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    Antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ passed between dogs, cats and owners: Study

    London, April 15 (IANS) Six pets in Portugal and one in the UK were carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria similar to those found in their owners, according to a study.

    Dogs, cats and other pets are known to contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens that can cause human disease.

    In the study, researchers at the University of Lisbon in Portugal found bacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems in dogs and cats and their owners.

    Cephalosporins are used to treat a broad range of conditions, including meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis, and are classed among the most critically important antibiotics for human medicine by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Carbapenems are part of the last line of defence when other antibiotics have failed.

    The finding underlines the importance of including pet-owning households in programmes to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance, said researchers.

    "In this study, we provide evidence that bacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporins, critically important antibiotics, are being passed from pets to their owners," said Juliana Menezes from the varsity's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

    "Owners can reduce the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria by practising good hygiene, including washing their hands after collecting their dog or cat's waste and even after petting them," Menezes said.

    The team tested faecal samples from dogs and cats and their owners for Enterobacterales (a large family of bacteria which includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) resistant to common antibiotics.

    The prospective longitudinal study involved five cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans from 43 households in Portugal and seven dogs and eight humans from seven households in the UK.

    In Portugal, one dog was colonised by a strain of multidrug-resistant OXA-181-producing Escherichia coli. OXA-181 is an enzyme that confers resistance to carbapenems.

    Three cats and 21 dogs and 28 owners harboured ESBL/Amp-C producing Enterobacterales. These are resistant to third generation cephalosporins.

    In eight households, two houses with cats and six with dogs, both pet and owner were carrying ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria.

    In six of these homes, the DNA of the bacteria isolated from the pets (one cat and five dogs) and their owners was similar, meaning these bacteria were probably passed between the animals and humans. It is not known whether they were transferred from pet to human or vice versa.

    In the UK, one dog was colonised by multidrug-resistant E. coli producing NDM-5 and CTX-M-15 beta-lactamases.

    These E. coli are resistant to third generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and several other families of antibiotics.

    ESBL/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales were isolated from five dogs and three owners.

    In two households with dogs, both pet and owner were carrying ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria. In one of these homes, the DNA of the bacteria isolated from the dog and owner was similar, suggesting the bacteria probably passed from one to the other. The direction of transfer is unclear.

    All of the dogs and cats were successfully treated for their skin, soft tissue and urinary tract infections.

    The owners did not have infections and so did not need treatment.

    The study will be presented at the ongoing European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    --IANS
    rvt/uk/


    New implantable device shrinks pancreatic tumours

    New York, April 15 (IANS) Researchers have found a way to tame pancreatic cancer - one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat cancers - by delivering immunotherapy directly into the tumour with a device that is smaller than a grain of rice.

    The team from Houston Methodist Research Institute in the U.S. used an implantable nanofluidic device they invented to deliver CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb), a promising immunotherapeutic agent, at a sustained low-dose via the nanofluidic drug-eluting seed (NDES).

    The NDES device consists of a stainless-steel drug reservoir containing nanochannels, thus creating a membrane that allows for sustained diffusion when the drug is released.

    The result, published in Advanced Science, found in murine models, was tumour reduction at a four-fold lower dosage than traditional systemic immunotherapy treatment.

    "One of the most exciting findings was that even though the NDES device was only inserted in one of two tumours in the same animal model, we noted shrinkage in the tumour without the device," said Corrine Ying Xuan Chua, Assistant Professor of nanomedicine at Houston Methodist Academic Institute.

    "This means that local treatment with immunotherapy was able to activate the immune response to target other tumours. In fact, one animal model remained tumour-free for the 100-days of continued observation."

    Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. In fact, about 85 per cent of patients already have metastatic disease at diagnosis.

    Immunotherapy holds promise in treating cancers that previously did not have good treatment options. However, because immunotherapy is delivered throughout the entire body, it causes many side effects that are sometimes long-lasting, if not life-long.

    By focusing the delivery directly into the tumour, the body is protected from being exposed to toxic drugs and fewer side effects, essentially allowing patients undergoing treatment to have a better quality of life.

    "Our goal is to transform the way cancer is treated. We see this device as a viable approach to penetrating the pancreatic tumour in a minimally invasive and effective manner, allowing for a more focused therapy using less medication," said Alessandro Grattoni, chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at Houston Methodist Research Institute.

