The <keyword id="44171" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ugc" source="Orion">UGC</keyword> has warned edtech companies and colleges offering degrees in collaborative arrangements with <keyword id="6726010" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="foreign-universities" source="Orion">foreign universities</keyword> not recognised by it, according to officials. The <keyword id="56459" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-grants-commission" source="Orion">University Grants Commission</keyword> (UGC) has also reiterated that none of these degrees will be valid and cautioned students against taking admission in such courses. "It has been observed that many <keyword id="505101" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="Higher-Education-Institutions" source="Orion">Higher Education Institutions</keyword> (HEIs) and colleges have entered into collaborative agreements with foreign-based educational institutions or providers not recognised by the commission and have been facilitating the issuance of foreign degrees to the students," UGC Secretary <keyword id="722170" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="manish-joshi" source="Orion">Manish Joshi</keyword> said. "Any such kind of collaboration or arrangement is not recognised by the UGC and, accordingly, the degrees issued subsequent to such collaboration arrangement are also not recognised by the commission," he added. Joshi said it has also come to the UGC's notice that some edtech companies are advertising in newspapers, social media and television, offering degree and diploma programmes in online mode in association with some foreign universities and institutions. "Such a franchisee arrangement is not permissible and any such programme or degree shall not have UGC recognition. Action will also be taken against all the defaulting edtech companies as well as the HEIs under applicable regulations," Joshi added. "Students and the general public are advised to exercise due caution and any enrolment in such courses will be at their own risk," Joshi added.

UGC warns edtech companies offering degree courses online in association with foreign universities

The Sharman Joshi-starrer upcoming film <keyword id="37315" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="fauji">Fauji</keyword> Calling has been declared <keyword id="417528" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-free">tax free</keyword> by Chief Minister <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> in Delhi. The film chronicles the life of a soldier and what his family goes through when he is away in the battlefield. Along with Sharman, the film also features Bidita Bag, Mughda Godse, Mahi Soni, <keyword id="35939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zarina-Wahab">Zarina Wahab</keyword>, Shishir Sharma and <keyword id="3061668" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranjha-Vikram-Singh">Ranjha Vikram Singh</keyword>. Thanking the government of Delhi, director Aaryan Saxena said: "I thank Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal ji, and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia Ji from the bottom of my heart. This is just the beginning and we are looking at a couple of other states to declare the movie tax-free as well. It's an unseen side of 'fauji' families and relates to the emotions of all age groups." Fauji Calling is written and directed by <keyword id="2402946" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aaryaan-Saxena">Aaryaan Saxena</keyword> and produced by Naida Shaikh, Ovez Shaikh, Vikram Kumar, Anil Jain, and Vijeeta Verma, and co-produced by Vishnu S Upadhyay. Expressing their gratitude, the producers said in a joint statement: "It's been such an honour to work on this film. The film has become tax-free in <keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword> and I want to thank CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia for this noble deed. This is a movie that is an ode to our soldiers and their families. And now that the movie has gone tax-free in New Delhi, I couldn't have asked for anything else. It's a work of our blood and sweat. We have literally given it everything. I am also grateful to my team for standing together through all the difficult and uncertain times. Over to the audience now." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/gautam-adani-naveen-jindal-anand-mahindra-and-kumar-mangalam-birla-increased-their-net-worth-in-2020/slidelist/81290572.cms">Gautam Adani, Naveen Jindal, Anand Mahindra and Kumar Mangalam Birla increased their net worth despite COVID-19 wreaking havoc</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/the-indian-government-reaped-a-record-77000-crore-on-the-first-day-of-2021-telecom-spectrum-auctions/articleshow/81290489.cms">India reaps a bounty on the first day of spectrum auctions – but it's a lot less than what the government wanted</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/these-are-the-best-national-highways-in-india-in-terms-of-efficiency-safety-and-user-services/slidelist/81291257.cms">These are the best national highways in India in terms of efficiency, safety and user services</a>

Delhi CM announces Sharman Joshi-starrer movie 'Fauji Calling'  tax free in Delhi

