One day, humans too can regrow severed limbs

Self-Healing Ability Of Salamanders Can Be Applied To Us

Mexican salamanders who can regrow amputated legs are not pulling off quite as big a trick as scientists had first thought, which may help doctors trying to regenerate human limbs.

Researchers looking into how salamanders are able to to regrow their damaged bodies have discovered that the “almost magical ability” is closer to human healing then earlier thought. They believe that one day they will be able to completely unlock the secret and apply it to humans, reprogramming the body so it can repair itself perfectly as if nothing had happened.

The amphibians are almost unique in that if they lose a limb, a small bump forms over the injury called a blastema. Within about three weeks this blastema transforms into a new, fully functioning replacement limb without any scarring.

At first it was thought that the ability was so alien to human healing that, outside of science fiction novels, it could never be transformed into a useful treatment for damaged human bodies.

But researchers at the University of Florida have found that it is not as remarkable as first thought and we could learn how to replicate it in people. “I think it’s more mammallike than was ever expected,” said Malcolm Maden, author of the paper. “It gives you more hope for being able to someday regenerate individual tissues in people.”

Scientists studying the Axolotl salamander of Mexico had long thought the amphibious creature’s capabilities were down to so-called “pluripotent” cells, which had the ability to morph into whatever appendage, organ or tissue happens to be needed or due for a replacement, the Daily Telegraph reported.

But a paper in the journal Nature debunks that notion, discovering that the regenerative process is like a much more sophisticated version of healing in humans and other mammals.

They found that repairs were down to much more standard stem cells — like those in mammals — but with the ability to reorganise themselves in the correct order to rebuild the body. Standard mammal stem cells operate in the same way, albeit with far less dramatic results — they can heal wounds or knit bone together, but not regenerate a limb or rebuild a spinal cord.

The salamanders heal perfectly, without any scars whatsoever, another ability people would like to learn how to mimic, Maden said.

He said the findings will help researchers “zero in” on why salamander cells are capable of such remarkable regeneration. AGENCIES

MAGIC DECODED? Salamanders possess the rare ability to regenerate limbs without any scarring

ECONOMIC SURVEY

Push for big reforms in edu Team TOI
Aparadigm shift in the education sector is in store if big-ticket reforms promised in the Economic Survey are implemented. For the first time, it says, “There is an urgent need for replacement of bureaucratic controls in education by professional regulators along with private-public partnership to ensure universal primary education. Competition in tertiary and secondary education is also equally essential.”

Instead of complete government control, the Economic Survey talks of rating the quality of educational institutions and education service providers, both private and public. The government’s higher education funds should be focused on promoting scientific and technical education and R&D. There is also a clear direction about the kind of players who can enter the education sector. They range from non-profit registered societies to publically listed education companies, subject to the regulatory framework. The survey also makes it clear that education societies acquiring land at concessional rates should pass on the benefits to students. The survey also talks of streamlining the admission procedure in IITs/IIMs without compromising the quality.

49% hike in defence FDI likely
The Economic Survey has proposed the FDI limit in defence industries be raised to 49% (from the existing 26%) and allow up to 100% FDI on a case-bycase basis, in high technology, strategic defence goods, services and systems. This fits in with the demand of several global armament giants, keen to establish joint ventures in the lucrative Indian market. TNN

Govt for unique IDs in 6 mnths
The Economic Survey has underlined the need for unique identity smart cards to plug leakages in subsidies—especially those aimed at the poor—and issuing the identities (UID) to all in six months. The Survey says: “These IDs will form the base of a multi-application smart cards system that can be used to empower the poor and ensure that they get the full benefits of all programmes such as the NREGA, PDS, public education, health services, social security and fertilizer subsidy.” While setting the target of operationalising the UID Authority in three months and creating an integrated database on beneficiaries of government programmes in one year, the Survey says: “A household ID could be created simultaneously or parallely by linking it to a set of UIDs of individuals constituting the household.” But officials find the target unrealistic, as the government has just appointed Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, to head the UID Authority. TNN

Doctor shortage dogs healthcare
An acute shortage of trained medical staff and health centres is hindering India’s health sector, the Economic Survey says. India is short of 28,000 health centres, including 20,855 sub-centres, 4,833 primary health centres and 2,525 community health centres. Almost 34% of the existing health infrastructure is in rented buildings. Poor upkeep and high absenteeism in rural areas are the main problems in the health delivery system in public sector, it said. While there are 1.5 million nurses in the country, doctors in the modern system of medicine number just 84,852. TNN

