New Delhi , February 9,2021:: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, D V Sadananda Gowda said that the Indian pharma market is expected to grow to USD 130 billion by 2030.
While addressing the 6th Edition of ‘India Pharma and India Medical Device 2021’, Gowda said healthcare continues to be an integral part of the Government’s priorities with an emphasis on medicines at affordable rates, increasing the accessibility to diagnosis and treatment, boost local manufacturing of medical equipment and encouraging innovation to further reduce the cost of healthcare.
“The government through its various policies and schemes is encouraging the manufacturing of affordable medical devices and pharmaceuticals under its ‘Make in India’ initiative. The India Pharma 2021 and India Medical Device 2021 will lay the groundwork for the next wave of development,” he said.
He added saying that India is a leading exporter of affordable generics and a major hub for medical devices and diagnostics.
“India has been serving more than 200+ countries and territories with its Pharma products and will continue to discharge its responsibilities. We intend to continue formulating plans that are based on sound science, technology, business sense, and ethics. We continue to strive to increase the ease of doing business in India for which several measures have already been announced and continue to support domestic manufacturing through measures such as the Rs 400 crore impetus given for the creation of 4 world-class medical device parks, or the Rs 3000 Crore allocated for the creation of 3 major bulk drug parks,” the Union Minister said.
Gowda said that the total market size of the Indian Pharma Industry is expected to reach US 130 billion dollars by 2030.
The medical devices industry in India has the potential to reach 50 billion dollars by 2025, he said.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, jointly with FICCI and Invest India is organizing the 6th edition of the annual program on the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device sector – ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2021’ scheduled on February 25-26 and March 1-2, 2021.
The theme for this year India Pharma is ‘Indian Pharma Industry: “Future is Now” and for India Medical Device is “India MedTech Future: Innovate & Make in India through Global Alliance”.
Washington, Feb 9,2021: The Myanmar military has rejected the US’ request to speak with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, US State Department said on Monday.
“Shortly after the events of February 1, we made an effort to reach out to Aung San Suu Kyi, we did that both informally and we did that formally as well, those requests of course were denied,” Sputnik quoted US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price as saying.
Last week, Myanmar’s military overthrew the government and declared a year-long state of emergency after accusing Aung San Suu Kyi’s party of election fraud held last year, in which Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party secured the majority.
US officials have said the Biden administration is crafting measures to impose on Myanmar’s military if it does not relinquish power.
During a press briefing, Price said: The United States is concerned about the Myanmar military’s decision to restrict peaceful protests in Myanmar.
“We stand with the people of Burma [Myanmar], support their right to assemble peacefully, including to protest peacefully in support of the democratically-elected government… we’re of course very concerned about the military’s recent announcement restricting public gatherings,” Price said.
Feb 08,2021:In the foothills of the Himalayas, where the ancient Yarlung civilisation established the first Tibetan Empire, China has plans to build the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam.
In November of last year, China’s state-owned media shared plans for a 60-gigawatt mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).
Now with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, Beijing has redoubled its efforts on its hydropower projects in Tibet, even though the dams have drawn criticism from Tibetan rights groups and environmentalists.
The Yarlung Tsangpo is of particular significance, as it represents the body of the goddess Dorje Phagmo, one of the highest incarnations in Tibetan culture.
China took control of Tibet in 1950 and has invested billions in developing highways, railways and other infrastructure. Tibetans worry about the effect of such projects on their unique landscape and way of life.
World’s highest river
From its origin in the glaciers of western Tibet, the Yarlung Tsangpo reaches heights of nearly 5,000 metres (16,404 feet) above sea level, making it the highest river in the world as it snakes its way through the Himalayan mountain range.
The river plunges 2,700 metres (8,858 feet) through what is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, forming a gorge more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon in the United States.
The precipitous fall makes it particularly conducive to collecting hydroelectric power but experts have warned the record-breaking dam is likely to have political and environmental consequences.
According to the Power Construction Corp of China’s chairman, Yan Zhiyong, the mega-dam’s has primarily been constructed to power China’s green future.
While China already has an excess of energy, Brian Eyler, an expert in rivers who is the director of the South East Asia Program at the Stimson Center, says the power generated will probably be used to cover losses as it makes the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.
The mega-dam could produce as much as three times the hydroelectric power of China’s current largest dam, the Three Gorges, a project which forced the relocation of more than 1.4 million people.
Washington [US], February 8,2021: Three years after former US President Donald Trump’s administration withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council, his successor Joe Biden has moved to rejoin the human rights body, marking it as another reversal by Biden of Trump’s policies.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that Trump withdrew from the council, the world’s most important human rights body, in 2018 over what he and his allies called unfair targeting of Israel.
Biden has earlier rejoined the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization, which Trump withdrew from while he was in office.
