Asian Pacific Digestive Week 2006 (APDW)
The Asian Pacific Digestive Week 2006 will be held in Manila between November 26-29,2006. As the Indian Society of Gastroenterology is a member society of the Asia Pacific Society of Gastroenterology, our members should try and participate in this meeting. The last date for submitting abstracts is July 15, 2006. Please visit the website www.apdw2006.org for details. Your president Prof Deepak Bhasin and I are trying to arrange sponsorship for a few members who submit abstracts and are keen to attend the meeting. Preference will be given to youngsters (age < 35 years) who are pursuing or have completed a dedicated training program in Gastroenterology, have not availed international travel fellowship before, and have high quality abstracts accepted for presentation in the meeting.

47th Annual Conference
The 47th annual national conference of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology will be held in Mumbai from November 8-12, 2006. Dr Prabha Sawant, Organizing Secretary, has already created the conference website www.isgcon2006.com and has already mailed the brochure containing details of the conference, to all members. Abstracts will be received on the ISG website from July 1 to July 31, 2006. Abstracts received after 12 midnight on July 31, 2006 will not be accepted. Abstracts should be submitted electronically. Log on to the ISG website at Http://www.isg.org.in, click on the icon for abstracts and follow the instructions. Please note that the abstracts should be submitted on-line at the society’s website www.isg.org.in. Manual submissions will not be accepted.

The schedule of the conference will be as follows: CME program on 8th November, followed by the main ISG conference on two days ie 9th and 10th November, 2006. The INASL and SGEI meetings will be held on 11th November, followed by the endoscopy workshop on 12th November. A great scientific feast awaits you in Mumbai.

Mid-term Meetings
The mid-term meeting of ISG was organized in Manipal and Mangalore in 2006 by Dr BV Tantry and Dr Ganesh Pai. A half day theme conference on IBD in India was held on 14th April in Manipal and a full-day CME in Mangalore on 15th.This was followed by an endoscopy workshop on 16th April. Besides the high scientific content, this meeting was very well attended and appreciated by a large number of members. The 2nd ISG-mid-term meeting is expected to be held in September
ISG provides financial aid of Rs 40,000 each for two mid term meetings every year. Those who are willing to organize these meetings in 2007 should write to the Secretariat.

Awards
Nominations for the various awards should be sent to the secretariat by July 31, 2006. Details of the awards are as follows:

ISG-Pfizer Oration (2007)
The applicant should have done research in any branch of Gastroenterology, as evidenced by at least 20 publications in recognized journals. The publications should be full reports with references; summaries in conference proceedings or abstracts of presentations are not acceptable. The work should have been done in India as far as possible. If a suitable awardee is not found, the award may be given to a person whose work has significance for Indian conditions. Five sets of the application submitted by the proposer should include the curriculum vitae and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant.

ISG-Abbot Oration (2007)
This oration is in the field of parasitology/ gastrointestinal infection or nutrition as related to Gastroenterology. The applicant should have done research in these areas as evidenced by at least 20 publications in the form of full reports with references; summaries in conference proceedings or abstracts of presentations are not acceptable. Five sets of the application submitted by the proposer should each include the curriculum vitae and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant.

ISG-Alkem Om Prakash Memorial Award (2007)
This award will be given to a gastroenterologist member of the ISG who is below the age of 40 years. The award is based on the 10 best research papers published by the applicant. Five sets of the application should each include the biodata and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant. The application may be submitted by the prospective awardee or by a proposer who should be a member of the Society.

ISG-Olympus Mitra Endoscopy Award (2007)
This award to promote continuing education in the field of endoscopy is given to a senior member of the Society skilled in endoscopy who will visit one or more centers to enhance knowledge in the field. The awardee will be selected based on experience in endoscopy (as judged from the biodata and publications) and the centers proposed by him. Five sets of the application should each include the bio-data and reprints of the five best research papers published in the field of endoscopy. The application may be submitted by the prospective awardees or by a proposer who should be a member of the Society.

ISG-Dr P N Chuttani Oration (2007)
Nominations are invited for this prestigious oration. Nominations along with 10 sets of the curriculum vitae, should reach the Secretariat by July 31, 2006. The nominee should have a distinguished academic career and should have made outstanding contributions in Gastroenterology or related fields. The awardee will be selected on the basis of the bio-data. In case no nomination is received or no suitable awardee is found, the Scientific Committee along with a representative of the Trust will have the right to nominate any person who fulfils these criteria. The awardee will be provided airfare within India, and reimbursement for accommodation for three days during the annual conference.

