Lifestyle

Seoul, May 2 (IANS) Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, continued to stage a strike on Saturday for a second day, according to union officials, with the union and the company showing little signs of bridging gaps over wages and other issues.

The union of Samsung Biologics began the strike on Friday, marking the first walkout since the company's establishment in 2011, reports Yonhap news agency.

The union is seeking a 14 percent increase in both base and performance-related pay, a one-off cash incentive of 30 million won per worker and bonuses equivalent to 20 percent of annual operating profit.

The company has proposed a combined 6.2 percent increase in base and performance pay.

Samsung Biologics said earlier it was deploying all available personnel to minimise disruption but acknowledged that some impact to operations may be unavoidable.

The company estimated that losses from a full-scale strike could exceed 640 billion won (US$433 million), roughly half of its first-quarter sales of 1.26 trillion won.

In a message to employees released Friday, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer John Rim urged them to carefully consider whether to participate in the strike, warning it could lead to irreversible losses for both the company and its employees.

"The company will continue sincere dialogue with the union to help stabilise labor-management relations and build a workplace based on mutual trust and respect," he said.

Negotiations between the two sides have failed to bridge significant differences despite 13 rounds of talks held between December and March.

Last month, Samsung Biologics filed for a court injunction to block the planned strike. The court partially upheld the request, restricting industrial action across three of the company's nine production stages while allowing strike activities to proceed in the remaining six. The company immediately appealed the ruling.

Samsung Biologics and its union are scheduled to meet again on Monday under mediation by a regional labour office of the labour ministry to discuss the direction of future negotiations.

—IANS

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New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) The six new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for medical assistive technologies, part of the NLEAP (National List of Essential Assistive Products) initiative brought about by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), aim to serve as a guideline for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the concerned stakeholders for provision of assistive products as well as support the development of assistive technologies across the country, the government said on Friday.

Standards for ‘elbow crutches’ specifies requirements and test methods, fully equipped with handgrip and tip including requirements relating to safety, ergonomics, performance, and information to be supplied by the manufacturer, including marking and labelling.

New Standards for ‘walking sticks’ covers the requirements pertaining to material, shape, dimensions, workmanship, finish and performance of walking sticks (including wooden, cane, aluminium, plastic and rubber).

This is an indigenous standard developed after consultation with the technical experts from the Indian industry, said Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Moreover, the Standards for ‘Walking sticks’ specifies requirements and methods of walking sticks with three or more legs and fully equipped with handle and tips. It also gives the requirements relating to safety, ergonomics, performance, marking and labelling.

The Standards for ‘Accessible Design’ explains what information tactile guide maps should include and how they should be designed and displayed. These maps help people who are blind or have low vision understand buildings (like public places, transport areas, and parks) and nearby routes, so they can move around safely and easily, according to the ministry.

Another ‘Accessible Design’ Standards specifies the fundamental requirements for braille used on signage, equipment and appliances, including the dimensional parameters of braille and the characteristics of materials used, and the guidelines for practical implementation.

The ‘portable ramps’ Standard specifies the requirement for ramps for wheelchair users, as well as people pushing strollers, carts, or other wheeled objects, to more easily access steps, buildings, and other transportation systems.

This standard is applicable to portable ramps used for people with a range of mobility problems using powered or manual wheelchairs, mobility aids, older people, and children on with or without assistance of a caregiver to improve freedom of movement around a variety of environments, including the home, place of work, or local community.

“There is a growing need for standards in the area of Assistive Products that are crucial for enhancing the quality of life and promoting independence among individuals with functional impairments. By developing standards aligning with the global practices and their compliance would ensure that products of Indian Domestic Manufacturers meet international quality benchmarks and eligible for export to international markets,” said the statement.

--IANS

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Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) Dr Lal PathLabs on Thursday reported a decline of 15.2 per cent in its net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31 (Q4 FY26).

The diagnostic chain posted a net profit of Rs 131.3 crore for Q4, compared to Rs 154.8 crore in the corresponding period previous financial year (Q4 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.

The drop in profit came despite a healthy rise in revenue, which grew 16.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 702.7 crore compared to Rs 602.6 crore, driven by steady demand and higher test volumes across its portfolio.

Operating performance showed moderate growth, with EBITDA increasing 11 per cent to Rs 186.8 crore from Rs 169 crore a year ago, as per its regulatory filing.

However, margins came under pressure during the quarter, with EBITDA margin slipping to 26.6 per cent from 28 per cent in the year-ago period.

