Bhramara’s Prestigious Award for Distinguished Service to Humanity conferred on Covaxin-maker
Mysore/Mysuru: Dr. Krishna Ella, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad, that invented Covaxin (the indigenous vaccine against COVID-19) has given a clarion call for the younger generation to take innovative steps so that a conducive atmosphere is created to check the next generation from looking for green pastures in foreign countries.
Krishna Ella addressed the gathering, a mix of scientists, academicians and students, after receiving Bhramara’s Prestigious Award for Distinguished Service to Humanity from the trustees of Bhramara Trust of Y.T. and Madhuri Thathachari at Sri Rajendra Auditorium, JSS Medical College at Sri Shivarthreeshwara Nagar in city last evening.
“The younger generation should fight for innovations as the Government alone cannot change the eco-system. Or else, the next generation will leave the country, with only old aged people remaining. Unlike five years ago, the Government is different today and the youths should not refrain from taking the risk,” said Krishna Ella.
Not exploiting the pandemic situation
Recalling a meeting held at a star hotel in Bengaluru on Dec. 5, 2019, where he had expressed an opinion that ‘Bengaluru will be empty in the event of a pandemic,’ Krishna Ella said, “Many didn’t believe in my apprehension. 30 to 40 days later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country.”
“When Covaxin was approved, we at Bharat Biotech decided to hand over the vaccine to the Government without asking for a single pie. The company had invested Rs. 800 crore including Rs. 500 crore on clinical trials but was firm on not exploiting the situation as the country was suffering at that time. The revenue (of the country) had taken a beating without any collection of taxes or tourism activities,” said Krishna Ella.
“A company should not think on commercial returns always as at times we have to act with a human touch. Hence, we did it accordingly during the COVID situation,” he asserted.
Colonial situation still prevails
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) former Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar described how the pandemic showed the importance of Science and Technology. “Until the pandemic struck the country, people were of the belief that science was nowhere connected to life. The pandemic has reset the man and is evident with how we learnt about the significance of ‘Namaskara’ (Indian tradition of greeting each other) in our country,” he noted.
Expressing his regrets over how colonial situation still prevails in country even after 75 years of independence, Kiran Kumar said, “150 years ago, physical raw materials in the country were exported to foreign countries and we were getting finished products. Similarly, intellectual capability is still being targeted.”
Wadiyars set a role model
Mysore royal family member Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar described how his ancestors had set a precedent by doing many firsts for the cause of the society.
“When there was a health crisis and Wadiyar’s were ready to vaccine the people (against smallpox), attempts were made to derail the cause by traditional medicine practitioners by spreading a myth that it (vaccine) may harm lives. To ward off the myth, Maharani Lakshmammanni took a bold step asking her daughter-in-law to get inoculated in front of people,” said Yaduveer.
Likewise, the Princely Mysore State started many eponymous products like Mysore Sandal Soap, Mysore Silk and several others, which can be better described as ‘Make in Mysore’, akin to how the indigenous industries of the country nowadays are being labelled as ‘Make in India’.
Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji said, “A country can progress only when its people feel proud of the indigenous products. The contribution of Krishna Ella is remarkable, for how he set an example by not just developing the vaccine, but also by returning to the country after completing his higher studies in USA.”
K. Vijay Raghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, described how vaccines are developed through a rigorous process. University of Mysore former Vice-Chancellor Prof. K. S. Rangappa, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS-AHER) Pro-Chancellor Dr. Suresh Bhojraj, Madhuri Thathachari and Prof R. Srinivasan of Bhramara Trust were present.
Speaking of Wadiyars as real rulers of Mysore is utter nonsense. The real rulers were the British who administered their rule through the Viceroy of the day. Hence, prattling about colonialism is crap, as the colonialism brough India to the modern times from the medieval ages of Palegars .
All vaccines developed locally in India, get their knowhows from the Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca pioneering vaccines.
Brain drain@ Has been occurring since Indian independence, as merit takes back seat, reservations based on castes took over. Hence, the Indian Nobel Prize winners since independence-Khorana, Chandrasekhar and Venki Ramakrishnanan, were all Western educated and West-settled scientists.
What India is known for today is cheap labour, particularly cheap call centres of Western companies and banks, the so called IT giants in Bengaluru are all IT sweatshops carrying out cheap IT techie works of software coding , deploying IT Techies who are paid in Indian Rupees, which
is worth as much as a waste paper as compared to international hard currencies.
“Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad, that invented Covaxin (the indigenous vaccine against COVID-19) has given a clarion call for the younger generation to take innovative steps so that a conducive atmosphere is created to check the next generation from looking for green pastures in foreign countries”
India has over 1000 universities and colleges, where Indian students can study.
But yet, a large number of Indian students-thris in the category of those who pay the people smugglers to enter England through Dinghies from the French coasts are Indian students, as reported in the Daily Telegraph in London. These Indian students after landing in England thus, apply for asylum, assuming that the government led by Indian-origin PM will accpet them, so that they can take loans for ther study in universities, given by the British government, who also give living costs. Otherwise, these Indian students have to pay larg e foreign students fees to study.
This so called scientist and the Kaavo clad Seer who is a politico have no idea of why students go abroad for studies. There are already over 150,000 Indian students, dropping out of British universities, having entered there, and are illegal immigrants. Similar numbers in Australia and New Zealand. Narendra Modi does not want to take them back.
Thanks to people like this Suttur Seer, who admits any one with large cash to his medical college, there are no brains in India as those with brains have already left ages ago.
Alll that India can contribute to the world these days are adulterated cough syrup which killed children (https://thewire.in/health/cough-syrup-india-gambia-deaths-children-who)). There is cheap IT labour for coding using the USD and INR exchange rates where 10 Indian IT Techies can be employed for 1 US?European ITY Techie, by paying in INR, which is worthless in Western standards!
In every Western country immigration desks, thousands of applications for work visas are daily lodged by Indians in India. , because they can work with less pay. This is not brain drain.
Stop boasting, stop believing what Modi says about Tech India, and look at the realities -examples are given above.
Javeed Nayeem , the columnist of ” ovver the cup of evening tea’ who tend to boast about medical facilities in Mysore, himself went to England recently for medical treatment, and has kept quiet not writing about it! But instead he writes about a Hyderabad Nizam’s Palalce , which is now a hotel!!hotel
The world uses pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and Indian as health tourists , come to get these vaccine shots in a Western country.