Survey says allergies may actually protect people from COVID

An interesting, observational study in the UK suggests that the overactive immune system associated with allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever may have a positive side-effect in the form of greater protection from COVID-19 in the initial stages. The 10-month study, involving around 15,000 people, was carried out between May 2020 and February […]

Move over Kerala! Gujarat is the new star in COVID-19 fight

Even as the rest of the country is seeing an accelerated increase in the number of new Coronavirus cases reported every day, the western Indian state of Gujarat has is reporting a surprising decline in the number of active cases every day. It has also shown a remarkable stability in the number of new COVID-19 […]

COVID-19: Stock Markets will ‘wait and watch’ for 1 week

Stock markets extended their losses on today, with the Nifty 50 falling by around 2.5% to 8,967. Among the biggest drags were ICICI Bank, which fell nearly 9%, indicating that large, foreign portfolio investors are exiting their long positions in the market. With this, the Nifty 50 index is now down 27.5% from its all-time […]

Bhopal Disaster: NGOs allege cover-up by Govt

Four organizations campaigning for justice on the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal accused the central and the state governments of suppressing a study that could have been used by the victims to bolster their case in courts. In a press conference, the organizations said they were able to obtain a copy of a study conducted […]

Construction on Central Yoga institute stuck for 8 years

Construction on Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy near Bhubaneswar in Orissa has been stuck for several years due to opposition from villagers surrounding the project, the AYUSH ministry said today. The institute, which would carry out research in Yoga and naturopathy as well as have a 100-bed attached hospital, was announced in eight years […]

1,104 people die during clinical trials in India in 3 years

A total of 1,104 people have died during clinical trials of various drugs and procedures in India in the last three years, according to the ministry of health and family welfare. However, not everyone who died during clinical trials are found to have died from the procedure through subsequent examinations. Only the patients who are […]

Southern Railway far behind the North in collecting littering fines

Southern railway zones, especially Southern Railway, are far behind their northern and western counterparts in fining those who litter the station premises, data from the Indian Railways showed. According to the data for the first ten months of the current year, Southern Railway division — which covers Kerala and Tamil Nadu — was able to […]

India could ban junk food and cola ads on children’s TV

The government  of India is exploring ways to ban the advertising of junk foods and soft drinks on television channels targeted at children, junior minister for information and technology Rajyavardhan Rathore told the parliament today. Rathore said intimations in this regard will be sent to television channels soon, and the idea was to discourage children […]

Solar Power is a life saver in Chhattisgarh – Survey

The solar energy revolution may be all about saving the environment, but for the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, it’s impact is more immediate, and life-saving. According to a first-of-its-kind study conducted on primary health centers in the state, PHCs with solar backup admitted 50% more patients and conducted almost twice the number of child deliveries […]

10.6% of Indians have mental disorders; country faces severe shortage

About 10.6% of adults in India suffer from some sort of mental disorder, including substance abuse problems, a study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences or NIMHANS found. The study was conducted in 12 states of India by the Bangalore-based institution. Those with mental disorders were classified as those with ‘common mental […]

India is the first country to reuse nuclear waste on large scale – Minister

The Department of Atomic Energy today said that India is the first country in the world where the waste produced by nuclear power plants is being used for civilian applications. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state overseeing the department, also allayed concerns about any possible leakage of radiation from spent fuel. “There has been no […]

Nearly a quarter of all food samples tested found fake or adulterated

Over one-fifth of all food samples tested in India’s government labs in the last year were found to be fake or adulterated, according to numbers compiled from various state government food testing facilities by union government’s department of consumer affairs. Exempting Gujarat, which accounted for nearly 23% of the samples, the total percentage of fake and adulterated […]

Lopinavir syrup for children with HIV now available across India – Govt

Minister of health and family welfare Anupriya Patel said Lopinavir syrup, the life-saving drug given to infants and toddlers with HIV has been restocked by the National Aids Control Organization. “NACO has done an emergency procurement from a registered manufacturer — McNeil and Argus. The drug has already been supplied and is available throughout the […]