In a shareholder-friendly move, the board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 4 per equity share, equivalent to 40 per cent on a face value of Rs 10, for FY26.

The dividend payout is subject to approval at the upcoming annual general meeting, and the record date to determine eligible shareholders has been set as June 26, 2026.

Following the earnings announcement, shares of Dr Lal PathLabs ended 1.7 per cent lower at Rs 1,374 on the NSE on April 30.

In last five days, the shares of the firm were dropped by Rs 41 or 2.90 per cent. The stock has delivered a positive return of Rs 50.40 or 3.81 per cent in last one month.

In last six months, it has dropped nearly Rs 194 or 12.36 per cent. On year-to-date (YTD) basis, it gave negative return of Rs 135.80 or 8.99 per cent to its investors.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), under the Department of Posts, on Thursday announced the launch of its Self Help Group (SHG) Savings Account, aimed at advancing financial inclusion and empowering women-led SHGs across rural India.

The IPPB SHG Savings Account is designed to be zero balance, zero charges account to ensure affordability; digitally enabled for simplified on-boarding; and delivered through the vast network of Post Offices and Postmen/Gramin Dak Sevaks.

Key Features include no minimum initial deposit requirement, no Monthly Average Balance (MAB) requirement, maximum balance limit of Rs 2,00,000, quarterly interest pay-outs as per applicable savings rates, nil charges for cash deposits and withdrawals, one free physical account statement per month, no account closure charges and no QR card issuance charges.

“At IPPB, our mission is to make banking simple, accessible, and inclusive for every Indian. The SHG Savings Account is a step forward in empowering women-led SHGs by providing them with a reliable and cost-effective banking solution,” said R Viswesvaran, MD and CEO, IPPB.

“By leveraging our doorstep banking model and digital infrastructure, we aim to enable SHGs to participate more actively in the formal financial ecosystem and drive sustainable economic growth,” said Viswesvaran.

Self Help Groups have been pivotal in driving rural economic transformation in India and are closely linked with flagship initiatives such as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission under Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and programs supported by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Leveraging unmatched Postal Network of Department of Posts (DoP) and its own digital capabilities, IPPB aims to deepen financial access for SHGs by combining doorstep banking services with digital on-boarding, assisted by extensive network of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) A team of global researchers on Thursday said that deepfakes, AI-assisted rape and unwanted advances are pushing women out of public life.

The report by UN Women, City St George’s (University of London) and data forensic company TheNerve found that online violence against women in public life is becoming increasingly technologically sophisticated.

“AI-assisted ‘virtual rape’ is now at the fingertips of perpetrators. This phenomenon accelerates the harm from online violence inflicted on women in public life. This violence serves to fuel the reversal of women’s hard-won rights in a climate of rising authoritarianism, democratic backsliding and networked misogyny,” said Julie Posetti, Professor of Journalism and Chair of the Centre for Journalism and Democracy at City St George’s.

“The rollback of women’s rights is enabled and exacerbated by technologies which – by design –amplify misogynistic hate speech for profit,” added Posetti, project’s principal researcher and the report’s lead author.

The report analysed the experiences of 641 women journalists and media workers, activists, and human rights’ defenders from 119 countries.

The women were surveyed in late 2025, and the researchers concluded that 27 per cent of women respondents were targeted with unsolicited sexual advances via direct message, receiving unwanted intimate images, “cyberflashing”, sexual innuendos or nonconsensual sexting.

About 12 per cent of respondents had their personal images, including those of an intimate nature, shared without their consent, and 6 per cent of respondents have been subjected to deepfakes or manipulated images and videos.

These attacks were often deliberate and coordinated, aiming to silence women in public life while undermining their professional credibility and personal reputations, found the study.

The impacts include an alarming rate of mental health diagnoses and self-censorship: Nearly one-quarter (24 per cent) of respondents have experienced anxiety and/or depression linked to online violence; 13 per cent reported being diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and 41 per cent of respondents said they self-censored on social media to avoid being abused, and 19 per cent were self-censoring at work as a result.

The study found that while 25 per cent of respondents had reported incidents of online violence to the police and 15 per cent had taken legal action, justice still eludes them.

