First settlers in China and the Orient were Indian migrants: Study
The ancestors of the contemporary population of China, Japan and other East Asian countries had migrated from India, according to a research study conducted by a team of scientists from 10 Asian countries.
The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Prithviraj Chavan, disclosed this while addressing a press conference at New Delhi on Friday.
He said that the findings of this research would help in understanding of migratory patterns human beings and allied social trends.
"The study shows that single entry or single migration (a wave of people), perhaps 40,000 or 50,000 years, migrated (from Africa) along the Indian coastal belt up to south India and it gradually migrated northwards and entire east Asian population including China upto Japan, Thailand, Indonesia all people seems to have gone from south India," said Prithviraj Chavan.
The path breaking study, in the evolution of humans and their spread across the world, will have major bearing on medical treatment.
"Therefore, it (the study) has great implication for medicine because whenever a new molecule is discovered or whenever a new treatment is discovered. We have to conduct substantial amount of human trial and therefore, we have found out significantly that particular groups of population react to a drug in certain way," added Prithviraj Chavan.
Ten countries - India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand - were part of this scientific study and analysis.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
"I am the messenger of India's ancient thoughts world over," Dalai Lama
I'm messenger of India's ancient thoughts: Dalai Lama
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Saturday said he was active in spreading India's message of non-violence and religious harmony throughout the world.
"I am the messenger of India's ancient thoughts world over," Dalai Lama told an assembly of intellectuals here.
He said democracy was deep rooted in India because the people had deep respect for the two precious ideals. Even non-believer like 'Charvak' was respected and given the high status of a sage in ancient India.
The Tibetan monk said he considered India as a master and Tibet its disciple as great scholars like Nagarjuna went from Nalanda to Tibet to preach Buddhism in the eighth century.
He said millions of people had lost their lives in violence and economy of many a countries got ruined due to conflicts in the 20th century. "Let the 21th century be a century of tolerance and dialogue."
Source: ExpressIndia
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Saturday said he was active in spreading India's message of non-violence and religious harmony throughout the world.
"I am the messenger of India's ancient thoughts world over," Dalai Lama told an assembly of intellectuals here.
He said democracy was deep rooted in India because the people had deep respect for the two precious ideals. Even non-believer like 'Charvak' was respected and given the high status of a sage in ancient India.
The Tibetan monk said he considered India as a master and Tibet its disciple as great scholars like Nagarjuna went from Nalanda to Tibet to preach Buddhism in the eighth century.
He said millions of people had lost their lives in violence and economy of many a countries got ruined due to conflicts in the 20th century. "Let the 21th century be a century of tolerance and dialogue."
Source: ExpressIndia
Friday, October 23, 2009
Solar lantern lights up rural India's dark nights
One WATT at a time will provide Billion WATT a day......
One day and that day is not far - Thanks to TERI and Solar India Solution.
----------------
Solar lantern lights up rural India's dark nights
By Yasmeen Mohiuddin (AFP) – 1 day ago
NEW DELHI — For more than 100 Indian villages cut off from grid electricity, life no longer comes to an end after dark thanks to an innovative solar-powered lantern that offers hope to the nation's rural poor.
While cooking, farming and studying after sunset were once a struggle using inefficient kerosene or paraffin lamps, the solar lantern now provides a cheap and practical source of light.
The simple device, which is charged during the day from a communal rooftop solar panel, uses between five and seven watts of power and has a battery that lasts up to eight hours.
It also boasts a socket for charging mobile phones and a hand crank for topping up the power.
Villagers pay between three and six rupees (six to 13 US cents) a day to rent the lantern under the "Lighting a Billion Lives" (LaBL) scheme, which was launched last year to promote solar energy as the environmentally friendly answer to India's energy shortages.
"I keep my shop open as late as 9:00 pm. All my fish get sold by that time," a fish seller in Govindorampur district in West Bengal state who uses the lamp told researchers.
He is one of those whose lives have been transformed by the first wave of 5,000 lanterns distributed across nine states in India.
The LaBL scheme, run by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi, plans to eventually put 200 million lamps into use.
Organisers say each lamp should work for ten years, saving between 500 and 600 litres of kerosene which would produce about 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Government figures show more than 10,000 impoverished Indian villages have no access to grid electricity, but the solar revolution could also change middle-class lives in urban India, where energy demands have soared.
Power cuts are common even in the smarter suburbs of New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata as residents soak up fragile supplies with air-conditioning units, freezers and washing machines.
While per capita electricity use in India -- 704 kilowatt hours in 2007-2008 -- is far lower than the 8,000 kilowatt hours per capita in many industrialised countries, there is no sign of consumption slowing.
"There is something like 30 percent overdemand. There's significant undergeneration as it is, even if you don't electrify any more," said Joel Slonetsky, a researcher with LaBL.
One "green" solution to the outages is a solar-charged inverter for backup electricity during cuts.
"People have started realising the scarcity of power," said Chandra Sekhar, CEO of Solar India Solutions, which sells the inverters in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. "They have become scared so they don't mind spending an extra little."
Sekhar said most of his clients belong to the "domestic middle-income group" and they choose to shell out between 3,000 to 6,000 dollars for the solar inverters that work as well as traditional ones.
"Right now the technology is at a stage where we can say that it stands side by side with conventional electricity," said Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, president of the Solar Energy Society of India.
Increased efficiency and new materials mean the price of solar-powered equipment has been coming down for years, although initial installation costs are steep, said Shrivastava.
While the long-term benefits may be an incentive for some, he acknowledged that most people who have opted to use solar energy have done so out of necessity rather than a desire to be environmentally friendly.
"There are certainly people thinking in that direction," said Shrivastava. "But that group is not very large."
Slonetsky said although the Indian solar industry is constantly evolving, the options for domestic solar power use are still somewhat limited.
"It may just be a lag both in terms of consumer awareness and supply here." he said.
It is certainly not for lack of sunshine -- India receives a high level of solar radiation, equivalent to more than 5,000 trillion kilowatts or up to 3,200 hours of sun a year, according to government statistics.
The government hopes to harness this potential into 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2020 as part of its National Solar Mission to promote renewable energy.
The plan envisions railway signals and water pumps eventually running on solar technology, but for now, villagers are content with the portable lamps that have made daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning easier.
"The lanterns have changed our position in society," said Ayesha Begum from Sahsoul village in the eastern state of Bihar.
One day and that day is not far - Thanks to TERI and Solar India Solution.
----------------
Solar lantern lights up rural India's dark nights
By Yasmeen Mohiuddin (AFP) – 1 day ago
NEW DELHI — For more than 100 Indian villages cut off from grid electricity, life no longer comes to an end after dark thanks to an innovative solar-powered lantern that offers hope to the nation's rural poor.
While cooking, farming and studying after sunset were once a struggle using inefficient kerosene or paraffin lamps, the solar lantern now provides a cheap and practical source of light.
The simple device, which is charged during the day from a communal rooftop solar panel, uses between five and seven watts of power and has a battery that lasts up to eight hours.
It also boasts a socket for charging mobile phones and a hand crank for topping up the power.
Villagers pay between three and six rupees (six to 13 US cents) a day to rent the lantern under the "Lighting a Billion Lives" (LaBL) scheme, which was launched last year to promote solar energy as the environmentally friendly answer to India's energy shortages.
"I keep my shop open as late as 9:00 pm. All my fish get sold by that time," a fish seller in Govindorampur district in West Bengal state who uses the lamp told researchers.
He is one of those whose lives have been transformed by the first wave of 5,000 lanterns distributed across nine states in India.
The LaBL scheme, run by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi, plans to eventually put 200 million lamps into use.
Organisers say each lamp should work for ten years, saving between 500 and 600 litres of kerosene which would produce about 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Government figures show more than 10,000 impoverished Indian villages have no access to grid electricity, but the solar revolution could also change middle-class lives in urban India, where energy demands have soared.
Power cuts are common even in the smarter suburbs of New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata as residents soak up fragile supplies with air-conditioning units, freezers and washing machines.
