Activist Vandana Shiva and an Europe-based NGO have jointly opposed a patent awarded to an American company on virus resistance traits taken from indigenous melon varieties in India. The NGOs — Navdanya and No Patent on Seeds — contend that, armed with this patent, the U.S. company (Monsanto) could block access to all breeding material inheriting the virus resistance derived from the Indian melon. Seeking complete revocation of the patent the NGOs,...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Prashant Bhushan, Senior Advocate and member of Team Anna interviewed by V Venkatesan
PRASHANT BHUSHAN, a member of Team Anna and a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, has been a vociferous critic of the government's Lokpal Bill at every stage. He answers, in an interview to Frontline, questions raised by Members of Parliament during the recent debate on the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and enunciates the challenges ahead of the movement for an effective Lokpal. Excerpts: The government's...
More »Globally, 200m use illicit drugs by Kounteya Sinha
One in 20 people aged 15-64 years, or 200 million are using illicit drugs worldwide annually. A global study on illicit drug use, to be published in the medical journal " Lancet" on Friday, says there are 125-203 million cannabis, 14-56 million amphetamine, 14-21 million cocaine and 12-21 million opioid users. In south and south-east Asia, an estimated 54 lakh people use cannabis, 28 lakh opioid and another four lakh cocaine. According to...
More »Average age of drug addicts in Bangalore: 13 years!
-Mid-Day.com Drug rehabilitation centres in the city have recorded some shocking changes with regard to the number of narcotic users this year. Rehabilitation centres recorded a shocking increase in the number of pre-teens seeking help for drug abuse. According to many such centres, 13 is currently the average age of drug abusers in the city, while 16 was the age recorded last year. "The lifestyle has changed and it is not just BPO...
More »Global demand increasing for synthetic drugs, UN report finds
-The United Nations While global markets for cocaine, heroin and cannabis declined or remained stable, the production and abuse of prescription opioid drugs and new synthetic drugs rose, the United Nations annual drug report said today. “The gains we have witnessed in the traditional drugs markets are being offset by a fashion for synthetic ‘designer drugs’ mimicking illegal substances,” said Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and...
More »