The health wing of the Kalamassery municipality issued notices to six eateries after inspections held on Saturday (December 21) revealed violations of food safety norms amid the spike in Hepatitis A cases, especially in three wards that include Peringazha, HMT Estate and Kurupra.

The health inspectors inspected 11 eateries to check violations of hygiene and food safety norms. They reportedly found storage of food and dairy products in unhygienic conditions. Nishad A.K., chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health of the civic body, said that the erring managements had been asked to submit an explanation on the lapses. “The drive will continue in view of the increase in number of confirmed cases of Hepatitis A in the three wards,” he said.

Salma Aboobacker, deputy chairperson of the council representing HMT Estate ward, said that the water samples in the affected areas were submitted at the Cochin University of Science and Technology to ascertain the source of infection. Though there had been reports that people who had attended a house warming had contracted the infection, further investigations are required as persons who did not attend the event held on November 17 were also listed among the confirmed cases, she added.

A report accessed by The Hindu shows that the special investigation teams (SIT), set up by the Supreme Court to investigate cases of rape, sexual offences against women, murder, loot, and arson in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, have filed chargesheets only in a fraction of the cases.

When were the SITs set up?

On August 7, 2023, a Supreme Court bench led by former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud constituted 42 SITs to probe 6,523 first information reports (FIRs) pertaining to violent crimes, including sexual offences, which were reported in Manipur from May 3 to July 30, 2023. The cleaning of records brought down the number of FIRs to 3,023. The records had to be sanitised as multiple FIRs were reported for the same offence. Since people were displaced from their homes, many filed zero FIRs at police stations in Manipur or even outside the State as they could not travel to the concerned police station fearing for their safety. Zero FIRs are filed irrespective of jurisdiction and are later transferred to the police station.

Also read | Provide details of all properties burnt, looted during violence: Supreme Court to Manipur

The SIT submits a status report every month to the Supreme Court. On December 9, 2024, the court directed the Manipur government to provide details of buildings and properties which were burnt, partially burnt, looted and trespassed during the ethnic violence. The next date of hearing is January 20.

What is the crisis in Manipur?

Manipur was affected by ethnic violence among the tribal Kuki-Zo people and the Meitei community beginning May 3, 2023. The ongoing violence has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced over 60,000 people from their homes. More than 4,000 police weapons were looted from State armouries.

What does the status report say?

The Hindu accessed a status report of the SIT investigations dated November 20, 2024. It showed that the 42 SITs have filed chargesheets in only 6% of the total 3,023 registered cases. Chargesheets, the police summary of allegations, pertaining to various crimes such as rape, sexual offences against women, arson, loot, murder and other heinous acts, have been filed only in 192 cases.

From August 2023, when the SITs were constituted, till November 20 this year, the teams arrested 384 persons, identified 742 suspects and examined 11,901 witnesses. As many as 574 accused persons have been chargesheeted so far. The report stated that the SIT is investigating 126 cases of murders and 2,888 cases of loot, arson and other property crimes. A closure report has been filed in 605 cases due to a lack of evidence and witnesses. The SIT has recovered 501 weapons, 13,464 ammunition, and 412 magazines among others so far. Overall, the Manipur Police have recovered around 1,800 looted weapons so far.

What is the composition of the SIT?

Based on the recommendation of the Manipur government, the Supreme Court said the cases should be bundled under three categories — FIRs related to murder and heinous crimes, sexual crimes against women, and other crimes such as loot, arson etc. The charter of the SITs was distributed accordingly, and the teams were further divided into six groups, one each to probe cases of murders, heinous crime and rape, and sexual offences against women, and four groups to probe cases of arson, looting and other crimes.

A Superintendent of Police-rank officer deputed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was tasked with supervising three SITs each which comprise two inspectors, six sub-inspectors and 12 constables.

The SITs were composed for eight districts, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Tengnoupal, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.

What did the court say?

On July 20, 2023, after a video of two tribal Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked by a mob surfaced on social media, the top court called for reports indicating the steps taken by the government to hold the perpetrators accountable and ensure that such incidents are not repeated. Though the incident occurred on May 4, 2023, the case was filed in July, after the video went viral.

Both the Union government and the State government were directed to take immediate steps — remedial, rehabilitative, and preventive — and to apprise the court of the action taken so far. On August 1, 2023, the State informed the court that 11 FIRs involving cases of violence against women and children had been filed, though this was subject to further verification. Seven arrests were made in connection with these 11 FIRs, the State informed the court. The Centre said the State was willing to transfer the 11 cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The sexual violence case of the two women was transferred to the CBI along with other cases.

