Yearly Archives: 2017

Fixation of Pension: How to Calculate?

Posted on by
Reply

In implementation of Government’s decision on the recommendation of the Seventh Central Pay Commission (7th CPC), orders have been issued vide Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare O.M. No. 38/37/16-P&PW(A) (i) dated 04.08.2016 for revision of provisions regulating pension/gratuity/ commutation of pension/family pension/disability pension/ex-gratia lump-sum compensation, etc. in respect of the employees retiring on or after 01.01.2016.v For revision of pension of pre-2016 civil pensioners, the 7th CPC recommended the following two formulations:

(i) Notional Pay of employees who retired prior to 01.01.2016 may be fixed in the Pay Matrix on the basis of the Pay Band and Grade Pay at which they retired, by adding the number of increments he/ she had earned in that level while in service, to the minimum of the corresponding level in the matrix. Fifty percent of the total amount so arrived at shall be the revised pension.

(ii) The pension, as had been fixed at the time of implementation of the 6th CPC recommendations, may be multiplied by 2.57 to arrive at an alternate value for the revised pension.

7th CPC recommended that the pensioners may be given the option of choosing the formulation which is more beneficial to them. Orders were issued for revision of pension as per Formulation (ii) above vide Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare O.M. No. 38/37/16-P&PW(A) (ii) dated 04.08.2016 and the pension disbursing authorities were advised to make payment of revised pension accordingly without waiting for the revised pension payment authority. A Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare was constituted to examine the feasibility of Formulation (i). The Committee observed that Formulation (i) as recommended by the 7th CPC might be difficult to implement in a large number of cases and this method may also cause anomalies.

In implementation of the recommendations of the aforesaid Committee, orders have been issued vide Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare O.M. No. 38/37/16-P&PW(A) dated 12.05.2017. It has been provided that the revised pension/family pension w.e.f. 01.01.2016 in respect of all Central civil pensioners/family pensioners may be revised by notionally fixing their pay in the pay matrix recommended by the 7th CPC in the level corresponding to the pay in the pay scale/pay band and grade pay at which they retired/died by notional pay fixation under each intervening Pay Commission based on the Formula for revision of pay. 50% of the notional pay as on 01.01.2016 shall be the revised pension and 30% of this notional pay shall be the revised family pension w.e.f. 1.1.2016. Higher of the two Formulations i.e. the pension/family pension already revised in accordance with this Department’s OM dated 04.08.2016 or the revised pension/family pension as worked out by notional pay fixation method, shall be the revised pension/family pension w.e.f. 01.01.2016.

There were around 55.51 lakh pensioners/family pensioners (including defence pensioners/family pensioners) as on 31.03.2016. All Pension Sanctioning Authorities have been advised to accord top priority to the work of revision of pension and issue revised Pension Payment Authority in implementation of the above orders expeditiously.

There is no proposal for creation of any other organisation for pension related issues.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to question by Adv. Narendra Keshav Sawaikar and Shri P. Nagarajan in the Lok Sabha today.

Millions may face protein deficiency because of carbon dioxide emissions by Humans

Posted on by
Reply

Human-caused carbon dioxide emissions lower the nutritional value of staple crops, increasing the risk for dietary deficiencies among the world’s most vulnerable people.
This study provides further evidence for the need to curb human-caused CO2 emissions.
Boston, MA – If CO2 levels continue to rise as projected, the populations of 18 countries may lose more than 5% of their dietary protein by 2050 due to a decline in the nutritional value of rice, wheat, and other staple crops, according to new findings from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers estimate that roughly an additional 150 million people may be placed at risk of protein deficiency because of elevated levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is the first study to quantify this risk.

“This study highlights the need for countries that are most at risk to actively monitor their populations’ nutritional sufficiency, and, more fundamentally, the need for countries to curb human-caused CO2 emissions,” said Samuel Myers, senior research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health.

The study will be published online August 2, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Globally, 76% of the population derives most of their daily protein from plants. To estimate their current and future risk of protein deficiency, the researchers combined data from experiments in which crops were exposed to high concentrations of CO2 with global dietary information from the United Nations and measures of income inequality and demographics.

