VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html ‘Iran wants talks but ceasefire over,’ says Trump as Tehran begins restoring nuclear plant operations Quote of the day by Will Smith: “If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time.” | World News NEW DELHI: The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has issued fresh directions to all state governments, Union Territory administrations and central ministries, reiterating the rules governing the singing and playing of the National Anthem and the National Song and asking authorities to ensure strict compliance.In a communication dated July 9, the MHA enclosed the existing orders relating to the National Anthem and the National Song, saying they contain an exhaustive list of occasions on which they “shall be played or sung” and the occasions on which they “may be sung or played”.”It is to be noted that while singing or playing the National Song and the National Anthem, their correct script/ text and diction/ pronunciations should be followed strictly,” the order said.The ministry said the authentic text and pronunciation guide for both the National Anthem and the National Song are available on its website and asked states, Union Territories and ministries to issue suitable instructions to institutions and organisations under their jurisdiction for strict compliance.”It is requested that suitable instructions in this regard may please be issued to all concerned institutions and organisations under your jurisdiction, for strict compliance,” the communication said.The MHA reiterated that whenever the National Song and the National Anthem are performed together, the National Song must be sung or played first, followed by the National Anthem. It also clarified that in states where a state song is rendered, the National Song and National Anthem must both be performed, with the National Song preceding the National Anthem.The order said the National Song shall be sung during civil investitures, on the arrival and departure of the President at formal state functions and government events, immediately before and after the President addresses the nation on All India Radio and television, on the arrival and departure of Governors and Lieutenant Governors at formal state functions within their jurisdictions, and when the National Flag is brought on parade. It may also be played on other occasions under special orders issued by the government of India.The ministry recalled its January 28 order laying down the first detailed protocol for singing the National Song, which specified that its six stanzas, lasting about three minutes and ten seconds, should be sung during official functions such as the President’s arrival, unfurling of the National Flag and Governors’ addresses. It also said those present should stand at attention when the National Song is sung.The Centre is observing the 150th year of Vande Mataram. The MHA also referred to the Constituent Assembly’s resolution of January 24, 1950, under which Jana Gana Mana was adopted as the National Anthem, while Vande Mataram, recognising its historic role in India’s freedom struggle, was accorded equal honour and status.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosThree-Fold Rise In Assam Budget: Aims At Uplifting People, Says CM Sarma’You Will Have To Kill Me’: Mamata’s Defiant Message As TMC Faces Major RebellionIRCTC Rolls Out Beta Website With Simpler Booking Experience; 4 Key Changes Explained’She Pleaded For Help, No One Listened’: What The CCTV Reveals About Jaipur Schoolgirl’s DeathIgnored Warnings Or Natural Calamity? 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Doctor reveals the common daily mistakes that can lead to silent kidney diseaseSreeleela and Kalyani Priyadarshan ace the Wimbledon dress code with timeless London fashion5 natural alternatives to collagen supplements for healthy hair and skinRed vs green vs yellow bell peppers: Who wins the nutrition face-off?7 Animals that eat bees without letting stings stop themLock Upp 2: From Ram Kapoor’s lavish villa to Shivangi Joshi’s dreamy Dehradun home, a look at the luxurious properties of the inmatesNo botox, no expensive creams: Here’s how Japanese women stay young for decades and what we can learn from them123Hot PicksSIRBlake LivelyGurgaon EncounterCM VijayAlex PereiraPM ModiNico HischierStrait of HormuzSimone BilesTop TrendingGurgaon MonsoonAMU Seerat CertificateTelangana Techie Wife MurderFIFA World Cup 2026Weather TodayTS EAMCET Phase 1 seat allotmentRamesh MhatreDelhi NCR rainGurgaon EncounterIran war Jul 10, 2026, 21:32 IST Quote of the day by Abraham de Moivre: “We may imagine Chance and Design to be, as it were, in Competition with each other.” India building strategic oil reserves: