Generation..Loose Control?

Read Anandan’s article on Aamir Khan today. The lady seemed clearly cynical about all the recent happenings. One would get the idea that Khan is suffering from ‘attention-deficiency’ syndrome or something. She cites his example as a claim to fame and is clearly upset over his media-hogging venture.

I would say… give him a break guys…Just how many ‘stars’ can you name who would climb down from their ‘galaxies’ to help mere mortals? I don’t know if Aamir is really genuine about his commitment to this cause or not and I would be very much upset like millions of his fans if this whole thing turns out to be just a gimmick tomorrow.. but as of now cant we just start being a little less cynical and a little more encouraging about the whole matter?

I know. I know this is still my ‘rang de basanti’ hangover speaking…and I pray may I never get over with this one. When was the last time a movie took you to a place so real to your own, so much like your own college katta with characters so much like your friends..when their dialogues seem to be something you might have mouthed..sometime, anytime. When was the last time you cried with them, for them … felt indifferent like they are, felt helpless like did and for one shinning moment, felt proud as if it was your greatest achievement. The overwhelming response to the movie just goes on to show that the youth of today though quite self-sufficient and clear about what they want from life are still grappling in the dark for some real heroes, some inspiration, some passion in their lives…a cause to live for…to die for.

It’s easy …

..to be indifferent.
..to say ‘nothing ever changes’….its far more difficult to ‘be the change’.
..to standby and just watch from the sides.
..to turn a blind eye, a deaf ear and walk away…it takes courage to speak up.
..to be one among the crowds…serves as a perfect camouflage isn’t it?

Don’t know what more to write..feeling a bit numb after letting out these feelings
Found this poem at the back of wren n martin in 8^th std. And couldn’t ever forget these lines..hope you like it too.

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land?
Whose heart hath ne’er within him burn’d.
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd;
From wandering on a foreign strand?
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his tides, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
The wretch, concentrated all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung.
Unwept, unhonour’d, and unsung.
--Scott

What temperment are you??

Wow...I seem to be suffering from a serious bout of Writer's bloc. Cant think of anything sensible to write about..but then when did I start making sense huh?? exams tomorrow and I am out here doing pure lukkhagiri..LONG LIVE THE ELEVENTH HOUR QUEEN!!

CHECK THIS OUT..

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things. Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life. You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation. You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon. Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall. You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others. At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults. Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion. A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

Impact of Patent Law on Indian Pharma Industry

Ever since I started blogging, this place has been an outlet for my vent-up feelings... so here is my first "serious" article on a "serious" topic..patent laws..wrote this for my college magazine, donno how many ppl will actually read it there...but since you are already here pls read on.

Impact of Patent Law on Indian Pharmaceutical Industry

1) Why does Dr. Reddy’s Lab invest 6.5%of its sales in research every year?
2) Why did the lawsuit in UK between pharma giants Pfizer and Ranbaxy cause Ranbaxy shares to come crashing down while those of former soared high in the Bombay Stock Exchange?
3) Why are international MNCs suddenly vying for a share in the Indian Pharma market?
To get answers to these questions, read on….

Pharmaceuticals is one of the India’s most successful industries. Almost the entire domestic demand is met by the industries’ indigenous production. Today India is amongst the top 15 pharmaceutical manufacturing countries in the world. The pharma industry enjoys a special place since it is a knowledge based and research oriented industry. The Indian industry is already a source of low cost drugs to the entire world including the largest and regulated market of USA.

The Patents Act, 1970 that came into effect in 1972 was developed against the backdrop of an economy that needed a large supply of easily affordable basic medication. Only ‘PROCESS PATENT’ existed in those times. Now, a Process Patent essentially means that anybody using a different process (developed usually through ‘reverse engineering’) could produce or sell an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and/ or formulation.
This enabled many low cost manufacturers to recreate drugs that were discovered by international pharma companies all over the world. The industry therefore developed drugs and made them available to Indian people at affordable prices.
However, on the hind side, such a patent regime discouraged any innovative research and development and led to bulk production of already existing drug molecules and formulations. Indian companies refrained from investing in R & D as Return on Investment (ROI) seemed too less.

India signed the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which came into effect from 1 January 1995. But since India is a developing nation, it was allowed a maximum time of 10 years for this transition and “acclimatize” its industries, to comply with the obligations under WTO.