They found that under elevated CO2 concentrations, the protein contents of rice, wheat, barley, and potatoes decreased by 7.6%, 7.8%, 14.1%, and 6.4%, respectively. The results suggested continuing challenges for Sub Saharan Africa, where millions already experience protein deficiency, and growing challenges for South Asian countries, including India, where rice and wheat supply a large portion of daily protein. The researchers found that India may lose 5.3% of protein from a standard diet, putting a predicted 53 million people at new risk of protein deficiency.

A companion paper co-authored by Myers, which will be published as an Early View article August 2, 2017 in GeoHealth, found that CO2-related reductions in iron content in staple food crops are likely to also exacerbate the already significant problem of iron deficiency worldwide. Those most at risk include 354 million children under 5 and 1.06 billion women of childbearing age–predominantly in South Asia and North Africa–who live in countries already experiencing high rates of anemia and who are expected to lose more than 3.8% of dietary iron as a result of this CO2 effect.

These two studies, taken alongside a 2015 study co-authored by Myers showing that elevated CO2 emissions are also likely to drive roughly 200 million people into zinc deficiency, quantify the significant nutritional toll expected to arise from human-caused CO2 emissions.

“Strategies to maintain adequate diets need to focus on the most vulnerable countries and populations, and thought must be given to reducing vulnerability to nutrient deficiencies through supporting more diverse and nutritious diets, enriching the nutritional content of staple crops, and breeding crops less sensitive to these CO2 effects. And, of course, we need to dramatically reduce global CO2 emissions as quickly as possible,” Myers said.

 

Employment to Differently Abled

Posted on by
Reply

Section 34 of the “ The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016” mandates every appropriate Government to appoint in every Government establishment, not less than four per cent of the total number of vacancies in the cadre strength in each group of posts meant to be filled with persons with benchmark disabilities of which, one per cent each shall be reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses (a), (b) and (c) and one per cent for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses (d) and (e), namely:-

(a) blindness and low vision;

(b) deaf and hard of hearing;

(c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy;

(d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness;

(e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness in the posts identified for each disabilities.

Section 34 of the Act also provides that the reservation in promotion shall be in accordance with such instructions as are issued by the appropriate Government from time to time.

Promotions to the higher grades are made as per provisions of the relevant Recruitment Rules. In some of the Recruitment Rules, provisions exist for promotion either on the basis of seniority in service or through Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations. The candidates, who do not qualify the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination are promoted on the basis of their inter-se-seniority in the feeder grade.

However, in cases where the departmental promotion test is the only mode of promotion, proposal to give promotion on the basis of the seniority or merit in service alone is not under consideration.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to question by Shri Chandu Lal Sahu in the Lok Sabha today.

Setting up of Spice Park in Telangana

Posted on by
Reply

Central Government has received proposal from the State Government of Telangana for establishing a Spice Park at Nizamabad for turmeric. It has been intimated to the State Government that the Spices Board would extend all technical support if land and funds for establishing the Spice park is provided by the State. Central Government has also approved the setting up of a Spice Development Agency (SDA) for Telangana having headquarters at Warangal for co-coordinating with the State / Central Agencies implementing programmes for research, production, marketing, quality improvement and export of spices, including chilli and turmeric.

Government implements several programmes for providing assistance to spice farmers, including Chilli and Turmeric farmers, which, on one hand aim at increasing production and ensuring remunerative prices to farmers through pre and post-harvest management and support activities, and on the other hand assist the industry through adoption of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs, quality certification etc for facilitating exports.

Spices Board is implementing the “Export Oriented Production, Export Development & Promotion of Spices” Scheme wherein assistance is provided to spices farmers which, inter alia, includes development of infrastructure for common processing facilities in Spice Parks, adaptation of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs for sampling and testing of the export consignments for meeting quality specifications of consuming countries, assistance to farmers on post-harvest quality improvement, imparting training to farmers in Good Agricultural Practices etc.

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

An app for the perfect selfie

Posted on by
Reply

Computer scientists at the University of Waterloo have developed a smartphone app that helps people learn the art of taking great selfies.

Inside the app is an algorithm that directs the user where to position the camera allowing them to take the best shot possible.

“Selfie’s have increasingly become a normal way for people to express themselves and their experiences, only not all selfies are created equal,” said Dan Vogel, a professor of computer science at Waterloo. “Unlike other apps that enhance a photo after you take it, this system gives direction, meaning the user is actually learning why their photo will be better.”

