Scientists have launched a project to develop India’s first personal genetic data cards — credit card-sized plastic-and-magnetic devices that could dramatically expand access to personalised predictive medicine. In its first phase, the project will capture genetic data to predict a person’s likely response to more than 100 drugs to help him avoid taking medicines that may not benefit him or may cause him serious side-effects. Scientists also hope to use genetic data...

Workers employed at the Jaitapur nuclear power project site at Madban village have fled after the violent incidents on April 18 when a mob damaged equipment and indulged in arson. A Nuclear Power Corporation of India LIMited (NPCIL) spokesperson on Thursday told The Hindu on the phone that workers have left since the situation was not conducive to staying there. “In any case, there are a few holidays from tomorrow [Friday]...

Asserting that nuclear power will play a major role in meeting the energy needs of the country during the 12th Five-Year Plan, the Planning Commission on Thursday said the country needed an additional 1,00,000 MW of power during the 12th Plan period (2012-17) and therefore capacity expansion should be undertaken keeping the safety measures intact. Making a presentation to the Prime Minister at the full-fledged meeting of the Commission, Deputy Chairman...

India's food inflation nudged up after three successive weeks of decline to 8.74 per cent for the week ended April 9 compared to 8.28 per cent recorded in the previous week as fruits, meat and poultry products became costlier, official data showed on Thursday. LIMited data on the wholesale price index released by the commerce and industry ministry also showed a rise in the index for primary articles, from 11.4 per...

The Supreme Court today slammed the Centre for sticking to the below-poverty-line estimates of the 1991 census in distributing PDS grain when preLIMinary figures for the 2010-11 census, showing a much higher number of BPL families, are available. The judges also criticised the income cap fixed by the government to determine families below the poverty line (BPL) by suggesting it was outdated. The 1991 census showed 36 per cent of the population...