Category: News

News

Remembering Dr Bhabendranath Saikia with “Twilight at the Port”

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #"Twilight at the Port", #Dr Bhabendranath Saikia, #Dr Birendra Nath Dutta., #Malavika Joshi

Guwahati: 13th August 2020 is the 17th death anniversary of Dr Bhabendranath Saikia. In reference to this, to pay homage to the Maestro in a little offbeat way, dance video will be released on 9th August Sunday entitled “Twilight at the Port.” Of all of Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s stories, the particular ones included in Ei Bondoror Aabeli ( Twilight at the Port) are way exceptions.

For the fourth cover of this story compilation of “Twilight at the Port”, he had created a very special prose narrative, based on London background, which is completely different from his familiar style. It is a humble effort to pay homage to him in a creative way by presenting to the people those unique prose pieces included in Soy Doxokor Godyo (Prose of Six Decades).

On the basis of that prose, this dance is created and presented by Prerana Bhuyan, a talented Satriya dancer, whose skill is acclaimed here and abroad. Her experimental dance form will unveil another side of her talent. Her sensibility is expressed in this Complex task of expressing only prose passages through dance gestures and expressions apart from the rhythm, usually required for dance. There are instances of creating dance in poems.

Before some days, Malavika Joshi had prepared and presented a dance on the basis of Professor Sacchidananda Joshi’s poems, but the example of dance on prose is not yet seen in Assam. The text of the prose selected for this new experiment it is carried out by Dr Birendra Nath Dutta. This text was earlier compiled in the audiobook “Bhraman Biroti”, directed by Namrata Datta. Now, sound engineer and instrumentalist, Diganta Sharma has newly added music to it. For the subtitle of the video, its text has been translated into English by Dr.Dipsikha Bhagawati. Dhanjit Das and Namrata Datta are associated with this honour, presented jointly by Club Nineteen, UD Foundation and Rainsoft.

The dance video is conceived by Utpal Datta and music arrangement, editing and production is done by Diganta Sharma. Media Tribe, a Mumbai based leading digital marketing agency has agreed for the digital promotion of the video. The video is expected to touch at least 5 million Dr.Bhabendra Nath Saikia followers by August 13 said, Utpal Datta.

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Mindfulness and Balanced Living, the two most essential needs now!

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #and Translator) | Mentor ʃʃ Varenyum ʃʃ, #Lakshya International Academy and Varenyum, #mindfulness and balanced living., #Ms. Simone (Editor, #Sunday 9th of August is to take place via the Zoom App, #Writer

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need not more.” – Mother Teresa

The past has gone too far behind and the future is yet too far, what remains with us is this moment, which is now. To live in this moment and not wander too far in past or future has become a struggle in an age of distractions. In an attempt to keep our monkey mind away from distraction we have taken an initiative to hold a webinar in collaboration with Varenyum.

Lakshya International Academy and Varenyum announced today a session on mindfulness and balanced living. The session which is scheduled on Sunday 9th of August is to take place via the Zoom App. The participants have to register themselves on the given link.

Lakshya International Academy with Varenyum’s assistance wishes to introduce the concept of the practice of mindfulness to your students and faculty members. The session would help the participants understand the meaning and importance of balanced living. We seek to bust the myths around spirituality and help the young participants distinguish between religion and spirituality. It is an attempt to enhance the holistic development of the students and participants.

The webinar also holds much relevance during the time of a pandemic. When humanity is engulfed in an inevitable event, it is indeed the best time to learn the process of changing our adversities into opportunities.

Lakshya International Academy believes that the training of students today will contribute in a better tomorrow. The core belief of Varenyum is that with a balanced approach towards logic and compassion, we can transform the whole of humanity. The webinar will be a blend of both these ideas and will help in the transformation of our students and participants.

Speaker:

Ms. Simone (Editor, Writer, and Translator) | Mentor ʃʃ Varenyum ʃʃ

A final year student at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi. Miss Simone is a writer and editor and has a keen interest in photography. She has been pursuing the path of Spirituality and mindfulness for a long time, she has been an active meditation practitioner since the last four years. She is a mentor and works with Varenyum. She began taking sessions in 2018, her last session on mindfulness was with the students of Sunbeam School, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on the 20th of July 2020. She wishes to guide the new seekers to the right path and believes that the earlier one is exposed to the ideas of spirituality and holistic living the better it is for community growth.

