Novel Corona virus - Every one need not wear mask

Dr. Harsh Vardhan reviews actions taken and further preparedness on Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19)

New Delhi: Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials of the Ministry, MS/Director of Central Government Hospitals such as Safdurjung, Dr. RML Hospital, and AIIMS, here today.

At the outset, the Union Health Minister appreciated the various actions being undertaken in close coordination with various ministries at the central level, States as well as Indian embassies abroad. He also lauded the States for active surveillance, effective contact tracing and their preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19.

He reviewed the preparedness regarding hospital management such as OPD blocks, availability of testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPEs), medicines, and adequate isolation wards. He directed hospitals to ensure adequate availability of protective gear for all healthcare workers. He was informed that adequate quantity of Personal Protections Equipment (PPE), masks, sanitizers, handheld thermometers, etc., are being procured and provided to the designated places as per demand along with maintaining the stock to address any future demand.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan reviewed in great detail the quarantine facilities for the evacuees including the ones at the airports/other key transit points, in terms of segregation of passengers, transportation to the quarantine facilities, health check-ups, etc. The Health Minister has directed for teams to be deputed to regularly inspect and monitor the quarantine facilities to ensure that the necessary amenities and facilities are being provided. The Minister stated that he shall be reviewing the same every day with the aim of improving them. He further added that he is reviewing the situation with the respective States/UTs.

Highlighting the critical importance of effective communication as a tool of crisis management, Dr. Harsh Vardhan advised for multi-media communication campaigns that would focus on different aspects such as preventive measures, busting myths, equipping the masses with information on guidelines, advisories, testing labs, etc.

Prime Minister's Telephone Conversation with Crown Prince Mohd. Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia

New Delhi : Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness  Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders discussed the global situation regarding the COVID – 19 pandemic.

Prime Minister emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to adequately address this the global challenge, which has impacted not only the health and well-being of several hundred thousand people but also threatens to adversely affect the economy in many parts of the world.

In this context, the Prime Minister mentioned India’s recent initiative to organize a video conference among SAARC countries.  

The two leaders agreed that a similar exercise at the level of G20 leaders, under the aegis of Saudi Arabia as the Chair of G20 would be useful at a global scale, both for discussing specific measures to address the challenges posed by the global outbreak of COVID-19 and also to instill confidence in the global populace.

The Prime Minister and the Crown Prince decided that their officials would remain in close contact in this regard.

COVID -19 Dos and Donts

Advisory on Social Distancing Measure in view of the spread of COVID-19

Advisory on Social Distancing Measure in view of the spread of COVID-19 disease Social distancing is a non-pharmaceutical infection prevention and control intervention implemented to avoid/decrease contact between those who are infected with a disease-causing pathogen and those who are not, so as to stop or slow down the rate and extent of disease transmission in a community.

 This eventually leads to decreasing in spread, morbidity, and mortality due to the disease. In addition to the proposed interventions, the State/UT Governments may prescribe such other measures as they consider necessary.

All these proposed interventions shall be in force till 31st of March 2020. They will be reviewed as per the evolving situation.

The following interventions are proposed:

1. Closure of all educational establishments (schools, universities, etc), gyms, museums, cultural and social centers, swimming pools and theatres. Students should be advised to stay at home. Online education to be promoted.

2. The possibility of postponing exams may be explored. Ongoing exams to be conducted only after ensuring the physical distance of one meter amongst students.

3. Encourage private sector organizations/employers to allow employees to work from home wherever feasible.

 4. Meetings, as far as feasible, shall be done through video conferences. Minimize or reschedule meetings involving a large number of people unless necessary.

 5. Restaurants to ensure handwashing protocol and proper cleanliness of frequently touched surfaces. Ensure physical distancing (minimum 1metre) between tables; encourage open-air seating where practical with adequate distancing.

6. Keep already planned weddings to a limited gathering, postpone all non-essential social and cultural gatherings.

7. Local authorities to have a dialogue with organizers of sporting events and competitions involving large gatherings and they may be advised to postpone such events.

8. Local authorities to have a dialogue with opinion leaders and religious leaders to regulate mass gatherings and should ensure no overcrowding/at least one-meter distance between people.

9. Local authorities to have a meeting with traders associations and other stakeholders to regulate hours, exhibit Do’s and Don’ts and take up a communication drive-in market places like sabzi mandi, anaj mandi, bus depots, railway stations, post-offices, etc., where essential services are provided.

