TMS Ep603: Antimicrobial resistance, leopards, Q3 results, cyber kidnapping

Antibiotics are given to neutralize harmful bacteria, and to halt their reproduction. But their overuse is fast turning into some sort of epidemic. It is turning these germs into 'super bugs' - which are antibiotic resistant. And India has one of the highest mortality rates due to this antimicrobial resistance. So how can India stop popping antibiotics? 

Kerala, meanwhile, has launched a state-wide operation to check abuse of antibiotics. It will also deploy covert squads to monitor sale of these drugs. Well, it looks like a step in the right direction. Let us now turn our focus to another threat, which is giving sleepless nights to people in various parts of the country. Incidents of leopards straying into human habitats have been on a rise for a while now. From posh NCR colonies like Gurgaon and Noida to villages in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, leopards are increasingly making their presence felt. But why? 

But on Monday, bears made their presence felt on Dalal Street. Key benchmark indices tumbled amid weakness in global indices. But IT stocks shone amid this rout. Stocks of IT majors have been in the spotlight after a sharp recovery seen last year. The excitement has been led by hopes of improvement in IT spending as global rates begin to decline. But can the December quarter earnings test this optimism? 

Many experts believe that IT stocks would see increased volatility in the coming weeks. Moving on, another disturbing trend has emerged in the evolving landscape of cybercrimes. It is being called “Cyber Kidnapping.” Find out more on it in this episode of the podcast.