Sushruta Awards Announced

Ayurveda News

Encouraging Innovation in Ayush, Prime Minister awards startups at Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022

In line with the Government of India's vision to support start-ups in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed awards to the winners of 'Ayush Start-up Challenge' organised by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in association with Start-up India. The challenge was launched on February 4, 2022. The main aim of the Challenge is to encourage early-stage start-ups and individuals working on innovations in Ayurveda and other alternative healing and medicine systems. There were three entry categories for participating in the challenge -- Ayush Food Innovations, Ayush Bio-instrumentation (Hardware solutions) and Ayush IT Solutions (Software solutions). There were two winners in each of the three categories with a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the winner and Rs 50,000 for the runner-up. Overall, there were six winners. Under the 'Food Innovations in Ayush Sector: Ready to Eat Nutritious Ayurveda Ahara (Food)' category Ayur Foods won the first prize for developing Therapeutic Ayurveda Nutraceuticals. Priya Nitin Gokhale bagged the first prize in 'Ayush Bio-instrumentation (Hardware Solutions) and Innovations in Healthcare' category for Thermoregulator for sudation chamber. Nadipulse Prognostics Private Limited grabbed the first for Nadiyantra-pulse diagnosis in 'Ayush IT Solutions in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions in Ayurveda Diagnostics, Virtual reality, Biosensors & Trackers'. At the Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the efforts of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in encouraging the growth of Ayush start-ups in the country and said: "There are immense opportunities for investment in the Ayush sector. The Ayush Ministry has been promoting the culture of traditional medicine start-ups and has received an encouraging response from the youth. The All India Institute of Ayurveda had organised the Ayush Start Up Challenge recently through its newly established incubation centre. "The centre will offer technical know-how and expertise to budding entrepreneurs and startups to innovate and invest in Ayush systems. Since the beginning of this year, India has already seen 14 start-ups entering the unicorn club, and the day is not far when we will soon have a unicorn from the Ayush sector too." Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Tanuja Manoj Nesari, Director, AIIA said, "I would like to congratulate all the winners of the Ayush Start-up Challenge. AIIA, being the apex body for Ayurveda in India, works under the guidance of the Ministry of Ayush and supports the growth of this sector in the country. Apart from identifying promising start-ups and rewarding them, we are also providing incubation support through guidance and skill development, which will go a long way in helping these start-ups realise their next phase of growth. Start-ups in India are growing at a phenomenal scale and Ayush could emerge as a leading sector for driving entrepreneurship and innovation." The incubation support would entitle winners to tap into the vast knowledge and resource pool of AIIA across the three wings of the institute, namely research, academics, and hospital. The 'Ayush Start-up Challenge' was open for participation from both early-stage start-ups as well as individuals as a group. A group of 3-5 individuals was allowed to participate in the programme. Read More► Modi Announces Special Mark for Ayush Products
CoronaVirus Updates

Shops can open till 8 pm, more relaxations announced in Jharkhand

Ranchi, July 1 (IANS) Amid declining Covid cases in Jharkhand, the state government on Thursday announced more relaxations to bring life back to normal in the state.As per fresh orders issued on Thursday, shops across all the 24 districts of Jharkhand can remain open till 8 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. All government and private offices can open with 50 per cent strength, as per the order. All shops (including vegetable-fruit-grocery shops) will remain closed from 8 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Monday. The healthcare services and milk stores will remain open on Sundays as well. Cinema halls, bars, multiplexes, restaurants can open with 50 per cent capacity. Stadiums, gymnasiums, and parks can also open, the government order said. All educational institutions, however, will remain closed until further orders. Anganwadi centres will remain closed but food items will be provided to the beneficiaries at home. There will be a ban on the gathering of more than 50 people.Banquet halls and community halls can open but not more than 50 people can gather at a time. Religious places will remain closed for devotees for the time being.The ban on procession will continue. Bus transport services will be allowed within the state, but interstate bus services will not be allowed, as per the government order issued on Thursday. The examinations conducted by the state will also remain postponed.The ban on holding fairs and exhibitions will continue. E-pass will not be necessary to go from one district to another within the state by private vehicles. However e-pass shall be necessary to come to Jharkhand from another state or to go from Jharkhand to another state. Those coming to Jharkhand from another state will have to remain in 7 days home quarantine. Extensive testing of visitors will be done.The state recorded 85 Covid cases on Wednesday and no death was reported in the last 24 hours. --IANS ns/skp/bg
CoronaVirus Updates

