Message from The Prime Minister

The prime minister's official website reflected a refreshing change so very characteristic of Mr. Modi. Being tech savvy, here he is putting that to use to directly communicate with me and my country. Impressive. 

The link to PM's site is here

Mr. Modi was sworn in on 26th May 2014 and here is the message from him as the PM on the same day to the nation.

Message from The Prime Minister

My dear fellow Indians and citizens of the world,

Namaste!

A very warm welcome to the official website of the Prime Minister of India.

On 16th May 2014 the people of India gave their verdict. They delivered a mandate for development, good governance and stability. As we devote ourselves to take India’s development journey to newer heights, we seek your support, blessings and active participation. Together we will script a glorious future for India. Let us together dream of a strong, developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world peace and development.

I envision this website as a very important medium of direct communication between us. I am a firm believer in the power of technology and social media to communicate with people across the world. I hope this platform creates opportunities to listen, learn and share one’s views.

Through this website you will also get all the latest information about my speeches, schedules, foreign visits and lot more. I will also keep informing you about innovative initiatives undertaken by the Government of India.

Yours,
Narendra Modi

//Todo List for PM Modi

Winds of Change blowing in my land

The whole nation is posting todo list for the newly elected PM. The clear mandate has indicated people's willingness to love him, hero-worship him , to show them the right path.

Here is my //todo list for Mr.PM

1) Remove middlemen and man-power dependence as much as possible to reduce corruption - Make most of the common citizen's day-to-day affairs online . Like most of our bills and payments (Electricity bill , telephone bill, property tax, water bill etc) are already online. Where I had an issue was

• Ration office 
• PCMC Change of my name in water bill
• Getting house original documents from the Taluka Haveli Office

 Bottom line is where ever a citizen needs to get some document out of the govt systems, and we go thro' people, we run into hurdles - If this can be made online eliminating people interference, we can at one stroke hack away lot of corruption.

2) Cleanliness of roads , public places 
Here we should have a system in place which will fine very heavily anyone behaving irresponsibly - In fact the check and balances for citizen's responsibility is what he needs to put in place - very strict disciplinary action against all types of violations of the law of land

3) Video surveillance everywhere - 
I was robbed of my passport and valuables while travelling in a public bus in Pune - I want a video camera in every public transport vehicle to catch criminals who have made a living out of stealing and atrocities against women.

4) Police empowered 
I want our police to be the highest paid, well off so they never need to resort to corruption, trained and empowered with knowledge, dedication and honesty.

5) Top class public transport systems (buses, trains) running on time and be the cheapest mode of travel in the country.

6) On the whole I want Mr Modi to be the most admired PM, steering the people of India to self-discipline, law abiding, responsible citizenship. 


   

History is made today - Narendra Modi is the new PM

"A strong government is 

where the will of the people matters, 

where the voice of the people is heard 

and where the dreams of the people are fulfilled." 

Narendra Modi

Historic day in Indian History - 16th May 2014
Well, it has been one of a kind day. Election results of 2014 Lok Sabha polls have been announced and it is a land slide victory for BJP and a land slide defeat for Congress. BJP won absolute majority in Lok sabha and Congress toiling to get even the 54 seats they require if they are to appoint their own leader of opposition in Lok sabha

A Vote against Congress and Corruption
India votes against the massive corruption and chooses a no-nonsense leader. Hope is filling the air and a new India is about to emerge from the dark shadows of murky politics.

Election as a weapon
Indians have shown to the world how quietly that election can be the weapon in common man's hands to seat/unseat power. From now on , no party , no minister will take the common man for granted. He/she needs to be wooed with achievements - "Show me your report card" type.

The AAP who made such great speeches about corruption but had no report card to show were thrown out .

The congress with an uninspiring lukewarm leadership which slumbered thro' corruption cases after corruption cases and on top at the last minute came out praising its achievements and playing down the horrors of corruption could not fool the common Indian man and woman .  

Mr Modi showed his card - "I can do it for India as I have done for Gujarat" The common Indian very carefully studied his report and have solely placed their faith in him "Lead us to good Governance Modi " - the mandate speaks to Modi.

My Optimism for a bright Future
I am happy for my country. I have a high regard for Mr Modi . The clear mandate of the people of India gives tremendous power to Mr Modi to make the changes he wants quickly.

