Over 90 Million Indians are at Risk for Vascular Diseases

MNS:- The incidence of vascular diseases is increasing at an alarming rate in India. Over 90 million Indians are at risk for various types of vascular diseases including stroke, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), carotid artery disease and aortic aneurysms. This was stated by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad at […]

MNS:- The incidence of vascular diseases is increasing at an alarming rate in India. Over 90 million Indians are at risk for various types of vascular diseases including stroke, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), carotid artery disease and aortic aneurysms. This was stated by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad at Jaipur today.
Addressing the 19th Annual Conference of Vascular Society of India as Chief Guest, Shri Azad said his Ministry has already launched a national programme to prevent and control Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke in 100 backward districts of the country. Over 10 million persons of 30 years and above have been screened so far for diabetes and hypertension. Out of this, 7.27% are suspected for diabetes and 6.44% for hypertension. In addition to this, a cardiac care unit is being set up in 100 districts of the country where funds for infrastructure, equipment, human resources and drugs will be provided by Health Ministry.
According to the World Health Organization, of the 58 million deaths globally, approximately 35 million were due to chronic non-communicable diseases. In India, NCDs like CVDs, diabetes, chronic obstructive lung disease, cancer and injuries have already become the dominant cause of disease burden contributing about 2/3rd of the total disease burden. The number of deaths attributed to chronic diseases was 3.78 million in 1990, i.e. 40.4% of all deaths and is projected to reach an expected 7.63 million in 2020, i.e. 66.7% of all deaths. About 38 million persons were affected with Cardio-vascular diseases in 2005 and the number may go up to 64 million by 2015. High blood pressure is as common as 10-15% in the adult population, more so in metros and large cities.
During UN General Assembly Special Session on NCDs, held in September 2011 in New York, all countries of the world made a commitment in the Political Declaration to combat key NCDs including cardiovascular diseases which shows that the whole world has united in the struggle against the rising incidence of such diseases.
Shri Azad said that India has only about 59 doctors for every 100,000 people, which is much less than the ratio prevailing in developed countries. Despite that our doctors are taking care of a huge population and disease burden despite their very limited numbers in our country. Vascular surgery as a speciality has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade in India which has helped many needy patients. However, despite that many lives and limbs are still lost due to the non-availability of timely assistance and expertise.
He hoped that VSI would conduct workshops in other cities too to train MS general surgery students so that the benefits of this field are available to as many surgeons as possible.
Shri Azad also released the Souvenir brought out on the occasion.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/over-90-million-indians-are-at-risk-for-vascular-diseases/

MU IT Fest 2012 begins

Imphal, Sept 26 NNN : The Manipur University Information Technology Festival, 2012 organised by the Department of Computer Science of the varsity which was held at the university’s Centenary Hall commenced here today. The inaugural function was graced by Professor H.N.K. Sarma as chief guest while Professor Th. Ratankumar, Dean, Student’s Welfare, MU and Professor […]

Imphal, Sept 26 NNN : The Manipur University Information Technology Festival, 2012 organised by the Department of Computer Science of the varsity which was held at the university’s Centenary Hall commenced here today.
The inaugural function was graced by Professor H.N.K. Sarma as chief guest while Professor Th. Ratankumar, Dean, Student’s Welfare, MU and Professor R.K. Gartia, Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, MU were the guest of honour and president respectively. The festival will be held upto September 28.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor H.N.K. Sarma said that people have witnessed the rapid advancement of Information Technology which has been serving mankind in many purposes. He also said that there is a lack of sense of humanity and human perceptions on globalisation in the present society.
“ We should take full advantage of Information Technology as it can provide immense help in many fields. Human beings should control Information Technology, it is not that the technology itself should let control on people. Human development and Information Technology development should go hand in hand, “ opined Professor H.N.K. Sarma.
Stressing on the need of information, Professor Th. Ratankumar stated that mankind has been benefiting from information technology and said that Information Technology is the surest means that will bring development in every society.
He further said that Information Technology is a new concept and new information system in which one need to understand the growing trend.
“ Knowledge is a powerful asset which is provided by information. So Information Technology will remain an important part in the society. It is also true that Information Technology has negative impact too. For this, scientific temperament needs to be addressed intensively. One should note the time and place when using Information Technology “, added Professor Th. Ratankumar.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mu-it-fest-2012-begins/

ICAR Advises Use of Varieties Suitable to Local Conditions

MNS:- The National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign-2012 has brought out detailed strategies to be adopted by different States in the ensuing cropping season to maximize production. In the last two days, senior officers and scientists of the Agriculture Ministry, Department of Fertilizers, ICAR and State governments discussed various aspects of crop production such […]

MNS:- The National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign-2012 has brought out detailed strategies to be adopted by different States in the ensuing cropping season to maximize production.
In the last two days, senior officers and scientists of the Agriculture Ministry, Department of Fertilizers, ICAR and State governments discussed various aspects of crop production such as availability of inputs, likely weather conditions, agronomic practices to be adopted, etc.
To facilitate focused deliberations on the key issues relating to (i) Scientific Input Management, (ii) Strategy for Technology Extension, (iii) Strategy for Ensuing Rabi and Summer Crops, and (iv) Incentivizing Production and Procurement of Oilseeds and Pulses, the States were divided into four Groups. The main findings and recommendations of subject-specific Groups were also discussed in the Conference.
Secretary, DAC stated that delayed onset and deficient first half of monsoon had adverse impact on Kharif crop coverage but situation has significantly improved with good rainfall in the months of August and September, 2012. He urged States to take advantage of soil moisture due to good rains in September to achieve higher rabi production and compensate for the loss of production in the current kharif season.
Secretary, DARE & DG (ICAR) informed that ICAR has prepared district level contingency plans to effectively deal with the problem of deficient rainfall. He advised States to enhance use of technology developed by ICAR on high yielding, pest resistant varieties of crops and the specific varieties suitable for different agro-climatic zones. He also emphasized upon the need to popularize use of agricultural machinery in farm operations to overcome the problem of labour shortage.
Shri G. C. Pati, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries highlighted the need to integrate fodder component in the State Agricultural Plans and provide extension services through KVKs and ATMAS to promote the animal husbandry sector. Expressing concern on the declining area under coarse grains, substantially used as animal feed, he advised promotion of high yielding varieties of jowar and maize to supplement the requirement of fodder.
In the Interactive Session, States raised several issues and made suggestions to remove practical problems in implementation of programmes initiated by Government of India. Secretary (A&C) responded to the issues raised by States.
In the interactive session with officers from Department of Fertilizers, States raised issues on allocation, buffer stock, pre-positioning and supply of fertilizers. The issues raised by the States were clarified by the officials from Department of Fertilisers. It was mentioned that the requirement of fertilizers for ensuing rabi season has been fully tied up and there would be no problems on this front.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/icar-advises-use-of-varieties-suitable-to-local-conditions/

Making Moreh a drug free zone

Mail News Service Imphal, Sep 12 : Assam Rifles sensitized the local population about drug abuse and its rampant trade in the border area. Assam Rifles along with NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) and other state agencies conducted two state level seminars in Chandel District on ‘Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking’ and ‘AIDS and Health Awareness’ […]

Mail News Service
Imphal, Sep 12 : Assam Rifles sensitized the local population about drug abuse and its rampant trade in the border area. Assam Rifles along with NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) and other state agencies conducted two state level seminars in Chandel District on ‘Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking’ and ‘AIDS and Health Awareness’ in the last three months. Continued efforts by Assam Rifles to make Manipur a drug free society have resulted in recovery of 18,12,450 Pseudoephedrine tab, 1.5 kg Heroin, 15 kg of Opium and 22 kg of Ganja on the NH 102 since Jan 2012. NH 102 is a major international route of illicit drug trafficking and effective measures have been jointly instituted by Assam Rifles, NCB and Police to check the same.
Of late number of inputs have been received about few influential medical shops/pharmacy, in collusion with other element, being involved in trafficking of banned drugs from Imphal to Moreh. Seizure of such consignment besides preventing unlawful activities causes immense loss to these antisocial elements who in turn try and project such instances giving it an entirely different fillip by misleading local population thereby hoping to demoralise enforcing agencies and thus expecting smooth and unhindered passage of future illegal consignments. It is retreated that Assam Rifles is only carrying out deliberate checking only at Khudenthabi post alongwith police.
At other places mobile check post are establish on rare occasion only on specific intelligence, A awareness conference was held at Moreh between AR officials and Border Trade and Chamber of Commerce on 12 Sep 12. During the meeting the issue was explained to all members, and it was informed that NCB has issued state of the art testing kits for drugs to Assam Rifles wherein the test is conducted in front of the vehicle owners only. The items testing positive are seized and handed over to NCB for detailed investigation, and referred to NCB for further disposal. Recognising the efforts at Assam Rifles, NCB presented a Gold Medal and certificate for excellence to Assam Rifles troops deployed along NH -102 in Aug 2012.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/making-moreh-a-drug-free-zone/

Time to look for alternative source of energy : CM

Mail News Service Imphal, Aug 20: : Renewable Energy Day organised by the Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) was celebrated-today at Manijur Public School, Koirengei, Imphal East with Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh and Education Minister M. Okendro Singh as the Chief Guest and the Functional President respectively. The 20th August, the Birthday of […]

