Hyderabad, Jan 3: In a significant blow to the CPI (Maoist) insurgency, high-ranking commander Badse Sukka alias Deva, along with 19 underground cadre, surrendered before the Telangana police, official sources said on Saturday.

This surrender sounded the death knell for the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and the Telangana State committee of the CPI (Maoist) party.

The surrendering group turned over the ‘arms dumps’ of the PLGA, including that associated with Hiduma and Badse, a press release from the police said.

Bhopal, Jan 03: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said the efforts to prevent `love Jihad’ must begin within families, stressing the need for communication, inculcation of awareness among women and collective social response.

Addressing ‘Stri Shakti Samvad’ programme, a discussion on women’s role in society organised by the Sangh here, Bhagwat touched upon the issue of `love Jihad’, an RSS release said.

Notably, the term ‘love Jihad’ is used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into relationships and marriage to convert them to Islam.

Families must reflect on how a girl can be influenced by a stranger, Bhagwat said in this regard, and cited the lack of dialogue within households as a major reason, the release said.

Three levels of efforts — continuous communication within families, inculcating awareness among girls and teaching them to protect themselves, and effective action against those committing such crimes — were required, the release quoted the RSS chief as saying.

Social organisations too must remain alert and society should respond collectively so that a solution is found, he further said.

Religion, culture and social order are secure because of women, Bhagwat said, and stressed the need for their empowerment, ideological orientation and greater participation in family and social life.

“The time has passed when women were confined to homes in the name of security,” he said, adding that families and society move forward through combined efforts of men and women, making the “prabodhan” (awakening, enlightenment) of both essential.

The RSS’s Madhya Bharat `prant sanghchalak’ Ashok Pandey and `vibhag sanghchalak’ Somkant Umalakar were present on the dais during the programme.

Bhagwat further said that women play a central role in families as caregivers, and are crucial in maintaining balance, sensitivity and order. Women also carry the sense of ‘self’ from the family to society and the nation, he was quoted as saying.

He also noted that women constitute nearly half the population, and called for greater efforts to involve more women in social and national work.

Touching upon mental health, Bhagwat said it is important that no one in a family feels isolated. He advised against imposing unrealistic expectations on children and said a meaningful of life is more important than success.

India is emerging from “mental slavery” and the world is looking to the country (with expectations), Bhagwat said.

New Delhi, Jan 03: Soil collected from various islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago by NCC cadets during a sailing expedition will be presented in an urn to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the National Cadet Corps PM Rally at Delhi Cantonment on January 28, a top official said on Saturday.

Five different expeditions, including a running-cum-sailing expedition carried out at Lakshadweep and three cyclothons, would be flagged in by the prime minister on his visit to the NCC’s Republic Day Camp 2026.

“A PM Rally generally takes place every year on January 27 (after the Republic Day Parade on January 26). But, due to some contingency, it will be held on January 28 this time,” Director General, NCC, Lt Gen Virendra Vats told reporters here.

Up to 2,406 NCC cadets, including 898 girls, from across the country are participating in the NCC’s Republic Day Camp 2026 that began on December 30 at the Cariappa Parade Ground at Delhi Cantonment.

Addressing a press conference at the Republic Day Camp site, he said Modi will formally flag-in the five NCC-led events — expeditions and cyclothons — which had begun earlier, symbolically marking their completion.

As part of the sailing expedition — ‘Param Vir Sagar Yatra’ — many cadets visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which consist of various inhabited and uninhabited islands.

The symbolic sea expedition honours the valour and supreme sacrifice by the country’s bravehearts who were awarded the Param Vir Chakra — India’s highest wartime gallantry award.

Of the 21 recipients of this highest gallantry award, 14 were awarded posthumously, underscoring the ultimate price paid for the nation’s freedom and security.

In January 2023, Modi had named 21 uninhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the Param Vir Chakra awardees.

Lt Gen Vats said as part of this expedition, the cadets learnt about these islands, gathered information and also collected soil from different islands.

“The collected soil, in a ‘kalash’, will be presented to the prime minister during the PM Rally,” he said.

In a post on X on December 26, the Andaman and Nicobar Command had shared some photos of the expedition.

“#ANC facilitated Phase I of Param Vir Sagar Yatra – A&N Island Expedition, embarking 20 NCC cadets onboard ship of #ANC for outreach across 12 remote islands, named after Param Vir Chakra awardees, across Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

“At isolated island locations, Reading of Acts of Valour honoured the supreme sacrifice of Param Vir Chakra awardees. Initiative inspired national pride among NCC cadets and strengthened their emotional and strategic connect with India’s island territories, furthering the spirit of PM Rally 2026,” it said.

The NCC has also conducted a Lakshadweep expedition, under which a group of cadets visited some of the islands of the archipelago, and learnt about the life, inhabitation, fragile environment of the biodiversity there, as well as about coral restoration, officials said.

Also, an ongoing cycle expedition — Veer Birsa Munda Cyclothon — from Ranchi in Jharkhand to Delhi, consisting of 15 NCC cadets, pays tribute to tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda, with a theme of national integration.