Expressing dismay at the “tardy pace of investigation,” the court constituted a three-member committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of the J&K High Court. The mandate of the committee is to enquire into the nature of violence against women that occurred in Manipur from May 4, 2023, from all available sources, including personal meetings with survivors, members of the families of survivors, local/community representatives, authorities in charge of relief camps and the FIRs lodged as well as media reports.

The court also appointed Dattatray Padsalgikar, former Director General of Police, Maharashtra to supervise the investigation by the CBI into the FIRs transferred to it and the investigation into the remaining FIRs.

What are the challenges?

A senior government official says there are several logistical issues hampering the investigation. For recording the statement of a victim, language is a challenge as many officers heading the investigating teams are from outside the State. There have been instances when victims have changed their phone numbers. “Then, for an FIR registered in Imphal (valley), a victim who hails from the hill districts, will not want to speak to an officer from the valley — this causes delays. The same is true for cases registered in the hills when the victims are from the valley,” said the official.

When will the cases go to trial?

The trial is yet to commence in any of the cases, as a direction from the Supreme Court is awaited. There are concerns about holding the trial in the State due to the ongoing ethnic violence. Even though the CBI filed a chargesheet last October in a CBI court in Guwahati in the sexual violence case of the two Kuki-Zo women, the trial is yet to begin.

Pipe burst in Thammanam Junction led to the road caving in on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

A drinking water supply pipeline on Thammanam-Palarivattam road burst around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday throwing water supply to Thammanam and nearby areas into disarray.

Sources in the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) said the pipeline might have burst due to pressure during pumping. The damaged stretch, measuring 700 mm, is an old pipeline from Samskara Junction. The burst also caused a portion of the road to cave in.

Uma Thomas, MLA, who visited the site, said the nearby area and road had been flooded. She added that people had complained of mild tremors in the area, causing some initial apprehension among them.

“We had alerted the district administration about concerns raised by the public as necessary remedial measures need to be taken due to the possibility of further road cave-ins following the pipe burst. Water supply may be affected for a few days,” she said.

Flooding, which had disrupted traffic on the arterial road, has been brought under control by slowing down pumping. A drinking water pipeline burst was reported at Thammanam Junction last week.

The incident on Saturday occurred when water supply was returning to normal after the pipeline burst at Thammanam.

Meanwhile, residents complained about frequent pipe bursts and demanded immediate action to prevent such incidents in the future. They also urged the KWA to replace old and dilapidated pipes. Despite repeated requests, the authorities were yet to take steps to replace ageing pipelines, they pointed out.

Historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award, 2024, for his book, Tirunelveeli Ezucciyum Vaa. Vuu.Ci. Yum 1908, met Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at his camp office on Saturday. Mr. Stalin congratulated him for winning the award. Mr. Venkatachalapathy said he informed Mr. Stalin that there were no monuments in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi to remember the Tirunelveli uprising. Mr. Stalin promised him that the State government would build one. Governor R.N. Ravi felicitated Mr. Venkatachalapathy at the Raj Bhavan, and congratulated the historian.

As the Ernakulam Rural police continued to crack down on drug trafficking and related offences, as many as 1,820 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 1,980 persons were arrested in that connection during the 10-month period from January to November this year.

Around 260 kg of ganja and 2.5 kg of MDMA were seized during the period. Of the ganja seized, 100 kg were seized in a single case registered by the Thadiyittaparambu police. Eleven persons were arrested in that connection. Operation Clean, a predominantly an anti-drug campaign of the police initiated by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vaibhav Saxena has been instrumental in maintaining strict enforcement round the year.

The rural police have increasingly invoked the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act as an effective deterrent to deal with the drug menace. Twelve persons have been arrested under the Act till November.

Around 77 grams of heroin oil, 180 grams of brown sugar, 10 LSD stamps, 7 grams of methamphetamine, and 1,550 ganja beedis were also seized during the period. Thirteen ganja plants and 220 grams of heroin were also among the seizures.

Mr. Saxena said that there will be no let up in the enforcement drive against drug trafficking. “We will embark on awareness campaigns, including on social media, to effectively deal with the menace,” he added.