In developing the algorithm, Vogel and Qifan Li, a former Master’s student at Waterloo, bought 3D digital scans of “average” looking people. They took hundreds of “virtual selfies” by writing code to control a virtual smartphone camera and computer-generated lighting which allowed them to explore different composition principles, including lighting direction, face position and face size.

Using an online crowdsourcing service, the researchers had thousands of people vote on which of the virtual selfie photos they felt were best, and then mathematically modelled the patterns of votes to develop an algorithm that can guide people to take the best selfie.

They later had real people take selfies with a standard camera app, and an app powered by the algorithm. Based on more online ratings, they found a 26 per cent improvement in selfies taken with Waterloo’s app.

“This is just the beginning of what is possible,” said Vogel. “We can expand the variables to include variables aspects such as hairstyle, types of smile or even the outfit you wear.

“When it comes to teaching people to take better selfies, the sky’s the limit.”

Vogel and Li recently presented the work in Edinburgh, Scotland at the 2017 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems.

###

To review video of how this app works, visit: http

Healthcard for Cancer Treatment

Posted on by
Reply

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a centrally sponsored scheme, provides health insurance coverage to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and including other 11 categories of Unorganized Workers (UOWs) who are enrolled under the scheme.

Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) is also implemented w.e.f. 01.04.2016. Under this, health coverage is available for Rs.30,000/- per annum per senior citizen for treatment packages, over and above RSBY entitlement.

Each family enrolled in the scheme is entitled for hospitalization benefits in Government empanelled hospitals (including both private and public). RSBY and SCHIS cover oncology treatment within prescribed benefits ceiling.

Under comprehensive Primary Healthcare, operational guidelines for Prevention, Screening and Control of Common Non-Communicable Diseases: Hypertension, Diabetes and Common Cancers (Oral, Breast, Cervix) have been issued under National Health Mission which envisage preparation of Health Cards for individuals above 30 years of age. These Cards primarily will be health records of individuals listing health issues/diseases/disabilities and exposures to risk factors of common NCDs including cancer.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Smt Anupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

Reduction/exemption of tax rates under GST for small businesses

Posted on by
Reply

The Government has received representations from small businesses relating to exemption from GST, reduction in applicable rates of GST, and product and area wise exemptions. The GST rates on supply of goods and services have been notified based on the recommendations of the GST Council. The tax rates on goods have been fixed taking into consideration, inter alia, the total indirect tax incidence on goods prior to GST, which included the central excise duty rates / embedded central excise duty incidence, VAT rates or weighted average VAT rates, embedded VAT incidence, cascading of VAT over excise duty, incidence on account of CST, Octroi, entry tax, etc.

Keeping in view the interests of small business, any supplier in the State or Union territory, other than special category States, whose aggregate turnover in a financial year does not exceed Rs.20 lakh [Rs.10 lakh in the case of Special Category States] is not liable to be registered under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.

Further, a composition scheme has been provided for the benefit of small business. An eligible registered person in the State or Union territory, other than Special Category States [other than Uttarakhand], can avail benefit of this scheme (Except those manufacturing ice-cream, pan masala and tobacco products) by paying an amount equal to 2% of turnover in the State in case of manufacturers and 1% equal to the turnover in the State in the case of trader dealers. The turnover limit for availing of composition levy initially was Rs. 50 lakhs in the preceding financial year. However, keeping in view the interests of small businesses, the same was increased to 75 lakhs [except in case of Special Category States]. The raised limit in case of Uttarakhand, however, is Rs. 75 lakhs. Thus, the interests of traders are not likely to be adversely affected in general.

This was stated by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Finance in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Measures to check cyber crimes in Banking System

Posted on by
Reply

As per data reported by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the number of cyber crime pertaining to credit card, ATM, debit card and Internet banking shows a marginal increase of 4.4% from 13,083 in 2014-15, to 13,653 in 2016-17.

RBI has issued Cyber Security Framework in Banks, mandating banks to put in place a Board-approved cyber-security policy, which covers the risks from cyber threats and the measures to address/ mitigate these risks.

