Group items tagged

Indian food consists of a large variety of traditional and regional cuisines native to the Indian sub-regions. Given the range of broad diversity in climate, soil type, culture, occupations, and ethnic groups, these cuisines vary substantially from each other and what adds to their uniqueness are the locally available spices and herbs. It comes as a no brainer that Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the world. , but people in North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa can not have enough of it.

Health authorities in India have launched an inquiry into an allegation that a local pharmaceutical regulator, in return for a bribe, helped switch samples of cough syrups that the World Health Organization (WHO) had linked to the deaths of children in Gambia before the samples were tested at an Indian laboratory, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency. In an April 29 letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Haryana state reviewed by the news agency, a lawyer named Yashpal accused the state's drug controller, Manmohan Taneja, of taking a bribe of 50 million rupees (£481,600 approx.) from local manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals to help it switch the samples before an Indian government laboratory tested them. Maiden's factory is based in Haryana state. Reuters points out that it was unable to independently establish that any bribes were paid. Taneja did not respond to phone calls, messages or emails seeking comment. Maiden did not respond to requests for comment. The WHO said it had no knowledge of the allegation. Yashpal - who like some Indians uses only one name - did not say in the letter where he got the information, or provide evidence for his claim about the syrups made by Maiden. Reuters was unable to independently establish that any bribes were paid.

Recently, the Indian Army took the Twiterrati by surprise as it claimed to have discovered the footprints of a Yeti around the Makalu base camp of Nepal on 0th of April. Indian Army even tweeted pictures of the mythical creature of Nepali folklore as well. Their Twitter post read, " For the first time, an #IndianArmy Mountaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' measuring 32×15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past."

We all know the hassles that come with making preparations for a holiday. However, the most difficult thing is getting a visa for the destination we intend to visit. Going for a vacation outside India isn't just about packing your bags or choosing an exotic destination location, it is a rather long drawn affair and there is a lot of planning to do. The most important of them all is the procurement and management of visas to enter the country you plan to visit. To get that to happen, an interview at the respective consulate is imperative and despite hours of documentation, there is always the downright fatal chance of your visa being rejected. In order to solve this dreaded happening situation, how about visiting places that provide on arrival visa for Indian citizens? Sounds good, right? So here are 10 countries that offer visa on arrival for us, Indians:

Indian pharmaceutical companies are gearing up to become global suppliers of repurposed Covid-19 drugs. With the launch of new innovative Covid-19 oral drugs, Indian companies are again expected to grab opportunities in the global supply of oral Covid-19 drugs, according to data and analytics company GlobalData. As several countries witness increasing cases of Covid-19 despite vaccination, they have started booking supply orders for innovative Covid-19 treatments like antibody cocktails, monoclonal antibodies and the latest addition such Merck's the oral Covid-19 drug 'molnupiravir'. Prashant Khadayate, pharma analyst at GlobalData, comments: "Oral treatment for Covid-19 would be the most convenient option for the patients ranging from mild to moderate Covid-19 and would not require a hospital setting. Currently, a majority of the Covid-19 treatments require a hospital setting." According to GlobalData's Pharma Intelligence Center, the UK is the first country to approve molnupiravir which is in pre-registration stage in the US, EU and Japan.

The Indian government has suspended manufacturing in over 40 pharmaceutical companies based on a risk-based assessment conducted earlier in the year across 162 firms, according to the data provided by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Parliament on Thursday (Aug. 10). "Overall, a sum of 143 show-cause notices has been issued," Mandaviya said. There have been numerous recent incidents involving accusations from foreign countries regarding the contamination of syrups, eye drops, and ointments manufactured in India. Countries such as the Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon have linked the deaths of 70, 18, and six children, respectively, to cough syrups contaminated in India. Licenses for specific products have been either temporarily suspended or fully revoked for an additional 66 companies. In one case, an FIR has been registered, and in 21 cases, warning letters have been issued following inspections by both the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and State authorities, the Minister added. Meanwhile, the Indian government has mandated rigorous testing for cough syrups before export. Starting June 1, any cough syrup must possess a government laboratory-issued certificate of analysis before being exported, the government said in a notice dated May 22.

