MSDE-IBM Partnership Unveils Free Digital Learning Platform 'Skills Build Reignite' to Reach More Job Seekers and Provide New Resources to Business Owners in India

Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is responsible for implementing long term institutional training to the nation’s youth through its network of training institutes and infrastructure. It plays a key role in the execution of vocational training schemes and in making ‘Digital India’ dream become a reality.

Recent analyses are an indicator that the rate of digital evolution is outpacing the rate of digital adoption. The young learners now need specialized skill sets to work with the advanced technologies and to make use of the diverse opportunities available under the ‘new-collar jobs’. Hence, creating opportunities for Young India with focus on new-age skills like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, 3D - Technology, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, etc. which are aligned to Industry 4.0 requirements, has become the prime focus for DGT.

With this in view, DGT has in the past one year, collaborated with many digital industry front-liners like IBM India Pvt. Ltd., Microsoft Corp. (India) Ltd., SAP India, Cisco Systems India Pvt. Ltd., Accenture Solutions and Quest Alliance, Adobe India, etc.,  to enable the students to become industry-ready. Even in the current scenario of the continuous impact of COVID-19, DGT is lining up with the industry partners in its efforts for enabling blended /e-learning with a combination of multimedia and similar digital resources for the students/ trainees, trainers and the administrators, by providing anytime, anywhere online digital content through its BharatSkills learning platform (https://bharatskills.gov.in).

One such strong and growing partnership has been between DGT and IBM India with some unique and first of a kind program. IBM has committed to provide multifaceted digital skill training in Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to students and trainers across the nation in the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).

Now, in its effort to address the current skills gap in the country, IBM and its partners are today introducing the SkillsBuild Reignite and the SkillsBuild Innovation Camp. 

The SkillsBuild Reignite tends to provide job seekers and entrepreneurs, with access to free online coursework and mentoring support designed to help them reinvent their careers and businesses. Job seekers, individual business owners, entrepreneurs and any individual with learning aspirations can now tap into host of industry relevant content on topics including Artificial intelligence, Cloud, Data analytics and security to reskill and upskill themselves, at no cost. Its special feature is the personalized coaching for entrepreneurs, seeking advice to help establish or restart their small businesses as they begin to focus on recovery to emerge out of the COVID 19 pandemic. Courses for small business owners include, for example, financial management, business strategy, digital strategy, legal support and more. Plus, IBM volunteers will serve as mentors to some of the 30,000 SkillsBuild users in 100 communities in at least five major regions worldwide to help reinvigorate local communities.

The SkillsBuild Innovation camp is a 10-week program which supports 100 hours of structured learning to learners who are interested in gaining hands-on project experience to enhance learning and are intent on building their network and enhance their employability. With the guidance of expert facilitators, IBM volunteers and coaches, the students will be guided through the design thinking process and learn strategic methods to craft their problem statement, ideate creatively, solve complex problems more quickly, design an innovative user experience and tell compelling stories. The SkillsBuild Innovation Camp concludes with a pitch to facilitators, other teams, stakeholders and potential employers or investors.

Background: In November 2019, IBM India, in partnership with Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, and its implementation partners, made the SkillsBuild online learning platform available to Indian students through Bharatskills (https://bharatskills.gov.in) of DGT. Digital classrooms on this platform are available to students and instructors from the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and technical education ecosystem in India. Within the first 6 weeks of its deployment in India, the platform has already benefited 4700 motivated learners from 15 states and Union Territories who have been able to continue their learning despite lockdowns and restrictions. It currently has impacted 14,135 learners who have completed 40,000 of courses and 77,000 hours of e-learning. SkillsBuild has been rated as India’s Top 10 online learning platform by National Skills Network. According to the India Skill Report (2019), only 45.6 per cent of the youth graduating from educational institutions are employable. This reflects the massive shortage of skilled workforce in the country.

