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A parliamentary committee has recommended setting up population-based cancer registries in rural areas to help data-driven and evidence-based policy formulation. It has also suggested raising taxes on tobacco products citing that increasing their market price would make them less affordable. This will result in lower consumption and decrease the risk of tobacco-related diseases, including cancer, the panel said. The <keyword id="46535" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="Orion">health ministry</keyword> must pursue with the Department of Revenue to expedite the decision on raising taxes on tobacco products, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare said in its 147th report. It was presented in <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword> on Friday. It said for better policy formulation on cancer treatment and uniform distribution of cancer care, there is an urgent need to have realistic information about the incidence and type of cancers across the country. The committee said that the health ministry should take appropriate steps to persuade state governments to participate in the formulation of the cancer atlas so that the entire Indian population is covered under Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs). This will help in data-driven and evidence-based policy formulation, it said. It suggested that PBCRs can be linked to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to record data of cancer patients to get real-time information on cancer-related illnesses. "The committee has taken note that currently PBCRs cover 16 per cent of the Indian population only. Therefore, it is quite necessary that the National Cancer Registry Programme cover the population of India extensively, in order to have a unified national database for scientific understanding of epidemiology of cancer," the report said. Stressing a robust screening mechanism for cancer, the committee suggested that one day in a month can be fixed for cancer screening. While appreciating the government's impetus on an institutional framework for cancer care and management and financial support for combating cancer, the committee said cancer must be dealt with separately instead of being a part of other lifestyle and non-communicable diseases. It recommended the demerger of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) from the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) to have a better focus on screening, early diagnosis and management of cancer. In its report, the committee said that in all the leftover districts Non-Communicable Diseases (<keyword id="131571" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ncd" source="Orion">NCD</keyword>) clinics should be set up at the earliest and more healthcare professionals be trained for screening of common cancer. The panel highlighted that adequate human resource in cancer centres is crucial for their complete operationalisation and recommended setting up subsidised or free accommodation for patients and their relatives near cancer hospitals. The National Health Authority (<keyword id="672062" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nha" source="Orion">NHA</keyword>) should consider including all types of cancer diagnostic tests under the Ayushman Bharat <keyword id="6524177" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pradhan-mantri" source="Orion">Pradhan Mantri</keyword> Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), it said. It appreciated that in compliance with the committee's recommendations, the NHA has approved the inclusion of diagnostic tests under the AB-PMJAY with respect to breast, cervical and oral cancer. The committee noted that the health ministry has set up the e-Sanjivini Ayushman Bharat-Health Wellness Centre (AB-HWC), where doctor-to-doctor telemedicine services can be delivered through the hub and spoke model. It recommended that this model should be strengthened so that the opinions of experts can be provided to cancer patients in isolated and backward areas. The ministry should instruct National Cancer Grid (<keyword id="1502308" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ncg" source="Orion">NCG</keyword>) officials to explore group negotiation of commonly used high-value cancer drugs with pharmaceutical companies through a transparent central tendering platform to have substantial discounts on cancer drugs. Since the mandate of the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority is to ensure the availability of drugs at affordable prices, the committee reiterated that the pricing of cancer drugs should not be guided by profit as in the case of the other businesses. If it is not possible to reduce the profit margin of such drugs, the government may subsidise it, it said in its report. "The committee feels that the submission made by the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceutical, before the committee that over a period of about eight years or so the actual price increase in the drugs had been only between two to four per cent, does not mean that each manufacturer keeps the price of the drug below 10 per cent, as the mechanism permits them to make the hike up to 10 per cent," the report said. The committee said the government should rationalise the annual price hike limit of cancer drugs from 10 to five per cent in order to rescue poor cancer patients. It also suggested the ministry look at subsidising the healthcare cost for cancer patients and declare radiotherapy service as an essential commodity. The ministry should take the matter on board immediately and declare radiotherapy service as an essential commodity so that patients can get some relief from bearing the high cost of the service, it said. 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Parliamentary panel recommends setting up of population-based cancer registries in rural areas

A new artificial intelligence blood testing technology developed and used by researchers of <keyword id="4336355" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Johns-Hopkins-Kimmel-Cancer-Center" source="Orion">Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center</keyword> to successfully detect <keyword id="33225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lung-cancer" source="Orion">lung cancer</keyword> in a 2021 study has now detected more than 80% of <keyword id="3323065" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="liver-cancers" source="Orion">liver cancers</keyword> in a new study of 724 people. The findings were reported in <keyword id="2533828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cancer-Discovery" source="Orion">Cancer Discovery</keyword> and at the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference: Precision Prevention, Early Detection, and Interception of Cancer. The blood test, called <keyword id="5570827" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DELFI" source="Orion">DELFI</keyword> (DNA evaluation of fragments for early interception) detects fragmentation changes among DNA from cancer cells shed into the bloodstream, known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA). In the most recent study, investigators used the DELFI technology on blood plasma samples obtained from 724 individuals in the U.S., the European Union (E.U.) and Hong Kong to detect hepatocellular cancer (HCC), a type of liver cancer. The researchers believe this is the first genome-wide fragmentation analysis independently validated in two high-risk populations and across different racial and ethnic groups with different causes associated with their liver cancers. It is estimated that 400 million people worldwide are at higher risk of developing HCC because of cirrhosis from chronic liver diseases including chronic viral hepatitis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a worldwide analysis of the burden of liver disease (J. Hepatology, 2019). "Increased early detection of liver cancer could save lives, but currently available screening tests are underutilized and miss many cancers," says Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology and co-director of the Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, who co-led the study with Zachariah Foda, M.D., Ph.D., gastroenterology fellow, Akshaya Annapragada, M.D./Ph.D. student, and Amy Kim, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Of the 724 plasma samples studied, 501 were collected in the U.S. and E.U. and included samples from 75 people with HCC to train and validate the machine learning model, a type of artificial intelligence that uses data and algorithms to improve accuracy, explains Foda. For validation, an additional 223 plasma samples were analyzed from individuals in Hong Kong and included samples from 90 people with HCC, 66 with hepatitis B virus (HBV), 35 with HBV-related liver cirrhosis and 32 people with no underlying risk factors. The DELFI technology uses a blood test to measure the way DNA is packaged inside the nucleus of a cell by studying the size and amount of cell-free DNA present in the circulation from different regions across the genome. Healthy cells package DNA like a well-organized suitcase, in which different regions of the genome are placed carefully in various compartments. The nuclei of cancer cells, by contrast, are like more disorganized suitcases, with items from across the genome thrown in haphazardly. When cancer cells die, they release DNA fragments in a chaotic manner into the bloodstream. DELFI identifies the presence of cancer by examining millions of cfDNA fragments for abnormal patterns, including the size and amount of DNA in different genomic regions. The DELFI approach only requires low-coverage sequencing, enabling this technology to be cost-effective in a screening setting, the researchers say. In the latest study, researchers performed the test -- which was previously shown to accurately classify lung cancer -- on cfDNA fragments isolated from the plasma samples. They analyzed the patterns of fragmentation across each sample to develop a DELFI score. Scores were low for cancer-free individuals with viral hepatitis or cirrhosis (median DELFI score was 0.078 and 0.080, respectively), but, on average, 5 to 10 times higher for the 75 HCC patients in the U.S./E.U. samples, with high scores observed across all cancer stages, including early-stage disease (DELFI scores for Stage 0 = 0.46, Stage A = 0.61, Stage B = 0.83, and Stage C = 0.92). In addition, the test detected fragmentation changes in the content and packaging of liver cancer genomes, including from genome regions associated with liver-specific activity. The DELFI technology detected liver cancers at their earliest stages, with an overall sensitivity -- or ability to accurately detect a cancer -- of 88% and a specificity of 98%, which means it almost never incorrectly provided a false positive result, among people at average risk. In samples collected from those at high risk of HCC, the test had 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity. "Currently, less than 20% of the high-risk population get screened for liver cancer due to accessibility and suboptimal test performance. This new blood test can double the number of liver cancer cases detected, compared to the standard blood test available, and increase early cancer detection," says Kim, co-senior author on the study. The researchers said next steps include validating this approach in larger studies for clinical use. More than 800,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer worldwide each year, and it is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition to Velculescu, Foda, Annapragada and Kim, other researchers were Kavya Boyapati, Daniel Bruhm, Nicholas Vulpescu, Jamie Medina, Dimitrios Mathios, Stephen Cristiano, Noushin Niknafs, Harry Luu, Michael Goggins, Robert Anders, Jing Sun, Shruti Meta, David Thomas, Gregory Kirk, Vilmos Adleff, Jillian Phallen and Robert Scharpf. 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AI blood testing tech that detects lung cancer can now detect liver cancers too

