ME MYSELF AND MY.....................

2008-06-16T00:44:00.002+05:30

Recent developments in the pharmaceutical world have suddenly made Ranbaxy-an Indian pharma major, the apple of discord between Pfizer and Daiichi Sankyo- the other two pharma major of the world. Just one day after the news of Japanese company Daiichi Sankyo taking over 34.8% stakes of the promoters of Ranbaxy, there comes the news of a hostile bid for the other 65% Non-promoters stake by the largest pharma company of the world- Pfizer. Daiichi was willing to pay 31.4% premium to get the whole 34.8% shares held by the family promoters and add 20 % shares from the public. But now comes the twist in the tale. Pfizer which had negotiated with the Indian major last year unsuccessfully, may now bid for 41.3% stakes from the institutions and 21.2% from the individual shareholders. So, now Ranbaxy has become the Apple in which everyone wants to have a bite!.
Now the biggest and most interesting question which arises is WHY? Why a company of the stature of Pfizer would want so desperately to buy a company which have no major patented drugs to its name? What is the profit these companies are looking for in buying a company which only make generic /low cost versions of branded drugs?
The answers to the above questions are as interesting! Pfizer has maintained its lead in the pharmaceutical ground on the success of some of its patented drugs like Norvasc, Lipitor e.t.c. The patent rule allowed it to exercise monopoly on some life saving drugs for HIV and blood pressure. But, now Pfizer finds itself in an awkward position as its major patents are going to last till 2011 only like that of Lipitor and no major drugs are present in its pipeline which can maintain its position. Pfizer wants to increase the patent of lipitor by combining it with Norvasc. But, Ranbaxy seems to be determined in not allowing Pfizer get what it wants. Presently Ranbaxy is contesting legal battle with Pfizer in 17 countries over generic versions of patented drugs. Moreover, Ranbaxy is one of the major players in the Generic drugs market and can run away with all the booty because of its low cost and good quality. For an instance , HIV drug for one patient for one year costs approximately $10,000 for branded drugs as compared to the $ 100 for generic version from Ranbaxy.
Thus from the above facts, we can easily deduce the actual motive behind the rumoured hostile bid by Pfizer for Ranbaxy. The obvious reasons seems to be that Pfizer wants to kill the competition and hostility from Ranbaxy by buying it. The other reason can be that it wants to enter the generic market by utilising the Ranbaxy's low cost model. This is very much a possibility as other branded drug manufacturer like Nvartis have already entered the generic drug market, and Ranbaxy can help Pfizer establish a solid base for building a larger generic drug business.
So, now it will be very much interesting to see in which direction the ball will roll. One one hand the deal would mark a giant leap for the Japanese Sankyo to 12th position in pharmaceuticalfield with presence in over 56 countries, on the other It will mark the entry of a Branded major into Generic drug business. Whatever be the case, lets all hope that the generic drug business is not affected as this serves as a lifeline for many poor countries which can not afford the costly drugs made by companies like Pfizer.

” Worth Studying at BIT, Mesra”