ISG-Dr S R Naik Memorial Award (2006)
This award will be given to an Indian scientist for the best published work in the field of diseases of the digestive tract and liver, and other sciences as related to these areas in 2005-6. Applicants are required to send their full bio-data, a list of publications in the calendar year for which the award is meant, and 5 photocopies of such publications, to the Hon. Secretary. Selection Committee for the award will consist of two representatives of the ISG and one person from among the faculty of the Department of Gastroenterology at the SGPGI. The award carries a certificate and a cash of Rs. 20,000.

ISG-Dr S R Naik Travel Fellowships (2007)
These fellowships are aimed at encouraging exchange of postgraduate students (DM/MCh/DNB) between different academic departments imparting training in gastroenterology, surgical gastroenterology and pediatric gastroenterology. These will be awarded to postgraduate students in the above fields to enable them to visit another academic department for training.

Applicants are required to send their bio-data, proof of being a bonafide student in the specialty (from the head of the their department), name of the department and institution that they wish to visit, a letter from the head of the host department accepting her/him for training, and a certificate that s/he is not in receipt of any other financial support for this purpose.

Selection Committee for the fellowship will consist of three persons (a) a representative of the ISG, (b) one person from among the faculty of the Departments of Gastroenterology or Surgical Gastroenterology at the SGPGI, Lucknow and (c) a person nominated by the Head, Department of Gastroenterology, SGPGI, Lucknow.
The fellowship will cover the cost of travel (AC chair car or AC-3-tier), and of lodging and boarding (an amount of Rs. 5,000 per month, reduced on a pro-rata basis if duration is shorter). The fellowship will be tenable for a maximum period of one month.

Other Awards

• Young Investigator Award for best paper (age below 40 years). Two prizes of Rs 20,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research.
• Award for best paper in Plenary Session. Two prizes of Rs 30,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research.
• Please send five sets of full papers for both these awards as hard copy, along with an electronic version on a floppy disk to the secretariat before 31st July 2006. The senior author should also mention in the covering note whether he consents to the paper to be accepted as free paper or poster, should it not find a place in the limited slots available for the above award sessions. If the prior consent is not enclosed and the paper does not get selected for presentation in the award session, it will not be scheduled in the regular paper and poster sessions. The selection will be done by a panel of judges to whom the manuscripts will be sent without the face sheets, to ensure anonymity and fairness.
• Award for best posters: Two prizes of Rs 10,000 each.

Membership Certificates
ISG issues membership certificates to all its life-members. Those who have not yet received their certificates may please write to the secretariat. This venture has been sponsored by the Tamil Nadu chapter of ISG.

Elections
This year elections will be held for the post of President Elect and two Governing Council members. The president-elect Prof Subrat Acharya ( New Delhi) will be writing to you shortly and conducting the elections.

Membership Dues

The membership fees are as follows :
Life member Rs 5000
SAARC member Rs 5000
Non resident Indian ( life membership ) US $ 300
Please note that the application form for membership to ISG is available at the society’s website www.isg.org.in, and can be easily downloaded.

Getting connected
Your president, Prof Deepak Bhasin, and I have been considering ways to promote academic vibrancy and improve GE services in the country. As a first step, we need to be better connected with each other through e-mail. Hence please rush me your details (Name, designation, address and e-mail ID) by e-mail (gourdas@satyam.net.in) so that I may update the ISG address list and get in touch with you from time to time.

The new ISG website provides all relevant information regarding forthcoming events, fellowships, task force activities and news. Please visit it at http:// www.isg.org.in. I suggest you save it in your list of favorites and see it from time to time. Also, you may download the forms for ISG membership and conference travel fellowships.

Address and Membership Number
If you are not aware of your membership number, or you have changed your address or e-mail ID, please contact the Secretariat, preferably by e-mail. Looking forward to seeing you in Mumbai
Best wishes,

Gour Choudhuri
Honorary Secretary, ISG
Department of Gastroenterology,
Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences,
Rae Bareli Road,
Lucknow-226014, U.P.
Phones : 0522-2668700/800/900 Extn: 2413(O) & 2414( R )
Fax : 0522-2668561
Email : gourdas@satyam.net.in

46th Annual Conference

The 46th annual national conference of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology will be held in Vishakapatnam from November 11-14, 2005. Dr E P Veerraju, Organizing Secretary, has already created the conference website www.isgcon2005.com and will be mailing the brochure containing details of the conference, soon, to all the members. The last date for submission of abstracts is July 31, 2005. Abstracts received after 12 midnight on July 31, 2005 will not be accepted. Abstracts should be submitted electronically. Log on to the ISG website at www.isg.org.in, click on the icon for abstracts and follow the instructions. Please note that the abstracts should be submitted on-line at the society’s website www.isg.org.in. Manual submissions will not be accepted.
The schedule of the conference will be as follows: CME program on 11th November, followed by the main ISG conference on two days ie 12th and 13th November, 2005. The INASL and SGEI meetings will be held on 14th November, followed by the endoscopy workshop on 15th November. A great scientific feast awaits you in Vishakapatnam.

