State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 20 Nov 2025

Spiritual Economic Zones

Why in News?

The state government of Uttarakhand has announced the creation of two “Spiritual Economic Zones” with the aim of boosting tourism by leveraging the region’s spiritual, cultural and natural heritage.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand will establish two zones—one in Garhwal and one in Kumaon—each developed as integrated hubs for spiritual and wellness-based tourism.
• These zones will promote activities such as yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, naturopathy, and the showcasing of local mountain products and handicrafts.
• Each zone will host cultural programmes and events to highlight the state’s traditional practices, spiritual identity, and indigenous healing systems.
• The government has stated that implementation will begin within the current financial year of 2025-26.
• Additionally, one village in each of Uttarakhand’s 95 blocks will be developed as a “spiritual village” to create widespread tourism-linked livelihood opportunities.

BIRSA 101

Why in News?

The Minister of Science & Technology has launched “BIRSA 101”, India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease.

• Named after  Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary (15th November 2025), the therapy strengthens India’s push for a “Sickle-Cell-Free Nation,” with significant benefits for affected tribal communities in central and eastern India.

Key Points

• About BIRSA 101:
  • The gene therapy was developed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology(CSIR-IGIB) and transferred to the Serum Institute of India through a structured technology-transfer agreement, ensuring rapid pathway from lab to market.
  • The public–private model is designed to deliver high-quality, affordable genomic therapies to underserved communities.
• About CRISPR Gene Editing:
  • CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a naturally occurring defence mechanism found in bacteria, used to cut viral DNA.
  • Modern gene-editing uses CRISPR–Cas9, where Cas9 functions like molecular scissors to cut DNA at specific target sites.
  • It enables precise, efficient, and low-cost genome editing, making it a major breakthrough in biotechnology and medical research.
  • First demonstrated as a gene-editing tool in 2012, pioneered by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
    
• About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD):
  • Sickle Cell Disease is an autosomal recessive genetic blood disorder caused by an HBB gene mutation, producing abnormal Hemoglobin-S that makes red blood cells sickle-shaped and rigid. This leads to anemia, pain crises, infections, and organ complications.
  • It is highly prevalent in tribal communities of central and eastern India and is a focus area under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023–2047).
  • Conventional treatment includes hydroxyurea, blood transfusions, and stem-cell transplant.