July 2021 - Page 2 of 92 - Media Bulletins Today News Bulletin in English

Health, News

Paradigm shift in the management of lung cancer by robotic surgery

Jul 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Robotic assisted thoracic surgery, #Robotic surgery

Interestingly Covid crisis has led to more diagnosis of lung cancers thanks to the usage of HRCT for the management of Covid Pandemic. Globally, Lung cancer is one of the commonest cancers and cause of cancer related deaths. It accounts for almost 15 per cent of all new cancer cases and 20 percent of cancer related deaths worldwide. Over 2 million new lung cancer cases are estimated every year in India. Lung cancer constitutes almost eight per cent of all new cancer cases and 10 percent of all cancer related deaths in India.

The worrisome trend is that majority of lung cancers are detected in late stages (70% in third or fourth stage).

Smoking is one of the primary reasons for lung cancer. Others are pollution and inherited lung diseases.

The risk factors for development of lung cancer are smoking of tobacco-Both Active and Passive smoking, Pollution, exposure to Radon, asbestos, lung diseases like copd or a family history of lung cancer.

The presenting symptoms of lung cancer are cough which is persistent and doesn’t resolve with routine medication, associated with blood in expectorated sputum or mucus, respiratory symptoms like wheeze, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, pain in the thorax and loss of weight.

Robotic surgery or Robotic assisted thoracic surgery is a newer technique in management of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. The patients undergoing surgery by robotic approach have smaller incisions and can minimize the risk of lung complications compared to traditional open surgeries which are done by long incisions and spreading the ribs. The vision is magnified, crisp and three dimensional. Though it is called robotic, the surgeon is the commander for this technology and is always controlling the machine by hand and foot movements which in turn is mimicked by the robot. By this paradigm shift in management of lung cancer by robotic technology, the recovery is earlier, pain lesser and hospital stay is shorter.

The use of CT scan annually for early diagnosis of lung cancer has been recommended in high risk patients which is called as screening. However the awareness is limited in our country and it is not being routinely used. If detected early the management of such lung cancers can be curative by surgery and as the disease advances it can be managed by addition of chemotherapy, Immunotherapy and radiation. The surgical stress of patients can be minimized by newer technologies like robotic surgery which has proven to be a boon to patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

Business, News

DSP Investment Managers unveils OFO (Old Fund Offering) of DSP Flexi Cap Fund

Jul 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #DSP Investment Managers, #Kalpen Parekh, #MD & CEO

Mumbai: DSP Investment Managers has announced a unique Old Fund Offering (OFO) of the DSP Flexi Cap Fund to remind investors of a ready and proven portfolio that has been through various market cycles over 24 years. The OFO highlights DSP Flexi Cap Fund’s ability and flexibility to allocate across market capitalizations, its strong investment framework and the Fund Manager’s conviction in investing a substantial part of their own money in the fund.

The DSP Flexi Cap Fund takes a structured approach to investing by focusing on business longevity, prudent management and growth sustainability (BMG Framework). The fund endeavours to invests in companies having high return on equity and profit growth across large cap, mid cap, and small cap stocks. This helps the fund adapt to different market scenarios.

The BMG Framework followed by the fund includes businesses that are less capital intensive, having a high cash conversion, market share dominance, judicious capital allocation, and superior margins among other factors. The fund’s portfolio is well diversified with 55-65 stocks, of which 60-70% are large caps and 30-40% are mid and small caps as of June 30, 2021. The fund has grown at an annualised growth rate of 19.3% since inception. Rs 1 lakh invested at inception would have grown to over Rs 75 lakh by now.

“Many times, we ignore the old, even though it’s good. Through our OFO, we are re-introducing investors to a proven flexi cap fund with a track record of almost two and a half decades. A fund that focuses on simple rules of good investing – invest with good managements in good sectors and stick with them till they execute. A fund that likes to invest more in the same stocks when they correct for various reasons. A fund that is agnostic to market caps but focused on good companies that grow market share, profits, cash flows year on year. We hope that the fund would appeal to a broad section of investors thanks to its robust investment framework and flexible allocation across market caps,” says Kalpen Parekh, MD & CEO, DSP Investment Managers.

Entertainment, News

Bollywood actor Gurmeet Choudhary is on a super hit streak with back to back record breaking songs

Jul 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Bollywood actor Gurmeet Choudhary has been hailed as a real life hero in the past few months, with his relentless work on COVID-19 relief projects, making national news. However, the real life hero is also an onscreen super hero with back to back projects breaking records and crossing milestones.