Did you know that an Indian passport allows you to travel to 63 countries and territories without the hassles of applying for a travel visa in advance? These 63 countries and territories permit Indian passport holders to enter without visa or obtain visa-on-arrival (VOA), thus simplifying the whole experience of traveling abroad whether for work or for leisure.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford joined Diwali celebration at the official Indian government in Cardiff on 26 October. The 68-year-old Labour politician joined in with the traditional Indian dancing at Glamorgan Cricket club in Pontcanna, Cardiff, for the Hindu celebration of Diwali. He was joined by Health Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan and Indian Honorary Consul Raj Aggarwal, who organised the event which was attended by hundreds of guests and included some exuberant celebrations. Speaking at the event Raj Aggarwal spoke about the excitement in the British Asian community to have the UK's first ever Asian Prime Minister.

An Indian court has sentenced two pharmaceutical company executives to two-and-half years in jail for exporting substandard drugs to Vietnam a decade ago, months after the WHO linked their cough syrups to the deaths of children in Gambia. India suspended production at Maiden Pharmaceuticals in October last year for violations of manufacturing standards after the World Health Organization said four of its cough syrups may have killed dozens of children in Gambia. The company has denied its drugs were at fault for the deaths in Gambia and tests by an Indian government laboratory found there were no toxins in them. The company had been facing legal difficulties for years over suspected shoddy products. A court in Sonipat, near New Delhi, where Maiden has its main production facility, ordered jail for company founder Naresh Kumar Goel and technical director M.K. Sharma for exporting heartburn medicine "not of standard quality" to Vietnam.

India will make tests mandatory for cough syrups before they are exported, a government notice showed on Tuesday, after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan. Any cough syrup must have a certificate of analysis issued by a government laboratory before it is exported, effective June 1, the government said in a notice dated May 22 and shared by the health ministry on Tuesday. India's $41 billion pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest in the world but its reputation was shaken after the World Health Organization (WHO) found toxins in cough syrups made by three Indian companies. Syrups made by two of these companies were linked to the deaths of 70 children in Gambia and 19 in Uzbekistan last year. "Cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and production of certificate of analysis," said the notice issued by the trade ministry. The health ministry did not immediately respond to a query on whether testing would be required for cough syrups sold in the domestic market.

It is that time of the year when you spend all your days cursing the scorching summer heat and the harsh rays of the sun. Well, you don't have to worry much as with summers comes the summer vacation when we all take some days off from school, college and work to rewind, relax and chill at a place away from the hustle bustle of your mundane life. So if you are wondering where to go this year to beat the summer heat, here are some cool Indian Places You Need to Visit in India that you must definitely visit this summer vacation:

Health authorities in India have said that Biological E's Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax can be administered as a booster dose in people who have taken the country's other two main shots, Covaxin and AstraZeneca's Covishield, from Friday (Aug 12). Corbevax will be available to over 18s as precautionary booster six months after a second dose, the health ministry said in an August 8 letter to state authorities. Covishield is produced for the Indian market by the Serum Institute of India under licence from AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech makes Covaxin. India has so far administered more than 2 billion Covid vaccine shots, including 113 million boosters, all of which have so far been of the same vaccine as the recipient's first two doses. The government says about 89 per cent of Indians above the age of 12 have had two doses.

A new residential building named after Dr Yusuf Hamied has opened at Christ's College, Cambridge, where the head of the Indian pharma giant, Cipla, was an undergraduate and then PhD chemistry student between 1954 and 1960. In more than 800 years that Cambridge University has been in existence, this is the first time an entire building has been named after an Indian. The "grand opening of Yusuf Hamied Court" at Christ's was presided over by Lord Simon McDonald, the Master of the College, and attracted about 25 leading scientists, mostly chemistry professors. Professor Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, a chemistry Nobel Prize winner and a former president of the Royal Society, was also present at the event earlier this month, as well as Dr Anthony Freeling, the acting vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, and the chemist Dame Mary Archer, wife of the best-selling novelist Jeffrey Archer. Hamied and McDonald posed for photographs in front of the "entirely green" four-storey building, where the 64 rooms for postgraduates and fellows from around the world will rely on heat exchangers, instead of gas.

