Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology, supported by Tata Trusts, inaugurated in Mangalore
Mangaluru: N Srinath, the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Trusts on Saturday said that the late detection and diagnosis of cancer is one of the major problems in the treatment of cancer while the availability of treatment facilities and affordability of the treatment were also among the major issues faced in cancer treatment.
He was speaking at the inaugural event of Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology at the Yendurance Zone, Yenepoya Campus here in the city. The Institute was established in association with the Tata Trusts and aims to provide full-fledge medical aid to the Cancer patients of Karnataka and Kerala.
The Institute was inaugurated by Dakshina Kannada In-Charge Minister V Sunil Kumar who lauded the efforts of Yenepoya Group in collaborating with Tata Trust and setting up a cancer treatment facility in the city.
“Our District has stood out in the medical and healthcare sector amongst other districts of the state and this new facility has only taken the bar a notch higher. People come to Dakshina Kannada from various districts and states for their treatments. Cancer is one of the major problems today, and with a facility like this, which will provide healthcare to cancer patients in line with the standards of Bengaluru, Mumbai, etc., will be able to treat more people with more affordability for people here.” Kumar said.
Listing out the three problems that his trust aims to cap in cancer treatment, Srinath said more than 70% of cancer cases in the country are detected only when it is too late to administer effective treatment.
“Late detection, availability of treatment facilities, and affordability of treatment are the three major problems and we at Tata Trusts are trying to cap it by collaborating with governments and private institutions and opening such facilities across the country,” he said.
“But as much as setting up such facilities is important, what is also important is the outreach program. More and more screening of people, encouraging people to turn up for treatment and at the same time making the treatment affordable for them. We need to eliminate the fear of Cancer from amongst people,” he added.
Addressing the staff and members of the institute who will administrate it, Srinath added that it was their responsibility to offer empathy and sympathy to the patient and to handhold them through the process of treatment. He also urged them to form emotional bond with the patients and help them mentally during the course of the treatment.
In his Presidential address, Dr. Yenepoya Abdullah Kunhi, Chancellor of Yeneopoya Deemed to be University thanked the almighty for fulfilling his long-cherished dream and thanked the Tata Trusts for collaborating with them in bringing the Institute to life.
“My aspirations to set up a facility began when I lost my mother Zulekha, early to cancer. And I am glad I was able to name this institute the Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology. I want to thank Ratan Tata and the Tata Trusts for placing their trust behind us. I want to assure them that we will take the legacy forward of cancer treatment and this will be a fruitful collaboration.” He said.
Built with a one-time grant-in-aid by the Tata Trust, the institute, which is spread over 36,000 sq. ft, offers comprehensive treatment to cancer patients with the help of advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities, said M. Vijayakumar, Vice-Chancellor of Yeneopoya Deemed to be University.
Dr. Vijayakumar said the institute has two radiotherapy bunkers and one brachytherapy bunker. A TrueBeam radiotherapy machine, which helps in a targeted and precise approach to cancer, and a brachytherapy machine have been installed. In the nuclear medicine facility, the hospital has a PET CT scanner, which helps in better cancer imaging of the whole body and also in radioisotope therapy. The hospital has a 10-bed daycare facility for the administration of chemotherapy.
Mangaluru MLA UT Khader also addressed the gathering and thanked both Yenepoya Group and Tata Trusts for together setting up the institute and hoped that it will help people from all cycles of life with the treatment of Cancer.
Dr. Gangadhara Somayaji, Registrar, Yenepoya Deemed to be University welcomed the guests while Dr. Jalaluddin Akbar, Prof. and head Department of Surgical Oncology presented vote of thanks.
Chairman of Islamic Academy of Education, Y. Mohammed Kunhi, Chairman of Central Haj Committee, Abdullakutty, Dakshina Kannada DC KV Rajendra, Former Karnataka Minister Ramanath Rai, MLC Pratap Simha Nayak, MLA Bharat Shetty, Rajesh Naik, Dr. Sanjiv Chopra Chief Executive, Tata Trusts Cancer Initiative and head of various other medical institutions from Bengaluru and Mangaluru were present during the event.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