While per capita electricity use in India -- 704 kilowatt hours in 2007-2008 -- is far lower than the 8,000 kilowatt hours per capita in many industrialised countries, there is no sign of consumption slowing.
"There is something like 30 percent overdemand. There's significant undergeneration as it is, even if you don't electrify any more," said Joel Slonetsky, a researcher with LaBL.
One "green" solution to the outages is a solar-charged inverter for backup electricity during cuts.
"People have started realising the scarcity of power," said Chandra Sekhar, CEO of Solar India Solutions, which sells the inverters in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. "They have become scared so they don't mind spending an extra little."
Sekhar said most of his clients belong to the "domestic middle-income group" and they choose to shell out between 3,000 to 6,000 dollars for the solar inverters that work as well as traditional ones.
"Right now the technology is at a stage where we can say that it stands side by side with conventional electricity," said Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, president of the Solar Energy Society of India.
Increased efficiency and new materials mean the price of solar-powered equipment has been coming down for years, although initial installation costs are steep, said Shrivastava.
While the long-term benefits may be an incentive for some, he acknowledged that most people who have opted to use solar energy have done so out of necessity rather than a desire to be environmentally friendly.
"There are certainly people thinking in that direction," said Shrivastava. "But that group is not very large."
Slonetsky said although the Indian solar industry is constantly evolving, the options for domestic solar power use are still somewhat limited.
"It may just be a lag both in terms of consumer awareness and supply here." he said.
It is certainly not for lack of sunshine -- India receives a high level of solar radiation, equivalent to more than 5,000 trillion kilowatts or up to 3,200 hours of sun a year, according to government statistics.
The government hopes to harness this potential into 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2020 as part of its National Solar Mission to promote renewable energy.
The plan envisions railway signals and water pumps eventually running on solar technology, but for now, villagers are content with the portable lamps that have made daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning easier.
"The lanterns have changed our position in society," said Ayesha Begum from Sahsoul village in the eastern state of Bihar.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Diabetes and India
Toronto, Oct 20 (PTI) India leads the world in the number of people suffering from diabetes and by 2030, nearly 9 per cent of the country's population is likely to be affected from the disease, the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) has warned.
About 50.8 million people are now suffering from the looming epidemic of diabetes, followed by China with 43.2 million, a report released at the 20th annual World Diabetes Congress of IDF opened yesterday in the Canadian city of Montreal said.
The US has 26.8 million people suffering from the disease, while it is 9.6 million in Russia, 7.6 million in Brazil and 7.5 million in Germany.
Pakistan is the third Asian country having 7.1 million diabetic patients while Japan has 7.1 million and Indonesia has 7 million, according to the latest IDF data.
About 50.8 million people are now suffering from the looming epidemic of diabetes, followed by China with 43.2 million, a report released at the 20th annual World Diabetes Congress of IDF opened yesterday in the Canadian city of Montreal said.
The US has 26.8 million people suffering from the disease, while it is 9.6 million in Russia, 7.6 million in Brazil and 7.5 million in Germany.
Pakistan is the third Asian country having 7.1 million diabetic patients while Japan has 7.1 million and Indonesia has 7 million, according to the latest IDF data.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Genetically modified food is dangerouse// By Jeffry M Smith
October 18, 2009
Genetically modified food is dangerousey
By Jeffr M Smith
All genetically modified crops, in fact, should be considered high-risk. Irrespective of which gene you insert, the process of genetic engineering itself results in massive collateral damage within the plants’ natural DNA. This can result in new or higher levels of toxins, carcinogens, allergens, or nutrient-blocking compounds in our food.
No tests can guarantee that a Genetically Modified Organism will not cause allergies. Although the World Health Organisation recommends a screening protocol, genetically modified soy and corn fail those tests—because their genetically modified proteins have properties of known allergens.
Stop eating dangerous Genetically Modified (GM) foods! That’s the upshot of the Lyme Induced Autism (LIA) Foundation’s position paper, released recently. The patient advocacy group is not willing to wait around until research studies prove that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) cause or worsen the many diseases that are on the rise since gene-spliced foods were introduced in 1996. Like the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), the LIA foundation says there is more than enough evidence of harm in GM animal feeding studies for them to “urge doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets” and for “individuals, especially those with autism, Lyme disease, and associated conditions, to avoid” GM foods.
Dr. Jannelle Love, founder of the Autism Relief Foundation, is quoted in Kimberly Wilcox’s excellent article:
“It is known that children on the autistic spectrum suffer from fragile immune systems, significant digestive and brain inflammation and the environmental toxin overload. Putting foreign entities such as GMO foods into such a fragile child may indeed cause further deterioration and perhaps block the delicate biochemical pathways needed for appropriate functioning and possible recovery.”
The LIA foundation calls for physicians and patient advocacy groups to explain to patients the role that GM foods may play in disease and to distribute non-GMO educational materials, including the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, which makes it easier to find brands without GM ingredients. (See www.nonGMOGuide.com). They also called for a moratorium on all GM foods and for “Research to evaluate the role of GM foods on autism, Lyme disease, and related conditions.”
GMOs: Pervasive and high-risk
The five main GM foods are soy, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets.Their derivatives are found in more than 70 per cent of the foods in the supermarket. The primary reason the plants are engineered is to allow them to drink poison.They’re inserted with bacterial genes that allow them to survive otherwise deadly doses of poisonous herbicide. Biotech companies sell the seed and herbicide as a package deal. Round-up Ready crops survive sprays of Round-up. Liberty link crops survive liberty. US farmers use hundreds of millions of pounds more herbicide because of these herbicide-tolerant crops, and the higher toxic residues end up inside of us. The LIA position paper acknowledges that “Individuals with infections that compromise immunity… and/or high toxin loads may also be especially susceptible to adverse effects from pesticides.”
Some GM corn and cotton varieties are also designed to produce poison. Inserted genes from a soil bacterium produce an insect-killing poison called Bt-toxin in every cell of the plant. Bt is associated with allergic and toxic reactions in humans and animals, and may create havoc in our digestive system.
All GM crops, in fact, should be considered high-risk. Irrespective of which gene you insert, the process of genetic engineering itself results in massive collateral damage within the plants’ natural DNA. This can result in new or higher levels of toxins, carcinogens, allergens, or nutrient-blocking compounds in our food.
Because of a corporate takeover at the FDA, they don’t require a single safety test on GMOs—so almost none of the potential side effects are evaluated before the crops are approved for sale. The few animal feeding safety studies that have been conducted, however, show serious problems. It’s obvious why those suffering from autism, Lyme, or any ailment, would want to stop being used as a guinea pig in this massive GMO feeding experiment.
AAEM physician Amy Dean, a board certified internal medicine specialist, says:
“GMOs have been shown to adversely affect the digestive and immune systems of animals in laboratory settings. Lyme and autism, on the rise in the US, are also associated with digestive and immune system dysfunction. Therefore, patients with Lyme and autism should avoid GM foods.”
Autism, food allergies, and GMOs
It is noteworthy that children with autism are often allergic to corn and soy. Both are genetically engineered. Many are also allergic to dairy.
The LIA Press release points out, “dairy cows are usually fed GM feed and sometimes injected with GM bovine growth hormone.” Although no studies have looked at the impact of eating meat or milk from GM-fed animals, secret FDA documents made public from a lawsuit revealed that their center for veterinary medicine was very concerned that toxins from GM foods might bioaccumulate in the livestock. If so, their milk and meat may be even more dangerous than the GM plants.
Studies on the impact of bovine growth hormone on the cows’ milk are less ambiguous. The dairy products from treated cows contain higher amounts of puss, antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). The last on the list is considered most dangerous. IGF-1 is linked to a much higher risk of cancer, and according to one study, may also be responsible for the high rates of fraternal twins born in the US.
GMO health risk sampler
Institute for Responsible Technology’s Campaign for Healthier Eating in America has been very busy distributing non-GMO shopping guide to doctors around the nation, who are quite concerned about the impact of GMOs on their own and their patients’ health. They are also giving patients small pamphlet that summarises the health dangers of GMOs. This helps to inspire people to use the shopping guide. Some of the health risks are included below. (Citations are posted.) See if you’re also “inspired.”
