Biopiracy in the field of medicine is on the rise with Europe and the US being granted 2,000 patents every year for drugs based on indian traditional systems of medicine. These patents are being granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTP), the European Patent Office (EPO) and other overseas patent offices. This startling claim was made by forests and environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday. It is to reverse...
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India’s food security challenge by Lux Lakshmanan
A solution to the pulses and edible oils crisis is entirely within reach. The state of India’s food security is worsening by the year. The cost of food items is increasing rapidly, making them unaffordable to a majority of the people. Added to these woes is the short supply of pulses and edible oils, which forces the Central government to import them. Pulses play a critical role in the diet of...
More »IMD evolving a model for accurate climate forecast by P Venugopal
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the problem of climate change now turning into an increasing reality, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is working on the development of a model that can forecast the subtleties of the phenomenon with a fair degree of accuracy into the next five or 10 years, according to Secretary to the Ministry of Earth Sciences Shailesh Naik. Addressing a session on ‘Science Programme for the Country,’at the 97th indian...
More »ICMR to form expert group to study chikungunya-type fever by Shastry V. Mallady
MADURAI: The indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will study fever cases with chikungunya symptoms reported in various districts of Tamil Nadu. An expert group will be formed soon to find out the root cause of this fever, which results in joint pains and cripples the victims’ physical activity. V. M. Katoch, Director General, ICMR, told The Hindu here that he would talk to State public health officials and obtain data...
More »New miracle economies: Bihar, poor states by SA Aiyar
India achieved record annual GDP growth, averaging 8.45%, in the five years, 2004-05 to 2008-09. But was this inclusive, and did it benefit the poor masses? We have no data on poverty beyond 2004-05. But the CSO has current data on the economic growth of the states. Historically, the chronically poor states were Orissa plus the BIMARU quartet (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh), of which three have been sub-divided....
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