* The focus is on early diagnostic tools, molecular assays for precision medicine, which are not readily available in the country.

* The Tata Group is investing Rs 110 crore in Karkinos while Rakuten Medical, the global clinical stage biotechnology company, Mayo Clinic and Reliance Digital Health, hold minority stakes.

* Karkinos Healthcare has installed the most advanced high-throughput HPV assay equipment, Cobas 6800, in this centre with the ability to test over 1,200 Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) assays of all high-risk types.

* It has partnered with organisations such as Kerala Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologic to support the World Health Organization’s mission of eliminating cervical cancer by 2030..

Source : The Print

State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has created a Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous lane of 75 kilometres in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the national highway between Amravati and Akola districts in Maharashtra.

 

Mentioning about the record, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday(8th June 2022) said the project was implemented by 720 workers including a team of independent consultants who worked day and night.

 

The total length of the 75 kilometres of single lane continuous bituminous concrete road is equivalent to 37.5 kilometres of two-lane paved shoulder road and the work started on June 3, at 7:27 am and was completed on June 7, at 5 pm, the minister said in a video message.

 

The previous Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous was for building 25.275 kilometres of road that was achieved in Doha, Qatar in February 2019 and that task was completed in 10 days, Mr. Gadkari said..

Source : The Hindu

World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12 as a day dedicated to creating awareness about the menace of child labour and human trafficking. According to the United Nations, more than 160 million children, some as young as 5, are engaged in child labour across the world.

 

In the least developed countries, more than one in every four children of ages 5 to 17, are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development. While the percentage of children involved in child labour is higher in low-income countries, the numbers are greater in middle-income countries.

 

Over 84 million children, 56 per cent of the total those in child labour live in middle-income countries. Nine per cent of the total children in lower-middle-income countries are involved in child labour and this number is 7 per cent in the case of children in upper-middle-income countries.

 

HISTORY : June 12 was officially adopted as World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation, a United Nations body that regulated the world of work. The day aims to guarantee a normal childhood to victims of child labour by providing them appropriate support for education, and medical services.

 

WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR 2022 THEME : The theme for World Day Against Child Labour 2022 is “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour." The theme is dedicated to the cause of increasing investment in social protection systems and schemes to establish solid social protection for protecting children from child labour..

Source : News18

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is celebrating Elimination of Child Labour Week in the honour of World Day Against Child Labour in the 75 places as part of the “75th anniversary celebrations of India’s independence – “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” in different districts starting from 12th June to 20th June, 2022 as a significance to pay attention to the problem of child labour and to find ways to eradicate it.

 

In this regard, rescue operations in 75 places where children are involved in labour work, in the scrap & automobile markets across the countryshall be conducted during 12th -20th June, 2022 with the help of authorities like State Commission (SCPCR), District authorities, Child Welfare Committee, DLSA, Child Line, Police/SJPU,Labour Department and other stakeholders.

 

For these rescue operations, Virtual meetings via video-conference were conducted with DMs, officials of SCPCRs, DLSAs, SJPUs, LabourDeptt., Childline & other Stakeholders to discuss the process of Rescue Operations to be taken by them during the Elimination of Child Labour Week.More than 800 officials from 18 States/UTs participated in the meetings..

Source : PIB

The Indian government has decided to extend a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 55 million to Sri Lanka for the procurement of Urea Fertiliser.

 

This credit line was extended in response to an urgent request from the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), amid the ongoing economic crisis.

 

“In this context, a LOC agreement was signed between GOSL and the Export-Import Bank of India today (June 10, 2022) at Colombo, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera, and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay. Senior officials from the Sri Lankan and Indian side were also present during the signing ceremony,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement.

 

The support from India ranges from economic assistance of close to USD 3.5 billion to helping secure Sri Lanka’s food, health, and energy security by supplying essential items like food, medicines, fuel, kerosene etc..