Mail News Service
Imphal, Aug 20: : Renewable Energy Day organised by the Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) was celebrated-today at Manijur Public School, Koirengei, Imphal East with Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh and Education Minister M. Okendro Singh as the Chief Guest and the Functional President respectively. The 20th August, the Birthday of late Prime Minister of India Shri Rajiv Gandhi is commemorated every year as “Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas i.e. Renewable Energy Day”. On the occasion, 98 meritorious students under BSEM and CBSE were presented Solar Home Lights and Certificates by the Chief Minister.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the celebration of Renewable Energy Day is a tribute to Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of taking the country into the 21st century through application of modern science and technology. The occasion symbolizes a future of clean and safe energy for mankind, he also said.
The Chief Minister said that the growing concern of global climate change and country’s energy security has posed huge challenge before us and all countries are trying to develop Renewable Energy as an alternative source of energy. The Indian government too, is trying to deal with energy crisis through several measures and a separate Ministry for development of new and renewable energy has been created, the Chief Minister added.
The Chief Minister further said that MANIREDA was established in 1999 as an autonomous Government Agency for implementation of all the Renewable Energy projects/schemes in the State. It has made significant contribution towards supplementing power shortages in the State particularly in remote areas. The agency has completed installation of more than 3 MW installed capacity of various sources like solar, small hydel, wind, biomass etc.
The Chief Minister also said that more than 200 remote villages of the state were benefitted with basic domestic lighting system from renewable energy systems. Installations of power back up system have been taken up at important locations like hospitals, police stations, district administration offices and common service centres. The ongoing project for installation of 3340 nos. of solar water heaters by the agency would relieve about 5 MW of connected load from the overburden State power grid, he added.
The Chief Minister appealed to all to use renewable energy as far as possible and to extend full cooperation to MANIREDA in their ongoing projects and future ventures.
In his presidential speech, Shri M. Okendro Singh stated that a regular Principal would be arranged for Manipur Public School, Koirengei at the earliest and urged the people to have the habit of using energy/power wisely. A Documentary Film on activities of MANIREDA was also shown on the occasion.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/time-to-look-for-alternative-source-of-energy-cm/

Science Express- Biodiversity

India is recognised as one of the mega-diverse countries, rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. With just 2.4% of the land area, India accounts for nearly 7% of the recorded species even while supporting almost 18% of human population. India has a long history of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and is […]

India is recognised as one of the mega-diverse countries, rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. With just 2.4% of the land area, India accounts for nearly 7% of the recorded species even while supporting almost 18% of human population. India has a long history of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and is a party to many international environmental conventions including UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The current decade (2011-2020) has been declared as United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification. With India hosting the 11th meeting of Conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), during 8-19 October 2012 in Hyderabad, it is an opportune time to showcase the wide array of biodiversity in the country, the threats to this rich biodiversity and the conservation measures adopted thereof.
This CoP-11 assumes immense importance considering that it is being held in the 40th anniversary year of Stockholm Conference, 20th anniversary year of Rio Earth Summit and 10th anniversary year of World Sustainable Summit held in 2002. This would also be the first CoP in the UN Decade on Biodiversity. Science Express – Biodiversity Special (SEBS)
In an effort to create widespread awareness on the unique biodiversity of the country, Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), in a unique partnership with Department of Science & Technology (DST) has launched a special exhibition train- ‘Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS)’ that will cover over 100 stations in two years of running across the country in two phases.
‘Science Express’, a train rake with 16 air-conditioned coaches was originally custom-made for DST by Indian Railways. Since 30 October 2007, when it was flagged off by the Prime Minister of India and German Chancellor, DST organised four tours across India, the last one culminating on 16 June 2011.
Of the 16 coaches of the Science Express- Biodiversity Special, eight are solely dedicated to showcasing the myriad biodiversity spread across the bio-geographical zones. These include the Trans-Himalaya & the Himalayas, the Gangetic Plains, North East India, the Desert & Semi-Arid Zone, the Western Ghats, the Deccan Peninsula, the Coasts & Islands.
These eight coaches also focus on range of Biological diversity, critically endangered species (IUCN Red list), biodiversity hotspots, domesticated biodiversity (agriculture, animal husbandry), biodiversity & livelihoods, bio-culture; threats/challenges (climate change, other anthropogenic), conservation measures, success stories & unique experiences. The exhibition also covers various other facets like marine, coastal, forest, microbial, agro biodiversity and their linkage with livelihoods besides challenges of conservation.In the rest of the rake, three coaches have exhibits on Climate Change, Energy and Water conservation. The legacy of ‘Science Express’ showcasing the most popular exhibits from the previous four phases has been exhibited in another coach. A conference room-cum-training facility is also provided in that coach, primarily for the purpose of capacity building of teachers.
Science Express- Biodiversity Special (SEBS) was flagged off on 5 June 2012 from Delhi Safdarjung by Smt. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi and Smt. Jayanti Natarajan, Minister of State (I/C), (MoEF). The ongoing phase will culminate in Gandhinagar on 22 December 2012. During this tour, the train will be stationed at Secunderabad during 9-19 October 2012 so that the COP delegates and dignitaries from about 190 countries are able to experience the rich biodiversity of our country.
The Journey
Since its launch on 5 June 2012 and till 31 July 2012, this only-of-its-kind train has made halts of 3-4 days duration each at 16 locations in the Eastern and North Eastern India and over 6 lakh visitors, mostly students and teachers have been able to enjoy the interesting and informative exhibits. The SEBS has got overwhelming response, and the purpose of creating wide spread awaress on Biodiversity issue is being served quite well. The train is now on its onward journey to Southern, Western and Northern India and will eventually travel almost 18,000 km in the first phase to cover 52 locations. The exhibition is expected to be visited by more than 15 lakh visitors but indirectly it is likely to engage over 50 lakh people.
Reaching Out
Wherever the train travels, activities have been planned before hand to engage visitors across different age groups to reinforce the message of SEBS and specific Outreach Programme are conducted at local schools and institutions associated with the National Environment Awareness Programme (NEAC) and National Green Corps (NGC) of MoEF and associate & partners of DST. In addition, a variety of informative take-away material is made available for wider distribution among visitors.
Partners
The train reflects the dedication, diligence and dynamism of the knowledge partners who have contributed immensely to bring forth the essence of ‘biodiversity’ and conservation practices as well as issues of ‘climate change’ in our country. Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad along with the lead knowledge partners. Bombay Natural History Society, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development,
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, National Museum of Natural History, Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India, and several others have contributed to give final touches to this unique exhibition on wheel. HSBC, the Swiss Embassy, Nestle, PCRA and Indus Towers have supported some of the exhibits and complementary activities.
(PIB Features.)
Inputs from the Ministry of Environment & Forests.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/science-express-biodiversity/

Largest Solar Telescope in the World

Kalpana Palkhiwala The sun’s atmosphere is an ideal place to study and test many magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) processes controlling turbulent plasma. Some of the finest solar features can be resolved with state-of-the-art telescope. Ladakh, the cold desert in the country, will have the world’s largest state-of-the-art solar telescope on the earth soon for this purpose. This […]

Kalpana Palkhiwala
The sun’s atmosphere is an ideal place to study and test many magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) processes controlling turbulent plasma. Some of the finest solar features can be resolved with state-of-the-art telescope. Ladakh, the cold desert in the country, will have the world’s largest state-of-the-art solar telescope on the earth soon for this purpose. This National Largest Solar Telescope (NLST) will be set up at high altitude Pongong Tso Lake Merak near Line of Actual Control on the Sino-Indian divide. It will be unique globally because the largest solar telescope, the Mc-Math-Pierce Solar Telescope, in the world at present is 1.6 meters. It is situated in Kitt Peak national Observatory at Arizona in the United States. The NLST will have the reputation of being the world’s largest telescope till 2020. It is expected that a larger telescope may become operational in the US by 2020-2021.
NLST is a Gregorian multi-purpose open telescope. It will be on-axis with the provision of carrying out night time stellar observations using a spectrograph. It will be able to study particles spread across 50 kilometers of the sun. It is expected to resolve features on the sun of the size of about 0.1 arcsec. The focal plane instruments are to include a high resolution polarimetric package to measure polarization with an accuracy of 0.01 %, a high spectral resolution spectrograph to obtain spectra in 5 widely separated absorption lines simultaneously and high spatial resolution narrow band image in various lines.
The telescope will be fitted with a 2 meter reflector which will enable scientists to carry out cutting edge research to understand the fundamental processes taking place on the earth. The design is by an international company which also designed the 1.5 meter telescope located at Tenarife Island in Spain. All the telescope’s instruments will be developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and will be remotely operated through the master control facility at Bangalore. The link will be through a satellite which will be provided by the Indian Satellite Research Organisation (ISRO). Night-time observations will be made using an instrument which will be built in collaboration with the University of Hamburg, Germany.
Scientists will study the sun’s microscopic structure, and long term changes in the earth’s climate and environment. This will provide useful data to carry out research in order to minimize or remove disruptions to communication network and satellite due to periodic solar-winds.
The telescope will address the fundamental question about the nature of solar magnetism. It will aim to resolve flux tubes and measure their strength; address the development of magnetic fields on the sun which are responsible for almost all the observation phenomena on the sun. They include solar dynamo, solar cycle and solar variability that determine and control space weather.
Other scientific observations are: –
Magnetohydrodynamics(MHD) waves by resolving small structures and determining periods of oscillations which may be responsible to transport the energy to upper atmosphere of the sun:
Dynamic evolution of small scale structures by making high cadence observations;
Evolution of active regions and their role in triggering solar flare, prominences filament eruptions,
CMEs, etc;
Thermodynamics of the chromospheres by making the observations in the infrared wavelengths; and
Weak and turbulent magnetic field measurements using Hanle effect which are as important as strong magnetic fields.
All these data will be gathered by making observations with high spatial resolution using adaptive optics, high spectral resolution, high temporal resolutions, multi-wave length capability of imaging and spectroscopy focal plane instruments, high photon flux and sensitivity of the detectors and using the infrared part of the spectrum for observations.
The telescope will utilize an innovative design with a low number of reflections to obtain a high throughput and low instrumental polarization. High order adaptive optics is integrated into the design that works with a modest Fried’s parameter of 7 cm to give diffraction limited performance. The telescope will be equipped with a suit of post focus instruments including a high resolution spectrograph and a polarimeter.
Selection of the Site
To install the telescope, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics studied two other sites-Hanle, Leh and Devasthal near Nainital in Uttarakhand but eventually opted for Merak in Ladakh.The cloudless skies and low atmospheric water vapour have made it one of the best sites in the world for optical, submilimeter and millimeter wavelengths.
The site has been selected after carefully studying various scientific and environmental aspects. The site characterization has been done using the sun photometer, S-DIMM and SHABAR techniques to determine the seeing condition. SHABAR or Shadow Band Radiometer is a simple yet elegant way to probe the turbulence profile of the lower atmosphere. It observes scintillation of an extended object such as the sun or the Moon with an array of photo detectors. S-DIMM is Solar Differential Image Motion Monitor.
The Himalayan regions provide certain atmospheric conditions required for such telescope functioning. It provides a large number of clear hours for making observations with very good visibility. The water vapour in the field is also low which helps making observations in infrared wavelength for high accuracy of magnetic field and velocity measurements. The lake side provides better seeing condition. Because of lake water, there is extremely low water vapor content and this is unaffected by the monsoon. The NLST project is a major multi-party initiative involving IIA, ISRO, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Inter University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). The project will involve an investment of over Rs 250 crore, most of which will go in procuring equipment. (PIB Feature.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/largest-solar-telescope-in-the-world/

