Prabhu Dayal, the Indian Consul General in New York, has been accused of treating a former domestic help as a slave and making sexual advances, charges rejected by him as "complete nonsense".Santosh Bhardwaj, Dayal's former maid, has filed a forced labour-suit against him for making her work for long hours everyday at $300 a month, confiscating her passport and letting her sleep in a storage closet. She has also alleged him of making sexual advances."I filed the complaint because I want to be paid for all the labour I provided and for all the injustice I suffered - and I want my passport returned," Bhardwaj (45), the mother of four children, said."The Dayals did not treat me fairly," she said in a statement issued by the Legal Aid Society, which is representing her.Dayal, however, has rubbished the charges against him."Complete nonsense. These are mischievous and malicious lies," he told PTI.Bhardwaj said she was lured to the US with a promise of an hourly pay of $10 and overtime pay. Instead, she said her payment was less than $1 an hour, and her passport was confiscated.She also alleged that on one occasion Dayal told her she could only have the additional money if she gave him a "massage.""Bhardwaj interpreted this as a sexual advance and was deeply offended. After that incident, Bhardwaj left the Dayals home and did not return," said the statement.Dayal rejected the accusation, saying, "No question. I never asked for a massage... I deny it outright...I don't need a massag... I'm fit." According to Dayal, Bhardwaj had absconded in January 2010 after he did not allow her to work outside the Consulate since it was not permitted under the terms of her visa. "She wanted to moonlight (earn more money). But it was against the rules so I did not permit it," he said.Dayal said Bhardwaj did not sleep in a storeroom but had her own room on the fifth floor of the Consulate building in Manhattan, which was equipped with a television and phone."She lived in the lap of luxury. We paid her line with regulation."The Indian official said that Bhardwaj received money in the US as well as "Rs 14,000 was deposited in her bank account in India every month." He also said she was only made to work for six hours and was paid overtime when asked to cook for guests."She had lots of money in US dollars. How else has she survived for this year-and-a-half," he said.On confiscating her passport, Dayal said he kept the passports of all his family members for "safe keeping". Her passport, he said, "had now been cancelled".The complaint has been filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against Dayal, his wife and daughter yesterday. It charges the defendants for luring Bhardwaj from India with false promises of good working conditions but then subjected her to approximately one year of forced labour.An official of the Consulate, on the condition of anonymity, said Bharadwaj had not complained to any of the other officials. "Perfectly like a family member," he said, responding to a question about how she was treated.The official, however, added that he did not see Bharadwaj very often since she rarely appeared on the official floors of the Consulate.(PTI)
Read More
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) wants to give affirmative action a fresh burst of energy. It wants the private sector to voluntarily reserve jobs for underprivileged sections of society, apart from the steps it has taken so far. At the Conference of State Ministers of Welfare and Social Justice, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that while results were encouraging, "more needs to be done". He used the term ‘affirmative action', but he focused more on compulsory reservation. Affirmative action has been close to the UPA's heart right from its first innings (2004-09); it is part of its Common Minimum Programme. India Inc., too, views it as a better way to foster inclusion than reservation. Industry chambers said 1,500 of their member companies have a voluntary code, which hinges around four Es — employability, education, entrepreneurship development, and employment. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says nearly 20 per cent of its member companies' staffing is accounted for by those who fall in the category of scheduled tribes and castes. CII, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Ficci) and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) point out they have between them adopted 559 industrial training institutes, imparted technical training to a few thousands and also employed them. Ficci and Assocham have ombudsmen to oversee the implementation and progress in this field by member companies; CII is set to follow suit.Yet the Prime Minister's Office is not impressed, admitted an industry representative who met T.K.A. Nair, principal secretary to the Prime Minister. Sources in the Coordination Committee on Affirmative Action in the Private Sector indicate that the UPA government is keen to push for a 5 per cent job reservation in the private sector. The thought process behind this is akin to the one that seeks companies to set aside a fixed