Is India Winning the War Against Rising Non-Communicable Diseases? The latest health statistics paint a concerning picture: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates are climbing, impacting millions across the country. From rural healthcare access to the burgeoning urban health crisis, challenges remain significant. This week, we delve into the crucial initiatives underway – government policies, technological advancements in telemedicine, and the rising role of preventative healthcare – that aim to address this national health emergency. Experts weigh in on the effectiveness of current strategies and the critical need for increased public awareness campaigns targeting lifestyle diseases. Are these efforts enough? Explore Abtak.com's in-depth coverage on healthcare in India and discover the vital information you need to protect your well-being and the future of public health. Stay informed; stay healthy.
Lucknow: As the sun dipped into the horizon, Laxman Mela ground came alive with the shimmering glow of diyas floating on the Gomti river and the melodic echoes of prayers as a sea of humanity gathered to offer evening 'arghya' (offerings) as part of the Chhath festival on Monday.Women, adorned in vibrant sarees and marked with vermillion from nose to forehead, sat across the vedis, escorted by their children and male family members. The air was filled with the sweet scent of offerings as they brought forth an array of symbolic items -- sugarcane stalks, kalash filled with rice, thekua, mango leaves, and baskets overflowing with fresh vegetables, fruits, laddoos, coconuts, and flowers -- all to be offered to the revered Chhati Maiya, sister of the Sun God.Celebrated in Bihar, parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh for centuries, Chhath Puja is a four-day elaborate celebration in honour of the Sun God. It involves an arduous 36-hour fast without water, and making offerings to Usha and Pratyusha, the light of the rising and the setting Sun, while standing in a water body. The four-day auspicious occasion began on October 25 with the 'nahay-khay' ritual. The third day is called 'pehla argha' or 'sandhya argha'. The festival will conclude on Oct 28 with offerings to the rising sun. The tradition has now spread all across the world. In Lucknow, Chhath was celebrated at several places. The main function, organised by All India Bhojpuri Samaj, was held at the Laxman Mela ground. Devotees observing the fast were seen standing in waist-deep water, holding baskets overflowing with fruits, vegetables, and other sacred offerings. With reverent hands, they raised the baskets, offering 'sandhya arghya' to the setting sun. The air resonated with the fervent chants of "Jai Ho Chhathi Maiya Ki" and soulful Chhath folk songs. Loved ones were seen pouring milk or water over the baskets, symbolizing unity and blessings. Highlighting a diverse cultural landscape, Gurkiran Kaur, a Sikh woman who married into a Bihari family, was seen fervently performing Chhath rituals. Accompanied by her six-year-old daughter, Kaur showcased her commitment to her family's traditions, teaching the young one the intricacies of the sacred rituals. A devotee, Madhuri Gupta, who hails from Gopalganj, Bihar, said, "I am observing Chhath fast for the past 42 years."Another devotee, Usha Tiwari, said: "I offered milk and water to Lord Surya and Chhathi maiya. We believe that observing Chhath fast removes all the difficulties in life."Men were also seen observing the fast and performing puja along with their wives. A devotee, Santosh Gupta, said, "I have been observing Chhath fast along with my wife for 20 years. Today, I also prepared thekua (flour cakes with sugar or jaggery fried in ghee)."
