Lifestyle

Bengaluru, May 12 (IANS) Karnataka Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Tuesday launched sharp attacks on the Central government over the alleged NEET UG 2026 examination question paper leak case and handing over of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), raising concerns over the credibility of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanding accountability from the BJP-led Union government.

Speaking to reporters, Sudhakar described the incident as "very unfortunate" and said repeated irregularities had raised serious questions about the credibility of the NTA.

"Time and again, this keeps happening. Now the credibility of the National Testing Agency has to be debated," he said.

Sudhakar expressed concern over the impact on students, stating that more than 22.5 lakh candidates who appeared for the NEET examination had already undergone immense mental stress.

"There is no point in a CBI inquiry at this stage. Already, more than 22.5 lakh students who appeared for the NEET exam have been put through severe hardship. Once again, they will have to start preparing and go through the stress of writing the entrance exam," he said.

Sudhakar noted that the pressure faced by medical aspirants was difficult to comprehend and called for stringent laws against those responsible for paper leaks.

"The stress levels students face are unimaginable. The desperation to secure a medical or allied medical sciences seat is not something we can easily understand. There should be a strict law to punish such people. We are testing the patience of lakhs of students who write the NEET exam," he said.

Targeting the BJP, Sudhakar said the opposition party in Karnataka frequently demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over various issues and urged the BJP to now seek accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government.

"For every small issue in the state, the BJP immediately says Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign. If they are truly committed to society and the younger generation, they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take responsibility and come out in the open. Either he resigns or his minister resigns," Sudhakar said.

Education Minister Bangarappa also criticised the Central government over the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak.

Questioning the opposition, he asked whether such incidents had occurred under the state government and challenged reporters to raise the same question with Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka.

Bangarappa said repeated irregularities in the examination process for the second consecutive year amounted to a grave injustice to students and their future.

"Despite the lack of a proper system, students have worked hard and tried to secure good results through their efforts. However, due to the Centre’s mismanagement and poor administration, injustice is being done to children," he alleged.

Taking a swipe at the Centre, the minister remarked: "What more can be said to those who beat drums and light lamps," in an apparent criticism of symbolic campaigns undertaken during previous national initiatives.

The NTA has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination, conducted on the 3rd of this month, for admission to undergraduate medical education.

In a social media post, it said that this decision has been taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests.

The agency also stated that the government has decided to refer the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of paper leak.

--IANS

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Jaipur, May 11 (IANS) Kota’s healthcare system has come under scrutiny after four women died due to Caesarean section complications at hospitals in the city over the past week.​

The poor healthcare system has left newborn babies motherless and triggered outrage across Rajasthan, as the death toll continues to rise, and the number of women turning critical due to kidney failure is also increasing.​

As several other women battle kidney failure and critical complications, grieving families have alleged medical negligence, delayed treatment, and the possible use of substandard medicines, turning the tragedy into a major healthcare and political crisis.​

Hapless families wait outside hospitals in disbelief, while serious questions continue to haunt Rajasthan’s healthcare system.​

Grieving families alleged that algae layers were seen in operating theatres and that none of the doctors listened to them when they complained about patients’ pain.​

They are now staging a dharna, demanding reasons for the deaths of their loved ones.​

The latest victim, 31-year-old Pinky Mahawar of Shriramnagar, Kota, died shortly after midnight on Sunday at the Super Speciality Block of the Medical College’s New Hospital.​

Just days earlier, she had delivered a baby girl at J.K. Lon Hospital.​

According to her family, Pinky’s health began deteriorating soon after the surgery. Her blood pressure dropped sharply, she stopped passing urine, and signs of kidney failure emerged.​

Her husband, Chandraprakash, alleged that despite her worsening condition, the hospital failed to refer her for advanced treatment in time.​

By the time she was shifted to ventilator support at the New Hospital, it was too late.​

Pinky leaves behind a four-year-old son and a newborn daughter who will grow up without their mother.​

The family is now staging a dharna outside the hospital, demanding answers from the hospital administration regarding the death and also seeking compensation in the matter.​

Earlier, 22-year-old Priya Mahawar from Bundi district also died following a Caesarean delivery at J.K. Lon Hospital.​

Before Priya, two other women, Payal and Jyoti Nayak, died on May 5 and May 7, 2026.​