amount towards corporate social responsibility — it becomes a mandatory part of doing business in India. Over the past five decades, affirmative action (read reservation) in government jobs has paid mixed dividends. It has provided many jobs, but year after year, a hefty percentage of these remain vacant. You just cannot find enough good hands to fill up the reserved posts: the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, D. Napoleon, told Lok Sabha last November. And special efforts have to be made to fill up such vacancies.The real problem, which the government refuses to recognise, is that it is easy to reserve jobs, but more difficult to find enough skilled workers. A more sensible approach is for India Inc. and the government to forge a partnership on the issue of lack of skilled manpower. Skill shortage, after all, is plaguing both. And there is no point in reserving jobs if the only means of filling them would be by forcing unskilled workers on an unwilling industry. CII has made it clear that competitiveness is not negotiable; it must be achieved and maintained through knowledge and competence — "Institutions must have autonomy and flexibility in order to create and expand jobs for all sections of society." Job reservation is the last stage of an affirmative agenda; the focus should also be on the three other Es. If India Inc. has shown a willingness to walk even a quarter of the way on voluntary affirmation, it is better that the government looks at what more can be done likewise rather than go down the legislative road.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 27-06-2011)
Read More
Can you imagine going up to your friends and acquaintances at a party and beseeching them to like your shirt? You'd probably lose your popularity fast! Just visualise accosting a stranger you think looks interesting and saying "I am now following you"? You'd likely get yourself arrested.A video from Business Insider shows a young man attempting "in real life" some of things we only do online — with understandably funny results. He goes up to a group and asks if he can be their friend. Then he goes to another lot and asks if he can write on their wall. He stops someone to tell them how he likes their jacket. And finally, he asks a group of girls if he can poke them. He gets some strange looks, I can tell you. The video is a humorous comment on how very strange our lives online are, and how different from reality, sometimes. You would never do any of these things for real. It's also true that you wouldn't dream of revealing in real life and to almost-strangers, some of the things you do freely and prolifically on Facebook and other networks. Privacy isn't what it used to be.I had written before, in my column While You Were Out that the whole landscape of privacy as we know it will change even as we participate in that change without fully realizing it. Practically all the big tech and social companies slip in features that violate our privacy grossly, say sorry, and go right on using those features. Facebook being the chief culprit. Thanks to Facebook, what you Like can appear anywhere and to anyone, and your friends can take you to whatever they choose. When the complaints from users get too loud, Facebook will point out how you can get into your settings so easily and change your privacy preferences. Most people are not tech-savvy enough to attempt this fiddling around. You'll have perhaps heard of the young girl who didn't realize how un-private her birthday invitation was until 1600 or so guests (including 100 police) arrived at her house. Even wittingly, people today seem to have no hesitation putting up all manner of bizarre things online, leading one to wonder what sort of voyeuristic-exhibitionistic culture we've spawned through technology. Well, be that as it may, things are about to get worse. Or better, if you want to look at it that way. With tech innovators building social networking into the DNA of every product now, we will see stranger things still. And one of them is a pair of glasses from Seattle-based company, Zion-Eyez. This cool shades, which don't look very different from others, have more than just brand value and looks to offer. They have a hidden camera, which may be small but records 1280x720p HD video, microphone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The next time someone in dark glasses is looking at you for too long, it could be a nice video of you going right out to Facebook or YouTube. And with three hours of battery life, there's quite enough time to do it too!That does it. I'm outta here, as they say in America. These glasses aren't ready yet, but they're already on pre-order for $200.I'm all for technological innovation, but this is downright uncomfortable. Legal eagles, get ready with your briefcases, for there're sure to be lots of issues with this set of Eyez. With Eyez that not only see but record and upload, can we ever feel private again? Yes, there are great uses possible. You could eyewitness an important happening and transmit it to the world, if you're a journalist - or not. You could do field trips and send video reports instead of lengthy wordy ones. You could go on a trip and send back amazing experiences for friends and family to see. But you could also be part of something you didn't opt to have anything to do with.Of course, it's not about this product in particular. More will come. It's about how we'll handle it. Technology is not to be blamed for what human beings do with it, after all.Mala Bhargava is a personal technology writer and media professional. Contact her at mala@pobox.com and @malabhargava on Twitter