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/29150605.cms" /> It is said that every newborn faces a potential risk until the baby has been screened for <keyword id="1144427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="medical-conditions">medical conditions</keyword>. A <keyword id="2024251" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Genetic-screening">genetic screening</keyword> of the newborn means enhanced <keyword id="2024262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Biotechnological-capacity">biotechnological capacity</keyword>, which ensures fast, accurate and expanded testing going beyond routine disorders. <keyword id="2024252" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Newborn-screening">Newborn screening</keyword> (<keyword id="116258" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="NBS">NBS</keyword>) has been made compulsory in 52 countries across the world, bringing down <keyword id="153995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="infant-mortality">infant mortality</keyword> and disabilities in children. 
 Simply put, newborn screening (NBS) programme includes testing every newborn soon after its birth, to identify serious or life-threatening conditions which may lead to mental/physical retardation or even early death. The affected baby looks healthy at birth as there is no external defect and these disorders cannot be diagnosed until specifically tested for. However, India is yet to implement a <keyword id="2024264" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-newborn-screening-programme">national newborn screening programme</keyword> even though 5-15% of newborns fall prey to <keyword id="120871" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Metabolic-disorders">metabolic disorders</keyword>. 
 Understandably, not too many Indian start-ups operate in the NBS space and the <keyword id="49685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Genetic">genetic</keyword> screening of newborns is rarely done in the country at a macro level. But here is one Mumbai-based start-up that has doing it for over a year now. <keyword id="2024246" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navigene">Navigene</keyword> has developed a unique and <keyword id="2024273" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Non-invasive-preventive-genetic-screening">non-invasive preventive genetic screening</keyword> service for newborns and adults, which can be implemented at a mass scale. Its primary focus is <keyword id="2024274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Non-invasive-preventive-testing">non-invasive preventive testing</keyword> including <keyword id="2024278" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Newborn-genetic-screening">newborn genetic screening</keyword>, <keyword id="2024275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Metabolic-fingerprinting">metabolic fingerprinting</keyword>, <keyword id="2024279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prenatal-screening">prenatal screening</keyword> and more, besides offering <keyword id="2024280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Diagnostic-testing">diagnostic testing</keyword> (<keyword id="2024281" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cytogenetics">cytogenetics</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="1284857" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Molecular-Genetics">molecular genetics</keyword>). <keyword id="2024283" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navigene-Baby-Screen">Navigene Baby Screen</keyword>, the start-up’s flagship product, screens the newborns for 110 genetic and metabolic disorders on the very 3rd day after birth and the company claims it is one of the most comprehensive screening tests in the world. Here is a snapshot that captures the start-up’s operations, vision and viability. 
 
Who runs Navigene (navigene.in): Two co-founders – Dr <keyword id="2024250" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rishi-Dixit">Rishi Dixit</keyword> (MD &amp; CEO) and Dr <keyword id="1888201" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vrushali-Joshi">Vrushali Joshi</keyword> (CTO) – and the early-stage incubation and <keyword id="6357097" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="venture-capital">venture capital</keyword> firm, <keyword id="720080" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IncuCapital">IncuCapital</keyword>. An MBBS and MBA, Dr Rishi has a deep understanding of the healthcare marketing space and also worked with start-ups. Before starting Navigene, he was head of sales &amp; strategy at a start-up in the similar domain. Prior to that, he was manager, health analytics, with ICICI Prudential Life insurance. Dr Vrushali holds a Ph.D. from Mumbai University and is a leading geneticist with more that 15 years of experience. She is also a government-certified genetic counsellor. 
 Navigene was set up by the two co-founders in April 2012, along with IncuCapital’s senior venture partners’ team of <keyword id="2024248" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Surojit-Nandy">Surojit Nandy</keyword>, <keyword id="6393254" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manish-Kumar">Manish Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="2024247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prashant-Maharaj">Prashant Maharaj</keyword>. The company started operations in November that year. Currently, it boasts a state-of-the-art testing facility and central lab in Mumbai where all samples are flown in from different parts of the country and also from global destinations. This facility also serves as the head office while 2-3 sales people are assigned to each location. Weekly sales meetings are generally held at local CCDs – a good example of asset-light sales offices. 
 But going forward, the start-up plans to open sales offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad – small facilities for operational and logistics management. As sample collection is generally done by the people themselves or the <keyword id="6355907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Medical-facilities">medical facilities</keyword>, the Navigene staff simply picks them up from homes/hospitals and courier them to the HO in Mumbai. 
 
What inspired the venture: The knowledge that non-traditional, highly accurate and revolutionary ways of medical diagnosis is possible through genetic screening and diagnostic techniques. Navigene was founded to bring these advanced <keyword id="684042" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="medical-technologies">medical technologies</keyword> to India. 
 