They died at the New Hospital, while many others reportedly suffered kidney failure after Caesarean surgeries.​

At least eight women remain in critical condition and are battling for their lives, Congress city president Rakhi Gautam told IANS while staging a dharna with Pinky’s family.​

She questioned how the system still had no clear answers despite the first death being reported on May 4.​

“It is heartbreaking to see newborn children who could not even receive the warmth of their mothers because of a rotten system,” she said.​

“The symptoms are similar in all cases: kidney failure and sudden low blood pressure after Caesarean surgeries. Doctors privately admit it could be linked to substandard medicines, but nobody dares to speak openly for fear of losing their jobs.”​

She also questioned why no judicial probe or compensation had been announced for the affected families.​

“Four women have died. Others may have to live on dialysis for the rest of their lives. Who will bear those expenses?” she asked.​

Amid mounting outrage, the Rajasthan government has launched a high-level inquiry.​

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered a swift investigation, while Medical Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar has been monitoring the situation.​

Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department, stated that the preliminary inquiry into the matter revealed prima facie evidence of gross negligence in adherence to medical protocols and procedures.​

Consequently, the department took immediate action by suspending Dr Navneet Kumar, Associate Professor in the Department of General Surgery.​

Simultaneously, Dr Shraddha Upadhyay, an Assistant Professor serving on a contract basis, was dismissed from service.​

“Following preliminary findings of alleged gross negligence, the government has suspended Associate Professor Dr Navneet Kumar and nursing officers Gurjot Kaur and Nimesh Verma, while contract doctor Dr Shraddha Upadhyay was dismissed. Notices were also issued to senior doctors,” she said.​

The state has also halted the use of 24 medicines and medical devices across Rajasthan following suspicions of substandard drugs.​

Samples have been sent for laboratory testing. Yet, for grieving families, the action still feels incomplete.​

Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s Medical and Health Department has ordered strict adherence to treatment and sterilisation protocols in all government hospitals, especially in Intensive Care Units, emergency wards, and operating theatres, following the Kota maternal deaths case.​

Gayatri Rathore said negligence by doctors, nursing staff, facility in-charges, or unit heads would invite strict disciplinary action under service rules.​

Hospitals have been directed to ensure regular sterilisation of equipment, proper storage of medicines, maintenance of duty registers, and the mandatory presence of senior doctors in critical units.​

State-level monitoring teams will conduct periodic inspections across hospitals, and immediate corrective measures will be implemented wherever lapses or deficiencies are found.​

Meanwhile, outside the hospital, grief has turned into anger.​

The relatives of the deceased women have levelled serious allegations against the hospital administration, questioning how multiple women developed similar complications and died under nearly identical circumstances.​

Refusing to accept the bodies, the families have demanded a fair and transparent investigation along with strict action against those found responsible.​

Sources indicate that severe infections leading to kidney failure are suspected to be behind the cases.​

However, the hospital administration has so far not issued any clear official explanation.​

The incident has now snowballed into a major political issue, with the opposition targeting the government over the condition of the state’s healthcare system.

Families alleged that surgeries were conducted in unhygienic operating theatres and that warnings were ignored even after earlier cases surfaced.​

Pinky’s relatives have refused to accept her body until accountability is fixed.​

As investigations continue, the tragedy has become more than a medical crisis; it is now a painful reminder of how systemic negligence can destroy entire families in a matter of days.

--IANS

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Paris, May 11 (IANS) A French woman who traveled aboard the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius tested positive for the Andes hantavirus during her return to France, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday.

The woman was among five French nationals evacuated from the cruise ship and repatriated to France on Sunday, developing symptoms during the repatriation flight.

The woman's condition worsened overnight and she was transferred to a specialised infectious disease hospital for treatment, Rist said.

The minister also announced that 22 close contacts of hantavirus cases had been identified in France and ordered to isolate.

On Sunday, five French nationals who had been aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius returned to France, with one of them developing symptoms during the repatriation flight, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu had said.

The five French passengers arrived in France on Sunday afternoon aboard a medical evacuation flight and were immediately placed under strict isolation until further notice, Lecornu had said on social media platform X.

He had added that they were receiving medical care and would undergo tests and health assessments.

Lecornu had also said that a decree would be issued later on Sunday to introduce appropriate isolation measures for close contacts in order to protect the general population.