10. All commercial activities must keep a distance of one meter between customers. Measures to reduce peak hour crowding in markets.

11. Non-essential travel should be avoided. Buses, Trains, and airplanes to maximize social distancing in public transport besides ensuring regular and proper disinfection of surfaces.

12. Hospitals to follow the necessary protocol related to COVID-19 management as prescribed and restrict family/friends/children visiting patients in hospitals.

13. Hygiene and physical distancing have to be maintained. Shaking hands and hugging as a matter of greeting to be avoided.

 14. Special protective measures for delivery men/ women working in online ordering services. 15. Keep communities informed consistently and constantly.

Issued by: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Govt of India

Myths and facts on diabetic retinopathy

Myths and facts on diabetic retinopathy

Dr P Tandava Krishnan

Senior consultant, Vitreo retinal services

Maxivision superspeciality Eye hospital, Madhapur

Myth 1: We are a developing country. Diabetes is primarily a problem of developed countries

Fact:  A recent study conducted by Indian council of medical research (ICMR) has found that nearly one in every 5 Indian above the age of 20 years is either a diabetic or at risk for diabetes. In fact India has earned the dubious sobriquet of being “World’s diabetes capital”. So diabetes is a big problem in India

Myth 2: Diabetes is predominantly a problem of urban areas

Fact: A study conducted in South India has found that the prevalence of Diabetes is similar in both urban and rural areas. So people in rural areas are also at risk of developing diabetes and it’s complications

Myth 3:  My recent sugar levels are normal. Hence I am safe from any possible complications of diabetes.

Fact: Complications due to diabetes are a net effect of the number of years of diabetes as well as the level of control of diabetes during the entire period of having diabetes. People who have had strict control of diabetes from the beginning have better outcomes as compared to those who have had poor control for long duration and have started control of diabetes only in the near past

Myth 4: My sugar levels are largely under control. Hence I will not have any complications like retinopathy (eyes), neuropathy (nerves) or nephropathy (kidney)

Fact: Complications due to diabetes develop not only due to poor control of sugar levels but also due to associated factors like poor BP control, Anaemia, impaired lipid control ( abnormal cholesterol levels), smoking, kidney problems and cardiovascular problems. So it is essential that all the associated factors are also kept under control.

 Myth 5: I got my glasses checked recently; hence I don’t need further eye checkup

Fact: Checking of glass power (refraction) is just a small part of the total eye examination. Eye examination includes aspects like checking for eye pressure, angles, cornea, lens status, pupillary response and fundus examination. Many treatable conditions of the eyes may not get their due attention unless a thorough examination is done.

Myth 6: My vision is fine. I have no other symptoms. I don’t think I need a dilated retinal examination

Fact: A person’s vision is usually unaffected unless the central part of the retina called macula is affected. To elaborate, there may be many changes inside the eye (diabetic retinopathy) which may need urgent treatment without the patient’s vision being affected. And the condition may be too advanced by the time patient becomes symptomatic. Hence it is prudent for the patient to get a thorough eye evaluation done once he/she knows that they have diabetes.

Myth 7: I have had bleeding inside my eye, immediately after the doctor had treated my eyes with LASER. I think he/she treated me shoddily and the bleeding is a direct effect of the inefficient management

Fact: It takes about 3 months for the effect of LASER to set in. Rarely, bleeding may occur inside the eyes immediately after LASER. This bleeding is a consequence of the pre existing damage and would have occurred even if the patient had not been treated and does not represent any poor management on the part of the doctor

Myth 8: I have had LASER treatment for diabetic retinopathy. My sugars are under control ever since the treatment had started. So I do not need to go back to my doctor

Fact: Diabetic retinopathy is an ongoing condition just like diabetes. While control of diabetes is a must to have the problem under control there is no guarantee that the disease will not progress just because diabetes is under control. Therefore it is essential that the patient gets himself/herself evaluated at regular intervals to ensure that the problem is under control

Myth 9: I have had 2 injections inside my eye with no response. I think the medicine is ineffective

Fact: The condition inside the eye maybe difficult to manage and may need multiple injections. The injection helps in creating a suitable environment inside the eye to ensure recovery from the damage caused due to diabetes. It improves oedema inside the eye which may sometimes also be associated with improvement in visual acuity. Some studies have also demonstrated that the administration of these injections results in improvement in the quality of vision and life. Needless to say, some damage might be beyond repair.

