Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Prevalence of Chicken Guinea (Chikun Gunya) in India
Chicken Guinea is a viral disease that spreads through a particular type of Mosquitoes. This disease was unheard of earlier in India. Though there is "Chicken" in the name, it has nothing to do with Chicken.
Recently, the viral infection has been rampant in southern states of India. Several thousands of people had been infected over the past several months, and it appears its not subsiding yet. Persons contracting this fever experience severe joint pains, weakness, and stiffness of joints. The fever is likely to be present for several days stretching from 2 days to up to 5 or more. The infection is said to be NOT life threatening, though there were reports of loss of life.
We are hearing of several people getting this fever over the past couple of months. It appears in some cases, this may lead to Arthritis, and permanent joint pains.
The respective governments of Karnataka, TN, and AP had announced some measures to tackle the issue, and the response is far short of the requirement. It is surprising that even local media is not much concerned about the prevalence of Chicken Guinea. There is no concerted effort from the media to bring more attention to the menace. It is imperative that the Government of India take appropriate steps to contain the spread of this disease, and step up public awareness program about the same.
Recently, the viral infection has been rampant in southern states of India. Several thousands of people had been infected over the past several months, and it appears its not subsiding yet. Persons contracting this fever experience severe joint pains, weakness, and stiffness of joints. The fever is likely to be present for several days stretching from 2 days to up to 5 or more. The infection is said to be NOT life threatening, though there were reports of loss of life.
We are hearing of several people getting this fever over the past couple of months. It appears in some cases, this may lead to Arthritis, and permanent joint pains.
The respective governments of Karnataka, TN, and AP had announced some measures to tackle the issue, and the response is far short of the requirement. It is surprising that even local media is not much concerned about the prevalence of Chicken Guinea. There is no concerted effort from the media to bring more attention to the menace. It is imperative that the Government of India take appropriate steps to contain the spread of this disease, and step up public awareness program about the same.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Coke Controversy
According to local news paper reports, The Government of Karnataka, India has filed a case
against the Coca-Cola company under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The Government of Karnataka had recently tested samples of Coke and Pepsi in its labs and found that the beverages contain over dosages of pesticides. This evaluation is different from that of the voluntary organization which was reported a few days back. The action taken by the Karnataka Government was in response to the tests carriedout at its own labs.
This is probably the first time a soft drink maker is taken to court over food adulteration, at least in recent times. Other brands that violated the limits set for pesticides include ThumsUp, and Mirinda, both of which are local companies and do not have global presence. It appears that Pepsi has fallen within the permissible levels of pesticide content.
The state government had banned Coke, Pepsi, ThumsUp, and several other softdrinks from schools, colleges, hospitals, and government offices. It may also be noted that Kerala, an Indian state with 40 million population had already banned manufacture and sale of Coke and Pepsi within the state of Kerala.
It appears that a long legal battle awaits soft drink makers during the coming months.
Both Coke and Pepsy had declared earlier that they follow global standards, and all their drinks conform to the same standards whether they are sold in Europe or US or India.
against the Coca-Cola company under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The Government of Karnataka had recently tested samples of Coke and Pepsi in its labs and found that the beverages contain over dosages of pesticides. This evaluation is different from that of the voluntary organization which was reported a few days back. The action taken by the Karnataka Government was in response to the tests carriedout at its own labs.
This is probably the first time a soft drink maker is taken to court over food adulteration, at least in recent times. Other brands that violated the limits set for pesticides include ThumsUp, and Mirinda, both of which are local companies and do not have global presence. It appears that Pepsi has fallen within the permissible levels of pesticide content.
The state government had banned Coke, Pepsi, ThumsUp, and several other softdrinks from schools, colleges, hospitals, and government offices. It may also be noted that Kerala, an Indian state with 40 million population had already banned manufacture and sale of Coke and Pepsi within the state of Kerala.
It appears that a long legal battle awaits soft drink makers during the coming months.
Both Coke and Pepsy had declared earlier that they follow global standards, and all their drinks conform to the same standards whether they are sold in Europe or US or India.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
CompTIA A+, and Network+ Certifications
CompTIA is a leading vendor neutral certifications provider, headquartered in United States of A. Two widely followed certifications offered by Comptia are:
Network+ certification is aimed at entry-level networking professionals. Network+ qualified professionals are expected to be able to install, configure and troubleshoot basic networking hardware, protocols and services.
Other resources available include the following:
http://www.certexams.com/comptia.htm (a+ exam, net+ exam)
http://www.simulationexams.com/comptia.htm
http://www.examguides.com/
The official comptia website is available here.
- A+ Certification, and
- Network+ Certification
Network+ certification is aimed at entry-level networking professionals. Network+ qualified professionals are expected to be able to install, configure and troubleshoot basic networking hardware, protocols and services.
Other resources available include the following:
http://www.certexams.com/comptia.htm (a+ exam, net+ exam)
http://www.simulationexams.com/comptia.htm
http://www.examguides.com/
The official comptia website is available here.