According to the World Health Organization, Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans. Infection in people can result in severe illness and often death, although the diseases vary by type of virus and geographical location. In the Americas, infection has been known to lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a rapidly progressive condition affecting the lungs and heart, while in Europe and Asia hantaviruses have been known to cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which primarily affects the kidneys and blood vessels.

While there is no specific treatment that cures hantavirus diseases, early supportive medical care is key to improve survival and focuses on close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications. Prevention depends largely on reducing contacts between people and infected rodents.

Transmission of hantaviruses to humans occurs from contact with contaminated urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Infection may also occur, although less commonly, through rodent bites. Activities that involve contact with rodents such as cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, farming, forestry work and sleeping in rodent-infested dwellings increase exposure risk.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Doing around 8,500 steps a day can help people keep weight off after dieting, according to new research.

To be presented at the ‘European Congress on Obesity’ (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 12-15, the study showed that there was a clear link between increasing step count and preventing weight regain.

Specifically, it was important to increase step count during the weight loss phase and maintain this increase during the weight maintenance phase. Patients who did so regained less weight, said the study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

“The most important – and greatest – challenge when treating obesity is preventing weight regain,” explains Professor Marwan El Ghoch from University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

Around 80 per cent of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years.

“The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value,” he said

Professor El Ghoch and researchers from Italy and Lebanon conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research to find out more.

Daily number of steps was measured at the start of the trials, at the end of the weight loss phase (average duration of 7.9 months) and at the end of the weight maintenance phase (average duration of 10.3 months).

Both groups of patients had a similar number of steps per day at the start of the trials (7,280 in LSM group vs. 7,180 in control group) indicating that they had similar lifestyles at baseline.

The control group did not increase their number of steps and did not lose weight at any time.

In contrast, the LSM group increased their step count to 8,454 a day by the end of the weight loss phase. They also lost a significant amount of their body weight (4.39% on average, around 4 kg)

They maintained this higher step count and, at the end of the weight maintenance phase, they were doing 8,241 steps daily. They also kept off most of the weight they had lost (average weight loss at end of trials of 3.28 per cent, around 3 kg).

Professor El Ghosh said that lifestyle modification programmes can lead to a meaningful amount of weight loss long term.

—IANS

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Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday distributed 'Maternal Nutrition Kits' in Mumbai on the occasion of Mother's Day and emphasised the importance of ensuring the health and well-being of mothers and newborn children.

Addressing the gathering during the event in north Mumbai, Goyal said the specially-designed kits had been prepared keeping in mind the nutritional and essential needs of women during the final stages of pregnancy, as well as the immediate requirements of newborn babies.

"These kits have been thoughtfully curated to address every essential requirement for mothers and sisters during the final stages of pregnancy. It also takes into account the necessities for the newborn during their initial days, thereby ensuring the good health of both the mother and the child," he said.

The Union Minister stressed that the health of mothers and children was directly linked to the future of the country.

"A healthy child born to a healthy mother will be the next generation. This is the future of India, and India's future is going to be the future of the world," he added.

Goyal further said that the initiative would be expanded across different localities in north Mumbai so that women belonging to lower-middle-income families do not face hardship during pregnancy and childbirth.

He also highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for women's empowerment and self-reliance.

"By providing tap water to every household, our sisters no longer have to carry heavy loads of water from wells or rivers on their heads. To ensure that every girl receives a good education, scholarships must be provided, and every facility must be made available. A good toilet should also be built in schools and colleges so that sisters do not face any difficulties, providing sanitary pads," Goyal said.

He added that such welfare initiatives were helping women become 'Atmanirbhar' and enabling them to participate more actively in the country's development journey.

During the programme, the Union Minister also praised the growing participation and achievements of women in various sectors and said they were emerging as strong contributors to national development.

"Our mothers and sisters are making rapid strides in every field; embodying the divine forms of Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Durga, they will not spare anyone who attempts to commit any wrongdoing," he said.

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of the event, the Union Minister extended greetings on the occasion of Mother's Day and underlined the role of women in India's progress towards becoming a developed nation.

"In the journey of making India a Viksit Bharat, the contribution of our women is the most important. Generation after generation, they have contributed to preserving India's heritage and cultural legacy," he said.