Everyday, the dimly lit and shabby <keyword id="30587" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="bhatinda">Bhatinda</keyword> railway station in the Indian state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=punjab&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Punjab</a> comes to life sharp at 9 pm. The reason? The arrival of a passenger train that’s been long christened as the <keyword id="739669" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cancer-Train">Cancer train</keyword> on platform no 2. 
 
The train leaves Bhatinda around 9.25 pm and covers a distance of about 325 km with 26 halts to reach <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bikaner&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bikaner</a> in the Indian state of Rajasthan at 6 am. Sometimes, it’s an hour or two late. 
 
The most remarkable feature of this train is that 60% of its population are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cancer&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">cancer</a> patients of all ages who come from all across <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword>. This 12-coach train has gained its name from a sudden increase in cancer cases in Punjab that many blame on pesticide use, growing pollution and hardly any response by authorities. 
 
On an average, this train is the lifeline of 100 cancer patients daily, along with 200 other co-travellers and is almost always packed to near capacity. 
 The ticket is priced at Rs 210, but for cancer patients the eight hour journey to <keyword id="1380" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="bikaner">Bikaner</keyword> is free, while one accompanying attendant gets a concession of 75 percent. 
 
 
(Passemgers aboard the Cancer train. Image credit: Washington Post) 
 
 
All the patients aboard the train undertake this journey to visit Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Prince Bijay Singh Memorial Hospital, in Bikaner, which like many hospitals in Punjab is also covered for benefits under the Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh Scheme (MMPCRKS). 
 
One of them is a frail 68-year-old Madan Lal who along with his sister boards the sleeper coach, the only compartment with reserved seats, which allows him to lie down on the seat. 
 
All the remaining coaches are of the general category, where passengers jostle to find space. 
 
Lal, who hails from Mallan village in Faridkot district of Punjab has been undergoing treatment for cancer in his food pipe since the last year and has made over 30 visits to the Bikaner hospital. 
 
The first question that comes to mind is invariably this, ‘Why are scores of cancer patients from Punjab travelling to a far-off place in Rajasthan for treatment when Punjab itself boasts of state of the art facilities for cancer treatment?’ 
 
No matter how many people you ask, the answer for that is the same, and equally alarming. As Lal reveals, he did go to Faridkot Government Hospital more than four times last year when his condition deteriorated, however he never got a chance to see any doctor despite waiting for long hours. 
 
 
(Patients line up in Bikaner. Image credit: The Tribune) 
 
 
Additionally, the fact that it is incredibly hard to avail the cash incentives under MMPCRKS in Punjab without any political connection and that the poor are almost always neglected in the government hospital in the state has also attributed to patients taking to the hospital in Bikaner, which is one of the country’s 19 regional cancer research centres and for the cancer-striken in Punjab, the nearest place where treatment is free, and medicines cheap. 
 
Take for instance, Surjeet Kaur, who spent Rs 30,000 in Bhatinda hospitals for chemotherapy for breast cancer or Satya Devi who spent close to Rs 1 lakh for therapy on a cancerous growth on her lip. In the end, both fo them had to go to Bikaner anyway. 
 
Lodging and food in Bikaner come cheap too, making it a lucrative option for patients. A room at a dharamshala in Bikaner costs Rs 50, while a thali in the hospital canteen is only Rs 5. 
 The patients on this train are mostly small farmers from the southern districts of Punjab- Mansa, Sangrur, Bhatinda, Faridkot, Moga, Muktsar, Ferozepur and Sangrur, which together make up the <keyword id="602657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Malwa-region">Malwa region</keyword>. 
 
It is in this Malwa region that scores of farmers and their families are coming to grips with cancer and numerous health problems due to the lush fields hiding a scary tale. 
 Malwa, which is also Punjab’s cotton belt, requires the use of a startling amount of <keyword id="6444775" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="pesticides">pesticides</keyword>. Reportedly, farmers in this region use 15 different pesticide sprays and the unregulated and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have resulted in farmers and their families living in a cesspool of toxicity. 
 
 
(A farmer sprays pesticides in his field. Image credit: Al Jazeera) 
 
 
In 2011, it was also found that Punjab’s farmers use of pesticides is 923 grams per hectare was way above the national average of 570g/ha. Even worse is the fact that farmers also end up using the empty pesticide cans to store not only water but also food, which get contaminated with high heavy-metal toxicity. 
 
The residents have little choice than to drink highly polluted water or bathe in tap water that are sourced from canals where industrial effluents are discharged with impunity. 
 Many of the farmers blame the success of the 1970’s <keyword id="50335" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Green-Revolution">Green Revolution</keyword> for their sorry state right now. It was during then that the farmers had switched to a combo formula of high yield seeds-fertilizers-pesticide-water from traditional farming methods. 
 
Though, a few years ago, the Punjab government set up water purifiers in villages prone to cancer cases, but it was of little help as those were not cleaned properly. 
 
Meanwhile, hundreds of patients crowd the platform to get on the train hoping against hope while there continues to be atleast 18 deaths due to cancer in the state everyday. 
 
 
(Cancer patients get down from the train in Bikaner. Image credit: The Tribune)

The shocking tale of India's 'Cancer Train'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A heartbreaking video shows the moment an Indian elephant bid farewell to its long-time trainer.</li><li>Damodaran Nair, who took care of <keyword id="37736" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="elephants">elephants</keyword> in a village in Kerala, died of cancer on June 3.</li><li>The elephant paid his last respects to his master by waving his trunk and bowing his head.</li></ul>A heartbreaking video shows the moment an elephant said goodbye to its long-time master after he died of cancer in Kerala, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, last week, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqiFim6OqwE">the Indian Express reported.</a>Damodaran Nair was a so-called "mahout" who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-elephant-die-off-bostwana-toxic-algae-2020-9">took care of elephants</a> in the district of Kottayam for more than six decades. Before his death on June 3, the 74-year-old wanted to see his favorite elephant, Brahamdathan, one last time.According to the elephant's owner, Rajesh Palattu, the two had been inseparable since meeting 25 years ago, and Nair treated the elephant-like his own son.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-covid-crisis-flew-home-during-pandemic-help-care-family-2021-5">Several members of my family in India got COVID, so I flew home to help. While the US reopens, India is still deep in crisis.</a>"The bond and love between the two, Damodaran Nair and Brahmadathan, was one to watch and emulate," Palattu said, <a href="https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/watch-video-of-elephant-bidding-farewell-to-dead-kerala-mahout-in-india-goes-viral-1.1622987883282">according to Gulf News.</a>Nair passed away before his dying wish could be fulfilled, but his family made sure Brahamdathan could bid farewell one final time before the funeral.Footage posted on social media captured the emotional moment, which shows Brahmadattan walking up to Nair's wrapped-up body, which appears to be lying at the entrance of a house.A crowd of teary-eyed onlookers begins to weep as the elephant touches Nair's body with its trunk before raising and lowering it as if the animal is waving goodbye. "We were all moved with tears rolling down our cheeks. It was one of the most trying parting moments one could witness," Palattu said, according to Gulf <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword>.Watch the moment below:The video has garnered thousands of views on social media.Traditionally, a mahout receives an elephant early on in its life and trains to keep it by his family. The mahout and elephant remain bonded to each other through their lives.