What’s the pitch: Early and accurate prediction/diagnosis of disorders and ailments in newborns and adults, through <keyword id="2024271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Preventive-genetic-screening">preventive genetic screening</keyword> – so that every individual has the opportunity to manage his/her health. “Over the years, we have learnt a great deal about how genes function and how they can cause certain problems. Now is the time to use that knowledge in exciting new ways to prevent and treat <keyword id="6377700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health-problems">health problems</keyword>,” says Dr Rishi. 
 
How it works: Navigene currently caters to the B2B segment – <keyword id="796241" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="corporate-hospitals">corporate hospitals</keyword>, high-end nursing homes with birthing facilities, NICUs (<keyword id="1145483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="neonatal-intensive-care-units">neonatal intensive care units</keyword>) and state-of-the-art <keyword id="2024290" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Paediatric-facilities">paediatric facilities</keyword>. It also works with individual obstetricians/gynaecologists and paediatricians. The start-up typically approaches medical facilities who, in turn, offer/recommend these services to their clients. Once a client registers for the tests, he/she is given the sample collection kit and the rest of the testing procedure follows. 
 
As for newborn screening, parents get the kit as soon as they register and after the birth of the baby, either the hospital staff or the parents collect the urine sample of the baby on the 3rd day. It is then sent Navigene’s central lab in Mumbai where the sample is analysed and reports are sent within 4 days. If the report detects any abnormality, the concerned doctor/hospital/parents are immediately informed and further consultation could be arranged with medical experts. Genetic counselling for the parents is also offered in such cases. 
 
Show me the money: As of now, the start-up has a B2B revenue model in place while the B2C space is essentially serviced through its partners who can reach out to more people. Navigene charges fee per sample testing and its flagship solution, Navigene Baby Screen (NBS), which tests urine sample for 110 disorders, costs Rs 5,000. But to make it more affordable for Tier II cities and smaller medical facilities, customised packages start from Rs 900 for tracking 3-4 basic disorders and can go up to Rs 2,700 for screening 31 commonest disorders that affect infants in the first few months. The company has also tied up with a leading stem cell company for instant access to a large B2C market. “Plus, we want to work with the state governments when they start running the NBS programme at the state-run hospitals, but we will keep the packages small,” says Dr Rishi. 
 
The market size is also huge as around 30 million babies are born in India every year. “As of now, we are targeting 40 cities in India where our addressable market (a fraction of the urban population in these cities) is around 30 lakh babies a year. We aim to cover most of them over the next 3 years through our proprietary sales channel,” adds Dr Rishi. 
 
Claim to fame: A value driver in a critical industry while expansion is its forte. Navigene is a pioneer of sorts, bringing crucial preventive health screening for newborn babies at an affordable price. The start-up is currently doing 500 samples a month and targeting 10,000 samples in the next 3 years. 
 Navigene raised an undisclosed seed round with the help of its institutional co-promoter IncuCapital in August 2012 and it will be raising Series A <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> in the next 2-3 months. The money will be utilised to grow its presence pan-India and also in other geographies such as South-east Asia and <keyword id="48890" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Latin-America">Latin America</keyword>. “We can’t disclose the names just now, but these would be all bigger and more developed countries. We are also talking to a few players in Latin America, which can lead to substantial global expansion,” says Surojit Nandy of IncuCapital. As for pan-India expansion, the company plans to reach 40 cities in next the 3 years through its own B2B sales force. 
 The start-up has hit <keyword id="2024302" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Operational-breakeven">operational breakeven</keyword> in December 2013, within 11 months from starting its sales operations. But it is not really looking at that as a landmark. “We don’t intend to remain operationally cash-positive as we are growing at a breakneck speed and want to keep investing in the growth. That’s the reason we are looking at the Series A funding soon,” says Dr Rishi. 
 “We are also working on some breakthrough <keyword id="2024304" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Screening-products">screening products</keyword> around <keyword id="350054" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="metabolomics">metabolomics</keyword> in areas like oral &amp; <keyword id="16070" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="breast-cancer">breast cancer</keyword>, and adult metabolic disorders. So a big chunk of the Series A money will be used for product development. We will <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword> a good amount in Capex and Opex to further strengthen our testing portfolio,” he adds. 
 
Biggest challenge: According to Dr Rishi, there’s no real competition here as very few companies in India focus on genetics (metabolomics). As for the newborn screening business, a few labs who do screening through blood sample testing could be competitors, but they use an entirely different technology platform and can track a maximum of 45 disorders. However, creating awareness among prospective clients is currently the biggest challenge. <keyword id="1912844" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="patient-education">Patient education</keyword> is virtually non-existent in India while the cost of reaching them at a micro level could be huge. “That’s why we are opting for online registrations, which will reduce operational costs,” he notes. “Then there are other screening products we are working on. When they hit the market, we should be way ahead of others,” concludes Dr Rishi.