His top class oratory skill and aggressiveness makes him a trusted spokesperson for India. His own corruption-free clean image helps him win the common man's trust.

Let us forgive him and forget Gujarat riots and move on. Nothing is achieved by clinging to the past if it will help us move to a better future. Ofcourse Mr Modi has to constantly ensure that such genocides will NEVER happen EVER AGAIN in India. Let him rule for next 20 years .

He has a massive job in the next 6 months in setting up his govt. and  a well-oiled governance machinery.

His work will be two pronged -

• On one hand he needs to weed out all those corrupt centers of power that have taken deep roots in various governing bodies from top to bottom.
• On the other , set up a new form of governance which will make corruption impossible.       

Indians want to be Proud of their PM
I want to be an Indian proud of my PM which I could never say about Manmohan Singh.  I have high regard for the economic wisdom , integrity of MMS but when he talks you always change channels.

Let Modi have a free hand in changing the way we have worked so far with all sorts of man-made hurdles. Let him take India ahead to a country of Excellence. Lets us seal the door to corruption and corrupt people. Let transparency be our USP.  

Welcome Prime Minister . Show us the path. 

B K S Iyengar and Yoga for Healthy Long Life

Yoga exponent B K S Iyengar at age 96 Years !!

Recently I watched with amazement A TV Program called "Walk The Talk " Shekar Gupta, a famous TV anchor and chief editor of a news paper/ TV Channel  , walks with a celebrity in deep conversation. Here I watched him in conversation with One of India's most famous Yoga exponent B K S Iyengar at age 96 Years !!

First of all he is the living example that Yoga can help one maintain good health !! Imagine 96 and still teaching and practising Yoga. His advice was simple - the 3 Ws - Work, Words, Worship - Action, Thought and Spirituality.

Energy Flows from the Cosmos
He  explained how Yoga Asanas combined with Pranayama help in generating/increasing energy flow in the body - When the mind, body, spirit and the Cosmos all become one , the energy flows from the Cosmos to the body. He also said the Yoga Asanas depend a lot on bodily alignments which help clear the energy paths and cure all ailments. .

What I loved about this great guruji is his frequent child-like smile and laughter. For one who had created Yoga teachers across the world, and had followers across the humanity spectrum , he comes across as down-to-earth humble and wise man.

I want to ( will try to ) imbibe his philosophies in (rest of ) my life  

So I checked up all the information about him. His official web site does not carry lots of pages boasting and praising him but the links are sufficient to tell one about his greatness. His website is here .

Being an avid yoga practitioner, I checked up YouTube for videos of his Yoga demonstrations. I came across some very early days ones like 1938 type, the last demo I could locate was 1988 type - he must have been around 72 Years - But what RAW Power !! What flexibility!! What perfection - It was like poetry in Grace.

RAW POWER
He was simply so powerful so totally in control of his body - he exuded raw power - it looked like as if he could kick a strong man to death . Of course one cannot imitate him and try all those Asanas - that skill has been developed from young age of 10 to 12 when your bones are flexible and years upon years of practice for perfection.

India has honored him with the highest civilian honour - The PadmaVibhushan      
And he seems fit to live another 50 years!!

So it is that he inspires so many of us to imbibe healthy lifestyle and lead a disease free healthy happy life.  I also learnt a very valuable lesson - Achieve excellence in your chosen field and you will be in great demand for ever. He is still practising Yoga for 3 to 4 hours a day in order to discover some new elements he might have missed - Imagine that after 80+ years of practice. That is Passion for one's chosen call in life. And here I am still in search of my call - Batak Rahi Hoon !!!

In Deep Gratitude and Appreciation 
for him and all such great human beings like him who inspire us to lead a better and more peaceful life.

Whom to Vote??

India is going to poll

We the people of India are going to elect who will govern us for next 5 years. It is fight against the prevailing corruption which is always in terms of Lakhs of Crores - 1, 00, 000, 00,00, 000 X n [ 1 Billion X n ] like our population is 1 Billiuon + , our corruption size is also in billions. I am simply in awe of the size of corruption. 

Mr. Narendra Modi 

He is projected as the prime ministerial candidate of BJP and Yes, he wants to be the PM. 