Tokay Gecko rescued and released at Keibul Lamjao National Park

Imphal July 29 UNA: A rare reptile species called Tokay Gecko, rescued by Manipur police from a gang of poachers in Thoubal district on last July 25 was released at the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district Sunday. On July 25 last, a team of Thoubal district police have intercepted the Tokay Gecko (locally […]

Imphal July 29 UNA: A rare reptile species called Tokay Gecko, rescued by Manipur police from a gang of poachers in Thoubal district on last July 25 was released at the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district Sunday.
On July 25 last, a team of Thoubal district police have intercepted the Tokay Gecko (locally known as Numit Yungbi) carrying concealing in a bag by five persons travelling in a maruti van. According to the disclosure made by the arrested five persons, H Deben (40), Ng Shitaljit (34), L Noren (24), S Basanta (42) and B Sunil Sharma (38), police have come to know that the rare reptile species was collected by them on smuggling to Malaysia.
From their disclosure, police further come to know that they were told to collect the rare reptile species from Yairipok village in Thoubal district by one Sunil Singh from Imphal for onward smuggle to Malaysia through Myanmar.
And according to the police, a smuggler of this rare reptile can easily make up to Rs 20 lakh for a Tokay Gekco weighing above 250 grams and measuring above 14 inches including the tail. With the value for the reptile’s soaring, poachers who targeted other animals have switched focus to Tokays and have been searching for them in the hills and its adjoining areas of the state.
The Tokay Gecko which was in the custody of the Thoubal police since the arrest of the five smuggler was released today at the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the home of state animal Sangai deer, following an order of the Thoubal Chief Judicial Magistrate after conducting a hearing to a petition filed by Thoubal unit of People for Animal (PFA).
In the petition, the PFA prayed the court to allow the Tokay Gecko release at a suitable place which the rare reptile species can survive.
According to wildlife analysts, though it was rare, Tokay Gecko is available in Jiribam and its adjoining areas and in the forest of hill districts of the state.
The release of the Tokay Gecko was amidst a manhunt operation being launched by the state police to nab the top ring leaders of a gang of poachers involved in smuggling Tokay Gecko from Manipur to Malaysia.
These reptiles have medicinal value as believe by in Malaysia and some other Asian countries where there is a high demand of these species. However, Dr Kh Samugou Singh, a wildlife analyst said there was no scientific proof that these species has medicinal value.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/tokay-gecko-rescued-and-released-at-keibul-lamjao-national-park/

Patients taking ART fail to keep

disease in check Washington, July 23 (ANI): HIV-infected young adults, blacks, injection drug users and those who lack health insurance are less likely to have the disease under control while taking antiretroviral drugs, according to results of a study by AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania. The study also pointed out […]

disease in check
Washington, July 23 (ANI): HIV-infected young adults, blacks, injection drug users and those who lack health insurance are less likely to have the disease under control while taking antiretroviral drugs, according to results of a study by AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania.
The study also pointed out that tens of thousands of Americans taking potent antiretroviral therapies, or ART, to keep their HIV disease in check may not have as much control over the viral infection as previous estimates have suggested.
In what is believed to be the largest and longest review of viral load test results in people with HIV disease ever performed in the United States, researchers found that the number of people sustaining viral suppression – consistently, at 400 or less viral copies per millilitre of blood, year after year – is roughly 10 percent less than previous estimates.
According to senior study investigator and infectious disease specialist Kelly Gebo, M.D., M.P.H., the team’s latest findings underscore just how difficult it is to successfully treat HIV disease and prevent its spread even when people are taking effective ART.
Gebo said, “If we are not fully suppressing the virus as much as we thought, then we are not fully preventing and reducing the likelihood of HIV transmission, either.”
Some 426,000 of the estimated 1.2 million Americans infected with the virus that causes AIDS are taking ART and are under the routine care of a physician.
Gebo said that, overall, while ART has improved significantly within the last decade, with once-a-day pill regimens replacing more complicated, multidrug schedules, “our study findings suggest that physicians and other health care providers still need to do more to promote drug adherence among our patients, and make sure people take their antiretroviral therapies as prescribed.”
Without that extra effort, she stated, “More people are potentially at risk of becoming infected with HIV, and those already on ART are at risk of developing drug resistance, too.”
Gebo is an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.
As part of the decade-long study, more than 100,000 individual blood test results were reviewed, all obtained with permission from the medical records of 32,483 infected adults. Seventy percent were men. Everyone prescribed ART had their blood viral levels carefully monitored at more than a dozen established HIV clinics, including the Moore Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Among the study’s specific findings was that the percentage of participants who tightly controlled their HIV disease was 72 percent in 2010, the last year for which viral load counts were analysed. This represented a major increase from 45 percent in 2001, but was significantly less than the 77 percent to 87 percent figures widely cited in 2011 reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in studies by other leading Hopkins and Canadian researchers.
According to study lead investigator Baligh Yehia, M.D., M.S.H.P., M.P.P., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia who trained as a medical resident at Johns Hopkins, all previous reports were based on single-year or one-time-only recordings of blood viral levels, rather than a review of every patient’s individual test results from year to year. The latter, he noted “more accurate” depiction of people’s response to ART over the long term.

Other key findings in the latest report were that younger people, ages 18 to 29; blacks; injection drug
users; and those without private health insurance were almost twice as likely as older people; whites;
men who have sex with men; and those with private insurance to not have fully suppressed blood viral
levels.

“Our data shows that while tremendous strides have been made in sustaining viral suppression,
physicians and other HIV care providers need to be more vigilant in monitoring the viral loads in young
people, African-Americans, injection drug users and those who lack health insurance,” said Yehia.

Gebo and Yehia next plan to use their study data to develop programs for helping people with HIV
adhere to therapy and keep routine appointments with their physicians. The team also has plans to
interview infected people who consistently adhered to ART and medical care, and those who did not, to
better understand the reasons behind successful and failed attempts to sustain and tightly control the
disease.