In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Biden administration has recommitted the United States to a foreign policy centred on democracy, human rights, and equality. “Effective use of multilateral tools is an important element of that vision, and in that regard, the President has instructed the Department of State to reengage immediately and robustly with the UN Human Rights Council,” he said.
He added, “We recognize that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel.”
The US top diplomat said that the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw in 2018, “did nothing to encourage meaningful change” but instead “created a vacuum of US leadership” which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage.
“When it works well, the Human Rights Council shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as an important forum for those fighting injustice and tyranny… To address the Council’s deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership,” Blinken said.
The top diplomat said that in the immediate term, the United States will engage with the Council as an observer, and in that capacity will have the opportunity to speak in the Council, participate in negotiations, and partner with others to introduce resolutions.
“It is our view that the best way to improve the Council is to engage with it and its members in a principled fashion. We strongly believe that when the United States engages constructively with the Council, in concert with our allies and friends, positive change is within reach,” he said.
However, last month, former US ambassador to UN Nikki Hayley said that the council is “a cesspool of political bias”
“If Biden rejoins the council whose membership includes dictatorial regimes and some of the world’s worst human rights violators… it will fly in the face of our fight for human rights,” Haley wrote on Twitter last month, as quoted by NYT.
Washington will return to the council as a nonvoting observer, and full membership will be assessed later this year. The US’ return to the council comes after nations facing widespread criticism for human rights abuses have tried to influence how the council assesses wrongdoing. China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela are all members.
As per NYT, Last week, Republicans (also known as GOP) at the House of Representatives signed a letter urging Mr. the President not to “seek” membership in the UN Human rights body, saying the council was “disproportionately targeting” Israel over other members.
“Israel is the only country to be a permanent item on the council’s agenda… This past year, the 43rd Human Rights Council Session adopted five resolutions condemning Israel, and only one each targeting Iran, Syria and North Korea,” the GOP members wrote.
New Delhi, Feb 8,2021: Rajya Sabha on Monday passed Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to replace an ordinance on merging the cadre of J&K with the UT cadre for administration.
After Article 370 was read down, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories. As per cadre rules for Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services and Indian Forest Services (All India Services) Union Territories fall under AGMUT cadre (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and UTs).
To this effect, President Ram Nath Kovind had promulgated the Ordinance last month.
Initiating the debate, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ghulam Nabi Azad questioned the move saying the bill shows the government’s intentions to keep Jammu and Kashmir as Union Territory.
He reasserted the government’s repeated assurance of bringing the status of J&K back to “State”.
Criticising the government’s move, he alleged that over seven thousand industries have shut in J&K since the abrogation.
The former chief minister urged the government to restore the “state” status and hold Assembly polls.
Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy claimed development in J&K is progressing at a fast pace level. Mr Reddy mentioned about Block Development Council polls conducted last year and stated that for the first time polling was peaceful with almost 98 per cent voting.
He stated that Kashmir Valley will be connected by railways by 2022. The Minister of State also mentioned Chenab bridge, the world’s highest bridge and elevated light railway system, which are to be completed in the next four years.
Bharatiya Janata Party member Samsher Singh Manhas stated the J&K now has three All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and new campuses of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) are coming to the new UT.
Aam Aadmi Party Sushil Kumar Gupta (AAP) asked the distribution of officers across the all UTs while Manoj Jha of Rashtriya Janata Dal questioned whether the reorganisation is permanent or temporary.
He also raised the case of two PhD students of Bihar who are still waiting to join their college in J&K.
Questioning the restoration of normalcy, he asked why Members of Parliaments were not allowed to visit the Valley.
People Democratic Party’s Mohammad Mir Fayaz questioned if normalcy has been restored as per the government then why there is no bill of restoring the status of “State”.
A Navneethakrishnan of AIADMK supported the government and stated that keeping geographical locations in mind, it is better if J&K is under the direct rule of the Centre.
Ashok Siddharth of Bahujan Samaj Party supported the bill saying everyone wants to visit the valley but no one wants to work there.
But, he raised an objection that the bill might affect the local officers in promotions and needed to be corrected.
Hyderabad [Pakistan], February 7,2021: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday announced a “historic” rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – the 11-party opposition alliance – in Hyderabad on February 9.
Talking to the media in Sehwan, the chief minister said that people from all over the country would attend the PDM rally in the Sindh province on Tuesday, ARY News reported.
Key opposition leaders including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would address the rally.
Commenting over local body elections in Sindh, Murad Ali Shah said that the LG polls will be held across the province as per the Constitution, according to ARY News.
Ali Shah also spoke on the federal government’s move to amend the Constitution by bringing an ordinance to allow open balloting in the upcoming Senate elections.
This comes after the PDM on Thursday announced a long march against the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government on March 26, which is seen as one of the major components of the opposition’s anti-government movement, which began last year.