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
KURNOOL: The Srisailam temple authorities have strongly refuted the recent allegation that a cockroach was found in a laddu prasadam, calling it a deliberate attempt to malign the temple's reputation. The controversy erupted on Sunday after K Saras Chandra, a devotee from Kavali in Nellore district, claimed he discovered a cockroach in a laddu purchased from the temple's official counter and lodged a formal complaint. Temple Executive Officer M Srinivasa Rao responded swiftly, stating that all prasadams are prepared under ISO 22000-certified hygiene protocols. "From boondi frying in ghee to ...Read More >
Dehradun, Jun 6 (PTI) The Centre and Uttarakhand government are committed to making the state a national hub of horticulture, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday. Interacting with farmers at a Kisan Chaupal in Pavwala Sauda village under Doiwala block of Dehradun, the agriculture minister said, "The quality of fruits, grains and vegetables grown in Uttarakhand is unique and they have full potential to make a mark at the global level." "The Centre and the state government together will make Uttarakhand a national hub of horticulture," he said. During his visit, the ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has written a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticising General Education Minister V Sivankutty for walking out of a function held at Raj Bhavan on June 19. The Governor described the incident as a breach of protocol and an insult to the constitutional office. The letter, dated June 26, refers to an awards ceremony for the Bharat Scouts and Guides, where Sivankutty -- who also serves as President of the Association's Kerala chapter -- objected to the presence of a garlanded portrait of Bharat Mata on the stage, ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, nine days before the normal date, advancing into the remaining parts of Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, west UP and Haryana, IMD said.This is only the fourth time in the past 25 years that monsoon covered NCR and remaining parts of northwest India the same day. The last time this happened was on July 13 in 2021, whereas the earliest date on which such an event took place was June 16 in 2013 -- the day Kedarnath witnessed a major disaster due to cloudburst and flash floods.It has taken monsoon 37 days to cover the entire country this time since its ...Read More >
Chandigarh [India], December 3 (ANI): Punjab Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday, slammed the BJP-led central government for neglecting the interests of farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Bajwa's scathing attack comes amidst growing discontent among farmers in the region, who feel their concerns have been ignored by the ruling party. "Ever since the BJP government has come to power, they have not taken a single decision that is in the interest of the farmers of India, especially the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. It is their fundamental rig ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 6 (ANI): Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday attended a 'Kisan Chaupal' event at Pav Wala Soda village in the Raipur block of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The programme was held as part of the 'Developed Agriculture Resolution' campaign aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector in the state. During the event, Chouhan interacted with local farmers and praised the success stories shared by them, especially in the areas of organic farming and coarse grain production. He also showed strong support for promoting Uttarakhand's organic produce at both n ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27: In a significant boost to India's horticultural exports, the Centre's Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the flagging off of the first consignment of one metric tonne of rose-scented litchi from Punjab's Pathankot to Doha in Qatar, according to an official statement issued on Friday. In addition, 0.5 metric tonne of litchi was also exported to Dubai, UAE, from Pathankot this week, marking a twin export achievement and reinforcing India's potential in global fresh fruit markets. This milestone initiative, undertake ...Read More >
Lucknow: Amid chants of 'Jai Jagannath', 'Jai Subhadra' and 'Jai Balabhadra', the city marked the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra on Friday with great fanfare.Children participated by donning costumes of deities while many walked the procession barefooted for several kilometres. Elderly people lined up on the streets to shower petals on the deities. At Chardham temple in Rani Katra, a silver palanquin (palki) adorned with flowers and lights was carried, promoting world peace. Devotees presented offerings of lassi, sharbat, kadhi chawal and samosas to Lord Jagannath at various locations.At Ravindra ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Saturday shared the development project aimed towards making the trip to the temple more accessible and time-efficient He said, 'A ropeway will be constructed from Kamakhya station to Kamakhya temple and another ropeway will be constructed from Sonaram field to Kamakhya temple. Work on both ropeways is going on. The process of floating a tender has already been done. A feasibility study for many other ropeways is going on.' The construction of both ropeways to ...Read More >
Lucknow: City mango grower SC Shukla has developed a mango variety of vermilion colour, which he has named 'Sindoor'. To honour the bravery of soldiers in Operation Sindoor in the aftermath of terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Shukla has dedicated this mango to the army. The mango is delicious and fragrant. Shukla is known for developing new varieties that are beneficial for farmers. ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal with women from purvanchal stages a protest against AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.Source : PTI Delhi Police on Monday detained Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal as she protested outside Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the government's failure to clean the Yamuna River. Maliwal, accompanied by a group of women from Purvanchal, carried water collected from the Yamuna to Kejriwal's residence, accusing him of neglecting the river's worsening condition. Speaking to news agency ANI, she re ...Read More >
Hisar, Jun 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Thursday announced the establishment of natural and organic mandis in Gurugram and Hisar to promote natural farming on a large scale in the state. The Gurugram mandi will cater to produce such as wheat, paddy and pulses, while the Hisar mandi will focus on fruits and vegetables grown through natural and organic methods. Also Read | Delhi: High-Level US Team Arrives for Talks on Bilateral Trade Pact With India. In addition, a committee will be formed under the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to determine fair pricing for produce gr ...Read More >