Read More
The ITC board needs more time to find a successor to Yogesh ‘Yogi' Chander Deveshwar. It has reappointed him for another five years as its wholetime director and chairman with effect from 5 February 2012. That, the board hopes, will give the company enough time to find the right successor. The re-appointment will also make Deveshwar, who took over in 1996, the longest-serving chairman of the company. The problem is the man is a hard act to follow. During his tenure, he has grown the company's topline from Rs 5,000 crore to about Rs 30,000 crore. Under his leadership, ITC also made several diversification moves that transformed it from a tobacco company into a fast-moving consumer goods giant. The board has bought time. Now the task is to find the right man within the next five years to fill a rather big pair of shoes.Oil SlickThis one did not create as big a fuss as its 2G auction report, but the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) draft report on the capital costs cleared for the exploration of oil and gas fields by private players has also created quite a controversy. The CAG feels that the petroleum ministry in general and its technical arm — the Director-General of Hydrocarbons (GDH) — in particular have bent rules to allow four private players to make a lot more money than warranted. The CAG particularly came down on the DGH's decision to allow Reliance Industries (RIL) to quadruple its exploration costs in the D6 block of the KG Basin. The petroleum ministry has ruled out any loss to the exchequer on account of RIL raising the capital cost. On its defence, RIL has said it has acted responsibly, and fully complied with the production sharing contracts. The government is now hoping that this does not create as much furore in Parliament as the CAG's other reports.Coal Turns HeadsThe past week has seen the coal sector hogging one too many headlines. On 17 June, coal ministry revoked mining licences of seven blocks of NTPC, Damodar Valley Corporation and Jharkhand State Electricity Board, saying the players were not serious to develop the blocks. Of the seven blocks that got cancelled, five belong to NTPC. The state-run power major has reportedly vociferously expressed its protest against the review by the ministry.On Friday, Tata Steel sold its 26.3 per cent stake in Riversdale Mining to Rio Tinto for $1.12 billion, giving the Chinese major control over the mining firm. LABOUR BLUES: About 2,500 workers of Maruti went on a tool down strike demanding a new union at its Manesar plant (AFP) In an interesting development, state-owned Coal India (CIL) has sought a complete overhaul of the coal policy. CIL's demands include a roll back on the 10 per cent volume limit on coal e-auction, abolition of tapering linkages, and limiting supplies through fuel supply agreements only to consumers by Coal Governance and Regulatory Authority, among others.The latest buzz is that Hyderabad-based GVK is close to picking up controlling stake in the Queensland coal projects owned by iron ore mining magnate Gina Rinehart's Hancock's group. According to reports, GVK will pay close to $3.4 billion to buy the flagship assets of Hancock. Speculation gathered steam as Rinehart, Australia's richest woman, flew down to Hyderabad on Friday to attend the wedding of Mallika Reddy, granddaughter of GVK chairman G.V.K. Reddy.Maruti Strike Fizzles OutThe workers' strike at India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki ended on 17 June with the workers agreeing to start production. The 13-day strike at the Manesar plant had crippled production by 11,000 units — a loss of Rs 450-500 crore. The workers, backed by All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), were demanding recognition of a separate union at the Manesar plant, which Maruti rejected. The company agreed to reinstate the 11 workers, which it had sacked for fomenting the strike, but refused to recognise the new union.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 27-06-2011)
Read More
Ask just about anyone what they use to search for information on the internet, and pat comes the reply. Google. Type "search engine" into Google, and you might land up at Bing, Dogpile or Yahoo. But did you know that there are several other ways to search for information and news, some arguably even offering you a more efficient and innovative experience than Google? Here's my pick of the hidden gems for search, including one you probably know already but don't associate with search.DuckDuckGo: At first, you'd probably mistake DuckDuckGo for Google. That is, if you didn't notice the comical duck with a bowtie in its logo! Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo spells out their biggest draw right on the front page - they don't track you (or your search history) and serve up less 'spammy' results in the bargain. Also unique to DuckDuckGo is their zero-click info, a quick snippet style description of what you're searching for without even navigating away from DuckDuckGo. It also offers disambiguation prompts, which helps clarify what question you are really asking. Are you feeling ducky?Blekko: Search for anything online these days, and a ton of what you see first is sites that are filled with keywords meant solely to capture traffic without providing too much new information. Blekko uses what it calls "slashtags" to group results into several categories and deliver results that are relevant, and you can use the existing slashtags, typically of the form '/India', to say filter only for results that have to do with India (you can even create your own slashtags to help improve the service). Yippy: Meta search engines are those that grab and consolidate results from several other search services, and while they may be waning in popularity, you should try Yippy if you want a meta search engine that does not track or monitor your searches (much like DuckDuckGo).Qwiki: Unlike Wikipedia, which requires you to read whole screenfuls of information to get an overview on a subject, Qwiki lets you search among more than 2 million 'Qwikis' that each tell a story about the subject, in the form of a neatly put together slideshow of images and text accompanied by a computer generated voiceover. It's been called a "movie highlight reel of Wikipedia pages", and that's pretty much what it is. Warning: can lead to a lot of Qwiki-surfing and loss of productivity!Truveo: Specialised video search that spans the most popular video sharing and news sites. Enough said. Also, try Blinkx for more of the same.Isohunt: A Bit Torrent search engine, Isohunt does not host files - it only helps you find files, and therefore is a completely legal service to hopefully help you find legal Bit Torrrent download files. FoodieView: For all those times when you're wondering what to cook for dinner, FoodieView to the rescue. As the name suggests, it is a recipe search engine searching over 175,000 recipes from numerous sources, including AllRecipes.com, The Food Network, Martha Stewart Recipes, and many more. It's also extremely easy to find good recipes on FoodieView that are actually relevant to what your search query is such as if you are looking for a recipe using only certain ingredients.Healthline: No, you do not need an MBBS degree to venture onto Healthline, a medical information search engine. Perfect for the little reading up that you should do to be a more informed patient. Twitter: Wait a minute, isn't twitter for sending and interacting with byte-sized updates? Head over to search.twitter.com and you'll realise it's a great way to find out about the news and interesting links people are talking about right now! Impressive Progeny A successor to the popular Sony NEX line of ultra-compact mirror-less cameras can only be a good thing, and the NEX-C3 lives up to the family name. Packing in 16.2 megapixels in a camera body smaller than the current-gen NEX-5, this is the smallest camera body to sport a full size digital SLR sensor without forsaking performance - this baby shoots at a maximum 5.5 frames per second! URL: http://bit.ly/kVmZ3bPrice: $649 break-page-breakForces To Reckon With With the recent announcement of the PlayStation Vita at E3 recently, there is bound to be renewed interest in the hitherto ageing PlayStation Portable. I've been playing two new games on the console - Patapon 3 and Cart Kings and here's what I think of them.In Patapon 3, you are, much like the previous Patapon games, a warrior deity worshipped by a tribe of tiny warriors, and since it's a musical role-playing game, you end up feeling like the beat-master on your own galley. You use the four face buttons on the PSP to pound out drumbeats in rhythmic four-beat patterns based on whether you want to march, attack, defend, jump, retreat and so on. Do it well, and your warriors are a well-oiled synchronized machine. Slip up and lose the beat, and your army falls into disarray and gets pounded by the enemy instead. There's much to like about this seemingly simple game. I love the shadow-theatre styling to the whole game, with patapons and their foes assuming black silhouettes with little splashes of colour set against gloriously detailed backgrounds. The musical score suits the game to a tee as well. And while the beats and movement become instinctive after a while, using the skills and weapons is a complex activity, so you'd be well advised to take this game slow and read up online before you get too far into the game. This game is as much preparing for the warfare (armor, weapons) as it is about the actual fight, and being prepared is the difference between victory and becoming a dragon's lunch.Additional variety comes with the obstacle races and the tower defence modes, and