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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Legal notice threatens Sunetra’s NCP presidency

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is weathering a fresh political storm as newly elected National President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar faces a direct legal challenge to her leadership. Elevated to the top posts following the tragic accidental demise of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar is now navigating a complex internal rebellion. A legal notice served by a senior party functionary demanding the annulment of her election has not only raised the...

Legal notice threatens Sunetra’s NCP presidency

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is weathering a fresh political storm as newly elected National President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar faces a direct legal challenge to her leadership. Elevated to the top posts following the tragic accidental demise of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar is now navigating a complex internal rebellion. A legal notice served by a senior party functionary demanding the annulment of her election has not only raised the startling possibility of her having to step down from the presidency but has also ignited intense speculation among party insiders regarding who might truly be orchestrating this proxy battle from behind the scenes. The crisis was triggered on July 9 when Sachchidanand Singh, the NCP’s Jharkhand State President and a party veteran of 15 years, served a legal notice through his lawyer. Directed at Sunetra Pawar as party president, Praful Patel as working president, and Brijmohan Srivastava as party secretary, the notice claims that the February 26 election for the top post was fundamentally invalid and unconstitutional. Singh, who was appointed as National Secretary in December 2023 by the late Ajit Pawar but unceremoniously excluded from the new national executive committee, has demanded that the current election be scrapped and a fresh one be conducted under an independent and impartial election officer. Crucially, the notice demands that until a new election is held, Sunetra Pawar’s position and the revised list of office-bearers be considered null and void, a move that would effectively force her immediate ouster. Procedural Expose The legal challenge hinges on deep procedural technicalities that expose the fragile transition of power within the NCP. According to the notice, following Ajit Pawar’s demise on January 28, the party submitted an amended constitution to the Election Commission on February 17, vesting Praful Patel with the powers of the National President until a permanent leader was elected. Singh has questioned under what authority Brijmohan Srivastava convened the pivotal February 26 meeting instead of Patel. Furthermore, he alleged that consent from the then-national executive members was bypassed for crucial communications sent to the Election Commission on February 18. While the legalities are complex, the political implications are profound. The sheer audacity of the notice has set the rumor mills ablaze within the NCP, with party insiders quietly speculating whether Singh is acting independently out of personal grievance over his exclusion, or if he is acting as a frontline proxy for disgruntled heavyweight factions maneuvering for ultimate control of the party. Trivial Issue Amidst the brewing storm, the NCP’s top brass has attempted to project a picture of absolute unity while swiftly dismissing the rebellion. Senior party leader and NCP State President Sunil Tatkare sought to brush away the controversy, characterising the legal notice as a trivial issue completely devoid of factual or legal substance. Asserting that the election of ‘Vahini’ (Sunetra Pawar) was conducted with strict adherence to the party constitution, laws, and democratic norms, Tatkare emphasised that the opinion of a single disgruntled individual does not reflect systemic unrest within the larger organisation. He firmly stated that the party’s core committee would convene imminently to consult legal experts and take appropriate disciplinary decisions against those responsible for the notice. However, despite Tatkare’s confident efforts to downplay the crisis, the looming legal battle and the swirling internal suspicions pose a critical test for Sunetra Pawar’s nascent leadership at a highly vulnerable juncture for the party. “There is no rift in the party. All senior party leaders meet with Sunetra Pawar to discuss political issues. The letter written by Sachchidanand Singh carries no weight. Any issue should be resolved amicably in the interest of the party." Praful Patel, Leader, NCP

AI in Sperm Sorting: An Unbiased Decision for A Better Outcome

Artificial Intelligence or AI is revolutionising fertility treatments of the future. The inclusion of AI enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity of sperm selection, hence potentially improving fertility outcomes by leaps and bounds. Traditionally, sperm sorting through manual methods is subjective to judgments. Processes like centrifugation and swim-up methods are used to separate sperm based on motility and morphology. Although they are effective, they have their limitations, leading to human errors that affect the success rates of fertility treatment. For instance, studies have shown that traditional sperm sorting techniques can have variability in success rates, with reported live birth rates ranging between 15 per cent to 25 per cent per cycle depending on the method and quality of sperm. Hence the introduction of AI helps in maintaining consistency in evaluations of sperm, using the same data set for every sample which leads to better judgments.


Automation and Standardisation- Automation of sperm selection and also introduction of AI in the process have improved the results in ART. AI-assisted sperm selection improves the accuracy in choosing high-quality sperm for fertilisation purposes, and also, pregnancy and live birth rates might be improved. Technologies like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection along with AI ensure the chances of pregnancies increase by about 10-20 per cent compared to the standard procedures. AI and Automation will decrease time taken to analyze sperm and increase opportunities to select better sperm with DNA integrity for better development and higher success rates in embryo selection. These processes ensure that the sperm selection process follows consistent criteria, reducing variability in outcomes caused by human error.


Analysing Complex Data for Better Outcomes- AI plays a crucial in improving IVF outcomes by analysing complex data and providing tailored recommendations. AI-driven tools and models such as those on SpOvum.ai point towards an opportunity to optimise ovarian stimulation decisions by assessing patient characteristics and follicle growth patterns. A study revealed that the use of AI in IVF improved egg yield and reduced medication costs. AI enables fertility specialists to make data-driven choices, improving overall IVF success rates and streamlining treatment processes.


Reducing Human Error- AI models can continuously learn and refine their performance by being trained on newer data. This adaptability ensures the technology remains unbiased and up-to-date with the latest scientific insights into sperm quality and fertility success rates. Studies have shown that AI-driven sperm sorting can decrease human-related errors by up to 25 per cent, improving sperm selection quality in terms of morphology and motility.


Reduction of Sperm Damage- The new AI-driven sperm sorting techniques also include microfluidic systems that are known to exhibit several advantages over the most commonly used conventional method, which is centrifugation. Traditional centrifugation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, also cause severe oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation of the sperm because of the very high mechanical forces involved. The AI-infused microfluidic sorting minimises this damage significantly by involving gentler processes that mimic the natural pathway of sperm selection. The studies show that the process of microfluidic sorting decreases DNA fragmentation in sperm, which gives improved opportunities for success for IVF. For example, DNA fragmentation is 20 percent lower in sperm sorted using microfluidic processes than in traditional processing methods.


AI is bound to play an increasingly definitive role in fertility treatments, which will improve the outcomes for couples experiencing infertility.


(The author is a Co-Founder & CEO at SpOvum® Technologies. Views personal.)

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