On the broader objective behind the initiative, Goyal said the nutrition kits were specifically aimed at supporting women from economically weaker and lower-middle-income households.

"These kits will be distributed on a monthly basis to ensure the continued well-being of both the mother and the child. This initiative is currently being implemented across the entire North Mumbai region," he said.

--IANS

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Chamoli, May 9 (IANS) The Narendra Modi-led Union government's ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme is proving to be a major relief for poor and needy people in the border district of Uttarakhand's Chamoli. A scheme beneficiary, Digpal Singh, termed the scheme as a "blessing for the poor".

Thousands of people in the district have been availing the benefits of the scheme and are receiving free treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh every year.

The most significant aspect is that the people living in remote and hilly areas are now able to receive access to better healthcare facilities.

Singh, who is admitted at the district hospital in Gopeshwar, said that he was hospitalised after suddenly falling ill. Since he had an Ayushman card, his entire treatment was provided free of cost.

He added that all the necessary medical tests were conducted free of charge and the doctors at the hospital also provided good facilities.

Digpal Singh said that earlier poor families had to face many hardships for medical treatment, but now the Ayushman scheme has proved to be a major support for people.

"The scheme is nothing less than a blessing for the poor," he added.

Similarly, scheme beneficiary Bharat Ram also appeared highly satisfied with the scheme, adding that he has been admitted to the hospital since April 11 and, because of the Ayushman card, his treatment is continuing without any expense.

Ram asserted that this is a very good government scheme that is providing great relief to poor families.

He also expressed gratitude to Union government for the initiative.

According to the official figures, a total of 2,36,108 Ayushman cards have been made in Chamoli district so far. Of these, 63,978 beneficiaries have received treatment under the scheme.

Till now, a total amount of Rs 1.01 lakh crore has been spent on treatment of beneficiaries. This clearly reflects that the benefits of the scheme are reaching a large number of people.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said the hantavirus outbreak is not another COVID pandemic, and the current public health risk remains low.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a message that "I know you are worried".

“The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he wrote.

The virus aboard the MV Hondius ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus. A total of eight Hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been reported so far.

“It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their families. Right now, there are no symptomatic passengers on board. A WHO expert is on that ship. Medical supplies are in place,” said the WHO chief.

Spain’s authorities have prepared a careful, step-by-step plan: passengers will be ferried ashore at the industrial port of Granadilla, far from residential areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles, through a completely cordoned-off corridor, and repatriated directly to their home countries.

“I personally thanked Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for Spain’s decision to receive this ship. I called it an act of solidarity and moral duty. Because that is what it is. I want you to know that the WHO’s request to Spain was not made arbitrarily. It was made in full accordance with the International Health Regulations,” said Ghebreyesus in his message.

Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been at sea for weeks, some of them grieving, all of them frightened, all of them longing for home.

“Tenerife has been chosen because it has the medical capacity, the infrastructure, and the humanity to help them reach safety,” he added.

The ship’s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, crew, and the company operating the vessel have shown exemplary collaboration at this challenging time.

“On behalf of the World Health Organization, and on behalf of those passengers and their families around the world, I thank the people of Tenerife and everyone else involved,” he added.

WHO assesses the risk to the global population posed by this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation.

--IANS

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Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday directed that water conservation projects and works under the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 must be completed on a war footing in light of the El Nino threat.​

He emphasised prioritising areas where groundwater levels have depleted and making concerted efforts to recharge them.​

He issued these directives at a meeting to review the Soil and Water Conservation Department's work.​

CM Fadnavis stated that increasing groundwater levels is essential due to El Nino.​

Priorities must be set for water conservation, and Jalyukt Shivar works to ensure timely completion.​

State-level plans for Jalyukt Shivar must be approved by May 15.​

Revised plans should be provided to districts to accelerate progress.​

Beyond the selected villages, 10 per cent of additional works in neighbouring areas should also be undertaken based on priority, he added.​

To prevent de-silted streams from clogging again, CM Fadnavis suggested planting bamboo along stream banks.​

Repair work on Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha is scheduled for completion by June.​

He mentioned that he would personally meet Union Ministers to secure increased funding under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.​

Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod noted that the department’s revised organisational structure will speed up operations.​

Guidelines have been established to ensure that work aligns strictly with the original plans.​