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suggests empowering rural youth to drive change in India's underutilized agricultural sector during his visit to Dr YS Parmar University. He advocates for direct subsidies to farmers, emphasizing the need for bridging the gap between production and market access and the use of AI for rural transformation. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for empowering rural youth to catalyze significant transformation in India's largely untapped agricultural sector. Dur ...Read More >
Chittoor: Chittoor MP D Prasad Rao on Saturday underlined the need for strict adherence to the directives issued by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose top priority is the welfare of mango farmers. In a statement, the MP highlighted the importance of implementing the government's measures without deviation. He urged officials to ensure the reopening of mango pulp processing units and facilitate the purchase of Totapuri mangoes directly from farmers to prevent losses. The latter expressed his gratitude to Naidu for announcing a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs.12,000 per tonne for Tot ...Read More >
New Delhi: India has dispatched its first-ever consignment of rose-scented litchis to Qatar, marking a significant step in its push to expand exports of high-value horticultural produce, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday. The shipment, comprising one tonne of the premium litchis from Pathankot, Punjab, was sent to Doha on 23 June, with support from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda). A smaller, half-tonne batch was simultaneously exported to Dubai. The fruit -- known for its delicate floral aroma and juicy sweetness -- has lon ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Saturday shared the development project aimed towards making the trip to the temple more accessible and time-efficient He said, "A ropeway will be constructed from Kamakhya station to Kamakhya temple and another ropeway will be constructed from Sonaram field to Kamakhya temple. Work on both ropeways is going on. The process of floating a tender has already been done. A feasibility study for many other ropeways is going on." The construction of both ropeways to ...Read More >
Inflow into the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur increased to 80,984 cusecs on Saturday. Following an increase in inflow, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a flood warning to people living in low-lying areas on the banks of the River Cauvery. On Saturday, the dam's water level stood at 117.93 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet. The storage level stood at 90.20 TMC against its full capacity of 93.47 TMC. At 8 a.m., inflow into the dam increased to 73,452 cusecs from Friday's inflow o ...Read More >
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's hunger strike enters its 17th day. His health is critical. The Supreme Court urges dialogue between the government and Dallewal. Dallewal demands MSP guarantee and other farmer-centric issues. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Farmers' organizations continue their protests at the Punjab-Haryana border.The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who ...Read More >
Hisar, Jun 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Thursday announced the establishment of natural and organic mandis in Gurugram and Hisar to promote natural farming on a large scale in the state. The Gurugram mandi will cater to produce such as wheat, paddy and pulses, while the Hisar mandi will focus on fruits and vegetables grown through natural and organic methods. In addition, a committee will be formed under the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to determine fair pricing for produce grown using natural and organic farming practices. The Chief Minister made these announcements ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Agartala, June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a bid to boost the farmers' income, in all 22 foreign improved varieties and 13 indigenous improved varieties of mango are being experimentally cultivated at the Horticulture and Research Centre, at Nagichara in West Tripura, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Sunday. Addressing the Monsoon Mango Fiesta-2025 at Narikel Kunj in Gandatwisa under tribal inhabited Dhalai district, the minister said that since the BJP government came to power in 2018, around 706 hectares of new area have been brought under mango cultivation throug ...Read More >
Wheat is the unsung hero of African food, the secret sauce (or rather, secret grain) behind some of your favorite dishes. From the cloud-like deliciousness of Ethiopian injera to the satisfying Moroccan couscous, wheat is Africa's culinary backbone. This article features five mouthwatering dishes that highlight the versatility and tastiness of African wheat-based cuisine. Injera is a sourdough-risen flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, made from fermented teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, it serves not only as sustenance but also as a utensil for eating. The blend of teff flour and wa ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Vegetable prices at the Koyambedu Wholesale Market in Chennai recorded moderate fluctuations on June 7 (Saturday), with several items registering notable increases. According to traders, the price of carrots and bitter gourd rose by Rs 20. Carrots, which were priced at Rs 30 per kg on June 1, are now selling at Rs 50. Bitter gourd, earlier sold at Rs 25, is currently priced at Rs 40. Brinjal also recorded a sharp rise of Rs 15 per kg, increasing from Rs 25 to Rs 40. Additionally, the prices of small onions (shallots), Ooty beetroot, and chow chow increased by Rs 10. Small onions we ...Read More >
Hyderabad, June 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bonalu festival, which symbolises the unique culture of Telangana, began on Thursday amid fanfare with devotees offering the first Bonam to goddess Jagadambika at historic Golconda Fort here. The month-long festivities kicked off with the traditional rituals performed by a group of priests. A procession was taken from Langar House to Jagdamba temple at the Golconda fort. A large number of women with pots on their heads, 'Potharajus' and devotees participated in the event. The women devotees offered 'Bonam', containing cooked rice, jaggery, curd and neem l ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: The historic Golconda Fort came alive with colour, devotion and festive fervour as the annual Bonalu celebrations kicked off on a grand note on Thursday. The month-long festivities began with traditional prayers to Goddess Jagadambika at the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple atop the fort. The first Bonam -- a traditional offering of rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves carried in decorated brass or earthen pots -- was brought in a massive procession from Langar Houz Crossroads, accompanied by beats of drums, chants and the rhythmic dance of 'Potharajus' wielding whips. Women dressed ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >