d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
d(GC) - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy
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Current Trends in <strong>Biotechnology</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Pharmacy</strong><br />
Vol. 6 (2) i-iv 241-254 April April 2012, 2012, ISSN ISSN 0973-8916 0973-8916 (Print), (Print), 2230-7303 2230-7303 (Online) (Online)<br />
Expansion <strong>of</strong> education <strong>and</strong> research<br />
infrastructure need <strong>of</strong> the hour: President<br />
Pratibha Patil<br />
The expansion <strong>of</strong> country’s education <strong>and</strong><br />
research infrastructure requires an immediate<br />
consideration, according to President Pratibha Patil<br />
at present there are nearly 3,500 engineering colleges<br />
in India with over 4.5 lakh students graduating every<br />
year, but the capacity was falling short <strong>of</strong> the<br />
requirement. She said that we need an expansion <strong>of</strong><br />
our education <strong>and</strong> research base. Also Smt. Patil<br />
added that Research generates new knowledge, but<br />
its ultimate usefulness lies in how extensively it is<br />
used <strong>and</strong> the number <strong>of</strong> people it benefits. From the<br />
invention <strong>of</strong> the wheel to the WiFi mode <strong>of</strong><br />
communication, from the construction <strong>of</strong> simple<br />
dwelling units to high-rise buildings to highways,<br />
metro-systems <strong>and</strong> satellites - the role <strong>of</strong> technology<br />
<strong>and</strong> innovation has become even more critical in the<br />
21st century as we live in a knowledge era.<br />
Education system in India needs revision: Kapil<br />
Sibal<br />
Speaking at the higher education conclave<br />
organized by the Indian Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce, Kapil<br />
Sibal Minister <strong>of</strong> Human Resource Development,<br />
stressed upon ways to improve the existing academic<br />
patterns. He said that most <strong>of</strong> our Universities are<br />
not forward-looking <strong>and</strong> follow archaic academic<br />
systems <strong>and</strong> policies because their highest decision<br />
making bodies - the academic <strong>and</strong> executive councils<br />
- are run by people with vested interests. Sibal told<br />
that the statutes <strong>and</strong> ordinances in most Universities<br />
have outlived their utility <strong>and</strong> need revision. The<br />
academic <strong>and</strong> executive councils comprise people<br />
who are <strong>of</strong>ten politically motivated <strong>and</strong> do not want<br />
such changes. He criticized the dichotomy in the<br />
policies <strong>of</strong> Universities across the country, causing a<br />
severe disparity in levels <strong>of</strong> learning <strong>and</strong> elucidated<br />
on the plan <strong>of</strong> a single engineering entrance exam<br />
for the entire country, which stressed the need for<br />
revision <strong>of</strong> present education system.<br />
Research is the key: Abdul Kalam<br />
Former President <strong>of</strong> India APJ Abdul Kalam<br />
spoke about the need for medical educational<br />
institutes to focus on research at the 14th annual<br />
convocation <strong>of</strong> the Rajiv G<strong>and</strong>hi University <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
Sciences (RGUHS) <strong>and</strong> he said that, “Research <strong>and</strong><br />
teaching are the focus <strong>of</strong> medical education in India<br />
NEWS ITEM<br />
255i<br />
in the present century <strong>and</strong> that Institutes should work<br />
towards promoting research <strong>and</strong> teaching research.”<br />
He added that universities are judged on the quality<br />
<strong>of</strong> research being conducted by the students <strong>and</strong><br />
teachers. The former president also emphasised on<br />
the importance <strong>of</strong> medical students <strong>and</strong> practitioners<br />
to be involved in rural India <strong>and</strong> that all the MBBS<br />
<strong>and</strong> MD doctors should work in primary health<br />
centres, as it directly connects the rural population.<br />
He also mapped out several areas in medicine in<br />
need <strong>of</strong> dire attention from the graduates. “We need<br />
to look at eliminating tuberculosis <strong>and</strong> also ensure<br />
that there is no occurrence <strong>of</strong> HIV-Aids. People should<br />
be educated in preventive care when it comes to HIV-<br />
Aids <strong>and</strong> hepatitis,” he also said, adding that work<br />
needed to be done to ensure that medicines in the<br />
country were affordable.<br />
India to be as friend with China <strong>and</strong> US: Prime<br />
Minister<br />
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that,<br />
Large <strong>and</strong> dynamic countries like China cannot be<br />
contained, making it clear that India aims to have<br />
cooperative ties with both China <strong>and</strong> the US. Dr.<br />
Singh said China was India’s largest neighbour,<br />
sharing a long border <strong>and</strong> was also our biggest trading<br />
partner in goods. With US, he said, India’s relations<br />
were transformed in 2005 which laid the framework<br />
for the India-US civil nuclear agreement. Manmohan<br />
Singh also said that three million people <strong>of</strong> Indian<br />
origin live <strong>and</strong> work in US <strong>and</strong> that the country is also<br />
India’s largest business partner. Dr. Singh about his<br />
meeting with the South Korean president said that<br />
the two sides will talk about giving depth <strong>and</strong> greater<br />
meaning to the Comprehensive Economic<br />
Partnership Agreement, strengthen people-to-people<br />
contacts, boost cooperation in science <strong>and</strong><br />
technology, <strong>and</strong> coordinate thinking in matters relating<br />
to security <strong>and</strong> global events.<br />
SCIENTIFIC NEWS<br />
Powerful New Stem Cells Cloned from Cheek<br />
Tissue<br />
Cloned oral progenitor cells (PCs) isolated from<br />
cheek tissue were demonstrated to be potently<br />
immunosuppressive in a dose- <strong>and</strong> contactindependent<br />
manner. Oral mucosal lamina propria<br />
progenitor cells (OMLP-PCs) are a novel, clonally<br />
derived PC population <strong>of</strong> neural crest origin with the<br />
potential to differentiate down both mesenchymal <strong>and</strong>