    --IANS
    rvt/kvd

    ‘Mohabbatein’ to ‘Panja’: Preeti Jhangiani is no ‘Chhuimui’ anymore!

    By Chetan Sharma
    New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Remember the demure and enigmatic Kiran, wearing a white salwar suit, in 'Mohabbatein'? She was the love interest of Jimmy Sheirgill in the movie, and later of all the boys in Y2K!


    Another hint needed? Or, do you have the answer? Well, let's rewind to Year 1998, to the 'Chhuimui si tum lagti ho' girl, who sneaked into everyone's hearts with the song and went on to cement her place with her stint in the film.

    Preeti Jhangiani, the then 19-year-old became a Bollywood sensation overnight, but as time went by she faded out of the limelight.

    Still, that smile hasn't changed over the years. And Preeti is back in action -- and how! She has completed shooting for a couple of movies and also a show, but most importantly, the ‘Chhuimui' girl is all set to enthral fans with a 'Panja' challenge as well!

    For, the 42-year-old Preeti is now the biggest promoter of arm-wrestling in India. Along with her husband Parvin Dabas, an actor as well, launched the Pro Panja League (PPL) in 2020. The couple are now working on fixing dates for the league this season.

    From playing a shy girl's role in 'Mohabbatein' to being the face of an aggressive contact sport such as arm-wrestling, Preeti has come a long way in her professional career. IANS got in touch with her and spoke about PPL as well as her acting projects. Excerpts:

    IANS: Preeti, you are back in action and recently you have been appointed president of the Maharashtra Arm-Wrestling Association. How and when did this love for arm-wrestling begin?

    Preeti: Yeah (smiles!), we've just made a very, very exciting announcement recently. We're gearing up for our first season (of PPL), which will take off in some time. As soon as the dates are finalised, we'll announce them and yeah, so we're gearing up for the exciting season.

    When was the first time we saw a 'Panja' match? Well, we were invited as guests to one of the nationals, which was held in Delhi. When we saw that match and we saw the players, and there were like more than 1,000 kids in that room, all athletes. We didn't even know at that time that 'Panja' or arm-wrestling was so huge.

    And not just in the North. Later, we found out that it's popular all over India. Our athletes, not just our star athletes, are from all over India. They are from Kerala, which has a huge pool of champs. fantastic players, both men and women, and from Madhya Pradesh, UP, Gujarat, Assam, the Northeast, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra.

    IANS: How did you take the call to launch PPL and take arm-wrestling to a new level?

    Preeti: The pool of players is huge and there's a huge level of interest and passion for the sport. And the federation has been conducting amateur tournaments for so many years. So, that's when we realised it's huge, but that was not the only reason for taking up the promotion of 'Panja'.

    That's a big decision and it was not taken lightly, not just because there are so many players and because they've been conducting championships for so long, but because when you watch the sport it's so exciting.

    I think when you're sitting as an audience, you just want to jump up and join the athlete on the table because everybody feels they can do it. Panja is something everybody feels they can do and they have played. So it's a very exciting sport to watch.

    IANS: There are already several leagues going on in India. What do you think needs to be done to promote PPL, and the challenges ahead?

    Preeti: Do you think any other league can boast of more than 250 million views across social media in less than four months? No.

    So, I think we are being able to promote it in the right way. We are trying to promote it not just by putting in money because I don't think that's the way it works.

    You have to be innovative about how hou promote your so-called product. We don't see it as a product, we see it as a sport that people want to watch. It has an intrinsically Indian base.

    Everybody in India knows about 'Panja'. We're trying to promote it innovatively. And by being on Sony, I think we've been one step ahead now on promotions.

    IANS: How many federations are there in India other than the one in Maharashtra? Are there plans to establish more such associations?

    Preeti: None. See, in every sport in India, this is an issue. Many little federations crop up. I am right now a part of a state federation. It is an issue. Yes, in many sports there are many legal issues going on as well.

    IANS: What about recognition from the Sports Ministry?

    Preeti: We are working on that as well. I can give you clarity on the entire issue in maybe just a month. We are completely and almost done. So, let me give you clarity on this point by the end of the month.

    IANS: What is the process of getting into a team or the competition? Are there any special requirements?

