SciTech Medical and Envirnoment

The Indian Medical Association, the largest non-government organisation of doctors in the country, has expressed concern over the total drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis (TDR-TB) emerging in the country and the government inertia in tackling the issue.
These patients are highly infectious and can transmit this deadly non-treatable infection to others.
So there is an urgent need for some introspection in our National TB Control Programme policy to combat the spread of this deadly strain

In a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of the telecom sector by reducing its dependence on diesel, the government has directed all telecom service providers to ensure that at least half of all their towers in rural areas use hybrid power sources.
Currently, most telecom towers use diesel generators, making the industry the second-largest user of diesel in the country.
By 2020, the share of hybrid power — which means a mix of renewable energy technologies and grid power — be increased to 75 per cent and 33 per cent in rural and urban areas respectively.
Telecom products, equipment and services will also have to be certified with a “Green Passport” by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre by 2015.

A research by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has proved that the ‘BPT 5204' variety, normally raised in fertile regions of delta districts, is ideally suited for the alkaline or sodic soil too.
It has since evolved and recommended three varieties - TRY 1, TRY 2, and TNAU Rice TRY 3 - all suited for salt or alkaline soil.
BPT 5204 variety, popularly known as ‘delux ponni'
One major problem with the variety is that it is prone to pest attack and diseases.

The Central Supervisory Board (set up under the Pre-Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act) has said that the portable ultrasound machines would be banned totally except in hospitals and institutions where they would be used for diagnostic purposes on critically ill patients and allowed to be carried as part of mobile health care units.
Mobile ultrasound machines — some small enough to be carried on bicycles — were being used in the rural areas for sex determination. There are about 44,000 registered ultrasound machines in the country at present but there is no record of portable ultrasound machines
The Board also decided to allow one radiologist to register at two places only.
- At present, there is no ban on the number of places a radiologist could register at.
- This helped in procuring ultrasound machines as every machine is registered against a radiologist.