Date and Time: 09th Aug 2020, 02:00 PM
Host and Event Director:

Prof. Kumar Anand Singh Principal

Lakshya International Academy

News

SRMIST Announces B.Tech Admission Rank List 2020

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #formerly SRM University), #SRM B. Tech Rank List for 2020 admissions.v, #SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST, formerly SRM University), has announced the SRM B. Tech Rank List for 2020 admissions. In the light of the ongoing pandemic, the SRMJEEE which determines entry into the much sought after engineering degree programmes was cancelled this year, and replaced with rankings based on +2 / Pre-University / equivalent marks in PCM / PCB submitted by the candidate. A total of 1.36 lakh candidates from across India and overseas had applied for admission to SRM B.Tech 2020.

The Top 10 Rankers represent the student diversity of SRM, and come from diverse backgrounds across India: Ekkaluri Harshitha, Andhra Pradesh; R Sanjay, Karnataka; Abhinav Tripathi, Rajasthan; Dharshin Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu; Shivam Kumar, Bihar; Arun Martin, Kerala; Ajay Parmar, Madhya Pradesh; Rudra Kesar, Jammu and Kashmir; Mayank Singh, Uttar Pradesh and Hil Savani, Gujarat, emerged as toppers in the All India Top 10 Rank list.

On enrolment, Top 100 Rank Holders will be awarded Founder’s Scholarship with 100% Tuition and Hostel fee waiver. The Top 101 to 500 rank holders will be awarded the SRM Merit Scholarship with 100% Tuition fee waiver. The university also offers an incredible range of scholarships to the tune of Rs 40 Crores benefiting 3200+ students every year, making studying in the university affordable to all. SRMIST also offers on-the-spot loan facilitation of bank educational loans.

The next step in the Admission Process is the Rankings along with the Allocated Branch will be sent to the successful candidates registered email ID and mobile number. Based on the seat availability, SRM will conduct online – counselling in the coming days. In view of high preference to join SRM, counselling is only planned for the top 50,000 Ranks.

The SRM Ranking is applicable for B. Tech Admission in all campuses of SRM Institute of Science and Technology located at Kattankulathur (Main Campus, Chennai Area), Vadapalani and Ramapuram in Chennai city, and Delhi – NCR; SRM University, AP – Andhra Pradesh; SRM University, Sonepat– Haryana and SRM University, Sikkim.

This year SRMIST has created a placement record with 8500+ Job Offers, 149 Super Dream Offers, 1629 Dream Offers, with a top salary of Rs 41.6 L, the highest ever by any university in India.

Around 625+ Top-notch companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Siemens, PayPal, Accenture, Capgemini, Hewlett Packard, TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, ABB, L & T, Ford, TVS, Schneider, Renault Nissan, Cerner, GT Strategies, Ford, Bioclinica, and Zifo among many others, visit SRMIST every year to recruit the students in well-paying jobs in their companies.

For more details, the students/parents can contact our Counsellors at +91 [044] 27455510, 47437500 or email admissions.india@srmist.edu.in or log onto www.srmist.edu.in

News

Professor Sir Doug Turnbull: Leading scientist receives prestigious award

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Buchanan Medal by the Royal Society, #Newcastle University, #Professor Sir Doug Turnbull

10th August 2020, New Delhi, India: Professor Sir Doug Turnbull has been awarded the Buchanan Medal by the Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science.

He has devoted his career to the treatment and research of mitochondrial disease and led a team at Newcastle University which changed the law to allow an IVF technique known as mitochondrial donation.

Great honour

Sir Doug said: “It is a great honour to receive the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society, which is awarded for distinguished contributions to biomedical science.

“I received this award particularly in relation to mitochondrial disease, and I have been very fortunate to work with great scientists and clinicians.

“From a personal perspective, it is very important that our research has made a difference in the lives of patients with mitochondrial disease.”

In 2010, Sir Doug’s work was recognised when he and his colleagues were awarded coveted Wellcome Centre Status, one of only a handful in the UK.

As director of the Wellcome Centre, he built an internationally-renowned team of clinicians and researchers, with patients opting to travel from all over the country to be under his care.

Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialised compartments present in cells of the body. When the compartments fail, less energy is generated within the cell. The parts of the body greatest affected are the heart, brain, muscles and eyes.

Certain forms of mitochondrial disease are passed down from mother to child. The mitochondrial donation, developed in the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, offers women with the condition the chance of having healthy children.

Sir Doug developed the NHS National Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Diseases of Children and Adults and is an honorary consultant neurologist at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Royal College of Physicians has recognised him and awarded him the Goulstonian Lecturer (1992), the Jean Hunter Prize (2003) and the Sims Royal College of Physicians Lecturer (2004).

Royal Society awards

The annual medals and awards celebrate exceptional researchers and outstanding contributions to science across a wide array of fields.

President of the Royal Society, Venki Ramakrishnan, said: “The Royal Society’s medals and awards celebrate those researchers whose groundbreaking work has helped answer fundamental questions and advance our understanding of the world around us.

“They also champion those who have reinforced science’s place in society, whether through inspiring public engagement, improving our education system, or by making STEM careers more inclusive and rewarding.

“This year has highlighted how integral science is in our daily lives, and tackling the challenges we face, and it gives me great pleasure to congratulate all our winners and thank them for their work.”

News

Best practices for safe online learning for children: Dr Ramesh Kekunnaya Head, Child Sight Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad.

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #anxiety, #behavioural and mental issues., #COVID, #dry eye, #headache, #stress

In these COVID times, with lockdown in most places, schools are forced to shift from classroom to online teaching. Classes are conducted through virtual platforms. Homework has become digital. Children are required to spend long hours indoors, focussing on their mobile phone, iPad or laptop. This raises many concerns regarding their long-term health.

Increasing use of electronic gadgets, prolonged near work and lack of daylight exposure can result in progression of myopia or near-sightedness in children. Electronic devices are known to emit short-wavelength blue light, suppressing the hormone melatonin which maintains the circadian rhythm in the body. Prolonged exposure to blue light, especially before their bedtime can cause sleep disturbances in children. Too much screen time can also result in dry eye, headache, stress, anxiety, behavioural and mental issues.

It is important to strike a balance between academic learning via digital technology and good physical, mental and personality development in children. Hence, the restricted use of electronic devices for studying has been advocated by doctors. Certain practices should be followed routinely by teachers and parents to ensure a better lifestyle for children.

The amount of time the child spends using digital devices should be proportionate to the child’s age. While 12 to 16-year-olds can be allowed 8 hours of online study, the hours of screen time for younger children should be restricted to less than 4 hours. Toddlers (younger than 3 years) must be refrained from using any digital device.

Teachers must give appropriate breaks during classes; a short break every 45 minutes and a long break of 1-2 hours during long sessions. Online classes should be scheduled in the morning and afternoon hours only, ensuring that children do not use these devices in the evening and night time.

It is important that the child sits on a straight-backed chair with armrests, with the screen placed about 2 feet away at eye level. This ensures good posture and avoids back and neck problems in future. Larger screen devices like desktop, laptop or TV are preferable. Room lighting should be good and the screen brightness should be optimum. Screen protectors can be used to reduce excessive reflection.

There should be good ventilation in the room. Sitting for long hours directly in front of the fan or air conditioning can cause the eyes to dry up quickly. This adds to the strain. They should be encouraged to consciously blink frequently. An easy method to follow is the 20-20-20 rule, where every 20 minutes, the child should take a 20-second break and look at any object 20 feet away. This will relax the ciliary muscles of the eyes and ease the strain due to prolonged near work. At times, preservative-free lubricating eye drops can be used to ease mild symptoms of dry eye. Also, children who usually wear glasses must continue to wear them during classes.

Also, various ways to reduce screen time can be devised by teachers. Each day, there should be at least one session of physical exercise, yoga, dance class or virtual workout, intercepting the online teaching schedule. This will be fun as well as healthy for children. For homework, they should be encouraged to use their textbooks and notebooks and avoid all digital devices.

Parents must themselves set a good example by staying away from mobile phones and TV as much as possible. They can also develop ‘quality family time’, encouraging children to interact, play games and connect with family members during leisure time. It should be emphasised that the use of electronic gadgets is only during classes and for learning. Children must be taught to accept and acclimatize to these new practices and to follow them effectively.

