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Thursday, October 23, 2025 9:52 AM

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Dr. R.V.R. Krishna Chalam

Dr. R.V.R. Krishna Chalam, Vice-Chancellor of MNR University, is a distinguished academician and researcher with 28 years of experience—20 in academia and research and 8 in industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Technology from JNTU Hyderabad and specializes in Water and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on IoT, AI, Cloud Computing, Digital Twin, and GIS applications for real-time water and air quality monitoring. He has led government-funded projects under the Ministries of Housing, Railways, Jal Shakti, and DST. Earlier, he served as Vice-Chancellor at Woxsen University and held multiple leadership roles. His industry experience spans 40+ global projects with organizations like World Bank, DFID, Reliance, and L&T.

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NMC Approves 10,650 New MBBS Seats, 41 New Medical Colleges Across India

In a major boost to India’s healthcare education landscape, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 10,650 additional MBBS seats for the 2024–25 academic session, along with the establishment of 41 new medical colleges nationwide. This development aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day 2024 commitment to create 75,000 new medical seats within five years, aimed at strengthening the country’s medical education and healthcare capacity. With these new additions, India now has a total of 816 medical colleges offering approximately 1,37,600 MBBS seats, including those under Institutes of National Importance (INIs). According to Dr. Abhijat Sheth, Chairperson of the NMC, the commission reviewed 170 proposals for seat expansion — 41 from government institutions and 129 from private colleges — ultimately approving the new capacity of 10,650 seats. The commission has also received over 3,500 applications for new and renewed postgraduate (PG) medical seats, with expectations of adding around 5,000 new PG seats, taking the national total to about 67,000. In total, the combined increase in UG and PG medical seats this year is projected to be nearly 15,000. Although the approval and counselling process experienced slight delays, NMC officials have assured that all procedures will conclude as per the designated timelines. A comprehensive blueprint for the upcoming academic year — including schedules for accreditation, examinations, and seat matrix approval — will be released soon. The application portal for 2025–26 is slated to open in early November. In a notable first, all appeals against the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) decisions were resolved without court intervention, reflecting greater efficiency in regulatory procedures. Dr. Sheth further revealed that the NMC is working to integrate clinical research into the MBBS curriculum through a proposed collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This initiative aims to build stronger research infrastructure and encourage medical students to engage in clinical innovation and applied learning. These reforms represent a transformative step in India’s journey toward enhancing medical education quality, healthcare accessibility, and workforce readiness, in line with the government’s broader vision of a healthier, self-reliant India. Source: Indian Express

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Scientists Explore How Music Can Help Relieve Pain from Surgery and Illness

In the recovery ward at UC San Diego Health, nurse Rod Salaysay relies on more than just medical tools like a stethoscope or thermometer — he also uses his guitar and ukulele. Between post-surgery medications, Salaysay plays tunes at patients’ request, ranging from folk songs and classical pieces like Minuet in G Major to movie classics such as Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The results are often visible: patients smile, relax, and sometimes even require fewer painkillers. “In hospitals, pain, anxiety, and worry often feed into each other,” Salaysay explained. “Music can help break that cycle.” Over the last twenty years, hospitals and clinics worldwide have increasingly turned to music therapy — both live and recorded — as studies continue to reveal its power to ease physical and emotional pain. While music’s emotional influence has long been understood, scientists are only now uncovering how music-induced analgesia — the process by which music reduces pain perception — actually works. Although a melody can’t replace strong pain medication, research published in Pain and Scientific Reports shows that listening to music can lessen pain intensity and increase a person’s tolerance to discomfort. What seems crucial, researchers say, is that patients choose the music themselves and listen attentively, rather than passively. “Pain is incredibly complex,” said Adam Hanley, a psychologist at Florida State University. “It’s shaped by both the body’s sensations and our emotional and mental responses to those sensations.” Even with the same condition, two people might experience pain differently. Acute pain comes from immediate physical triggers, while chronic pain involves long-term changes in the brain that heighten sensitivity. “Pain is processed and interpreted by the brain,” said Dr. Gilbert Chandler, a chronic spinal pain expert from Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, “and the brain can amplify or reduce those signals.” Music, experts note, helps redirect attention away from pain. Studies suggest that preferred music is especially effective, even more than podcasts or generic playlists. “Music doesn’t just distract — it engages the whole brain,” said Caroline Palmer, a psychologist at McGill University. “That’s why it changes how people experience pain.” Indeed, Kate Richards Geller, a Los Angeles-based music therapist, explains that engaging with music activates nearly every brain region, easing not just pain but also isolation and anxiety. The use of music for pain relief dates back to the 19th century, when patients listened to melodies during dental procedures before anesthetics were common. Modern researchers continue to explore what makes it most effective. In one experiment at Erasmus University Rotterdam, scientists tested 548 participants across five music genres — classical, rock, pop, urban, and electronic — to measure how long they could withstand cold-induced pain. All genres helped, but none outperformed the others. “The best music is simply what you like,” said study co-author Dr. Emy van der Valk Bouman, noting that familiar songs may trigger memories and emotions that enhance resilience. Allowing patients to choose their music can also restore a sense of control and agency, said Claire Howlin of Trinity College Dublin, whose research shows that self-selected songs can boost pain tolerance. Hanley’s studies further indicate that focused, daily listening may gradually reduce chronic pain, offering an uplifting “emotional bump” without side effects. For many, it’s a powerful, drug-free remedy. Cecily Gardner, a jazz vocalist from California, said music helped her cope with illness and brought comfort to others in pain. “Music reduces stress, connects people,” she said, “and transports you somewhere better.” Source: AP

