World's thinnest condom by next year: Bill Gates

The world's thinnest condom that would encourage more men to be more enthusiastic about using protection, an idea backed by Bill Gates, is likely to become a reality next year. The billionaire philanthropist said the work on creating a material that is an effective barrier but does not feel like a pleasure killer has a 50% chance of becoming a technically manageable proposition by next year.
“The challenge will be to make it inexpensive,” said Gates who, accompanied by his wife Melinda, was in Delhi to talk about the work being done by his foundation in the country. “Unlike the R&D on say malaria, this one will get investors from rich countries.”
In an interaction with author Chetan Bhagat, the world's richest man who backs many health initiatives in India said that while he was enthused by the initiatives of the Modi government, the country still needed to ramp up its health budget.
“The goals (of the Modi government) are great but will they be able to steer them? Sometimes unpopular things need to be done for the good of the people. If you have a mandate then use it to do unpopular things,” said Gates.
Melinda Gates, on the other hand, was more unreservedly enthusiastic about the Modi regime's promises to roll out an extended vaccine programme, and improve neo-natal health and sanitation in India.
Gates' philanthropic efforts have been in the news for more than one reason this year, Just a week ago, he pledged a record donation of $50 million charity in charity to initiatives against ebola. He also declared earlier this year that his children would not be left billion dollar trust funds. To Bhagat's question if it was easy to be charitable in a nation where dharma dictates that one earn enough to feed seven generations of progeny, Gates said that worldwide philanthropy was becoming increasingly visible. “It is for the first generation of fortune owners to decide that they don't believe in dynastic use of wealth. Then children say if dad gave away why should I stop,” he said.
The couple had a brief session with students who asked them about their assessment of India's poverty alleviation problem. “India is the worst hit in terms of child mortality but it is an easier country to work in. You have good roads so it is easy to reach people unlike, say Congo, where you cannot even get people to a clinic,” said Gates.
The Microsoft co-founder was all praise for Kerala's superior health parameters because it proved that money wasn't the most important factor in achieving social progress. “It isn't even the richest state but it shines on the health front. We need to ask -- what is it about them? How do we transplant this to other states?”
Bhagat asked the couple if they were “hurt” by the current government's clear skepticism about the work of foreign do-gooders. “It doesn't hurt us but it holds back progress,” countered Gates.