Mr. Rahul Gandhi 

He is spear-heading the congress campaign . No, he does not want to be the PM but if his party wants then he will obey Party high command.

So one understands that it is a fight between 2 main parties BJP and Congress - Right?? No No that is totally wrong - All sorts of regional parties, independent candidates, Third Front which is a conglomeration of parties not including BJP and Congress All TV Channels are full of debates, interviews, accusations etc.. the whole day. 

So I am in a dilemma
Whom should I choose to be my leader?? I feel Mr. Modi should be given a fair chance to prove his promises of a clean and efficient administration , a promise of total Transformation- just for a change. 

Rahul Gandhi who was thoroughly dissected by Arnab Goswami in Times Now Channel with a marathon interview left me wondering . Is a true leader hiding in him? I anyway like his dimpled smile and handsome young looks.  

Google to my rescue
As always I turned to my best friend who always stands by my side - my Google Search. 

First I searched about Modi - Read all about him in Wikipedia, visited his official web site - was amazed to read his literary work . He has a master's degree in political science. He has ruled Gujarat for last 14 years , has brought magical transformations in many ways. I spent hours reading his ebooks - his book on education is so beautifully illustrated with pictures. thorougly impressed ,  my choice of my PM is almost made, I now ventured to find out how will I be making my choice by voting in my constituency. 
   
I am in Maval Constituency
Now I live in a area called PCMC and my son said this area comes under Maval Constituency. So I tried to find out who the candidates were and who would my chosen leader to represent me in parliament - BJP or Congress. My personal choice was to any man of high integrity, a true selfless leader ( What a day-dream!!) who would really care about our area.

=========================================================
From official Indian election web site :

One of the 48 parliamentary constituencies of Maharashtra, the Lok Sabha constituency of Maval came into existence after the Presidential notification of delimitation of constituencies in 2008 and comprises of six Vidhan Sabha segments of which one is reserved for the SC category. According to Election Commission of India 2009 data the total electorates in the Maval Parliamentary constituency (constituency number 33) were 1,604,886 of which 753,914 are females and 850,972 are males. Maval is a tehsil and taluka of the Pune District and belongs to the Pune Division. Pune District has 15 talulaks and 13 Panchayat Samitis with a total area of 15,642 sq km.

According to the 2011 census, the district has a population of 9,429,408 making it the 4th most populated district in India. About 12% of the population is below six years of age and the city has a 52% male majority as well as a sex ratio of 915 females for every 1000 males. The average literacy rate here is about 86.25% with 90.84% male literacy and 81.05% female literacy. Marathi is the official language here while languages like Hindi and Gujarati are spoken by the locals. The population density here is 603 inhabitants per sq km. Pune District houses the Pune University which is one of the premier universities of the country. NH-4, NH-9, NH-50, Mumbai Pune Expressway along with five State Highways connect the district to several major towns and cities.

========================================================

Totally clueless , I spent about 2+ hours gaining as much information as possible about the candidates representing me in Parliament. First of all, the Election website of India was not updated with the candidates list.

Anyway my choice zeroes in upon 3 candidates:

1) Laxman Jagtap 

He was a NCP member, but he has quit that party recently and now will be contesting as an independent candidate with the support of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP). Does have a brief web site giving all his achievements for his constituency- lots of work in PCMC area and office - declared asset of 6 Crores ( an increase of 2+ Crores since 2009) , owns no vehicles etc.. My choice tilted toward him - even Art of living Guruji has endorsed him . 

Then I read conflicting reports about his huge wealth - he is known as Master of TDR , he came with a cavalcade of 500 (!!!!) jeeps with supporters to register for his nomination. He is educated upto high School. 

Now I was confused - First of all he was neither Congress nor BJP which means which ever party got or likely to get majority, his one seat if he won would be a valuable addition. 

