A benchmark study on economic impact of Neem Coated Urea on Indian agriculture.

The policy of mandatory production and distribution of Neem Coated Urea (NCU) was implemented by the Government of India since 2015. In this article, authors have made an attempt to explore the benefits of NCU recognized by the producers of six major crops such as paddy, maize, sugarcane, tur, jute and soybean across six major states viz., Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Assam. The results reveal that NCU use has contributed positively in terms of increasing the yield levels of main product and by-products, as well as net returns with regard to almost all reference crops however; the extent varies from crop to crop. Moreover, NCU has helped reduce the cost of production by minimizing the cost of urea as well as other fertilizers and pesticides usage. Interestingly, the diversion of urea has stopped completely, post the production and distribution of NCU. Hence, it is concluded that the application of NCU has a positive impact on Indian agriculture, by way of increasing yield levels & returns for the farming community. These results are in line with the PM's vision of doubling farmers' income by 2022 and Sustainable Development Goals of the Country.

Case Reports: Survival from Rabies: Case Series from India.

Rabies, a zoonotic viral encephalitis, continues to be a serious public health problem in India and several other countries in Asia and Africa. Survival is rarely reported in rabies, which is considered to be almost universally fatal. We report the clinical and radiological findings of eight patients with laboratory-confirmed rabies who survived the illness. With the exception of one patient who recovered with mild sequelae, all survivors had poor functional outcomes. The reported survival from rabies in recent years may reflect an increased awareness of the disease and greater access to better critical care facilities in rabies-endemic countries. Nonetheless, there is an urgent need to focus on preventive strategies to reduce the burden of this dreadful disease in rabies-endemic countries.