Digestive disorders
According to GMO safety expert Arpad Pusztai, PhD, the digestive tract is the first and largest point of contact with GM foods and can reveal reactions to various toxins. Lab animals fed GM feed developed lesions in the stomach, damage intestines, and abnormal and proliferative cell growth in the walls of the stomach and intestines.
Toxic intestinal bacteria
The beneficial bacteria living inside our digestive tract is used for digestion and immunity. Excessive herbicide residues on herbicide-tolerant GM crops may kill beneficial gut flora. More importantly, the only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GM foods, we may still have dangerous GM proteins continuously produced inside us. Consider, for example, if the gene that creates Bt-toxin in GM corn were also to transfer. It might turn our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories.
Compromised immune system
Virtually every animal feeding study that looked for immune changes from GMOs found them. GM-fed animals had a sluggish immune responses, damaged organs associated with immunity, altered parameters in the blood, and dangerous inflammatory and immune reactions.
Allergies
No tests can guarantee that a GMO will not cause allergies. Although the World Health Organisation recommends a screening protocol, GM soy and corn fail those tests—because their GM proteins have properties of known allergens.
Soon after GM soy was introduced in the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 per cent. A skin prick allergy test verified that some people react to GM soy, but not to natural soy. GM soy contains as much as seven times the amount of a known soy allergen. Both GM soy and corn contain at least one new unexpected allergen, not found in natural crops.
The bio-tech industry claims that Bt-toxin is harmless to humans and mammals because the natural bacteria version has been used as a spray by farmers for years. In reality, hundreds of people exposed to natural Bt spray had allergic and flu-like symptoms. Now, farm workers throughout India are getting those same symptoms from handling Bt cotton. Likewise, mice fed natural Bt had powerful immune responses; now mice and rats fed Bt corn also show immune responses.
GMOs may make you allergic to non-GM foods
Since GMOs were introduced in the US, food allergies have become a huge problem, especially for kids. Some of the foods that trigger reactions, however, are not genetically engineered. But studies show how GM foods might create sensitivity to other foods, and may in fact be contributing to this national epidemic.
GM soy, for example, drastically reduces digestive enzymes in mice. If our ability to breakdown proteins was impaired, we could become allergic to a wide variety of foods.
Mice fed Bt-toxin not only reacted to the Bt itself, they started having immune reactions to foods that were formerly harmless. The Bt-toxin in the corn we eat may have a similar impact. Mice fed experimental GM peas also started reacting to a range of other “safe” foods. The allergen responsible for this reaction may be found in GM foods on supermarket shelves.
GMOs and liver problems
The liver is a primary detoxifier. Its condition can indicate if there are toxins in our food. Mice and rats fed GM feed had profound changes in their livers. In some cases, livers were smaller and partially atrophied. Some were significantly heavier, possibly inflamed. And certain cellular changes indicated a toxic insult from the GM diet.
Reproductive problems and infant mortality
Both male and female animals showed horrific problems when fed GM soy. More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, compared to 10 per cent of the non-GM soy controls. The GM babies were also considerably smaller, and were unable to conceive in a subsequent study. Male rats and mice fed GM soy had changed testicles, including altered young sperm cells in the mice. And when both mouse parents ate GM soy, the DNA of their embryos functioned differently. GM corn also had an impact. The longer mice were fed the corn, the fewer babies they had and the smaller their babies were.
Livestock sterility, disease and death
1.
Many of the problems seen in laboratories are also reported by farmers and investigators in the field.
2.
Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants after harvest. Others suffered poor health and serious reproductive problems.
3.
Farmers in Europe and Asia say that cows, water buffaloes, chickens, and horses died from eating Bt corn varieties.
4.
About two dozen US farmers report that GM corn varieties caused widespread sterility in pigs or cows.
Ready to change your diet?
Inspired? How about alarmed? Choosing non-GMO diets is not only a good idea for those suffering from disease, but for anyone wanting to eat healthy and prevent disease.
Safe eating.
(Courtesy:International best-selling author and film-maker Jeffrey M. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s best-selling and #1 rated book on the subject. His second book Genetic Roulette, documents 65 health risks of the GM foods Americans eat every day).
Genetically modified food is dangerousey
By Jeffr M Smith
All genetically modified crops, in fact, should be considered high-risk. Irrespective of which gene you insert, the process of genetic engineering itself results in massive collateral damage within the plants’ natural DNA. This can result in new or higher levels of toxins, carcinogens, allergens, or nutrient-blocking compounds in our food.
No tests can guarantee that a Genetically Modified Organism will not cause allergies. Although the World Health Organisation recommends a screening protocol, genetically modified soy and corn fail those tests—because their genetically modified proteins have properties of known allergens.
Stop eating dangerous Genetically Modified (GM) foods! That’s the upshot of the Lyme Induced Autism (LIA) Foundation’s position paper, released recently. The patient advocacy group is not willing to wait around until research studies prove that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) cause or worsen the many diseases that are on the rise since gene-spliced foods were introduced in 1996. Like the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), the LIA foundation says there is more than enough evidence of harm in GM animal feeding studies for them to “urge doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets” and for “individuals, especially those with autism, Lyme disease, and associated conditions, to avoid” GM foods.
Dr. Jannelle Love, founder of the Autism Relief Foundation, is quoted in Kimberly Wilcox’s excellent article:
“It is known that children on the autistic spectrum suffer from fragile immune systems, significant digestive and brain inflammation and the environmental toxin overload. Putting foreign entities such as GMO foods into such a fragile child may indeed cause further deterioration and perhaps block the delicate biochemical pathways needed for appropriate functioning and possible recovery.”
The LIA foundation calls for physicians and patient advocacy groups to explain to patients the role that GM foods may play in disease and to distribute non-GMO educational materials, including the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, which makes it easier to find brands without GM ingredients. (See www.nonGMOGuide.com). They also called for a moratorium on all GM foods and for “Research to evaluate the role of GM foods on autism, Lyme disease, and related conditions.”
GMOs: Pervasive and high-risk
The five main GM foods are soy, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets.Their derivatives are found in more than 70 per cent of the foods in the supermarket. The primary reason the plants are engineered is to allow them to drink poison.They’re inserted with bacterial genes that allow them to survive otherwise deadly doses of poisonous herbicide. Biotech companies sell the seed and herbicide as a package deal. Round-up Ready crops survive sprays of Round-up. Liberty link crops survive liberty. US farmers use hundreds of millions of pounds more herbicide because of these herbicide-tolerant crops, and the higher toxic residues end up inside of us. The LIA position paper acknowledges that “Individuals with infections that compromise immunity… and/or high toxin loads may also be especially susceptible to adverse effects from pesticides.”
Some GM corn and cotton varieties are also designed to produce poison. Inserted genes from a soil bacterium produce an insect-killing poison called Bt-toxin in every cell of the plant. Bt is associated with allergic and toxic reactions in humans and animals, and may create havoc in our digestive system.
All GM crops, in fact, should be considered high-risk. Irrespective of which gene you insert, the process of genetic engineering itself results in massive collateral damage within the plants’ natural DNA. This can result in new or higher levels of toxins, carcinogens, allergens, or nutrient-blocking compounds in our food.
Because of a corporate takeover at the FDA, they don’t require a single safety test on GMOs—so almost none of the potential side effects are evaluated before the crops are approved for sale. The few animal feeding safety studies that have been conducted, however, show serious problems. It’s obvious why those suffering from autism, Lyme, or any ailment, would want to stop being used as a guinea pig in this massive GMO feeding experiment.
AAEM physician Amy Dean, a board certified internal medicine specialist, says:
“GMOs have been shown to adversely affect the digestive and immune systems of animals in laboratory settings. Lyme and autism, on the rise in the US, are also associated with digestive and immune system dysfunction. Therefore, patients with Lyme and autism should avoid GM foods.”
Autism, food allergies, and GMOs
It is noteworthy that children with autism are often allergic to corn and soy. Both are genetically engineered. Many are also allergic to dairy.