Heartbreaking video shows the moment an Indian elephant bids farewell to his beloved master who died of cancer

<ul><li><keyword id="594081" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shailendra-katyal" source="Orion">Shailendra Katyal</keyword>, MD, <keyword id="220321" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lenovo-india" source="Orion">Lenovo India</keyword>, talks about post-COVID trends in digital adoption and how front-end edge devices are driving a big shift in technology consumption patterns in India Inc. </li><li>Despite challenges, we're at the beginning of a great era of really using the transformative power of technology driving digitization in the country that will benefit across the length and breadth of our population. </li></ul><keyword id="13722" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lenovo" source="Orion">Lenovo</keyword>, one of the largest personal technology companies in the world, is all set to capitalise on the growing opportunities that digitization brings in the post-covid world. With its growing retail presence of more than 10,000+ stores in India, the brand works closely with consumers in leading sectors such as education, healthcare, retail and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance). Business Insider India caught up with Lenovo India’s Managing Director Shailendra Katyal to talk about the growing digital adoption trends and the opportunities in the ‘PC+era’. How has the Covid-induced remote working and distant learning contributed to India’s digital adoption? How are Lenovo and its technologies contributing to this growth? One of the most vivid examples of how technology has really helped us to be resilient in the last couple of years is in education. We have seen how it acted as a lifeline for students and educators–just basic connectivity and a reliable device were the fundamental elements that allowed learning to continue even during all the lockdowns and the requirements of the pandemic. Remote working also contributed to the nation’s digital adoption as companies and employees were compelled to adjust to the virtual way. This flexibility has encouraged companies to continue with a hybrid model. Many companies are offering ‘work from anywhere’ options to their employees or a hybrid arrangement. This has indeed been a great driver to accelerate technology adoption during the pandemic. Lenovo’s collaboration with grassroot organisations like <keyword id="10514158" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="meghshala-trust" source="Orion">Meghshala Trust</keyword> and Agastya International Foundation focuses on promoting e-learning and mobile education for a large number of students. These partnerships engage Lenovo’s technology expertise in supporting quality education for students, capacity building and training of teachers. Another example is our partnership with Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, to provide a tailored solution that constitutes ready-to-use devices, convertible notebooks, and periodic health checks for devices. What are the opportunities that Lenovo sees in the whole ‘edge’ devices revolution? There are front-end edge devices that collect the data–it could be a phone, a PC or an edge. Data from these edge devices are collected, brought to the cloud and analysed further by running machine learning models that translate that data into information that is then used to drive the transformation. At Lenovo, our endeavour is to provide the services and solutions that make this ‘pocket-to-cloud architecture’ possible. We realise that modern times are not restricted to gadgets, but it depends on how companies are tying together the entire range of services and solutions with these devices. Our goal is to offer ‘everything-as-a-service’– from devices in your pocket to the cloud, via one contract. The ‘pocket-to-cloud architecture’ implies that Lenovo is not just a hardware vendor of smartphones, computers, workstations, servers or storage, but has also expanded to provide end-to-end solutions and services which fulfil the IT transformational needs of customers–starting from asset management, planning and deployment to managing the customers’ IT infrastructure migration to hybrid cloud, enterprise security management and managed services. We believe that edge computing and high-performance computing have significant value in enriching the lives of the citizens and the society. A recent example is our collaboration with CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), to expedite cancer research by digging deeper into the genetic roots of disease using the country’s largest Genomics Optimisation and Scalability Tool (GOAST) architecture installation. How are factors like environmental sustainability impacting customers’ buying decisions and choices? We see technology being used as a force for (the) good. Customers are now becoming more environmentally conscious and are inching towards a sustainable way of life by opting for more eco-friendly products with lower carbon footprint. The role of the IT provider will continue to transform as we build in services and solutions that help customers offset the environmental impact of their technology and support them in reaching their own sustainability goals. Companies are now moving closer to close the loop on product lifecycle, by using more sustainable materials. The rise in sustainable materials is also minimising the need for chemicals in the manufacturing process and helping bring manufacturers closer to carbon neutral. Lenovo, for example, has set a series of ambitious sustainability targets and outlined its vision to become net-zero by 2050. Since 2005, Lenovo’s R&amp;D (research and development) teams have been working with suppliers to include post-consumer content (<keyword id="70242" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pcc" source="Orion">PCC</keyword>) in the manufacturing of new Lenovo products. Today, Lenovo uses closed-loop post-consumer recycled content in 200+ products. Talk to us about the challenges that the technology community must address to digitally transform India in its true sense. In our country, one of the biggest challenges is the diversity in our population and the ability to reach remote locations. We believe that technology plays an important role in its ability to deliver benefits to this diverse population. Technology solutions such as speech to text and auto-captioning can actually help overcome some of the challenges related to diverse languages and dialects in the country. This can create new opportunities for employment for this workforce. In early 2020, Lenovo launched the <keyword id="14578339" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="product-diversity-office" source="Orion">Product Diversity Office</keyword> (PDO) at a worldwide level to ensure more inclusivity and diversity. <keyword id="14578340" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lenovo-voice" source="Orion">Lenovo Voice</keyword> was the first product to complete the PDO process and entered the global market as a “diversity approved” solution in 2020, and it started coming as a pre-loaded feature in <keyword id="771054" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lenovo-thinkpad" source="Orion">Lenovo ThinkPad</keyword> X1 Fold devices. Lenovo Voice offers real-time translation assistance, subtitle assistance, voice input and voice assistant capabilities, making the PC more intelligent, convenient and efficient. Despite several other challenges, we're at the beginning of a great era of really using the transformative power of technology driving digitization in the country that will benefit across the length and breadth of our population. For this we will need a lot of innovation and it needs to come from us, from India. Who better than us to innovate and deliver solutions that will address the needs of the country? SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indian-sports-buffs-can-now-vote-for-their-favourite-teams-jersey-using-blockchain/articleshow/93183286.cms">Indian sports buffs can now vote for their favourite team’s jersey using blockchain</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/gta-6-may-get-a-female-protagonist-launch-date-and-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/93182862.cms">GTA 6 may get a female protagonist – launch date and everything we know so far</a>

Lenovo aims to empower the ‘pocket-to-cloud architecture’ to fulfil IT transformational needs, says Shailendra Katyal