ONGC board approves plan for 1.75-million-tonne storage capacity ‘No more beardos’: Pentagon steps up US military grooming crackdown NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Friday claimed the BJP was “struggling” in the Bankipur assembly bypoll after its original candidate withdrew from the contest, saying the development showed that no constituency was anyone’s “stronghold or personal fiefdom.”His remarks came hours after BJP candidate Abhishek Kumar Sinha withdrew from the July 30 bypoll, citing “family reasons”. The party subsequently named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate from the constituency, where Kishor is making his electoral debut.”This demonstrates that no Assembly or Lok Sabha constituency is anyone’s stronghold or personal fiefdom. If the public rises, even the most prominent leaders can be made to sweat. Regarding Bankipur, a constituency where, until recently, BJP members boasted that their fortress was so strong that even if they fielded a dog or a cat, the public would vote for them, the situation has changed. Now that the public has an alternative, the BJP is struggling to find a candidate…Today, it appears that their own candidate has stepped away from the electoral contest for some reason. Let them deal with that situation now. When the results are declared on the 3rd, a full reckoning will take place…” Kishor said.The Jan Suraaj chief also claimed the BJP’s supporters wanted a different face to lead Bihar, taking aim at chief minister Samrat Chaudhary.”The BJP has also realised that the public is not necessarily opposed to the party itself. Even their own supporters, workers, and leaders, who have voted for them, have a clear view: a person like Samrat Chaudhary, considering his conduct, character, and public image, cannot simply be imposed as the Chief Minister of Bihar. You are free to appoint a Chief Minister from any community; that is not the issue. The important thing is to choose a capable and deserving person. Select someone with integrity and education so that Bihar can progress…” he said.The Bankipur by-election was necessitated after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned from the assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. The constituency has long been considered a BJP stronghold.Voting for the bypoll will be held on July 30, while counting is scheduled for August 3. The contest has drawn attention as it marks Kishor’s first electoral contest after launching the Jan Suraaj party.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosThree-Fold Rise In Assam Budget: Aims At Uplifting People, Says CM Sarma’You Will Have To Kill Me’: Mamata’s Defiant Message As TMC Faces Major RebellionIRCTC Rolls Out Beta Website With Simpler Booking Experience; 4 Key Changes Explained’She Pleaded For Help, No One Listened’: What The CCTV Reveals About Jaipur Schoolgirl’s DeathIgnored Warnings Or Natural Calamity? 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It is linked with an ancient symbolism What if time isn’t real? Physicists built a tiny quantum universe with 24,000 ultracold atoms and found a shocking truth: Time could create itself How China can bring Taiwan to its knees without firing a shot UK brothers sentenced to life for 1984 murder of civil servant Anthony Littler after decades-long cold case | World News NEW DELHI: Two women corporators of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one each from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), were disqualified on Friday after separate district verification committees declared their caste validity certificates invalid.The action, announced by Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde during the civic body’s general meeting, takes the number of corporators disqualified on similar grounds in the 227-member BMC house to four within a month.The disqualified corporators are Roshan Shaikh of AIMIM, elected from Ward 138, and Bushra Nadeem Malik of the NCP, who represented Ward 170 in Kurla East. Both had been elected from seats reserved for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) women category.Mayor Tawde said separate district caste certificate verification committees had, following scrutiny, declared the caste validity certificates submitted by both corporators invalid. Consequently, she said, their memberships in the BMC automatically stood terminated from the dates on which the certificates were declared invalid.According to the mayor, the caste validity certificate submitted by Shaikh on November 23, 2025, was declared invalid by the Parbhani District Caste Certificate Verification Committee on April 27 this year.Similarly, Malik’s caste validity certificate, submitted on December 1, 2025, was declared invalid by the Akola District Caste Certificate Verification Committee on July 2 this year.With the disqualification of Shaikh and Malik, AIMIM’s strength in the BMC House has reduced to five members, while the NCP’s tally has come down to two.The development follows similar action last month against two other corporators. AIMIM corporator Shamir Ramzan Patel, elected from Ward 137 in Govandi, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) corporator Deepak Sawant, elected from Ward 111 in Bhandup’s S Ward, were disqualified after the District Caste Certificate Verification Committee declared their caste validity certificates invalid.