The team’s findings are set to appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association online.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/patients-taking-art-fail-to-keep/

Centre to conserve gene opened at Hengbung

Mail News Service Imphal, July 14: Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern Himalayan region was inaugurated today at Hengbung, Senapati district about 55 km from Imphal by Dr T Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Even though there are opinions about disparity in development process in the north east […]

Mail News Service
Imphal, July 14: Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern Himalayan region was inaugurated today at Hengbung, Senapati district about 55 km from Imphal by Dr T Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Even though there are opinions about disparity in development process in the north east compared to the rest of the country, nature treats all equally. The rich biodiversity is the gift of nature and people of the region should work hard to make the endeavour to popularize orchid successful.
Dr S N Puri, VC of Central Agricultural University, Imphal said in the north east we find all sort of weather found throughout the world hence it has a rich biodiversity.
Haokholet Kipgen, former MLA said orchids are globally adored for their exceeding beautiful and long lasting flowers, having contributed significantly to the development of international trade in cut flowers and potted plants. They are also therapeutically important and used to cure a variety of human ailments. Orchids are grown as cash crop in several countries, adding to the growth of their economics.
India is rich in orchid resource; the Indian Himalayan Region alone is home to nearly one thousand species. Full realization of their economic potential has, however, remained abysmally slow due to lack of awareness about these plant and non availability of suitable planting material. Additionally the natural population in the large number of species are also progressively on decline because of natural calamities (landslips, forest fires) and unregulated habitat destruction (forest fallings, jhuming) and commercial collection pressures. Several species are being illegally sent across the borders, for example: at Manipur border with Myanmar a kilo of therapeutic orchid is sold for Rs. 300-600. This in China, under eastern medicinal system, fetches $15000 per kilo.
Prof SP Vij said about 286 species were reported in Manipur and during a recent survey new species not found elsewhere in the country were found and it is estimated that about 500 species will be found when the whole state is scanned. Orchid is extremely useful and most medicines have extracts from orchids and as the gene conservation centre is established, the gene of all the orchids found in the region will be preserved so that the future generation can know that such orchids used to grow. Most orchids are endangered due to human greed and forestation he said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/centre-to-conserve-gene-opened-at-hengbung/

Centre to conserve gene opened at Hengbung

Mail News Service Imphal, July 14: Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern Himalayan region was inaugurated today at Hengbung, Senapati district about 55 km from Imphal by Dr T Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Even though there are opinions about disparity in development process in the north east […]

Mail News Service
Imphal, July 14: Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern Himalayan region was inaugurated today at Hengbung, Senapati district about 55 km from Imphal by Dr T Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Even though there are opinions about disparity in development process in the north east compared to the rest of the country, nature treats all equally. The rich biodiversity is the gift of nature and people of the region should work hard to make the endeavour to popularize orchid successful.
Dr S N Puri, VC of Central Agricultural University, Imphal said in the north east we find all sort of weather found throughout the world hence it has a rich biodiversity.
Haokholet Kipgen, former MLA said orchids are globally adored for their exceeding beautiful and long lasting flowers, having contributed significantly to the development of international trade in cut flowers and potted plants. They are also therapeutically important and used to cure a variety of human ailments. Orchids are grown as cash crop in several countries, adding to the growth of their economics.
India is rich in orchid resource; the Indian Himalayan Region alone is home to nearly one thousand species. Full realization of their economic potential has, however, remained abysmally slow due to lack of awareness about these plant and non availability of suitable planting material. Additionally the natural population in the large number of species are also progressively on decline because of natural calamities (landslips, forest fires) and unregulated habitat destruction (forest fallings, jhuming) and commercial collection pressures. Several species are being illegally sent across the borders, for example: at Manipur border with Myanmar a kilo of therapeutic orchid is sold for Rs. 300-600. This in China, under eastern medicinal system, fetches $15000 per kilo.
Prof SP Vij said about 286 species were reported in Manipur and during a recent survey new species not found elsewhere in the country were found and it is estimated that about 500 species will be found when the whole state is scanned. Orchid is extremely useful and most medicines have extracts from orchids and as the gene conservation centre is established, the gene of all the orchids found in the region will be preserved so that the future generation can know that such orchids used to grow. Most orchids are endangered due to human greed and forestation he said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/centre-to-conserve-gene-opened-at-hengbung/

Cancer, malaria greatest killer

Aizawl, July 8 NNN;The disease which most of the people in Mizoram died of is cancer, followed by malaria. As per record, in the year 2009 there were 5,942 deaths, out of which 683 (11.49%) was caused by cancer, the disease which most of the people died of.After cancer, malaria is the disease which most […]

Aizawl, July 8 NNN;The disease which most of the people in Mizoram died of is cancer, followed by malaria.
As per record, in the year 2009 there were 5,942 deaths, out of which 683 (11.49%) was caused by cancer, the disease which most of the people died of.After cancer, malaria is the disease which most of the people died of in Mizoram. In the year 2009 552 (9.28%) died of malaria; while 527 (8.86%) died of asthma bronchitis, 203 (3.41%) died of pneumonia, and 203 (3.41%) had died of stomach & deudenum.
According to the Statistical Abstract 2011issued by Economics & Statistics Department recently, besides the above-mentioned 5 diseases, out of the 5942 deaths in 2009, 198 people died of heart diseases/ heart attacks, 146 died of Mengitis, 121 died because of disability, 113 died of Senility, 87died due to vehicle accident, 84 people died of Tuberculosis, 83 died of Jaundice, 81 died of Liver disease, 69 died of fever and Typhoid, 63 died of Ceribrovascular, and 49 people died of Diabetes.
The Statistical Abstract also shows that along with the increase in birth rate, the death rate also increases simultaneously in Mizoram. However, there had been more deaths in 2005 than in 2006.
So far, it has been recorded that 4,661 people died in 2004, 4,686 in 2005, 4,679 in 2006, 4,891 in 2007, 5,583 in 2008, and 5,942 in 2009.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cancer-malaria-greatest-killer/

100 years of Science Congress

Mail News Service Imphal, July 7 : As Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is completing 100 years and its Centenary Session is scheduled to be held at Kolkata during 3-7 January 2013 Accordingly, (he Centenary Coordination Committee has recommended a Iwo Day Programme on the Focal Theme of 100th Science Congress – Science for shaping […]

Mail News Service
Imphal, July 7 : As Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is completing 100 years and its Centenary Session is scheduled to be held at Kolkata during 3-7 January 2013 Accordingly, (he Centenary Coordination Committee has recommended a Iwo Day Programme on the Focal Theme of 100th Science Congress – Science for shaping the future of India by the ISCA Chapters all over the country.
As part of the centenary celebration, the ISCA Imphal Chapter is organizing its first Two Day Seminar on the above focal theme on 27-28 August 2012 at Senate Hall, Manipur University.
One technical session is devoted to Women and Science for the contributions made by women in enhancing the Science.
The Young Scientist Programme is being organized to encourage young researchers in all sections who are below 35 yrs of age as on 27 August 2012. Cash of Rs. 5000/- along with a citation will be awarded to the young scientist in each section. A young women scientist award will also be given to the best paper in Women Science Section
The information along with Registration form can be downloaded at Manipur University website www.manipuruniversity.ac.in.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/100-years-of-science-congress/

Gene therapy for HIV treatment

London , July 2 (ANI): Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a surprisingly simple and safe method to disrupt specific genes within cells. They highlighted potential of the new technique by demonstrating its use as a safer alternative to an experimental gene therapy against HIV infection. “We showed that we can modify the […]

London , July 2 (ANI): Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a surprisingly simple and safe method to disrupt specific genes within cells.
They highlighted potential of the new technique by demonstrating its use as a safer alternative to an experimental gene therapy against HIV infection.
“We showed that we can modify the genomes of cells without the troubles that have long been linked to traditional gene therapy techniques,” said the study’s senior author Carlos F. Barbas III, who is the Janet and Keith Kellogg II Professor of Molecular Biology and Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute.
The new technique employs zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) proteins, which can bind and cut DNA at precisely defined locations in the genome. ZFNs are coming into widespread use in scientific experiments and potential disease treatments, but typically are delivered into cells using potentially risky gene therapy methods.
The Scripps Research scientists simply added ZFN proteins directly to cells in a lab dish and found that the proteins crossed into the cells and performed their gene-cutting functions with high efficiency and minimal collateral damage.
ZFNs, invented in the mid-1990s, are artificial constructs made of two types of protein: a “zinc-finger” structure that can be designed to bind to a specific short DNA sequence, and a nuclease enzyme that will cut DNA at that binding site in a way that cells can’t repair easily. The original technology to make designer zinc finger proteins that are used to direct nucleases to their target genes was first invented by Barbas in the early 1990s.
Scientists had assumed that ZFN proteins cannot cross cell membranes, so the standard ZFN delivery method has been a gene-therapy technique employing a relatively harmless virus to carry a designer ZFN gene into cells. Once inside, the ZFN gene starts producing ZFN proteins, which seek and destroy their target gene within the cellular DNA.
One risk of the gene-therapy approach is that viral DNA—even if the virus is not a retrovirus—may end up being incorporated randomly into cellular DNA, disrupting a valuable gene such as a tumor-suppressor gene. Another risk with this delivery method is that ZFN genes will end up producing too many ZFN proteins, resulting in a high number of “off-target” DNA cuts.
Barbas and his colleagues set out to find a safer ZFN delivery method that didn’t involve the introduction of viruses or other genetic material into cells. They experimented initially with ZFN proteins that carry extra protein segments to help them penetrate cell membranes, but found these modified ZFNs hard to produce in useful quantities. Eventually, the scientists recognized that the zinc-finger segments of ordinary ZFNs have properties that might enable the proteins to get through cell membranes on their own.
The AIDS-causing retrovirus normally infects T cells via a T cell surface receptor called CCR5, and removing this receptor makes T cells highly resistant to HIV infection. In 2006, an HIV patient in Berlin lost all signs of infection soon after receiving a bone marrow transplant to treat his leukemia from a donor with a CCR5 gene variant that results in low expression of the receptor. Disrupting the CCR5 gene in T cells with a ZFN-based therapy might be able to reproduce this effect.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/gene-therapy-for-hiv-treatment/

CSE on construction works taken up

It is shocking that Indian cities are extremely ill prepared to address the environmental fallouts of the aggressive building construction that is underway. Both residential and commercial buildings will increase several fold in the coming decade. Nearly 70 per cent of the building stock that will be there in 2030 is yet to be built […]