By Tapan Mohanta Kolkata, Apr 20 () Having fought cancer four years ago, former India batsman and Bengal coach Arun Lal knows a thing or two about conquering a dreadful disease and as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels both immunity and optimism need to be kept high. The former player was detected with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare type of salivary glands cancer, but he overcame the disease and gained abundant hope in the process. "It's a disease after all. You have to believe that you can fight it. You have no other choice. You have to be prepared for the worst. Hope for the best," Lal, under whom Bengal made their first Ranji final after 13 years this season, told in an interaction. "You have to keep your immunity level high. You have to fight it. You have to stay positive, and believe in yourself. Eat well, sleep well, keep your immunity level high." Lal was slated for a fortnight's holiday in Europe from April 15, but the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to all his plans and he's now confined at home, like everyone else. "You have to prevent it not only for yourself but for everybody else around you. That's what I'm doing, I'm staying isolated. Looking after the elderly in the house," he said. "Nobody knows very much about it yet. You have to be very very clear that you have to stay isolated. You have to wash your hands, wear a mask. You've to be careful." With the world under lockdown to stop the spread of the deadly virus, Lal is doing his bit, looking after his ailing mother and wife, doing household chores that include cooking and cleaning. "Gardening, cooking, cleaning. Then I've to look after my mother and wife, both are sort of semi bed-ridden. No help is also coming. Only one person I have," he said. "I sometime make the sweet dishes, or may be the odd gobhi-aloo, bhindi or karela. I also love to cook meat. I make lovely meat. 24 hours is less for me. We are managing somehow." A hard taskmaster, Lal is also making sure that his wards are engaged in training. "Now everybody is training on their own. We have laid out plans for the fast bowling unit. They are given whole plan on what to do everyday and what training, and how to do. We want to be fitter than last year." "They don't have grounds so they can only train on the roofs of their buildings, inside home, or in the drive-in and things like that. We hope to get together from July 1. But you never know. Future is very uncertain," he said. "So far we are only working with the bowling unit. Not the batsmen yet. It's been our major deficiency area. We will work very hard on them from next week," he added. TAP PM PMPM

You've to believe you can fight it: cancer survivor Arun Lal on COVID-19

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li><keyword id="6557808" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="haruto-iwata">Haruto Iwata</keyword>, Managing Director, <keyword id="54635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fujifilm">Fujifilm</keyword> India tells us how this experience gave the brand a chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change. </li></ul> As the country is slowly opening up after close to 10 weeks of complete lockdown, businesses are exploring the best ways to make the future safe for both their employees and consumers. For most brands, the closure of malls and showrooms meant business had to come to a complete standstill. However, it was this time that taught many of them the importance of pushing out effective and relevant communications, to ensure their connection with their consumers remained intact. We recently caught up with Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India who told us that the early signs of consumers coming to them are positive as people have already started walking into their showrooms to buy products in non-affected areas. He also said that the last few weeks gave the brand the chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change and it will continue to do so in the future too. Excerpts: Q) How has the past 1.5 months been for brand Fujifilm? Considering business would have been on a standstill, what kind of business impact are you looking at? The COVID-19 outbreak has left an enormous impact on brands across all industries. From a drop in consumer confidence, restricted mobility, and loss of jobs, it has caused a recession like situation with subsiding consumerism. With a top priority to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the employees and communities. At Fujifilm, we have always aimed at creating meaningful advancements and in the last few weeks, we have taken several measures to ensure safety, both internally and externally. At the community level, we have introduced various online workshops for camera enthusiasts and even conducted an interactive INSTAX Doodle Art Contest to help our customers utilize their time and give our business a chance to forge an instant connection with them. This month, we also unveiled ‘Pari Layegi Parivartan’; a comic series to spread the much needed self-health awareness amongst mothers and the women in our lives. While it is still early to predict the quantum of impact at the moment but there will be aftermath on the overall economy and consumption. However, in India with shops re-opening post the relaxation by the government, we are witnessing walk-in from consumers’ to buy products in non-affected areas. We are hopeful that recovery in demand will happen sooner as we learn to live with the virus and find different ways of <keyword id="6354839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword>. Q) It is imperative to stay connected with your consumers through a crisis situation. How have you done that since the lockdown? We believe that brands are like humans and during such situations; it becomes imperative to build an emotional connection with your consumers, a relationship where both can balance and support each other. It may not be a business as usual but our customers still depend on our products and services at large. We at Fujifilm have always believed in a holistic customer experience strategy and during times like these we have drastically modified our approach. We have been conducting various online workshops through Fujifilm’s social media channels. Consistently engaging with our consumers through Q&amp;A sessions like ‘Rendezvous’ with professional photographers on Instagram, organizing digital workshop like ‘Pathshala’ and ‘Roobaru’ on YouTube. To educate and share insight on camera features along with some tips &amp; tricks on shooting. As a brand, we encourage our consumers to stay safe and adopt social distancing guidelines and hence, we have also started a service of providing product demos at their doorstep. We are even organising health check-ups across rural in India, especially in remote areas with our advanced diagnosis technologies and associating with various hospitals to drive awareness around early detection of breast cancer. We are motivating people to stay strong and hope this pandemic ends soon with the minimum possible harm. Q) What kind of communication have you been putting out? How have you made sure you stayed relevant? There is no denying that these are stressful times and COVID-19 impact has changed the face of many industries. With most of the consumers now at home practicing social distancing, the amount of time they spend online has radically increased. Social media platforms have now become the primary means of communication for brands, consumers and the government as well. At Fujifilm, we are following a similar approach and are using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to disseminate valuable messages to our consumers. Building on our customer experience, we recently virtually launched our flagship camera, the X-T4. We were the first ones to modify our product launch strategy in the camera industry keeping in mind our community first approach, especially during these times. As in the end, it is all about adapting your product offerings, marketing language, and availability according to the business environment. Q) As the leader of the organization, what has your priority been these past few weeks? How are you preparing to face the post-Covid world? There are certain traits of leadership which are timeless. You have to be trustworthy, transparent, and inspirational. These are a few traits applicable to all businesses and relevant for all times. But then there are nuances which have to change with the times. The days of command and control – the days of hierarchy - are long gone. We need to have flatter structures to bring speed and agility in the company. The other very important trait I believe that the industry should have now more than ever is resilience. In today’s fast-changing world and in the post COVID world, we will face difficulties and various hurdles. The question is not about failing. The question is how quickly we get up and start running. I tell my people, failure is not the opposite of success, so long as we learn from it, and so long as we don’t repeat it. So, resilience becomes very important just like speed and agility. In today’s world, where there is a trust deficit, it is very important for people in the company to relate to the purpose and values. At Fujifilm India, we are adapting our offerings to the current times while testing new content online to identify future sales and consumption patterns. In conclusion, a delightful experience will ensure customers stay hooked. We will remain consistent with who we are as a customer-first company. We are evaluating trends and data daily and constantly seek and listen to customer feedback to ensure we’re providing the experience and value they want and need. Q) Have there been any interesting consumer trends you observed during the lockdown period? The Covid-19 has led to a paradigm shift in the consumer behavior. While some of these changes are no doubt temporary, some will be permanent. As the community moves beyond the survival mode, the digital-adoption momentum is likely to carry forward and become permanent. This inflection point will be primarily shaped by two major shifts in customer behavior - the reluctance to mingle in crowded public places and higher propensity for digital adoption. Marketers across industries are trying to redesign their business models and the imaging solutions industry is no exception. Consumers are likely to opt for online shopping even after the outbreak ends, and this change will be seen in the imaging industry as well. With our major business focus in healthcare sector, the health, hygiene and safety measures of people have been our utmost priority in today’s COVID world.The demand for online health content has been growing steadily for years. A positive by-product of the global pandemic has resulted in greater awareness of healthcare and the steps we can all take to safeguard our families and ourselves. From handwashing to exercising and eating healthy at home to prioritizing mental health, consumers are more engaged in healthcare issues than ever. To get smarter on health issues and guide decisions, consumers are turning to healthcare providers first as COVID elevates our collective esteem for doctors and hospitals on the front lines. We have seen an upward trend in self-diagnosis measures, where consumers want to be more aware of the health issues they’re tackling. Q) As a brand, what is going to be your growth strategy going ahead? Fujifilm’s mission to ‘Never Stop transforming themselves and the World’, focuses on how the company is leveraging its advanced and unique technologies (AI, IOT, IT solutions ) to create value from innovation and contribute to solving real-world challenges.Our effort is on offering healthcare solutions through AI and IoT solutions in remote areas by supporting radiologists with their imaging workflow and providing quality healthcare services and solutions for Indian people. We have been constantly on a lookout on enhancing our consumer awareness, for which we are indulging in sharing DIY self-examinations tips and tricks for women, allowing one to diagnose themselves easily during these times when they can’t step out. Our medical division is further organizing various webinars for training doctors and health experts around Breast Imaging of FFDM, 3D Synapse, application training to technicians for better use of CRs and DRs, etc.We are also providing N95 respirators&amp; surgical facemasks along with PPE kits to healthcare professionals at PGIMER, Chandigarh to help combat the spread of the disease. With rising numbers of customers on the digital bandwagon, we are revisiting our approaches and making them more tech-savvy. Small but handy initiatives such as uploading the product manual online, price comparisons and detailing the features of our innovative technologies are few such strategies we are adopting. Social media platforms, websites and e-commerce have become the one stop shop for all our imaging technologies. Q) The advent of smartphones with good cameras has made everyone a good photographer now. How are you as a brand trying to stay relevant? The photography industry is changing dynamically with each passing year. New applications, mobile apps and printing technology are redefining the ways consumers experience images. The rise in consumption of smartphones with great quality cameras have made people think about the need and importance of owning a <keyword id="11137" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-Camera">digital camera</keyword>. In fact, the growing trend of capturing moments and sharing further on their social media handles has motivated individuals to click more pictures with cameras that deliver better image and color quality. Hence, leading to an increased adoption of digital and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. The smartphones are becoming a starting point for us in shifting the interest of individuals to professional photography. Lately, we have also been witnessing photography as a hobby among today's new age millennials. Our range of Digital and <keyword id="2437429" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="instant-camera">Instant camera</keyword> products are becoming a creative tool of communication and self-expression for them. Therefore, we at Fujifilm feel that smartphone photography has been a blessing in disguise that has created a culture of photography worldwide for us. Q) What have your key learnings from this lockdown experience been? The global pandemic of Covid-19 has left a dramatic effect on every aspect of our lives. The virus and state-imposed lockdowns have wrought changes that are not just short-term, but will change the world like never before. Being isolated from the world into our respective homes, we have learned various lessons during this lockdown period. At Fujifilm, we believe that we should take this as a chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change. The key aspect to remember is that we are not the only ones fronting the problem and thereby we should “Never Stop” hoping for a better tomorrow. We have already stridden well with time and going forward we should keep pacing with determination and precautions. While we are embracing a never seen before and lasting impact of Covid-19, it is important for all of us to stay positive and strong for each other. Q) Do you think you will be able to get back on track in terms of business targets once the lockdown is called off? How does the rest of the year look? With the Covid-19, the first quarter of the financial year has been challenging for us. However, as a brand, we have tried to ensure that we are in touch with our customers regularly. Though the consumer’s mindset, attitude and behavior are always changing but the present epidemic may change them significantly and for a near future. We at Fujifilm are working towards newer strategies to navigate through these difficult times. Following the overarching theme of ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, we will continue to keep innovating our ways and build for these altered consumer journeys in the coming time.