an impressive list of multiplayer options that are playable both locally and online. Either solo or multiplayer, Patapon 3 delights at pretty much every turn, and the heady mix of the soundtrack, gameplay and the visuals makes this worth much more than the money you pay for the game. Cart Kings is the other extreme. It takes popular characters from Indian comic-lore, such as Shikari Shambhu, Supandi and Tantri the Mantri and puts them into bullock carts in this simple arcade style racing game. It's all Indian - you get to race in locales like Bollywood, Delhi and Tiger land, and the power-ups and weapons include chilly powder, soda bottles, and cow dung! Graphically and visually, the game is very dated and can appeal only to really young children who associate with the characters and don't demand much of a storyline from their games. Rating: Cart Kings: 7/10, Patapon 3: 9/10Price: Rs 699 (CK), Rs 999(P3)URL: http://bit.ly/mGcs5Qtechnocool at kanwar dot nettwitter@2shar
Read More
Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into India bounced back in April, on an investment surge in services, construction and auto sectors, reversing a steep drop recorded in the previous fiscal year, the government said on Monday.In April, the first month of the 2011-12 fiscal year, FDI into India rose an annual 43 per cent to $3.1 billion, with analysts expecting the year to show an improvement in such flows owing to previously announced big-ticket projects.FDI inflows had fallen to $19.43 billion, down a quarter, in the last fiscal year that ended in March, as foreign investors shunned Asia's third-largest economy over policy paralysis from a series of corruption cases, regulatory hurdles and lack of reforms.That decline has posed worries for the slowing Indian economy and for balancing its trade and current accounts, with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee last week saying that the government was in the process of pushing forward reforms, including easier FDI norms, to attract foreign investors.Analysts say FDI inflows could improve this fiscal year on account of big-ticket investments such as the POSCO's proposed $12 billion steel plant and Reliance Industries' $7.2 billion deal with BP.POSCO has been given clearances for the project in Orissa, though progress has been slow due to local protests. Media reports have said the home ministry has approved the Reliance-BP deal.FDI flows may also get a boost if the government opens up the supermarket sector to greater foreign investment, as has been suggested by government officials.The service sector, which saw investments rise an annual 21 percent to $658 million in April, was the top recipient of FDI inflows, the trade and industry ministry said in a statement.FDI in the construction sector, including into roads, was up by 7 per cent to $311 million in April. The automobile sector attracted $266 million, up 5 per cent, while flows into the power sector also grew 5 per cent to $256 million.For the January-April period, FDI flows were down by 9 per cent from a year earlier at $7.1 billion, the government said.(Reuters)
Read More
When G20 farm ministers meet this week France is unlikely to get what it wants - assent to tougher commodity trading rules - although the bloc might agree to share key data on grain supplies to ease the threat of food shortages.Paris has made tighter regulation of commodity markets a priority of its 2011 presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies as President Nicolas Sarkozy has blamed speculators for food price inflation that has fuelled unrest in North Africa and the Middle East.Surging demand for food and fuel will keep upwards pressure on farm prices for years to come, but more transparency on how much grain, rice and other foodstuffs countries are producing could calm supply concerns that drive up prices.While all G20 nations agree that steps must be taken to tackle food inflation, they are split over whether prices should be tamed by regulation or by increased agricultural production."There will be a few concrete measures on relatively secondary issues but what's important is the attention the international community is giving to this issue of agriculture," said commodity specialist Philippe Chalmin. "This is the first time there is such an international meeting on farm issues."Chalmin, who is also an advisor to the French government, said he expected the final communique to dwell on speculation but saw no ground for a deal on regulation given the gap between "Sarkozy's vision and the vision of more reasonable people."Indeed, France's proposals to impose position limits on how much of the market an investor can buy into, or a minimum cash deposit for commodity derivative transactions, have failed to win support from countries such as Britain, which believe speculation is not the root of food inflation.The United States, Brazil and Argentina say that instead of focusing on regulation the G20 should review measures to bolster farm output through investments and the use of new technologies."We need more production, with more farmers and more added-value