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NVIDIA Healthcare Launches Generative AI Microservices to Advance Drug Discovery, MedTech, and Digital Health

NVIDIA has unveiled over two dozen new microservices aimed at empowering healthcare enterprises worldwide to leverage the latest advancements in generative AI across drug discovery, medical technology (MedTech), and digital health. These microservices, available on every NVIDIA DGX Cloud, enable healthcare organizations to harness the power of generative AI from any location and on any cloud platform. The suite of NVIDIA healthcare microservices comprises optimized NVIDIA NIM™ AI models and workflows equipped with industry-standard APIs. These microservices serve as foundational elements for developing and deploying cloud-native applications, offering capabilities in advanced imaging, natural language processing, speech recognition, and digital biology generation, prediction, and simulation. Moreover, NVIDIA has made available accelerated software development kits and tools, including Parabricks®, MONAI, NeMo™, Riva, and Metropolis, as NVIDIA CUDA-X™ microservices. These tools accelerate healthcare workflows, spanning drug discovery, medical imaging, and genomics analysis. The deployment of these microservices marks a significant milestone in transforming healthcare, enabling pharmaceutical companies, physicians, and hospitals to capitalize on generative AI for various applications. This includes screening vast libraries of drug compounds, enhancing patient data collection for early disease detection, and implementing intelligent digital assistants. NVIDIA’s Vice President of Healthcare, Kimberly Powell, highlighted the transformative potential of generative AI in revolutionizing drug discovery, stating, “For the first time in history, we can represent the world of biology and chemistry in a computer, making computer-aided drug discovery possible.” The suite of healthcare microservices includes NVIDIA NIM, which provides optimized inference for various models across imaging, MedTech, drug discovery, and digital health domains. These models enable generative biology, chemistry, and molecular prediction. Additionally, a collection of models for drug discovery, such as MolMIM for generative chemistry and ESMFold for protein structure prediction, are included. Various industry leaders and application providers are already leveraging these microservices to advance healthcare. Companies like Amgen and Abridge are utilizing generative AI to enhance drug discovery processes and clinical interactions, respectively, demonstrating the broad impact and potential of these technologies in transforming patient care and medical research. Developers interested in experimenting with NVIDIA AI microservices can access them at ai.nvidia.com, while production-grade NIM microservices are available through NVIDIA AI Enterprise 5.0. These services can be deployed on NVIDIA-Certified Systems™ and leading public cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, as well as on NVIDIA DGX™ Cloud.

Kerala Government Initiates Legal Action Against President Murmu for Withholding Assent for Bills

The Kerala Government has filed a lawsuit against President Droupadi Murmu for withholding assent for four Bills passed by the Kerala Legislature. Additionally, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is being sued for delaying the Bills and subsequently reserving them for consideration by the President. The Kerala Government argues that the President’s actions in withholding assent without providing any reasons violate Articles 14, 200, and 201 of the Constitution, labeling them as arbitrary. Furthermore, the State contends that referring the Bills to the President undermines constitutional morality and disrupts the federal structure of governance. The lawsuit, filed before the Supreme Court, lists the Secretary to the President, the Kerala Governor, and the Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor as respondents. Kerala plans to be represented in the court by a senior lawyer specializing in Constitutional matters along with C.K. Sasi, its Standing Counsel. The State asserts that the Union Government’s involvement in advising the President to withhold assent to Bills within the State’s jurisdiction undermines the federal structure and encroaches on the State’s domain. The actions of the Governor, particularly in bundling up Bills for referral to the President after significant delays, are seen as deliberate attempts to evade constitutional duties. The Kerala Government maintains that the Governor’s actions disrupt the balance envisioned by the Constitution among the three organs of the State and subvert the federal structure. By reserving Bills solely within the State’s domain for the President’s consideration, the Governor’s actions render the State Legislature ineffective. The State’s legal action underscores its commitment to upholding constitutional principles and protecting its legislative autonomy. As the case unfolds in the Supreme Court, it marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over federalism and the balance of power between the Union and State governments.  

Reliance Industries and Walt Disney Near Finalization of Mega Merger, Creating India’s Largest Media Entity

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), led by Mukesh Ambani, and Walt Disney are on the brink of finalizing a significant stock-and-cash merger, aiming to forge India’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate, according to a report by Economic Times (ET). The negotiations, under an exclusivity period, are slated to conclude by February 17. With an anticipated ownership stake of 42-45% in the merged entity, Viacom18 is poised to emerge as the leading shareholder. RIL plans to infuse up to $1.5 billion in cash into the new venture, securing a direct stake. The conglomerate as a whole is slated to retain a 60% ownership interest, while Walt Disney will possess the remaining 40%. According to sources cited by ET, Reliance executives are currently devising a comprehensive three-year capital allocation strategy encompassing all business sectors, with the media segment earmarked as pivotal for the company’s growth trajectory. The proposed strategy entails the establishment of a subsidiary of Viacom18 Media, which will subsequently merge with Star India through a stock swap. Both entities are assessed to be of comparable value, ranging between $4-5 billion each, with RIL leveraging cash to acquire a controlling interest. As part of the deal, Jio Cinema, a division of Viacom18, will be seamlessly integrated. However, Disney’s valuation of its India operations has witnessed a significant decline since its 2019 acquisition, primarily attributable to mounting losses incurred by its sports franchise in the country, as highlighted by analysts. Viacom18’s entertainment network in India represents a collaboration between Ambani’s TV18 Broadcast, Paramount Global, and Bodhi Tree Systems, an investment fund established by James Murdoch and former Disney India chief Uday Shankar. Contrary to some reports, Bodhi Tree will indirectly hold shares in the new entity as a Viacom18 stakeholder. As negotiations approach a climax, the merger’s diligence is being diligently conducted by leading firms from both sides, accompanied by multiple law firms and company executives. While the deadline for exclusivity may be extended, the concerted effort is geared toward finalizing the deal by the fiscal year-end, reflecting the dynamic nature of the Indian media landscape and the imperative for consolidation. The forthcoming entity’s board is slated to feature three Disney representatives among its eight or nine members, underscoring the collaborative nature of the venture.

Union Education Minister Inaugurates National Conference on ‘APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card’

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated a national conference aimed at commemorating the creation of 25 crore ‘APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card.’ The APAAR ID is designed to link a student’s academic bank of credits (ABC), storing all academic learnings, certificates, and credentials, including formal or informal credits from various sources such as skilling, sports, or social work, digitally verified by the awarding agencies. Pradhan emphasized that the concept of ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ was outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The conference aims to foster a seamless educational landscape, promote academic mobility, and ensure data security and privacy for students. “The introduction of APAAR IDs addresses the necessity for a singular, unified identity to streamline interactions throughout a student’s academic journey,” stated Pradhan. He further elaborated that the platform will showcase academic records in a consolidated manner, enabling students to monitor their academic journey and access personalized study plans and real-time performance analytics. Highlighting the significance of digital public infrastructure (DPIs) in the country, Pradhan mentioned the development of 53 DPIs in 16 countries, with 19 of them situated in India. The conference aims to explore strategies to embed the credit system across educational institutions, enhance industry collaboration, and emphasize the link between academic credits, job profiles, and student employability. A senior education ministry official noted that discussions during the event will focus on APAAR’s impact, strategies for credit system integration, and awareness creation among industry partners. The APAAR ID’s role in aligning education with labor market demands will also be underscored, with plans outlined for broader integration and industry engagement.