Marketing in the times of Covid-19: Fujifilm India

By Lalit K Jha Washington, Jul 9 () Ayurvedic practitioners and researchers in India and the US are planning to initiate joint clinical trials for Ayurveda formulations against the novel coronavirus, the Indian envoy here has said. In a virtual interaction with a group of eminent Indian-American scientists, academicians, and doctors on Wednesday, Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said the vast network of institutional engagements have brought scientific communities between the two countries together in the fight against COVID-19. "Our Institutions have also been collaborating to promote Ayurveda through joint research, teaching and training programs. Ayurvedic practitioners and researchers in both the countries are planning to initiate joint clinical trials of Ayurvedic formulations against COVID-19," Sandhu said. "Our scientists have been exchanging knowledge and research resources on this front," he said. The Indo-US Science Technology Forum (IUSSTF) has always been instrumental in promoting excellence in science, technology, and innovation through collaborative activities. To address COVID-19-related challenges, the IUSSTF had given a call to support joint research and start-up engagements. Large number of proposals are being reviewed on fast track mode by the experts on both the sides, he said. "Indian pharmaceutical companies are global leaders in producing affordable low-cost medicines and vaccines and will play an important role in the fight against this pandemic," Sandhu said. According to the ambassador, there are at least three ongoing collaborations between Indian vaccine companies with US-based institutions. These collaborations would be beneficial not just to India and the US, but also for the billions who would need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 across the world, he noted. Asserting that innovation will be the key driver in pandemic response and recovery, he said tech-companies and start-ups have already begun to take the lead in this direction. "Telemedicine and telehealth will evolve as will other digital platforms across sectors," he said. Noting that there has been longstanding collaboration between India and US in health sector, he said scientists have been working together in several programs to understand important diseases at basic and clinical level. Many such programs have been focused on translational research to develop new therapeutics and diagnostics. There are over 200 ongoing NIH funded projects in India involving 20 institutions from NIH network and several eminent institutions in India engaged in a wide spectrum of research areas to create health care solutions, the senior diplomat said. The collaboration under Vaccine Action Program (VAP) resulted in development of ROTAVAC vaccine against rota virus which causes severe diarrhea in children. The vaccine was developed by an Indian company (Bharat Biotech) at an affordable cost. It has been commercialised and introduced in the Expanded Program on Immunisation. Development of many other vaccines such as TB, Influenza, Chikungunya are also in progress under the VAP, he said. "As I speak, the VAP meeting is in progress where experts from both countries are deeply engaged in technical discussions to expedite development of COVID-19 vaccine," Sandhu said in his remarks. During the interaction, the eminent experts appreciated India's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and offered their valuable suggestions and best practices in this regard. They shared their ideas on deepening the knowledge partnership between India and the US. The experts who took part in interaction, were drawn from a wide-ranging fields including artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biomedical engineering, robotics, mechanical engineering, earth and ocean science, virology, physics, astrophysics, and health sciences. Prominent among those who attended the virtual interaction were Subhash Kak Regents Professor at Oklahoma State University, Dr Vijay Kuchroo, Samuel L Wasserstrom Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Dr Ashish M Kamat, Professor of Urology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ashutosh Chilkoti, Alan L Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University; and Prof Manu Prakash, professor in Department of Bioengineering at Sandford University, among others. LKJ IND IND

Clinical trials for Ayurvedic formulations against COVID-19 to be initiated in India, US