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Labour Ministry Partners with Zomato to Generate 2.5 Lakh Jobs Annually, Boost Gig Economy

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In a move to strengthen India’s gig economy and expand employment opportunities, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with food delivery platform Zomato. The collaboration aims to create around 2.5 lakh flexible job opportunities every year through the National Career Service (NCS) portal. The MoU was formalised in the presence of Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya. The initiative seeks to integrate gig and platform-based roles into the formal employment framework, thereby connecting youth and women jobseekers to dignified, technology-driven livelihood options. Mandaviya highlighted that the NCS portal, launched in 2015, has already facilitated over 7.7 crore job vacancies, serving as a critical link between employers and job seekers across sectors. The partnership with Zomato, he said, will further expand this ecosystem, benefitting both organisations and millions of job aspirants nationwide. Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring social protection for every worker — organised and unorganised alike. She added that the MoU aligns with the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY) and the larger vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, which focuses on employment formalisation and universal social security. Under the newly introduced ‘Aggregator’ category, Zomato will regularly list flexible livelihood options for gig and delivery workers on the NCS portal, offering structured and real-time access to earning opportunities. In the past year, the ministry has entered into similar partnerships with 14 major organisations, including Amazon, Swiggy, Rapido, Zepto, Apna.co, FoundIT, TeamLease, and others — collectively creating more than five lakh employment opportunities across the country. Source: PTI

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Delhi Govt to Conduct Social Audit of Schools Under Samagra Shiksha for 2025-26

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The Delhi government has announced a comprehensive social audit of its government schools for the 2025–26 academic year under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The initiative aims to ensure that all provisions and student entitlements guaranteed by the Right to Education (RTE) Act are delivered promptly and fairly. According to a circular issued by the Directorate of Education, around 60% of government schools across Delhi will be covered under this audit, which will be carried out in line with the revised guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. A total budget allocation of ₹3.73 crore has been approved for the exercise. The selected institution—preferably a university, college, or technical institute with a NAAC rating of B+ or higher—will be tasked with training social auditors, conducting on-site inspections, compiling reports, and uploading findings to the designated online platform. Preference will be given to Delhi’s State Administrative University for leading the process. The audit will examine whether schools are fulfilling the mandates of the RTE Act and Samagra Shiksha, focusing on areas such as classroom infrastructure, sanitation facilities, drinking water availability, electricity, and student safety—particularly that of girls. It will also assess enrolment, attendance, and retention rates, along with the inclusion of children with special needs. Parents, teachers, and community representatives will be actively involved in evaluating school performance to provide a grassroots-level perspective. Officials stated that the social audit will help uncover challenges not visible through routine monitoring and guide the government in taking corrective measures where needed. Launched in 2018, Samagra Shiksha is a centrally sponsored scheme that integrates three earlier programmes—Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education—and aligns them with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The initiative also supports the Delhi government’s “zero-tolerance” approach toward lapses in student safety and aims to strengthen accountability in school administration. Source: PTI

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Bengaluru’s Airbound Partners with Narayana Health to Launch Drone-Based Medical Deliveries