This Start-up Provides Genetic Screening For
Newborns, Adults; To Raise Series A Funding In 2-3 Months

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/41673776.cms" /> Last week’s eviction of the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>’s trimurti – <keyword id="47100" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee">Atal Bihari Vajpayee</keyword>, <keyword id="58476" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Murli-Manohar-Joshi">Murli Manohar Joshi</keyword> and <keyword id="50272" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lal-Krishna-Advani">Lal Krishna Advani</keyword> – from the party’s parliamentary board marked the final nail in the coffin of their political career. Their exit means an end of an era, which should have been more graceful and dignified. Instead of sacking them from the membership of the parliamentary board, they should have been allowed to fade away or kept as ‘honorary members.’ 
 Leaders from the opposition have started taking a dig at this decision. Recently, Congress leader and former Cabinet minister Manish Tewari said that this recent development clearly indicates that the “process of complete centralisation of power in one hand.” Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, “The <keyword id="2490292" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Margdarshak-Mandal">Margdarshak Mandal</keyword> is a ‘mookdarshak mandal.’ It is like an old-age home from where Advani and Joshi will witness the functioning of the BJP like mutes.” 
 
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and MM Joshi were the pivots around which the party was built. Their role in building the BJP is unquestionable. They helped propel the party, from an insignificant political player with just two Lok Sabha MPs in the 1984 elections, to the single-largest party in 1996. 
 
Vajpayee, often referred to as the Bheeshm Pitamah of Indian politics, was the founder president of the party, and Advani and Joshi were general secretaries. Vajpayee was the party’s chief orator, statesman, and the most acceptable and respectable face of the party. 
 
Advani was the organiser and charioteer, who organised movements to propagate BJP’s core ideology of Hindutva. His Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya was crucial in building the Ram Temple movement and helped BJP form a government in the country’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh, thereby bringing the party into the mainstream politics. Advani was also a talent-spotter. He nurtured a pool of second-rung leaders, which ironically included Modi, besides Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar and others. 
 Joshi, a PhD in Spectroscopy from <keyword id="6364092" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Allahabad-University">Allahabad University</keyword>, was the intellectual face of the party. He was the key man behind the process of manifesto preparation and policy formulation of the party. 
 Alongside the rise in the stature of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, there has been a steady and parallel decline in the fortunes of party stalwarts MM Joshi and LK Advani. Unlike Vajpayee, who is ailing, both the leaders are still fit and active politicians whose vast political experience and acumen could have been used by the party. However, their eviction from the parliamentary board – the party’s highest decision-making body – can only be attributed to Modi’s attempt at complete centralisation of power and further strengthen his stranglehold on the party by undermining the leaders taller than him. 
 On the contrary, other political parties are giving their seniors due respect. For instance, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) continued with veteran leader <keyword id="2502752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Harkishan-Singh-Surjit">Harkishan Singh Surjit</keyword> as the party’s general secretary till 2005 and the party came up with its best ever performance so far by winning 43 seats. He was also a member of the party's Politburo till 2008, when he died at the age of 92. Even in the Congress, where many leaders complain of being sidelined to give way to Rahul Gandhi, <keyword id="219946" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Motilal-Vora">Motilal Vora</keyword> (86) is still the party’s treasurer and also a member of the Congress Working Committee. 
 
It is sad to see that the BJP, which talks about Hindutva, seems to have forgotten that giving due respect to elders is the essence of the Hindu culture and the Hindu society reposes great faith in the wisdom of elders.

BJP’s Founding Forefathers Reduced To ‘Mookdarshak’