What does this new patent regime mean?
Under the new patent regime, a PRODUCT PATENT was introduced.
Now, “a Patent is a grant of exclusive rights for a limited time in a limited territory for a novel and useful invention”. Therefore, a Product Patent implies that the company that develops a new drug molecule will have the exclusive rights of its production for a patent life of 20 years after which the drug molecule (product) is considered “open” to generic manufacturers to produce and market. The investment of immense resources, time and technology-yielded, returns only if it is protected through the patent system in the Intellectual Property regime, especially, in regards to knowledge-based industry like pharma. In short, this system justifies the recurrence of profits for the company that has invested heavily in R & D.
According to the new regime, only molecules that are truly new developments – not just minor changes to the original – can be patented. But patent protection is provided only to applications filed after 1995. As a result, some of the popular drugs introduced in Indian market before 1995 will not be affected by change in patent regime. Drugs like omeprazole, pantaprazole, proglitazone, rosiglitazone, clopidegrel will all remain unaffected.
Once this patent system was announced in India, it was received with bouquets as well as brickbats. The impact of changes that the patent regime brings alongwith itself will have both positive and negative influences on the Indian pharma industry as well as our country.

ADVANTAGES:
1) Encouragement to innovative R & D: With the strengthening of IPRs, the incentive to invest in R & D will increase further. Forward-thinking Indian majors like Dr. Reddy’s and Ranbaxy already invest about 6-7 % of their revenues into research. Firms like Dabur and Orchid chemicals have molecules under clinical trials.
2) Greater export thrust: The increasing domestic competition is likely to drive up efforts to capture a greater share of the export market for the major Indian pharma companies.
3) Opportunity to compete against MNCs: With a stronger patent regime, Indian companies will have the opportunities to compete against MNCs and in the process encourage innovation and bring efficiencies of global standards alongwith cost-effective production as infrastructure and human resources are both cheaper by more than 40% in India as compared with global standards.
4) Clinical Research in India: India is being dubbed as the ‘hub’ for clinical research in coming times, mainly because of easy availability of vast and varied human resources and an ever increasing intellect in this field. Outsourcing R & D of many MNCs has already begun to add to our revenue. Smaller pharma firms are merging to form a consolidation within the industry. Mergers and alliances with global brands is helping the Indian industries to strengthen its market reach in India and abroad like that of Zydus Cadila’s with German Remedies in India.

But to every coin there are two sides. The single most adverse fallout of the patent era is expected to be the reduced availability of newer drugs at relatively cheaper costs. However, about 97 % of the drugs in the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of essential drugs is already off-patent and therefore will continue to be available at current prices. Also there are several therapeutic equivalents available for the rest. An important feature of the amended law is that even third parties can oppose and revoke a grant of a patent under consideration or granted. Thus, a party or an NGO that feels violated due to high prices of a new essential drug can revoke such a patent.

Thus the Indian Government and Pharmaceutical Industry have to shoulder the major responsibility of providing life-saving drugs, including drugs for treatment of AIDS, to the developing world at affordable prices. With the fast evolution of biopharmaceuticals, like erythropoietin, human insulin, Interferons and vaccines, India can address to the needs of the Third World and not just serve the elitist nations.

Watched a movie called " searching for david's heart" today..just couldnt stop myself from crying in the last few scenes. its a story of a teenage girl whose elder brother gets killed in a car accident. she blames herself for his death and when she learns that his heart was given for transplantation, she goes searching for the guy who now has her brother's heart, thankful that somepart of her brother is still alive..and hoping that this guy would be just like her brother (dumb! i know..but i loved that idea too).
this movie did strike a chord, to say the least. I always, always, since times immemorable, wanted an elder brother. a big brother who would protect me from the bullies in school( now, whats the possibility of that happening??...most of the time I was the bully)...who would lend me his pens and pencils on the day of exam..(i.e. if i am unsuccessful to steal them before)..take my den while playing hide-n-seek (had a girl in my building, whose bro used to always take the den instead of her...i was sooo jealous of her!!)..lend me some of his pocket money when mine's over before 15th of each month..sign the 'low-attendance-in-class' note meant for my "guardian"..fight with our parents for me..when he knows i m right...scold me more than aai-baba when he knows i m wrong..take on the entire world for his lil sister..
now dont get me all wrong...i know we always crave for what we dont have and fail to appreciate what is ours...but no i have two simply awesome guys as brothers (though i would kill anyone who tells them that i said this). my elder brother( no, i wont call him cousin..it distances relations) is a sorta idol for me..a gem of a person..the do-gooder..always the righteous..hardworking, sincere and basically a very nice human being..you know the "beta-ho-to-aisa" material. I always looked upto him, although we communicated so less, his words were many a times more important for me than my parents'(though none of them know this!) He still continues to inspire me..he makes me want to be a better person.
my younger bro is an absolute cartoon..any time, any place this guy can make me burst out till my sides split, stomach starts aching, cheek muscles begin to hurt due to constant laughing and makes me run to the loo..(hope you get the idea now!) he would die than show that he loves me..but when least expected this guy with his acts..in a weird way..shows that he cares.
there are times when i miss these two jokers soo much...sometimes i just hate them for all the tricks they play on me, irritate me, get on my nerves...but sometimes i just feel so blessed..
now..i still miss not having a real brother..but thats just because i miss these two soo much..
i know today i m missing them so much coz we havent met for so long and tomorrow if we are forced to stay in one house, we can even end up killing each other..but its like..'neither can i bear you two nor can i live apart from you'.
hey did i mention that i love them...i guess i did.

