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AI might lessen common drug side effects

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According to the study, a research team has created a tool that measures the negative effects of medications using natural language processing, an artificial intelligence methodology, and chemical structure analysis. The new tool is made to determine which medications are more likely to cause anticholinergic side effects, which affect the brain by inhibiting acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter. Professor Chris Fox from the University of Exeter in the UK stated, “Use of medicines with anticholinergic effects can have significant harmful effects for example falls and confusion, which are avoidable, we urgently need to reduce the harmful side effects as this can lead to hospitalisation and death.” “This new tool provides a promising avenue towards a more tailored personalised medicine approach, of ensuring the right person gets a safe and effective treatment while avoiding unwanted anticholinergic effects”, he added. Antidepressants, stomach medications, bladder medications, and Parkinson’s disease treatments for elderly individuals are a few examples of over-the-counter drugs that can have anti-cholinergic side effects. Confusion, blurred vision, light-headedness, falls, and a decline in brain function are some of the side effects. Long-term usage of it may potentially increase the risk of dementia. According to research reported in the journal Age and Ageing, the tool evaluates anticholinergic burden by allocating a score based on reported adverse events and closely matching the chemical make-up of the drug being considered for prescription. This scoring system is more precise and up to date than any prior system. In addition, the researchers surveyed 110 medical specialists, including pharmacists and nurses who write prescriptions. When asked if they would utilise a tool to evaluate the risk of anticholinergic side effects, 85% of this group responded in the affirmative. To further enhance the tool, the team also gathered usability feedback. According to Dr. Saber Sami of the University of East Anglia, “Our tool is the first to use innovative artificial intelligence technology in measures of anticholinergic burden, ultimately, once further research has been conducted the tool should support pharmacists and prescribing health professionals in finding the best treatment for patients.” Source: IANS

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Govt to eliminate price certification for purchases up to Rs. 1 lakh and introduce push button procurement system on GeM

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The Center has decided to test push button procurement (PBP) for purchases up to Rs. 1 lakh through the Government eMarketplace (GeM) for government entities, offices, and PSUs. PBP will rely on technology to determine valuation and eliminate the need for certification, relieving pressure on government departments, particularly infrequent customers who frequently make small value purchases. Government buyers must certify that the selected offer’s pricing is appropriate. “It has come to the notice that sometimes especially infrequent government buyers find it difficult to certify reasonability of rates. They normally do not possess requisite skills in making procurement decisions. It delays the procurement process,” according to the Department of Expenditure. Government purchases made through GeM up to Rs 1 lakh are exempt from price certification. The Center has agreed to test push button procurement (PBP) for purchases up to Rs. 1 lakh through the Government e-Marketplace for governmental bodies, offices, and PSUs.

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Union Cabinet approves launch of centrally-sponsored PM SHRI Schools

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The Cabinet declared on September 7 that it has approved the launch of a new, government sponsored scheme for creating PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India). The Center wants to reinforce up to 14,600 schools under the programme in five years, or between 2022 and 2027, for a cost of Rs 27,360 crore. The Cabinet announced that these institutions, which include Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, will subsequently become PM SHRI Schools. Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of a new scheme for setting up PM-SHRI schools. Over 14,000 schools including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas will be strengthened to emerge as PM-SHRI schools.” An objective assessment would be performed for this to ensure that two schools are identified in each Block so that improvements to their educational standards may be achieved. A total of Rs 2 crore would be given to each PM SHRI model school over the course of two years for upgrading, and school authorities will have the discretion to spend up to 40% of the money. With digital learning tools, 3D labs, and vocational education, the PM SHRI model schools, which are anticipated to serve 20 lakh students, would be technology-driven. The schools would also be required to have an emphasis on entrepreneurship. Using a portal, the performance of the schools and the students would be monitored.