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra was on Friday <keyword id="46980" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expelled" source="Orion">expelled</keyword> from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the <keyword id="297598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ethics-committee" source="Orion">Ethics Committee</keyword> in the 'cash for query' that was tabled in the Lower House today. Mahua Moitra, who was not allowed to speak during the discussion inside the House, the Trinamool leader read out her statement outside the Lok Sabha. She said that the Ethics committee broke every rule. Opposition staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel the TMC MP. The House was then adjourned till December 11. Speaker Om Birla said, "...This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra's conduct was <keyword id="430153" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="immoral" source="Orion">immoral</keyword> and <keyword id="117635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indecent" source="Orion">indecent</keyword> as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP..." The Ethics Committee report probing 'Unethical Conduct' of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had recommended that Moitra "may be expelled" from the Lok Sabha and called for an "intense, legal, institutional inquiry" by the central government in a "time-bound manner". "The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha," the report read. Participating in the debate today over the Ethics Panel report in the lower house, Manish Tewari, who was nominated by the Congress to speak on the issue questioned whether the procedure of the Ethics Committee overrides the fundamental principle of Natural Justice. "Can the procedure of the Ethics Committee override the fundamental principle of natural justice which is the organising principle of every justice system in the world? From what we read in the newspaper, the one who has been made an accused - she was not able to complete her deposition. What kind of procedure is this?" He further said that the Ethics Committee can recommend whether a Member is guilty or not but it cannot decide what would be the exact punishment. "This is a fundamental distinction. That power lies with this House. The Ethics Committee can best make recommendations about whether a person is guilty or innocent. It is with the House to decide what would be the quantum of punishment. Here recommendation of the Commitee is fundamentally flawed," he said. Congress MP further raised a point that can a party direct its MPs to vote in a particular way in an impeachment procedure. "Can a whip be issued? because this is like directing a judge to decide on a particular matter. This is a complete travesty of Justice. This House should be adjourned. All whips should be withdrawn," he said. Manish Tewari said that today the Parliament has turned into a court to which Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla replied, "No this is not a court. This is a House. I am not a judge, the House will decide what to do." Congress MP continued on the Whip issue and said," When according to a 10th schedule a whip is issued then it is completely anti to the principle of Natural Justice. The fundamental principles of natural justice are thrown to the winds in this House." "Never have I ever seen in my entire life that a House is sitting like a judicial body. would not have fallen if all member would have been allowed to study the on the floor of the House said, " Congress party demands more time to read the papers. I am stating this on a common sense basis. The report was tabled at around 12 noon, How can such a huge report be studied in such a short period of time. Is that even humanly possible?" He further stated that according to the principle of Natural Justice, TMC MP Mahua Moitra should be given a chance to speak for herself. "Please allow another three to four more days. In the principle of Natural Justice, th TMC MP should be given a chance. Don't let this new Parliament building become a symbol of grace," he said. Union Parliamentary Pralhad Joshi had moved the motion to consider the report of the Ethics commitee which was further taken up for the debate. Reiterating the party's demand, Congress MP Manish Tewari in Lok Sabha said, "As Adhir Ranjan said, heavens would not have fallen had we given 3-4 days to take cognisance of this report and then keep our opinions before the House because it is going to make a decision on a very sensitive matter. Questioning the procedure followed by the Ethics panel, Manish Tewari said, "Can the procedure of the Ethics Committee override the fundamental principle of natural justice which is the organising principle of every justice system in the world? From what we read in the newspaper, the one who has been made an accused - she was not able to complete her deposition. What kind of procedure is this?" He further said that the report of the Ethics Panel is fundamentally flawed. The Ethics Committee report probing 'Unethical Conduct' of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra in the "cash for query" case that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday recommended that Moitra "may be expelled" from the Lok Sabha and called for an "intense, legal, institutional inquiry" by the central government in a "time-bound manner"." "The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra call for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha," the report read. Earlier the leaders from the Congress and Trinamool questioned the investigation. TMC MP Nusrat Jahan said, "Has it actually been fairly conducted? We don't know. Because this Government hasn't been really fair when it comes to women. We have asked for a hard copy of the report. Our leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay has asked for it." Claiming that no proper procedure was followed by the Ethics committee over its adoption of the report which led to recommending the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from Lok Sabha, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called it a 'disgrace' and said that this is nothing but a political vendetta by BJP. Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the "cash-for-query" allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House. The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. As per the sources, the draft report on Moitra's cash-for-questions case reveals that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times. Six members of the panel voted in favour of the report, including suspended Congress MP Preneet Kaur. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissent notes. The opposition members termed the report a "fixed match" and said the complaint filed by Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a "shred of evidence".

