Shree Anna
16-May-2023: Uttarakhand Shree Anna Mahotsav concluded in the Chief Hospitality of Union Agriculture Minister
The closing ceremony of the four-day long Uttarakhand Shree Anna (Millets) Festival took place today in Dehradun under the chief hospitality of the Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Shri Tomar said that Shree Anna has only benefits, especially our small farmers are greatly benefited by it. With the increase in their income from Shree Anna, the country's economy will get a boost.
Union Minister Shri Tomar said that consumption of Shree Anna is the means to stay healthy. Shree Anna is full of nutrition, which costs less to the farmers to grow, it does not require fertilizer, it can be cultivated easily even in low rainfall. In order to increase the income of small farmers, to keep people healthy and to give a respectable place to food grains in the country and the world, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi proposed it on the global stage through the United Nations, which was supported by 72 countries and the UN declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The importance of Shri Anna is being spread through this year's event under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Modi. Agri-startups will increase with Shree Anna, employment opportunities will increase, production and productivity will increase, as well as processing and exports will also increase, which will boost the country's economy. Thus, Shree Anna has many dimensions.
Shri Tomar said that Prime Minister Shri. Modi has a vision to bring a radical change in the standard of living of the poor including making toilets in their homes, providing electricity, building Pradhanmantri Awas, progress of poor women through self-help groups. The country's economy should increase, development should increase, industries should increase, Make in India, Startup India, Skill India and our country should not only be powerful, but should become such a superpower that people are forced to accept India's iron in the whole world. This type of multidimensional thinking belongs to the Prime Minister. Shri Tomar said that as a result of Prime Minister's efficiency, vision and hard work, India's reputation is increasing in the whole world. Regardless of whether someone agrees with us or not, when it is discussed on any global platform, when it comes to the economy, then the economists of the world are forced to say that in the coming tomorrow, the world is going to move forward rapidly. If there is any economy, then it is India. It is a matter of great fortune and pride for us.
Shri Tomar said that the Prime Minister has left no stone unturned to make the specialty of India to the specialty of the world. Yoga is the ancient method of India, which was gradually becoming extinct, which Swami Ramdev campaigned to make it a place in every house, while Prime Minister Shri Modi propounded the characteristics of Yoga in the United Nations and urged the whole world to celebrate Yoga Day, through which the Indian Yoga style has resonated all over the world today. Yoga is necessary to stay healthy. Mr. Tomar said that ever since the formation of the government at the Center under the leadership of Mr. Modi, he has consistently given priority to the agriculture sector. In the year 2014, the budget of agriculture was about 21 thousand crore rupees, which has increased about 1.25 lakh crore rupees today. That is, there has been an increase of more than five times. For income support to small farmers, the Center has deposited Rs 2.40 lakh crore in the bank accounts of crores of farmers through the PM-Kisan scheme. Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps and increased the allocation of funds in every direction, including the protection cover for the farmers insured by the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, increase in food grain productivity, emphasis on organic and natural farming. Shri Tomar said that the Devbhoomi of Uttarakhand covered with diverse climate is very favorable for agriculture. For the last five years, the Government of Uttarakhand is playing a leading role in the proper implementation of the schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture in Uttarakhand and in making their benefits available to the farmers. May Uttarakhand move forward in every field of agriculture, wherever the central government is needed, the Government of India including the Prime Minister will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the Devbhoomi.
Rheumatoid arthritis
8-May-2023: Newly synthesised biocompatible drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs brings potential solution for rheumatoid arthritis
A newly synthesised biocompatible therapeutic nano-micelle drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs has shown improved potential to cure rheumatoid arthritis at the lab level. It can help ameliorate the pain associated with the disease as well as cure the disease by restoring cartilage integrity which provides the flexibility to the bone.
Inflammation plays an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a result, strategies for treating RA have been largely focused on providing symptomatic relief from pain and permanent cure is not available to date. Methotrexate (MTX) is considered as golden standard for the therapy of the disease but due to its severe side effects, researchers are currently looking for alternate drugs or strategies to overcome the disease.
Scientists from Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology, explored the potential of the anti-inflammatory FDA-approved drug 9-aminoacridine (9AA) and the natural compound caffeic acid (CA), generally found in coffee or wine (reported to possess significant anti-arthritic potential) conjugated to nano micelles, an amphiphilic molecule that forms spherical structure when immersed in water, for the treatment of RA.
A research group led by Dr. Rehan Khan, Scientist, along with Senior Research Fellow Mr. Akshay Vyawahare, has developed a therapeutic nano-micelle loaded with an anti-inflammatory drug (9AA). When administered, this shows site-specific inhibition of inflammatory mediators due to activation of NR4A1 gene (Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4 Group A Member 1), which regulates inflammatory mechanism by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines by Fluorescent 9 aminoacridine (FDA-approved drug molecule). The nano micelle itself has potential to provide therapeutic effect, but when combined with anti-inflammatory drug, it showed enhanced potential to cure rheumatoid arthritis experimentally by inhibiting joint damage and cartilage degradation. The new strategy inhibits joint damage and cartilage degradation and showed short-term (21 days) disease eradication and long-term (45 days) protection from the reappearance of the disease.
This drug delivery system is simple, cost-effective, safe, and has significant translational potential. The nano-formulation so far tested on rats and published in ACS Nano may bring long-term relief for numerous RA patients in the future by suppressing the disease severity of Rheumatoid arthritis.
Food Street Project
4-May-2023: Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya reviews ‘Food Street Project’ to develop 100 Healthy and Hygienic Food Streets across the country
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the ‘Food Street Project’ to develop 100 healthy and hygienic food streets across the country with senior officers of Health Ministry and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The aim of this project is to encourage safe and healthy food practices among food businesses and community members, thus, reducing foodborne illnesses and improving the overall health outcomes.
To operationalize the food streets, the National Health Mission (NHM) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide an assistance of Rs. 1 crore per food street as a pilot project to support 100 such food streets at different locations across the country. The grant will be routed under NHM, in the ratio of 60:40 or 90:10, with the condition that branding of these food streets will be done as per FSSAI guidelines.
The financial assistance would be provided for activities such as provision of safe drinking water, hand washing, toilet facilities, tiled flooring of common areas, appropriate liquid & solid waste disposal, provision of dustbins, using billboards, façade preparation and signage of permanent nature, common storage space, lighting, specialized carts for specific type of trades, branding etc.
The initiative will be implemented through NHM in convergence with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), apart from FSSAI’s technical support. The technical assistance will include assistance in designing of food streets, preparation of an SOP and providing training under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocol.
Street food has been an integral part of the Indian food culture and has played an immense role in sustaining and shaping the Indian food economy. It is not only a source of affordable and delicious food for millions of Indians but also a major contributor to the country's economic growth. With rapid urbanization, street food hubs have led to an easy access to food but food safety and hygiene at these hubs remain a matter of concern.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken various steps to improve the hygiene and food safety standards protocols for food street hubs. These initiatives include training of food handlers, independent third-party audits, and certification under Clean Street Food Hub initiative of the Eat Right India movement.