“The chilling effect of online violence is pushing women out of public life. Law enforcement is outsourcing the responsibility for protection to the survivors by telling women to remove themselves from social media, to avoid speaking publicly about controversial issues, to move into less visible roles at work, or to take leave from their respective careers,” said Co-author Lea Hellmueller, Associate Professor of Journalism, and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at City St George’s.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Former Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran, who is fighting for his life at a hospital in New Delhi is in urgent need of blood and Zadran's family has appealed A-positive blood donors to help the 30-year-old as he battles a rare with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune disorder.

Zadran, who played 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2020, is currently in the intensive care unit (ICU) with stage four HLH. Under this condition, a person suffers from hyper-inflammation, which leads to damage in tissues, including the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

Zadran's younger brother, Ghamai Zadran, shared an emotional message on Instagram appealing to everyone to help the former player and donate the required blood, which will assist in recovery.

“My brother, national hero Shapoor Zadran, is currently in a concerning health condition,” Ghamai wrote. “With your prayers, we stand by our national hero. Due to a deficiency and urgent need, he is in critical need of blood”.

Shapoor first felt unwell in October last year and was advised to seek treatment in India. With support from Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman Mirwais Ashraf, Shapoor’s visa was fast-tracked, and he was admitted to the hospital in New Delhi on January 18.

A bone marrow test in late March confirmed stage four HLH for Shapoor. "The doctor said we could drop in for the check-ups frequently. He (Shapoor) was feeling good for about 20 days before he got the infection again. Then we admitted him to the hospital," Ghamai told ESPNcricinfo.

"He started getting a fever, and then he tested positive for dengue. His immunity was very weak as the red blood cell count was severely depleted. He doesn't have much vitality. We have hope that he will improve day by day. The steroids Shapoor has been given recently seem to be working, and that has given us hope," added Ghamai.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India’s pharma and healthcare sector recorded 78 deals worth $1.9 billion in Q1 2026, with deal volumes holding steady even as overall values moderated in the absence of large‑ticket transactions, a report said on Wednesday.

The report from Grant Thornton Bharat said mergers and acquisitions accounted for 30 deals worth $915 million during the quarter, with volumes remaining broadly stable and values moderating about 40 per cent sequentially.

The moderation in the deals landscape was primarily driven by softer M&A values, even as private equity activity remained resilient in terms of participation, albeit with smaller ticket sizes.

The overall trend indicated a more selective investment environment, with sustained interest in mid-market and growth-stage opportunities despite cautious capital deployment.

"Investor focus is clearly shifting toward scalable, capability-led assets, particularly across digital health, specialised care, and consumer health segments. Meanwhile, outbound expansion and portfolio realignment by pharmaceutical companies reflect a strategic pivot toward long-term value creation and global competitiveness,” said Bhanu Prakash Kalmath S.J., Partner and Healthcare Industry Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat.

Domestic transactions continued to dominate in terms of volume in the M & A landscape, the report noted. Deal sizes remained relatively small, with most transactions under $50 million, particularly across hospitals and pharma and biotech segments, pointing to sustained mid-market consolidation driven by regional hospital acquisitions and pharma deals.

Private equity and venture capital activity comprised 45 deals worth $456 million, marking the segment's highest deal volumes since Q2 2022 and up around 22 per cent rise sequentially.

Investment activity was particularly robust across health tech and wellness segments, including AI-led diagnostics, preventive healthcare, and digital care platforms, highlighting continued interest in scalable, tech-enabled healthcare models.

Early‑stage rounds dominated PE/VC volumes, with pre‑seed to Series A accounting for about 69 per cent of deal volumes and nearly 95 per cent of deals sized below $50 million.

IPO and QIP activity remained selective during the quarter, as one IPO raised $18 million, marking a sharp decline in issuances, and QIP activity picked up modestly with two issuances totalling $500 million.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India's sex ratio at birth has increased at the all-India level, indicating improved survival of females reaching from 904 in 2017-19 to 917 in 2021-23, the government said on Wednesday.

The government released the “Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data” publication in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to provide gender-disaggregated data across a wide range of themes to "enable a deeper understanding of evolving gender disparities and development trends," an official statement said.

Infant mortality rate for both female and male infants has recorded a pronounced and sustained decline between 2008 and 2023, the publication said.

Gross Enrolment Ratio at Higher Education has improved from 28.5 to 30.2 for females and 28.3 to 28.9 for males between 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Labour force participation for those aged 15 and above rose for both sexes, with rural females seeing the highest increase, going from 37.5 per cent to 45.9 per cent during the period 2022 to 2025.

