of rapidly dividing cancer cells throughout the body. 
• Unlike local treatments such as surgery or radiation that target specific tumor sites, chemotherapy travels via the bloodstream to reach cancer cells that may have spread to distant organs or are present in blood cancers like leukemia. 
• It is administered through various routes, including intravenous infusion, injections, oral pills, or topical applications, depending on the drug and cancer type. 
• While chemotherapy is effective in destroying cancer cells, it also affects normal rapidly dividing cells in tissues such as the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles, leading to common side effects like anemia, nausea, hair loss, and fatigue. 
• Recent concerns have emerged about the quality of chemotherapy drugs, with studies revealing that about one-fifth of tested samples failed quality standards, predominantly from India-based manufacturers, highlighting the need for stringent regulatory oversight to ensure safe and effective cancer treatment.

Passport Seva Portal 

In News: The Passport Seva Portal recently experienced widespread server outages on June 19-20, 2025, causing significant disruptions in passport services across India. 

• The Passport Seva Portal is an online platform designed to provide timely, transparent, and accessible passport and related services to Indian citizens. 
• Recently, the portal experienced a major server outage on June 19-20, 2025, which caused widespread disruption across the country, affecting operations at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Thane, Pune, and Ghaziabad. 
• The technical failure led to abrupt appointment cancellations, closure of PSKs, and long delays in rescheduling, leaving thousands of applicants stranded and frustrated due to lack of prior communication or updates from authorities. 
• Many applicants reported arriving at PSKs only to find them non-functional with locked gates and no staff available, while attempts to book or reschedule appointments were met with system errors and unavailability of slots for weeks. 
• The Ministry of External Affairs attributed these disruptions to the ongoing rollout of the upgraded Passport Seva Programme V2.0, which aims to improve infrastructure, speed, and user experience by enabling applicants to apply from anywhere in India and use chatbot-assisted applications. 
• However, no clear timeline has been provided for the portal’s full stabilization, leaving many applicants in uncertainty and highlighting the need for more robust technological infrastructure and better communication during such transitions.

India & Vietnam 13th Political Consultation

In News: India and Vietnam held the 13th Political Consultation and 10th Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi.

• They reviewed progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, guided by way of the Joint Vision (2020) and 2024–2028 Plan of Action.
• Discussions covered a wide range of areas along with defence, maritime security, trade, energy, technology, culture, and education. 
• Both sides condemned terrorism and highlighted cooperation via development initiatives and scholarships.
• India appreciated Vietnam’s assistance against terrorism, even as Vietnam thanked India for organizing the exposition of Lord Buddha’s Holy Relics, attended by over 14 million people.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

In News: Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), an extraordinary and intensely painful neurological condition, is increasingly gaining public recognition because of rising cases and delayed prognosis.

• • Trigeminal neuralgia is a persistent pain disease related to the trigeminal nerve, which branches across the eye, cheek, and jaw. 
  • While people have  trigeminal nerves, pain commonly impacts only one side of the face.
  • The circumstance is likewise referred to as tic douloureux, which means “painful tic.”
  • The pain from TN can be so excessive and unpredictable that it leads to suicidal mind in some patients. Hence it’s also known as  ‘suicide sickness’.

• Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia

• • • The ache in TN usually arises because of disruption or inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, specifically where it enters the brainstem. 
    • This is most customarily because of, Compression by a blood vessel, Multiple sclerosis (MS), Tumours, Nerve damage from surgical procedure or trauma and so on.

• Treatment 

• • Medications: Anticonvulsants like carbamazepine
  • Surgery: Microvascular decompression
  • Minimally invasive: Gamma knife radiosurgery, radiofrequency ablation.

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