2008-06-11T01:49:00.008+05:30

Hi Guys,
Now that the much awaited results of AIEEE is out and the counseling season is about to begin...the next biggest problem that arises in front of the students is which colleges they would be getting according to their AIR( All India Rank) and which college to go for…
I hope my post could solve some of their problems… To start with, I am an Ex student of Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi and I think I could give the real picture of the college. As far as Engg is considered, the courses that are offered here are:-
1) Computer Sciences
2) Information Technology
3) ECE
4) EEE
5) Mechanical Engg
6) Production Engg
7) Polymer Engg
8) Civil Engg
9) Biotechnology
10) Pharmaceutical Sciences
Apart from these Bachelor in Architecture and many Post graduate programmes are being offered here. Let’s start with the first question that comes to the mind of all the students on hearing a college’s name and that is” THE PLACEMENTS” …Stop worrying for the placements if you are at BIT Mesra..The placements here are mind blowing though not as the IITs but not even less than that!!! The students are offered more than 3 jobs ( 300% placements) and that too in world’s leading MNCs
Most of the Fortune Five Hundred Companies like Microsoft, Hp, Google, Oracle, Goldman sachs , Dell, Patni, TCS, CTS, Infosys, IOCL etc etc the list is endless, come to the campus and hire students in bulk with a very decent package of around 5L...Microsoft even offers around 10L apart from other benefits. The students have opportunities not only in the Private sectors but also in the Govt sector. But let me tell you one thing this is not the case for all the branches. Branches like Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biotechnology, B.Arch are still lagging behind as far as the placements are concerned. About 80% pharmacy students get placed at a very average salary with a general designation of Medical Rep, some go in production with an annual salary of less than 2L and the rest 2% of the students are absorbed by any IT companies. Same is the condition of Bio tech students, 10% students are placed in IT companies and the rest have to look for Off campus. For Architecture there is NO placement and the poor students who have devoted their 5years get nothing in return. But I must say the situation is improving year after year.
If we talk about the Infrastructure and Hostel facilities, they are damn good. The best thing about BIT is its greenery .The Institute is spread in many acres with greenery all around. The Institute has a very rich library with a huge number of books. There are separate hostels for boys and girls (which are actually too much separated). Single rooms are allotted to the first year students under the strict supervision of the higher management, to avoid ragging. I must say there is practically no ragging at BIT, the correct word is Interaction (Condition is somewhat like this that the seniors are afraid of the juniors and try to maintain a distance with their junior batches. For the Girl candidates, there are two Hostels-8&9. Hostel 8 is only for the freshers and Hostel 9 is for the senior batches. The hostel is extremely safe from all points and is under the direct supervision of the Hostel Warden. The only problem is that of the IN TIME.All the girl students have to be inside their respective hostels before 6:30PM!!!
Coming to the examination at BIT, Mesra: The entire course is completed in 8 semesters and each semester consists of a MID SEM (Mid Semester) and an END SEM (End Semester) apart from the Lab End Sems and Viva which are frequently taken. Mid Sem is cool because a TUTE SHEET is given and you are guaranteed with 4Questions, but the real terror is the END SEM when the syllabus seems to never ending. But again not to worry, there is a Xerox shop nearby. One more thing, don’t ever dare to bring a “CHUTKA” for the exams because if you are caught, believe me my friend you are gone for a semester…
So friends grab the opportunity if it comes your way and be a part of the BIT Family. I am proud to be a BITIAN …..Are you???
To summarize:-
Things to be appreciated at BIT:

1) Infrastructure
2) Placements
3) Library and Wi-Fi facilities
4) Hostels
Things to be improved at BIT:

1) Placement of the Non- Engineering branches
2) Student’s Independence

And lastly the most important thing, while joining BIT Mesra don't think you are joining a college! It is a school . The amount of discipline and restrictions takes out a lot of fun. But the bottom line is in spite of these restrictions there are still enough fun to cherish for a lifetime!!

Best of luck.

Results of CBSE Aieee 2008 are out!

2008-06-04T03:24:00.004+05:30

The fate of around 800000 students have been declared by CBSE this evening. All those who are looking for the site can go directly to the site by clicking on the following link.
http://www.cbseresults.nic.in/aieee/cbseaieee.htm

This one is Only for you

2008-06-02T20:46:00.003+05:30

I have an angel, who does not have wing,
Musical quintessence without any string.
Flowers bloom; but it is not spring!
Feeling regal; Am I in dream?

To be a canary one need not fly,
I found elixir when land was dry.
Bliss struck me without any try!
Will this vanish in a blink of an eye?

...........................To be continued

Awarding olympics to Beijing- A mistake

2008-05-30T23:48:00.010+05:30

The above three picture tells the whole story of the coming Beijing Olympics and shows how wrong the IOC has gone in picking China as the host of the biggest sporting extravaganza of this planet. The Olympic games means different things to different people. To the athletes it represents the culmination of hard work and ambition , to keen followers of the game they represent competition of highest level, but to the host country it is an opportunity to showcase their country's might and means.