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’You Will Have To Kill Me’: Mamata’s Defiant Message As TMC Faces Major RebellionIRCTC Rolls Out Beta Website With Simpler Booking Experience; 4 Key Changes Explained’She Pleaded For Help, No One Listened’: What The CCTV Reveals About Jaipur Schoolgirl’s DeathIgnored Warnings Or Natural Calamity? 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Doctor reveals the common daily mistakes that can lead to silent kidney diseaseSreeleela and Kalyani Priyadarshan ace the Wimbledon dress code with timeless London fashion5 natural alternatives to collagen supplements for healthy hair and skinRed vs green vs yellow bell peppers: Who wins the nutrition face-off?7 Animals that eat bees without letting stings stop themLock Upp 2: From Ram Kapoor’s lavish villa to Shivangi Joshi’s dreamy Dehradun home, a look at the luxurious properties of the inmatesNo botox, no expensive creams: Here’s how Japanese women stay young for decades and what we can learn from them123Hot PicksSIRBlake LivelyGurgaon EncounterCM VijayAlex PereiraPM ModiAssam BudgetStrait of HormuzSimone BilesTop TrendingGurgaon MonsoonAMU Seerat CertificateTelangana Techie Wife MurderFIFA World Cup 2026Weather TodayTS EAMCET Phase 1 seat allotmentRamesh MhatreDelhi NCR rainGurgaon EncounterIran war Watch: Sachin Tendulkar, hailed as ‘perhaps the greatest batsman of all time’, spotted at Wimbledon semi-final You’re not raising a kind child; you might be raising a people pleaser: What parents can do to avoid it happening Elon Musk on Anthropic’s Claude: ‘Woke’ and ‘hypocritical’ in March, but in July it’s… Indian-origin gynecologist Sanjeev Kumar sentenced to 20 years in prison in Tennessee for performing 15,000 biopsies with adulterated devices, attorney says no punishment is enough Rescue operations in Tung Wali Behak, Kashmir. Dec 2017 Jan 2018 When Hemant Sachdev fell into a crevasse on Mount Everest, he didn’t just escape with his life — he came back with a missionThe Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest is one of the most treacherous stretches of terrain on the planet. In May 2013, mountaineer Hemant Sachdev found himself dangling over an abyss held by a single rope on that very stretch.“In that moment, my entirelife flashed before my eyes,” says Sachdev, a veteran climber. “All I could see was blood.” Fortunately for Sachdev, his fellow climber was an experienced rescuer who had been keeping an eye on Sachdev. When he lost sight of Sachdev for over a minute, he turned back immediately and somehowmanaged to find him. The climber pulled him out with swift precision and the four-member team managed to summit Everest.| Later, a shaken Sachdev sat alone at the most “incredible place” in the world, savouring life anew. But that bone-chilling moment of staring death in the faceremained with him. Two years later,a news bulletin about soldiers buried under an avalanche at Siachen — the world’s highest battlefield — revived the memory of his fortuitous escape. “I kept thinking to myself that if I could be rescued in a place like Mount Everest, why can’t these soldiers be?” he says. “Climbers go for their sense of pleasure, their own achievement. It’s narcissistic, in some sense. But the soldiers are doing it out of a sense of duty.”Whenhe first proposed the idea of a civilian mountain rescue foundation for the Indian Army, it was met with disbelief. After all, wasn’t the Indian Army the one rescuing people from every disaster and storm? But things finally fell in place, and the Tiranga Mountain Rescue was founded in 2016. A decade later, the non-profit operates 16 teams across the country’s most sensitive mountain postings — from Siachen to Kargil, Tawang to Gurez — deploying 48 full-time professional rescuers. The results are there for all to see. “Earlier, there used to be an average of 40-50 deaths a year,” he says. The defence forces lose more soldiers due to non-combat reasons like avalanches, landslides and ailments than in combat. “In the last three years, casualties have come down to zero,” adds Sachdev.What makes the foundation’s