Siemon strengthens its operations in India

Sept 19, 2019. Hyderabad: Siemon India, an arm of The Siemon Company, a US headquartered leading global network infrastructure specialist, opened a new warehouse facility at Chennai today. Siemon offers high quality, high-performance IT infrastructure solutions and services for Data Centers, LANs and Intelligent Buildings in India.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Prem Rodrigues Director of Sales & Marketing for India, Middle East & SAARC told that “This facility will help Siemon to cut down on delivery time and offer better service to our End users and Channel partners. We continue to follow our global standards of operation and aim to give best of customer experience”.

Siemon India has its Head Office at Hyderabad, where it has also established its Center of Excellence team to provide Datacenter design services, warranty and IT solutions to its global operations. Siemon has a robust team of Customer service representatives, Logistics team, demand analyst and Business analyst to manage the entire pre and post-sales support service. This facility also takes care of its marketing and other back end operations for India & SAARC region.

Siemon said in a statement here that it considers India a strategically important market and is committed to investing in its capabilities to better serve both customers and partners. Siemon is developing its relationships with Complementary manufacturers to provide value added solutions to its clients in Datacenter & Intelligent/Smart Buildings space and is also increasing its robust strength of System integrators and Certified Installers who can give pan India service.

“The company grew its tremendous presence in last couple of years and will ensure that world class IT infrastructure products are made available to Indian market. We foresee strong demand for our products & solutions and will continue to invest in this region with an aim to increase our market share” added Mr. Prem Rodrigues.

It’s the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) : Valerie Maguire

Advanced Cabling Infrastructure Designs to revolutionize intelligent buildings /Smart cities

Bangalore / New Delhi 10 May 2019: Siemon India, an arm of The Siemon Company, a US headquartered leading global network infrastructure specialist has conducted seminars in Bangalore and New Delhi recently to throw light on latest updates In ICT Industry in the world. Ms. Valerie Maguire - Global sales engineer at Siemon, USA attended as the key spokesperson for the seminars. She has delivered her valuable inputs on advancement in Copper, Fiber, and Wireless Applications Technology and considerations for PoE Lighting: Cabling Infrastructure Design for Intelligent building/Smart cities.

Seminars on intelligent building and connected lighting solutions drew its focus on revolution going on inside the walls and ceilings of modern buildings. It’s the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart buildings where more devices than ever converge onto a common IT infrastructure, allowing low-voltage building systems like voice, data, security, AV, lighting and HVAC to communicate with each other via Internet Protocol (IP) to provide significant cost savings and sustainability over the life of the facility, while improving overall user experience, wellbeing and productivity.

Siemon along with its complementary manufactures for Digital building ecosystem, solves the need for Converged IT infrastructure, where in different devices for building automation can be brought under single IP system. The event was attended by end users, consultants, architects, system integrators etc. who appreciated the lead role Siemon is playing in bringing the latest technologies to Indian subcontinent market. This seminar also gave an insight to the attendees for planning and deployment of PoE lighting over structured cabling in enterprise environment. It was emphasized that with increase in number of PoE devices, a dedicated zone cabling system is the need of the hour to support building automation and IP devices in the ceiling space. This seminar also provided valuable zone cabling design and media selection criteria for support of PoE lighting deployments which can assist IT managers, cabling system designers and building managers if they wish to take the advantage of cost savings, safe operation and health benefits from this emerging technology!

Speaking on this occasion Mr. Prem Rodrigues, Director for Sales & Marketing (India, Middle east & SAARC) for Siemon told that “This event was very well received by the audience on the concept of PoE lighting, zone cabling, Emerging 6th generation 802.11ax Wireless technology, structured cabling in enterprise environments etc., as they could clearly understand that a converged system with PoE will give sustainability, space utilization and occupant satisfaction in any smart building”. In display was Siemon’s V800 series cabinets and important product samples like Z-PLUG®, Z-MAX®, TERA®, MapIT, Plug & Play, High speed interconnect, LC Blade patch etc. have been kept on display for audiences to see.

Free eyes checkup to mothers on 12th May on Mother’s day

Hyderabad, May 10th, 2019:  Mother's Day is a day being observed every year on the second Sunday in the month of May to honor all the mothers across globe signifying her role in the society. This year mother’s day will be celebrated on 12^th May. The hand that swings the cradle of the baby to sleep is the hand that nurtures and shapes up the future of the children. The pivotal role of being a mother is the divine mission assigned to women to take care of their children to make them the responsible citizens of the country.