Men engaged in managerial positions between 2017 and 2025 rose 73.80 per cent, while women engaged in managerial positions rose 102.54 per cent during the same time period.

The statement from Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation said the publication compiles gender‑disaggregated indicators across population, education, health, economic participation, decision‑making and violence against women and other gender-related issues, drawing upon inputs from various Ministries, Departments and organisations.

By presenting an analysis of key socio-economic indicators and highlighting emerging trends, the publication equips policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders with valuable evidence to inform the formulation of gender-responsive policies and programs for inclusive and sustainable development.

Further, it adds metadata for 50 key indicators to clarify concepts, definitions, sources and methodology. The publication is available on the official website of MoSPI.

—IANS

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New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The National Statistical Office’s 80th Round household health survey found substantial gains in access to public healthcare and a sharp expansion in government‑financed insurance coverage, the government said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the survey found that median out‑of‑pocket costs for many patients per hospitalisation stood at Rs 11,285, while over half of hospitalisations in public facilities incur only Rs 1,100.

Only a small number of high-cost cases have been observed to push up the average (mean value). This showed that high expenditure is not widespread but limited to specific cases requiring specialised treatment, an official statement said.

The survey analysed responses of 1,39,732 households including 76,296 in rural areas and 63,436 in urban areas.

Importantly, for non-hospitalisation (outpatient) care, the median OOPE in public health facilities is Zero, reflecting that a large proportion of citizens are able to access essential healthcare services entirely free of cost.

The government's Free Drugs Service Initiative (FDSI) and Free Diagnostics Initiative (FDI) launched in 2015 has ensured availability of free medicines and diagnostic services to people even in the remotest areas of the country.

Health‑seeking behaviour has strengthened as the proportion of population reporting ailments (PPRA) nearly doubled to 12.2 per cent in rural areas from 6.8 per cent in 2017‑18 and to 14.9 per cent in urban areas from 9.1 per cent.

The survey noted utilisation of public outpatient services in rural areas increased from 28 per cent in 2014 to 35 per cent in 2025.

Over 1.84 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) across the country significantly expanded the scope of comprehensive primary healthcare by delivering preventive, promotive, and curative services closer to communities. These centres are also leveraging digital health innovations to improve access.

Financial risk protection has expanded significantly with the rapid scaling up of Government-financed health insurance coverage, under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and various state schemes. Percentage of population covered under these schemes has nearly tripled from 12.9 per cent to 45.5 per cent in rural areas and from 8.9 per cent to 31.8 per cent in urban areas.

The statement also noted a declining trajectory of out-of-pocket expenditure among the bottom two consumption quintiles, demonstrating that economically weaker sections are deriving the greatest benefit from government interventions.

The survey also highlights continued progress in maternal and child health outcomes, with institutional deliveries increasing from 90.5 per cent in 2017-18 to 95.6 per cent in 2025 in rural areas and from 96.1 per cent to 97.8 per cent in urban areas.

—IANS

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New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) India’s major drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries on Monday announced that it will acquire New York-listed Organon & Co in an all-cash deal valued at $11.75 billion, its biggest overseas acquisition to date.

Under the agreement, the pharmaceutical firm will acquire 100 per cent of Organon’s outstanding shares at $14 per share, translating into an enterprise valuation of $11.75 billion and an equity value of around $3.99 billion, the company said in an exchange filing.

The company said the acquisition is aligned with its strategy to scale up its innovative medicines business while strengthening its presence in established brands and branded generics.

The deal will also enable Sun Pharma to enter the biosimilars segment as a top global player.

Following the acquisition, the combined entity is expected to be among the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies, with revenues of around $12.4 billion, while strengthening its position in women’s health and biosimilars.

New Jersey-based Organon operates across women’s health, biosimilars, and established medicines, with a portfolio of over 70 products and a presence in more than 140 countries.

The transaction, approved by the boards of both companies, expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and Organon shareholders’ approval.

Sun Pharma plans to fund the deal through a mix of internal accruals and debt financing.

For the year ended December 2025, Organon reported revenue of $6.2 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $1.9 billion.

Commenting on the deal, Sun Pharma Executive Chairman Dilip Shanghvi said the acquisition would help build a stronger and more diversified platform, while Managing Director Kirti Ganorkar highlighted synergy and growth opportunities from the integration.

Shares of Sun Pharma rose as much as 6.71 per cent to hit an intraday high of Rs 1,728.65 on the BSE in early trade on Monday.

--IANS

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