Children’s health and well-being must be the collective responsibility of families, teachers and doctors. Adapting to changing times, using technology to our advantage, but following safety measures can give a better and healthier life to our children.

News

Les Roches to collaborate with Quintessentially to assist Indian students travelling to Switzerland for education

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #CEO of Quintessentially, #Director of Marketing and Enrolment at Les Roches, #Les Roches, #Mr. Adrian Artimov, #Ms. Mishti Bose, #Quintessentially, #Switzerland

10th August 2020: In the current context, Indian students are naturally apprehensive of travelling abroad, and, therefore, to cater to their needs, Les Roches is launching a one of a kind partnership with Quintessentially India, an award-winning luxury concierge and lifestyle management service company.

Les Roches is offering free access to a private Quintessentially account manager that will help students prepare their travel details for Switzerland for the October intake this year, offering a personalized services pack which will include flight booking, airport transfer, meet and greet at the airport with fast track checking and emigration, VIP lounge access and a personal protective equipment pack. Founded in 2000, as the first private members club, Quintessentially India has come a long way to becoming the authority and the real voice of luxury and assistance. From memorable events to luxury travel, corporate services, global customer loyalty programmes and much more, they are proud to partner with the world’s most recognized brands such as Les Roches and support Indian students in their travel abroad.

Ms. Mishti Bose, CEO of Quintessentially India said “It is an absolute honour to collaborate with Les Roches, one of the leading hospitality institutions in the world. We believe our brand ethos is in perfect tandem with the ethos of Les Roches. Uncompromising on quality, we at Quintessentially are agile problem solvers who are passionately committed to connecting the Indian community to their brand partner at Les Roches through authentic, meaningful experiences and aim to provide perfect assistance to the Indian students during their journey.”

Speaking on their collaboration, Mr. Adrian Artimov, Director of Marketing and Enrolment at Les Roches said “We understand that some students from India have been worried about travelling and hence we wanted to assure them and their parents by providing the best concierge service in India. We are extremely delighted to be partnering with Quintessentially and hope that we can achieve our aim of providing a pleasant journey to all our students. Les Roches is one of the best hospitality management schools in the world and by partnering with such an exclusive concierge service, we are showcasing how 5-star hospitality works to our students through the first-hand experience.”

After having travelled to Switzerland using Quintessentially concierge services, the students will arrive at the comfort of the campus where they will meet the designated Les Roches staff to smoothly continue further their integration and accommodate them in preparation for the studies ahead.

Les Roches is a part of Sommet Education, which also includes sister schools Glion Institute of Higher Education and Ecole Ducasse under its umbrella. The collaboration between Les Roches and Quintessentially shall also be extended to the sister schools and the services shall be offered to the students that shall be attending Glion and Ducasse this coming year.

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Janmashtami -The story of Divine power Dr Varun Gupta, Educationist and Lifetime member of ISKCON

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dahi Handi festival, #Educationist and Lifetime member of ISKCON, #Janmashtami, #Raasleelas

“Love is a consistent passion to give and not a meek persistent hope to receive”- Lord Krishna.

Shri Krishna the most supreme god in his own right and also one of the widely praised and worshipped avatars of God Vishnu has reshaped the spiritual and temporal destiny of mankind. By educating the world about devotion and dharma over the past 125 years, Lord Krishna has made an unforgettable impression upon mankind’s collective consciousness. Lord Krishna’s birth aimed to end all the darkness prevailing at that time on Earth and to eliminate the evil forces that were making the lives of the people miserable. The divinity and courage of Shri Krishna have inspired millions of people across the globe.

On the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, the entire country is overloaded with joy and the idol of Lord Krishna is bathed with panchamrit made of milk, ghee, honey, tulsi leaves and Gangajal. During the Janmashtami festivities, the chanting of the aartis, hymns and kirtans are a common scenario everywhere. The admirers of Sri Krishna keep fast for the whole day. The enthusiastic younger generations actively participate in the Dahi handi festival. It is one of the most important activities or sports on this occasion. It is mainly celebrated in Mumbai and Pune where Janmashtami is also called as Gokulashtami. Also, at many places, people perform Raasleelas to recreate occurrences from the life of Lord Krishna. Temples across the country are decorated with lights and flowers. The ISKCON temple specially organizes a 3-day festival on this day at their headquarters in Mayapur. Many members contribute wholeheartedly towards the Janmashtami celebrations by offering their time and efforts.