Mother’s Day is a day for all sons and daughters to recognize her role to ameliorate the life of  kids to make responsible members of the society .We all must respect her invaluable services toward the children and show up the affection, love, appreciation on mothers honoring them and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society.

MaxiVision extends its gratitude to all those mothers for their love and support to the society. As a small gesture MaxiVision Super Specialty Eye Hospital will conduct free eye checkups on 12^th May for all Mothers to mark the occasion, said Mr.Sudheer – COO.

Free Eyes checkup to all mothers will be done from 10 am till 2pm in all their branches in Hyderabad, Vizag and Vijayawada on Sunday. Patients can contact, Vijaya; ph-9390110000 for more details and guidance

Chennai based Startup Howdydo - Focused on Neighbourhood Sports Social Networking clinches Rs 2 crore

Chennai: : Howdydo! – A Neighbourhood Sports Social Networking Platform for finding or hosting sporting events, sports classes/coaches, forming teams, finding sports partners integrated with HowdyDo Messenger, clinches Rs. 2 crore worth investment from TIW Private Equity based out of Delhi. TIW Private Equity will be given 10 % stake in the company. TIW Private Equity will initially invest Rs. 1 crore in Howdy Ventures Private Limited with an additional option to invest Rs. 1 crore in future. Mr. Xavier Britto, the Chairman Kerry Indev Logistics and Howdy Ventures has also agreed to infuse more capital as needed.

HowdyDo was launched in 2017 with a vision of changing the sports land scape in India. “Global Sports Market is worth $ 800 Billion. India’s sports market is currently worth $3-5 Billion and is expected to grow in leaps and bounds. India has won 24 Olympic Medals in 28 Olympic Games held since 1900. We want to change this by focusing on Neighbourhood Sports” said Mr. SK Choudhury, (Director of Howdy Ventures Pvt. Ltd).

“One can be a fantastic sports person but they fail to get noticed. Recognition is key to success. The “likes” in HowdyDo platform can help get the recognition needed. Our aim is promote sports in the grassroots level. In HowdyDo, we have brought every aspect of sports and made it local to your neighbourhood. Find a class or a coach, form a team, find sporting events, find partners for your gym, running or tennis in your neighbourhood or how about that local event played in your locality. The cool part is we have integrated social networking and messenger to every aspect of our application. Our messenger is capable of having 1 lac people in a group with conference calling and conference video calling.Although everyone aspires to be a Tendulkar or Mary Kom, first you have win a local medal in your school or college, then your locality,  city, your district then your state and nationals.” said Mr. Sudhakar Raja, CEO of Howdy Ventures.

Mr. Xavier Britto, Chairman of Kerry Indev Logistics with interests in Hospitality, Education and Sports and also the Chairman of Howdy Ventures said “With India gearing up for many more multi sports events lined up in our country like Indian Premier League (Cricket), Hockey Indian League, Indian Super League( Soccer), Indian Badminton League, Pro Kabaddi League and Premier Futsal. There’s been a seismic shift of interest in Indian sports in a big way attracting mass fan following. It has brought tremendous potential to invest in sports and garner huge returns in this segment. We see a great potential in Howdydo! and we are going to continue our support with additional funding as and when required”

Mr. Harry Lagard a Director in Howdy Ventures and in the board of First Flight Couriers, RCI Logistics, Nokia and Tron Infra Solutions ( A Smartron company ) said “We welcome TIW on board for investing in this Howdy Ventures, money raised  will be utilized for further marketing spend to boost visibility of HowdyDo. HowdyDo, an innovation from India will expand rapidly with global aspirations”.

Mr. Khirodkumar Jena, a Director in Howdy Ventures and Chairman World Odia Convention and Angel Investor said “ Sports in India requires to be rebooted. HowdyDo will bring out the talented sports people. It is not only for sports players but also the fans.  We are also looking at helping the under-privileged sports persons by helping them get funded to move to the next level.”

Mr. Anurag Joshi of TWI Private Equity stated “We always stay focused investing in diversified fields which will yield us maximum returns with growth. We foresee a lot of potential in this market and Howdydo is poised to play a major role as an early mover. HowdyDo’s Privacy Protection where users phone number and email is masked will be a game changer. India requires a Sports Game Changer like HowdyDo to grow the sports base in India. TIW will be a stepping stone in HowdyDo’s success journey.”

