top of page

By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 4:59:11 pm

Fadnavis seeks judicial probe against chiefs

AI Generated Image Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, requested Governor Jishnu Dev Verma to constitute a committee to investigate the current and former chairpersons of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) over an exam paper leak by invoking Article 317 of the Constitution, even as opposition MLA Rohit Pawar issued a two-day ultimatum to the state government, warning that the protesting MPSC aspirants will either shut down Pune city or storm the Mantralaya if...

Fadnavis seeks judicial probe against chiefs

AI Generated Image Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, requested Governor Jishnu Dev Verma to constitute a committee to investigate the current and former chairpersons of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) over an exam paper leak by invoking Article 317 of the Constitution, even as opposition MLA Rohit Pawar issued a two-day ultimatum to the state government, warning that the protesting MPSC aspirants will either shut down Pune city or storm the Mantralaya if the commission’s leadership is not held accountable. The chief minister’s recommendation to the Governor follows a high-level meeting with a delegation of students preparing for competitive exams. Responding to their primary demand for the immediate removal of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, the government clarified that a constitutional inquiry is legally mandated before any dismissal. Consequently, Fadnavis has urged the Governor to appoint a retired High Court judge to head the probe committee, requesting a report within three months to facilitate further administrative action. Honoring another commitment made during the meeting, the state government issued orders transferring MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar from his post. The current unrest stems from the leaked Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug inspector examination paper, a breach that recently led to the arrest of several accused individuals and three beneficiary students. However, the state government’s actions have failed to quell the agitation in Pune, which has now entered its fifth day and fractured into three distinct groups over varying demands, including disputes over descriptive versus objective exam patterns. The protest site has rapidly transformed into a political flashpoint, drawing visits from prominent leaders across the spectrum, including Sharad Pawar, Raj Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Manoj Jarange Patil. Taking an aggressive stance on the ground, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar cautioned the administration that a massive escalation is imminent. Anticipating a potential visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on October 7 or 8, Pawar estimated that over one lakh students could soon take to the streets. He stated that the students and their parents will heed calls to lock down Pune entirely or march directly to the state secretariat in Mumbai if the government fails to clean up the alleged corruption within the MPSC. The escalating standoff also triggered a direct political exchange between Pawar and Minister Nitesh Rane. Rane urged Pawar not to hold students hostage for political optics, emphasizing that the issue concerns the future of the youth and should not be used as a political launchpad. Rane sarcastically extended an olive branch, stating that as friends, they might even work together as cabinet ministers in the future. Pawar quickly dismissed the overture, retorting that Rane should focus on demanding Bhimanwar’s resignation from his own government rather than predicting future alliances. Pawar quipped that the BJP’s sudden collaborative tone indicates they have realized a change in government is imminent, urging Rane to show the courage to sit in the opposition. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP launched a fierce counter-offensive, categorizing the Pune protests as a staged political event rather than a genuine student movement. Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office, chief spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that 80 percent of the crowd consists of political workers. Ban claimed that after genuine students boycotted the initial days of the protest, Pawar orchestrated the arrival of employees from Baramati Agro and local sugar factories in 200 to 250 vehicles bearing political flags. Defending the MPSC chairman, Ban pointed out that the paper leak did not even occur during Bhimanwar’s tenure as he took charge in March 2026 and noted that the student delegation that met with Fadnavis in Mumbai had already expressed satisfaction with the government’s intervention. To bolster his claim of political infiltration, the BJP spokesperson cited a recent incident where Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Omraje Nimbalkar was met with hostile “traitor” slogans at the protest site, arguing this proved the crowd consisted of partisan workers rather than competitive exam aspirants seeking academic reforms.

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

Writer: Dr. Ramnath Babu T J
Dr. Ramnath Babu T J
Nov 7, 2024
3 min read

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.)

Comments

bottom of page