Mid-term Meetings

The mid-term meeting of ISG was organized in Ooty on 9th and 10th April 2005 in association with the annual conference of the Tamil Nadu chapter of ISG, by the President Dr KR Palaniswamy. Besides the high scientific content, this meeting was very well attended and appreciated by a large number of members. The 2nd ISG-mid-term meeting will be held on 4th July in Ahmedabad by Dr Sudhanshu Patwari and a CME on Hepatobiliary diseases on 10th July in Mysore by Dr R Wadhwa.
ISG provides financial aid of Rs 40,000 each for two mid term meetings every year. Those who are willing to organize these meetings in 2005 should write to the Secretariat. The meetings should be held before July 31,2005.

Awards

Nominations for the various awards should be sent to the secretariat by July31, 2005. Details of the awards are as follows:

ISG-Pfizer Oration (2006)

The applicant should have done research in any branch of Gastroenterology, as evidenced by at least 20 publications in recognized journals. The publications should be full reports with references; summaries in conference proceedings or abstracts of presentations are not acceptable. The work should have been done in India as far as possible. If a suitable awardee is not found, the award may be given to a person whose work has significance for Indian conditions. Five sets of the application submitted by the proposer should include the curriculum vitae and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant.

ISG Abbott Oration (2006)

This oration is in the field of parasitology/ gastrointestinal infection or nutrition as related to Gastroenterology. The applicant should have done research in these areas as evidenced by at least 20 publications in the form of full reports with references; summaries in conference proceedings or abstracts of presentations are not acceptable. Five sets of the application submitted by the proposer should each include the curriculum vitae and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant.

ISG-Alkem Om Prakash Memorial Award (2006)

This award will be given to a gastroenterologist member of the ISG who is below the age of 40 years. The award is based on the 10 best research papers published by the applicant. Five sets of the application submitted by the proposer should each include the biodata and reprints of the five best research papers of the applicant. The application may be submitted by the prospective awardee or by a proposer who should be a member of the Society.

ISG-Olympus Mitra Endoscopy Award (2006)

This award to promote continuing education in the field of endoscopy, is given to a senior member of the Society skilled in endoscopy who will visit one or more centers to enhance knowledge in the field. The awardee will be selected based on experience in endoscopy (as judged from the biodata and publications) and the centers proposed by him. Five sets of the application should each include the bio-data and reprints of the five best research papers published in the field of endoscopy. The application may be submitted by the prospective awardee or by a proposer who should be a member of the Society.

ISG-Dr P N Chuttani Oration (2006)

Nominations are invited for this prestigious oration. Nominations along with 10 sets of the curriculum vitae, should reach the Secretariat by July 31, 2005. The nominee should have a distinguished academic career and should have made outstanding contributions in Gastroenterology or related fields. The awardee will be selected on the basis of the bio-data. In case no nomination is received or no suitable awardee is found, the Scientific Committee along with a representative of the Trust will have the right to nominate any person who fulfils these criteria. The awardee will be provided airfare within India, and reimbursement for accommodation for three days during the annual conference.

ISG-Dr S R Naik Memorial Award (2005)

This award will be given to an Indian scientist for the best published work in the field of diseases of the digestive tract and liver, and other sciences as related to these areas in 2004-5. Applicants are required to send their full bio-data, a list of publications in the calendar year for which the award is meant, and 5 photocopies of such publications, to the Hon. Secretary. Selection Committee for the award will consist of two representatives of the ISG and one person from among the faculty of the Department of Gastroenterology at the SGPGI. The award carries a certificate and a cash of Rs. 20,000.