RBI has issued instructions to banks for reversal of erroneous debits arising from fraudulent or other transactions, and for Board-approved bank policy to cover customer protection, the mechanism of compensating the customer for the unauthorised electronic banking transactions, and display of the same on the bank’s website, along with the details of grievance-handling / escalation procedure. Under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, if a customer does not receive any reply within a period of one month after receipt of representation by the bank or is not satisfied with the reply given, he can file a complaint before the Ombudsman, who can ask the bank to pay compensation of up to Rs. 20 lakh to the customer for loss, suffered by the customer due to an act of omission of the bank, and also compensation of up to Rs. 1 lakh for mental agony and harassment.

This was stated by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Finance in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Aardvarks’ fate points to worrying consequences for wildlife, due to climate change

Posted on by
Reply

The aardvark, a highlight for anyone on a game-viewing African safari, will become increasingly rare as the world warms and dries, and the consequences go well beyond a decline in aardvark safari encounters.

According to researchers studying this elusive mammal, sometimes classed as one of the “Shy 5”, in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert, aardvarks prove to be highly susceptible to the warmer and drier climates that are predicted for the western parts of southern Africa, in the future. During the study of a number of aardvarks by researchers of the Brain Function Research Group at the University of the Witwatersrand, all but one of the study animals – as well as other aardvarks in the area – died because of a severe drought, with air temperatures much higher than normal and very dry soil in the area.

“While unusual now, those are the conditions that climate change is likely to bring as the new normal,” says Professor Andrea Fuller, the Research Group’s director.

Dr Benjamin Rey studied the aardvarks as part of his postdoctoral studies. Along with his colleagues, he used the new technology of “biologgers” (miniature sensors attached to computer chips and implanted into the aardvarks by wildlife veterinarians), to study the activity patterns and body temperatures of aardvarks living in the Kalahari. The researchers were not to know that during the year of their study there would be a severe drought, which led to the death of the study animals.

“It is not because the aardvark’s body can’t take the heat, but that the termites and ants that they rely on – not just for food but also for water – can’t take the heat and aridity of changing climates,” says Rey.

Aardvarks usually sleep during the day in burrows that they have dug, and emerge at night, to feed on ant and termites, using their long, sticky tongues to sweep up thousands of insects. However, during the drought, the termites and ants, on which the aardvark depends for body energy, were not available.

“As a result, the aardvarks’ body temperatures fell precipitously at night. The aardvarks tried to compensate by shifting their search for ants and termites from the colder night to the warmer day, so that they would not have to use energy to keep warm, but that was not enough to save their energy stores,” says Dr Robyn Hetem, a co-worker on the study. “We believe the aardvarks starved to death.”

The aardvark progressively became skinnier and bonier. They even tried sun-basking to save energy, but many ultimately died. Their body temperatures dropped to as low as 25°C just before they died.

Rey says that this curious-looking creature – described as having the snout of a pig, the ears of a rabbit and the tail of a kangaroo – is much more than just a curiosity to be checked off a bucket list.

“Many species of African birds, mammals and reptiles use the burrows dug by aardvarks to escape cold and heat, to reproduce, and to avoid predators. They can’t dig these burrows themselves. Without aardvarks, they would have no refuge. Worryingly, they could face the same fate as the aardvark.”

Climate change in southern Africa affects animals through the direct effects of increasing air temperatures and aridity. Wild dogs, for example, reduce hunting activity as temperature increases. But the indirect consequences of heat and aridity may be more pervasive. Disappearance of aardvarks, and with them the burrows that they dig, will have knock-on effects for many other animals.

Picture perfect

Posted on by
Reply

When taking a picture, a photographer must typically commit to a composition that cannot be changed after the shutter is released. For example, when using a wide-angle lens to capture a subject in front of an appealing background, it is difficult to include the entire background and still have the subject be large enough in the frame.

Positioning the subject closer to the camera will make it larger, but unwanted distortion can occur. This distortion is reduced when shooting with a telephoto lens, since the photographer can move back while maintaining the foreground subject at a reasonable size. But this causes most of the background to be excluded. In each case, the photographer has to settle for a suboptimal composition that cannot be modified later.

As described in a technical paper to be presented July 31 at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2017 conference, UC Santa Barbara Ph.D. student Abhishek Badki and his advisor Pradeep Sen, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with NVIDIA researchers Orazio Gallo and Jan Kautz, have developed a new system that addresses this problem. Specifically, it allows photographers to compose an image post-capture by controlling the relative positions and sizes of objects in the image.