It is shocking that Indian cities are extremely ill prepared to address the environmental fallouts of the aggressive building construction that is underway. Both residential and commercial buildings will increase several fold in the coming decade. Nearly 70 per cent of the building stock that will be there in 2030 is yet to be built in India. This will have enormous impact on the quality of urban space; water and energy resources in cities; and waste generation. Unless guided with right principles for location choices, architectural design, appropriate choices of building material, and operational management, the building sector can make cities unliveable.
This concern emerged from a national media briefing – titled ‘Build them green: Deconstructing the building sector in India’ — conducted today by the New Delhi-based research and advocacy organisation, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The briefing’s focus was the environmental challenges and solutions for the building construction sector; leading experts addressed the assembled media persons who had come from all over the country.
CSE researchers point out that in India, buildings are responsible for 40 per cent of the energy use, 30 per cent of the raw material use, 20 per cent of water use, and 20 per cent of land use in cities. At the same time, they cause 40 per cent of the carbon emissions, 30 per cent of solid waste generation, and 20 per cent of water effluents.
Said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE: “Despite being a major resource predator, the building construction sector is poorly regulated. Buildings cannot be treated as a low-impact sector.”
There is potential for resource savings in buildings if appropriate policies are in place. With more efficient lighting, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and architectural design, it is possible to save 30-70 per cent of energy. The 2010 McKinsey estimates confirm that the national power demand can be reduced by as much as 25 per cent in 2030 by improving energy efficiency of buildings and operations. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has also stated that even existing buildings have the potential to save 30-50 per cent of energy.
Similarly, substantial water savings is possible. Only by improving the water efficiency of the water fixtures the water demand can be reduced by more than 30 per cent.
Need performance monitoring and reporting
The problem is the sheer lack of information, say CSE researchers. There is barely any information and data on buildings in the public domain. Even in cases where green rating systems have been promoted with government back-up and incentives, there is no record of the actual performance of buildings and the nature of resource efficiency measures applied.
Cities such as NOIDA are allowing extra built-up areas, tax concessions etc to incentivise green rating of buildings. But these incentives are not linked with actual performance of the buildings. This has made evaluation of the performance of the rated buildings almost next to impossible. Any programme that is built with official backing must be transparent and accountable. Without proper performance monitoring green rated buildings can actual perform worse than standard buildings, as is evident in the US and other countries.
Many gaffes in environmental clearance process for buildings
Environment Impact assessment rules — the only regulatory tool that requires holistic appraisal of overall impacts of buildings — cover only the high impact buildings with more than 20,000 sq meters of area, There are many loopholes in the system that weaken it further, says Roychowdhury:
·Glaring loopholes: The builders have found an easy route of dodging the requirement of EIA by showing smaller parcels of land than the minimum limit of 20,000 sq meters. Plug this loophole.
·No clear benchmarking for assessing resource use, waste generation and mitigation strategies provided by the project proponents for approval: The current mechanism of assessing the vital impacts on water, energy, waste, and traffic are not guided by clear targets and benchmarks. These are also not aligned with the existing norms and standards in the specific resource sector. For example, India has already adopted the energy conservation building code (ECBC) for commercial buildings in different climatic zone. But EIA clearance and approval do not formally align with this code. EIA should formally demand compliance with the ECBC, and demand periodic energy and water audits in the post construction phase etc. The CSE analysis of energy and water data provided by the project proponents show that the EIA committees have no clear process of verification and assessment and do not relate to prescribed norms for resource use. The EIA appraisal should work synergistically with the norms and standards in the relevant sectors.
Strengthen screening of sites for construction: Land should be acquired only after the suitability of site has been established. Even the global best practice is to assess alternative locations to identify the most appropriate site. Site appraisal should be aligned with the provision of the Master Plan and zonal plans of the city. In most cases the land is already allotted to the developers without site screening and environmental appraisal. A large number of projects have come up in the water stressed part of Haryana, for instance, that has been marked by the Central Ground Water Board as a dark zone, as the groundwater table has dwindled drastically. EIA should assess boundaries of influence and sensitivity of sites before decisions on sites are taken.
Need to stop construction before granting of consent and also post facto clearances: In many cases we have noticed that (contd next col)
from previous col
CSE on construction works taken up
actual construction of buildings have progressed without getting the requisite consent from the authorities. This weakens the scrutiny. In 2008, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board had served notices to as many as 147 buildings that had started construction without environmental clearance. Similar cases have been observed in Delhi. Project proponents then agree to pay a penalty and bank guarantee to obtain post-facto environmental clearances. But there is no such legal provision under the EIA. This is becoming a convenient tool for the offenders and violators.
Strengthen post-construction monitoring: This is the weakest link in the current EIA system for buildings. Project proponents are expected to submit bi-annual compliance report based on self monitoring. This is rarely done. There is also no independent check. There is no record of post project monitoring that might have been carried out by the regional offices responsible for monitoring. Rapid review of projects in and around Delhi has shown deviation from the prescribed conditions.
Need public consultation: In contrast to the EIA rules for mining and industry sector that requires formal public hearing, the simplified procedures for the building sector have no scope of soliciting public comments on impact and mitigation. Citizen’s perspective is completely ignored. As a result, we are beginning to see strong public reaction and anger in cities against construction projects.
Strengthen traffic impact assessment of buildings: The expansion of high impact buildings especially commercial and retail will induce heavy traffic in cities with serious pollution, public health and congestion impacts. Developers will have to provide area management plan for traffic mitigation in and around the project area. Currently, the information sought on traffic management in the project area is minimal. There is also no designated body authorised to give no-objection certificate for traffic clearance like the way it is done for water and electricity. This is needed to reduce induced traffic because of the project. Such reforms have happened in other countries like China.
Systemic weakness in the institutional arrangement and capacity need attention: The gamut of challenges that plague the environmental clearance process is staggering – the regional offices do not have adequate authority for effective monitoring; resources and staff strength and capacity for appraisal and monitoring is very poor; institutional coordination for clearances is missing; the state environment appraisal committees are heavily burdened to do justice to each project; there are errors in documentation; quality of data and information provided by the project proponents is of poor quality.
New development will occur in suburbs and new towns without any integrated vision More than half to 95 per cent of the new buildings will come up in resource stressed suburbs and new townships. IDFC’s India Infrastructure Report 2009 states that the size of private ‘integrated’ townships ranges from 100 to over 1000 acres and more than 200 such townships covering more than 200,000 acres are under approval for planning and construction especially around the four metros. On Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), several private towns and cities are on the cards. Touted as Walk to Work Green Towns, the new towns are sprouting without clear benchmarks, implementation strategies or strong regulatory safeguards. .
Said Roychowdhury: “Green measures are needed not only to reduce resource impacts of rich person’s home but also to improve thermal comfort of poor people’s home as well.”
CSE researchers call for building public support and acceptance of green building programmes. Tell people what “works” and what “doesn’t work” in terms of energy-efficient and water-saving strategies for homes. Inform people about the rate of return on costs for energy-efficiency and water-conservation products and appliances.
“Build support for green buildings. Not reduce it to a green coat and a sham to protect realty profits,” said Roychowdhury.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cse-on-construction-works-taken-up/

Drug Abuse – A Holistic Approach

S. Sivakumar June 26th is International Day against Drug Abuse. Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress. Teens are increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics (which are prescribed to relieve […]