ISG-Dr S R Naik Travel Fellowships (2006)

These fellowships are aimed at encouraging exchange of postgraduate students (DM/MCh/DNBE) between different academic departments imparting training in gastroenterology, surgical gastroenterology and pediatric gastroenterology. These will be awarded to postgraduate students in the above fields to enable them to visit another academic department for training.
Applicants are required to send their bio-data, proof of being a bonafide student in the specialty (from the head of the their department), name of the department and institution that they wish to visit, a letter from the head of the host department accepting her/him for training, and a certificate that s/he is not in receipt of any other financial support for this purpose.
Selection Committee for the fellowship will consist of three persons (a) a representative of the ISG, (b) one person from among the faculty of the Departments of Gastroenterology or Surgical Gastroenterology at the SGPGI, Lucknow and (c) a person nominated by the Head, Department of Gastroenterology, SGPGI, Lucknow.
The fellowship will cover the cost of travel (AC chair car or AC-3-tier), and of lodging and boarding (an amount of Rs. 5,000 per month, reduced on a pro-rata basis if duration is shorter). The fellowship will be tenable for a maximum period of one month.

Other Awards

· Young Investigator Award for best paper (age below 40 years). Two prizes of Rs 20,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research.
· Award for best paper in Plenary Session. Two prizes of Rs 30,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research.
For the above two awards, in addition to the electronic submission of the abstract, please send five sets of full papers as hard copy, along with an electronic version on a floppy disk to the secretariat before 31st July 2005. The senior author should also mention in the covering note whether he consents to the paper being accepted as free paper or poster, should it not find a place in the limited slots available for the above award sessions. If the prior consent is not enclosed and the paper does not get selected for presentation in the award session, it will not be scheduled in the regular paper and poster sessions The selection will be done by a panel of judges to whom the manuscripts will be sent without the face sheets, to ensure anonymity and fairness.
· Award for best posters: two prizes of Rs 10,000 each.

Membership Certificates
ISG has decided to issue membership certificates to all its life-members. All members attending the ISG conference in Vishakapatnam will receive it at the conference venue. Those who are unable to attend but are keen to obtain the membership certificate may contact the secretariat. This venture has been sponsored by the Tamil Nadu chapter of ISG.

Elections

This year elections will be held for the post of President Elect, Hony Secretary, Hony Treasurer, and two Governing Council members.

Membership Dues

The membership fees are as follows :
Life member Rs 5000
SAARC member Rs 7500
Non resident Indian ( life membership ) US $ 300

Getting connected

Your president, Dr KR Palaniswamy, and I have been considering ways to promote academic vibrancy and improve GE services in the country. As a first step, we need to be better connected with each other through e-mail. Hence please rush me your details (Name, designation, address and e-mail ID) by e-mail (gc@sgpgi.ac.in) so that I may update the ISG address list and get in touch with you from time to time.
The new ISG website provides all relevant information regarding forthcoming events, fellowships, task force activities and news. Please visit it at http:// www.isg.org.in. I suggest you save it in your list of favorites and see it from time to time. Also, you may download the forms for ISG membership and conference travel fellowships.

Address and Membership Number

If you are not aware of your membership number, or you have changed your address or e-mail ID, please contact the Secretariat, preferably by e-mail. Looking forward to seeing you in Vishakapatnam
Best wishes,

G. Choudhuri
Honorary Secretary, ISG
Department of Gastroenterology,
Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences,
Rae Bareli Road,
Lucknow-226014, U.P.
Phones : 0522-2668700/800/900 Extn: 2413(O) & 2414( R )
Fax : 0522-2668017
Email : gc@sgpgi.ac.in
gourdas@satyam.net.in

• Young Investigator Award for best paper (age below 40 years). Two prizes of Rs 15,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research.
• Award for best paper in Plenary Session. Two prizes of Rs 20,000 each will be given to the best papers in clinical and basic research. Please send five sets of full papers for both these Awards.
• Award for best posters: two prizes of Rs 10,000 each.