Congratulating DGT and IBM India for their collaborative efforts to bridge the skills gap in the country through this initiative, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “Today, we mark a significant milestone in supporting Centre’s efforts in accelerating Indian economy’s revival from the adverse effects of COVID with the launch of SkillsBuild Reignite and Innovation Camp, in collaboration with IBM India. In line with our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Skill India Mission, the Ministry has been working relentlessly to strengthen the skilling ecosystem and leverage the rise in demand for new-age skills by expanding industry cross-collaboration and creating learning pathways through digital learning platforms. IBM‘s expertise in providing multifaceted digital skill training in the area of Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will strengthen our efforts in the recovery of local workforces, communities and economies by supporting job seekers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.”

In appreciation of the commendable role played by IBM India, Shri Praveen Kumar, Secretary, MSDE said that “Our mission is to empower next gen with new age skills and make them future ready.  Our collaboration with IBM will help us address the widening skill gap in the country and create a culture of up-skilling. IBM’s SkillsBuild Reignite platform provides right set of tools, innovative approach and access to mentors for students to thrive in this competitive environment”.

Ms Neelam Shami Rao, Director General of Training, MSDE, said that DGT aims to constantly upgrade and modernize the ITI Ecosystem in terms of infrastructure, pedagogy, curriculum, and technology interventions for creating vast learning opportunities for the youth of India.

“There is a need to shift the needle and focus on new technologies and changing skill requirement to bridge the skill gap. It’s important that we align the workforce to industry needs and technology shifts. The SkillsBuild Reignite platform helps equip job seekers with digital, professional skills and relevant training to re-enter the workforce. Not only does this platform provides career reinvention opportunities but also innovative ways of working and individualized support for relaunching business strategies,” said Sandip Patel, General Manager, IBM India/South Asia.

Railways to generate 8 lakh man-days of employment opportunity for migrants and others in infrastructure projects worth Rs 1800 Crore in next 125 days till 31st October 2020

Ministry of Railways today i.e. 24th June 2020 reviewed the progress of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan with Zonal Railways and Railway PSUs through video conference meeting.

Inaugurated by Hon'ble PM on 20th June, Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is in operation in 116 identified districts of six states i.e., Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Jharkhand.

Chairman Railway Board, Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav today took a video conference meeting with General Managers (GMs) and Divisional Railway Mangers (DRMs) and Managing Directors (MDs) of PSUs regarding the progress of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.

Addressing the meeting, Shri Yadav instructed Zonal Railways to appoint nodal officers in each district as well as in the States so that a close coordination is established with the State Government. Shri Yadav directed Railway administration at Zonal level to act proactively to ensure migrants are engaged in projects and paid accordingly.

Zonal railways have been instructed to expedite execution of all ongoing infrastructure works in these identified districts. Around 160 works infrastructure works have been identified which are to be expedited. These would engage thousands of workers and roughly generate 8 lakh man days of employment by the end of October 2020. Approximately Rs 1800 crore (US$ 2.55 billion) would be spent in these districts.

Railway has also identified no. of railway works which can be executed through MGNREGS. The works are related to

1. construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossings,
2. development and cleaning of silted waterways, trenches and drains along the track,
3. construction and maintenance of approach road to railway stations,
4. repair and widening of existing railway embankments / cuttings,
5. plantation of trees at extreme boundary of railway land and
6. protection works of existing embankments/ cuttings/bridges.

Zonal Railways have also been instructed to get sanction of proposed works under MGNREGS. Zonal Railways would be monitoring the works on daily basis and submit report to Ministry every Friday till end of Oct 2020.

It may be noted that Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a massive employment -cum- rural public works campaign named Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas/ villages witnessing large number of returnee migrant workers affected by the devastating COVID-19 on 20th June 2020. The Prime Minister announced that an amount of Rs 50,000 crore (US$ 7.09 billion) would be spent for building durable rural infrastructure under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.

This Abhiyaan of 125 days, will work in mission mode, will involve focused implementation of 25 categories of works/ activities in 116 districts, each with a large concentration of returnee migrant workers in 6 states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. Public works to be undertaken during this campaign will have a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore (US$ 7.09 billion).