S. Sivakumar
June 26th is International Day against Drug Abuse.
Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress. Teens are increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics (which are prescribed to relieve severe pain), and stimulant medications, which treat conditions like attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy.
Long ago…
Initially, drug users were look down upon as those lacking in moral values that accounted for this strange consumption (of the drug) and it was more often held that a person was not “man enough” to get away from addiction. It was first recognized to be a disease like any other, by Alcoholics Anonymous, who did pioneering work in this field as an organization, delving deep into the reasons why a person fell into and subsequently in short time lost control of himself on such usage.
Dr.Jellinek’s path-breaking studies helped change the very orientation one hitherto had about these alcohol/drug users (abusers). Further with the advancement of neuro-physiological science, more importantly after 1956, one came to the conclusion that drug abuse is a chronic disease, could trouble a person for his entire life and was ultimately, curable by proper treatment. The disease of addiction was thus much better understood than in the past. What was needed therefore, more than the sympathy towards such affected persons, a due recognition and systematic treatment appropriate for such cases. These could be akin to treating patients with other health problems like sugar-control or hyper-tension, to name a few.
Types of Drugs
Drugs drastically put to wrong use are brown sugar (its inferior version is heroin) cannabis (ganja, bangh and other such categories) and even alcohol which qualifies to fall under the drug category, for the reason that it is merely a chemical in liquid form that is used to give a “high”.
Even thinners usable with paints and other such common material could be called drugs. There could also be a case of drug abuse, where a medically prescribed item is consumed frequently, in increased quantity and violates the prescribed amount. Persons recognize that this produces a sensation that “puts them up” and they therefore start using these constantly, not when it is actually needed as a medicine.
WHO Reports
The yearly report released by bodies like WHO normally indicates an increase/decrease in pattern of drug in use, wherein sometimes what could be more prevalent would be smoking heroin; at other times it could be injecting cannabis.
All these are to be seen more as fluctuations in drug abuse, than anything else. There are many criteria to determine whether a person is addicted or not. These could range from physical warning signs, emotional signs to an abrupt or gradual change in the family dynamics that lead to marked changes in social behaviour.
The person exhibits red and glazed eyes with poor eating and sleeping habits and may also show general lack of interest and become a victim of sudden mood changes. He may develop a strange secretiveness that keeps him away from the family.
On the social side he would try to become a truant with an altogether negative attitude. But as a thumb rule it would be better if one stuck to repeated usages as a symptom, where the user is fully aware of the consequences and but is prevented by a strange inability to restrict or stop the consumption of the drug in terms of quantity, frequency and be inclined towards an insurmountable urge towards drug usage.
Vulnerability
Instead of looking at the causes for drug addiction per se’, it is better to understand it as a vulnerability to addiction. That would a better term. Genetic make-up plays a vital part in forming this habit, the family and friends around a person may serve as a deterrent or cause further usage of the drug(s) thereby increasing the positive expectancy that is to be derived out of it.
If there is tacit approval by those around him, then it is held as a normal habit. It is no more drug abuse ; it is only rightful “use”.
It is “taken” in its stride. Psycho-social factors, lack of coping skills, the mechanism of a backup of friends during immense emotional pain – any or all these may be the causes for the above-mentioned vulnerability.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms create an uncomfortable feeling and will depend more on the drug which is consumed. The body and mind become restless, become more and more irritable, all parts of the body could be affected and there is pronounced sleep disturbance. It is similar to a pair of physical balances where one scale is at its extreme and what is strictly happening is a process of re-adjustment.
If the patient goes back wanting to consume only a small quantity then the brain recalls the experiences it has had in the past and forces him to consume more and more till it provides complete satisfaction. This is a state that has to be completely avoided. It would be a reminder here that substitution of one drug by another is neither the solution nor the cure.
Treatment
Drug abuse, then is the disease of the body, the mind and the soul.
Though treatment may begin medically but that alone is not enough and the patient would need an enormous amount of psychological help. If, a person gets cornered and conquered by an intake for three valium tablets, for instance, he should be taught and educated how to pass his time without these three.
It requires long-term treatment, a change in lifestyle and the involvement of the family becomes cardinal in these kinds of treatments. Care should be taken to see that the patients dignity is preserved and he should always be respected.
Prevention
Prevention is a community process and not a one-time affair or a single day affair, of taking vows and the like. Instilling mere knowledge that drugs are bad alone may not also work.
Developing of coping skills, learning to say a firm “no” to drugs even when repeatedly persuaded, a good support system, echoing the message against drug addiction repeatedly at different points of time, involving all sectors of the society are some of the preventive measures to be taken, all in a truly holistic manner, if results are to be seen.
Government Initiatives
The Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, as the focal point for drug demand reduction programmes in the country, has been implementing the Scheme for Prohibition and Drug Abuse Prevention since the year 1985-86. As implementation of programmes for de-addiction and rehabilitation of drug addicts require sustained and committed/involved effort with a great degree of flexibility and innovation, a State-community (voluntary) partnership appears to be particularly strong mechanism for service delivery. Accordingly, under the Scheme, while major portion of the cost of services is borne by the Government, the voluntary organisations provide actual services through the Counselling and Awareness Centres; Deaddiction cum Rehabilitation Centres, Deaddiction Camps, and Awareness Programmes. The Ministry is assisting 361 voluntary organisations for maintaining 376 De-addiction-cum-Rehabilitation Centres and 68 Counselling and Awareness Centres all over the country. The basic objective in creating facilities for treatment, at Centres run through voluntary organisations, is to ensure that the support of the family and the community is mobilized to the maximum.
To facilitate the medical treatment of hard-core addicts who require intensive long-term medical attention, 100 De-addiction Centres are being run in Government hospitals/Primary Health Centres, etc. The initiatives from the Government include maintaining of Quality Assurance and Minimum Standards ensured by developing a Manual of Minimum Standards of Services, Professional Manpower Development where National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention (NCDAP) as an apex institution has the necessary mandate for training, research and development in the drug sector and Focused Interventions for Vulnerable Targets where The Workplace Prevention Programme (WPP), a collaborative effort of the Government, ILO, NGOs and corporate sector has come up as a result. This collaboration has led to the formation of an effective group of various stakeholders, known as ARMADA, the Association of Resource Managers against Alcohol and Drug Abuse. (
PIB Features.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/drug-abuse-a-holistic-approach/

Research & Dev in Nanoelectronics

Inputs from the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Department of Information Technology. The Nanotechnology Initiatives Programme of Department of Information Technology (DIT) was initiated in 2004. The focus of the programme is on Institutional capacity building, human resource development, Infrastructure creation and research & development in Nanoelectronics. In the long run, the programme is […]

Inputs from the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Department of Information Technology.
The Nanotechnology Initiatives Programme of Department of Information Technology (DIT) was initiated in 2004. The focus of the programme is on Institutional capacity building, human resource development, Infrastructure creation and research & development in Nanoelectronics. In the long run, the programme is expected to create a synergetic environment for creation of vibrant Nanoelectronics industry in the country.
Centers of Excellence in Nanoelectronics
Nanoelectronics Centres at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Mumbai and Indian Institute of Science, Bangaluru
A joint project for setting of two Nanaoelectronics Centers at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore was initiated with a cost of ` 100 Crores in the year 2006 as a Phase I. This project has been unique in the manner in which two top level academic organizations in India have come together with an MOU between them to take up an R&D project of this magnitude. The objectives of these Centers have been:
Embark on R&D activities in the areas of nanoelectronics including materials, devices and sensors, nanosystems and their characterization and modeling.
Networking with other agencies, institutions, national labs and industry working in the area of nanoelectronics and create a nanofabrication facility accessible to all researchers.
Generate trained human resources suitable for nanoelectronics research, engineering and manufacturing.
Demonstrate that the nanofab facilities created and human resources generated can be used to develop socially relevant systems with nanostructured materials and systems.
The deliverables at the Center of Excellence at IIT Bombay included development and establishment of sub 100 nanometer CMOS process, development of nanosystems for Healthcare and environmental monitoring, development of organic and biopolymer devices,
GaN devices, and characterization, modeling and simulation of nanoelectronic devices.
The deliverables at IISc included magnetic materials for LC resonator, acoustic sensors, ferroelectrics for Ferratic RAMs (FRAMs) and phase shifters, rare earth metal oxides for MOS gate dielectrics, molecular rectifiers based on organic thin films.
Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics Phase I
The first phase has been very successful in establishing major nanofabrication facilities of international standards at the two institutions and providing a catalyst for ambitious research initiatives in the area of nanoelectronics. Within a short span of five years, state-of-the-art facilities in nanoelectronics have been set up and used by a large number of faculty and students at the two Institutes as well as researchers from other institutions under the satellite “Indian Nanoelectronics Users’ Programme”. Significant research output as well as training of manpower has been accomplished in this project during a relatively very short span of time. These centres have attracted international attention and talent (as faculty) to these institutions and have become “Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics”. This project has provided confidence that academic organizations can take up large R&D projects effectively and has become a model project for funding of large R&D projects by other Government departments and organizations at academic institutions.
Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics Phase II
Based on the experience and success of the phase I project, the phase II project at a cost of Rs. 146.91 Cr was initiated in December 2011 for execution by IIT Bombay and IISc over a period of 5 years. While the previous project was largely focused on infrastructure creation for nanoelectronics research, the Phase II project focuses on research in frontier areas of nanoelectronics, technology generation, closer interaction with industries for commercialization and scaled up effort in high quality R&D manpower generation.
Nanoelectronics Centres at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur
Inspired by the success of the Nanoelectronics Centres project at IIT Bombay and IISc, setting up of 3 more Nanoelectronics centres has been taken up by the Department of IT at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, Chennai and IIT Kharagpur on different aspects of Nanoelectronics.
R&D Projects
In addition to establishing Centres, several small and medium scale projects have also been initiated for capacity building for R&D in the areas of nano materials, nano devices, nano subsystem and nano systems at various institutions across India including Indian Institutes of Technology at New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Roorkee, IISc Bangalore, C-MET Pune, CEERI Pilani, CSIO Chandigarh, Jadavpur University Kolkata, Jamia Milia Islamia, Visvevaraya Institute of Technology Nagpur etc. The specific R&D areas included Nano silver oxide, nano-particles of noble and transition medals, nano-sized metals/metal oxide/metal nitrides, nanocrystalline silicon MEMS Pressure Sensor, technology for quantum structures, organic thin film transistors, quantum-well infrared photodetectors, Carbon Nano Tubes (CNTs) for targeted drug delivery, tin oxide powder and tin oxide thin films for gas sensing, CNTs for field emission devices, simulation of Nanoscale MOSFETs, Nanosized SiC based quantum structures, Quantum-semiconductor-glass-nanocomposites, porous silicon for sensing of gas and biological spices, simulation of nano-devices,oxide based functional thin film nano-structures for Spintronics and quantum informatics, GaN, InGaN based quantum dots for LEDs, Nano silver oxide doped/ mixed with gold and copper for ultra high density storage devices, III/ V compound semiconductor based quantum dots technology, wide band gap semiconductors nanostructured materials and devices, semiconducting Single Wall Carbon Nano Tubes (SWCNTs), CNTs based Gas sensor and Multi-functional magnetic nano particulates for cancer therapy.
Nanometrology
In order to implement the Nanoelectronics development program successfully, nanometrology (science of measurement at nanoscales) is also an requirement. The general trend towards increased miniaturization in manufacturing to micro to nano is not simply a scale problem, but involves facing new physics.
A project has been taken up at National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi to address the issues of nanometrology by establishing a National nanometorlogy laboratory. This laboratory provides calibration and traceability for physical dimensions like linewidth, step height, surface texture and calibration of electrical parameters like low voltages in nanovolts, low currents in picoamperes, electric charge in femtocoulombs (fC). It is expected to cater to the nanoscale measurements for various industrial applications including automotive, biomedical and semiconductor industry.
Indian Nanoelectronics User Program
The Indian Nanoelectronics User Program (INUP) has been conceived and initiated by the Department of IT to facilitate and support generation in India of expertise and knowledge in nanoelectronics through participation and utilization of the facilities established at the Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at IISc, Bangaluru and IIT Bombay, Mumbai by external users from academia, R&D institutions and Industry. The INUP program aims to:
Impart hands-on training in nanoelectronics to researchers from other institutions in the country and help train researchers in Nanoelectronics. Users from academic, research and industrial R&D institutions are trained through this project at three levels.
Short-term workshops to disseminate the outcome of the research activities. These workshops are also expected to provide exposure and awareness.
Hands-on training for selected researchers.
Execution of collaborative research projects by external users by providing support for fabrication and expert guidance.
Assist in the initiation of research in nanoelectronics at various institutions in the country by enabling the execution of the work of external users at these centres.
Collaborate with research teams at various Indian organizations and develop joint projects in nanoelectronics.
Provide a platform for researchers in Naoelectronics to come together and benefit from complementary expertise.
To generate more than 750 trained students, professional scientists and engineers etc., at various levels and take up about 40 research projects in Nanoelectronics.
The INUP has been utilized by researchers and engineers from academia, R&D organizations and industry. More than 110 R&D projects from more than 100 external organizations across the country have been taken up so far under INUP. About 1150 researchers and students from across India have been trained through INUP.
Patents, Publications
More than 500 articles have been published and more than 20 patents have been filed in the projects initiated under this programme.
Industry Participation and Commercialization
While initiatives have already been taken for establishing the R&D infrastructure for Nanoelectronics, the focus of programme is now progressively leaning to technology transfer, product development and commercialization. A startup company viz. Nanosniff has been incubated at IIT Bombay for product development. A mechanism for incubation of startup companies and commercialization of technologies is being contemplated by the Department of IT in collaboration with other organizations. (PIB Feature).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/research-dev-in-nanoelectronics/