In the loving memory of.......me!!!

The following piece of poetry was left behind by Miss. Rutuja when she was suffering from a severe case of 'Chronic Boredomania'. It was during her Pharmacology lecture that she began to suffer from pangs of this disorder and could endure the pain no more. Readers should be proud to know that she fought hard and died as a martyr on the last bench of her class (yes, she died as a true LLB = Lady of the Last Bench). The following piece are her last recorded jottings, with which she honours all her predecessors, who died waiting for the lecture to get over. She is survived by family n friends and yes, an 'udhaari' of Rs. 12/- at Munna Canteen( loved ones, kindly take care of that).
Kindly pay your condolensces at the comment box.

Antacids, antiemetics, purgatives,
Have now become my pet peeves.
She blabbers on....& I suffer in pain,
Any efforts to stop her, are lost in vain.

"Chronic Hyperboredomania" is my case,
Counting my last days, before I leave this place.
A last-stage patient I'm, have some pity,
Cancel this lecture & take me to 'Starcity'.

A dying person's last wish, fulfill!
Free me from bondage or own up my kill.
A martyr she died, you can later cite...
And on my tombstone, please do write...
"A kindred soul, who died waiting for the lecture to cease,
may her soul, now rest in peace".

After my demise, in my honour, friends,
Bunk a lecture, go for a movie in trends.
And remember thy friend without a scorn.
Shed a tear while munching popcorn.

Define "Happiness".

How does one define happiness?
Its an abstract feeling of well-being, content, satisfaction .....but no...all these words fail to express the real feeling.
so here's a try to illustrate the concept of happiness with a few examples..

1)A mother bathing her baby.
2)A child building sand castles.
3)A doctor who just finished a critical operation and saved a life.
4)An artist whistling on a job well done.
5)A mother watching her son graduate with honours, under all odds.
6)A father watching his daughter 'getting' happily married.
7)A father watching his daughter 'being' happily married.
8)A teacher admiring his students achieve such heights, he never dreamt they would.
9)A boss smiling on a job well done by his protege.
10)A beautiful bride, in presence of all loved ones, about to say, "I do", to the man of her heart and her dreams.

You will find that money, power, possesion play no role in any of the above instances!!

A day in the life of india...

Every morning we let into our homes a crap worth 4 rupees.

It not only pollutes our homes but also our minds and to some extent even our thinking!

It's called the times of India.

"It's just a damn newspaper!"...you would say,

"NO...it's a way of life, it's a culture".

It peeps into our homes in the wee hours of the morning and soon becomes an integral part of our lives.

Now you would ask, "What is your problem, Rutuja??"

Well,here's my answer..."Aren't newspapers supposed to be mirrors of the world, reflecting the happenings of your world and beyond, keeping a neutral and unbiased proposition with a touch of humanity?"

Well then if my definition is correct, then the TOI is certainly not that!

It doesnt start with headlines of the day..but with an ad just below the TOI logo. This is just the beginning of their money-minded attitude. The news are modified to suit the tastes of elitist society. Just when you thought that oil-for-food was the biggest scam of the year orchestrated by "highly respected" certain Singh,it was nicely shoven from the front pages to 'hardly-ever-read' backpages of the daily.And the biggest joke of the year was a word to word analysis of medical report of the BIG B !! We certainly did not need that! especially when we were still recovering from the shocks and gasps of 100 crore scam that Mr.Singh gifted us.

I have seriously began to doubt my knowledge in the queen's language as i cannot find words to describe what i feel about the TOI supplement-BOMBAY TIMES.

Do we, the middle class, really need the daily dose of page 3 culture? the hugs and air kisses?? the sight of skimpily-clad elitists getting drunk and all high??? the fashion and false eyelashes????

I am sure that many teenagers today will face a problem recognising Sudha Murthy but will closely follow the fashion tips by one Mrs. Parmeshwar Godrej!

Once i committed the heinous crime of reading the heading of a strip called "Dr. Mojo". Thank god my conscience prevented me from reading any further!!

Its time we answer these questions ourselves. Who are our role models? Who are the people we look upto? Its for us to decide and to each his own!

By the way.... I really loved, "A day in the life of india...Times of India" ads...quite heart-touching! but so unlike the actual thing!

But you know what?? I'm stuck like dope, on this thing called hope.

So, my new year's gonna begin with "The Hindustan Times".

Happy new year to all!

And Happy reading too!!