The Abhiyaan will be a convergent effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments, namely; Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport and Highways, Mines, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, New and Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture, to expedite implementation of 25 public infrastructure works and works relating to augmentation of livelihood opportunities.

UK PM under pressure to sack top aide for coronavirus lockdown breach

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to sack his top aide after reports that he breached the coronavirus stay-at-home lockdown rules by travelling to his parents’ home.

Dominic Cummings, who is Johnson’s Chief Strategy Adviser at No. 10 Downing Street, had developed coronavirus symptoms around the same time the UK prime minister tested positive for the deadly virus at the end of March. According to UK media reports, he and his wife travelled from London over 260 miles to his parents’ home in Durham, north-east England, during that time.

In a statement, Downing Street on Saturday said Cummings believed he “behaved reasonably and legally” and that his actions were in line with the coronavirus guidelines.The government’s strict social distancing rules in place at the time called on people not to travel as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. And, the advice for anyone with coronavirus symptoms remains to self-isolate at home and not leave “even for essential supplies” for seven days.

A member of the public is understood to have seen Cummings and made a complaint to the local Durham police, a joint investigation by the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Mirror’ newspapers revealed.

“On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city”, a spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said.

“Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house. In line with national policing guidance, officers explained to the family the guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel”, the spokesperson said.

Opposition parties demanded a “clear explanation” from Downing Street for Cummings’ actions.

“Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed. His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside. At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported”, the spokesperson said.

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Steve White, however, branded the move “unwise”. “Given the whole ethos of the guidance and regulations which were designed to reduce the spread, regardless of reason, by travelling to County Durham when known to be infected was most unwise”, White said.

“To beat this crisis we need to be selfless as millions have been. The response by the people of Durham has been exemplary which makes this most frustrating and concerning,” he said.

The Opposition Labour Party called for more answers at the daily COVID-19 briefing held every evening at 10 Downing Street. “The public have made extraordinary sacrifices during this pandemic and the lockdown. It cannot be one rule for those who set them and another for the British people,” a Labour statement said.

The Scottish National Party’s Leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said Cummings’ position was “untenable” and that the UK Prime Minister has “serious questions” to answer about the reports. “Dominic Cummings has to do the right thing, and if he doesn’t resign, Boris Johnson should sack him and he should do that this morning,” Blackford told the BBC.

“When you have a situation that at the highest level of government that [lockdown] rules aren’t being followed then I think people expect action to be taken”, he said.

A source close to Cummings denied a breach of the coronavirus rules, saying the couple needed childcare help and that they had stayed in a separate building at the property in Durham.

The latest revelations follow other high-profile figures in the UK having to resign after breaches of the pandemic lockdown, including Scotland’s former Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood and leading scientist Neil Ferguson.

Dr Calderwood resigned in April after making two trips to her second home during the coronavirus lockdown and Prof. Ferguson quit as a government scientific adviser on coronavirus after it was reported that a woman he was in a relationship with visited his home soon after he had coronavirus symptoms.

Int'l flights likely before Aug

Days after announcing the resumption of some domestic commercial passenger flights from May 25, Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Saturday said the ministry will try to start some percentage of international passenger flights as well before August this year. “We will try to start a good percentage of international passenger flights before August,” he said. “I can’t put a date on it (restarting international flights). But if somebody says can it be done by August or September, my response is why not earlier depending on what is the situation,” he added. All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 25 when the Modi government imposed a lockdown to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Bajaj Auto to enter Thailand with premium motorcycle brands

Bajaj Auto Ltd plans to enter Thailand with its premium motorcycle brands, including KTM, Husqvarna, Dominar and Pulsar NS series, by July 2020, said a senior company executive.

“Asean in an important geography for us wherein, apart from Philippines, we are not really present in the other countries. We are now focusing on Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mayanmar, Cambodia, Laos and others," Mr Rakesh Sharma, executive director at Bajaj Auto said.

"We plan to enter that market (Thailand) by July combining our forces with KTM. We are delayed due to the pandemic as earlier the plan was to enter that market in April," added Mr Sharma.

