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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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