The International Olympics committee were myopic in their decision to grant China 2008 Olympics. They went on to appease an emerging super power with some 1.3 billion people but forgot the base that after all it is an sporting event and the country should be suitable for hosting games. There are basically two major reasons why the Games should not have gone to Beijing.

Firstly, Beijing is not technically fit to host such an event like olympics, which require a lot of endurence, due to its high level of pollution. The level of pollution is as high as 12 times the limit considered safe by WHO. Breathing in Beijing is harmful and holdig an atheletic event is like " feeding athelete with poison". this whole pollution issue is already taking its toll as in march Haile Gebrselassie, the world record holder in marathon and favoriete for gold medal has announced that that he will almost certainly not compete in that race and opt for a shorter distance to prevent long-term injury to his lungs. Some might consider it as a harsh decision, but some earlier events have shown how difficlt it is to compete in such conditions like the cycling race held recently in which all but 8 out of 47 cyclist drop midway due to air.In short, the IOC should not have chosen a city where athletes’ tolerance for particulates is a major factor in determining medals.

Since then beijing has produced results of decreasing pollution level. But the truth is that it has employed fraudulent techniques to show better results by moving the lab from city and others.To get a more clear picture following points should be noted.

1. According to the World Bank, 16 cities in the world with the worst air pollution are located in China.
2. The country’s Ministry of Science and Technology has estimated that 50,000 newborn babies a year die from the effects of air pollution.
3. China’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important global warming gas, are expected to surpass those of the United States in 2009, according to the International Energy Agency.

So, what china can do to bring down the pollution level is shut down industries and prohibit automobile usage. These extreme steps points to the second reason why the games should not have gone to china.
The communist party is obsessed with the idea of hosting a perfect Olympics and this has led to increase in repressive measures applied by the Chinese officials on the citizens. Some may argue that china have become more free from the time the games have been awarded to it. But the change is not due to the Olympics. As the Olympics are approaching, the government have become less tolerant and more coercive in its measures. The following points will highlight the condition of china.
1. They have shut down factories.
2. They have relocated 1.48 million people without their consent to make way for Olympic venues.
3. They have been systematically jailing citizens who question the hosting of the Games.
4. Visa restrictions on foreigners.
5. They are withdrawing permission for academic conferences and other long-planned events to ensure complete control over society.
Thus we see that the Olympics are becoming a showcase of violent repression and a means to control a dynamic population.
So, we can say that it was a mistake to grant Olympics to china on the technical as well as the political grounds.

All that Glitters are not Gold !!

2008-05-30T01:14:00.005+05:30

Its true that all that glitters is not always gold. I would like to correlate this phrase with the mushrooming MBA colleges in India and how they are playing with a student's career. With the ever growing number of MBA colleges in India its a real hard time for every MBA aspirant to decide where to nurture their future as this is not just a degree but would be the platform on which they would be taking their career to a new hike. Even I am a MBA aspirant and have the same dreams in my eyes as every aspirant has and I also faced the same difficulties like others. That was" Which Would Be The Best College For Me??"
The story goes on like this -
I didn't get a very high percentile in CAT...though I was expecting it to be good !! I had no other option but to apply in some average B-School with an Ok type placement. I wanted to join a B-school this year only as I was not satisfied with my job. My search began...and finally I got calls from some average schools.I was happy as I had heard that the placements were good in those colleges.
Till that time I had made up my mind that I would be joining that institute. The school was also good infrastructure wise with a fees of around 5.3L. I thought I would manage it anyway but would go for it. Before the admission I went to the the Institute to just have a chat with the seniors and know more about the college. From the entrance starting from the guard to the Admission Incharge everybody was speaking the same language.We have 100% placement with an average salary of 6L and highest of 10L.I was satisfied with the feedback until I met a guy who was a final year student of the Institute. I just asked him about the placement as he was the one who would be appearing for the placement. Initially he denied to say anything, I was surprised why he was behaving like that..then finally he insisted me not to go for that college as it was a total wastage of time. Though the college was claiming for 100% placement but they were hardly able to get a job for 80% of the student. Not only that, the package that was being offered was the CTC( Cost To Company) not the amount they would be getting in hand. The CTC included Medical Insurance , the bonus that they would be getting if and only if they perform something excellent, the rent of the area that they would be given as their workstation and many more and the list was endless.....
I was shocked to know this and that time I promised myself that I would give my best and give myself a second chance to bell the CAT and get into IIMs. So, friends don't go with the rumours, try to get to the depth as this is your career and don't let anyone play with it.
All the best !!