The LIA Press release points out, “dairy cows are usually fed GM feed and sometimes injected with GM bovine growth hormone.” Although no studies have looked at the impact of eating meat or milk from GM-fed animals, secret FDA documents made public from a lawsuit revealed that their center for veterinary medicine was very concerned that toxins from GM foods might bioaccumulate in the livestock. If so, their milk and meat may be even more dangerous than the GM plants.
Studies on the impact of bovine growth hormone on the cows’ milk are less ambiguous. The dairy products from treated cows contain higher amounts of puss, antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). The last on the list is considered most dangerous. IGF-1 is linked to a much higher risk of cancer, and according to one study, may also be responsible for the high rates of fraternal twins born in the US.
GMO health risk sampler
Institute for Responsible Technology’s Campaign for Healthier Eating in America has been very busy distributing non-GMO shopping guide to doctors around the nation, who are quite concerned about the impact of GMOs on their own and their patients’ health. They are also giving patients small pamphlet that summarises the health dangers of GMOs. This helps to inspire people to use the shopping guide. Some of the health risks are included below. (Citations are posted.) See if you’re also “inspired.”
Digestive disorders
According to GMO safety expert Arpad Pusztai, PhD, the digestive tract is the first and largest point of contact with GM foods and can reveal reactions to various toxins. Lab animals fed GM feed developed lesions in the stomach, damage intestines, and abnormal and proliferative cell growth in the walls of the stomach and intestines.
Toxic intestinal bacteria
The beneficial bacteria living inside our digestive tract is used for digestion and immunity. Excessive herbicide residues on herbicide-tolerant GM crops may kill beneficial gut flora. More importantly, the only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GM foods, we may still have dangerous GM proteins continuously produced inside us. Consider, for example, if the gene that creates Bt-toxin in GM corn were also to transfer. It might turn our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories.
Compromised immune system
Virtually every animal feeding study that looked for immune changes from GMOs found them. GM-fed animals had a sluggish immune responses, damaged organs associated with immunity, altered parameters in the blood, and dangerous inflammatory and immune reactions.
Allergies
No tests can guarantee that a GMO will not cause allergies. Although the World Health Organisation recommends a screening protocol, GM soy and corn fail those tests—because their GM proteins have properties of known allergens.
Soon after GM soy was introduced in the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 per cent. A skin prick allergy test verified that some people react to GM soy, but not to natural soy. GM soy contains as much as seven times the amount of a known soy allergen. Both GM soy and corn contain at least one new unexpected allergen, not found in natural crops.
The bio-tech industry claims that Bt-toxin is harmless to humans and mammals because the natural bacteria version has been used as a spray by farmers for years. In reality, hundreds of people exposed to natural Bt spray had allergic and flu-like symptoms. Now, farm workers throughout India are getting those same symptoms from handling Bt cotton. Likewise, mice fed natural Bt had powerful immune responses; now mice and rats fed Bt corn also show immune responses.
GMOs may make you allergic to non-GM foods
Since GMOs were introduced in the US, food allergies have become a huge problem, especially for kids. Some of the foods that trigger reactions, however, are not genetically engineered. But studies show how GM foods might create sensitivity to other foods, and may in fact be contributing to this national epidemic.
GM soy, for example, drastically reduces digestive enzymes in mice. If our ability to breakdown proteins was impaired, we could become allergic to a wide variety of foods.
Mice fed Bt-toxin not only reacted to the Bt itself, they started having immune reactions to foods that were formerly harmless. The Bt-toxin in the corn we eat may have a similar impact. Mice fed experimental GM peas also started reacting to a range of other “safe” foods. The allergen responsible for this reaction may be found in GM foods on supermarket shelves.
GMOs and liver problems
The liver is a primary detoxifier. Its condition can indicate if there are toxins in our food. Mice and rats fed GM feed had profound changes in their livers. In some cases, livers were smaller and partially atrophied. Some were significantly heavier, possibly inflamed. And certain cellular changes indicated a toxic insult from the GM diet.
Reproductive problems and infant mortality
Both male and female animals showed horrific problems when fed GM soy. More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, compared to 10 per cent of the non-GM soy controls. The GM babies were also considerably smaller, and were unable to conceive in a subsequent study. Male rats and mice fed GM soy had changed testicles, including altered young sperm cells in the mice. And when both mouse parents ate GM soy, the DNA of their embryos functioned differently. GM corn also had an impact. The longer mice were fed the corn, the fewer babies they had and the smaller their babies were.
Livestock sterility, disease and death
1.
Many of the problems seen in laboratories are also reported by farmers and investigators in the field.
2.
Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants after harvest. Others suffered poor health and serious reproductive problems.
3.
Farmers in Europe and Asia say that cows, water buffaloes, chickens, and horses died from eating Bt corn varieties.
4.
About two dozen US farmers report that GM corn varieties caused widespread sterility in pigs or cows.
Ready to change your diet?
Inspired? How about alarmed? Choosing non-GMO diets is not only a good idea for those suffering from disease, but for anyone wanting to eat healthy and prevent disease.
Safe eating.
(Courtesy:International best-selling author and film-maker Jeffrey M. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s best-selling and #1 rated book on the subject. His second book Genetic Roulette, documents 65 health risks of the GM foods Americans eat every day).
The Reverse Brain Drain To India And China
Hello Peers:
While I was pondering upon globalization, economics, bottom of the Pyramid and India, I came across the following article. I have seen Mr, vivek Wadha's article before of similar topics several months ago, though did not caught my mind as strongly as this time.
past several months something has triggered that might truly create inverse brain drain to India. --
One of the primary reason would be India's commitment to build its infrastructure and energy (electricity) supplies. I believe with next 3-5 years 40-60% executives and talented manager build their boat in such way that they can keep their feet atleast on two.
Now the article (Washington Post)
-----------------------
Beware The Reverse Brain Drain To India And China
TechCrunch.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009; 5:30 AM
Editor's note: This is a guest post by Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur turned academic. He is a Visiting Scholar at UC-Berkeley, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School and Executive in Residence at Duke University. Follow him on Twitter at @ vwadhwa.
I spent Columbus Day in Sunnyvale, fittingly, meeting with a roomful of new arrivals. Well, relatively new. They were Indians living in Silicon Valley. The event was organized by the Think India Foundation, a think-tank that seeks to solve problems which Indians face. When introducing the topic of skilled immigration, the discussion moderator, Sand Hill Group founder M.R. Rangaswami asked the obvious question. How many planned to return to India? I was shocked to see more than three-quarters of the audience raise their hands.
Even Rangaswami was taken back. He lived in a different Silicon Valley, from a time when Indians flocked to the U.S. and rapidly populated the programming (and later executive) ranks of the top software companies in California. But the generational difference between older Indians who have made it in the Valley and the younger group in the room was striking. The present reality is this. Large numbers of the Valley?s top young guns (and some older bulls, as well) are seeing opportunities in other countries and are returning home. It isn?t just the Indians. Ask any VC who does business in China, and they?ll tell you about the tens of thousands who have already returned to cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The VC?s are following the talent. And this is bringing a new vitality to R&D in China and India.
Why would such talented people voluntarily leave Silicon Valley, a place that remains the hottest hotbed of technology innovation on Earth? Or to leave other promising locales such as New York City, Boston and the Research Triangle area of North Carolina? My team of researchers at Duke, Harvard and Berkeley polled 1203 returnees to India and China during the second half of 2008 to find answers to exactly this question. What we found should concern even the most boisterous Silicon Valley boosters.
ad_icon
We learned that these workers returned in their prime: the average age of the Indian returnees was 30 and the Chinese was 33. They were really well educated: 51% of the Chinese held masters degrees and 41% had PhDs. Among Indians, 66% held a masters and 12% had PhDs. These degrees were mostly in management, technology, and science. Clearly these returnees are in the U.S. population's educational top tier?precisely the kind of people who can make the greatest contribution to an economy's innovation and growth. And it isn't just new immigrants who are returning home, we learned. Some 27% of the Indians and 34% of the Chinese had permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens. That's right?it's not just about green cards.