    Preeti: We already have our players -- the 180 players who are going to participate in the league are already selected through our national tournament, which was held last year in Gwalior, where they had more than 800 to 1000 participants selected from the federation.

    Yes, those are athletes who are a part of the federation with whom we are affiliated. From them, we selected 180 top athletes, who will be a part of the six teams that are going to be a part of the league. There will be six weight categories for men and two for women.

    Men, women and specially abled. This is a part of our league, which I really want to speak about, because women and the specially abled will get the same prize money, the same facilities. The number one seed, whether he's male, female or specially abled, will get the same prize money as well the same facilities and everything else.

    IANS: How far have you progressed plans for PPL?

    Preeti: I want to make it very clear that we've not started the league to promote ourselves or push ourselves forward anywhere on television or, you know, we want to push the sport. If we do take somebody on, we will try for somebody who is from a sport, who can inspire our athletes and who can stand for what the sport believes in.

    Even if it is somebody who is from the world of entertainment, it would be someone who can be, who is, an inspiration, and who fits the spot and the passion and the power it requires. So yes, that's on the cards as well.

    IANS: You have some Bollywood assignments in your kitty and now the PPL as well. How tough is it to manage the schedule?

    Preeti: Yeah, that's tough. It requires a lot of time management. Yes, I am continuing with my acting assignments as well. So is Parveen. He's also doing some big shows on OTT right now. But our entire focus is on 'Panja'.

    I have just finished one film called 'Mahapaur', which is based on UP politics. I've also just finished another as well as a show called 'Kafas'. And yeah, I'm currently shooting for another show which I'm not allowed to name. There is a lot of stuff going on, actually.

    --IANS
    cs/srb/

    Expectations of Cong win aggravate DKS-Siddaramaiah tension

    By M.K. Ashoka
    Bengaluru, April 15 (IANS) A discussion is on in Karnataka on the high voltage fights between the bigwigs of different political parties, after the BJP decided to field its senior leaders against the top leaders of the Congress. As the state is inching closer to the assembly elections, the discussion on the barely comcealed fight between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah has gathered momentum.


    At the outset, everything seems to be fine for the Congress. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are in perfect harmony and working in tandem to bring the Congress to power in Karnataka. The internal surveys and surveys conducted by media houses suggest a comfortable majority for the party. The survey results have only made the competition between the two leaders who are successfully challenging the BJP leadership more intense.

    Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are both aspirants for the post of chief minister, if voted to power. The tussle was more evident when Siddaramaiah's loyal MLAs and senior leaders claimed that he will become the CM. The development has embarrassed the party and especially Shivakumar.

    The BJP leaders in Karnataka mocked the Congress that it will never come anywhere near to power as Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah themselves will ensure the defeat of the party, vying to become the CM.

    However, the situation was contained and the party high command got into damage control mode quickly and the statements by the Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah camps were stopped.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who took out the Bharat Jodo Yatra successfully in Karnataka, clarified that the MLAs are going to elect the CM after the elections. He underlined that Shivakumar has made sacrifices for the party and he likes and respects Siddaramaiah.

    However, sources in the Congress party now state that the knives are out and competition has begun between the two top leaders again behind the scenes. Siddaramaiah's camp claims that he is a mass leader with the ability of winning 80 seats for the party and his influence could be seen all across the state.

    They also claim that Siddaramaiah commands the respect of the Alpsankhyak Hindulida Dalit (AHINDA) group, which plays a crucial role in the elections.

    The Shivakumar camp maintains that it is due to his efforts that the Congress party is in the position of winning the elections. After the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' and the collapse of the Congress-JD (S) government, the Congress office was literally deserted. Shivakumar stood alone and galvanized the party workers and kept their spirits up.

    His loyalists also mention that the influential Vokkaliga vote bank will shift to him from former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda's family. Shivakumar hailing from Vokkaliga community, had made appeals to the Vokkaliga community that after 20 years he is being projected as the CM candidate by the Congress party and they should extend their support to him in the way they supported Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy.

    The high command is treading cautiously while distributing tickets to the MLAs considering the high stakes for the post of CM. The alleged statement by Siddaramaiah about the high command not considering Shivakumar for the post of CM has stirred a big controversy.

