
Hyderabad surgeon Dr. Lokeswara Rao Sajja inducted into Sigma Xi Scientific Society
Sigma Xi, established in 1886, has counted over 200 Nobel Laureates among its past and present members, including iconic figures such as Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Barbara McClintock, Francis Crick, and Jennifer Doudna.
Dr. Sajja's membership comes in recognition of his contributions to cardiovascular surgery. He is best known for leading India's first multicentre randomised trial in cardiac surgery, the PROMOTE Patency Trial, and for developing an innovative mechanical heart valve that eliminates the need for long-term anti-coagulation. The device is currently protected under both U.S. and Indian patents.
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Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
Markets with Bertie: India's healthcare sector is far from dead. It's thriving
Recent news that an Indian pharmaceutical company was paid a large sum of money for their research on a new cancer drug made Bertie quite happy. From the looks of it, this could be the first multi-billion novel drug to hit the global market whose foundational research was done by an Indian company. Bertie's exultation was partly from a sense of patriotism but also from having closely seen the founder's sheer tenacity in continuing the expensive research, despite the counsel of every 'market-type' to shelve it, Bertie included. It was with this sense of enthusiasm that Bertie attended the company's analyst meet. Now that he occupied the higher echelons of fund management hierarchy, attending analyst meets was below his pay grade but our man sees himself as someone whose sleeves are always rolled up. He expected to see only young analysts who would have no memory of the frenzy around patent expiry dates that led to bleary-eyed scrolling on Blackberrys to find out who bagged the coveted first-to-file approval. More out of habit than hope, Bertie scanned the room for a familiar face and was happy to see an old friend who had covered the sector for over two decades, quietly sitting in the corner. Although he was not a medical doctor, the man was generically referred to as 'doc'; a title collectively conferred on him by the industry in acknowledgement of his prowess with the healthcare sector. Bertie waved and pointed to the bar outside, making a sign of afterwards with his index finger. Doc nodded without losing focus on what the founder was saying. After the meet, the two gents found a quiet corner and, after catching up on their respective career trajectories, delved into the subject of healthcare sector. In keeping with his perch on the higher branches of the fund management tree, Bertie was familiar only with the top few names in the space and was of the view that nothing exciting was happening there. 'All dead, no?' Bertie ventured, channeling his battle-worn skepticism. 'Domestic market growing single digit and US still under price pressure.' Doc took a thoughtful pause and said, 'Yes and no'. Bertie sensed that a long discourse was coming up and instinctively looked for a chair. 'What you say about India and US markets is right and that's what matters for the large companies but there is lot of interesting stuff underneath.' Having found a chair, Bertie was now looking for pen and paper which he fished out of the goodie bag that the pharmaceutical company had given. 'See this company for instance' Doc said pointing at the gift bag. 'Innovative drug development; that's got little to do with the current growth in Indian and US markets. There are other companies that are consolidating drug distribution. Diagnostics and hospital companies have their own dynamic as well.' Bertie was busy making a tree diagram, with Doc reeling out company names and their main business lines. 'Then there is the hot space—contract development and manufacturing (CDMO); earlier a Chinese preserve but the changing geopolitical tide is benefiting Indian companies now. Specialized tech companies that support the global healthcare industry—that's another fast-growing space.' By now, Bertie was not able to keep up- his handwriting had become illegible. 'Wow!' is all he could muster. He already had a list of 25 names on his writing pad. But Doc was not done. 'And we haven't even talked of the big thing.' He paused for effect. 'Launch of generic version of the famous weight-loss drug in over 80 markets in 2026. Even with the price cuts, it will be a multi-billion-dollar opportunity and Indian companies will play a big role there.' On the ride home, Bertie was excited. He knew that, if ever there was a sector in which rolling up the sleeves gets rewarded, it was healthcare, and our man is determined to do just that. Bertie is a Mumbai-based fund manager whose compliance department wishes him to cough twice before speaking and then decide not to say it after all.


Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
India's gold blitz at International Mathematical Olympiad Down Under
1 2 Pune: Six contestants, including one from Maharashtra, of the Indian team participating in the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2025 held at Sunshine Coast, Australia, have won three gold, two silver and one bronze medals. The event saw the participation of 630 students, of which 69 were women. In 2024, India created history at the IMO by winning four gold medals. Since 1989, India has won 23 gold medals — 12 of which were won between 2019 and 2025, while nine have come over the last three IMOs (2023, 2024, 2025). You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The winning team comprised Kanav Talwar (Delhi), Aarav Gupta (Delhi) and Adhitya Mangudy (Maharashtra) — who won gold medals. Abel George Mathew (Karnataka) and Aadish Jain (Delhi) won silver medals, while Archit Manas (Delhi) bagged a bronze. The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) issued a statement that with this achievement India came seventh at the IMO for the third time and equalled the feats of 1998 and 2001. The best rank achieved, so far, is fourth at the 65th IMO in 2024. It further said, "This is the third time in a row India has achieved a rank in the top 10 at the IMO (India finished ninth at IMO 2023 and fourth at IMO 2024). Since its debut in 1989, India has been placed in the top 10 on seven out of 35 occasions (India did not participate in 2020 because of the pandemic). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo " This year, Team India set a new record by achieving the country's highest-ever cumulative score of 193 out of a maximum of 252. The HBCSE, TIFR, is the nodal centre for training and selecting students to represent India at various international olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and astrophysics. HBCSE conducts the national olympiad examination which serves as the gateway for final team selection. The statement said, "In IMO, questions are from four broad topics — algebra, combinatorics, number theory and geometry. The host country seeks proposals from every participating country and each can submit up to six problems. Upon receiving the problems by a certain deadline, the problem selection committee (PSC), appointed by the host country and approved by the IMO board, works on all the problems for at least two months and prepares the IMO shortlist (ISL). " Anant Mudgal, a member of the PSC of IMO 2025, said, "I thank the Mathematical Teachers' Association (India), Chennai Mathematical Institute and the funding agencies for their continued strong support to the mathematical olympiad programme, which enables us to showcase Indian talent on the global stage." MSID:: 122798204 413 |


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
RSS women's wing expresses concern over substance abuse among youth
1 2 Nagpur: The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Sunday expressed serious concern over rising substance abuse among youth, including women. The organisation also mentioned opioid abuse among other substances. Opioids are natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs, including prescription medications. The Samiti, which held its national executive meeting headed by Pramukh Sanchalika, Shantakka, passed a resolution urging the govt to make it mandatory for educational institutions to include programmes against addiction as part of their activities. The organization blamed social media and movies for rising drug abuse. It also sought curbs over means of inappropriate entertainment and strict action against those involved in the drug trade. Drug addiction has also led to improper behaviour, provocative dressing, and antisocial activities, said the Samiti while also calling for having better-equipped de-addiction centres and an increase in their numbers. Citing a report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Samiti said almost 25 crore young persons are addicted to some kind of substance. Drug abuse is also fast increasing among women, noted the Samiti. Based on the AIIMS report, the Samiti said 1.6% of women are addicted to alcohol, 0.26% to opioids, 0.34% to cannabis, and 8.9% to tobacco. It also mentioned a Supreme Court observation in December 2022, that 1.58 crore persons in the age group of 10 to 17 years are addicted to various drugs, and more than 75% of the addicts start the abuse before the age of 20 years. Praise for Operation Sindoor Rashtra Sevika Samiti issued a letter congratulating the Indian armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor. It mentioned that the Indian air defence system foiled attacks by the Pakistani forces mid-air. "The country also gained on the diplomatic front by isolating Pakistan globally. Having two women officers brief about the success of Operation Sindoor signalled women empowerment. The entire Operation Sindoor has emerged as a symbol of assurance for country's safety," said a note shared by the Samiti. E-booklet on experiences during Emergency The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, which will complete 90 years in 2026, has also released an e-booklet on the sevikas' (women volunteers) experiences during the struggle against Emergency. The Samiti has termed the Emergency as a dark period for Indian democracy. The Samiti's national executive meeting was held in Nagpur from July 17 to 20. It was attended by 411 representatives from 38 regions of the organisation. The Samiti's volunteers will also be working on the events to mark the centenary year of RSS.