In one of the biggest heroin seizures during the period, drugs worth ₹20 lakhs were reportedly seized, and three persons from Assam were arrested in Kalady. The investigation into the case allegedly revealed a novel modus operandi deployed by the accused to avoid getting caught by the police.

They reportedly transported heroin by train to Thrissur before switching to buses to smuggle the drug to Kalady, hoping it would help them evade the police.

In anticipation of New Year’s Eve celebrations, police are stepping up border and route patrols to combat the flow of illegal substances. A shift in contraband has been observed from 2023 to 2024. Last year’s seizures primarily consisted of ganja, hashish oil, cocaine, MDMA, and alprazolam, while this year has seen the emergence of cannabis-infused chocolates, poppy straw, opium and methamphetamine.

Officers from the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate, which covers the majority of the farm houses and national highway routes, are intensifying their efforts to curb narcotics and drug abuse.

Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu said that strategy includes increased surveillance in high-risk areas with sniffer dog deployment at key locations, enhanced intelligence gathering to disrupt supply chains, and close monitoring of gated communities. Senior officers and zonal night-duty teams will maintain oversight throughout the night.

Meanwhile, officers from Hyderabad and Cyberabad police, including Task Force, Special Operations Teams (SOT), and Excise and Prohibition have come up with their own way of tackling the year-end rush of narcotics into the city.

Director, Prohibition & Excise, Telangana, V.B. Kamalassan Reddy issued an order for increased vigilance and instructed all personnel to forgo leave from December 20 until the first week of January, maintaining a strict watch on the consumption of non-duty paid liquor (NDPL), drugs, and cannabis. He directed that inspections be carried out intensively, focusing on trains, coaches, and buses.

“Specific areas within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) requiring particular attention include Nanakramguda, Singareni Colony, LB Nagar, Golconda, Puppalaguda, Manikonda, and Ramakrishna Colony,” said the Director.

The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau reports for 2023 and 2024 reveal a significant escalation in the variety of drugs seized. In 2023, the primary seizures included ganja, hashish oil, charas, cocaine, MDMA, alprazolam and small quantities of pharmaceutical drugs such as nitravet and methaqualone.

Pharmaceutical substances such as spasmo proxyvon plus tablets, diazepam, meth, and pentazocine injections were also added to the list. Synthetic drugs like toddy alprazolam and amphetamine further underscored the scale of trafficking in 2024, reflecting an alarming diversification in the narcotics trade.

The value of contraband also rose from ₹7.99 crore in 2023 to ₹116.33 crore in 2024, marking a 48% increase. Arrests grew by 76%, with over 4,243 accused apprehended in 2024.

The story so far:

A study of 432 convenience food products, in five categories — idli mixes, breakfast cereals, porridge mixes, beverage mixes, soup mixes — and extruded (‘puffed’ or ‘expanded’) snacks, has found that a majority of these ready-to-eat/packaged food products are high in carbohydrates.

Also read | What the Food Safety and Standards Act says

Who conducted the study?

The study, ‘Assessment of front and back of pack nutrition labels of selected convenience food products and snacks available in the Indian market’ by Shobana Shanmugam et al, was published in Plos One. Researchers with Chennai-based Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition and the University of Reading, the U.K. were involved. It aimed to evaluate the nutritional profiles and claims of selected convenience food products and snacks in the Indian market and also measured their healthiness by categorising them according to their nutrient profiles.

The nutritional profiling of the foods was conducted based on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) claims regulations, after evaluating the nutritional information on the front and back of pack labels of the selected food items. Only the nutritional content claims related to protein, dietary fibre, fat, sugar and cholesterol were evaluated in this study. The healthiness was assessed using a nutritional traffic light system. The products were classified into ‘healthy’, ‘moderately healthy’ and ‘less healthy’ based on the fat, saturated fat, and sugar content. The study was funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

What did the study find?

In essence, the study found that while most of the products could fall under the ‘healthy’ or ‘moderately healthy’ categories, except extruded snacks, most of the products provided over 70% of the energy from carbohydrates, while extruded snacks provided over 47% of the energy from fat. The energy distribution from protein was found to be less than 15%.

All convenience food products that the study tested were rich in carbohydrate content. While beverage mixes had the highest carbohydrate content (35.5g to 95g/100g), extruded snacks had the highest total fat content (mean 28.3±7.5 g/100g), and the highest saturated fatty acid (SFA) content (mean 11.0±4.5 g/100g). The beverage mixes were found to be high in sugar content. The soup mixes had high sodium levels with poor protein and dietary fibre content. The idli mixes had high protein content and were largely sugar free. Breakfast cereals were found to have high dietary fibre.