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Bengaluru-based autonomous logistics startup Airbound has joined hands with Narayana Health to pilot medical deliveries using drones, marking a major step toward integrating advanced drone technology into India’s healthcare logistics system. As part of the three-month pilot programme, Airbound will carry out around 10 drone-based deliveries per day, transporting critical medical items such as blood samples, diagnostic test kits, and essential supplies between healthcare facilities. “This collaboration with Narayana Health demonstrates our ability to handle the most demanding delivery needs while showcasing the cost benefits that make our model globally scalable,” said Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound. Airbound described the initiative as a “high-stakes proof of concept” designed to validate drone technology’s reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for critical healthcare applications. Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health, noted, “Our partnership with Airbound enables us to explore a promising technology that can greatly enhance the speed and dependability of medical logistics. This aligns with our mission to harness innovation for improving patient outcomes, especially in situations where rapid access to diagnostics and supplies can be life-saving.” Airbound’s drones are capable of carrying a payload-to-aircraft mass ratio of 1 kg to 1.5 kg. The company highlighted that its blended-wing-body tailsitter design allows vertical takeoff and landing while maintaining the aerodynamic efficiency of fixed-wing flight—addressing the limitations found in traditional tilt-rotor and quadplane configurations. In addition to the partnership, Airbound announced securing $8.65 million in seed funding, led by Lachy Groom (Co-founder, Physical Intelligence), with participation from Humba Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and senior executives from Tesla, Anduril, and Ather Energy. With this round, Airbound’s total funding has surpassed $10 million. The company plans to use the funds to scale up manufacturing, expand beyond healthcare logistics, refine its drone technology, and prepare for large-scale market deployment by 2026. Insights gained from the Narayana Health pilot will help Airbound enhance its future logistics solutions, cut delivery costs, and accelerate adoption across multiple sectors. Source: The Hindu

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India Post to Resume All Postal Services to the U.S. from October 15

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The Department of Posts has announced that all categories of international postal services to the United States will resume from October 15, marking the end of a nearly two-month suspension. Postal operations to the U.S. were halted on August 22 due to new regulatory changes introduced by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under Executive Order 14324, which removed de minimis exemptions and required new duty collection procedures. Following extensive technical upgrades, trial runs, and coordination with CBP-approved Qualified Parties, India Post has now implemented a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) system. This mechanism ensures that customs duties are collected upfront in India during booking, streamlining the process and allowing packages to reach recipients in the U.S. without any additional charges or delays at customs. As per CBP’s updated guidelines, all postal consignments from India to the U.S. will now be subject to a flat customs duty of 50% on the declared FOB (Free on Board) value. However, postal exports will remain exempt from base or product-specific tariffs typically applicable to courier or commercial shipments. This simplified structure aims to benefit MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce exporters, making postal exports a more affordable and efficient option for cross-border trade. Notably, India Post will not charge any extra service fees for the DDP process or Qualified Party facilitation. Existing postal rates remain unchanged, preserving the cost advantage for exporters. Customers can now send EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters/Packets, and Tracked Packets to the U.S. through any Post Office, International Business Centre (IBC), Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK), or via the official website www.indiapost.gov.in. Source: DD News

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SBI Targets 30% Female Workforce by 2030 to Strengthen Gender Diversity

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The State Bank of India (SBI), the nation’s largest public sector lender, has unveiled a comprehensive plan to enhance gender diversity across its workforce, with a goal of increasing women’s representation to 30% by 2030. Currently, women comprise about 27% of SBI’s total staff, although they account for roughly one-third (33%) of frontline roles. The bank aims to close this gap over the next five years through targeted initiatives, said Kishore Kumar Poludasu, Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer (CDO), in an interview with PTI. With over 2.4 lakh employees — the highest in India’s banking sector — SBI’s focus on inclusivity reflects its broader vision of empowering women across all professional levels. “We are committed to fostering a workplace where women thrive, with equal opportunities for leadership and growth,” Poludasu said. To achieve this, the bank has implemented several women-centric policies and programmes. These include a creche allowance for working mothers, family connect initiatives, and training modules designed to help women transition smoothly after maternity, sabbatical, or long medical leaves. A key component of SBI’s diversity strategy is its flagship initiative, ‘Empower Her’, which identifies, mentors, and prepares women for leadership roles through structured coaching and leadership labs. This programme aims to build a strong talent pipeline of women leaders for future executive positions. Addressing health and wellness, the bank has introduced specific programmes such as breast and cervical cancer screenings, nutrition allowances for expectant mothers, and a Cervical Cancer Vaccination Drive. These efforts are part of SBI’s larger goal to promote the physical and emotional well-being of its female workforce. Highlighting inclusivity in action, SBI operates over 340 all-women branches nationwide — a number expected to grow as part of its empowerment drive. Women are now well represented across geographies and hierarchies, reinforcing the bank’s commitment to equality and workplace safety. SBI’s gender-focused policies are complemented by its broader digital and operational transformation. The bank continues to leverage technology to enhance customer experience and efficiency, backed by a robust pool of IT specialists. Recognised among the top 50 global banks by asset size, SBI has also been consistently acknowledged as one of the country’s best employers. Source: PTI