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Punjab will regularise 25,000 contract workers

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In Punjab, around 25,000 contract workers might expect getting regularised. Out of them, the Education Department employs a sizable 8,000 contract workers, while the Health Department employs roughly 6,000. A proposal that will regularise the services of ad hoc, contractual, daily wage, and temporary teachers with 10 years of experience has received approval from the Punjab Cabinet. Teachers make up the majority of individuals undergoing regularisation, with support workers making up the remainder. Personnel from Punjab’s departments of power and transportation are among the other beneficiaries. The regularisation will put additional financial strain on the state government, with costs expected to reach more than Rs 400 crore. The regularised employees will get basic pay for their first three years of employment in accordance with an old one-time policy. Each department will implement a unique regularisation policy for its contract employees and establish a distinct cadre just for them. A three-member cabinet subcommittee headed by the finance minister of Punjab deliberated and created the policy. The state cabinet, presided over by the chief minister, gave its approval to their report. The committee has recommended that the government implement a plan to regularise employees. The contract workers in Group C and D for the Punjab government will become permanent, according to an announcement made by Bhagwant Mann, the chief minister of Punjab, in March of this year. In the Group C and D categories, about 35,000 temporary positions had been turned permanent. The Punjab Cabinet had suggested offering 10,000 public posts in the police department and 15,000 in other government departments in early March. More youth from the State should be able to obtain government positions through a fair and transparent process based on merit, it was anticipated that regularisation would enable.

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Indian pharma market grew by 12.1% in August: AWACS report

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According to market research firm AWACS, the Indian pharmaceutical market (IPM) increased in value by 12.1% and volume by 4.8% in the month of August as a result of strong growth across all therapy areas. In August, IPM had sales of Rs 16,239 crore. The pharmaceutical industry has increased prices for medicines subject to price regulation and infectious diseases associated with the monsoon due to the wholesale price index (WPI) inflation linked price hike permitted by the government. The categories with the fastest growth rates were cardiac (13% growth), anti-infectives (13% growth), and gastrointestinal (12% growth). Vitamin sales and anti-diabetes sales both increased by 9%. The top three selling brands in India continue to be Abbott’s Mixtard, GSK’s Augmentin, and USV’s Glycomet.

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Watch movies for just Rs. 75 on September 16 in honour of National Cinema Day

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On September 16, moviegoers will have the opportunity to see a film for only Rs. 75 at cinema halls and movie theatres. This is due to a special discount offered to all cinephiles in honour of National Cinema Day by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). The MAI stated that Rs. 75 tickets were given out as a “thank you” to moviegoers who helped the cinemas successfully reopen following the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. However, 4,000 theatres throughout India, including well-known chains like PVR and Cinepolis, will abide by the ticket pricing. The Rs. 75-ticket offer is exclusive to theatres, according to the movie association. Customers who buy tickets through booking apps can be charged extra fees. Movie theatre owners and operators claim that the one-day discount will increase audience turnout because they are finding it difficult to compete with OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. According to the Multiplex Association, KFG: Chapter 2, RRR, Bhool Bhulaiya 2, and Hollywood blockbusters like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are largely responsible for the Indian film industry’s quick rebound. Meanwhile, on the strength of a series of successful box office performances, the trade experts claim that the South Indian film industry has rebounded to 80% of its pre-covid business. A recent research from the media consulting firm Ormax and the investment firm GroupM indicates that Telugu movies have seen a large increase in box office revenue. 60% of Hindi box office revenues from January to April came from dubbed versions of south Indian movies like K.G.F: Chapter 2 and RRR. Telugu movies made up 27% of overall revenue during this time, up from 12% in 2019, while Hindi movies’ proportion decreased from 43% in 2018 to 38% in 2022. Bollywood films are suffering from the displeasure of viewers due to their poor content. Big The box office collections for big-budget films like “Laal Singh Chaddha,” starring Aamir Khan, and “Raksha Bandhan,” starring Akshay Kumar, was less than anticipated.