work effective is not just the active rescues, but also preventive work to keep soldiers safe. “Last season, we went to over 400 posts to analyse every route, weather patterns, possibilities of disaster, and to advice and train soldiers,” he says. When rescues do happen, they are often against the clock in the most literal sense. Sachdev describes a 2022 incident in Tawang where seven soldiers had been buried by an avalanche, and could not be located even after two full days of searching. Eventually, the Tiranga rescue team was called in to recover the bodies so that the unit and families have a sense of closure. A helicopter dropped his team at the scene of the disaster and within hours of landing, they had found the soldiers.His team was also called upon in March this year to rescue tourists trapped inside multiple vehicles after an avalanche hit Zoji La Pass. Twelve civilians were trapped; seven others in surrounding areas had already died. His team mobilised immediately, beating challenges of dehydration, cold and precarious weather. Tiranga has since been involved in rescues for the Wayanad landslide in 2024 and the Uttarakhand glacier burst in 2021. With rescue operations in full swing after another landslide hit Wayanad on Tuesday, the death toll already 6 and mounting, Sachdev’s philosophy that began on an icy ledge above the world begins to make more sense. “The most dangerous place in the mountains is only as dangerous as your ability to rescue,” he says.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorHimanshi DhawanHimanshi Dhawan is a Senior Editor with The Times of India with 25 years of experience in reporting on politics, social sector, gender and marginalised communities. Her writing spans issues related to human rights violations, and looking at health, education, and livelihoods from a gendered lens. In recognition for her reporting she has received the UNFPA-Population First Laadli award for gender sensitive reporting in 2010-11. She has also been the recipient of the Edward Murrow Fellowship (2007) by the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. She has studied English Literature at St Stephen’s College, DU and completed her post-graduation in mass communication from Sophia College, Mumbai.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’You Will Have To Kill Me’: Mamata’s Defiant Message As TMC Faces Major RebellionIRCTC Rolls Out Beta Website With Simpler Booking Experience; 4 Key Changes Explained’She Pleaded For Help, No One Listened’: What The CCTV Reveals About Jaipur Schoolgirl’s DeathIgnored Warnings Or Natural Calamity? Kerala Orders Probe Into Wayanad Landslide Tragedy’Exam Paper Came A Night Before’: UGC-NET Leak Trail, Whistleblower Tells His Story | WatchUP Government Transfers 20 IAS Officers In Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle Across DepartmentsDefence, Energy, Education: 18 Big Outcomes Of PM Modi’s Australia VisitGurugram Gunfight Leaves Four Gang Members Dead After Massive Exchange Of Fire With PoliceCalcutta HC Allows TMC To Operate Frozen Accounts, Questions Police’s Swift Action3 Ex-TMC MPs Join BJP, Get Rajya Sabha Tickets Within Hours | West Bengal | Mamata Banerjee123Photostories10 baby names that mean “miracle” in different cultures6 stunning red birds in India and where to find themIf your child says these 7 phrases often, psychologists say they’re asking for connectionAre you accidentally damaging your kidneys? Doctor reveals the common daily mistakes that can lead to silent kidney diseaseSreeleela and Kalyani Priyadarshan ace the Wimbledon dress code with timeless London fashion5 natural alternatives to collagen supplements for healthy hair and skinRed vs green vs yellow bell peppers: Who wins the nutrition face-off?7 Animals that eat bees without letting stings stop themLock Upp 2: From Ram Kapoor’s lavish villa to Shivangi Joshi’s dreamy Dehradun home, a look at the luxurious properties of the inmatesNo botox, no expensive creams: Here’s how Japanese women stay young for decades and what we can learn from them123Hot PicksSIRBlake LivelyGurgaon EncounterCM VijayAlex PereiraPM ModiAssam BudgetStrait of HormuzSimone BilesTop TrendingGurgaon MonsoonAMU Seerat CertificateTelangana Techie Wife MurderFIFA World Cup 2026Weather TodayTS EAMCET Phase 1 seat allotmentRamesh MhatreDelhi NCR rainGurgaon EncounterIran war It has bright yellow wings and looks familiar, but this rare British butterfly is unlike any other, DNA reveals E20 petrol row: Govt answers 9 FAQs on ethanol-blended petrol’s impact on mileage, performance, damage, pricing & more ‘Nothing illegal’: Albania defends €4 million Kanye West concerts subsidy amid protests over comments glorifying Hitler NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate who was set to face Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor in Bihar’s Bankipur bypoll, withdrew from the contest on Friday, citing “family reasons”. The surprise twist forced the party to name a replacement just hours later.Abhishek Kumar Sinha, who had filed his nomination papers only a day earlier as the NDA nominee from the BJP stronghold, announced his withdrawal at a press conference. Soon after, the BJP named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate for the July 30 by-election.”The BJP had made me the NDA candidate for the bypoll to the Bankipur assembly seat. I express my gratitude to the central and state leadership. However, due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the bypoll,” he said.Reading out a letter addressed to Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi, he added: “I have just handed a letter to state president, Sanjay Saraogi, which I am now reading out before you. The Bharatiya Janata Party had selected me as the NDA candidate for the by-election in the Bankipur Assembly constituency. I express my gratitude to the central and state leadership for this. I wish to humbly inform you that, due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the Assembly by-election. I will continue to serve faithfully as a party worker.”Soon after the withdrawal, the BJP announced Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate. In a statement, the party said the 32-year-old leader has previously served as a booth president and district vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).The by-election was necessitated after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned from the Bankipur assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar earlier this year. Nabin, who became the BJP’s national working president in December 2025 before taking over as national president, has represented Bankipur multiple times. The constituency has long been considered a BJP stronghold, with his father, Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, also enjoying significant political influence there.The bypoll will be held on July 30, while counting of votes is scheduled for August 3. The last date for filing nominations is July 13.The contest has gained additional political significance after Jan Suraaj announced that its founder, Prashant Kishor, would contest the seat, marking his electoral debut.Addressing a public meeting in Sheohar earlier, Kishor said he had deliberately chosen to contest from a BJP bastion instead of a politically safe constituency.”… When people start their electoral politics, they look for safe seats for themselves… I am doing the opposite because I am telling the people of Bihar that if Bihar is to change, they must vote beyond caste and religion. They must stop voting out of fear of Lalu for BJP, or fear of BJP for Lalu. To prove the point I am explaining to the people of Bihar, I am contesting from a place where votes should not be sought in the name of caste or religion…”PollVote & Share your viewDo you think family reasons are a valid excuse for a candidate to withdraw from an election?Yes, family comes firstNo, candidates should fulfill their commitments3k+ users shared opinion today 5k+ users already voted today 3k+ users shared opinion today Share OpinionHe also claimed that Jan Suraaj intended to challenge the BJP’s long-standing dominance in the constituency, “This time Jan Suraaj intends to enter the BJP’s fortress and defeat them.””For the past four to five decades, a single political family associated with the BJP had dominated Bankipur politics, while parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress had repeatedly failed to unseat them”, the Jan Suraaj supremo said, adding, “My party alone will offer a genuine and direct contest in the constituency.”The by-election will also see a contest involving the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which has fielded Rekha Kumari alias Rekha Gupta.Before Abhishek Kumar Sinha’s withdrawal, NDA leaders had projected a united front for the by-election. Janata Dal (United) National working president Sanjay Jha had said there was no ambiguity within the alliance over the BJP’s candidature and that all NDA constituents would campaign together.