New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged researchers to establish India as a hub of medical self-reliance by becoming self-reliant in medicines and health innovation.In his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, he also called on “entrepreneurs to secure patents for new drugs and medical technologies”.This will “ensure that India not only meets its own healthcare needs but also contributes to global well-being, establishing itself as a hub of medical self-…

Kolkata, Aug 14 (IANS) A year after the RG Kar case, Kolkata and its adjoining areas on Thursday witnessed another round of ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest to demand justice for the rape and murder victim. Various platforms, including doctors’ forums and social groups, and Left organisations held candlelight vigils, torch rallies and protest meets under the ‘Raat Dokhol’ (Reclaim the Night) protest.Rallies were taken out in several areas in Kolkata, such as Jadavpur, Shyambazar, Academy of Fine Arts…

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that India’s “all-round economic growth complemented by social sector initiatives” has placed the country well on the path of becoming a developed economy by 2047.Addressing the nation on the eve of the 79th Independence Day, the President said India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy with a GDP growth rate of 6.5 per cent in the last fiscal and in this Digital Age, the country has seen “the most dramatic …

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) A study of population-specific responses to fermented food shows that the health effect of the bioactive peptides they contain, differ across populations and can personalise nutrition for India’s diverse population, the government said on Thursday.A recent study conducted by Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) emphasises the health benefits of traditional fermen…

Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited on Thursday reported a 4.12 per cent decline in net profit for the first quarter (Q1) of FY26, with earnings falling to Rs 55.8 crore from Rs 58.2 crore in the previous quarter (Q4 FY25). This dip came despite a strong rise in revenue from operations, which grew 9.56 per cent sequentially to Rs 526.3 crore from Rs 480.4 crore, according to its stock exchange filing.Other income saw a sharp decline of 30.43 per cent, dropping to Rs 11.2 crore…

Guwahati, Aug 14 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the state government is set to spend at least Rs 325 crore for the cashless medical treatment of needy citizens, and the cabinet has cleared the decision. The initiative, Mukhya Mantri Ayushman Asom Yojana, will get the additional funding of Rs 325 crore for the current fiscal year, and the cabinet has given the nod on Wednesday night under the chairmanship of CM Sarma.Meanwhile, on the power front, the Cabine…

Seoul, Aug 14 (IANS) Seven out of 10 dog farms in South Korea have closed their doors since the country enacted a law banning dog meat consumption a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.Of a total of 1,537 dog farms nationwide, 1,072, or 70 percent, have shut down their operations since the special bill on banning dog meat consumption took effect in August last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.The shuttered farms had raised 346,000 dogs, w…

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on Wednesday, urged the food manufacturing industry to make “truthful and honest declarations” on food labels and packages.At the National Stakeholder Consultation on ‘Comprehensive analysis of Regulatory Framework on Food Labelling, Advertisement and Claims’, held at the Vigyan Bhawan, here, the FSSAI underlined the collective responsibility to ensure that the information on food packages are accurate, transpar…

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) A 3-judge Bench of the Supreme Court was notified on Wednesday to consider afresh the issue of relocating stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. As per the causelist on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria will take up the suo moto case titled “In Re: ‘City hounded by strays, kids pay price'” on Thursday.In the same suo motu matter, a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan on Monday had directed municipal bodies acr…

Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS) A 17-year-old Class 11 student collapsed and died inside a private school in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram on Wednesday, sending shockwaves across the district and sparking intense public attention after video footage of the incident surfaced online.The student, identified as Mohan Raj of Mel Theru in Villupuram, had arrived at school as usual and taken his seat in the classroom when the tragedy occurred. Eyewitnesses said he suddenly fainted and fell to the floor without warnin…