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Rajasthan approves an EV Purchase Grant of Rs. 40 crores

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A new electric vehicle policy that offers financial advantages to EV owners in the state has been enacted by the Rajasthan government. The government has granted a total contribution of Rs 40 crore towards the purchase of electric vehicles under the new Rajasthan Electric Vehicle Policy (REVP). The five-year-long policy’s objective is to promote the use of electric vehicles throughout the state. The pollution that diesel and petrol vehicles produce in the state will decrease as the number of electric vehicles rises. The policy was unveiled by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the 2019–20 budget. Later, in May of this year, the draft policy was approved. The government agreed to the suggested one-time payment for the purchase of electric vehicles as well as an additional budgetary provision of Rs 40 crore for the reimbursement of State Goods and Services Tax (SGST). For two-wheelers, the state government would pay compensation in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for SGST. Depending on the vehicle’s battery capacity, a reimbursement of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 will be given for the purchase of three-wheelers. A sum of Rs 40 crore has also been given to the transport department to settle any outstanding grants for the purchase of electric vehicles. A grant of Rs 5 crore from the total amount of Rs 40 crore will shortly be given to 3,000 vehicle owners in the state who bought their automobiles during the current fiscal year.

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Experts dwell on NEP provisions at a Seminar on Quality Assurance in Higher Education “QAHE-2022” organised at Chitkara University

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Accreditation and Quality Assurance Cell at Chitkara University, Punjab organised a National Seminar on Quality Assurance in Higher Education “QAHE-2022”. In this two days event, Education Experts deliberated on National Education Policy with a special focus on Quality Assurance in Higher Education. The event was organised in association with National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and Tata Tele Business Services. Eminent speakers in the seminar included Dr. R. K. Goel, Director-IQAC, Punjabi University, Patiala, Prof. (Retd.) L. N. Mittal, Formerly Professor at NITTTR, Chandigarh, Dr. Kawaljeet Singh, Director, University Computer Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala, Dr. Sandhir Sharma, Dean, Chitkara Business School; and Dr. V. K. Jadon, Dean-Academics, CUIET (Applied Engineering), Chitkara University, Punjab. On the occasion a souvenir with 91 research articles received from research scholars and faculty members on the topic “Quality Assurance in Higher Education” was also launched. In total 122 research articles were received and best were shortlisted for publication in this souvenir which will be scrutinised further for publication in the Scopus database. Sharing her views Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor Chitkara University said that we at Chitkara are always focused on the implementation of the NEP into the modern education system to meet the Industry 5.0 requirements. She gave her valuable insights about quality in higher education. She said that the most effective factor is human capital, expressed in the knowledge, skills, creative abilities, and moral qualities of individuals in society. Higher education institutions are increasingly viewed as economic engines by policy makers and seen as essential for ensuring knowledge production through research and innovation. She also shared her views about quality in higher education. She said that education is now considered as instrument of change, as change is happening quicker than in older times. Chitkara university is always focused on the multidisciplinary research and consultancy and so far university has published 4000+ Scopus articles which have more than 14000 citations. 1800 patents have been applied so far out of 300 patents have been published and 150 granted. On the occasion Dr. Goel discussed the role of accreditation agencies in improving the education system in higher educational institutes and how rankings contribute to imparting quality education and institutional growth. Dr. L.N. Mittal emphasised the role of teachers in improving the teaching-learning process. He suggested ways in which teachers could improve themselves and give their contributions to improving students by encouraging themselves for their career progression. Prof. Jadon discussed the importance of outcome-based education and further he elaborated on the concepts of PO and CO attainment and their importance in today’s education system. Dr. Sandhir Sharma enlightened us on curriculum-aspects, teaching-learning-evaluation, and teaching competency. Dr. Sharma’s explores the role of dialogue during the classroom. Dr. Sharma also explores the linkage between curriculum and accreditation as well as rankings. Dr. Kawaljeet Singh discussed the issues concerning e-Content Development in Online Learning Mode in the context of NEP 2020. All the presentations delivered by the candidates in the seminar were focused on the impact of accreditation agencies on the education system, how the education system transitioned itself to an online education system during COVID ’19, what are the after effects, and how NEP can contribute to strengthening the Indian education system. Chitkara University has been established and managed by passionate academicians with the sole mission of making each and every student “industry ready”. With more than 25,000 students and 1,700 staff from over 100 different countries, the university is proud of the impact that its graduates, life-changing research, and innovative campuses and industry developments have made – both in India and around the world. Chitkara University has been awarded the rating of A+ by the prestigious National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which places it among the 5% of higher education institutions (HEIs) in India to be granted such a coveted grade.