PSLV-C41 successfully launches IRNSS-1I navigation satellite

New Delhi:In its forty third flight, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C41 successfully launched the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1I Navigation Satellite today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

PSLV-C41 lifted off at 0404 hrs (4:04 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad.  After a flight lasting about 19 minutes, the vehicle achieved a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee (nearest point to earth) of 281.5 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 20,730 km inclined at an angle of 19.2 degree to the equator following which IRNSS-1I separated from PSLV.

After separation, the solar panels of IRNSS-1I were deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan, Karnataka took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, orbit manoeuvres will be performed from MCF to position the satellite at 55 deg East longitude in the planned Geosynchronous Orbit with an inclination of 29 deg to the equator.

IRNSS-1I is the latest member of the ‘Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC)’ system.  NavIC, also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1,500 km around the Indian mainland.

A number of ground facilities responsible for IRNSS satellite ranging and monitoring, generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, network timing, etc., have been established in many locations across the country as part of NavIC.

Till now, PSLV has successfully launched 52 Indian satellites and 237 customer satellites from abroad

Serving in Rural areas must be made mandatory for Doctors: Vice President

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has serving in rural areas must be made mandatory for Doctors and they should have empathy, compassion and a caring attitude to enhance their effectiveness. He was addressing the 20th  Convocation of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, in Bengaluru today. The Governor of Karnataka, Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President asked students to become full-fledged healthcare professionals who can take on the real and continuous challenges that are going to become an integral part of your life. He said that despite making rapid strides in the last two decades, continuing rise in communicable diseases and a spurt in non-communicable or “lifestyle” diseases pose greater challenge to the nation. The evolution of the sector calls for active involvement and participation of all stakeholders and the use of innovation to bridge intent and execution to overcome change at all its stages – prevention, diagnosis and treatment, he added. 

The Vice President said that the urban-rural divide in India needs urgent attention and action and said that collaborative public-private partnership to remedy the situation. However, the private sector health facilities must not only be accessible to the needy and poor, but must also be affordable, he added. 

The Vice President said that India can leverage the demographic dividend by improving the quality higher education adding that education system needs to reinvent itself to respond to the emerging challenges of a rapidly changing knowledge economy. Excellence should be the watchword.  Agility and alacrity should be the norm, he added.

PM congratulates ISRO scientists on the successful launch of IRNSS-1I

New Delhi:Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated the scientists of ISRO on the successful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1I .

 

"Congratulations to our scientists on the successful launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1I by PSLV. This success will bring benefits of our space programme to the common man. Proud of team ISRO!", the Prime Minister said.

Release of Berths Under Emergency Quota in Railways

New Delhi:In order to meet the urgent travel requirements of High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, which includes Central Government Ministers, Judges of Hon’ble Supreme Court/High Courts of various States, Members of Parliament and other emergent demands, who are on the waiting list, a limited number of

berths have been earmarked as Emergency Quota in different trains and in different classes. The quota is released by the Railways in accordance with the priority as per warrant of precedence and well established practice being followed since long.  At the time of allotment of berths/seats, emergency quota is first allotted for self travel of HOR holders/Members of Parliament, etc., strictly as per their inter-se seniority in warrant of precedence. Thereafter, other requisitions received from various quarters are considered and the remaining quota is released taking into account various factors like status of passengers travelling, nature of urgency like travelling on government duty, bereavement in the family, sickness, job interview, etc.    

Emergency Quota Cells are located at Zonal/Divisional Headquarters and at some of the important non-Headquarter stations.  These Cells normally function under the control of a gazetted officer supported by requisite number of staff posted by Zonal Railways. 

Sanitation coverage up from about 40% in 2014, to about 80% today: Prime Minister

New Delhi :The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that sanitation coverage has expanded from about 40 percent in 2014, to about 80 percent today. He said toilet construction is ending social imbalances and is becoming a means of socio-economic empowerment and women empowerment. He described the mass movement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan as a phenomenon unparalleled anywhere in the world, in the 21st century.

It is worth recalling that a recently concluded independent verification of the progress under Swachh Bharat Gramin found that 93.4% of the households in rural India who have access to a toilet use it. The National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) 2017-18 also re-confirmed the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of 95.6% of villages which were previously declared and verified as ODF by various districts/states. The key findings of the Survey are depicted below.