The company intends to enter the sports category with premium brands such as Dominar and the Pulsar NS range leading the charge, he added.

A new distributor for Thailand has been appointed by Bajaj Auto who will be responsible for setting up the local network and build the business for KTM as well as other brands.

“We have also identified some dealers and dealer appointment and setting up of the network is underway," said the senior company executive.

The company targets to strengthen its presence in the region, which is largely dominated by the Japanese automakers.

Bajaj Auto has local subsidiary PT. Bajaj Auto Indonesia in the country for local presence, which overlooks operations of the local distributor appointed for retail and distribution of KTM bikes.

“We are front-ending KTM and Husqvarna brands in Indonesia and will venture with premium Bajaj brands in a year from now," Mr Sharma said.

The company also has a strong presence in Philippines where it is present along with its partner Kawasaki. He added that Bajaj Auto entered Malaysia 18-20 months ago with the Pulsar series, which is doing well.

“On the three-wheeler business, we have created the market in Philippines, Cambodia and Mayanmar," Mr Sharma said.

Mr Aditya Jhawar, auto analyst at Investec Capital Services (India) Pvt Ltd said, some of the African countries are facing stress, which are key export markets for Bajaj Auto, and the risk of currency devaluation, the company is aiming on ramping up its presence in the other important regions.

“Asean countries are horizon-one markets for Bajaj Auto, which means they are being looked at with urgency," Mr Jhawar said.

The company’s domestic sales in FY20 was supported by a 10 per cent growth in motorcycle exports. Though, Bajaj Auto reported 8 per cent y-o-y decline in its consolidated revenues for the March quarter at Rs 6,816 crore (US$ 966.95 million). There was also a drop of 4 per cent y-o-y at Rs 1,354 crore (US$ 192.08 million) in consolidated net profit for the period.

For FY20, Bajaj Auto reported 6 per cent growth in its consolidated net profit at Rs 5,212 crore (US$ 739.40 million) despite a decline of 1.44 per cent in its revenue from operations, which stood at Rs 29,919 crore (US$ 4.24 billion).

The company exported 47 per cent of motorcycles and 45 per cent of three-wheelers produced in FY20.

Textiles Committee comes up with fully indigenous Design and Make in India PPE Testing Equipment

Textiles Committee, Mumbai too will now test and certify PPE body coveralls required for healthcare workers and other COVID-19 warriors. The inclusion of Textiles Committee as the ninth approved laboratory to test and certify body coveralls has been announced by the Ministry of Textiles yesterday evening.

Speaking on the development, Secretary, Textiles Committee and Additional Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Ajit Chavan explained how the Committee rose up to the occasion to surmount the challenge of non-availability of reputed domestic manufacturers of PPE testing equipment: “Transparency, objectivity and professional service is not new to The Textiles Committee. This is just one more initiative by the Committees' dedicated workforce to rise up to the occasion and do our bit in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. We faced the humungous challenges of non-availability of domestic manufacturers of repute and incessant delay/long gestation period to import machine from China as also challenges of ever-increasing prices by the opportunist companies in China due to demand for such equipment the world over. We therefore decided to do it indigenously. We got the machine conceptualized and designed completely in-house and ourselves produced the vital equipment viz. Synthetic Blood Penetration Testing equipment, required for Determination of the resistance of Protective Clothing materials to penetration by blood and body fluids.”.

The Textiles Committee team took almost 45 days of painstaking work to accomplish this feat. The National accreditation body NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories) has audited the lab facility and has approved it under three test standards: ASTM F1670/ 16an70M:17a, ISO 16603: 2004 & IS 16546: 2016.

The Secretary informed how the testing equipment will help the nation during the crisis: “With the acquisition of this equipment and with a concrete plan to add some more equipment as per need, we will be able to address not only the quantitative but also the qualitative requirements involved in the testing of Body Coveralls worn by the frontline health workers and other COVID-19 warriors”.

Shri Chavan assured: “As a serious and professional testing organisation with the mandate for quality, we will work overtime to uphold the Textiles Ministry’s directives on quality and would also evolve our own initiatives to further bolster these efforts”.