Computational Zoom, as the system is called, allows photographers the flexibility to generate novel image compositions — even some that cannot be captured by a physical camera — by controlling the sense of depth in the scene, the relative sizes of objects at different depths and the perspectives from which the objects are viewed.

For example, the system makes it possible to automatically combine wide-angle and telephoto perspectives into a single multi-perspective image, so that the subject is properly sized and the full background is visible. In a standard image, the light rays travel in straight lines into the camera at an angle specified by the focal length of the lens (the field of view angle). However, this new functionality allows photographers to produce physically impossible images in which the light rays “bend,” changing from a telephoto to a wide angle as they go through the scene.

Achieving the custom composition is a three-step process. First, the photographer must capture a “stack” of multiple images, moving the camera gradually closer to the scene between shots without changing the focal length of the lens. The system then uses the captured image stack, and a standard structure-from-motion algorithm, to automatically estimate the camera position and orientation for each image. Next, a novel multi-view 3D reconstruction method estimates “depth maps” for each image in the stack. Finally, all of this information is used to synthesize multi-perspective images which have novel compositions through a user interface.

“This new framework really empowers photographers by giving them much more flexibility later on to compose their desired shot,” said Pradeep Sen. “It allows them to tell the story they want to tell.”

“Computational Zoom is a powerful technique to create compelling images,” said Gallo, NVIDIA senior research scientist. “Photographers can manipulate a composition in real time, developing plausible images that cannot be captured with a physical camera.”

Eventually, the researchers hope to integrate the system as a plug-in to existing image-processing software, allowing a new kind of post-capture compositional freedom for professional and amateur photographers alike.

Find out more about the project, or see results of the post-capture method on YouTube.

Scheme for Poor Students

Posted on by
Reply

The Central Government is sensitive to the needs of students belonging to the economically weaker sections of the society and is committed towards ensuring equity in access to higher education.

Under the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship scheme for College and University Students, financial assistance is provided to meritorious students having family income of less than Rs. 6 lakh per annum to meet a part of their day-to-day expenses while pursuing higher studies. Students who are above 80th percentile of successful candidates in the relevant streams from a particular Board of Examination in class XII of 10+2 pattern or equivalent and pursuing regular course and not availing of any other scholarship, are eligible for consideration under this scheme.

Further, under the Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Education Loan interest subsidy is provided to all students belonging to Economically Weaker Section (EWS), with an annual parental income up to Rs.4.5 lakhs. The Scheme provides for full interest subsidy during the period of moratorium (i.e. duration of recognised professional course plus 1 year) on educational loans availed of by all students belonging to EWS from Scheduled Banks, including Co-operative & Regional Rural banks, as per the Model Educational Loan Scheme of Indian Banks’ Association.

Also, the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been launched with the objective of making best use of ICT with the purpose of identification and nurturing of talent and life-long learning as well as extending the education facility to a larger section of people.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

Visit of Chief of the Army Staff(Coas) to Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan

Posted on by
Reply

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff will be visiting Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan from 01-06 Aug 2017 with high level military delegation. During the visit, the General alongwith delegation will be visiting important military installations and is scheduled to meet a number of high ranking dignitaries of both the nations.

During the visit to Kazakhstan from 01-03 Aug, General Bipin Rawat will meet Defence Minister, Chairman of the National Security Committee, Vice Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry alongwith Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces of Kazakhstan. The delegation will also visit elite Air Assault Brigade and National Defence University at Astana where he shall be inaugurating the Indian Military Art Room.

The visit to Turkmenistan from 04-05 Aug assumes importance as General Bipin Rawat is the first Chief of the Army Staff of Indian Army to visit the country. During the visit, General Bipin Rawat will be meeting Minister of Defence & Secretary, National Security Council, First Deputy Minister & Chief of Gen Staff alongwith Commanders of Land, Naval, Air & Air Defence Forces of Turkmenistan. The delegation will also visit the prestigious Military Institute & Military Academy of Turkmenistan.

The visit to Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan is yet another outreach initiative to engage with our extended neighbourhood and strengthen the existing defence cooperation with the two nations.

