Opposition is building up against the Biotech Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha recently.

Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of USD 80 million to modernise and expand the sewage network and treatment facilities in the Kathmandu Valley home to 2.5 million people.

The "zero-calorie" artificial sweetener has gone sour. The sweetener which became quite popular over the past decade has been found to increase blood sugar, making it anything but safe for diabetics, its USP.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have found that "zero-calorie" sucralose — marketed as splenda, sucra plus and said to be twice as sweet as saccharine and three times as sweet as aspartame — is not metabolically inert as was believed and instead raises blood sugar. It does so possibly by acting on receptors in intestines that mediate uptake of glucose into blood, thereby rendering them more efficient.

The Supreme Court on Friday warned states and Union Territories that they may face contempt action if they failed to file compliance reports on gutkha ban within six weeks.

"We are giving clear warning to the governments. We will initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against them if they fail to file report on compliance of banning gutkha products in their states. Those who do not file report shall do at their own peril," said a Bench led by Justice G S Singhvi.

Uttarakhand continues to perform well and Uttar Pradesh poorly on key health indicators as per the findings of the Annual Health Survey (AHS) conducted in 284 districts of nine States.

The nine States for which health indicators were released on Friday constitute 50 per cent of the country’s population. While Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) – the number of deaths of children less than one year of age per 1000 live births – of 100, three districts of Almora, Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand recorded a comparatively low IMR of 20.

Health Policy To Be Out For Debate Today

The health policy prepared by a panel of experts has recommended a complete reorganization of the government health system by introducing primary care providers along the lines of the family physician concept. The policy, which would be released for public debate on Saturday, points out the inadequacy of the presentday primary health care system to respond to certain challenges such as non-communicable diseases, mental health issues and geriatric care.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses commonly found in drugstores and department stores.

Some Private Hospitals Come Under Attack From Govt-Appointed Panel

Thiruvananthapuram: The committee appointed by the government to look into the human drug trials has found that several companies in the state are conducting trials with just profit as their motive. To regulate this, the committee headed by Kerala State Council for Science and Technology executive vice president V N Rajasekharan Pillai has recommended bringing in a legislation to control the trials.

High Levels of Radiation Suspected In Several Areas

Kochi: In the wake of increasing number of complaints of high-level radiation from mobile phone towers, the government has finally decided to conduct a radiation intensity mapping in the city to identify areas where the radiation is above permissible limits. The Kerala State Council for Science and Technology has appointed the state wing of the Swadeshi Science Movement to conduct the ‘Mapping of intensity of electromagnetic fields in Kochi’. The mapping will cover the entire area under the Kochi corporation.

With an aim to identify and preserve the medicinal plants in the State, the Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice (SPIKAP) is in the process of documentation and mapping of local health traditions in Meghalaya.

“The process also includes prioritisation, identification and mapping of medicinal plants used in the traditional medicine systems of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes of the State”, SPIKAP Chairman John F Kharshiing said on Thursday.