2) Rahul Narwekar

He is fighting as a NCP candidate, but was actually a  staunch Shiv Sena party worker and Spokesperson, had quit the party recently and joined NCP. He was a leading NCP member Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar's son-in-law  - I could not locate much information about him, where he lives, has he done anything for my constituency in the past etc.. He does not have a web site so far . He has a nice intelligent smile though. He of the 3 candidates is most educated ( BA LLB ) .  I know our local corporator R.S.Kumar of my area is from NCP and a great social worker and very helpful for local problems. I also know a lady corporator MangalaThai Kadam  who is held in very high esteem by locals. But Rahul Narvekar - not much is known about him. I had thought Supriya Sule who is the daughter of Mr Sharad Pawar of NCP would represent my constituency and was willing to cast my vote for her. She has done lots of good work for her constituency. But Rahul Narwekar ?? Declared assets of 10+Crores which includes a speed boat as a movable property!! 

3) Maruthi Bopkar : 

He has joined Aam Admi Party recently ( ??? ) and I had never heard of him. But it turns out that he has been working in my area as a elected political representative ( Ah - my political knowledge is pathetic) and more for farmer welfare and with Anna Hazare in Anti-corruption movement . He had a web site with few pages listing all his achievements and services. He travelled by a public transport bus with 3 supporters to file his nomination papers ( Compare with Jagtap!!) He has also studied upto high School. Very little cash and property declaration. 

Political Gyan

So now I am more enlightened about regional parties in Elections and how powerful they were in tilting the final count for who will govern my country. Tamil Nadu has Jaya Lalitha AIDMK trying for 38 Parliament Seats, Mamta of TMC from Bengal , Nitesh from Bihar - all aiming to be PM candidates too and with so many seats. 

Some Gyan has dawned on me today. Politics in India is a complex game only for the strong hearted. Just like land shifting in Bible, so many politicians were moving from one party to another during election times and the scenario is chaotic like our Lok Sabha proceedings. 

I wish Nilekani had contested from my constituency - then I would have been left with no choice but to vote for him.  A man of such integrity!! Or Mr Modi for that matter. I want to give him a chance to prove his dreams for India. 

I am wondering  - whom to vote??

        

Winds of Change 

Lots of things are happening which are bound to change my country and mankind for better - it is like a storm is always followed by calm. 

Politicians are so so corrupt, corruption figures are at a never-before-high like lakhs of crores. Everyday there is a new novel corruption case. Surely we are going to find a better solution - a new crop of young, clean politicians will emerge and take the country into uncharted glory   

Sexually starved elements are on a rampage raping women including minors and kids - this includes the so called spiritual gurus . I now see my nation emerging with strong powerful women. 

People are becoming weary of spiritual gurus. India once a destination for spiritual seekers from all over the world is slowly waking up and growing up. One can be strong and peaceful within and there is no need to seek and hope someone will deliver us !!     

Economically India is at a pathetic low - the markets crashed, dollar is rising everyday, inflation is going up day by day, food bill has been passed where the population below poverty line will receive food at a very low cost and this will be funded (indirectly) by people above poverty line , Land Acquisition bill has been passed which gives land owners 4 times the market price if the land is acquired for industry/govt etc.. and already land sharks are grabbing lands. Out of this economic mess will emerge a clean powerful nation with laws for and by and of the people.

Ah!! The fresh winds of change have slowly started to blow like a gentle breeze. History is proof that when mankind hits rock-bottom, mankind arises magically to great new heights.

My Dream! My land! My people! My Country!  

President of India - Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Her Excellency - Mrs. Pratibha Patil 

Appointed President of India on 25th July 2007 

In India, the president is considered a mere figure head - referred as Rubber-stamp . 

I had the impression that Pratibha Patil was just a convenient choice for Congress till I happened to come across an article about her in a magazine(  Times??) about how she revolutionized Rashtrapathi Bhavan and brought about an Eco revolution, how she helped 1000s of women folk there to become self-dependent. She was a total change agent. 

I was blown away. She had a choice - just to lead a luxury life , cut some ribbons, give speeches and enjoy all the fruits of being a decorative head of State and here was a woman who worked at grass roots. 

She became a change-agent. ‘ROSHNI’ is an initiative taken on the directions of the President to make the President’s Estate a green, energy efficient and zero waste model township. 

She won my heart and I continue to hold her in high esteem. 78 years old and so energetic - She is a model senior citizen of my country and I salute her courage. 

From where to where she reached in her life!! 

President of India

Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil was born on December 19, 1934 in Nadgaon village of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra.

Smt. Patil assumed office as the 12th President of India on July 25, 2007. She is the first woman to have been elected to this august office.

