UNCTAD calls for better foreign financial arrangements
Rubens Ricupero, former secretary general, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), dwelled on the need for better international arrangements in the monetary and financial areas to ensure an international system that would reduce excessive volatility in exchange rates among major currencies, and provide a measure of stability to international financial flows.

Bio-Rad organises workshop on thalassaemia and sickle cell testing
Bio-Rad Laboratories, a multinational diagnostic company organised a series of workshops on thalassaemia and haemoglobinopathy testing from March 11-13, 2005 in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi respectively.

Seminar on pharma management
The Sterling Institute of Pharmacy, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, is organising a seminar on ‘Pharma brands management - Post GATT’ on April 3, 2005 at its college premises.

Programme on methods of teaching pharmaceutical chemistry
A two week training programme entitled ‘Special methods of Teaching Pharmaceutical Chemistry’ was recently organised by the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTR), Bhopal and Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Mumbai, in collaboration with J L Chaturvedi college of Pharmacy, Nagpur.

IMDA, ISA organise seminar on equipment validation and documentation
The India Instruments Manufacturers and Dealers Association (IMDA), a representative national organisation encompassing the entire section of the instrumentation industry and trade, along with the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society (ISA) had organised a seminar on equipment qualification, validation and documentation recently here.

Karnataka appoints Ramakrishna Gandhi as drugs controller
The Karnataka government has appointed Ramakrishna Gandhi as drugs controller. He has replaced Dr Pravati Nagaral, who had taken additional charge as drugs controller while serving as director, directorate heath and family welfare.

Bangalore Bio 2005 to be held on April 22-25
Bangalore Bio 2005, the fifth edition of Bangalore Bio tradeshow, promoted by Dept of IT & Biotechnology Government of Karnataka and the Vision Group on Biotechnology will take place on April 22-24, 2005.

Karnataka govt sanctions Rs 6.5 crore for biotech park
Karnataka government has announced a sanction of Rs 6.5 crore towards setting up of the Biotech Park close to the Electronics City, an industrial hub in the outskirts of Bangalore.

British Council provides funding to NIPER for medicine information
The advances in technology have made a profound effect on the manner in which pharmacy and medicine are practiced today. The pharmacists and the healthcare professionals must be able to systematically locate, analyse and deliver the information in an efficient manner to meet the needs of the customer.