IIT Kharagpur has achieved a breakthrough by creating an artificial heart for a Rs.1,00,000/- (approx. US $2,000). A team of scientists at IIT-Kgp's school of medical science and technology created this "Total Artificial Heart" (TAH) and have applied for human trials. To contrast, the first artificial heart in US cost 3 Million Indian Rs. (Approx. $60,000). Sujoy Guha, an IIT-Kgp faculty member and bio-medical engineering expert, is leading the artificial-heart team. The principal challenges in the artificial heart transplant are body's rejection of the heart and heavy medicines required to suppress the immune system's response to the a foreign object in the body.

Source:Economictimes.com Article

The Hindu reports that n an innovative program "INSPIRE" organized by Department of Science and Technology, ten noble prize wining scientists will interact with students in Allahabad. "Among the Nobel laureates likely to attend are physicists like Martin Lewis Perl, Jerome Isaac Friedman, Robert C. Richardson and Sir Anthony Leggett, as also Sir Harod (Harry) Walter Kroto who is the Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, the IIIT-A Director said. Tiwari said the event is inspired by the Lindau Nobel Laureates' Meeting in Germany."

SourceThe Hindu

PTI is reporting that to attract students to science, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today launched special scholarships for the youth aimed at identifying talent at an early stage and mentoring them in pursuit of research careers. The Innovation of Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) aims to reach out to 10 lakh students in the next five years in a bid to build human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the science and technology system and, research and development base. "Recognising the importance of this initiative, the government has made an allocation of Rs 2100 crore for it in the 11th Plan period," Singh said launching the INSPIRE programme."

Source:PTI Website