What propelled them to return home? Some 84% of the Chinese and 69% of the Indians cited professional opportunities. And while they make less money in absolute terms at home, most said their salaries brought a "better quality of life" than what they had in the U.S. (There was also some reverse culture shock?complaints about congestion in India, say, and pollution in China.) When it came to social factors, 67% of the Chinese and 80% of the Indians cited better "family values" at home. Ability to care for aging parents was also cited, and this may be a hidden visa factor: it's much harder to bring parents and other family members over to the U.S. than in the past. For the vast majority of returnees, a longing for family and friends was also a crucial element.
A return ticket home also put their career on steroids. About 10% of the Indians polled had held senior management jobs in the U.S. That number rose to 44% after they returned home. Among the Chinese, the number rose from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China.
When we asked what was better about the U.S. than home, 54% of Indian and 43% of Chinese said that total financial compensation for their previous U.S. positions was better than at home. Health-care benefits were also considered somewhat better in the United States by 51 percent of Chinese respondents, versus 21 percent who thought it was better in their home country. (Indian respondents were split more evenly on this).
These were a self-selected group, people who had already left. But what about the future, the immigrants presently studying at U.S. institutions of higher learning? We surveyed 1,224 foreign students from dozens of nations who are currently studying at U.S. universities or who graduated in 2008. The majority told us that they didn?t think that the U.S. was the best place for their professional careers and they planned to return home. Only 6 percent of Indian, 10 percent of Chinese, and 15 percent of European students planned to settle in the U.S.
Many students wanted to stay for a few years after graduation if given a choice?58% of Indians, 54% of Chinese, and 40% of Europeans. But they see the future being brighter back home. Only 7% of Chinese students, 9% of European students, and 25% of Indian students believe that the best days of the U.S. economy lie ahead. Conversely, 74% of Chinese students and 86% of Indian students believe that the best days for their home country?s economy lie ahead. National Science Foundation studies have shown that the ?5 year stay rates? for Chinese and Indians science and engineering PhD?s have historically been around 92 % and 85% respectively (NSF tracks these 5 years at a time, and the vast majority stay permanently). So something has clearly changed.
For Silicon Valley, and for the U.S., this is the wrong kind of change. To some degree, these responses reflected the moribund U.S. economy and the rough job prospects facing students. With U.S. unemployment at 10%, who cares if we lose the next generation of geeks? There won't be jobs for them for years, anyway, until the U.S. job market recovers. And sure, I know the xenophobes are going to cheer my findings. They believe that foreign workers take American jobs away.
But a growing body of evidence indicates that skilled foreign immigrants create jobs for Americans and boost our national competitiveness. More than 52% of Silicon Valley?s startups during the recent tech boom were started by foreign-born entrepreneurs. Foreign-national researchers have contributed to more than 25% of our global patents, developed some of our break-through technologies, and they helped make Silicon Valley the world?s leading tech center. Foreign-born workers comprise almost a quarter of all the U.S. science and engineering workforce and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. It is very possible that some of the smart Indians who sat in the room with me holding their hand up on Columbus Day will start the next Google or Apple. Many of them will build companies which employ thousands. But the jobs will be in Hyderbad or Pune, not Silicon Valley.
While I was pondering upon globalization, economics, bottom of the Pyramid and India, I came across the following article. I have seen Mr, vivek Wadha's article before of similar topics several months ago, though did not caught my mind as strongly as this time.
past several months something has triggered that might truly create inverse brain drain to India. --
One of the primary reason would be India's commitment to build its infrastructure and energy (electricity) supplies. I believe with next 3-5 years 40-60% executives and talented manager build their boat in such way that they can keep their feet atleast on two.
Now the article (Washington Post)
-----------------------
Beware The Reverse Brain Drain To India And China
TechCrunch.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009; 5:30 AM
Editor's note: This is a guest post by Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur turned academic. He is a Visiting Scholar at UC-Berkeley, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School and Executive in Residence at Duke University. Follow him on Twitter at @ vwadhwa.
I spent Columbus Day in Sunnyvale, fittingly, meeting with a roomful of new arrivals. Well, relatively new. They were Indians living in Silicon Valley. The event was organized by the Think India Foundation, a think-tank that seeks to solve problems which Indians face. When introducing the topic of skilled immigration, the discussion moderator, Sand Hill Group founder M.R. Rangaswami asked the obvious question. How many planned to return to India? I was shocked to see more than three-quarters of the audience raise their hands.
Even Rangaswami was taken back. He lived in a different Silicon Valley, from a time when Indians flocked to the U.S. and rapidly populated the programming (and later executive) ranks of the top software companies in California. But the generational difference between older Indians who have made it in the Valley and the younger group in the room was striking. The present reality is this. Large numbers of the Valley?s top young guns (and some older bulls, as well) are seeing opportunities in other countries and are returning home. It isn?t just the Indians. Ask any VC who does business in China, and they?ll tell you about the tens of thousands who have already returned to cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The VC?s are following the talent. And this is bringing a new vitality to R&D in China and India.
Why would such talented people voluntarily leave Silicon Valley, a place that remains the hottest hotbed of technology innovation on Earth? Or to leave other promising locales such as New York City, Boston and the Research Triangle area of North Carolina? My team of researchers at Duke, Harvard and Berkeley polled 1203 returnees to India and China during the second half of 2008 to find answers to exactly this question. What we found should concern even the most boisterous Silicon Valley boosters.
ad_icon
We learned that these workers returned in their prime: the average age of the Indian returnees was 30 and the Chinese was 33. They were really well educated: 51% of the Chinese held masters degrees and 41% had PhDs. Among Indians, 66% held a masters and 12% had PhDs. These degrees were mostly in management, technology, and science. Clearly these returnees are in the U.S. population's educational top tier?precisely the kind of people who can make the greatest contribution to an economy's innovation and growth. And it isn't just new immigrants who are returning home, we learned. Some 27% of the Indians and 34% of the Chinese had permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens. That's right?it's not just about green cards.
What propelled them to return home? Some 84% of the Chinese and 69% of the Indians cited professional opportunities. And while they make less money in absolute terms at home, most said their salaries brought a "better quality of life" than what they had in the U.S. (There was also some reverse culture shock?complaints about congestion in India, say, and pollution in China.) When it came to social factors, 67% of the Chinese and 80% of the Indians cited better "family values" at home. Ability to care for aging parents was also cited, and this may be a hidden visa factor: it's much harder to bring parents and other family members over to the U.S. than in the past. For the vast majority of returnees, a longing for family and friends was also a crucial element.
A return ticket home also put their career on steroids. About 10% of the Indians polled had held senior management jobs in the U.S. That number rose to 44% after they returned home. Among the Chinese, the number rose from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China.
When we asked what was better about the U.S. than home, 54% of Indian and 43% of Chinese said that total financial compensation for their previous U.S. positions was better than at home. Health-care benefits were also considered somewhat better in the United States by 51 percent of Chinese respondents, versus 21 percent who thought it was better in their home country. (Indian respondents were split more evenly on this).
These were a self-selected group, people who had already left. But what about the future, the immigrants presently studying at U.S. institutions of higher learning? We surveyed 1,224 foreign students from dozens of nations who are currently studying at U.S. universities or who graduated in 2008. The majority told us that they didn?t think that the U.S. was the best place for their professional careers and they planned to return home. Only 6 percent of Indian, 10 percent of Chinese, and 15 percent of European students planned to settle in the U.S.
Many students wanted to stay for a few years after graduation if given a choice?58% of Indians, 54% of Chinese, and 40% of Europeans. But they see the future being brighter back home. Only 7% of Chinese students, 9% of European students, and 25% of Indian students believe that the best days of the U.S. economy lie ahead. Conversely, 74% of Chinese students and 86% of Indian students believe that the best days for their home country?s economy lie ahead. National Science Foundation studies have shown that the ?5 year stay rates? for Chinese and Indians science and engineering PhD?s have historically been around 92 % and 85% respectively (NSF tracks these 5 years at a time, and the vast majority stay permanently). So something has clearly changed.