Roll-out of e-Way Bill system for Intra-State movement of goods in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh from 15th April, 2018

New Delhi:As per the decision of GST Council, e-Way Bill system for all inter-State movement of goods has been rolled-out from 01^stApril, 2018. E-way Bill system for Intra-State movement of goods in the State of Karnataka is also operational from the said date.  E-Way Bills are getting generated successfully and till 09^thApril, 2018 more than sixty three lakh e-Way Bills have been successfully generated.

It is hereby informed that e-Way Bill system for Intra-State movement of goods would be implemented from 15th April, 2018 in the following States:-

(i)         Andhra Pradesh

(ii)        Gujarat                                               

(iii)       Kerala

(iv)       Telangana

(v)        Uttar Pradesh

With the roll-out of e-Way Bill system in these States, it is expected that trade and industry will be further facilitated insofar as the transport of goods is concerned, thereby eventually paving the way for a nation-wide single e-Way Bill system. Trade and industry and transporters located in these States may obtain registration/ enrolment on e-Way Bill portal namely https://www.ewaybillgst.gov.in at the earliest without waiting for the last date.  

PM addresses National Convention of Swachhagrahis, launches development projects in Motihari

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed the National Convention of Swachhagrahis at Motihari. The event has been organized, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi, in Champaran.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister launched several important development projects as well. In the Water Supply and Sanitation sector, he unveiled a plaque to mark the foundation stone of Motijheel Project, the Bettiah Nagar Parishad Water Supply Scheme, and four Ganga Projects, namely: the Saidpur Sewage Network, Patna; the Pahari Sewage Network, Zone 4, Patna; the Pahari Sewagw Network, Zone 5, Patna; and the Pahari STP project.

In the Railways sector, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the doubling of railway lines between Muzaffarpur and Sagauli; and Sagauli and Valmikinagar. He dedicated the first phase of the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Factory to the nation. Via video link, he flagged off the first 12000 HP Freight Electric Locomotive, and the Champaran Humsafar Express.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a road lane of NH-2 in Auranagabad Bihar-Jharkhand border section; a petroleum oil lube and LPG terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd at Motihari; and an LPG Plant of HPCL at Sagauli.

He also distributed awards to Champion Swachhagrahis.

Addressing an enthusiastic gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the atmosphere at Motihari today, evokes the same spirit of mass movement, that marked the Champaran Satyagraha, a century ago.

He said that in this journey of Satayagraha to Swachhagraha, the people of Bihar have shown their ability to lead. He noted the remarkable progress made in toilet construction in Bihar in the last one week. He appreciated the efforts of the people of the State, and the State Government for the same.

The Prime Minister said that whether it is the Swachh Bharat Mission, or the fight against corruption, or the development of civic amenities, the Union Government is working shoulder to shoulder with the State Government. He said the projects worth over Rs. 6600 crore launched today would go a long way in the development of the region and the State.He mentioned the project for the rejuvenation of Motijheel, which he described as a part of the history of Motihari. He mentioned that 11 projects worth more than Rs 3000 crore have been approved so far, to prevent waste water from entering the River Ganga. He said that about 50 lakh women had benefited from LPG connections through the Ujjwala Yojana, in the State of Bihar. In this context, he also mentioned the LPG and petroleum projects launched today. He said the projects launched today are part of the larger vision of developing Eastern India as growth engine for India. He also mentioned the road and rail projects launched today. He described the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Factory as a prime example of Make in India, and a source of employment in the region. He said the 12000 HP engines, the first of which rolled out today, will help in significantly improving the speeds of goods trains. He said that the work for this project, which was first approved in 2007, began three years ago, and the first phase has already been completed. He said the Union Government is committed to fulfilling all its missions and resolves, with the help of the people.

Speaking of the achievements in sanitation, the Prime Minister mentioned that sanitation coverage has expanded from about 40 percent in 2014, to about 80 percent today. He said toilet construction is ending social imbalances, and becoming a means of socio-economic empowerment and women empowerment. He described the mass movement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan as a phenomenon unparalleled anywhere in the world, in the 21st century.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the resolve for Swachhta would write a new chapter of a clean and prosperous India. 

PM to address Swachhagrahis in Champaran tomorrow

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will join the nation tomorrow in celebrations of the concluding ceremony of Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar.

He will address 20,000 Swachhagrahis or the Ambassadors of Cleanliness in Motihari on this occasion.  Swachhagrahis are the ‘foot soldiers’ and motivators to implement the Community Approaches to Sanitation (CAS) at the village level. Swachhagrahis are key to driving progress towards achieving an open defaecation free nation.