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’You Will Have To Kill Me’: Mamata’s Defiant Message As TMC Faces Major RebellionIRCTC Rolls Out Beta Website With Simpler Booking Experience; 4 Key Changes Explained’She Pleaded For Help, No One Listened’: What The CCTV Reveals About Jaipur Schoolgirl’s DeathIgnored Warnings Or Natural Calamity? Kerala Orders Probe Into Wayanad Landslide Tragedy’Exam Paper Came A Night Before’: UGC-NET Leak Trail, Whistleblower Tells His Story | WatchUP Government Transfers 20 IAS Officers In Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle Across DepartmentsDefence, Energy, Education: 18 Big Outcomes Of PM Modi’s Australia VisitGurugram Gunfight Leaves Four Gang Members Dead After Massive Exchange Of Fire With PoliceCalcutta HC Allows TMC To Operate Frozen Accounts, Questions Police’s Swift Action3 Ex-TMC MPs Join BJP, Get Rajya Sabha Tickets Within Hours | West Bengal | Mamata Banerjee123Photostories10 baby names that mean “miracle” in different cultures6 stunning red birds in India and where to find themIf your child says these 7 phrases often, psychologists say they’re asking for connectionAre you accidentally damaging your kidneys? Doctor reveals the common daily mistakes that can lead to silent kidney diseaseSreeleela and Kalyani Priyadarshan ace the Wimbledon dress code with timeless London fashion5 natural alternatives to collagen supplements for healthy hair and skinRed vs green vs yellow bell peppers: Who wins the nutrition face-off?7 Animals that eat bees without letting stings stop themLock Upp 2: From Ram Kapoor’s lavish villa to Shivangi Joshi’s dreamy Dehradun home, a look at the luxurious properties of the inmatesNo botox, no expensive creams: Here’s how Japanese women stay young for decades and what we can learn from them123Hot PicksSIRBlake LivelyGurgaon EncounterCM VijayAlex PereiraPM ModiAssam BudgetStrait of HormuzSimone BilesTop TrendingGurgaon MonsoonAMU Seerat CertificateTelangana Techie Wife MurderFIFA World Cup 2026Weather TodayTS EAMCET Phase 1 seat allotmentRamesh MhatreDelhi NCR rainGurgaon EncounterIran war Auto financiers push industry to embed financing into car sales to make it seamless ‘He became very emotional’: TN CM Vijay meets Karur stampede victims’ families, hands over government jobs Trump fires US election commission, raising suspicion of rigging Excerpts from the interview.Q: What was the genesis of this book? Assa Doron: Alex and I have been working in India for around two decades and we’ve done collaborative research before on different aspects of health and public health in India. I did a book with professor Robin Jeffrey called ‘Waste of a Nation’. I found myself in Hyderabad alongside the Musi river and learning about the factory pollution that is discharged by pharmaceutical companies… I realised that samples have shown that there is a lot of bacteria resistant to antibiotics in the Musi itself. And when I was speaking to local people, they were telling me about bad smells, problems with skin diseases, and so on. And I realised that the issue of waste here is becoming also an issue related to antibiotic resistance… And I knew that Alex was working on this issue for over a decade now. So I asked him if we can team up. Q: How did you get your fingers dirty and get the data? Alex Broom: Getting your fingers dirty is actually a good metaphor… I was exploring lots of different health-related issues in India. I have family in India as well. So, I was going back and forth… Part of it was personal — I started to see myself the tension between purchasing antibiotics to try and get through whatever I was trying to get through and then knowing from my other work that ultimately these were a precious resource that we can’t really waste. And how do we actually make changes and make them realistic? Assa Doron: The paucity of data was something that we were struggling with. Fortunately, there’s enough scientific material out there to demonstrate that for a lot of places that are polluted — take the Ganga or take the Musi — there are enough scientists that have gone there and taken samples and have shown very clearly there is an issue of rising antimicrobial resistance. Whether it’s a result of poor sanitation and sewage going into the river as a result of factories that are discharging effluents, whether it’s pharmaceutical residues or heavy metals or tanneries, there’s multiple studies that demonstrate that. But our concern was not the hard data, as it were, in terms of numbers that you can find in scientific journals. What we wanted to do is to tell a story, because India really brings the global antibiotic story into sharp focus. It’s one of the world’s largest consumers of antibiotics. It’s a major producer of generic medicines and a place where antibiotics move through hospitals, pharmacies, farms, factories, households, with extraordinary intensity… India helps us to see something that is global but often hidden. That is that modern life is really kind of deeply dependent on antibiotics. Q: It is about emerging narratives of an emerging catastrophe which is staring us in the face. Alex Broom: We need a diversity of data. And what I mean by that is, for example, how