Immediately prior to election as the President of India, Smt. Patil was the Governor of Rajasthan from November 8, 2004 till June 21, 2007.

Education:

Smt. Patil received her early education from RR Vidyalaya, Jalgaon and later obtained her Master's degree in Political Science and Economics from the Mooljee Jetha College, Jalgaon. Later, she obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Government Law College, Bombay (Mumbai). While in college, she took active part in sports, excelled in table tennis and won several shields at various Inter-collegiate tournaments. Even as an MLA, she pursued her studies as a law student.

Professional Career:

Smt. Patil started her professional career as a practicing lawyer at the Jalgaon District Court and simultaneously devoted herself to various social activities, especially, for the upliftment of poor women.

Political Career:

At the young age of 27 years, she successfully contested her first election to the Maharashtra State Legislature from the Jalgaon Assembly constituency. Subsequently she was continuously elected four times as MLA from the Edlabad (Muktai Nagar) constituency till 1985. Thereafter, she served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 1985 to 1990 and later elected as a Member of Parliament to the 10th Lok Sabha in the 1991 General Elections from the Amravati constituency. She enjoys the unique distinction of not having lost a single election that she contested till date.

Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil in her long stint in Maharashtra has held various positions both in the Government and the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra. She was:

• Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra from 1967 to 1972,
• Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra from 1972 to 1974,
• Cabinet Minister, Public Health and Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra from 1974 to 1975,
• Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra from 1975 to 1976,
• Cabinet Minister, Education, Government of Maharashtra from 1977 to 1978,
• Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Housing, Government of Maharashtra from 1982 to 1983, and
• Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra from 1983 to 1985.
• While in the Opposition, she also served as the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from July 1979 to February 1980.

While in the Rajya Sabha, Smt. Patil was the Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988 and also served as the Chairperson, Rajya Sabha from 25.7.1987 to 2.9.1987 when Dr. R. Venkataraman got elected as President of India. She was also the Chairperson, Committee of Privileges, Rajya Sabha and Member, Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988. While in the Lok Sabha, Smt. Patil was the Chairperson, House Committee.

Public Life:

In her long public life, she has been associated with several institutions in wide ranging capacities. She served as Chairperson, Maharashtra State Water Pollution Control Board from 1982 to 1985. She was also the President, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) from 1988 to 1990. Besides holding the position of Director and Vice-Chairperson, National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies, she also served as Member, Governing Council, National Cooperative Union of India and Chairperson, 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee, Government of Maharashtra.

Smt. Patil has represented India in various international forum. She attended the International Council on Social Welfare conferences at Nairobi and at Puerto Rico. She was a Member of the AICC(I) delegation to Bulgaria in 1985 and represented as Member, Commonwealth Presiding Officers Conference in London in 1988. She led the Indian delegation to the Conference on the 'Status of Women' in Austria and was a delegate at the World Women's Conference, Beijing, China in September 1995.

Social and Cultural Activities:

Throughout her public life, Smt. Patil has worked actively for the welfare of women and children and the underprivileged sections of society. For their benefit, she established several institutions for them. To name a few, she had set up:

1. hostels for working women in Mumbai and Delhi,
2. an Engineering College at Jalgaon for rural youth,
3. the Shram Sadhana Trust which takes part in multifarious welfare activities for development of women,
4. an Industrial Training School for the visually handicapped in Jalgaon,
5. schools for poor children of Vimukta Jatis (Nomadic Tribes) and for children of Backward Classes in Amravati District and
6. a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farmer's Training Centre) at Amravati, Maharashtra.

She played a pioneering role in setting up the Mahila Vikas Mahamandal, a Maharashtra State Government undertaking for the development of women.

She was instrumental in organizing music, computer and sewing classes for the poor and needy women at Amravati, Maharashtra. Smt. Patil also organized the Women's Home Guard in Jalgaon District and was their Commandant in 1962.

Family Life:

Smt. Patil is married to Dr. Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat. Dr. Shekhawat obtained his Ph.D. in the discipline of Chemistry from Haffkine Institute, Mumbai. An educationist and a social worker in his own right, he became the first Mayor of Amravati Municipal Corporation and he has also represented Amravati constituency as its MLA. She has two children, a daughter, Smt. Jyoti Rathore and a son, Shri Rajendra Singh.