Hollis JohnsonWe're starting to get a better picture of how artificial intelligence could help doctors better treat cancer. And <a href="http://abstracts.asco.org/199/AbstView_199_187558.html">in data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting</a>, IBM Watson Health gave a snapshot of how it's playing out so far. The studies looked at concordance rates, or how often Watson for Oncology reached the same course of treatment as the cancer doctors at different cancer centers around the world. At <a href="http://www.manipalinternationalpatientcare.com/centers-of-excellence/manipal-comprehensive-cancer-centre/">Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Center</a> in India, for 112 cases of lung cancer, there was 96.4% concordance between Watson and the doctors. For 126 cases of colon cancer it was 81% of the time, and for 124 cases of rectal cancer cases were 92.7%. The concordance was in line with what IBM expected in those cases: If Watson and the docs agreed all the time, there wouldn't be much value for adding AI to the picture.But it was a bit off when it came to Watson evaluating 185 cases of gastric cancer in South Korea. There, the concordance <a href="http://abstracts.asco.org/199/AbstView_199_191277.html">was 49%</a>. Norden said that relates to the guidelines for gastric cancer being different in South Korea than at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the hospital where Watson for Oncology was trained. The data presented at ASCO are among the first that IBM Watson Health has published in peer-reviewed academic journals. And while it sets the stage for what artificial intelligence can do to help doctors treat patients with cancer, many still have lingering questions.The biggest yet-to-be-answered question: Can using AI to determine cancer treatment actually extend patients' lives compared to oncologists alone determining their treatments?Andrew Norden, the deputy chief health officer at IBM Watson Health told Business Insider that the concordance data isn't "the ultimate endpoint we're interested in," though it was the first they could get to relatively quickly. To get to studies that evaluate overall survival (that is, finding out whether using AI-powered treatment plans can increase patients' lives compared to traditional treatment plans) will take more time.Get the latest IBM stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/ibm-Quote"> here.</a> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-botton-line-henry-blodget-amazon-20-years-tesla-jcpenney-boston-dynamics-2017-5">THE BOTTOM LINE: A deep dive into Tesla's stock price and Amazon 20 years after its IPO</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Here's how often IBM's Watson agrees with doctors on the best way to treat cancer

<ul><li><keyword id="6358361" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="biocon">Biocon</keyword> founder <keyword id="55796" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Mazumdar-Shaw">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</keyword> wanted to be a brewmaster before entering pharmaceuticals.</li><li>In an interview with Twitter India, Shaw said the idea for Biocon was created ‘on a rebound’ after getting pushed out of the brewing industry.</li><li>Despite breaking myths about women in daring businesses, she said, "The world still doesn’t get it."</li></ul>Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is India’s richest self-made woman in India with a net worth of $3.2 billion. But before she founded Biocon, she wanted to be a brewmaster — a person who supervises the brewing process of malt liquors. "I trained to be a brewmaster, but that was not to be because the brewing industry is quite a male bastion. They just couldn’t hire a woman," she said in an interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1235826195737890817">Twitter India</a> celebrating International Women's Day 
	<div type="twitter" handle="TwitterIndia" handlename="Twitter India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1012752671344771072/V7P59P0p_normal.jpg" favoritecount="77" retweetcount="10" status="The #Catalyst: @KiranShaw Tweets for women in science and women in the workplace. She Tweets for #EveryWoman https://t.co/dg4Wc7uqB0" createdat="1583478900000" id="1235826195737890817"></div>



 It was only after getting pushed out from the brewing industry that Shaw decided to go into pharmaceuticals instead in 1978. "I guess it was on a rebound, that I took up the opportunity to start my own biotech company," said Shaw. Even then, it wasn’t an easy journey. Banks weren’t ready to lend money to someone to start a business in a sector that was still in its nascent stages. It — so it took some time before people took the company, and its founder, seriously. "I think it was a very tough time for me initially because I have to overcome that credibility challenge of being a young girl who no-one took seriously," said Shaw. The world still doesn’t get it — but it’s getting better Biocon entered the US market and soon became the first company in the world to gain approval from the USFDA for two biosimilars used in cancer treatments. Now, not only is Shaw the <keyword id="7766819" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="richest-woman-in-India">richest woman in India</keyword>, she is the 54th richest person in India overall, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/kiran-mazumdar-shaw/#1970143a59ad">Forbes.</a> "It’s a myth to think that women are not bold enough to run daring businesses. It’s a myth that all of us have busted over time. So, I’m really surprised that the world still doesn’t get it," she told Twitter. However, she holds out hope for the future. "What I’m heartened by is that women are getting stronger and more vociferous and more articulate about what they believe in. It’s an endurance game. You’ve got to tell your story well, and don’t give up. Keep going with what you’ve started off with because that commitment and conviction will finally get you to where you want to be," she added. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-womens-day-indian-women-still-a-long-way-off-from-empowerment/articleshow/68313107.cms">Women’s day in numbers: 9 grim reminders that Indian women are still a long way off from empowerment</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/article/remembering-bumbles-brand-journey-before-international-womens-day/articleshow/74489656.cms">Remembering Bumble’s brand journey before International Women’s Day</a>