Periodontal disease is associated with higher risk of several cancer types

Posted on by
Reply

Periodontal disease was associated with increased risk of several types of cancer in postmenopausal women, even in women who had never smoked.

Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Author: Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health and dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, was senior author. Ngozi Nwizu, BDS, MMSc, PhD, assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology at The University of Texas School of Dentistry, was lead author.

Background: In recent years, research has shown that periodontal disease is a risk factor for certain cancers, including breast cancer, oral, and esophageal cancers. However, few studies have analyzed the overall risk for all types of cancers.

How the Study Was Conducted and Results: The researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of 65,869 women aged 54 to 86 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. The women self-reported periodontal disease on questionnaires administered between 1999 and 2003. The researchers monitored cancer outcomes through September 2013. Over an average follow-up time of 8.32 years, the researchers identified 7,149 cases of cancer.

The study showed that a history of periodontal disease was associated with a 14 percent higher risk of developing any cancer. The strongest association was for cancer of the esophagus, which was more than three times more likely in women with periodontal disease than women who did not report periodontal disease. Lung cancer, gallbladder cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer were also associated with significantly higher risk.

The researchers noted that certain cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and gallbladder cancer, were associated with higher risk in women who smoked and had periodontal disease. Others, such as melanoma, were associated with higher risk in the women who had never smoked but did report periodontal disease.

Author Comment: Wactawski-Wende said the biological mechanisms that connect periodontal disease and cancer are not yet fully understood. She said one possible explanation is that oral pathogens could potentially be carried in saliva and dental plaque, or through diseased periodontal tissues into the blood circulation to reach other body sites and contribute to carcinogenesis; this may possibly explain the strong association in esophageal cancer.

“The esophagus is in close proximity to the oral cavity, and so periodontal pathogens may more easily gain access to and infect the esophageal mucosa and promote cancer risk at that site,” Wactawski-Wende said.

“Our study findings serve to provide further evidence that periodontal disease is linked to cancer, and support the need for further investigation into how periodontal disease contributes to increased cancer risk,” said Nwizu.

The authors said the study’s large size adds to the strength of the findings.

“This study is the first national study focused on women, particularly older women,” Wactawski-Wende said. “Our study was sufficiently large and detailed enough to examine not just overall risk of cancer among older women with periodontal disease, but also to provide useful information on a number of cancer-specific sites.”

Limitations: The authors said that because the study used self-reported data, the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been under-reported. They said further research that uses more precise assessments of periodontal disease could be useful in confirming the link between periodontal disease and cancer, they added.

History of gum disease increases cancer risk in older women says a study

Posted on by
Reply

Postmenopausal women who have a history of gum disease also have a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study of more than 65,000 women.

The study, led by researchers at the University at Buffalo, is the first national study of its kind involving U.S. women, and the first to focus specifically on older women. It’s also the first study to find an association between periodontal disease and gallbladder cancer risk in women or men. The findings were published today (Aug. 1) in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

“This study is the first national study focused on women, particularly older women,” said Jean Wactawski-Wende, the study’s senior author.

“Our study was sufficiently large and detailed enough to examine not just overall risk of cancer among older women with periodontal disease, but also to provide useful information on a number of cancer-specific sites,” added Wactawski-Wende, dean of UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions and a professor of epidemiology and environmental health.

The study included 65,869 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, an ongoing national prospective study designed to investigate factors affecting disease and death risk in older American women. The average age of the participants was 68, and most were non-Hispanic white women.

As part of a follow-up health questionnaire, participants were asked “Has a dentist or dental hygienist ever told you that you had periodontal or gum disease?”

Women who reported a history of gum disease had a 14 percent increased risk of overall cancer. Of the 7,149 cancers that occurred in the study participants, the majority — or 2,416 — were breast cancer.

“There is increasing evidence that periodontal disease may be linked to an increased cancer risk and this association warrants further investigation,” said the paper’s first author, Ngozi Nwizu, who worked on the research while completing her residency in oral and maxillofacial pathology in UB’s School of Dental Medicine and her doctorate in pathology (cancer epidemiology) at UB’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute Graduate Division. Nwizu is now an assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

The risk associated with periodontal disease was highest for esophageal cancer, the researchers reported. “The esophagus is in close proximity to the oral cavity, and so periodontal pathogens may more easily gain access to and infect the esophageal mucosa and promote cancer risk at that site,” Wactawski-Wende said.