Annular Eclipse of the Sun on May 21

An Annular eclipse of the Sun will occur on May 21, 2012 The ending of the partial phase of the eclipse will be visible for a very short duration from the northeast India after the sunrise. Considering the Earth as a whole the partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 2 h26 m IST. […]

An Annular eclipse of the Sun will occur on May 21, 2012 The ending of the partial phase of the eclipse will be visible for a very short duration from the northeast India after the sunrise.
Considering the Earth as a whole the partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 2 h26 m IST. The annular phase will begin at 3 h 39 m IST. The annular phase will end at 7h 7m IST. The partial phase will end at 8h 19m IST.
The annular eclipse of the Sun is visible within a narrow corridor that traverses Earth‘s northern Hemisphere. The annular path of the Moon‘s shadow begins in eastern Asia at the Chinese coast, passes through south of Japan, then crosses the North Pacific Ocean where it ends in the western United States.
The Moon‘s penumbral shadow produces a partial eclipse visible from a much larger region covering East Asia, North Pacific Ocean, North America and Greenland. The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 5 h 23 m IST when the eclipse magnitude reaches 0.945 with duration of annularity 5 m 42 s in a region of North Pacific Ocean.
In Imphal eclipse ends at 4.48 am.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/annular-eclipse-of-the-sun-on-may-21/

India Declared Free from Bird FLU

Mail News Service New Delhi, Jan 4 : India has declared itself free from bird flu (H5N1). The declaration was made here on December 29, 2011 and notified to OIE. However, the surveillance will be continued throughout the country especially in the vulnerable areas bordering the infected countries and in areas visited by migratory birds. […]

Mail News Service
New Delhi, Jan 4 : India has declared itself free from bird flu (H5N1). The declaration was made here on December 29, 2011 and notified to OIE. However, the
surveillance will be continued throughout the country especially in the vulnerable areas bordering the infected countries and in areas
visited by migratory birds. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture has advised the States to maintain vigil against the disease.
Outbreak of bird flu was notified on September 8, 2011 in village Bhamondanga, part- I, Agomoni Block in Dhubri district of Assam. This
was followed by another outbreak in Betai Nanshatola and Putimari Christianpara in Tehetta Block of Nadia district of West Bengal, which was notified on September 19, 2011. Thereafter, there has been no further outbreak. The control measures adopted in the outbreaks were stamping out of entire poultry population including destruction of eggs, feed, litters and other infected materials in the radius of 3 kms. around each outbreak location, restriction on movement of poultry, poultry products to and from the area of outbreak, disinfection and cleaning up of infected premises. The final disinfection process was completed on September 29, 2011.
Surveillance was carried out throughout the country. Surveillance around the area of outbreak since completion of the operation (including culling disinfection and clean up) and surveillance in rest of the country has shown no evidence of presence of bird flu (H5N1).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/india-declared-free-from-bird-flu/

India as a Growing Vaccine Hub

Richa Dubey PIB : Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I would extrapolate a bit: it is also possible to do the same thing differently – we call this innovation. The meaning of innovation differs: to some, it means idea generation; for some others, […]