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw wanted to be a brewmaster before building the largest biotech company in India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">China Daily via ReutersIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, China, in April 2018.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Muslims in Xinjiang, China, are being surveilled and locked up en masse by regional authorities who see them as terrorists whose religion are akin to a disease or cancer.</li><li>Meanwhile, India revoked the autonomy of the mostly-Muslim region of Jammu and Kashmir, and is building detention camps for ethnic Bengalis - most of them Muslim - in the northeastern state of Assam.</li><li>There are several parallels between these two countries' actions - both claim their projects are to prevent violence and explicitly told other countries to butt out of their affairs.</li><li>The rest of the world is too powerless to stop these economic powerhouses from continuing their mass internment projects.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>China and India, two economic powerhouses with some of the largest populations in the world, are brutally oppressing their ethnic and religious minorities. But the international community is loathe to rebuke them.In <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/xinjiang">Xinjiang</a>, Chinese authorities have installed the equivalent of a 21st-century police state, with the Uighur ethnic minority monitored by electronic spyware, and locked up en masse in prisons and detention camps. Uighurs call the region East Turkestan.In August, Indian authorities revoked the semi-autonomy of the disputed territories of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, and placed the region under an internet and phone blackout that largely remains today.Residents - many of whom are Muslim - have been placed under virtual house arrest, unable to worship on holidays or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-kashmir-trade-lockdown-ruins-apple-economy-2019-9">harvest crops</a>.In Assam, northeast India, officials are also building internment camps to hold hundreds of mostly-Muslim ethnic-Bengalis, whom the state has declared illegal immigrants because their names are not included on the National Register of Citizens.Many of them have lived in India their whole lives, but their citizenship documents are nonexistent, lost, or riddled with spelling errors. Indian authorities <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/india-implement-nationwide-citizenship-count-191120122109336.html">said this week</a> they want to extend the policy throughout the country, making activists grow more fearful for Muslims' safety."In Assam, the camps are currently set up within existing prisons," Angana Chatterji, co-chair of the University of California, Berkeley's Initiative on Political Conflict, Gender, and People's Rights told Business Insider."Reportedly about 600 to 700 people are being held in them," she said, adding that the prisons and camps being built "are being likened to concentration camps."Though Xinjiang, Kashmir, and Assam are hundreds of miles apart, they all seem to follow the same playbook.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Anuwar Hazarika / REUTERSShefali Hajong, a laborer whose name has been excluded from India's National Register of Citizens, at a construction site for a detention center in Goapara, Assam, in September 2019.</div></div></div><h2>Both countries target Muslims to 'prevent violence'</h2>China has repeatedly claimed that its actions in Xinjiang are a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tries-to-cite-islamophobia-to-export-model-of-muslim-repression-2018-11">counterterrorism measure</a>, and even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tries-to-cite-islamophobia-to-export-model-of-muslim-repression-2018-11">cites Islamophobia</a> to justify its actions. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-uighur-detention-camps-cleanse-religion-leaked-documents-nyt-2019-11">Leaked Communist Party documents</a>, published last week by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/16/world/asia/china-detention-directive.html">The New York Times</a>, shows authorities referring to Uighurs' religion as a cancer, disease, or drug addiction.Meanwhile, India's External Affairs Minister <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/indian-external-affairs-minister-on-kashmir-climate-trump-a-1296790.html">Subrahmanyam Jaishankar</a> has said the country cut off Kashmir's internet and communications to fight radicalization and "prevent the loss of life." Locals and law-enforcement officials <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-villagers-allege-beatings-abuse-electric-shock-india-denies-2019-8">have been involved</a> in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-man-blinded-pellets-police-insist-no-major-injuries-2019-8">violent clashes</a>, and thousands of people have been detained.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which is built on Hindu supremacy, has also capitalized on local Hindu suspicion in Assam of ethnic Bengalis, who have different ethnic identities, religions, and languages, said Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch.Amit Shah, the country's home minister, has referred to illegal Muslim immigrants in India as "<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/india-election-speech/amit-shah-vows-to-throw-illegal-immigrants-into-bay-of-bengal-idUSKCN1RO1YD">termites</a>" and threatened to throw them into the Bay of Bengal. The government has justified its actions in Assam as a matter of national security.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Anuwar Hazarika / REUTERSLaborers at a school building at a construction site for a detention center in Goalpara district, Assam, in September 2019.</div></div></div><h2>Ethnic tensions are an 'internal matter'</h2>Both China and India have batted away international criticism by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-lawmakers-bill-punishing-china-over-uighur-muslim-persecution-2018-11">insisting that those issues</a> are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tells-un-to-back-off-after-alleging-xinjiang-has-1-million-in-camps-2018-9">internal matters</a> - and to an extent, their tactics are working.The Chinese government forbids foreign journalists from entering Xinjiang to report, opting instead to organize <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-xinjiang-usa/u-s-official-denounces-choreographed-visits-to-chinas-xinjiang-idUKKCN1R503T">heavily-choreographed</a> and chaperoned tours to the region that involve bizarre performances of Uighurs dancing or learning Chinese in classrooms. At least two such trips have taken place.Beijing has repeatedly dismissed reports of physical and psychological torture in those camps, claiming instead that they are "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-calls-xinjiang-uighur-detention-camps-free-vocational-training-2018-10">free vocational training</a>" - even though many of the detainees doctors, journalists, or other professionals.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersA perimeter fence constructed around a detention camp for Uighurs in Dabancheng, Xinjiang. China calls this a "vocational skills education center."</div></div></div>India, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that the Kashmir issue can only resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, citing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-negotiate-in-kashmir-pakistan-india-2019-7">two historic agreements</a> on the matter. The issue of illegal immigration in Assam and elsewhere is <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/india-implement-nationwide-citizenship-count-191120122109336.html">a matter of national security</a>, according to Indian politicians. In October, Indian authorities took a group of mostly right-leaning Members of the European Parliament on a tightly-controlled trip to Kashmir, which included a stay in a luxury hotel and a peaceful boat ride, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50231022">the BBC reported</a>. The delegation did not witness any clashes or detentions.But Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a vocal critic of Indian policy in Kashmir, was barred from entering Kashmir during a trip to India in early October."I was told it was not a good time" by Indian authorities, Van Hollen told Business Insider. "India's actions are fueling the more extreme elements on the ground," he added, referring to anti-India militants in the region, many of whom are funded by Pakistan.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Adnan Abidi/ReutersSmoke rises from teargas shells fired by Indian security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir state, in August 2019.</div></div></div>Darren Byler, a Uighur expert and University of Colorado researcher, said the Chinese and Indian government tours are likely helping quell foreign criticism."I think the people that go on those tours, they understand that this is being staged for them, at least to some extent," he told Business Insider."But they also see it as a way of justifying, saying they've done their due diligence, and they've taken a look at what's happening on the ground - so they can sign off, check the box, to say they've looked into the box, and say there's nothing there."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomas Peter / REUTERSA Chinese police officer armed with an automatic weapon gestures towards reporters in Yining, Xinjiang, in September 2018.</div></div></div><h2>Criticism will not be tolerated</h2>China has repeatedly batted away criticism over Xinjiang, saying that its policies helped clamp down on terrorism and violence in the region. Shortly after The Times published the leaked Uighur files, the Chinese foreign ministry <a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjdt_674879/fyrbt_674889/t1716742.shtml">said</a> its tactics in the region were "worth learning from."India, meanwhile, has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-crisis-india-accuses-media-fake-news-using-trump-playbook-2019-9">embarked on a disinformation campaign</a> regarding Kashmir, accusing the BBC and Reuters of lying about massive protests in the region <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-india-accuse-bbc-reuters-lying-about-protests-despite-video-2019-8">even though they were recorded on video</a>.While both China and India's actions are driven by nationalism, it's important to note that they're not coordinating on tactics - the two countries have an <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/06/modi-2-0-and-indias-complex-relationship-with-china/">extremely complicated relationship,</a> due in part to China's encroachment near Indian territory and its friendly relationship with India's main rival, Pakistan.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Adnan AbidiA signboard on the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, in 2009. China calls the state South Tibet.</div></div></div><h2>Too big to punish</h2>Another similarity between the Xinjiang, Kashmir, and Assam crises is the lack of tangible, international action against them.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/islamic-world-stopped-calling-out-chinas-muslim-persecution-2019-4">Not a single Muslim country is standing up to China over its actions,</a> either to preserve existing economic ties or in response to Chinese threats to suspend future investment. Many Western countries have publicly criticized China's actions in Xinjiang - but have taken limited steps to stop the atrocities.The European Union, for example, has told China to "<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190509-eu-urges-china-change-situation-xinjiang">change</a>" its actions but has not taken any tangible steps to ensure it. The 28-nation bloc lacks a coherent view toward China - and Beijing has capitalized on this disunity by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-china-playbook-to-pit-eu-countries-against-each-other-2019-3">pitting EU countries against each other to prevent a united policy</a> that could hamper its plans.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Philippe Wojazer/ReutersEuropean Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Elysée Palace in Paris in March 2019.</div></div></div>Last month the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-22210.pdf">US Commerce Department blacklisted</a> 28 Chinese companies, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-blacklists-china-ai-startups-2019-10">including eight highly-valued AI startups</a>, in response to their role in the "implementation of China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance" against Muslims in Xinjiang.The sanctions were hailed as a good first step, but there is no evidence of change in China's activities, or any indication that the US will take further measures.An executive at Dahua, one of the sanctioned tech firms, even <a href="https://ipvm.com/reports/dahua-strong-sanction">appeared to celebrate</a> after the announcement, telling <a href="http://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2019-10-18/1379375.html">a business newspaper</a>: "The fact that we are under the US control list shows that we indeed have a strong technological capability."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Associated Press/Andy WongXi and US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during Trump's state visit in November 2017.</div></div></div>"I think there's a lot of rhetoric - people want to care, they want to project that they're caring, but when it actually comes down to some kind of human or economic cost, they're not willing to take that step," Byler, the Uighur expert, said."They also point a finger at the Muslim-majority countries, saying: these countries aren't even taking a stand at all, or they're supporting the Chinese state," he added. "So that helps them feel justified in saying, 'at least we're condemning it, we've taken that step.'"Aside from written statements of concern, the US has not taken any concrete action against India over its crackdown in Kashmir and Assam either.The House Asia subcommittee <a href="https://sherman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/asia-subcommittee-to-hold-a-hearing-on-human-rights-in-south-asia-on">held hearings</a> on human-rights violations in the region in late October, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019%20India%20Issue%20Brief%20-%20Religious%20Freedom%20Implications.pdf">issued a report</a> this week noting their concern over India's using the citizenship list to tacitly set a religious requirement on citizenship and oppress Muslims.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Mukhtar Khan / Associated PressA Kashmiri woman walks past paramilitary soldiers in Bijbehara, south of Srinagar, Kashmir, in October 2019.</div></div></div>The US is also "highly unlikely" to impose economic sanctions on India over Kashmir, a former US diplomat specializing in South Asia told Business Insider, noting that Washington hasn't sanctioned Pakistan for harboring militants in Kashmir either. The source had declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.But "that doesn't mean that it's okay to apply a communications blockade on an entire region, and put a bunch of people who are mainstream politicians and who used to be in alliances with the ruling Indian government, into preventive detention," the person said.An appropriate venue to raise India's actions in Kashmir would be at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) the diplomat said. But the fact that the US, the most powerful country in the world, quit the UNHCR - <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/44537372">calling it "hypocritical and self-serving"</a> - has effectively neutered its leadership in human rights and leverage to condemn India's human rights abuses.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Denis Balibouse/ReutersThe UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 2019. The US quit the council in June 2018.</div></div></div>There is also evidence to suggest that UNHCR condemnations don't work: Earlier this year 22 mostly-Western countries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-joint-letter-condemn-muslim-oppression-no-islamic-signatories-2019-7">wrote a joint letter</a> slamming China's "arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of movement of Uighurs, and other Muslim and minority communities in Xinjiang."The harsh language of the letter was outweighed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/syria-saudi-nk-support-china-uighur-prison-camps-xinjiang-2019-7">by 37 other countries</a> - including Syria and North Korea - standing up for China.And in September, amid the Kashmir blackout and Assam's citizenship crisis, Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-plays-unusual-role-of-warm-up-act-at-massive-rally-for-modi-in-houston/2019/09/22/18cf7a2a-dd50-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html">hosted Modi at a rally in Houston, Texas</a>, where Modi defended his government's actions in Kashmir.What China and India are doing to their Muslim minorities is bleak. But without powerful countries and international bodies willing to take a stand, these persecutions are likely to continue unimpeded. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secret-service-boot-camp-training-academy-president-security-2019-11">We went inside Secret Service boot camp where recruits get top secret training for their 'zero-fail mission'</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