European awards for Mumbai scientist's

<br>Mahajan has been conferred the award for the "Best Regenerative Medicine & Cell-Based Therapies Development Company 2021" and the "GHP Innovation Excellence Award for Mesenchymal Stem Cells and LPRP Manufacturing Services 2021", in a virtual ceremony from London.The GHP awards honour and acknowledge individuals and companies which go above and beyond to come up with breakthrough innovations and giving their valuable contribution to the scientific community, and Mahajan's achievement was first highlighted by IANS on May 10.The Chairman of StemRx Biosciences Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Mahajan, 61, says that the stem-cell/lyophilized platelet remedy is a proven protocol for Covid and post-Covid patients on OPD basis, without requiring hospitalization for targeting the primary lung disease.He said that the lungs are the prime target of Covid-19, causing maximum morbidity, highest stay in ICU/Ventilators and deaths, and post-treatment, the patient requires oxygen for several months as lungs develop fibrosis."I am particularly positive about the use of platelet lysate for the treatment of post-Covid Syndrome. The different growth factors present in the concentrate play roles in cell migration, stimulating cells to perform their functions more efficiently, boosting blood supply, and tissue repair, among other things," he said."Accordingly, these factors can collectively help in reducing inflammation, enhancing oxygenation, reducing scar tissue, etc., all of which would help in symptom resolution and healthy tissue regeneration," Mahajan added.Though it is important to consider individual symptoms as well as personalise the treatment protocols, the overall goal should be to ensure that the core pathologies are targeted, so as to prevent long-term functional disability of any kind, he said.He rued that while the world is still grappling with the second, third, fourth waves of the coronavirus pandemic, "there is no cohesive treatment protocol for the condition" though its nearly one-and-half years since it first attacked mankind."My team has developed a unique way to kill the virus 'naturally with anti-inflammatory agents' and reduce their prevalence, slash the hospital stay of patients by 65-75 per cent, as many patients, especially those who had acquired Covid-19 severely, experience multi-system issues termed as 'Post-Covid Syndrome,' needing attention," Mahajan said.While most drugs, therapies, and even vaccines target the Coronavirus rather than the environment in which it thrives, so they do not give the desired success rate, and in order to survive, the virus continues to mutate.Hence, for us to combat it, we must develop a protocol with our own platelets, which play a fundamental role in respiratory disorders resulting from viral infections, being the first line of defence against viruses, Mahajan pointed out.The clinical benefits of platelet concentrates have already been investigated and patented, and now Mahajan plans to take it to benefit the maximum number of Covid infectees.(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: [email protected])--IANS<br>qn/sdr/
CoronaVirus Updates

Hospital, library, awards on Karunanidhi's 97th birth anniv

Chennai, June 3 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday announced the construction of a multi-specialty hospital, a library, an award for writers as well as a house for those who get prestigious awards in the memory of late Chief Minister Karunanidhi.Marking the 97th birth anniversary of Karunanidhi the government also announced the construction of a paddy warehouse in Tiruvarur at an outlay of Rs 30 crore and free rides for transgenders and differently abled persons in city buses.In a statement issued here, the government said a 500 bed multi-specialty hospital at a cost of Rs 250 crore will be built in South Madras inside the Kings Institute complex.The government said a mega library measuring about 2 lakh sq.ft. at an outlay of Rs 70 crore will be built in Madurai.For writers, the government has instituted a new award called 'Illakiya Mamani'. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and will be conferred on three writers annually.For those writers from Tamil Nadu who are awarded national or international awards, the government said it will offer a house in a district of their choice.--IANSvj/bg
CoronaVirus Updates

Are states that have announced free Covid vaccination from May 1 ready?

By S. Ravi
CoronaVirus Updates

Greece extends Covid lockdown, stricter

Athens- Greek authorities announced on Friday that the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown which started on November 7 is further extended to February 15, while an earlier night curfew and closure of retail stores on weekends is imposed in red zones, like Attica and Thessaloniki in northern Greece, in order to avert the third wave of the pandemic. "The image of the epidemiological load nationwide has deteriorated. We need to climb a hill. It would be a pity to give up now that we have started vaccinating vulnerable groups. We can avert a new wave," Vana Papaevangelou, an associate professor of pediatrics who participates in the committee of experts advising the Greek Health Ministry on the management of the Covid-19 crisis, said during a regular press briefing broadcast on national broadcaster ERT, Xinhua news agency reported. With 8,500 active cases across Greece, 1,600 hospitalized, a surge in daily cases this week in many regions and 63 percent occupancy of beds in intensive care units for Covid-19 patients in the Attica region, the government decided to implement additional measures based on experts' proposals, she explained. In Attica and other regions classified as red zones, the night curfew on weekends will now begin at 6:00 p.m. (instead of 9:00 p.m.) until 05:00 a.m., while all retail shops, hairdressers and other stores on weekends will be closed, with the exemption of supermarkets and pharmacies, Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, announced during the same briefing. During weekdays, shopping will be conducted only by click away system (customers put their orders by telephone or online and pick up the product outside the shop) and consumers will no longer be allowed to enter any store by appointment, he said. In addition, in all red areas students of high schools will continue online learning. Moreover, the municipalities of Santorini and Mykonos islands, the city of Halkida near Athens, Patras port in western Greece and the city of Lasithi on Crete Island -- where new daily confirmed infections almost doubled in the past week -- will be placed under a complete lockdown. In these five areas, all schools of all levels will close and only supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries and gas stations will be open, the official noted. On Friday, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced 1,195 new cases and 19 deaths within 24 hours. Greece has now registered 162,107 confirmed infections and 5,922 deaths since the first case was diagnosed in the country on February 26, 2020. The number of cases of the mutant variant of Covid-19 that was first detected in Britain has now risen to 228 in Greece in the past two months, EODY announced, while one case of the mutated strain that was first detected in South Africa was identified in Thessaloniki on January 31. (IANS)