Another one, from Pune in Maharashtra to Delhi, honours the legacy of Peshwa ruler Bajirao I. It consists of 12 cadets and will cover 1,680 km before culminating in the national capital.

Besides, the Lachit Borphukan Cyclothon by the NCC from Guwahati to Jorhat in Assam pays tribute to the legendary Ahom commander.

The annual camp will be formally inaugurated by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Monday.

Various military leaders, including the Chief of the Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, and IAF’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, will be interacting with the cadets at the ongoing camp this month, officials said.

Astronaut Shukla recently visited the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an Axiom-4 mission, becoming the first Indian to do so.

New Delhi, Jan 03: Regular eating of fast foods, ranging from deep-fried snacks served as street food to quick-service restaurant chains, can cause serious damage to health, which can, in the long run, lead to several diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions, contributing to death, said experts here on Saturday.

The doctors said this as social media was recently flooded with viral posts claiming that an 11th-grade student from Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi in December, died due to excessive consumption of junk food.

While the girl’s family asserted that she was suffering from an intestinal infection that ultimately led to her death, media reports revealed that the girl was facing multiple health issues, including severe typhoid and complaints of tuberculosis.

Doctors at the AIIMS declared that her death resulted from cardiac arrest.

“While habitual excessive consumption leads to obesity, fatty liver, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, it is definitely not a cause for perforation of the intestine,” Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Ex-President of IMA Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala, told IANS.

“In a young Indian adult, in the absence of trauma, the main causes of intestinal perforation are duodenal ulcer, typhoid, tuberculosis, or severe appendicitis. The two main causes of ulcers of the stomach and duodenum are Helicobacter pylori infection and excessive intake of painkillers,” he added.

Eating fast food is known to increase weight gain, cause inadequate nutritional intake, digestive issues, energy crashes, and mood swings. These can contribute to obesity, diabetes and hypertension, and poor mental health, and more — all of which can lead to mortality in the long term.

Studies have shown that fast food consumption is associated with “all-cause mortality,” meaning a higher overall risk of dying early. Unhealthy diets, including fast food, contribute to approximately 1.1 crore deaths worldwide annually.

“Regular eating of fast food can silently damage the heart, liver, and blood vessels. It leads to obesity, high sugar and high BP, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and sudden death — even in young people who appear otherwise healthy,” Prof . Dr Naresh Bansal, Dept of Gastro, at a leading Delhi-based hospital, told IANS.

New Delhi, Jan 03: The Transport Ministry has proposed assigning Aadhaar-like unique identification number to EV batteries to ensure their end-to-end traceability and efficient recycling.

The proposed framework will make it mandatory for battery producer or importer to assign a 21-character Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) to batteries, as per the draft guidelines issued by the ministry.

They will also have to upload the relevant Battery Pack Dynamic data on the official portal of BPAN.

“The battery producer or importer shall have the obligation of assigning a unique Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) to each battery that they introduce in the market and the battery they put to self-use.”

“BPAN shall be in a clearly visible and accessible position. The location shall be chosen in a way that it cannot be destroyed or deteriorate,” the guidelines said.

BPAN will capture and store vital information starting from raw material extraction and manufacturing to its usage, recycling, or final disposal, as per the ‘Guidelines For Implementation Of Battery Pack Aadhaar System’.

According to the guidelines, any change in attributes of BPAN due to recycling and repurposing shall result in a new BPAN by the same or a new producer or importer.

This system aims to bring transparency, accountability, and sustainability to the battery ecosystem by enabling accurate tracking of performance, and environmental impact.

BPAN will play a crucial role in enabling second-life usage, regulatory compliance, and efficient recycling.

Electric  vehicle applications account for 80–90 per cent of the total lithium-ion battery demand in India, significantly exceeding demand from industrial or non-automotive applications.

While the guideline recommends applicability of BPAN for industrial batteries above 2 kWh, it is proposed that electric vehicle batteries be given priority during standard formulation, considering their scale, safety implications, and regulatory relevance.

“This approach will ensure that the Battery Pack Aadhaar framework addresses the most impactful segment of the Indian battery ecosystem in its initial phase,” the draft guidelines said.

They also recommended that the Battery Pack Aadhaar framework be taken forward through the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) route under the Automotive Industry Standards Committee (AISC), following the established multi-step standardization process.

This will enable structured stakeholder consultation, technical validation, and harmonization with existing automotive regulations while ensuring national uniformity and regulatory acceptance, it said.

The AISC committee may include representatives from relevant stakeholders such as battery manufacturers, electric vehicle manufacturers, recyclers, testing agencies, and regulatory bodies, to ensure that practical implementation aspects across the battery lifecycle are adequately addressed.

As the world moves toward digitalization and electrification, energy storage cells serve as the foundation for consistent, flexible, and efficient power delivery.

In addition to electric mobility, batteries play a vital role across a wide range of applications, including energy storage in private and domestic settings, industrial operations, and the generation and distribution of electrical energy.