India develops first indigenous antibiotic: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh
New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh on Saturday announced that India has successfully developed “Nafithromycin,” the country’s first indigenously discovered antibiotic effective against drug-resistant respiratory infections and particularly beneficial for cancer patients and diabetics with poor infection control.
According to the minister, this marks the first time an antibiotic molecule has been entirely conceptualised, developed, and clinically validated within India, representing a major step toward self-reliance in the pharmaceutical sector.
Dr. Singh highlighted that India has sequenced over 10,000 human genomes and plans to expand this to one million. He also revealed that India’s gene therapy trial recorded a 60–70% correction rate with zero bleeding episodes, a major milestone in the nation’s medical research. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, underscoring India’s growing leadership in advanced biomedical innovation.
The minister further stated that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), with an outlay of ₹50,000 crore over five years, of which ₹36,000 crore will come from non-government sources, aims to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem.
Inaugurating a three-day medical workshop on “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Multi-Omics Data Integration and Analysis,” Dr. Singh emphasized the need for a self-sustainable scientific ecosystem to drive long-term research growth.
He also announced India’s first successful indigenous gene therapy trial for haemophilia treatment, conducted at Christian Medical College, Vellore, with support from the Department of Biotechnology.
Dr. Singh underlined that artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in healthcare, governance, and decision-making. He commended institutions such as Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for pioneering interdisciplinary approaches that integrate AI, biotechnology, and genomics to improve healthcare outcomes.
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CM Revanth Reddy slams PM Modi over petrol, diesel price hike, seeks immediate rollback
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday demanded that the Centre roll back the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices, saying the move will adversely impact many sectors.
In a post on X, Reddy termed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to increase prices of petroleum products as "unjustifiable".
He said that citing the US-Iran war as an excuse to raise petrol and diesel prices does nothing but break the backbone of the common man.
Reddy claimed that before the recent elections in four states and one Union Territory, the PM Modi government repeatedly stated that “petroleum product prices will not be increased.
Yet, less than ten days after the election results, prices were raised by more than Rs 3. This amounts to betraying the people's trust. People believe Modi "lies" merely for votes and electoral victories. This is a betrayal of public trust. I demand that the central government immediately roll back the increased petrol and diesel prices,” Reddy slammed the PM.
According to him, due to the central government’s inefficient administration and ill-conceived policies, the country’s economy has weakened and 'Atmanirbhar' has proven to be merely a slogan to garner votes rather than a policy that delivered results.
"Small and medium-scale industries have suffered. A situation has emerged where there is no guarantee of employment for the youth. The promise of doubling farmers’ incomes has remained only a promise. Over the past ten years, the value of the rupee has been steadily declining, and now that decline has reached its peak," he said.
Reddy sought to know how the Modi government could justify the decision while proudly claiming that it had made India the world’s third-largest economy.