In the last 6 months itself, Gurmeet has headlined 3 music videos which have all become blockbuster super hits. From uplifting the health care system to shooting for the music videos, the actor has worked round the clock with no breaks in the past few months and the results are now there for all to see. The audiences have loved all his avatar’s in the videos and they have crossed major marks declaring them a mega success.

His past 3 songs Mazaa sung by B Praak (Produced by SaReGaMa, Bedardi Se Pyaar Ka sung by Jubin Nautiyal (Produced by T-Series) and Barsaat Ki Dhun sung by Jubin Nautiyal (Produced by T-Series) have been a super hit and have won millions of heart.

One can safely summarise that in total, Gurmeet Choudhary has Reached to 309 Million Viewers all across the globe and is making a mark in the music video world too. He can surely be termed as the King of Music Videos!

Business

BCL CMD Yatish Kumar received ‘CMD Leadership Award’ at Governance Now 8th PSU Awards

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Ms. Kiran Bedi, former Governor, Puducherry praised Mr. Kumar for his contribution while presenting the award at a virtual ceremony held yesterday.

Kolkata: A Government of India Undertaking, Braithwaite & Company Limited’s Chairman & Managing Director Shri Yatish Kumar received ‘CMD Leadership Award’ at the Governance Now 8th PSU Awards held on 29th July 2021. PSU Governance Now was organised by Shri Adhikari Brothers and the Award ceremony was held virtually. Among the other recipients of the Award, there were CMDS / CEOS from “Maharatna”, “Navaratna”, “Miniratna” and “Other” Category PSUS.

Shri Yatish Kumar since his assumption of charge as CMD of BCL in May 2018, has taken various HR oriented steps that enabled the employees and boost their motivation and morale and took the company ahead for success. Shri Kumar has introduced various HR measures like HR Audit, latest Pay Scale Revision of workers and staffs, introduction of health insurance scheme, Safety campaigns and measures, development of workplace and office infrastructure etc.

Under the able leadership of Shri Kumar, the company has also evolved financially and productivity has improved by leaps and bounds and is set to achieve a turnaround of around Rs. 650 crores in the financial year 2019-20 as compared to Rs 130 crores in 2017-18.

Braithwaite & Co. Limited awaits many more achievements and accolades under the dynamic leadership of Shri Kumar as CMD of the organization.

About Braithwaite & Co. Limited:

Braithwaite & Co. Limited is a manufacturing company which is fully owned by Government of India having its headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The company has three units – Clive Works, Victoria Works both in Calcutta and Angus Works in Hooghly District, West Bengal. From 2010 the administrative control of the company has been taken over by the Ministry of Railways.

Entertainment

Renowned actor Yamini Singh to portray Santosh in &TV’s Ghar Ek Mandir-Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Completing nearly three decades in the entertainment industry, renowned and veteran actor Yamini Singh will now be a part of &TV’s latest socio-drama, ‘Ghar Ek Mandir- Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki”. Produced by Zee Studios, the show is a never-seen-before socio drama on Indian television built around the context of the legendary king, Agrasen Maharaja. He was the founder of the Agrawal community of traders and, through his ideologies and teachings, helped the community prosper. Yamini will be playing the role of the lead protagonist, Genda’s mother, Santosh.

Yamini Singh has been one of the top choices for several filmmakers and television producers for having a streak of remarkable performances in films, television, and web series. About her character and the show, Yamini Singh, as Santosh says, “Agrasen Maharaja has played a significant part in the Indian history, and his principles resonate even with today’s times. The show is a socio-drama that brings out these core principles of Agrasen Maharaja through his ardent bhakt and show’s lead protagonist, Genda, a devoted girl belonging to a low-income family who eventually gets married into a business family. I was fascinated with the storyline and characterisation. It is refreshing, and I am sure it will resonate with the audience. I am essaying the role of Genda’s mother, Santosh. Like every mother, she is worried about her daughter’s future and wants the best for her. Santosh is well aware of her daughter’s abilities and her unwavering faith in Agrasen Maharaja. But Genda’s marriage in a respectable family is what her main concern is and wish. Santosh is docile and easy going. Her daughter is her biggest strength, and she loves her immensely.” Elaborating further on the show, Santosh says, “I have worked in various television shows in the past thirty years, but Ghar Ek Mandir- Kripa Agrasen Maharaja ki is a completely different show altogether. The story concept and the characters are sharply defined. The narrative is quite engaging and refreshing, and I am confident that the story will strike an emotional bond with the viewers. The show brings a heart-warming and captivating tale of faith, family and navigating various crises in life. I am thrilled to be a part of this show. We have started shooting, and it has been wonderful knowing and connecting with the entire cast and crew. Now, we all are eagerly waiting for the show to go on air. We are hoping that the viewers appreciate all our efforts and hard work. We are super excited and hope our show reaches greater heights and become a great success.”
Watch Yamini Singh as Santosh on ‘Ghar Ek Mandir-Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki’, premiering on August 10, 2021, at 9.00pm on &TV and will air every Monday to Friday!