The Ministry of Textiles, under the leadership of the Textiles Minister Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, has been taking several steps to ensure that both quality and quantity of PPE coveralls going up to the desired levels within a very short span of time of two months, thereby catapulting India into the world’s second largest manufacturer of body coveralls, next only to China. The Ministry has taken steps to ensure that only certified players across the entire supply chain can supply body coveralls to governments. Several officials have been posted in the field for onsite facilitation and oversight of quality of material meant for government supplies and for ensuring traceability and ownership of quality by these manufacturers. A Unique Certification Code (UCC) is issued for each passed / cleared prototype sample submitted by the manufacturers of the PPE Coveralls. This is required to be embossed on each manufactured Coverall along with the name of the manufacturer, date of manufacture and name of the client. This procedure has been fully implemented in respect of procurement by M/s HLL Lifecare Limited, which is the procurement agency for the hospitals and healthcare organisations under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The manufacturers are also required to submit an affidavit along with their submitted sample, stating details of their manufacturing unit, GSTIN number, company registration number, Udyog Aadhar number or DIC registration number and other relevant details. They are also required to declare that they are textile manufacturers and not traders. The affidavit is to form a part of the UCC Certificate.

Details of all UCC Certificates are available on the official websites of DRDO, OFB (Ordnance Factory Board) and SITRA, for verification by the public.

The eight other labs are: (i) South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (ii) DRDO-INMAS, New Delhi, (iii) Heavy Vehicle Factory, Avadi, Chennai (iv) Small Arms Factory, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (v) Ordnance Factory, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (vi) Ordnance Factory, Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh (vii) Ordnance Factory, Ambernath, Maharashtra and (viii) Metal & Steel Factory, Ishapore, West Bengal. All these laboratories have been accredited by NABL.

About Textiles Committee

The Textiles Committee is a statutory body established in 1963 through an Act of Parliament and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It has been formed to ensure the quality of textiles and textile machinery both for internal consumption and export purpose. The Committee is tasked with the functions of establishing laboratories for the testing of textiles and textile machinery and providing for their inspection and examination, besides other functions which flow from the main objective of ensuring quality of textiles products and textiles machinery.

IIT Guwahati discovers new ways to prevent memory loss due to Alzheimer

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has worked on out-of-the-box ideas that can help prevent or reduce short-term memory losses associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The research team was headed by Prof Vibin Ramakrishnan, Professor, Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, and Prof Harshal Nemade, Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati. They studied the neurochemical principles of Alzheimer’s and explored new ways to prevent accumulation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain that are associated with short-term memory loss.

The IIT Guwahati team reports interesting methods such as application of low-voltage electric field, and the use of ‘trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain. The scientists are assisted by research scholar’s Dr Gaurav Pandey and Mr JahnuSaikia in their work. The results of their studies have been published in reputed journals such as ACS Chemical Neuroscience, RSC Advances of Royal Society of Chemistry, BBA and Neuropeptides.

The development of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease assumes importance India as it has the third highest number of Alzheimer’s patients in the world, after China and US, with more than four million people falling prey to the memory loss associated with it. While current treatments only alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease, there is no disruptive therapeutic approach yet that can treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s.

“Approximately hundred potential drugs for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease have failed between 1998 and 2011, which shows the gravity of the problem,” says Dr Ramakrishnan, who participates in worldwide efforts at finding cures for the disease.

A defining hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides in the brain. Dr Ramakrishnan and Dr Nemade seek methods to reduce the accumulation of these peptides, in order to arrest the progression of Alzheimer’s.

In 2019, the IIT Guwahati scientists found that application of a low-voltage, safe electrical field can reduce the formation and accumulation of toxic neurodegenerative molecules that cause short-term memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.  They found that external electric/magnetic field modulates the structure of these peptide molecules, thereby preventing aggregation.

“Upon exposure to electric field, we could retard the degeneration of nerve cells to an extent of 17–35 per cent. Objectively, this would translate to about 10 years delay in the onset of the disease”, says Dr Ramakrishnan.