Over 60% Indians live on Rs 20 a day
The debate over poverty levels found resonance in the survey with the report stating that 60.5% of the population were capable of spending only Rs 20 a day as per the latest National Sample Survey. A wide range of poverty numbers have been floating around from different government agencies with the N C Saxena panel being the latest. The plan panel’s estimate has been the most conservative at 27.5% while the National Commission on Enterprises in the unorganised sector had suggested that 77% of the total population in 2004-05 could spend less than Rs 20 a day per person. TNN

90:10 imbroglio: HC may deliver judgment today

Shibu Thomas | TNN

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked the lawyers arguing the 90:10 case to wrap up their arguments by Friday. “The issue concerns admissions to colleges,’’ a division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari reminded the lawyers on the fourth day of hearings in the case on Thursday. The Chief Justice indicated that the bench would begin dictating the judgment immediately after hearing the lawyers.

Though results were declared a week ago, admissions have not been finalised pending the verdict of the high court. As per the original schedule the first list of students were due to be out by June 30.

On Day 4 four of the hearing in the HC, senior advocate K K Singhvi, counsel for the Maharashtra government said that the 90:10 formula worked out for the admissions to first year junior college was “reasonable’’. Denying that there was any arbit r a r i n e s s, Singhvi said that the state had held wide ranging consultations with various groups since last year when the HC had struck down the percentile system.

An affidavit by dr Sridhar Salunkhe, divisional chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said that the scheme attempted to strike a balance between different boards. “Ultimately, it is the students of other boards (CBSE/ICSE) who are desirous of seeking admissions in the FYJC course affiliated to and recognised by the State board,’’ said the affidavit. “The interests of students who have continued to study in the state board affiliated and recognised institutions ought not to be ignored.

The government resolution (implementing 90:10) merely recognises the ground realities with regard to state board students and strikes a reasonable balance that adequately protects the interests of all students and does not impinge of any person’s rights.’’ The affidavit further said that the quota had been fixed in proportion to the number of students from different boards. Dr Salunkhe also added that Boards like CBSE and ICSE ought to have c o m m e n c e d their own Standard XI and Standard XII to address the problems faced by their students.

CBSE and ICSE students constituted barely 3.38 % of total candidates who took admission the 2.48 lakh FYJC seats in the city. The fight really is for elite colleges in the city where for the year 2008-2009, between 9% to 41% constituted CBSE/ICSE students.

e-admission update
Over 2.4 lakh students have filled out their application forms for FYJC via the online admission process. And over 1.88 lakh forms have already been uploaded onto the website.

Govt plans law for coaching classes in state

Hemali Chhapia I TNN

Mumbai: After regulating fees in schools across the state, the government now has a fresh agenda— bringing in a law to monitor coaching classes.

According to the Maharashtra Coaching Classes Owners’ Association (MCCOA), there are about 50,000 private coaching institutes in the state. If the government has its way, they will soon have to abide by the state’s diktat that will regulate the number of students they can take
in and the fees they charge, apart from a host of other criteria (see box).

School education minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said he would invite coaching class associations for a discussion next week, before the legislation. “We have decided to introduce a legislation to regulate coaching institutes, small and big, in terms of the students they take in, the fees they charge, the infrastructure they have set up,’’ he said.

Vikhe-Patil said they had received several complaints regarding coaching classes and the government felt it was time certain amount of control was introduced. Coaching class owners, however, questioned the state’s decision to regulate them, reasoning that the government cannot dictate terms on private unaided bodies. Narendra Bambwani, secretary of the MCCOA asked, “When the government does not interfere in private unaided colleges, why should there be any law to regulate us? Moreover, the government must set its house in order and improve public education first.’’

In 1999, Forum for Fairness in Education, an NGO, had moved court against coaching classes. In its appeal, the NGO had stated that teachers employed with colleges had also signed up to teach in coaching institutes. The case is still on in the Bombay high court, which last year asked the state to look into the issue. The government, however, then shied away from introducing any law. Incidentally, in 2001-02, the government drafted an ordinance outlining rules and regulations for coaching classes, but let it lapse. Last year, several coaching classes lined up to seek permission to start junior colleges. But on Thursday, the education minister told TOI that letting the classes to get into mainstream education was not on his government’s agenda.

LAW WILL REGULATE
How many students a class can take in How many courses can be taught Fees that can be charged Basic infrastructure classes need to have Minimum salary for teachers Minimum qualification for teachers

Free education for kids gets cabinet nod

Akshaya Mukul | TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Right to Education Bill, a major move to make education a fundamental right for every child between the ages of six and 14 years, was cleared by the Union cabinet on Thursday. It’s slated to be introduced in parliament during the current session. If the bill is passed, one of the longest awaited political promises will have been honoured.