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Prasar Bharati News Services chooses AWS to expand its digital news service

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Prasar Bharati News Services (PBNS) has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host and extend its vast network, which includes over 240 live radio channels, including live news and entertainment programmes. By switching to AWS, PBNS will have the compute power, dependability, and scalability to deliver news to more than 894 million viewers and listeners in more than 190 countries with ease. The goal of PBNS’s digital transformation is to better engage its target audience, particularly younger viewers and listeners, by offering cutting-edge digital content formats. “At Prasar Bharati News Services, we have a responsibility to provide timely and accurate news. We inform and educate the public about India’s development and cultural diversity.” According to Samir Kumar, Head of PBNS and Digital Platform at Prasar Bharati, “AWS is instrumental to PBNS’s digital transformation roadmap, helping us reach existing and new audiences, who consume content digitally,” “With AWS, we have the reliability and scalability to distribute news across the nation at speed, constantly updating our growing audience with trusted information, even during peak periods. We are confident that our cloud-first approach to creating, transforming, and delivering digital content quickly, enabled by AWS, will help us continue to make information more accessible and relevant to the growing requirements of our audience. Using the cloud, PBNS drives its mission to be a trusted public broadcaster by innovating our operations, driving content reforms, and delivery.” As more people watch and listen to podcasts and other digital news items online and on mobile apps, India’s media sector is changing quickly. AWS is honoured to support Prasar Bharati News Services’ mission to be a leader in delivering trustworthy news and information across India in the digital age, according to Pankaj Gupta, Leader – Public Sector Enterprises and Government, Healthcare, AISPL, AWS India and South Asia. Media and entertainment companies are among the major users of cloud services. “With AWS, Prasar Bharati can change the way it creates, manages, and distributes content to audiences—both old and new—locally and globally,” he added. Before switching to AWS, PBNS hosted its applications with a co-location IT service provider and experienced high latency, which led to performance and availability problems, including website outages and jerky video streaming. The dissemination of news and the viewing experience were both substantially impacted by this. To transform the way it delivers content, such as live-streaming it and distributing it across platforms like YouTube, PBNS required a broad set of cloud capabilities, from scalable compute and storage resources to content development, administration, and archiving.

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Unemployment rate rises in India, declines in the US

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Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) show that in August, with a two million decline in employment, India’s unemployment rate increased to a one-year high of 8.3%. On the other hand, since late last year, the number of open positions in the US has surprisingly surpassed 11 million. Therefore, employment growth has exceeded all forecasts, and the unemployment rate has decreased by 3.5%. In India, there were 397 million people employed in July, with a 6.8% unemployment rate. The unemployment rates in metropolitan areas are often greater than those in rural areas, hovering around 8% and 7%, respectively. However, in August, India’s urban unemployment rate increased to 9.6% while the country’s rural unemployment rate increased to 7.7%. In rural India, the employment rate dropped from 37.6 percent in July to 37.3 percent in August. Unpredictable rains that have an impact on sowing are to blame for this decline. In the US, employers recruited more people than anticipated in July, resulting in a decrease in the unemployment rate to 3.5%. This has caused people to think that the recession has been averted. About 398,000 new jobs were generated in June. Given the tight labour market, the US private sector added about 132,000 jobs in August, indicating that there has been growth, albeit slowly.

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