Mahatma Gandhi launched the Champaran Satyagrah over a century ago, on 10th April, 1917 against the Britishers to fight for the rights of farmers who were forced to undertake indigo cultivation. April 10th, 2018 marks the end of the centenary year celebrations of the Champaran Satyagrah, and is going to be celebrated through the “Satyagrah se Swachhagrah” campaign.

Prime Minister will also unveil several development projects on this occasion.

Learning and Development Is Falling Behind the Needs of Today’s Organizations

                 

                Learning and Development Is Falling Behind the Needs of Today’s Organizations

New research by HR.com in partnership with Skillsoft highlights today’s L&D trends and challenges and provides suggestions for boosting learning effectiveness

Hyderabad, April 9, 2018—Two-thirds of today’s organizations have not thoroughly embedded learning into their corporate cultures, according to new research conducted by HR.com in partnership with corporate learning technology company, Skillsoft. Based on survey responses from 722 participating HR and Training professionals, the complimentary whitepaper, “Supporting the Modern Learner,” is now available for download.

The study found that just eight percent of respondents describe learning and development (L&D) in their organizations as excellent, while 45 percent label it as mediocre or worse. Organizations in which learning is embedded are even rarer. Only 35 percent of participants said that learning is a part of their company culture to very high or high extent.

“Never in the history of the world has the ability to learn been more important,” said Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. “Information changes daily, along with new technology in a fast-moving, global marketplace. Employees need to be able to learn quickly and on the fly if their organizations are to survive and succeed. Yet, L&D is failing to keep up with these needs in most organizations.”

The study found that, despite massive technological changes, instructor-led training remains the most frequently used training method, followed by online courses. Relatively few organizations take advantage of the latest technologies or learning paradigms. Only about two-fifths of respondents, for example, said their organizations use mobile learning, even though smartphones and tablet computers are pervasive.

And only about a quarter of firms say they use micro-learning--that is, short bursts of learning two to five minutes in length--to help train employees. Even fewer (22 percent) personalize their learning for individuals to a high or very high extent. That is despite the fact that personalized learning is linked to higher quality L&D.

“The results of this study support our belief that modern learners benefit most from scenario-based micro-learning offered in multiple modalities and with the same immersive experience that they have become accustomed to from consumer brands like Google, Amazon, and Netflix,” said Tara O’Sullivan, Chief Creative Officer for the Skillsoft Group. “Offering content and platforms aimed at enhancing the learning experience and making learning frictionless go hand-in-hand withmaking the most of employees’ precious time and create lasting change in their organizations.”

Download the Report Supporting the Modern Learner: Creating great learning cultures for today’s diverse, multi-faceted workforce.

Neuberg Diagnostics to invest ₹300 cr for expansion

Chennai: Neuberg Diagnostics, an alliance of five leading pathology laboratories from India, South Africa and the UAE, is planning to invest ₹300 crore in India, the Middle East and Africa as part of its expansion plans.

“We are looking at investing another ₹300 crore for expansion plans in the coming years, which will be funded through internal accruals,” Neuberg Diagnostics Chairman GSK Velu said.

The company having focus on new generation technologies in the diagnostics space, according to Velu, has already invested ₹450 crore in acquiring laboratories in India and abroad and upgrading them.

Neuberg at present has 50 labs and 500 centres in the South and West India, and plans to increase the total count to 150 labs and 1,000 centres in the next three years.

“We will have three world class global reference laboratories located in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Durban (South Africa) carrying out advanced range of testing using new generation in vitro diagnostics techniques,” he said.

According to Velu, new generation technologies like genomics, metabolomics and proteomics that provide accurate diagnosis and also combination diagnostics, where hospitals, pharma companies and pathologists work together, is the future of the diagnostics industry.

“India is lagging behind in terms of technology and we wants to focus in those areas,” he said.

An alliance of five top laboratories like Anand Diagnostic Laboratory, SupratechMicropath, Ehrlich lab, Global labs and Minerva Labs, the company plans to have three infrastructure models — global centre of excellence, regional reference centres and satellite centres.

It also wants to establish research centres in the US and European markets, to get access to latest technologies and bring it to India, according to Velu.

“Talks are on with some universities and small labs in the regions,” he said.

The company, which is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 15 per cent, clocked an consolidated revenue of ₹400 crore last year and hopes to cross ₹1,000-crore mark by 2021-22.