goods, because that's the only way to provide food for the world," Argentine Agriculture Minister Julian Dominguez said last month.A communique draft obtained by Reuters on Thursday showed farm ministers meeting in Paris on June 22-23 could end up with a watered-down deal limiting decisions to agricultural issues, mainly data or food supplies, not markets.They are expected to pass on the tricky issue of regulation to G20 finance ministers with a statement that "strongly encourages" them to "take the appropriate decisions for better regulation and supervision" in time for the closing summit of France's G20 presidency in Cannes in November.Sarkozy, seeking to impress on the world stage ahead of a tough reelection battle in 2012, set an ambitious agenda for France's G20 presidency with goals ranging from defining ways to reduce economic imbalances to weaning the world off the dollar as its sole reserve currency.French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire said, however, a deal was "not guaranteed at all" and that France would not sign something that does not tackle financial issues.A Global Deal Or Nothing?The draft communique mainly covers purely agricultural issues such as the launch of a database on national farm supplies, a joint research programme on wheat and a rapid response forum between G20 states in case of a food crisis.G20 ministers would also agree to set up food aid reserves and remove export restrictions for humanitarian supplies.But there may be resistance even on these points as China is reluctant to share information it sees as strategic. China also considers, as does India, that giving exhaustive and timely data on stocks would be difficult for practical reasons.Russia, which imposed a unilateral ban on grain exports in the summer of 2010 after a severe drought ravaged its harvests, has been among the countries wary of putting limits on export restrictions, even for humanitarian purposes.Meanwhile, Washington is dragging its feet on a proposal to set up strategic emergency food stocks in emerging markets, as it risks undermining its exports to the countries concerned, and it opposes any curb on biofuel production."This topic is not ripe," for an agreement, Le Maire said on Friday, a position likely to anger organisations such as charity Oxfam which have blamed the growing use of arable land for biofuel production for food security issues."Reforming flawed biofuels policies which divert food into fuel, and helping poor countries build up food stocks to guard against extreme fluctuations in global food prices must be at the top of their agenda," Oxfam said on Friday.(Reuters)
Read More
The world economy is slowing down due to a combination of factors such as the euro zone's debt problems and a weak US housing sector, but it is not headed for a double-dip slump, the head of the OECD said on Monday."We do not believe there is a return to a recession," Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), told reporters when asked if recent signs of a slowdown pointed to a major weakening in the global economy.He cited political turmoil in the Middle East, debt problems in euro zone economies, higher commodities prices, the devastating March earthquake in Japan and fractious US budget negotiations as some of the factors behind the cooldown."There is recovery. There are positive numbers, (although) it is going to be a little softer than we thought initially," he said at a news conference in Seoul on the sidelines of a business conference co-hosted by the OECD.The remarks came as recent data around the world raised concerns that economic momentum was slowing in many advanced countries and in particular the United States, on which many export-reliant Asian economies rely heavily for growth.Gurria also said current talks among euro zone leaders on helping Greece avoid a debt default required a technical approach to make sure legal aspects were well covered, as well as strong participation from the private sector."It has already taken too long. The solutions are on the table. I think the stakes are very high," he said.Euro zone finance ministers kept up intense pressure on Athens on Monday to approve tougher fiscal austerity measures before a final decision is made on a further 12 billion euros in emergency loans. Greece says it needs the money by mid-July or it could default on its debts, which could wreak havoc on global financial markets.The OECD chief also said he expected commodity prices to go up in real terms over the next decade, given supply and demand."But it is also desirable because better prices make farmers invest more, plant more and produce more, and we need to increase productivity in the agricultural sector," he said later at a meeting with a small group of reporters."The trend is up for the next 10 years, which will reverse the trends we have seen so far," he said.(Reuters)
Read More