Gallbladder cancer risk also was high in women who reported a history of gum disease. “Chronic inflammation has also been implicated in gallbladder cancer, but there has been no data on the association between periodontal disease and gallbladder risk. Ours is the first study to report on such an association,” Nwizu said.

The esophageal and gallbladder cancer findings are significant, Nwizu said. “Esophageal cancer ranks among the most deadly cancers and its etiology is not well known, but chronic inflammation has been implicated,” she said.

“Certain periodontal bacteria have been shown to promote inflammation even in tiny amounts, and these bacteria have been isolated from many organ systems and some cancers including esophageal cancers. It is important to establish if periodontal disease is an important risk of esophageal cancer, so that appropriate preventive measures can be promoted.”

Periodontal disease also was associated with total cancer risk among former and current smokers.

The findings for this particular age group are significant because they offer a window into disease in a population of Americans that continues to increase as people live longer lives.

“The elderly are more disproportionately affected by periodontal disease than other age groups, and for most types of cancers, the process of carcinogenesis usually occurs over many years,” said Nwizu. “So the adverse effects of periodontal disease are more likely to be seen among postmenopausal women, simply because of their older age.”

 

Highway Projects in North Karnataka

Posted on by
Reply

Total 13 works amounting to Rs. 7216 crore are presently in progress in North Karnataka. These are scheduled to be completed between December, 2017 to March 2019. 8 works at an estimated cost of Rs. 1090 crore are proposed to be sanctioned during the current year.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Reduction in PF contribution

Posted on by
Reply

With a view to bring contribution under Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions (EPF & MP) Act, 1952 to be paid by employer and employee at par with other savings instruments like the National Pension System, Contributory Provident Fund etc., an agenda item for lowering the rate of contribution from the present 12 per cent to 10 per cent was deliberated in the 218th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) held on 27.05.2017. All employees’ and employers’ representatives and State Government representatives were against reducing the rate of contribution from 12 per cent to 10 per cent.
The details of action taken by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) against the defaulting establishments to protect the interest of workers covered under the said Act are as under:

(i) Real time default management system has been implemented to reduce remittance default by establishments.

(ii) Action under section 7A of EPF & MP Act, 1952 against the defaulting establishments for assessment of dues.

(iii) Action under section 14B of the Act for levying of damages for belated deposit of dues.

(iv) Action under section 7Q of the Act for levy of interest for belated remittances.

(v) Action for recovery as provided under sections 8B to 8G of the Act.

(vi) Action under section 14 of the Act for filing prosecution against the defaulters before the competent court of law.

(vii) Action under section 406/409 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the employer for non-payment of employees’ share of contribution deducted from the wages/salary of the employees but not deposited in the fund.

This information was given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Labour and Employment, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, today.

Recruitment of Teachers

Posted on by
Reply

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified the Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measure for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2010. These principal regulations along with their subsequent four amendments notified up to 2016 lay down principles and guidelines for recruitment and promotion of faculties at the cadre of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor.

In these Regulations, Master’s degree with UGC specified score along with NET/SET/SLET or Ph.D. earned in conformity with UGC Regulations has been made mandatory eligibility condition for appointment to various academic positions. However, para 4.1.0 of UGC Regulations, 2010 prescribes an alternative criterion for the post of Professor. As per this criterion, an outstanding professional with established reputations in the relevant field who has made significant contributions to the knowledge in the concerned/allied/relevant discipline could be recruited as a Professor.

The Universities are autonomous bodies created either under the Central Act or State Acts and the onus of filling up the vacant posts lies with them. However, to make the teaching profession more attractive and to draw in good talent at the entry level, the UGC Regulations, 2010 has prescribed norms for improvement in service conditions for the new entrant, in terms of better working and leave conditions, career advancement prospects, retirement benefits etc.