Health

Number of lung cancer incidences on rise in women, says panelists at Neuberg Centre for Genomic Medicine

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Hyderabad, Friday, July 30, 2021: Ahead of World Lung Cancer Day, the lung cancer experts at Neuberg Centre for Genomic Medicine Panel discussion on Lung Cancer Detection – How Late, is Late? shared the insights that lately, an increasing number of women are reporting cases of lung cancer. The lung cancer incidences in men continue to be high, however, the rising number of incidences in women has become a cause of concern.

According to experts, weight loss, sputum production, cough, coughing blood are some of the prominent symptoms of lung cancer. Once cancer spreads from the lungs, it can go to the liver causing jaundice, spread to the adrenal glands causing them to fail, resulting in a low-BP emergency, pain, and fracture in bones and stroke or seizures when cancer reaches the brain.

Consuming cigarettes, tobacco chewing, kheni, hookah, betel leaf with tobacco, reverse smoking, household and traffic pollutants, are the main causes of lung cancer, apart from occupational factors such as working in industries, mining sector, etc. The disease burden of tobacco-related malignancies is expected to rise by 12 percent in India in the next few years, the panelists stated.

Dr. (Brig) S. Viswanath, Medical Oncologist, Kumaran Hospital, said, “Most of the times lung cancer is mistaken for tuberculosis in the earlier stages as the symptoms of both the diseases are very similar. In both the cases, a patient experiences coughing and or coughing up blood. Smoking continues to be a major cause for lung cancer, the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers versus non-smokers is 20:1. A passive smoker has an increase chances of contracting cancer than a smoker. For treating the patient at the early stage, surgery is the most important method followed by radiotherapy. Now, more advanced therapy like targeted therapy and immunotherapy options are available which increases overall survival and leads to better quality of life. Targeted and immunotherapies have fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy. Genetic testing has been a boon in deciding the therapy options leading to better survival rates. ”

Dr. Jagannath Dixit, Consultant Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Hospital, said, “50% of the lung cancer patients die in the first-year post-diagnosis. We can ensure a 14% to 20% decrease in deaths if the cancer is detected at the earlier stages. However, early symptoms are less visible, hence it is difficult to detect lung cancer at early stages. Reverse smoking has come across as a major cause of lung cancer among rural women, especially those who work in the field in northern Karnataka.”

Dr Dixit emphasized on having multidisciplinary care for patients with cancer where surgical, medical, molecular pathologists and genetic counselor contribute. There has been a drastic shift in the survival rate after the advent of targeted therapy and genetic testing.

Dr. Siddharth Srivastava, Chief Scientist (Molecular Oncology), Neuberg Center of Genomic Medicine, said, “Targeted therapy has emerged as an important method to treat cancer. Targeted therapies act on specific molecular targets associated with cancer, whereas most standard chemotherapies act on all rapidly dividing normal and cancerous cells, which also kill normal cells. Targeted therapy is known to cause lesser side effects as compared to chemotherapy while improving quality of life of patients.”

Technology

DXC Technology and NASSCOM Foundation Collaborate to Skill 7,500 Students on New-age Technologies

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

_Ms Nidhi Bhasin CEO, NASSCOM Foundation — Ms Nidhi Bhasin CEO, NASSCOM Foundation

Hyderabad, July 30, 2021: DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) and NASSCOM Foundation jointly launched the Employability Skills Program to train 7,500 underserved students in ‘New-Age Technologies’. A social initiative of DXC Technology, the program will train students from 35-plus tier II and tier III technical and non-technical colleges from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra on Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Internet of Things, UI-UX design and Cybersecurity.

NASSCOM Foundation and DXC Technology have identified TMI e2E Academy as the training partner and the NASSCOM and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s ‘Future Skills Prime’ as the training platform for this program. The program has already onboarded 2,500 candidates and plans to enrol approximately 5,000 more students by the end of August 2021.

This unique social collaboration by DXC Technology will engage students through 80 hours of blended learning-based curriculum, divided into three levels. The first level will be common for all where the students will undertake a 14-hour ‘Digital 101’ course through Future Skills Prime. The curriculum for the second and the third levels will be tailored to the technology specialization chosen by the students.

The program will also make the students industry ready for employment opportunities through soft skills training. They will learn to face interviews, sharpen communications skills, and become acquainted with a typical office environment. NASSCOM Foundation will also involve leaders and subject matter experts from across the industry to conduct role model sessions for the students.