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Over 1 Lakh Single-Teacher Schools Educate 33 Lakh Students Across India: Education Ministry

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Over 33 lakh students in India are studying in more than one lakh schools run by a single teacher, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Education. Andhra Pradesh tops the list in terms of the number of such schools, while Uttar Pradesh records the highest student enrolment. As per statistics for the academic year 2024–25, India has 1,04,125 single-teacher schools catering to 33,76,769 students — averaging around 34 students per school. This figure highlights ongoing challenges in meeting the Right to Education (RTE) Act norms, which prescribe a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of 30:1 for primary grades (I–V) and 35:1 for upper primary levels (VI–VIII). Andhra Pradesh leads with 12,912 single-teacher schools, followed by Uttar Pradesh (9,508), Jharkhand (9,172), Maharashtra (8,152), Karnataka (7,349), and both Madhya Pradesh and Lakshadweep (7,217 each). States like West Bengal (6,482), Rajasthan (6,117), Chhattisgarh (5,973), and Telangana (5,001) also feature prominently on the list. In contrast, Delhi has only nine such schools, while Puducherry, Ladakh, Chandigarh, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu report none. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have just four. In terms of student enrolment, Uttar Pradesh leads with 6,24,327 students studying in single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand (4,36,480), West Bengal (2,35,494), Madhya Pradesh (2,29,095), Karnataka (2,23,142), Andhra Pradesh (1,97,113), and Rajasthan (1,72,071). Interestingly, Delhi and Chandigarh, despite having very few such schools, record the highest average student strength per school — 808 and 1,222 respectively. On the other hand, regions like Ladakh (59), Mizoram (70), Meghalaya (73), and Himachal Pradesh (82) have some of the lowest averages. A senior official from the Ministry explained that the government is working to enhance learning outcomes and improve the efficiency of resource use by merging under-enrolled schools — a process known as “rationalisation.” “Single-teacher schools limit the scope of effective teaching and learning. The government is redeploying teachers from non-operational schools to ensure adequate staff availability in single-teacher schools,” the official said. The number of single-teacher schools has seen a steady decline, dropping from 1,18,190 in 2022–23 to 1,10,971 in 2023–24 — a reduction of nearly six percent. Source: PTI  

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SEBI Collaborates with UIDAI and RBI to Enable Remote KYC for NRIs

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is in advanced discussions with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to introduce a secure remote KYC (Know Your Customer) process for non-resident Indians (NRIs). The initiative, which is currently in the testing stage, aims to allow NRIs to complete KYC verification without the need to physically visit India. SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey described the move as a key priority for the regulator, stating, “This will be a major development once implemented, as it will simplify market access for NRIs.” He made these remarks while addressing an event organised by the BSE Brokers Forum (BBF). Pandey also outlined SEBI’s efforts to strengthen market surveillance, noting that the regulator is transitioning from “reactive supervision to predictive oversight.” He revealed that SEBI has revamped its data warehouse systems to incorporate advanced rule-based alerts designed to detect pump-and-dump schemes, bulk trade manipulations, and other fraudulent activities. Highlighting the regulator’s data-driven approach, Pandey said that such manipulative trading patterns are often traceable through analytics, and the upgraded surveillance infrastructure will enable SEBI to act more proactively. In addition, SEBI is working on a safety net mechanism for depository participants (DPs) to handle outages more effectively—similar to safeguards currently in place for stock brokers. “We are examining a system where, in case of a DP outage, issues can be managed at the depository level,” Pandey explained. On the foreign portfolio investor (FPI) front, SEBI plans to streamline registration further. “The FPI registration process is our window to the world. If that window is clogged with operational hurdles, it loses its clarity. The goal is not to increase risk but to simplify and modernize,” Pandey remarked. He reaffirmed SEBI’s continued focus on investor protection, particularly against cyber fraud and misleading financial advice from unregistered influencers. At the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025 last week, Pandey also highlighted SEBI’s technology-driven reforms, including the Investor Risk Reduction Access Platform and a Unified Investor App, which have enhanced transparency and ease of access. These tools consolidate investor holdings, transaction histories, e-voting, and proxy advisory information under one interface. Pandey added that grievance redressal has also become more efficient through the integration of the Digital Locker system and an upgraded SEBI Complaints Redressal System (SCORES), further reinforcing the regulator’s commitment to a safer, more transparent market ecosystem. Source: IANS

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