Earlier, CM Fadnavis directed all state departments to prioritise disaster mitigation through rigorous water planning, accelerated soil conservation and the rejuvenation of old water resources.​

He emphasised that the state must remain “battle-ready” to minimise the impact of a predicted rainfall deficit.​

CM Fadnavis asked the administration to immediately focus on the Jalyukt Shivar and Galmukt Dharan-Galyukt Shivar (silt-free dams) schemes.​

Repairing existing water bodies was highlighted as a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity.​

The Chief Minister said each district will establish a dedicated Task Force comprising the Collector, irrigation officials and local body representatives to monitor water usage and storage.​

To prevent a livestock crisis, he directed robust implementation of the Fodder Development Programme, particularly in the backwater areas of dams and drought-prone regions like Solapur, Sangli and Marathwada.​

CM Fadnavis said that fertiliser supply and distribution will be monitored via the ‘AgriStack’ system, utilising Artificial Intelligence to prevent artificial scarcity and ensure transparency.​

--IANS

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Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) Pharma company Biocon Limited on Friday reported a 56.8 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 198.6 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2026, impacted by exceptional expenses related to multiple factors, including the implementation of the new labour code.

The biotechnology major had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 459.4 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, according to a regulatory filing by the company.

Despite the sharp decline in profit, the company reported a rise in revenue. Consolidated revenue from operations during the January-March quarter increased to Rs 4,516.6 crore from Rs 4,417 crore in the year-ago period.

Total expenses during the quarter rose to Rs 4,241.2 crore compared to Rs 3,987.5 crore in the same period last financial year, it said in its filing.

Biocon said the quarter included an exceptional item outgo of Rs 80.4 crore under various heads, including the impact arising from the new labour code, which affected the company’s bottom line.

For the full financial year 2025-26, the company’s consolidated net profit dropped sharply to Rs 368.8 crore from Rs 1,429.4 crore in FY25.

However, annual consolidated revenue from operations climbed to Rs 16,927 crore compared to Rs 15,261.7 crore in the previous fiscal.

Commenting on the performance, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said the company ended FY26 on a strong note despite operating in a challenging geopolitical environment.

“This performance reflects the resilience of our business and disciplined execution through a pivotal year of integration,” she stated.

The company also announced leadership changes, stating that Shreehas Tambe assumed charge as CEO and Managing Director from April 1, 2026, while Kedar Upadhye has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer.

Meanwhile, Biocon’s board has recommended a final dividend of 50 paise per equity share with a face value of Rs 5 each for FY26, subject to shareholders’ approval at the upcoming annual general meeting.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) Hantavirus has a low rate of person‑to‑person spread and is unlikely to reach pandemic scale, and there are no widely reported or officially confirmed deaths in India linked to the current virus outbreak, a report said on Friday.

The report from Elara Capital said that the low transmissibility of hantavirus means that even though individual hantavirus infections can be severe, outbreaks tend to be localised and self-limiting.

Hantavirus infections remain rare globally, with no specific USFDA-approved vaccines or antiviral treatments available.

Hantaviruses are rodent‑borne RNA viruses that infect humans primarily through inhalation of aerosolised particles from rodent urine, droppings or saliva. The report added that only certain strains of Hantavirus, notably the Andes strain, have shown rare person‑to‑person transmission.

The report pointed out the stark difference between Hantavirus and SARS‑CoV‑2, causing COVID-19, which spread very fast and became a pandemic.

Two major clinical syndromes of Hantavirus have been noted globally. The first one is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in America, which leads to severe respiratory failure with mortality rates reaching 40–50 per cent.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia, which affects the kidneys and blood vessels, has up to 15 per cent mortality rates in severe cases.

A recent 2026 cluster aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius linked to the Andes strain has resulted in a small number of cases and three deaths, drawing attention to the disease but remaining limited in spread.

The first recognised outbreak of HPS occurred in 1993 in the Four Corners region of the US (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado & Utah) and was caused by the Sin Nombre virus. There were 53 cases during that outbreak, with 32 deaths, reflecting a high fatality rate.

China has reported 2.1 lakh HFRS cases from 2004 to 2019, and around 1,855 related deaths.

In the United States, a total of 864 Hantavirus infections were reported between 1993 and 2022, with approximately 302 deaths.

—IANS

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