44th Annual National Conference of ISG, Chennai, Nov 20-24, 2004

The society held its annual conference in Chennai. It was extremely well organized and attended by over 1000 delegates. The organizing secretary, Dr KR Palaniswamy, and his team deserve our heartiest congratulations on the success.
The Continuing Medical Education program on the 20th November was of high scientific quality with the faculty comprising several experts from USA, UK and India. A CPC was conducted on 21st morning with Dr Marsha Morgan (USA) in the role of the clinical discussant. During his presidential oration, Prof Philip Abraham presented data on medical research and scientific publications from India, and stressed the need for greater thrust and inputs in this area. Prof Rakesh K Tandon delivered the prestigious PN Chuttani oration on gallbladder stones and its sequel.
Clinics in Biliopancreatic diseases were held on 22nd morning with Dr Pankaj Pasricha (USA) as the moderator. This video assisted case based discussion of challenging clinical problems generated enthusiastic response. Prof Shiv Sarin while delivering the Abbott Oration, discussed the nomenclature, dynamics and new management strategies of Hepatitis B infection, and Prof MP Sharma discussed the role of Helicobacter infection in the causation of peptic ulcers during the Pfizer Oration.
During the ISG conference preliminary recommendations of 4 ISG Task Force committees were presented. These included Chronic Hepatitis B, Malabsorption, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Also new to ISG were 2 sessions of wider interest: one on Career Opportunities for Indian Gastroenterologists, and another on ISG in the global village, both of which were well received and attended by most delegates.
Another special feature of this conference was the unprecedented number of prizes and awards to encourage young researchers. Apart from the 8 prizes worth Rs 1.0 lac sponsored by Win Medicare (2 for the best papers in the plenary session, 2 for Young Investigator Session, and 4 for posters), the Organizing Committee of the Chennai ISG generously sponsored 20 prizes worth 1.0 lac, and JBC Pharmaceuticals provided support worth Rs 60,000 for 12 awards. Intas Pharmaceuticals continued their support to residents and young doctors in the form of Travel fellowship.
The mid-term conference of the sister societies, INASL and SGEI were also very well organized and attended, as was the video endoscopy workshop on 24th November.
Delegates were very satisfied and appreciative of the arrangements and organization. The locale, audiovisuals, announcements, adherence to time, as well as the food and social events blended well to provide the backdrop for a very satisfying conference.

Awards and orations for 2003:

The Alkem- Om Prakash Memorial Award given to a scientist under 40 years of age, for the best research in Gastroenterology, was bagged by Dr Vineet Ahuja,. The Olympus- J Mitra Award, given to a gastroenterologist for research and teaching in endoscopy, was awarded to Dr Radha Krishna Dhiman.

Awards and orations for 2004:

There were several applicants for the various awards and orations for the year 2004. each awardee was selected by a panel of atleast 5 senior judges. The Pfizer Oration for the year 2004 was awarded to Dr Rakesh Aggarwal. The Abbott Oration was awarded to Dr Amal K Santra, the Olympus J Mitra Award to Dr BC Sharma, and the Alkem –Om Praksh Memorial Award to Dr Govind Makharia. The SR Naik Travel fellowship, sponsored by the organizers of the Lucknow conference to commemorate the memory of late Prof Subhash Naik was awarded for the first time; the awardee was Dr Yogesh M Shastri of Mumbai.

Change of Guard

Prof Philip Abraham successfully completed his term as president of the society while Dr TNL Mazumdar and Prof Premashis Kar successfully completed their 3 years term as members of the governing council. Dr YK Joshi took over as the president of the ISG for the year 2003-4 and Prof B Ramakrishna was elected unopposed as member of the governing council.
As there were no valid nominations for the posts of president-elect and one post of governing council member, the immediate past president sought nominations and conducted elections for these 2 posts. Dr KR Palaniswamy was elected president-elect and Dr Balasubramaniam was elected (unopposed) into the governing council.

Forthcoming Conferences

Two mid-term conferences of the ISG for the year 2004 were awarded to Guwahati and Delhi. The Guwahati conference is scheduled for 28th and 29th Feb 2004, while the dates for the Delhi conference is April 3-4, 2004. Vishakapatanam was decided as the venue for the ISG annual conference 2005 with Dr E Peda Veerraju as the organizing secretary, subject to site inspection by an ISG team in 2004.

45th Annual National Conference of ISG

Jaipur is the venue for the next annual conference and Prof Ramesh Roop Rai has already started very hard to make your visit to the pink city memorable. The conference dates are October 1-4, 2004. Please note that the dates of our annual conference are somewhat early this year. The deadline for submission of applications and abstracts will be announced soon, and I request your cooperation in keeping to deadlines this time.

Those of you, who have not yet sent me your e-mail IDs, please do so urgently so that I can get back with more news and details soon. I look forward to your enhanced participation in the forthcoming year. With best wishes,

Dr Gourdas Choudhuri, MD,DM,FACG
Honoraryy Secretary
Indian Society of Gastroenterology,
Prof and Head, Dept of Gastroenterology,
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences.
Lucknow, 226014, India
e-mail: gc@sgpgi.ac.in, gourdas@satyam.net.in
telephone: 0522-2668700, fax: 0522-2668017, 2668561