Parliament Winter Session 2023: Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra expelled from Lok Sabha

<ul><li><keyword id="2778410" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="havas-media-group" source="Orion">Havas Media Group</keyword>'s Mumbai office has reported a growth of 150% in 2020-2021, on the back of 15+ new account wins.</li><li>In total, <keyword id="906445" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="havas-media" source="Orion">Havas Media</keyword> Mumbai has added a total billing of Rs 500+ crore in 2020-2021.</li></ul>Following the strategic restructuring of Havas Media Group India’s senior management a few months ago, the agency’s Mumbai office has reported a growth of 150% in 2020-2021, on the back of 15+ new account wins. This includes <keyword id="508991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="acc-cement" source="Orion">ACC Cement</keyword>, <keyword id="122370" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ambuja-cement" source="Orion">Ambuja Cement</keyword>, <keyword id="46909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="icici-securities" source="Orion">ICICI Securities</keyword>, <keyword id="11954595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="de-beers-forevermark" source="Orion">De Beers Forevermark</keyword>, Wai Wai, GITAM University, Dr. Reddy’s, OZiva, and several others. In addition, the agency has seen tremendous growth on the back of marquee clients like Tata Motors and TVS Eurogrip and their increased media spends even in 2020. In total, Havas Media Mumbai has added a total billing of Rs 500+ crore in 2020-2021. In the last 15 months, Havas Media bolstered its senior leadership team in Mumbai. <keyword id="2928941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uday-mohan" source="Orion">Uday Mohan</keyword> took over as President &amp; Head - North &amp; West India, which includes the Mumbai operations. In addition, Manish Sharma was elevated, as Executive Vice President and Head of the Mumbai operations. To further strengthen the strategy teams, Sanchita Roy was appointed, as Strategy Head of Havas Media Group India. <keyword id="1193084" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rana-barua" source="Orion">Rana Barua</keyword>, Group CEO, Havas Group India, said, “Despite the market challenges, in the last 15 months we stuck to our task, defined our vision and kept investing in both our talent and product. In 2020, Havas Media Group India has garnered a growth rate of 35% (RECMA June 2020) - the highest among all media agency networks in India. From the group perspective, I am delighted as the overall results are a testimony of the leadership of Mohit, Uday, Venkat and the entire Havas Media team, which has been working relentlessly on both existing clients and also winning many new ones.” Mohit Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Havas Media Group India, further added, “Our North operations have always been extremely strong, and now it&amp; heartening to see the same being replicated in other markets. We have seen both organic growth and won some fabulous new client wins in the West in the last 15 months resulting in an unprecedented growth. The wide range of new businesses that we have added in our portfolio across industries and sectors demonstrates our talent and prowess as a media conglomerate." Uday Mohan, President &amp; Head - North &amp; West India, who has led this unprecedented resurgence story of Havas Media in the West, said, “We are firmly aligned to the network’s global philosophy of creating Meaningful Media and Brands. Havas Media Group is growing the business on 4 pillars - product, people, pitches, and partnerships. Built on the Media Experience [Mx] operating structure, each phase of the Mx process is powered by Converged, an identity–based planning platform, which places the audience including data, convergence, automation and AI, strategy, e-comm and marketplace, and so on, at the heart of the media planning process and capitalizes on media that matters.”

Havas' Mumbai office reports a growth of 150% in 2020-2021, adds new businesses worth over Rs 500 crore