Working further in this area, the scientists explored the possibility of using ‘Trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of these neurotoxic molecules. The idea of using ‘Trojan peptide’ comes from mythological “Trojan Horse” used as subterfuge by the Greeks in the battle of Troy. The researchers have designed Trojan peptides by adopting a similar approach of ‘deceit’ to impede the aggregation of the amyloid peptide, arrest the formation of toxic fibrillar assemblies, and reduce poisoning of nerve cells that leads to memory loss.

“Our research has provided a different path that may extend the onset of the Alzheimer’s disease. However, it would take testing in animal models and clinical trials before bringing in such new therapeutic approaches into human treatment” say project coordinators, Dr Ramakrishnan and Dr Nemade.

RNA extraction kit Agappe Chitra Magna launched commercially for detection of COVID 19

Dr VK Saraswat, NITI Aayog member and President of Institute body of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) announced here today the commercial launch of Agappe Chitra Magna, a magnetic nanoparticle-based RNA extraction kit for use during testing for detection of COVID-19. The announcement was made by Dr VK Saraswat, at a programme attended by Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST, Dr Asha Kishore, Director SCTIMST, Dr HK Varma, Head Biomedical technology and scientists of the institute, through a video conference.

The RNA extraction kit was developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, an in vitro diagnostics manufacturing company based in Cochin. 

“The commercial launch of the kit is a major step to make India self-reliant in detecting COVID-19 and can help increase the rate of testing and bring down its costs, a crucial step for combating the pandemic. It can also be an example of rapid commercialization and implementation of a state-of-the-art technology for the world to emulate,” said Dr Saraswat while announcing the launch.

He said, “The transformation of R&D from purely generation of knowledge to generation of value demands increased investment and a strong, empowered R&D management system. Synchronising the efforts of academia, national laboratories and industries would be most essential in this transformed ecosystem. Only when this symphony is played, India will emerge as a technologically and economically strong nation”.

Professor Ashutosh Sharma said, “this is an example where scientists and industry worked in tandem with a purpose to serve an urgent need. The innovative process of conjugating the RNA with magnetic nanoparticles and increasing their concentration in one place by applying a magnetic field is a breakthrough that allowed the high sensitivity of RT-LAMP test from SCTIMST. Multidisciplinary lateral thinking and industry involvement right from the beginning allowed the technology to be developed into a product that was suited to meet the need of the hour”.

Dr Sarawat and Prof Sharmacongratulated the entire team of Sree Chitra and AgappeDiagnostics for coming out with such a wonderful solution for addressing the need ofthe country.

“Promotion of indigenous medical technologies is the primary mandate of the Institute.Besides in vitro diagnostics and development of point of care, devices is a segment that we recently forrayed into. The molecular medicine division headed by Dr Anoop Kumar, Senior Scientist, has been working on such diagnostic platforms and we are excited at the prospect of having developed the magnetic nanotechnology-based RNA extraction technology that will reduce our import dependence and facilitate cost-effective confirmatory testing of COVID-19” said Dr Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST.

The launch programme was organized by SCTIMST in collaboration with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd at the Biomedical Technology Wing of SCTIMST, and it was followed by the first sale of the product by Mr Thomas John, Managing Director, Agappe Diagnostics, to officials from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi.

Inexpensive, fast, and accurate testing for COVID-19 virus is the cornerstone of containing its spread and providing appropriate help to the infected. The Chitra Magna, an innovative RNA extraction kit developed by SCTIMST under the leadership of senior scientist, Dr Anoop kumar Thekkuveettil, was transferred to Agappe Diagnostics in April 2020, and will now be available in the market as Agappe Chitra Magna RNA Isolation Kit. This product has been independently validated at National Institute of Virology for Covid19 RNA isolation. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has given approval for the commercialization of this kit. The kit can be used for RNA extraction for RT-LAMP, RT-qPCR, RT-PCR and other isothermal and PCR based protocols for the detection of SARS-COV-2.