Indian authorities have cancelled or suspended licences of some domestic drug companies as part of action taken against 76 pharmaceutical firms this month for selling adulterated or fake products, a government source said on Thursday. India is known as the 'pharmacy of the world' and its pharmaceuticals exports have more than doubled over the past decade to $24.5 billion in 2021-22. But that image has been dented by the death of at least 70 children in Gambia and 19 children in Uzbekistan in Uzbekistan last year linked to drugs made by India-based pharmaceutical companies. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed a crackdown but did not give details of companies against which action had been taken. "There are more than 10,500 pharma companies in the country. Companies who make spurious medicine will not be spared," Mandaviya told reporters at an event. Licences of some Indian drug companies have been cancelled, some were suspended while others have been put on notice during the past 15 days, the source, who had direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters news agency.

A pair of pharmacist brothers, who also own a popular restaurant in Kent, have started an innovative initiative 'Jabs with Kebabs' to encourage their community in England to come forward and take their Covid-19 vaccines. Rav and Raj Chopra, who own V's Punjabi Grill, an Indian restaurant in Gravesend, established the walk-in vaccine site after their father, Jagtar Chopra, became unwell with Covid-19 last year. The duo is among thousands to volunteer for the National Health Service (NHS) vaccine programme. Talking to the PA news agency, Raj said he was inspired by the experience of his father, who got infected with the virus and has fully recovered since then. "From a personal point of view, it was very debilitating to see Dad like that," said Raj Chopra. "It got everyone's emotions in play.

In a bid to address the ongoing deficit in staff in the UK's healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS) has entered into a new workforce agreement with India. According to media reports, the healthcare service plans to hire 2,000 doctors from India on a fast-track basis to alleviate this pressing issue. It is learned that the NHS has set up training centres across many Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Delhi, Gurugram, Indore, Mysore, Chennai, and Calicut to provide postgraduate training for the first batch of doctors. Post their training period (which ranges from six to 12 months), these doctors will be deployed at hospitals across Britain. They will also be exempted from the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination that is otherwise mandatory for practising in the country.

This environment day, we come across a very disheartening news! The most revered river of our country, Ganga is now officially declared to be unfit for drinking and bathing as per CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). Ganga is not just any river for most of the Indians, insteadit has been carrying a special spiritual significance.People from all over flock to take a dip in this 'holy' river. Leave apart drinking, but even bathing is considered detrimental now. As per their report, there are mere seven spots from where the river Ganga passes, which can be used for consumption after disinfection. Also, only 18 spots are being considered fit for bathing,whereas, 62 areas from where the river flows areunfit for the same purpose.

Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories will launch its generic version of Merck's antiviral Covid-19 pill, molnupiravir, and price it at 35 rupees ($0.4693) per capsule, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday (January 4). The overall cost for a patient treated with a 5-day course of 40 capsules of the generic drug, to be sold under brand name 'Molflu', will come up to 1,400 rupees ($18.77). In comparison, the treatment with Merck's pill in the United States costs $700. "Molflu is expected to be available from early next week in pharmacies throughout (India) with particular focus on states with high caseload of Covid-19," the company spokesperson said. India last week gave emergency use approval to along with two vaccines, as the country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

A study conducted by Michigan Medicine revealed that individuals who experience type 2 diabetes over an extended period are increasingly prone to experiencing alterations in their brain structure. A group of scientists examined data from 51 middle-aged Pima American Indians who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They employed a set of memory and language assessments known as the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, developed by the National Institutes of Health, alongside MRI scans. These analyses aimed to establish the connection between diabetes, cognitive function, and the composition of the brain. Brain imaging suggested that study participants with longer durations of type 2 diabetes had decreased mean cortical thickness and gray matter volumes, and an increased volume of white matter hyperintensities. The MRI results, researchers say, indicate the negative effects longstanding diabetes may have on brain health outcomes and emphasise the importance of preventing early onset type 2 diabetes.

Wockhardt UK managing director Ravindra Limaye has been chosen for honorary British awards given to foreign nationals. Limaye gets the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour for his contribution to health, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. The honours were announced on Thursday (13). Limaye has been the chief executive of the UK arm of the Mumbai-based pharma and biotech company Wockhardt since 2019. He previously worked for another Indian pharma company Biocon, overseeing its global commercial operations. He led the company's entry into global biosimilar markets and spearheaded its operations in the US.