For Silicon Valley, and for the U.S., this is the wrong kind of change. To some degree, these responses reflected the moribund U.S. economy and the rough job prospects facing students. With U.S. unemployment at 10%, who cares if we lose the next generation of geeks? There won't be jobs for them for years, anyway, until the U.S. job market recovers. And sure, I know the xenophobes are going to cheer my findings. They believe that foreign workers take American jobs away.
But a growing body of evidence indicates that skilled foreign immigrants create jobs for Americans and boost our national competitiveness. More than 52% of Silicon Valley?s startups during the recent tech boom were started by foreign-born entrepreneurs. Foreign-national researchers have contributed to more than 25% of our global patents, developed some of our break-through technologies, and they helped make Silicon Valley the world?s leading tech center. Foreign-born workers comprise almost a quarter of all the U.S. science and engineering workforce and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. It is very possible that some of the smart Indians who sat in the room with me holding their hand up on Columbus Day will start the next Google or Apple. Many of them will build companies which employ thousands. But the jobs will be in Hyderbad or Pune, not Silicon Valley.
GMO Food for India - a disaster waiting to happen
By By TJS George , 17/10/2009
Genetically engineered India
Prolonged court cases, the Supreme Court’s intervention, scientists’ arguments and vociferous campaigns by civic groups have amounted to nothing.
TJS George
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has allowed commercial cultivation of the dreaded Bt. brinjal. If this decision is ratified by the Government of India, some 170 of our commonest food items will also become chemically altered. Rice and wheat, potatoes and onions, mustard and bananas will all be genetically manipulated for us.
What's wrong with that? Basically two things. First, GE's benefits are temporary. In six to nine years the pests develop resistance and the technology falls flat, necessitating increased doses of pesticides. This is already happening in Gujarat where Bt. cotton conquered the market. Sheep grazing in Bt. cotton fields have died. In the case of food crops, GE causes direct health hazards, a fact that has persuaded Japan and Europe to ban GE foods. An Austrian Government report warns that GE foods can cause infertility in humans. The highly rated National Academy of Science in the US has published a finding that dietary DNA can find its way into our blood and transform our body cells. French molecular biologists said, among other things, that rats fed on Bt.brinjal suffered diarrhoea and liver weight loss.
Secondly, the technology forces farmers to buy the engineered seeds separately each season. Which means that the company that supplies the seeds can not only manipulate the prices at will, but also control the entire food security of the country by, for example, supplying inadequate or faulty seeds of rice and wheat one season.
Monsanto did use its monopoly to increase prices in 2006 and make excessive profits. The company was taken to court under the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Act. It lost the case.
The brazenness of Monsanto and its Indian face, Mahyco, has been evident in other forms also. Field trials of Bt okra were started in a village in West Bengal on the basis of "permission" given by the local panchayat which of course had no authority to do such things. At another level, the biosafety studies data submitted by Mahyco to GEAC were kept secret. It took a legal battle lasting more than two years to bring them to light. What's GEAC's game?
The Biotechnology Regulatory Committee had ruled against Bt.cotton field testing. GEAC ignored it. Open-field testing of Bt.brinjal, not allowed in any other country, was allowed in India under GEAC pressure. The main reason seems to be that GEAC has members who have either done assignments for Mahyco or have partnership agreements with it to develop Bt.brinjal. The names of such members have been made public. The "architect of biotechnology in India", P.M Bhargava, who was named by the Supreme Court as a special nominee to attend the GEAC meetings, found that test data given to the GEAC was given by the applicant company itself. "At every stage there is a bias if not deceit all the way", he said.
K.P.Prabhakaran Nair, Professor at a German Foundation, who chaired a Supreme Court ordered experts committee asked: "Why is the GEAC in such a hurry in this matter? When the scientific truths about GE products are as clear as daylight, why is there hesitation to try alternatives to GE food? Have we learned nothing from the setbacks caused by excessive use of pesticides? In Mexico where the traditional staple is corn, American attempts to introduce genetically engineered corn were rejected. Why is India's response different?"
Because in India the interests of the few take precedence over the interests of the country. Because India is the paradise of manipulators who can make the impossible possible. Because India, alas, has genetically engineered Indians in key positions.
Genetically engineered India
Prolonged court cases, the Supreme Court’s intervention, scientists’ arguments and vociferous campaigns by civic groups have amounted to nothing.
TJS George
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has allowed commercial cultivation of the dreaded Bt. brinjal. If this decision is ratified by the Government of India, some 170 of our commonest food items will also become chemically altered. Rice and wheat, potatoes and onions, mustard and bananas will all be genetically manipulated for us.
What's wrong with that? Basically two things. First, GE's benefits are temporary. In six to nine years the pests develop resistance and the technology falls flat, necessitating increased doses of pesticides. This is already happening in Gujarat where Bt. cotton conquered the market. Sheep grazing in Bt. cotton fields have died. In the case of food crops, GE causes direct health hazards, a fact that has persuaded Japan and Europe to ban GE foods. An Austrian Government report warns that GE foods can cause infertility in humans. The highly rated National Academy of Science in the US has published a finding that dietary DNA can find its way into our blood and transform our body cells. French molecular biologists said, among other things, that rats fed on Bt.brinjal suffered diarrhoea and liver weight loss.
Secondly, the technology forces farmers to buy the engineered seeds separately each season. Which means that the company that supplies the seeds can not only manipulate the prices at will, but also control the entire food security of the country by, for example, supplying inadequate or faulty seeds of rice and wheat one season.
Monsanto did use its monopoly to increase prices in 2006 and make excessive profits. The company was taken to court under the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Act. It lost the case.
The brazenness of Monsanto and its Indian face, Mahyco, has been evident in other forms also. Field trials of Bt okra were started in a village in West Bengal on the basis of "permission" given by the local panchayat which of course had no authority to do such things. At another level, the biosafety studies data submitted by Mahyco to GEAC were kept secret. It took a legal battle lasting more than two years to bring them to light. What's GEAC's game?
The Biotechnology Regulatory Committee had ruled against Bt.cotton field testing. GEAC ignored it. Open-field testing of Bt.brinjal, not allowed in any other country, was allowed in India under GEAC pressure. The main reason seems to be that GEAC has members who have either done assignments for Mahyco or have partnership agreements with it to develop Bt.brinjal. The names of such members have been made public. The "architect of biotechnology in India", P.M Bhargava, who was named by the Supreme Court as a special nominee to attend the GEAC meetings, found that test data given to the GEAC was given by the applicant company itself. "At every stage there is a bias if not deceit all the way", he said.
K.P.Prabhakaran Nair, Professor at a German Foundation, who chaired a Supreme Court ordered experts committee asked: "Why is the GEAC in such a hurry in this matter? When the scientific truths about GE products are as clear as daylight, why is there hesitation to try alternatives to GE food? Have we learned nothing from the setbacks caused by excessive use of pesticides? In Mexico where the traditional staple is corn, American attempts to introduce genetically engineered corn were rejected. Why is India's response different?"
Because in India the interests of the few take precedence over the interests of the country. Because India is the paradise of manipulators who can make the impossible possible. Because India, alas, has genetically engineered Indians in key positions.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Obama - Nobel Peace prize 2009
On the morning of October 9, 2009 I woke up with a WOW news - Nobel committee awarded 2009 peace prize to the President of the United State Barack Obama. It was a dramatic turn with a deep futuristic message - Peace through Change. It is loud and clear.
Peace only possible by change in ideology, philosophy, tribal-thinking and heart. It is lot to expect from one - However, among most leaders at the contemporary leadership we have only one that has shown change can be achieved through the grass-root involvement of the people-the ultimate stakeholder of the civilization and peace.
President's team already on it. He seek to align with the people of India who have seen and influenced by Siddhartha (Goutam), Mahavira, Ashoka, Vivekananda, Aurovinda, Derogeo, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.
----------------------------------
U.S. to work with India for peace in South Asia
Washington: Describing India as an important ally of the U.S., the White House said the Obama Administration would work with the country to bring peace in the South Asian region.
“I think it goes without saying that India is an important ally,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told journalists here on Friday evening.