    Both the leaders came together in Delhi to clarify on the issue and Siddaramaiah denied the statement outrightly. Shivakumar said he knows the heart of Siddaramaiah. However, sources said that it is only a matter of time that the differences between the two leaders come out in the open.

    Sources in the Congress revealed that Siddaramaiah will have to fight Congress leaders rather than the BJP to win over Varuna constituency.

    --IANS
    mka/bg

    Why suicidal deaths spike during the full moon week

    New York, April 8 (IANS) For centuries, people have suspected a full moon in the sky to cause mysterious changes in people. Now, psychiatrists at Indiana University's School of Medicine in the US have found deaths by suicide increase during the full moon.

    According to researchers, the increased light from the full moon could be what leads to the increase in suicides during that period.

    Ambient light plays a major role in the body's circadian rhythm, which is the natural 24-hour cycle our bodies follow to regulate when we are asleep and when we are awake.

    Moonlight could be impacting people at a time when it should be darker.

    The team looked at data in the state of Indiana about suicides that took place from 2012-2016. They found deaths by suicide significantly increased during the week of the full moon, with people over age 55 showing an even higher increase.

    They also looked at the time of day and months that suicides took place, finding 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the month of September to be peak times for suicides.

    "We wanted to analyse the hypothesis that suicides are increased during the period around full moons and determine if high-risk patients should be followed more closely during those times," said study author Alexander Niculescu in a paper published in the journal Discover Mental Health.

    Niculescu and his team previously developed blood biomarker tests for other mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder) and for pain.

    Using blood samples previously taken by the coroner from some of the people, the team was able to see which biomarkers were present.

    "We tested a list of top blood biomarkers for suicidality that we identified in previous studies," Niculescu said.

    The biomarkers for suicidality that are predictive of death by suicide during full moon, peak hour of day and peak month of the year compared to outside of those periods appear to be genes that regulate the body's own internal clock, so called 'circadian clock'.

    "Using the biomarkers, we also found people with alcohol-use disorder or depression may be at higher risk during these time periods," the researcher noted.

    The effect of ambient light and body clocks in suicide needs to be studied more closely, along with how people sleep and their exposure to light.

    "Changes in light can affect vulnerable people, in conjunction with other risk factors," said the study.

    The peak of suicides from 3 to 4 p.m. could be related to stressors throughout the day as well as a decrease in light beginning to occur that day, causing a lower expression of circadian clock genes and cortisol.

    In September, many people are experiencing the end of summer vacations, which could cause stress, as well as seasonal affective disorder effects, as daylight decreases during that time of year.

    "Our work shows the full moon, fall season and late afternoon are temporal windows of increased risk for suicide, particularly in individuals who suffer from depression or alcohol use disorders," Niculescu said.

    --IANS
    na/shb/

    The Gulzar Imam story: ISI acknowledges today what everyone else knew last year

    By Rahul Kumar
    New Delhi, April 8: Pakistani spy agency ISI has finally revealed after months of speculation what was known all along - that Gulzar Imam, founder of the Baloch National Army (BNA), is under Pakistan's arrest.


    However, it hid the information that people wanted confirmation about - how and where was Imam arrested and with whose operational support.

    On Friday, the spy agency's public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), published a media statement on its website: "In a high profile and a successful Intelligence Operation, Lead Intelligence Agency successfully apprehended a High Value Target (HVT) Gulzar Imam alias Shambay. He has been a hardcore militant as well as founder and leader of the banned outfit Baloch National Army (BNA) which came into being after amalgamation of Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA). BNA had been responsible for dozens of violent terrorist attacks in Pakistan including attacks on Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) Installations in Panjgur and Noshki."

    That Imam was in Pakistani custody was known since September 2022. It was widely known among Baloch circles and Pakistani journalists that Imam had been trapped and arrested with help from a friendly Muslim country in Europe. What was not known was how and where he was arrested.

    In September 2022, even Imam's organisation BNA, had refused to comment on his capture. The other Baloch organisations also kept quiet, fuelling rumours.

    The BNA finally revealed in November that chief Gulzar Imam was in the custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies. It still did not mention when, where or how was Imam arrested. The BNA also said that it is conducting investigations and it will find out the culprits involved in Imam's capture.

    Various Baloch sources, including ones in Europe, had told India Narrative that internally it was known that Imam had been arrested possibly around May 2022 but the entire action around his arrest had been kept a top secret. Other sources had said that he was arrested around August-September 2022.