It uses an innovative technology for isolating RNA using magnetic nanoparticles to capture the RNA from the patient sample. The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and, when exposed to a magnetic field, give a highly purified and concentrated RNA. As the sensitivity of the detection method is dependent on getting an adequate quantity of viral RNA, this innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases.

It is estimated that India would require about 8 lakh RNA extraction kits per month during the next six months, and Agappe Chitra Magna RNA Isolation Kit priced around Rs 150 (US$ 2.12) per kit is expected to reduce the cost of testing and the country’s dependence on imported kits which cost around Rs 300 (US$ 4.25). Agappe Diagnostics has a manufacturing capacity of kits for performing 3 lakh kits per month. 

6.8 crore free LPG cylinders distributed among the PMUY beneficiaries so far

As part of the economic response to COVID-19, the Government of India has launched a pro-poor scheme “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package” (PMGKP), under this scheme, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is providing free of cost LPG cylinders to over 8 crore PMUY beneficiaries for 3 months w.e.f 1.4.20. During April 2020, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have delivered 453.02 lakh cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under PMGKP. As on 20.5.20, OMCs have delivered total 679.92 cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under the package. The beneficiaries were given funds in advance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in their accounts, so that there was no difficulty in availing this facility. The Corona Warriors- personnel working in the supply chain of LPG cylinder delivery- have not only been ensuring timely supply of cylinders, but also creating awareness amongst the beneficiaries about the hygiene and various health guidelines.

US$ 575 billion investment opportunity in transport infra in next 5 years: Kearney

According to a report, transport infrastructure sector in India holds an investment opportunity of US$ 575 billion in the next five years. There has been advancement in transportation landscape over the last two decades, but much remains to be done to meet the increasing demand now and, in the years, ahead, as per the report by management consulting firm Kearney.

The report titled 'Harnessing the opportunities in India's transportation infrastructure' said, "Roads and Railways constitute 80 per cent of the total investment opportunity driven by investments in flagship projects such as Bharatmala Pariyojana, Dedicated Freight Corridor, High Speed Rail, etc".

Though, factors such as delays in land acquisition, clearance, constraints in funding for infrastructure projects, lack of efficient dispute resolution mechanism were identified as major challenges in realising the investment opportunity.

"Significant opportunities exist in various transportation infrastructure in India, prioritizing the most important ones is of paramount importance.

"Although there are obstacles to realizing the vast potential, these challenges can be overcome with a concerted and coherent strategy across the key stakeholders: government authorities, concessionaires and contractors, and financial institutions," said Mr Manish Mathur, Partner and Head Asia Pacific, Transportation and Infrastructure Practice for Kearney.

The report also added the key steps for overcoming the difficulties and maximizing the opportunities as the government authorities need to focus on identifying the right funding model, confirming robust cash flow management with comprehensive viability assessment, and enabling a vibrant ecosystem of concessionaires and contractors while designing their transport infrastructure development strategies.

Strategic partnership between the concessionaires and contractors will benefit in identifying the right markers for decision-making and ensure the quality and timeline of project delivery with the increase in infrastructure investments and greater participation from the private sector.

The report added about financiers, "In addition to re-evaluating the risk-reward spread in the infrastructure sector, financial institutions should collaborate with government authorities and concessionaires to develop innovative products for financing."

"With a concerted effort, today's challenges can be transformed into an opportunity that will not only boost organic growth, drive job creation, and aid a whole gamut of industries but also help fulfil one of the most basic tenets of economic and social activity: mobility to serve the common good," added Mrr Mathur.

 

Kearney is a top global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. The firm focusses on strategic and operational CEO-agenda issues facing businesses, governments, and institutions around the globe. The firm was founded in 1926 and has been ranked among the top management consulting firms globally.

In Asia, Kearney India is among the largest and fastest growing Kearney units and works across industry verticals consisting Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial Goods, Transportation, Consumer Products, Retail, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Chemicals, Communications, Media, Technology, IT & BPO, Private Equity, among others.