The study also found that despite FSSAI’s packaging and labelling regulations requiring products to display the minimum nutritional information for energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugar, and total fat as “per 100 g” or “100 ml” or “per serving” of the product on the label, only certain breakfast cereals and some beverages widely disclosed the concept of per-serving information. Further, some products that claimed to contain whole grains did not display them in the ingredient list and these claims may be misleading to the consumer, it noted.

It pointed out that a clear labelling system would be a valuable tool for consumers to choose healthier products.

What are the issues around food labelling?

For years, activists have been advocating for front-of-pack labelling that has warning labels indicating high fat, sugar and sodium. “We want the warning labels to be specific, so, for instance, a customer with hypertension can avoid food labelled as ‘high sodium’ or a customer with diabetes can avoid high sugar foods,” said Vandana Prasad, a public health professional associated with the Public Health Resource Network.

Lead author of the paper and senior scientist at Madras Diabetes Research Foundation Dr. Shanmugam said the present labelling system was not uniform, and customers could find it hard to understand.

“Nutrition labelling in India is at an evolving stage and evidence of awareness and understanding of these labels by the Indian population is limited,” the study notes.

How are changing diet patterns affecting health?

As per the household consumption expenditure survey 2022-23, Indians are now spending more on processed food, beverages, and refreshments while reducing money spent on home-cooked food. Though there are subtle variations in rural and urban areas, the pattern is valid across both regions.

Experts have highlighted this changing diet is a huge contributing factor to the staggering burden of non-communicable diseases in the country. The Economic Survey of India this year, citing the Indian Council of Medical Research’s dietary guidelines, noted that 56.4% of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets.

Not only do excessive carbohydrates in the diet place a strain on the pancreas, therefore increasing one’s risk for type 2 diabetes, but other chemicals in processed food can increase the risk of ailments such as fatty liver as well, said Nihal Thomas, senior professor, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College, Vellore. Dr. Shanmugam underlined the need for reformulation of packaged/processed food items to ensure they contain more proteins, alongside less fat and sodium. R.M. Anjana, managing director of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai, who was also part of the study, reiterated the importance of reading food labels and avoiding processed food as much as possible.

A fire broke out on Saturday morning in the amenities block of the Sattva Elixir building inside Knowledge City, Hitech City.

The incident was reported at 6:12 a.m. and the Fire Services Department mobilised four firefighting vehicles, including a Bronto Skylift, from stations in Madhapur, Gachibowli Stadium, Vattinagulapally and Kukatpally.

The ground and four floors of the G+5 structure house a clutch of restaurants as well as a resto bar, while the fifth floor housed a gym. “The fire originated on the fourth floor and spread to the other floors. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported. We are yet to determine the cause of the fire,” said an officer from the fire control room.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Sattva Group stated that the fire was quickly detected and extinguished thanks to advanced safety systems and a well-trained emergency response team. They confirmed that operations at Knowledge City continue as usual and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

“We are currently investigating the cause of the fire and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Operations at Knowledge City are proceeding as usual, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and security. We appreciate the swift and effective response of both our emergency team and the State fire department in managing the situation,” said their spokesperson.

The Patancheru police and Telangana’s Anti Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) apprehended two Mumbai-based drug peddlers with one kilogram MDMA. They sourced drugs from Nigerian suppliers in Delhi, said the police.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammed Salim Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 30, and Mukesh Dubey, also aged 30, who were residents of Surya Nagar, Mumbai. “Both of them were engaged in drug peddling. A third accused, Rayees Riyaz Shaikh, also known as Aayan, 33, also from Mumbai, remains absconding,” said the police.

Two more drug suppliers involved in the case, identified as Jerry and Jimmy, both Nigerian nationals residing in New Delhi, are also absconding. During the operation, authorities seized 1 kilogram of MDMA along with four mobile phones.

“The investigation revealed that Mohammed Salim Abdul Hamid Shaikh, formerly employed as a car mechanic in Mumbai, got acquainted with Rayees Riyaz Shaikh through an online dating app. The two developed an addiction to MDMA. Recognising the high demand for the drug in Mumbai and Hyderabad, they devised a plan to purchase MDMA at lower prices and sell it at higher rates for profit. They subsequently established contact with Nigerian drug suppliers Jerry and Jimmy, from whom they procured MDMA at ₹1,000 per gram, later selling it between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 per gram to customers,” said the police.