    Speculation said that Imam was lured to Afghanistan where he was captured by spy agencies in the Pakistani embassy. His travel documents were prepared and he was asked to travel to Turkey, where he was arrested and transferred to Pakistan.

    Another report had claimed that he was arrested in Turkey after he arrived there from Iran after having crossed the Pakistan-Iran border. Yet another rumour said that he had been detained in the Balkan region in a collaborative operation between Pakistani spy agencies and a friendly Muslim nation.

    The ISPR in its statement said that Imam was a deputy to Brahamdagh Bugti in the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and was "also instrumental in formation of Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) and remained its Operational Head".

    The spy agency has said that Imam has visited Afghanistan and India and those links are being investigated.

    The ISPR statement does hint at the complexity of the operation through which Imam was captured. "He was apprehended after an innovatively conceived, carefully planned and meticulously executed operation, spanned over months over various geographical locations," says the spy agency.

    The Baloch have been running an ethnic insurgency against Pakistan, seeking independence on historical and economic grounds. The community says that it was an independent nation which was forcefully taken over by the Pakistani army in March 1948, soon after India's independence.

    (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

    --indianarrative

    Listening to music can make your medicines more effective: Study

    New York, April 2 (IANS) Want your medicines to be more effective? Research suggests that turning up your favourite song while popping the pills may be of help soon.

    While previous studies have used music-listening interventions as a tool to treat pain and anxiety, a team from the Michigan State University in the US took a novel approach by studying the effects of music-listening interventions on chemotherapy-induced nausea.

    "Music-listening interventions are like over-the-counter medications," said Jason Kiernan, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. "You don't need a doctor to prescribe them."

    "Pain and anxiety are both neurological phenomena and are interpreted in the brain as a state. Chemotherapy-induced nausea is not a stomach condition; it is a neurological one," Kiernan said.

    The small pilot study, published in the journal Clinical Nursing Research, included 12 patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment who agreed to listen to their favourite music for 30 minutes each time they needed to take their as-needed anti-nausea medication.

    They repeated the music intervention anytime nausea occurred over the five days beyond their chemotherapy treatment. The patients in the study provided a total of 64 events.

    "When we listen to music, our brains fire all kinds of neurons," Kiernan said.

    While Kiernan did see a reduction in the ratings of patients' nausea severity and their distress (how much it bothered them to be nauseous), he cautions that it is difficult to isolate whether it was the gradual release of the medication doing its job or the increased benefit of the music.

    He aims to do further research on this based on a previously published study that showed an increase in the amount of serotonin, a neurotransmitter -- released by platelets in the blood -- after listening to unpleasant and pleasant music.

    "Serotonin is the major neurotransmitter that causes chemotherapy-induced nausea. Cancer patients take medications to block serotonin's effects," Kiernan said.

    Researchers found that patients who listened to pleasant music experienced the lowest levels of serotonin release, indicating that the serotonin stayed in the blood platelets and was not released to circulate throughout the body. Results also showed that after listening to music they found unpleasant, patients experienced greater stress and increased levels of serotonin release.

    "This was intriguing because it provides a neurochemical explanation and a possible way to measure serotonin and the blood platelet release of serotonin in my study," Kiernan said.

    "In 10 to 20 years, wouldn't it be neat if you could use a nonpharmacological intervention like listening to 10 minutes of your favourite music to complement a medicine?"

    --IANS
    rvt/vd



    Covid was spreading in Germany in December 2019: Study

    Berlin, April 2 (IANS) Researchers have confirmed that a 71-year-old man from Germany was suffering from Covid-19 disease in December 2019. China made Covid-19 disease official on December 31, 2019.

    However, a day before doctors in Berlin treated a septuagenarian man with Covid-like conditions.

    The unidentified man was hospitalised with respiratory symptoms on December, 30, 2019, according to the team from Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin.

    Writing in a paper reported in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the doctors said the patient was presented in a "poor" condition -- with an elevated heart rate, blood pressure and a fever.

    He had preexisting diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, and was overweight.

    He also had a history of smoking and suffered a stroke in the past. However, he had not taken a trip abroad recently, the doctors said.

    Four days after admission, the patient showed new neurological symptoms.