Richa Dubey
PIB : Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I would extrapolate a bit: it is also possible to do the same thing differently – we call this innovation.
The meaning of innovation differs: to some, it means idea generation; for some others, it is a process by which an idea or invention is translated into a good or service for which people will pay. In the context of life-sciences, product innovation has great complexity because of the need for regulatory and ethical rigour in developing and testing new drugs, vaccines or devices, and in ensuring that they are affordable and relevant to public health.
Vaccines are an interesting case study of India’s growing experience and role in affordable product innovation. They are also hugely important to the world because we have the means to carry them to every child: rich or poor, rural or urban. They prevent disease – an important consideration – because treatment in remote locations is difficult.In terms of achievements, the vaccine industry has not lacked for laurels. In fact, right from the basic science required in the initial stage of research up to affordable, bulk manufacture of high-quality products, the Indian vaccine industry has established a firm hold over the entire chain of vaccine development.
Indian vaccines are known for world-class manufacturing and have been stamped with one of the surest seals of quality in any health product: the WHO “pre-qualified” tag for production. India has also emerged as a key bulk vaccine manufacturer in recent times and already produces 60 percent of the world’s vaccines. Viewed another way, one in every 3 doses of vaccines used in the world are produced in India. Indian firms are big suppliers to the UN agencies, accounting for between 60% and 80% of the vaccines it buys every year. Besides mass-manufacture of vaccines, we have also been successful in creating or modifying a whole new range of vaccines indigenously.
Vaccine development is an arduous and lengthy process, however, speedy development has been a hallmark of the new vaccine industry in India, where both: response to a crisis (as in response to Japanese Encephalitis and H1N1 flu – with the latter taking just a couple of years to develop) as well as regular development of vaccines have been speeded up to the extent that a matter of a decade or so has been compressed into a few years. The H1N1 flu vaccine in fact, just took a couple of years to develop.
Development of vaccines is an essential stage of the process but by no means the ultimate one. Vaccine candidates need to be rigorously tested with every possible safeguard in place for clinical trial volunteers. This again, has seen a remarkable improvement. The rotavirus (which combats childhood diarrhoea) Phase III clinical trial supported by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Ministry of Science and technology, has been a model of an ethical and patient-friendly trial. Full insurance for the family of trial participants as well as coverage of all hospital treatment costs, if required was provided.
Similarly, an expensive vaccine has little meaning in the public health sector, particularly in a country like ours where the bulk of our population: millions of people cannot afford expensive health-care. India has proved to be a low-cost product manufacturer and service provider and benefits in many industries. It is far tougher to do so in scientific product development. But we have achieved this by dint of pure innovation.
India’s growing capacity in this field also augurs well for the fulfilment of the needs of the developing world. This capacity has been acknowledged by UNICEF through the very fact of India being its major supplier of vaccines. We are today preparing to take on the larger mantle of scientific development to fulfil the health needs of the developing world. In accordance with Gandhiji’s commandment to practice science with humanism, we must now learn to deliver vaccines to the 24 million children born every year in India and to millions born in other developing countries. India already produces 60 percent of the world’s vaccines.
This is evident from the rapid development and commercialization of several influenza vaccines as a response to influenza pandemic, new combination vaccines and development of low cost Meningococcal B Vaccine for Africa, by our researchers and industry. India is a destination for affordable products for the entire developing world now. The key drivers of the emergence of India as a vaccine hub are a large pool of scientific talent, relatively lower costs in manufacturing, research and development capacity, availability of GMP requirements on par with all international standards, lower costs of clinical trials and a high potential for contract services by vaccine manufacturers. The current Indian vaccine market is estimated to be around $ 900 million (in 2011). It is poised to grow at the rate of 23% during 2011-2012 and by 10-13% CAGR over the next five years registering revenues and around $2 billion in 2011-2012, $4.6 billion by 2017.
With a number of important vaccines in the pipeline, the market is expected to explode globally in future with vaccines expected to grow faster than any other therapy area at around 13 percent during 2009-12.
India has been building capacity in the area of human resources by investments in science and education – both qualitative and quantitative. The figures speak for themselves. In 1981, more than 95 percent of Thomson Reuters-indexed papers from India named authors exclusively at India-based institutions. By 2007, however, the percentage of such papers had fallen to 80 percent, indicating that the nation is gradually participating more in internationally collaborative research. Further, between 1985 and 2007, publications co-authored by scientists in India have more than doubled in volume—and those papers were in general more heavily cited than in previous years. Not only has the volume of India’s scientific output risen, so has its quality. In fact, a recent media report indicated that placement of India’s top universities on the H-index, which measures citation impact, has gone up significantly in the past two years.
Better funding has certainly helped. A recent report indicates that the only significant percentage increase in spending on Science and Engineering Research and development between 1996 and 2007 has come from the Asia Pacific region, led by India, China and other developing countries. The prime driver for this has been increased capacity for research.
Additionally, there have been a number of scientists who have returned to our shores or are in the process of doing so, thanks in no small part to government efforts like the Ramalingaswami Fellowships announced by the Department of Biotechnology which are 5-year fellowships for re-entries.
However, while the base may come from the focus on education and retaining our best brains, it is true that vaccinology is a specialised science and without a focus on infectious diseases, it is not possible to build a robust talent pool or infrastructure. Developed countries which have
largely eradicated infectious diseases are understandably less interested in focussing on them, and prefer to focus on chronic diseases. India by virtue of its unique position as an emerging economy with the disease burden of a developing country needs to tackle the problem of infectious diseases internally. We have managed to focus on our own solutions to our problems with a high level of success, particularly in terms of developing the scientific community in this regard. It is no exaggeration to say that some of the best brains in the infectious disease space come from India today.
Brains and talent, crucial as they are, cannot deliver outside of a nurturing and enabling environment. There are several elements this environment, not least of which is funding. Vaccine development is a risky venture, particularly in terms of financing it. We are dealing with the fear of the unknown and the ever-present risk of failure. Few private companies want to take that kind of risk without assured success. This is where the balance between the public and private sector comes into play. The government undertakes the high-risk funding role and guides the private sector, which in turn, builds and utilises capacity for product development. The Indian private companies in the vaccine field have been remarkably open to innovation and it is this combination that has contributed largely to our success in vaccine development.
Collaboration is another element of this environment. It enables healthy knowledge and experience sharing in a mutually beneficial manner, while building and strengthening linkages across geo-political divides. Both North-South and South-South country-to-country collaborations have had a significant role to play in this success story. Multilateral partners too, have provided significant aid. The systematisation of demand and procurement of vaccines through UNICEF provided a crucial safety net for vaccine development.
Similarly the knowledge-sharing achieved through collaborations like Indo-South Africa and organisations like the International AIDS Vaccine initiative is headed towards a promising turning point.
Moving up the chain, what is done with a vaccine once it is ready? Or, looking at it another way, will this entire process actually take place if there is no demand for it? Vaccine innovation, like everything else in a market economy, requires a spur to kick-start it. That spur is demand and demand generation is the crucial spark. It was the demand put forth by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that resulted in the successful development of an inexpensive Rotavirus vaccine. Similarly the crisis engendered by H1N1 flu and Japanese Encephalitis created a demand pressure to develop these vaccines. However, there is a clear difference between the two. The former was a proactive demand whereas the latter was a reactive one. Obviously, the need is to create demand for sustainable and positive vaccine development for the greater good.
Therefore it is important to sustain efforts in the field, particularly those directed at difficult-to-make vaccines for major killers like HIV, dengue, malaria etc. The stakes are higher here because it is not possible to predict a definite positive outcome by a definite date due to the nature of the disease we are battling. Therefore it becomes even more important for the government to play an anchoring role here.
In the case of dengue, Indian players have licensed live dengue virus-based vaccine technologies from different US developers. In accordance with the WHO and Dengue Vaccine Initiative directive, the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB, New Delhi) is currently developing a non-infectious dengue vaccine based on the well-established Hepatitis B vaccine technology. The Hepatitis B vaccine strategy will not only maximize potency, but will also minimize cost.
The malaria vaccine candidate, after one unsuccessful attempt, is being tested after modifications (a combination of Plasmodium Vivax and Falciparum) in a Phase I trial for safety evaluation in Pune.
For HIV/AIDS, the DBT has set up a joint laboratory with IAVI: the THSTI (Translational Health Science and Technology Institute) which will both, speed up the process of assaying HIV vaccine candidates, as well as boost the research on antibodies that neutralize the HIV virus.
There are several lessons to be learnt from the vaccine success story however, I would like to focus on two of them as key innovation enablers. It is crucial to develop the entire value chain. An innovation system means a chain linking all the way from idea to customer service and this means ensuring that the entire system, from the capacity – be it human resource, funding or physical infrastructure – to the relevant regulatory policies and subsequent distribution is in place. It is only with the balanced development of the entire value chain, right from procurement of samples to robust cold chains that we can achieve success.
It is also essential to ensure that demand generation continues apace. No form of innovation can occur without an impetus in the form of demand. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but demand is the mother of innovation. If there is no demand for it, no innovation can happen. Demand generation for the greater public good is something that needs to be undertaken by the government and the private sector alike.
We do have challenges in the case of the vaccine industry and indeed, every industry that thrives on innovation. The vaccine story in India is hardly a fairy tale. Despite its phenomenal success, the industry faces tremendous challenges not the least of which is the openness of society. It is a truism that there is little resistance to any technological improvement for the benefit of the individual – mobile phones are a case in point. However, when it comes to the greater good, where benefits to the more vulnerable sections of society, like children, are seen, there is little eagerness to implement these improvements.
Vaccines have seen an improvement in this direction, particularly with the NRHM network of ASHAs, but a lot more needs to be done – both in terms of shifting to a positive mindset as well as following up on it by reaching high-quality, low-cost vaccines to everyone who needs them. We must remember that the numerous new health benefits that are available to the economically advantaged classes don’t necessarily reach the masses. Public policy needs to even this gap. In the case of vaccines, we require political will and public funding; prioritisation of public health; a robust regulatory system; a strong private sector focus on public goods; public-private partnerships and social venture capital; capacity to innovate and deliver at scale; participation of all stakeholders; and the strengthening of systems through product introduction. (to con)

With the government declaring 2010-2020 as the “Decade of Innovation” and the establishment of the National Innovation Council in

2010, India is certainly receiving a strong top down impetus for innovation. Now we need to see how that can translate into tangible

benefits for the country’s public and economic health.

Table detailing vaccine development currently underway in the country

VACCINES UNDER DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTES
CURRENT PHASE

ROTAVIRUS VACCINE
First rotavirus vaccine 116E developed in India at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi in collaboration with

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA
Rotavirus vaccine 116E is undergoing phase III clinical trial at three sites: Society for Applied Studies (SAS), Delhi; Christian Medical

College (CMC), Vellore; KEM Hospital Pune.
CHOLERA VACCINE
Live oral cholera vaccine candidate VA1.4 developed at Institute of Microbial Technology (MTECH), Chandigarh & National Institute of

Cholera & Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata
The candidate vaccine strain VA1.4 will be undergoing Phase II Studies
MALARIA VACCINE
Malaria vaccine candidates JAIVAC-1 for P.falciparum & PvDBPII for P.vivax developed at International Centre for Genetic Engineering

& Biotechnology (ICGEB), N. Delhi
JAIVAC-1 vaccine for P.falciparum have been developed and transferred to Bharat Biotech India Ltd (BBIL), Hyderabad. Phase I clinical

trials completed
TYPHOID VACCINE
A vi-conjugate typhoid vaccine developed at AIIMS , N. Delhi
Technology has been transferred to USV Ltd. Mumbai
DENGUE VACCINE
Dengue vaccine candidate being developed at ICGEB N. Delhi
Efforts on the possibility of developing safe, efficacious and inexpensive tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate are underway.
TUBERCULOSIS VACCINE
Collaborative efforts are underway between University of Delhi South Campus (UDSC) & Vaccine and Infectious Disease Research

Centre (VIDRC) of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI): and autonomous institution of DBT, for the

development of recombinant BCG.
Several candidates for tuberculosis have been developed at DUSC with promising results in animal models, (rBCG85c) is being developed

as an effective vaccine for tuberculosis.
INFLUENZ A VACCINE
Vaccine development support given to Panacea Biotec Ltd. New Delhi under Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP)
The Project has been successfully completed by Panacea Biotec Ltd. Leading to the development of Pandyflu TM (H1N1 vaccine)
PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE
Vaccine development support given to Tergene Biotech Pvt Ltd Hyderabad under BIPP
Efforts for Development of an Affordable, Asia specific 15 valent Pneumococcal polysaccharide-CRM 197 Protein co
HIV VACCINE
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI): an autonomous institution of DBT and International AIDS Vaccine

Initiative (IAVI) have forged a partnership to develop “Next Generation” HIV vaccine candidates
Efforts are underway towards design of candidate vaccines to elicit neutralizing antibodies against HIV.
CANCER (HPV) VACCINE
Development of HPV Vaccine by Serum Institute of India Ltd. Pune; is being supported under BIPP
Efforts are underway towards design of an affordable vaccine.
JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS VACCINE
Vero cell derived inactivated JEV vaccine developed at National Institute of Immunology (NII), N. Delhi.

Development of JE Vaccine by Biological E Ltd., Hyderabad

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/india-as-a-growing-vaccine-hub/