Regenerative medicine crossed another milestone this week when scientists at the University of Lund in Sweden demonstrated the direct conversion of skin tissue cells into nerve cells. So far, the standard technique in this field has been to convert adult cells (usually from the skin) into stem cells, and then converting stem cells into tissues or organs that have to be transplanted. This method has several risks and has not worked well in humans so far, although a few recent breakthroughs seem promising. The new method skirts the stem-cell route, and so avoids most of the risks associated with it.Regenerative medicine is in some ways the Holy Grail of modern medicine. Damaged organs such as kidney, liver or the retina can seldom be repaired through drugs. The only way out is to transplant a new organ. This works for some time, but brings with it other risks such as rejection. The average life expectancy of a patient with a transplanted kidney, for example, is 10-15 years. Regene-rative medicine can one day provide these people with their own organs, but so far it has not worked to the extent required for field use.Regenerative medicine is useful not just in transplanting organs. Bone marrow transplants are being used to treat leukaemia patients. Many neural diseases can in theory be treated with regenerated cells. For example, Parkinson's disease, caused by degeneration of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine (an important neurotransmitter involved in many brain functions) can, in theory, be treated by transplanted brain cells. However, this method has not worked in practice so far.The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine has been dogged by several controversies. The use of embryonic stem cells has been criticised as unethical and has been banned at various times in several countries. Scientists have learned to convert adult cells — particularly of the skin — into a type of stem cell called pluripotent cells (which are capable of differentiating into most organs in the body), but the use of pluripotent stem cells in therapy is dangerous because they sometimes lead to tumours. The current method in Lund avoids this step, and converts cells of one type directly into cells of another type.The Lund scientists have achieved this by reprogramming the skin cell, of a type called fibroblasts. Cells differentiate into different types because different kinds of genes become active in different kinds of tissues. You can use this process to change cells of one type into another. For example, if you shut down the liver genes in the liver cells and activate the retina genes, the liver cells will be converted into retinal cells. Lund scientists, led by Malin Parmar at the department of developmental neurology, found that this technique was much easier than people thought.Parmar and her team activated three nerve cell genes in the fibroblasts, and another two genes involved in dopamine synthesis. This led to the conversion of the fibroblasts into dopamine-producing nerve cells, thereby demonstrating a possible therapy method for Parkinson's disease. This was a major breakthrough because it opened a new avenue of research with immense potential. For scientists to actually use it in a clinical trial, they need to see how the new neurons grow in the brain. They need to optimise their methods with the right kind of starting cell, see how well the new neurons grow in the brain, whether they survive in the long term, and also how well they produce dopamine. Of course, they would also need to see whether the patients get better with the treatment. (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 27-06-2011)
Read More
Amidst panic in the stock market over double tax avoidance treaty with Mauritius, the government on Monday said India "cannot impose arbitrarily" capital gains tax on investment routed through the island nation."How can you do that? There has to be some agreement on that. Right now, it is not there in the agreement. You cannot impose it arbitrarily," Finance Secretary Sunil Mitra told PTI.However, he said the two nations are likely to hold discussions on revision of the double tax avoidance treaty, which has been used for routing third country investment into India for availing of tax exemptions.The BSE benchmark Sensex plunged by over 556 points in intra-day trade on Monday on widespread panic selling by funds as well as retail investors, triggered by reports that the government may impose capital gains tax on investments through Mauritius.There was a recovery in the market in the afternoon, but the Sensex was trading 336 points lower 1450 hours.Asked to comment on the market fall, Mitra said," that is up to the market. What can I say".The Finance Secretary said the process of renegotiation of the tax treaty with the island nation began in 2006 through a joint working group, but got stalled in 2008.New Delhi has suggested dates in July and August for resumption of talks. "They have to give their consent," he said.Under the present treaty, only Mauritius has the right to tax capital gains on investment which is routed through it in India. But it does not levy any tax as per its domestic policies giving advantage to the investors.Most of the foreign direct investment as also the inflows in the stock market are round-tripped through Mauritius. PTI NKD PC(PTI)
Read More