    "Chest computed tomography findings suggested an atypical pneumonia," they said, adding that the patient was discharged home on January 28, 2020 with a severe persistent neurological deficit.

    He died in April 2020.

    Now, armed with the vast knowledge of the deadly disease, the team re-examined his case to find a Covid-like pattern.

    "Retrospectively, the infiltrates show the characteristic appearance and distribution pattern of Covid-19 pneumonia," they said.

    "Meta-analyses have shown that chest computed tomography has a sensitivity of over 90 per cent in the case of patients experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, which was the case with our patient. His chest computed tomography findings match the typical appearance of Covid-19," the doctors said.

    "This case suggests that Covid-19 was already spreading in Germany in December 2019," the doctors said.

    Previous studies have shown evidence that Covid was spreading in European nations France and Italy as of December 2019.

    Other evidence that showed SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading in Europe in December 2019 include detection of SARS-CoV-2-RNA in wastewater samples in northern Italy as early as December 18, 2019.

    In France, RT-PCR was performed retrospectively on stored respiratory samples from December 2019. In one case dated 27 December 2019, the diagnosis of Covid-19 was confirmed.

    While Beijing has insisted that the virus first began spreading mid-December, leaked documents from the Chinese government indicate that the officials were aware of some Covid cases as early as November 2019.

    In 2021 a Chinese whistleblower claimed that the first Covid-19 outbreak took place in October 2019 at a military tournament in Wuhan -- two months before China notified the world about the deadly virus.

    --IANS
    rvt/pgh

    Are wedding bells ringing for Badshah and Isha Rikhi?

    Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Rapper Badshah, whose real name is Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia, is said to await his wedding with his longtime girlfriend and Punjabi actress Isha Rikhi whom he met at a party of a common friend.

    As per the media reports, the couple is planning a gurdwara wedding in north India this month which will be attended by close family members and friends.

    However, neither Badshah nor Rikhi has commented anything about their wedding plans. Badshah was rumoured to be dating her since last year after they met at a party and shared similar interests.

    Badshah was married to Jasmine Masih in 2012 and in 2017, the two became parents to their daughter Jessemy Grace Masih Singh. However, they separated in 2020.

    --IANS
    ila/kvd

    Feel bad that I invited my mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying: Narayana Murthy

    Ahmedabad, April 2 (IANS) Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy on Sunday said he feels bad that he invited his mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying.

    He said this after launching a biography on the life and times of Madan Mohanka, an entrepreneur and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) alumni.

    The book, titled: "I Did What I Had To Do", was authored by Anjana Dutt, an advertising professional, and details Mohanka's rise to success and the belief systems that paved the way for his meteoric journey. The event took place in Ahmedabad.

    In his speech, Murthy praised Mohanka's story, saying that it provides valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as business leaders.

    He said, "A man who believes in action, his biography is aptly titled 'I Did What I Had To Do' and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his life, his business acumen and his dedication to education for the disadvantaged."

    When asked about his own leadership journey, Murthy credited Mahatma Gandhi as his inspiration, saying, "He believed that whenever you take a decision, think of the poor people who will get affected by that decision."

    He then went on to speak about his experience in building Infosys, a global leader in consulting and IT services, in the 1990s. He described how he used to take only 1/10th of his salary and give 20 per cent extra to his junior colleagues, leading by example and instilling a sense of responsibility among his team.

    Murthy stressed the importance of humility, saying, "There were people smarter than me in my college and later in my industry, but humility is something that helped me soar in my career. Always have your feet on the ground."

    Murthy also shared one thing he feels bad about, "I feel bad that I invited my mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying. I was so busy building Infosys."

    Murthy also shared his thoughts on the importance of faculty members understanding industry happenings, stating that management is all about utilising resources to achieve a certain objective. "Faculty members can also help CEOs in building a better company," he said.

    Mohanka, born in 1943, is an octogenarian who has witnessed post-liberalisation India and has contributed significantly to the country's growth as a financial capital of the world.

    The book, based on extensive interviews with Mohanka and his family, friends, classmates, and colleagues, provides insights into his early life, the impact of his learnings at IIM-A, his entrepreneurial genius, his decision-making abilities in times of crisis, and the value systems that helped him overcome the challenges he faced along the way.

    --IANS
    janvi/dpb