The Obama Administration is keen to strengthen and deepen its relationship with India, an emerging regional and global power. — PTI
Peace only possible by change in ideology, philosophy, tribal-thinking and heart. It is lot to expect from one - However, among most leaders at the contemporary leadership we have only one that has shown change can be achieved through the grass-root involvement of the people-the ultimate stakeholder of the civilization and peace.
President's team already on it. He seek to align with the people of India who have seen and influenced by Siddhartha (Goutam), Mahavira, Ashoka, Vivekananda, Aurovinda, Derogeo, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.
----------------------------------
U.S. to work with India for peace in South Asia
Washington: Describing India as an important ally of the U.S., the White House said the Obama Administration would work with the country to bring peace in the South Asian region.
“I think it goes without saying that India is an important ally,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told journalists here on Friday evening.
The Obama Administration is keen to strengthen and deepen its relationship with India, an emerging regional and global power. — PTI
Friday, September 11, 2009
When India Sleep at Night...
When India Sleep at night, it's mountains shrink.
I will been adding news links on this page only on one subject - Indio-china relationship that goes back to Nalanda's time when Scholars from China came to the University to learn Sciences, philosophy, astronomy and medicine (Ayurveda) along with languages (Pali and Sanskrit).
Time has passed but gratefulness has not. People in the grassroots level still loves India (my first hand experience with scholars from China). Sad part is selectively educated, ideologically myopic leaderships in the world make general citizens life miserable and painful. This reminds me of a scholar name Chanakya.
Current situation between India and China does not seems at all friendly, though commerce of $50+ billions marking the balance-sheet. Going back 1960s, 1950s and 1930s one begins to wonder how many lives are in stake here.
one must remember loss of life of a front line shoulder brings grief from another 12 human beings (his/her children, family, parents and siblings). This can be easily preventable - No, No. Not by dialogues, meetings and other political means.
It is preventable by the GRASSROOTS LEVEL people from the both side.
It is also simple and has domino's effect. Core of it is spirituality. People with spiritual wisdom can see through the veils of word and action of the ideogouge.
India has experienced successes cultivating its age old spiritual wisdom and utilizing in fighting demons and invaders from 11th century in recent millenniums.
king Ashoka was of recent time implemented on a Global-Basis a model of Spiritual Wisdom trading not Arms trading as the way of bringing economic prosperity and innovation into the nation. he first invented a business model that cost less and earn more - an winning strategy without having any loss of life, arms and marketing/bribing cost.
Though India has mostly forgotten due its clouding of vision for over 700years, some part of India still braces on Ashoka's model of winning strategy.
Can that be the model for 21st century starting at the Top of WORLD- the HIMALAYAS.
Thank you,
I will been adding news links on this page only on one subject - Indio-china relationship that goes back to Nalanda's time when Scholars from China came to the University to learn Sciences, philosophy, astronomy and medicine (Ayurveda) along with languages (Pali and Sanskrit).
Time has passed but gratefulness has not. People in the grassroots level still loves India (my first hand experience with scholars from China). Sad part is selectively educated, ideologically myopic leaderships in the world make general citizens life miserable and painful. This reminds me of a scholar name Chanakya.
Current situation between India and China does not seems at all friendly, though commerce of $50+ billions marking the balance-sheet. Going back 1960s, 1950s and 1930s one begins to wonder how many lives are in stake here.
one must remember loss of life of a front line shoulder brings grief from another 12 human beings (his/her children, family, parents and siblings). This can be easily preventable - No, No. Not by dialogues, meetings and other political means.
It is preventable by the GRASSROOTS LEVEL people from the both side.
It is also simple and has domino's effect. Core of it is spirituality. People with spiritual wisdom can see through the veils of word and action of the ideogouge.
India has experienced successes cultivating its age old spiritual wisdom and utilizing in fighting demons and invaders from 11th century in recent millenniums.
king Ashoka was of recent time implemented on a Global-Basis a model of Spiritual Wisdom trading not Arms trading as the way of bringing economic prosperity and innovation into the nation. he first invented a business model that cost less and earn more - an winning strategy without having any loss of life, arms and marketing/bribing cost.
Though India has mostly forgotten due its clouding of vision for over 700years, some part of India still braces on Ashoka's model of winning strategy.
Can that be the model for 21st century starting at the Top of WORLD- the HIMALAYAS.
Thank you,
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Ayurvedic and Herbal Market in India
Indian herbal mkt to cross Rs 14,500-cr mark by FY12
Press Trust of India / Mumbai September 06, 2009, 17:39 IST
The Indian herbal market is rising sharply and is expected to hit Rs 14,500-crore mark with exports reaching Rs 9,000 crore by the year 2012.
The herbal market has an annual compounded growth rate of 20 and 25 per cent, respectively. India is followed by China as the largest producer of medicinal plants having more than 40 per cent global diversity, Ayushkati Ayurved's promoter Pankaj Naram said in a statement here.
Worldwide, the ayurvedic industry is put at $3 billion and is slowly gaining acceptance as an alternative system of medicine and health care, Naram said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has projected that the global herbal market will grow to $5 trillion by 2050.
According to the study on 'Herbal Industry Biz Potential', currently, the Indian herbal market is worth Rs 7,000 crore ($1.7 billion) and India exports herbal raw materials and medicines worth over Rs 3,600 crore ($902 million).
OTC (over the counter) products constitute 20 per cent of the $165-billion health care industry in the US, in India, it constitutes only 5 per cent of the Rs 19,000 crore health care industry.
Ayushkati Ayurved, a leading company in the Ayurvedic health business since last two decades is now expanding herbal medicine market in India. The company has established presence in Maharashtra and Gujarat with 22 field clinics through its production centers. It has a certified modern manufacturing in Palghar in Maharashtra with the latest machinery and a quality-control laboratory.
Naram said that through its subsidiary, the company runs a clinic in New York with it doctors visiting clinics in Chicago, Los Angels, Seattle, Florida, etc. In Europe, as well, the company subsidiary Ayushkati BV Netherlands, sources its herbs to all its distributors in London and the rest of the continent such as Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland.
Ayushkati has helped over half a million across 108 countries suffering from asthma, diabetes, psoriasis, back pain, obesity, chronic fatigue, blood pressure and infertility, Naram said.
Press Trust of India / Mumbai September 06, 2009, 17:39 IST
The Indian herbal market is rising sharply and is expected to hit Rs 14,500-crore mark with exports reaching Rs 9,000 crore by the year 2012.
The herbal market has an annual compounded growth rate of 20 and 25 per cent, respectively. India is followed by China as the largest producer of medicinal plants having more than 40 per cent global diversity, Ayushkati Ayurved's promoter Pankaj Naram said in a statement here.
Worldwide, the ayurvedic industry is put at $3 billion and is slowly gaining acceptance as an alternative system of medicine and health care, Naram said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has projected that the global herbal market will grow to $5 trillion by 2050.
According to the study on 'Herbal Industry Biz Potential', currently, the Indian herbal market is worth Rs 7,000 crore ($1.7 billion) and India exports herbal raw materials and medicines worth over Rs 3,600 crore ($902 million).
OTC (over the counter) products constitute 20 per cent of the $165-billion health care industry in the US, in India, it constitutes only 5 per cent of the Rs 19,000 crore health care industry.
Ayushkati Ayurved, a leading company in the Ayurvedic health business since last two decades is now expanding herbal medicine market in India. The company has established presence in Maharashtra and Gujarat with 22 field clinics through its production centers. It has a certified modern manufacturing in Palghar in Maharashtra with the latest machinery and a quality-control laboratory.
Naram said that through its subsidiary, the company runs a clinic in New York with it doctors visiting clinics in Chicago, Los Angels, Seattle, Florida, etc. In Europe, as well, the company subsidiary Ayushkati BV Netherlands, sources its herbs to all its distributors in London and the rest of the continent such as Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland.