Source : The Print

The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami inaugurated a five-storied women’s hostel at Sylhet on Saturday(11th June 2022). Umesh Chandra-Nirmalabala Chhatrabas at Chalibandar in Sylhet has been constructed with financial assistance of Bangladeshi Taka 4.35 crore from the government of India.

The hostel can accommodate 160 women students. It will be run on a not-for-profit basis by the Umesh Chandra-Nirmalabala Chhatrabas Trust.

 

After the inauguration of the women’s hostel, the High Commissioner along with Minister of Rural Development and Cooperatives Md. Tazul Islam, Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, and Mayor of Sylhet City Ariful Haque Chowdhury jointly inaugurated three more projects. The projects included development of Dhupadighipar area, the Construction of Cleaners Colony building at Kastoghar, and Construction of a School building at Chara Dighi Par in  Sylhet.

 

These projects have been funded by the Government of India and implemented by the Sylhet City Corporation as part of an MOU signed in 2017 for the ‘construction of Infrastructure for Education and better Environment of Sylhet City Corporation.

 

All three projects are focussed on improving the lives of the local community. These are part of many such projects being implemented under development assistance across Bangladesh with funding from the Government of India, said the Press Release issued by the High Commission of India on Saturday(11th June 2022)..

Source : DD News

Hypogonadism is a condition caused by the deficiency of the male sex hormone, testosterone, and a new study in Lancet Health Longevity looks at the short- to medium-term safety of testosterone treatment.

 

Analysis of data from more than 3,400 patients with hypogonadism from 17 clinical trials found little evidence that testosterone treatment increases the risk of cardiovascular events such as arrhythmia, heart attack, and stroke, in the short to medium terms.

Testosterone replacement therapy is the standard treatment for hypogonadism, which can cause sexual dysfunction, weakening of bones and muscles, and reduced quality of life. Risk factors include ageing (as testosterone levels decline with age), obesity and diabetes.

Source : Indian Express

* Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf (retired) has been hospitalized for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis).

 

* Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in one’s organs, affecting their shape and functioning.

* Amyloid deposits can build up in the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body, leading to life-threatening conditions like organ failure.

* Amyloid isn’t normally found in the body, but can be formed from several different types of proteins. Some varieties of amyloidosis occur in association with other diseases.

These types may improve with treatment of the underlying disease. Some varieties of amyloidosis may lead to life-threatening organ failure.

 

* Light-chain (AL) amyloidosis : People with conditions such as multiple myeloma or a bone marrow illness are more likely to have AL amyloidosis.

* Another type is the AA amyloidosis. Previously known as secondary amyloidosis, this condition is the result of another chronic infectious or inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis..

Source : Indian Express

The newly released Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, measured by Yale and Columbia universities, ranks India at the bottom position among 180 countries.

 

The EPI is an international ranking system of countries based on their environmental health.

It is a biennial index, first started in 2002 as the Environment Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University Center for International Earth Information Network.

EPI 2022 uses 40 performance indicators to assess and rank 180 countries. The 40 indicators are under the broad categories of climate change performance, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.

With a rank of 180 and a score of 18.9, India has fallen from rank 168 and a score of 27.6 in 2020. India comes after Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar, the poorest performers. Denmark tops the list with a score of 77.9.

The Environment Ministry of India has issued a rebuttal saying the indicators used in the assessment are based on “unfounded assumptions”..

Source : Indian Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Sant Tukaram Shila Mandir in the temple town of Dehu in Pune district.

 

Shila refers to a rock that is currently on the Dehu Sansthan temple premises, and that for centuries has been the starting point of Wari, the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur.

The Bhakti saint Sant Tukaram had sat on this piece of rock for 13 continuous days when challenged about the authenticity of the Abhyangs he had written.

prior to this, the saint had immersed his entire work in the Indrayani river; the work miraculously reappeared after 13 days, proving their authenticity.

Sant Tukaram and his work are central to the Warkari sect spread across Maharashtra. His message about a casteless society and his denial of rituals had led to a social movement. Sant Tukaram is credited with starting the Wari pilgrimage..

Source : Indian Express