Speaking at the program launch event, Lokendra Sethi, Head of HR India, DXC Technology, said, “We are immensely proud to collaborate with NASSCOM for this skilling program of students across India. It has been DXC’s focus to build a stronger future for society by enabling the youth of our country. With access to the right skills and education, these students will become future innovators and leaders. We look forward to welcoming several of these young aspiring professionals to intern with us at the end of the program.”

NASSCOM Foundation is the convener for the program. It has designed the program and brought all the partners together. The Foundation is also responsible for its monitoring and evaluation.

Addressing her vision for the program and its alignment with the Skill India movement, Ms Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said,”If India has to take her rightful place in the top pecking order of global economies, training India’s young talent in the technologies of the future is no longer an option. It is an urgent need. Through blended learning models with Future Skills Prime as the platform, we are trying to provide underserved students high-quality training right at their desktops. We thank DXC for supporting this unique initiative. Initiatives like these will encourage corporations to use their CSR funds towards skilling for the future, which in turn will make India a hub for future-ready skilled resources.”

Throughout the program, the Future Skills Prime portal will also facilitate co-learning through quizzes and forums, encouraging students to share their experiences.

At the conclusion of this training, the program will place students with various companies across the industry for a full month to gain hands-on technology project exposure. Separately, student winners of the ‘ideation workshop’ will be provided with an opportunity to intern with DXC Technology for six months.

Education

41 percent children from Bangalore reported stress due to home confinement during COVID– CRY-TISS study reveals

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Bangalore July 30, 2021:Isolation during COVID has been one of the biggest stress factors for children of Bangalore. Going by the findings of a collaborative research conducted by The school of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Child Rights and You (CRY), it has been observed that-for four in every ten children from the city, the greatest stressor was not being able to meet their peers.

Among the 136 girls and 76 boys from Bangalore who took part in the study, 87 of them expressed to have experienced stress triggered by isolation at home during the lockdown and post lock-down months due to closure of schools and movement restrictions. 77 of them expressed difficulty in continuing education at home. Also, around 80 children voiced concern over the uncertainty of COVID.

“The Covid 19 pandemic has silently wreaked havoc in the lives of children. Prolonged tenure of school closure and home confinement measures have impacted their life in many ways. This has led to a subsequent psychosocial vulnerability experienced by children which this study aims to capture. It is very important for us to understand the phycological impact to help them tide through this testing time,” saidAnupama Muhuri, General Manager, Volunteer Action, CRY.

The volunteer led research was conducted nationwide on 821 children aged between 9 to 17 years. The spectrum of this study included 470 girls and 351 boys. Data collection was carried out in 13 Indian cities, namely: Bangalore, Chandigarh, Darjeeling, Delhi, Hyderabad, Imphal, Indore, Kolkata, Moreh, Mumbai, Pattan, Pune, and Siliguri. Almost half of the participants (43.9%) were between 12 to 14 years old.

When asked about their lives during the pandemic, almost half the participants (48.7%) nationally, reported that their routine had changed a lot since lockdown. A small percentage of participants also reported poor quality of sleep (4.4%) and eating (2.1%). When asked what they liked most about the lockdown, many participants highlighted the increase in time they got to spend with their families (26.38%). Some children (22%) shared missing playing or being outdoors as 68.6% revealed that the pandemic had disrupted their plans and dreams for this year, while 44.8% reported experiencing boredom, and 41.7% also reported being worried.

A coordinated and innovative mental health delivery system that provides special focus to the adolescents is need of the hour. We need an inclusive approach that involves parents, NGO, volunteers, counsellors, teachers and address this issue holistically and work towards proactive measures in picking up early signs of mental illness, “said Dr Zoya Ali Rizvi,Deputy Commissioner at National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India

Understanding children’s experiences during COVID; their Stressors resilience, Support and adaption has been the key objective of the study. It brings forth the adaptability of children through various stress patches, but also their capabilities that helps them tide through challenging times. Being cognizant and aware goes a long way in creating a better world for our future.

Business

StanPlus to expand its Ambulance network across Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Pune

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

The expansion is a part of the company’s immediate growth strategy to increase its service territory bandwidth

Hyderabad, July 30, 2021: StanPlus, India’s leading private patient logistics and emergency medical response company, has announced its expansion plans. Having created an expansive Red Ambulance network across Hyderabad and Bangalore, the company will now operate its own fleet across major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Pune.

The move is in line with StanPlus’s aggressive expansion plans slated for the next 5 years, wherein it will expand its fleet to maximum cities in a bid to serve more people with advanced services across the country. The company is also looking to expand its market share while increasing its service territory bandwidth, adding new clients to its portfolio and creating strategic pathways for deeper penetration into the market for a seamless customer experience.