The enchanting fragrance of flowers, soothing aroma of camphor, and the bells ringing in the temples capture the entire environment with holiness. People wear new clothes and visit temples to pay respect and perform puja of Shri Krishna.

The festival of Janmashtami is not only popular in India but is also celebrated in many places around the world with equal passion. Some of these countries are New Zealand, where one can experience spiritual bliss with festive lights and devotional music. Canada, given the large population of Indians Janmashtami, is celebrated with full vigour. Malaysia, grand festivities are held at the temples of Kuala Lumpur with lovely dramas and dances organised by the Indian communities. In Singapore, one can witness Little India during the occasion of Janmashtami.

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FLO Hyderabad Held a Tree Plantation Drive as part of Govt. of Telangana’s Haritha Haram Program

Aug 8, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #FICICI Ladies Organisation(FLO), #Govt. of Telangana’s Haritha Haram Program, #Ms. Usharani Manne, #Tree Plantation Program

About 25 members of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) Hyderabad Chapter participated in a Tree Plantation Program held at Road No. 10C, Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad on Sunday morning, in partnership with GHMC.

It was planned as part of Haritha Haram, a large-scale tree-planting program implemented by the Government of Telangana to increase the amount of tree cover in the State from 24% to 33%.

Haritha Haram is the biggest green initiative taken up the Government of Telangana. Over the 3years since its inception, 87 crore saplings have been planted in and around the Twin Cities.

Said Usharani Manne, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad, “FLO is very happy to take part in this drive that too in these times of pandemic. As an Organisation with members spread out across India, we feel it is our responsibility to participate in social initiatives such as this. Telangana was the first State in the Country to embark on such a flagship greening program to rejuvenate the degraded green cover in urban spaces and forest areas.”

It was proposed to plant and rejuvenate 230 crore saplings through this program, and the Government has achieved remarkable progress thus. As members of FLO, we are happy to pledge our support to this meaningful endeavor”, Usharani Manne added.

“Trees play a very important role in increasing urban biodiversity. A full grown-up tree can absorb up to 150 kg of CO2 per year. Plantation in urban spaces assumes more importance especially in cities like Hyderabad with high levels of pollution, trees can improve air quality, making cities healthier places to live in,” stated UshaRANI Manne.

The 25 members of FLO actively participated in the program organized at 9 AM wherein they planted the samplings and watered them. “We have planted 300 saplings and donated 300 tree guards”, shared Usharani Manne.

“If you take CARE of nature, nature will take care of us”, added a participant.

“Building greener cities is very important because 50 per cent of the world population is now living in cities and their percentage is likely to go up”, shared another participant.

News

Indian Philanthropic Community comes together to support 10 million+ migrant workers; launches the Migrants Resilience Collaborative platform

Aug 8, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #a leading NGO, #Ashif Shaikh, #CEO, #co-Founder, #EdelGive Foundation., #Global Development Incubator and EdelGive Foundation, #Jan Sahas, #Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC), #Vidya Shah

Mumbai, August 8, 2020: India’s leading philanthropists have come together to introduce the Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC), India’s largest grassroots-led multi-stakeholder collaborative of nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sector actors committed to ensuring safety, security, and mobility for vulnerable migrant families across India. Launched by Ashif Shaikh, co-Founder, Jan Sahas, a leading NGO who that been working with migrant communities over the last decade to ensure their social protection and safe migration, the MRC has an ambitious goal to reach out to over 10 million+ migrant workers and their families in 100 districts and cities pan India over the next 5 years.

Committed to delivering social security entitlement, providing access to responsible recruitment and strengthening tracking, worker protections, welfare and redressal, the Steering Committee comprising of some of India’s leading philanthropists and leaders with deep experience across sectors like Ashif Shaikh, Co-Founder, Jan Sahas, Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation, Anu Aga, Former Chairperson, Thermax Limited, Rati Forbes, Director, Forbes Marshall Group, Arun Maira, Former Member, Planning Commission of India, Kumar Gera, Chairman, Gera Developments Pvt. Ltd, Lalita Vadia, Former migrant worker will lead and guide MRC’s strategy.