By Shakoor Rather New Delhi, Jun 22 () Scientists in India have for the first time detected genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater, a breakthrough that paves the way for using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for real-time surveillance of COVID-19 in the country. The study, led by scientists in IIT-Gandhinagar, found that increased "gene copies" of the virus in Ahmedabad's wastewater matched the incidence of the disease in the city. With this, India "joins the ranks of a handful of countries doing WBE on COVID-19", Andrew Singer, an environmental microbiologist at the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology, said on Twitter. WBE is a promising approach to understand the status of disease outbreak in a certain catchment by monitoring viral load in wastewater. Recent studies had reported that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is present in the faeces of infected individuals. Genetic material (RNA) from the virus has been found in sewage entering treatment plants. Because treatment plants collect wastewater across large regions, measuring the level of RNA in untreated wastewater may provide a valuable insight into the percentage of people infected within a region, the researchers said. In the latest study released on June 18, scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Gandhinagar collaborated with the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). They studied samples of wastewater collected on May 8 and May 27 from the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Ahmedabad. The plant receives up to 106 million litres per day (MLD) of influent from the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital which is treating COVID-19 patients, explained Manish Kumar of the Discipline of Earth Sciences, IITGN, who led the research effort. All the three SARS-CoV-2 genes -- ORF1ab, N and S -- were found in the wastewater coming into the treatment plant, said the researchers, who have submitted their study for publication in the international journal 'Science of the Total Environment'. They noted that no gene was spotted in the effluent leaving the plant after treatment. The scientists said the gene copy loading - the quantity of the genetic material of the virus - detected on May 27 was almost 10 times more than that detected on May 8. This corresponded broadly with the trajectory of the incidence of the disease. The number of active COVID-19 patients in the Ahmedabad city was two times higher on May 27 than on May 8, they said. According to the scientists, WBE was an effective tool during outbreaks of other viruses such such as poliovirus and hepatitis A. The Ahmedabad study aims at assisting concerned authorities and policymakers to formulate or upgrade COVID-19 surveillance to have an explicit picture of the phase of the pandemic, the researchers added. Kumar cited reports to say a WBE study has indicated the presence of the coronavirus in Italy in December 2019, way before the first confirmed case in the country. "Developing an advanced surveillance system for environmental samples using biotechnological approaches is the need of the hour. This can help us track real time situations not only for the current pandemic but also for seasonal epidemics," Madhvi Joshi, joint director of GBRC and one of the authors of the paper, told . According to the researchers, the number of gene copies was found comparable to that reported in the untreated wastewaters of Australia, China and Turkey, and lower than that of the US, France and Spain. Prosun Bhattacharya of Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology noted that WBE can be unimaginably impactful in the war against COVID-19 with the right information about the catchment and number of people residing in the vicinity, He added that the research by Kumar and his colleagues has put India on the world map pertaining to WBE surveillance. Estimates based on European and North American data suggest that each person infected with SARS-CoV-2 will excrete millions if not billions of viral genomes into wastewater per day, they said. This translates to between 0.15 and 141.5 million viral genomes per litre of wastewater generated, the researchers said. While infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater has not yet been reported, the virus potentially enters the wastewater stream from patient excretions and thus can be a great tool for pandemic monitoring, the researchers said. Using reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) -- a laboratory technique of molecular biology -- researchers should be able to detect the novel coronavirus with high sensitivity, Kumar said. "The findings reported by Kumar and colleagues demonstrate the successful detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater -- a highly valuable contribution to global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance research efforts," Kyle Bibby, associate professor and leader of Global Collaboration on WBE, University of Notre Dame in the US, told . Bibby heads the WBE global collaboration comprising over 50 institutes and researchers. The group is compiling and sharing all the results obtained through WBE surveillance for the global comparison, according to an article published in the journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology. "I would like to congratulate India as one of the elite nations in world-wide efforts in detecting and quantifying SARS-CoV-2 genetic materials in their sewage samples. Kumar and his colleagues showed the capabilities of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in India, the second most populated nation with rapidly growing numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases," said Keisuke Kuroda, associate professor in Environmental and Civil Engineering at Toyama Prefectural University, Japan. "This report will surely facilitate a nationwide initiative for detecting the early warning signals of COVID-19 outbreaks in various communities," Kuroda told . Ryo Honda of Japan's Kanazawa University, who is leading a task force on wastewater surveillance in Japan, said the study is an important step for WBE of COVID-19 in India. SAR MIN MIN MIN

Indian scientists find COVID-19 gene in wastewater, hailed by global community

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50606399.cms" /> 
It isn’t only startups who are leaving Vigyan Bhawan with happy faces. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Startup+investors">Startup investors</a> which include angel <keyword id="6359051" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="investors">investors</keyword>, venture capitalists have a wide smile on their faces. After all, PM Modi’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Startup+India">Startup India</a>, Standup India summit turned out to be a roaring success. 
 
“It’s a balanced approach. Not only looking at startups but also other stakeholders such as investors,” says Anil Joshi, managing partner, Unicorn India Ventures. 
 
He added that from an investor’s point of view, the fact that winding up of a startup could be done within 90 days is the cherry on the cake. “The USP of this event was the fact that as an investor, if a company is doing well, it’s a good news but if it doesn’t then, winding up becomes a tedious process. So, the fat that the government will now facilitate winding up within 90 days is a great news.” 
 
Apart from this, exempting Startups from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Startup+India">Capital Gain Tax</a> is a huge step towards boosting the ecosystem. As far as the startup corpus is concerned, this would require a detailed action plan. We are sure, as we progress, the government will sort out all of these. 
 
Sharing a similar sentiment, angel investor Manish Vij, founder and CEO of SVG Media notes that for the first time a government has extended such extensive support to the entrepreneurs. “This event had brought India to the center stage of global startup ecosystem. The government's action plan will inculcate the desire to become entrepreneurs among our youth throughout the nation. The start action plan addresses a lot of pain points of entrepreneurs and really thank the government for the same,” he says. 
 