Further, the UGC has, inter alia, undertaken the following initiatives for improving the teachers and Teacher education so as to make the profession more attractive:

§ The UGC supports ‘operation faculty recharge’ through strengthening high quality research in science related disciplines and promoting innovative teaching in the universities through induction of fresh talent at the level of Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors. Many universities require the support of professionals and experts beyond those available to the university in its regular faculty especially in strengthening high quality research in science-related disciplines, at internationally competitive level and in promoting innovating teaching in universities. Besides, it has provided positions of Adjunct Faculty and Scholars-in-Residence to enrich the teaching and research programmes of the university system at M.Phil and Ph.D levels.
§ UGC implements a Travel Grant Scheme that provides financial assistance to permanent teachers and librarians of colleges and vice-chancellors of state universities, deemed to be universities and central universities, recognized under section 2 (f) and 12 (B) of the UGC Act, to present research papers at international conferences abroad.
§ UGC provides financial assistance to teachers teaching in universities and colleges to promote excellence in teaching and research. Research project may be undertaken by an individual teacher or a group of teachers. The ceiling of assistance under the scheme is Rs.20 lakhs for sciences including Engineering & Technology, Medical, Pharmacy and Agriculture etc. while for humanities, Social Science, Languages, Literature, Arts, Law and allied disciplines, the assistance is Rs.15.00 lakhs.
§ In order to encourage research and development in the country, UGC has laid out a number of schemes, awards, fellowships, chairs and programmes under which financial assistance is provided to institutions of higher education as well as faculty members working therein to undertake quality research in almost all areas of knowledge across disciplines including revival & promotion of indigenous languages.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

Auction for Sale (Re-issue) of Government Stocks

Posted on by
Reply

The Government of India have announced the Sale (re-issue) of (i) “6.84 per cent Government Stock, 2022” for a notified amount of Rs. 3000 crore (nominal) through price based auction,

(ii) “6.79 per cent Government Stock 2029” for a notified amount of Rs.7,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction, (iii) “6.57 per cent Government Stock 2033” for a notified amount of Rs. 2,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction, (iv) “7.72 per cent Government Stock, 2055” for a notified amount of Rs. 3,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction. The auctions will be conducted using multiple price method. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on August 4, 2017 (Friday).

Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the stocks will be allotted to eligible individuals and Institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.

Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system on
August 4, 2017. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and
11.30 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 12.00 noon.

The result of the auctions will be announced on August 4, 2017 (Friday) and payment by successful bidders will be on August 7, 2017 (Monday).

The Stocks will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2006-07/178 dated November 16, 2006 as amended from time to time.

Crackers Production

Posted on by
Reply

It has been made mandatory for firecracker manufacturers to mention the composition of explosives and quantity of the same as per Rule 15 (4) of the Explosives Rules, 2008. However, it is not mandatory to mention the consequential effects of fireworks on the environment and human health on the label of the packet or carton.

Government of India vide Notification G.S.R. No.64 (E) dated 27.01.1992 prohibited the manufacture, possession and importation of any explosive consisting of or containing sulphur or sulphurate in admixture with chlorate of potassium or any other chlorate, provided that this prohibition shall not extend to the manufacture or possession of such explosives: (a) in small quantities for scientific purposes; (b) for the purpose of manufacturing heads of matches; (c) for use in toy amorces (paper caps for toy pistols); or (d) in percussion caps for use in Railway Fog Signals. There is no proposal to ban the use of any other chemical in firecrackers at present.

Illegal manufacturing of firecrackers is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or with both, under Section 9B of the Explosives Act, 1884.

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Quality of Chinese Products

Posted on by
Reply

All goods imported into India are subject to domestic laws, rules, orders, regulations, technical specification, environment and safety norms, that are notified from time to time. There is no proposal at present to restrict imports of products, that otherwise satisfy the aforesaid conditions, including meeting the prescribed technical standards.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulates standards applicable to domestic products and also mandates the use of Standard Marks under a license which mutadis mutandis also apply to imported goods. Products have been notified under compulsory certification/registration with one of the objectives of checking influx of substandard products into Indian markets. Presently, there are 109 products covered under Compulsory Product Certification Scheme of BIS and 30 Electronic and IT Goods under Compulsory Registration Scheme of BIS. Till now, 204 licensees have been issued to Chinese manufacturers for Steel products, Electrical products, Tyres & Tubes etc. as per Product Certification Scheme of BIS. Also, 4636 manufacturers have been granted registrations for Electronic and IT Goods as per Compulsory Registration Scheme of BIS. As member of WTO. India’s regulations apply to all members equally.

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.