DSC02236

2008-05-29T04:06:00.001+05:30

DSC02236
Originally uploaded by ashish.singh2008

all dressed up and no where to go

Just got my Degree

2008-05-28T19:24:00.011+05:30

Finally the convocation at Bit mesra took place on 22nd May. This was the day which we used to discuss and speculate for the four years of study. Convocation was the day for old friends and foes to unite and show off what they have achieved and relish those memories of togetherness.
But the spirits were dampened as memories of two of our old friends kept coming back to us . It was Sadaf and Prabhat. Both of them lost their lives on the very first day of their job in an accident. But life goes on... and so we tried to enjoy ourselves as much as we can.
As always, there was lack of enthusiasm from the pharmacy guys, and less number of people turning up was a dampener.
Anyway, here is my experience as I enjoyed it and will relish these memories for life.
Convocation was on 22 nd May and we were supposed to collect our gowns on 21 st . I was expecting a big queue , but there was none as the number of people were less. Next day we were supposed to enter the Hall before 9.30 A.M. But as expected, due to some unforeseen reasons, I went there at 10.00 o' clock. I was wondering whether I would be allowed to enter or not . I was such a fool! I forgot that I was in India. Convocation was delayed due to the chief guest not coming on time. I was relieved. I went inside and took my seat. Due to some poor planning and absurd seating arrangements, mine seat was quite far from the whole group.

Like always, this year also, we were hearing the rumours of President coming as the chief guest, but as expected, She did not and some P.Balram of Indian Institute of Science from Bangalore came along with ever-available Governor of Jharkhand! Before their arrival. we were taught how to enter the stage and bow to the panel after receiving the degree which hardly anyone noticed( Bitian way-- never pay attention to what u r taught!!)

At 11 o' clock the chief guests arrived along with the panel, sat on their respective seats and the convocation started. Initially there was a long and tedious speech from our acting V.C. which kept on going on and on and on..... We all were tempted to shout " ek do teen chaar... band karo yeh attyachaar" but we did not, thanks to our restraining power. After ages it was over and then came the turn of Mr. Balram and then The Governor. In the mean time we were supplied with the copy of the speeches which were being delivered. We thanked BIT for this!!! Not because we were interested in the speech but it was really hot and the pamphlet worked as a fan!!

Then Gold medalist from each branch were called and presented with the gold medal. After this there came one "Mr. hunsmukh" whom I think was trained to give degrees. For rest of the students he kept on posing and smiling for the photographers . At last our turn came and we went to take our " beloved " degree from our very own " sugga" . We took it and posed and ran away.

Then it was some photography time. We all posed in different angles with our degree . Bit had arranged for some snacks and there was more number of people than the actual convocation. We managed to get some packets for ourselves. One thing I would like to add that this time BIT was very generous in giving cold drinks as that was available in plenty and we were all lining up to that stall one after another.

So, overall it was great time and specially the Gown( which was the same from the time BIT started ) was great. We let our imagination go wild which is reflected in the pics .

Anyway, thank you BIT for everything.

Do we live in a "country"??