The accused also collaborated with Shaik Amer, a Hyderabad-based drug peddler who regularly travelled to Mumbai to source MDMA. “Mukesh Dubey, an associate of Mohammed Salim Abdul Hamid Shaikh, assisted in the transportation and delivery of the drugs, receiving commissions for each successful delivery. Dubey was frequently sent to Delhi to procure MDMA from Jerry and Jimmy,” they added.

Approximately 10 days prior to their arrest, Mohammed Salim Abdul Hamid Shaikh and Rayees Riyaz Shaikh purchased 1,320 grams of MDMA from the Nigerian suppliers, selling 320 grams to Shaik Amer. With New Year celebrations approaching, Amer requested additional quantities, prompting the accused to travel to Hyderabad with 1 kg of MDMA. Acting on intelligence, the Patancheru police, with the support of TGANB, apprehended the duo on Friday.

नई द‍िल्‍ली. लोकप्रिय मैसेजिंग प्लेटफॉर्म WhatsApp ने दुनिया भर के यूजर्स के लिए नए न्यू ईयर कॉलिंग इफेक्ट, स्टिकर पैक और कई नए फीचर जोड़े हैं, ताकि यूजर्स अपनी शुभकामनाएं (WhatsApp New Year Wishes) एक अनोखे तरीके से शेयर कर सकें. दिलचस्प बात ये है कि ये फीचर्स सीमित समय के लिए 20 दिसंबर से 3 जनवरी 2025 तक ही उपलब्ध रहेंगी. इन फीचर्स को पाने के लिए, यूजर्स को एप्लिकेशन का लेटेस्‍ट वर्जन इंस्टॉल करना होगा.

फीचर्स की बात करें तो मेटा के स्वामित्व वाले इस प्लेटफॉर्म ने वीडियो कॉल के लिए नए फेस्टिव बैकग्राउंड के साथ-साथ नए साल से प्रेरित नए फिल्टर और इफेक्ट पेश किए हैं. इतना ही नहीं, कंपनी ने सेलिब्रेशन इमोजी भी जोड़े हैं, जिनका इस्तेमाल पर्सनल और ग्रुप चैट दोनों में प्रतिक्रिया देने के लिए किया जा सकता है. यह प्लेटफॉर्म भेजने वाले और पाने वाले दोनों को एनिमेशन दिखाएगा. इसके अलावा, वॉट्सऐप ने खास तौर पर नए साल के लिए डिजाइन किए गए नए स्टिकर पैक और अवतार स्टिकर पेश किए हैं.

यह भी पढें : New Year में हॉलीडे मनाने की सोच रहे हैं तो जरा संभलकर! गूगल ने जारी की है चेतावनी

इससे पहले, कंपनी ने वीडियो कॉल के लिए नए इफेक्ट जोड़े थे, जैसे कि पपी इयर्स, कराओके माइक और अंडरवाटर थीम. अब यूजर्स के पास दस से ज्‍यादा इफेक्ट हैं. यूजर्स अब पूरी चैट को ब्रेक क‍िए बिना ग्रुप कॉल के लिए खास प्रतिभागियों का चयन कर सकते हैं.

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इस बीच, WhatsApp ने यूजर्स को चैट में वास्तविक समय की व्यस्तता के बारे में बताने के लिए टाइपिंग इंडिकेटर भी जोड़े हैं. यूजर्स चैट में विजुअल इंड‍िकेटर के साथ-साथ उस यूजर्स की प्रोफाइल तस्वीर भी देख पाएंगे जो पर्सनल या ग्रुप चैट में टाइप कर रहा है. टेक दिग्गज ने वॉयस मैसेज ट्रांसक्रिप्ट भी जोड़े हैं जो यूजर्स को ऑडियो मैसेज का टेक्स्ट-आधारित ट्रांसक्रिप्शन देने में मदद करते हैं. हालांकि, रिसीवर को वॉयस मैसेज की ट्रांसक्रिप्ट मिलेगी, न कि भेजने वाले को. बता दें क‍ि वॉयस मैसेज डिवाइस पर जेनरेट होते हैं और कोई भी दूसरा व्यक्ति, जिसमें कंपनी भी शामिल है, कंटेंट को सुन या पढ़ नहीं सकता है.

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