Way to Go Ma'm !! 

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry  2009 to .... 

16th March 2012

Today was budget day . The finance minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee read the budget. As is the usual practice, all media channels vied with each other after the budget speech to get leaders from different  sections of the society to comment/ discuss the budget. 


Jyotir Scindia a young congress politician defended the govt. budget. I was simply amazed at his expertise on the budget ( it was just released an hour ago) , his highly articulate versatile English.    I looked up info about him. 

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Following info is collected from web 

Jyotiraditya Scindia was born Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia to Madhavrao Scindia and Madhavi Raje Scindia. He was born on January 1^st, 1971 in Mumbai. He did his schooling from the prestigious Doon School in India and then went off to do his graduation in United States in Harvard University and MBA from the Stanford University. At present, Jyotiraditya is the member of the 14^th Lok Sabha of India representing the political party, Indian National Congress. He is also the Maharaja of the princely state of Gwalior and a scion of the Scindia royal family.

After doing graduation, he interned with the UN Economic Development Cell and in fact had the distinction of being the only under-graduate intern there. After getting an MBA, he went on to work as an investment bankerwith Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. He also did a course in car racing from the U.S. He is known to be one of the most focused and hard-working students at college and also one of the most dedicated workers at his workplace.

After his father, Madhavrao Scindia, died an untimely death in an unfortunate air crash, the seat in his political constituency fell vacant. Jyotir Aditya Scindia was the natural choice as he knew his constituency well He had campaigned for his father at a mere age of 13! In February 2002, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from his constituency Guna. He won with a margin of 450,000 votes! He was re-elected to the 14^th Lok Sabha when he won the elections in May 2004. In the by-elections of 2007, he successfully defeated the incumbent in Shivpuri-Guna province.

He is married to Priyadarshini Raje Gaekwad Scindia of Baroda and has two children, Yuvraj Mahanaryaman Scindia (born in 1995) and Ananya Raje Scindia (born in 2002). He is known to be a sportsman-politician and is known to have encouraged Indian sports and get them international recognition. Since he has worked in a multi-national environment, he cannot see people sit idle and not work hard enough to get things done. Jyotiraditya Scindia is an avid sportsman himself and is often spotted at polo matches. He is the face of the future of India and with his efforts, the Indian politics will definitely touch new heights.

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My son Hari always says if you want to change the system, get involved, go into politics and bring the change you want.  Young politicians like Jyotir Scindia, Akilesh ( Youngest New Chief Minister of UP at 38 who is also an Engineer )  infuse a lot of hope for my country .  I hope and pray they do not become corrupt and end up like so many others. Hope they have the vision to take India forward to become a developed nation. 

Natco, Bayer and Cancer medication - Way to go India!!

16th March 2012


Govt uses special powers to slash cancer drug price by 97% 

8800:280000 / Month

MUMBAI: In a landmark decision that could set a precedent on how life-saving drugs under patents can be made affordable, the government has allowed a domestic company, Natco Pharma, to manufacture a copycat version of Bayer's patented anti-cancer drug, Nexavar, bringing down its price by 97%.

In the first-ever case of compulsory licencing approval, the Indian Patent Office on Monday cleared the application of Hyderabad's Natco Pharma to sell generic drug Nexavar, used for renal and liver cancer, at Rs 8,880 (around $175) for a 120-capsule pack for a month's therapy. Bayer offers it for over Rs 2.8 lakh (roughly $5,500) per 120 capsule. The order provides hope for patients who cannot afford these drugs.

The approval paves the way for the launch of Natco's drug in the market, a company official told TOI, adding that it will pay a 6% royalty on net sales every quarter to Bayer. The licence will be valid till such time the drug's patent is valid, i.e. 2020. As per the CL (compulsory licence) order, Natco is also committed to donating free supplies of the medicines to 600 patients each year.

Bayer said it was "disappointed" and would "evaluate options to defend intellectual property rights" in the country. In July 2011, Natco had applied for the CL in the Mumbai patent office to make Sorafenib Tosylate for which Bayer has a patent in the country since 2008.

Under Section 84, a compulsory licence to manufacture a drug can be issued after three years of the grant of patent on the product, which is not available at an affordable price. Under the World Trade Organisation TRIPS Agreement, compulsory licences are legally-recognized means to overcome barriers in accessing affordable medicines. This is the first time in the history of the Indian Patents Act, 1970, that the provision under Section 84 has been invoked.

The patent office acted on the basis that not only had Bayer failed to price the drug at a level that made it accessible and affordable, it also was unable to ensure that the medicine was available in sufficient quantities within India. Controller general of patents, P H Kurian, based his decision on Bayer's admission that only 2% of kidney and liver cancer patients were able to access the drug, and its pricing (Rs 2.8 lakh for a month) did not constitute a "reasonably affordable" price.

Since 2005, domestic drug manufacturers have faced formidable barriers in the manufacture of patented drugs, and this has been remedied by the compulsory licensing provision to prevent patent holders from having a monopoly over certain essential medicines.

Interestingly, generic manufacturer Cipla has already launched generic Nexavar (Sorafenib Tosylate) at around Rs 28,000 per 120-capsule pack, and is embroiled in a dispute with Bayer in the Delhi high court.

Economist and intellectual property expert James Love said, "The Bayer price of Rs 34,11,898 per year ($69,000) is more than 41 times the projected average per capita income for India in 2012, shattering any measure of affordability. Bayer tried to justify its high price by making claims of high R&D costs, but refused to provide any details of its actual outlays on the research for Sorafenib, a cancer drug that was partly subsidized by the US Orphan Drug tax credit, and jointly developed with Onyx Pharmaceuticals. Bayer has made billions from Sorafenib, and made little effort to sell the product in India where its price is far beyond the means of all but a few persons."

Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, director of independent healthcare organization, MSF, said, "We have been following this case closely because newer drugs to treat HIV are patented in India, and as a result are priced out of reach. But this decision marks a precedent that offers hope. It shows that new drugs under patent can also be produced by generic makers at a fraction of the price, while royalties are paid to the patent holder. This compensates patent holders while at the same time ensuring that competition can bring down prices."

India Progresses !!

Going that Extra Mile

Please Look! I am waiting!!

The other day I was stranded at an office. I had gone there as a trainer, but was not given the name of the right person and the contact number to meet there.  The security would not let me enter the premise for want of that vital information. The receptionist at the desk saw my dilemma, could have sorted the issue in a matter of minutes. BUT she was new to the job, just joined that day and scarcely knew the right people to contact. Accepted. The security could have helped but did not feel it necessary to do so. They were doing their duty. Accepted.

Two stressful hours and several phone calls , later, I contacted the right person and gained legitimate entry and went to the training room. But lo and behold, the participants who had waited in vain for 2 hours for the trainer to arrive then assumed that the training had been called off, went away and had to be called back. Of course the story does have a happy ending - I did conduct the training to everyone's satisfaction.

What struck me in this whole episode was "Why do we not go that extra mile to help out, to untangle issues at work place easily? " All the people who saw my discomfort at waiting , making so many calls and wasting productive hours could have spared a few minutes and sorted things out asap. But NO !! Everyone was doing their duty!!  That is going about their work.

This is not the first of its kind of experience. This is my wishful thinking that in all our ( read my countrymen) professional dealings we need to go that extra mile to solve PEOPLE's problems. Ultimately we all live for each other - we need to be there for each other, to make life more comfortable and less stressful for others. We should do if we can.

It is a miserable experience to go to some govt. offices and get some document out which is actually yours by right. It often turns out to be hours and hours of wait, repeated visits and ultimately paying someone  to get that piece of paper that you so desperately needed. If only the person at work goes that extra mile. Life would be so easy.

I want my country to value the time and energy of each and every Indian. I want all of us to help out each other in times of need I want that Indian culture - Going that extra mile.

Going that extra mile means not just doing your duty at work - If you see a problem that you might be able to resolve and make another human being more comfortable, it is a chance one must not miss to help out. That is called "Customer care, Salesmanship" or whatever. You project your business in a positive angle. Doing it all the time to your countrymen and fellow human being - that is really going that extra mile. One does come across that kind of attitude and then one feels immesnsly proud of being an Indian. It is that winning attitude - Going that extra mile for someone else.

Please look if someone is waiting and you are in a position to help!