2008-05-15T00:24:00.008+05:30

Do we live in a Country? This the question which came to my mind while watching the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super kings. I was watching the score on ciricbuzz and also chatting with others. Initially the chat was related to cricket but later it all came down to a menace called Regionalism. All the people were having mutual hatred for other states and a sense of superiority for themselves. This reminds me to what is happening in Maharashtra .
Maharashtra, one of the most developed state of India, is showing the most primitive kind of behaviour. Suddenly from nowhere a person called Raj Thackeray emerges as their saviour because he is talking about Maharashtra for Maharshtrians. This the most ridiculous thing I have come across in the recent times. People are throwing away the North Indians from Maharashtra and are not allowed to enter.
India at 60, has faced many problems like terrorism, war, natural calamity, disease, poverty, population etc but what could prove to be the deadliest is Regionalism.It has the potential to shatter our very base and throw the whole nation into bits and pieces. What is happening in Maharashtra is just the Tip of the iceberg. The hatred is deep rooted every where. It is like a dormant volcano. People like Raj Thackeray are just trying to evoke these sleeping monster for their personal gains.
Now the responsibility lies in the hands of Maharshtrian to show this world their true spirit. They must out rightly reject such people and let this country remain ONE. They might be tempted by little personal gains, but they should remember that the cause of Nation is bigger than any state.
We have lost a large number of lives for this country and so let us not break it for people like Raj.

2008-03-13T02:49:00.001+05:30

hey while surfing the net i came across a site . i am quoting it to emphasise that pharmacy in India have no scope."Industry centered curriculum
Pharmacy education in India for the past several decades has been industry centered. It does not meet the requirements of patient care and pharmacy practice.
Industry-institute interaction is essential. This strengthens the ties for organising in campus placement services for the graduates and to generate resources for research and development. Institutions are having expert, experienced human resources having innovative patentable ideas. Industry should collaborate with institutions to avail these ideas. In return, institutes should acquire the latest technological know-how from the industry. Benefits that can be expected from this symbiotic relationship are multi fold.
In India, a pharmacist has no public image. In hospitals, pharmacists are still serving as compounders rather than counselors. The pharmacists do not play any useful role in the health care of the country. Even the new Health Policy of the Government of India (2002) has not recognised the services of pharmacist. "

will keep updating.

what's on my mind

2008-03-12T19:55:00.000+05:30

Today i took a day's off from my job to recharge my batteries. U know , jobs can be at times very tiring. i have just come across this blogging thing, and found it very interesting. this my first post, and i hope this new beginning will mark a new beginning in my life as well.

what's on my mind today is as always MBA. this year i want to crack CAT with full force and yes there will be no half measures this time. After doing my B.Pharm I was left with little options for my future. many of my friends will think that why am I so frustrated with my degree???

well!! to all u people out there , there is no real opportunity in this country i.e. INDIA for pharmaceutical graduates. after going through the rigors of four years course we are suppose to do pharmaceutical marketing which does not require any sort of knowledge, whatsoever . some people get production jobs in big pharmaceutical houses, but they are also not considerate enough to pay at least 10k.

The biggest question which boggles my mind is why a sector which is responsible for the health of the mankind is not recruiting quality people from the pharmacy background rather than going for the general science graduates? every where we go we have to compete with the science graduates.

By writing these things, by no means i am trying to demean the general science graduates, but if u look at our course and the amount of study that we are suppose to do to clear our degree, then u will be surprised to note that what we get after this!! we are supposed to run a medical shop, beg in front of non competent doctors to prescribe, get thrown out of clinics by doctor's assistants, and earn a meager 10 thousand .

OK OK!! now i m getting heated by this. but this is me, whenever i start to discuss this topic i become aggressive. whatever be the reason , i have decided to do an MBA this year and show the world that we are not incompetent but the lack of opportunity is what dragging us behind.
i invite all u pharmacy people to comment and join me to take this profession from rags to riches.