The first UPA government spent five years discussing it in various committees. By the time it was finalized, the bill could not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

If the bill becomes law, it will empower the seven-year-old 86th constitutional amendment that makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right. The bill sets down guidelines for states and the Centre to enforce this right. Earlier, education was part of the directive principles of state policy. Both the Centre and states will be responsible for the finances. The Centre will determine the capital and recurring expenditure, and provide it as grants-in-aid to states from time to time.

BILL HIGHLIGHTS
States and the Centre should enforce the fundamental right to education for children aged 6-14 years

The cost will be nearly Rs 12,000cr a year (currently Rs 3,000 per child per yr)
25% of the seats in private unaided schools should be reserved for poor children in the neighbourhood

Teachers should not undertake private tuitions and should not be expected to perform non-educational duties

Parents should have an equal stake in the system, with 50% reservation for women in school committees

Expenses on kids to decide relief for schools
New Delhi: The cost to the exchequer of enforcing the Right To Education (RTE) bill, cleared by the cabinet on Thursday, would be Rs 12,000 crore every year. Even private unaided schools will get assistance, as 25% of their seats will have to be reserved for poor children in the neighbourhood. However, the bill is clear that schools that have got land at a concessional rate and were anyway obliged to reserve 25% of their seats for poor children in the neighbourhood will not be compensated. Compensation will be based on the expenditure per child. Currently, the per child cost borne by the government is Rs 3,000 per annum. The share of the Centre and states will be decided later.

The principals of several schools had raised the relief issue with HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday. But the minister said schools should not mind losing a little bit of their profit. To ensure parents have an equal stake in the system, the bill provides for school management committees in all government and aided schools. TNN

IITians opt to become gurus

Shruthi Balakrishna | TNN

Bangalore: Their days of sitting and listening are over. Now, they will do the talking. In a swift role reversal, a few IITians will be playing the role of lecturer, as a new bunch of students takes the seats.

Blame it on recession or a passion for teaching, a good number of IITians have grabbed teaching posts in various universities and institutions across the country.

These students are offered positions of assistant professor, associate professor, senior lecturer and lecturer. Though they admitted that the salary package is lower compared to MNCs, they feel teaching is “one of the most secure jobs”. According to information provided by the IITs, the salary is on a par with the UGC scales and above. A few said it varies between an average of Rs 3.4 lakh and Rs 9 lakh per annum.

Some students who have opted for teaching have had some experience. Like Akshita Srivastva, an MSc from IITRoorkee, was interested in teaching from the beginning and has also taught a few students when she was in Class X. After joining IIT, she wanted to pursue her passion. “My family was supportive of my decision. I will be teaching BTech students. As a teacher, I will be neither too strict nor too liberal,” she added.

Anil Kumar, an MTech from IIT-Bombay, too, has worked as lecturer in two colleges in Kota before. Offered the post of assistant professor in Lovely Professional University, he said that due to recession, not many big firms visited the campus.

Even as most students took the job as it’s a safe bet, some felt teaching would help them pursue research. As Sandip Majumdar, who is doing PhD at IIT-Kharagpur, puts it, “If I opt for teaching, I can pursue research. The salaries are low, but still teaching is interesting. Interacting with students is really exciting,” he said. Asked if he’ll consider an offer in a company, he added: “If the company is good, I’ll consider moving, else I’ll stick to teaching.”

All fine online on Sunday, test still ahead

Hemali Chhapia | TNN

Mumbai: Several students managed to register for admissions online and fill in their preferences for streams and colleges.

Vijaysheela Sardesai, chairperson of the SSC board, said by Sunday evening, 1,50,165 students registered and 1,33,708 completed the process of submitting their preferences on the website. As there were some technical glitches during the first two days, the state has extended the time for filling the forms and submitting the same by a day. Students can now do so till July 4.

On Saturday, after several students complained about the slow online process, the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) allowed students to submit the specimen application form given in the admission booklet. “But as schools and colleges were shut on Sunday, the online process was rather smooth. The real test will be on Monday,’’ said Sainath Durge, vice-president Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena.

Most ICSE and CBSE students however have not yet registered on the website. Most said they were waiting for the high court to give its verdict on the 90:10 quota, the state’s controversial proposal that aims at reserving 90% seats in junior colleges for state board students.

Students fill in admission forms online on Sunday in Mulund