Speaking on its plans, Mr. Prabhdeep Singh, Founder and CEO, StanPlus, said, “Having created such as positive impact in the lives of our customers across Bangalore and Hyderabad, expanding our fleet of Red Ambulances across other major cities was the next natural progression for StanPlus. There are many new players entering the market, but the trust we have built over the years has positioned us as market leaders in this segment.

He added, “We identify that our core competency lies in operating our own fleet of advanced ambulances, and excellent medicinal capabilities in terms of personnel and clinical expertise which differentiates us. With this expansion, we will be able to reach more individuals with our top-notch services and make a greater difference in society.

To support its ambitious evolution, the company is investing heavily in manpower, infrastructure, and training. StanPlus has already hire new talent and creating effective operations, executions, and growth teams for every city.

About StanPlus

At StanPlus, we care for you & are constantly working towards making a better environment for those in need. Our global experience in medical transportation services allows us to deliver a perfect, reliable & glitch-free service to all. We have grown to become the pioneers in private ambulance services and are the leaders when it comes to ambulance service in Hyderabad. All of these achievements have only been possible due to our dedication of ensuring that our emergency responders can provide you with all the assistance in the quickest possible manner. Backed by a fleet of over 900 ambulances that work 24/7, guarantee medical transport within 15 minutes and are packed with top-of-the-line equipment and highly trained personnel, we are on our way to achieving our aim to deliver round the clock medical transport support to anyone in need.

Business

Rural e-commerce startups tapping the untapped market

Jul 31, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

The Indian rural segment constitutes about 70% of the Indian population, which is still struggling for financial inclusion. Research indicated that most borrowers depend on mobile devices while they are on-the-go, but the industry has not been able to optimize debt collection policies in tandem with this growing trend. The rural population is fully aware of current trends and what is happening across the world thanks to devices and technology. The advent of ecommerce has made it easy for rural Indians to enjoy online shopping in the same way that urban residents do.

India has the third largest space for start-up ecosystems in the world and while the government continues to focus on creating a digital infrastructure at the grassroot level with the Digital Bharat, here are the startups which are trying to build significant and better businesses by tapping the rural market in India.

StoreKing
StoreKing was conceived with a simple yet powerful idea in mind – to power rural consumption and redraw the distribution capabilities for both products and services using Kirana as an Anchor. It is the only rural retail ecosystem that connects both retail suppliers and financial institutions to the vast rural population. Through end-to-end technology management, StoreKing powers the local kirana stores to meet all the retail needs of their rural buyers. StoreKing offers a user-friendly technology platform that connects each rural kirana directly with the brand seeking to supply its products, enabling the brand and the kirana to work together to devise data-guided product and sales strategies. A clean and simple interface, enables rural retailers to procure products and services for their customers through the StoreKing app as needed, rather than having to repeatedly travel and pick up stocks themselves.

NextDoorHub
Launched in 2017, Next Door Hub is an online marketplace with core focus on kiosk-based assisted e-commerce and last mile delivery for semi-urban and rural India. Started from Kolkata, presently, Nextdoorhub has more than 5,000+ rural centres in India, majority of them are in the Eastern and North western parts of the country, providing banking support and financial services to over 1 crore customers. The startup sets itself apart by its ‘assisted ecommerce’ model and last-mile delivery solutions for both urban and rural areas in India. In addition to providing assistance in the shopping experience, through their eshop they reach out to the many MSMEs in the rural areas and offer to be a seller for them in both the domestic market and the international market.

InThree
Inthree Access consumer-facing, omni-channel Boonbox is a technology platform providing products and services to consumers who live in Tier III and IV towns and villages and currently have little to no access. The company’s network enables reach to the farthest towns and villages in the country’s hinterlands, and serves as a potent channel to distribute products and services to the vast rural market. The company also extends regular follow-up and after-sales services to its customers. Inthree directly partners with brands. Boonbox™ offers all the product categories and SKUs to the rural customer that they aspire for, at their doorsteps.

Hesa
Hesa is a Rural Tech start-up connecting Bharat with India phygitally is redefining rural commerce by providing Last Mile Physical and Digital Connect to Rural India. Hesa’s integrated B2B marketplace aggregates and connects both the ends and enables buying and selling with an almost ‘doorstep access’. For the rural population, Hesa is providing access, enablement and employment opportunities at scale, leading to empowerment. Rural customers can buy or sell a range of products, avail banking and other financial facilities and also pay utility bills from the comfort of their village.

Archive: July 31, 2021