However, on being questioned on no clarity with regards to disbursal of startup corpus, he says, “Sure there is no clarity at this stage as the PM only briefly mentioned about fund of funds, however we should look at the positive intent. Of course we do hope that the action plan is implemented. 
 
Well, here’s hoping all the success to our dear startupreneurs! 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

#StartupIndia:
Startups and investors are smiling their way out of Vigyan Bhawan!

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/34101357.cms" />NEW DELHI: The <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> found itself in an embarrassing position when <keyword id="6408414" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shazia-Ilmi">Shazia Ilmi</keyword>, its senior member and party candidate from Ghaziabad, was seen in a video telling Muslims that they should stop being “secular” while casting their vote and be “communal” in these elections. 
 “Muslims are too secular. Muslims will have to be communal for the first time. Muslims are not communal, they do not vote for their own. <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> is our own,” Ilmi is heard telling a group of Muslims in a room. The 79-second clip was ostensibly shot when Shazia was in Mumbai recently. 
 
Faced with a barrage of criticism over Shazia Ilmi’s purported remarks, the Aam Aadmi Party refused to defend her, saying there was no place in the party for such sentiments. 
 Ilmi’s video went viral on Tuesday and the party promptly distanced itself from the comments. An official statement from <keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword> said that it “does not believe in this kind of politics nor do we endorse it. All our representatives should be careful in their choice of words so that there is no scope for misinterpretation”. 
 
Senior party leader Manish Sisodia tweeted, “I’ve seen Shazia's clip. She should have not said it. AAP does not believe in communal politics. Our politics is to unite all Indians.” 
 In the video, Ilmi is heard saying, “So far we have been making <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> win. Don’t be so secular. Think of your interests this time. Muslims are secular and vote for everyone. Other parties do not do this. They have a set vote bank. Our votes are constantly getting divided. Think of your self this time.” 
 
Individuals in the clip are seen to be nodding at Ilmi’s remarks. One person adds that Muslims are often responsible for turning the tide in an election even though they are victimized. “Dare bhi hum aur jitaye bhi hum lekin malai khaye koi aur (We are used as a vote bank but also forced to live in fear. Meanwhile others reap benefits),” the clip shows him saying. 
 
To this, Ilmi, says that this time they should change their strategy and ‘fight and win’. 
 While Ilmi’s remarks drew sharp and quick reaction on social media, a few said the AAP leader came through as “clueless”. Tweeted <keyword id="55" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="social-activist">social activist</keyword> Kavita Krishnan: “Shazia Ilmi's ‘Muslims shd b communal’ remark isn’t communal. Only shows she hasn’t 1st clue what ‘communal’/‘secular’ mean. #embarrassing (sic).” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Shazia Ilmi's 'Muslims shd b communal' remark isn't communal. Only shows she hasn't 1st clue what 'communal'/ 'secular' mean. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23embarrassing&amp;src=hash">#embarrassing</a>
	— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) <a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan/statuses/458603688177573888">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan/statuses/458603688177573888">2014</a></blockquote>
Another tweet, attributed to @Vidyut, said: “Shazia Ilmi may not be the brightest bulb in AAP, but she is not malicious, or for that matter COMMUNAL.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Shazia Ilmi may not be the brightest bulb in AAP, but she is not malicious, or for that matter COMMUNAL.
	— Vidyut 440V (@Vidyut) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vidyut/statuses/458587193544437760">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/Vidyut/statuses/458587193544437760">2014</a></blockquote>
Others were not so charitable. @mojorojo tweeted: “Okay *if* that Shazia Ilmi video is real, it’s inexcusable and she needs to not be allowed to participate.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Okay *if* that Shazia Ilmi video is real, it's inexcusable and she needs to not be allowed to participate.
	— Rohan Joshi (@mojorojo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mojorojo/statuses/458563029760622593">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/mojorojo/statuses/458563029760622593">2014</a></blockquote>
Composer Vishal Dadlani, an AAP supporter, addressed BJP supporters on the issue. “I don't know if this is the full clip or not. But I will not defend it. In my view, both Hindu and Muslim communalists and fundamentalists are anti-national … However, unlike the RSS or the VHP, parent organizations of the BJP, this speech/instance is an aberration in AAP. Either she has a foolproof explanation, or she will be expelled, I’m sure of that. AAP is full of good, non-communal, non-corrupt people, striving for India. This incident, real or not, can't take away from that,” he said. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RVVpkp0I7xE" width="560"></iframe>

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