China and India are using the same playbook to trample on their minorities, and the rest of the world is too powerless to stop them

In a knowledge-intense world, science plays a larger role than trade and commerce. But tied with the commercial perspective, science and engineering have undergone a sea change and we are now looking at innovations that offer great business value and mostly focus on enhancing <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and trade. This has led to a huge and significant change in the global science roadmap and technology-related economic activities, especially in the wake of severe economic downturn in the recent past, with its effects threatening to blow the countries apart. 
 
Intensive research, which started as a pure science activity and a fundamental extension of academic studies, has now taken the backseat. While this has caused enough worries and heartaches within the scientific community that believes in research for research’s sake, the business angle is forcing the fraternity to look at research as an activity that has to be justified and feasible in economic terms. Nowadays, what matters most is applied research, innovated further to ensure end commercial gains and patented to protect its intellectual value from duplication. 
 According to a recent report by the World <keyword id="388837" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="intellectual-property">Intellectual Property</keyword> Organization (WIPO), the US and China are leading the intellectual property space as they happen to be the driving forces behind international patent filing in a record-setting year in 2013. 
 The total number of filings under WIPO stood at 205,300, up 5% from the year before. And, what’s noteworthy is that while <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword> and China are almost close in their race for Patent Cooperation Treaty, India emerges as a surprise third, being one of the largest user of the PCT system among low and middle-income countries. 
 With Obamacare coming into focus this year, the US has come under severe pressure to restrict pharma patents from being used by other countries. As of now, the <keyword id="67373" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="obama-administration">Obama administration</keyword> has withstood a great deal of pressure from the US business lobby. They somehow contained the situation from turning into another diplomatic embarrassment for both Washington and New Delhi. The US has kept India in its ‘priority watch list’ for the current year instead of further downgrading the country and categorising it as a ‘priority foreign country,’ which would have led to trade sanctions. 
 
Image: ThinkStock 
 
Needless to say, such discord mainly arises from economy-centred issues. Interestingly, the knowledge monopoly of the western countries is slowly fading and traditional knowledge-based countries such as India and China (mostly Asian nations) are vying for the top slot. Although the US remains among the top nations, with knowledge and technology-intensive industries to its credit, including some highly specific energy and pharmaceutical manufacturing, emerging economies are clearly giving it some tough competition. 
 
Emerging economies understand the role science and innovation play in the global marketplace and also in ensuring economic competitiveness. For them, the vision has slowly changed from being body shops to innovators. And ‘trade’ may soon become the next keyword instead of ‘aid.’ 
 While the US remains the single biggest investor in research and development, the annual global research spending in the country has significantly dropped from 37% to 30% in the recent years. That is why the country is slowly training its gun on nations such as India, which are among the biggest PCT consumers. Earlier this year, the US looked all set to announce trade enforcement action against India, as the <keyword id="48028" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="US-government">US government</keyword> was under growing pressure from pharma research firms and manufacturers to react to the perceived intellectual property rights abuses by Indian drug companies. 
 One simple reason for this is the stern stance that the Indian judiciary has taken in major cases of patent protection of life-saving <keyword id="6355291" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Cancer">cancer</keyword> drugs, keeping them largely affordable to the Indian middle-class and the lower middle-class. Novartis’ drug Glivec didn’t get patent cover by the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> and a compulsory licence was given to Bayer’s drug that treats kidney and liver cancer. 
 
Even in the past, India had played a crucial role and drastically slashed the prices of ARV (antiretroviral) drugs in its war against HIV. This was more than a decade ago and since then, the country has been able to bring down the cost of the drug from $15,000 per patient per year to $60 per patient per year. It was an essential social initiative to keep the incidence of HIV down although India is not one of the highly affected countries. But the initiative has set the path for others. India was able to do this owing to the fact that the country didn’t root for WTO patents protection, which would have posed a hurdle in economising ARV drugs. 
 India’s role in pharma wars has great implications when it comes to underprivileged people’s access to quality healthcare. Countries like <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword> and South Africa have closely followed the Indian model to modify their IP laws, sending out alarming signals to knowledge-hoarding countries. 
 
India, the world’s largest producer and supplier of generic drugs, has often been singled out by the US government and the multinational pharma industry on the grounds of insufficient enforcement of intellectual property protection. 
 
For India, keeping the knowledge free and open for sharing, especially when it comes to saving lives, seems to have become a philosophy by which the country lives. And the rest is for the countries to slug it out in courts.

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