Jan Sahas, along with strategic partners- Global Development Incubator and EdelGive Foundation, is working with a wide range of partners and advisors to strengthen strategies for MRC to implement. The strategic partners will provide support to the collaborative on Collaborative strategy, design and governance; program strategy and design; fundraising, external stakeholder engagement and partner management.

‘While the civil society, philanthropies, private and Govt. sector coalesced to provide immediate relief to migrant community, there is a crying need to transition from relief to focusing on core needs of migrant workers to build medium to long-term resilience as the country prepares for the long road to economic recovery and the possibility of multiple waves of COVID. MRC is an endeavour to address these needs.’ – Ashif Shaikh, Co-Founder, Jan Sahas.

‘In the wake of the on-going pandemic, it has become critical to address the long road of recovery and resilience we foresee, particularly for communities such as migrant workers that are most vulnerable to such calamities. Through the Migrant Resilience Collaborative, we hope to enable access to entitlements and responsible recruitment for our migrant workers, alongside strengthening initiatives towards their welfare and protection. At EdelGive Foundation, we are committed to supporting the collaborative and urge others to join us in our mission to support this community further.’ – Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation.

‘Economists consider workers as commodities in ‘labour markets’—to be bought and sold for a price. And employers sadly treat them only as resources—to be used and discarded when not required. This must change because workers are human beings with citizens’ rights in society.’ – Arun Maira (Former Member Planning Commission)

In last few months, Jan Sahas has facilitated relief for >1 million families across 19 states, working with 40+ CBOs and 40+ donors; contributed >1 million of the 4 million workers connects for Govt’s skill mapping initiative and facilitated BOCW registration for >58,000 workers.

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Indian experts oppose the proposal to ban safer tobacco alternatives in developing nations

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #“LMICs, #ban safer tobacco alternatives, #Director of Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives, #Dr. Sree T. Sucharitha, #Legal counsel Pingal Khan, #Samrat Chowdhery

The recently released position paper by a Paris-based non-profit, The Union, which proposes a ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in developing nations have met with strong resistance from healthcare advocates and harm reduction activists in these countries.

The Union made its recommendation on grounds that lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have weak regulations and hence it is better to ban smoking alternatives which can lead to uptake among youth. Activists have opposed this view stating it will increase health inequalities between western and developing nations and it encroaches people’s right of liberty to choose safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes.

Samrat Chowdhery, Director of Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives, said, “There is now little doubt in the scientific community that smoking alternatives such as e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful. It is highly discriminatory to propose that while smokers in the west can have access to risk reduction, those in developing countries cannot. This appears to be a colonial, patronizing mindset veiled as philanthropy.”

He added, “LMICs are sitting on a tobacco epidemic timebomb, where 80% of the world’s tobacco users live. What we need are humane, pragmatic solutions that can reduce tobacco-related deaths and disease. Western nations that have embraced lower-risk alternatives are witnessing sharp declines in smoking rates, so their efficacy in combating the epidemic is established. And yet, organizations like the Union want to deny access to harm prevention to people who can least afford to deal with the consequences of tobacco use.”

Public health researcher Dr. Sree T. Sucharitha said the Union position is a case of intellectual bankruptcy. Referring to a de facto ban on e-cigarette research in India, she said, “Such bans affect the advancement of science and research into tobacco harm reduction (THR) and perpetuate unilateral, top-down, unscientific policies which adversely impact not only tobacco users and their families but also the communities intricately linked to the ecosystem.

“THR has a lot more relevance and applicability in LMICs and ideally its focus should be on gendered, mental health affected, disadvantaged groups including migrant populations and others who don’t find a mention in the Union’s vision for LMICs. Developing nations have an equal right to THR and should be at the heart of the global agenda”, she added.

Legal counsel Pingal Khan said, “Discrimination based on economic prowess if a country is against any modern legal framework. Most multilateral arrangements provide more flexibility to the lesser developed countries and not the other way around. If we are to accept this rationalization by the Union, we are effectively implying that citizens of economically weaker nations should have lesser freedom of choice (of safer options in this case) and consequently lesser dignity of life. Therefore, the recommendations of the Union are not only misplaced but are also regressive and appear to have been made with a questionable intent.”