Ayushkati has helped over half a million across 108 countries suffering from asthma, diabetes, psoriasis, back pain, obesity, chronic fatigue, blood pressure and infertility, Naram said.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
BT-brinjal; damages liver, pancreas, intestinal and even inter-generational
India shouldn't approve Bt brinjal: Analyst
Press Trust Of India / Mumbai March 02, 2009, 0:09 IST
Genetically modified (GM) food, including the latest Bt Brinjal, affects human health in various ways and should not be approved by India, latest studies have confirmed.
“Bt Brinjal, like many other GM crops, has recently been shown by independent analysis to impact health adversely,” a well-known food and trade analyst Devinder Sharma said here.
When GM food was tested on rats, the results were alarming and should not be allowed to enter India,” Sharma, from the Delhi-based Forum for Food Security and Biotechnolgy, said.
“The evidence linked GM food showed stunted growth, impaired immune systems, damages to liver, pancreas, intestinal and even inter-generational effects. Latest studies have confirmed that GM foods affect fertility as well,” he added.
If the consumers do not raise their voices and question the decision, to be taken by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) to approve Bt brinjal (genetically modified using a gram positive soil swelling bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis), it would create health problems, he cautioned.
“Normal brinjal and the Bt variety will have similar appearance and you may not be able to distibgusih it. You will not be able to exercise your informed choice of not eating Bt brinjal,” Sharma cautioned.
Also, the GEAC is considering the approval of Bt brinjal merely on the data provided by the company and has not asked for any independent or long-term testing or verification; nor have they consulted farmers or consumers, he said.
The idea of the genetic modification is to make the brinjal generate its own toxin so that insects and pests.
Press Trust Of India / Mumbai March 02, 2009, 0:09 IST
Genetically modified (GM) food, including the latest Bt Brinjal, affects human health in various ways and should not be approved by India, latest studies have confirmed.
“Bt Brinjal, like many other GM crops, has recently been shown by independent analysis to impact health adversely,” a well-known food and trade analyst Devinder Sharma said here.
When GM food was tested on rats, the results were alarming and should not be allowed to enter India,” Sharma, from the Delhi-based Forum for Food Security and Biotechnolgy, said.
“The evidence linked GM food showed stunted growth, impaired immune systems, damages to liver, pancreas, intestinal and even inter-generational effects. Latest studies have confirmed that GM foods affect fertility as well,” he added.
If the consumers do not raise their voices and question the decision, to be taken by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) to approve Bt brinjal (genetically modified using a gram positive soil swelling bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis), it would create health problems, he cautioned.
“Normal brinjal and the Bt variety will have similar appearance and you may not be able to distibgusih it. You will not be able to exercise your informed choice of not eating Bt brinjal,” Sharma cautioned.
Also, the GEAC is considering the approval of Bt brinjal merely on the data provided by the company and has not asked for any independent or long-term testing or verification; nor have they consulted farmers or consumers, he said.
The idea of the genetic modification is to make the brinjal generate its own toxin so that insects and pests.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Believe and Vision: Slumdoog Millionaire
I have seen scientific research done by a graduate student but put aside by the mentor believing that was not worth publishing. But, after a decade later that dusty file - brings home Nobel Prize.
Tonight we saw - Movie version of Nobel-prize at Oscar. A low budget movie -that about to put aside -catches the center attention -
and here is the news:
".....
Shot in India on a modest budget of $14 million, "Slumdog Millionaire" traces the life of a Mumbai orphan who overcomes poverty, betrayal, police torture and other hardships on his way to a reunion with his childhood love and success on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film....."
Take home message is - Believe and vision.
Tonight we saw - Movie version of Nobel-prize at Oscar. A low budget movie -that about to put aside -catches the center attention -
and here is the news:
".....
Shot in India on a modest budget of $14 million, "Slumdog Millionaire" traces the life of a Mumbai orphan who overcomes poverty, betrayal, police torture and other hardships on his way to a reunion with his childhood love and success on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film....."
Take home message is - Believe and vision.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Christian-Muslim-Buddhist-Jewish Leaders to Honor Hindu Statesman Zed
Christian-Muslim-Buddhist-Jewish Leaders to Honor Hindu Statesman Zed
In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Nevada clergy belonging to various religions and denominations is coming together to honor fellow Nevadan acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who was recently invited to European Parliament to promote interfaith dialogue.
Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha'i, Native American, etc., religious leaders in northern Nevada will gather for an "interfaith clergy reception in honor of interfaith leader Rajan Zed's European Parliament visit" in Reno (Nevada) on January seven. Various political, government, community, and student leaders of the region are also participating.
Announcement by the Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., President of Nevada Clergy Association and Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, in this regard says: "It is a matter of great pride and honor for all of us that Rajan Zed was invited by the President of the European Parliament (EP), Hans-Gert Pottering, for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue. Zed, who is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, met with President Pottering in his Brussels (Belgium) office on December 10th. This was the first major formal visit of a Hindu leader to the EP during the current European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID). Various other world religious leaders who visited the EP as part of EYID include Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, the Dalai Lama, the Grand Mufti of Syria, and Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks".
Rajan_Zed_at_Leuven
Rajan Zed (extreme right) meeting with professors of religion at prestigious Leuven Catholic University in Belgium.
The National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families will present their recently announced "World Interfaith Leader Award" on the occasion to Zed. Various other organizations, including Nevada Art of Living Foundation, River School, will also honor him. Shanti Shanti, the only Sanskrit rock band of the world, will deliver a specially tailored performance on the occasion, which includes "*Ave Maria*" (a traditional Christian prayer) in Sanskrit and hymns from *Rig-Veda *(oldest existing scripture of the world dated around 1,500 BCE). Sanskrit is considered a sacred language, the language of the gods, by Hindus.
Signed by Robert M. Larkin, Chairman of Washoe County Commission and with official seal, Washoe County in Nevada (USA) has issued a Resolution highligting Zed's meeting with President of European Parliament.
Rajan Zed has recited groundbreaking first Hindu opening prayer in United States Senate in Washington DC, besides historic first Hindu prayers in various state legislatures of USA. He is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com. An internationally distinguished Croatian fashion designer, Mandali Mendrilla, recently dedicated a line of designer shirts from her atelier collection to Zed as an honor.
In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Nevada clergy belonging to various religions and denominations is coming together to honor fellow Nevadan acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who was recently invited to European Parliament to promote interfaith dialogue.
Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha'i, Native American, etc., religious leaders in northern Nevada will gather for an "interfaith clergy reception in honor of interfaith leader Rajan Zed's European Parliament visit" in Reno (Nevada) on January seven. Various political, government, community, and student leaders of the region are also participating.
Announcement by the Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., President of Nevada Clergy Association and Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, in this regard says: "It is a matter of great pride and honor for all of us that Rajan Zed was invited by the President of the European Parliament (EP), Hans-Gert Pottering, for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue. Zed, who is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, met with President Pottering in his Brussels (Belgium) office on December 10th. This was the first major formal visit of a Hindu leader to the EP during the current European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID). Various other world religious leaders who visited the EP as part of EYID include Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, the Dalai Lama, the Grand Mufti of Syria, and Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks".
Rajan_Zed_at_Leuven
Rajan Zed (extreme right) meeting with professors of religion at prestigious Leuven Catholic University in Belgium.
The National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families will present their recently announced "World Interfaith Leader Award" on the occasion to Zed. Various other organizations, including Nevada Art of Living Foundation, River School, will also honor him. Shanti Shanti, the only Sanskrit rock band of the world, will deliver a specially tailored performance on the occasion, which includes "*Ave Maria*" (a traditional Christian prayer) in Sanskrit and hymns from *Rig-Veda *(oldest existing scripture of the world dated around 1,500 BCE). Sanskrit is considered a sacred language, the language of the gods, by Hindus.
Signed by Robert M. Larkin, Chairman of Washoe County Commission and with official seal, Washoe County in Nevada (USA) has issued a Resolution highligting Zed's meeting with President of European Parliament.
Rajan Zed has recited groundbreaking first Hindu opening prayer in United States Senate in Washington DC, besides historic first Hindu prayers in various state legislatures of USA. He is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com. An internationally distinguished Croatian fashion designer, Mandali Mendrilla, recently dedicated a line of designer shirts from her atelier collection to Zed as an honor.
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