much incentives might be given to the use of certain pharmaceuticals… We need data that shows what the drivers are of use of our diminishing resources, rather than just focus on the biological outcomes of that behaviour and that economy. So really, what we’re doing is trying to pan out. And rather than just focus on levels of resistance, we’re saying you need panoramic data in order to actually communicate the problem to everyday people. The data might actually be the fact that we can’t expect people to not consume antibiotics if they haven’t got secure work. Now, that wouldn’t traditionally be seen as a form of scientific data, but that is one of the reasons which drives high use of antibiotics and high levels of resistance. Assa Doron: I think one of the key concerns that we have in the book is to demonstrate that you can’t really blame people, because the crisis of antibiotics is not a biological one. It’s a crisis of inequality in many ways. Resistance emerges through microbes, but it follows these social fault lines, whether it’s across gender, class, occupation, housing. We know that there’s a lot of people that don’t have access to water or sanitation is poor or they’re exposed to a polluted environment… For example, for the household, women are the ones who may suffer recurrent urinary tract infections or reproductive tract infections, or other untreated health problems that delay care because their illness is treated as less urgent. So these are the stories that we want to tell — what delays proper care? Why is it that there’s a shortage of doctors in rural areas? Alex Broom: Much of the rise of resistance is embedded in the issue and the challenge of growth. Whether we’re talking about growth of production of food, whether we’re talking about economic growth, whether we’re talking about creating new markets for India to sell to the world, generics to the US and so forth. So it’s about a growth-centred world. And really you can’t have moderation, what we might call judiciousness, careful prescribing of antibiotics, if the entire system is centred around growth. In some respects, growth is wonderful. It uplifts people’s life chances and provides work and opportunities. On the other hand, unsustainable growth sees mutating effects and in many respects what we call selective pressure… What we’ve essentially learned is to produce more and more in order for others to consume and in unsustainable ways. And that’s not an India problem specifically. That is a truly global issue. Q: Your book was a wake-up call to the fact that we are on the brink of a situation where antibiotics won’tbe effective in treating even the most simple illness. Alex Broom: I think we are just years away from a global reckoning. And India is ahead of that, unfortunately, because of the high use and the easy access, which has really substituted for healthcare infrastructure… And we are starting to see failure of mainstay antibiotics across lots of different nations. India has challenges which we will all face in the end. And we feel very strongly that India is not just a cautionary tale, but ultimately it also holds wisdom in terms of what we can actually do. Assa Doron: It’s easy to say misuse, overuse, excessive use. It makes the problem sound like a matter of bad behaviour. The patient is demanding antibiotics. The doctor is prescribing too quickly. The pharmacist is selling pills without a prescription. Sure, those things happen, but that language of misuse really conceals the conditions in which these decisions are made. A doctor in an overcrowded hospital in India may see 200 patients a day, and they have little access to diagnostics. A poor patient might buy only a few tablets because that’s all they can afford. And they need to go to work tomorrow. And the same with farmers who use antibiotics because their livestock are raised in these crowded conditions, and disease can just wipe out about a whole stock of chickens or shrimp to be exported to the US. So the question is not why are people using antibiotics badly? The real, deeper question that we’re trying to explore is why antibiotics have become so necessary in the first place. Q: How do we create public awareness? Alex Broom: One way to do it is by consumer pressure. Very often, in a market economy, brands are quite sensitive to consumer preference. And creating awareness amongst the public of the health and the value of foods which are produced sustainably but also good for the body is an extremely productive way of forcing commercial actors to be more judicious about what they do.Assa Doron: There are also initiatives in India that really try and respond to this antibiotic crisis that India is facing, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, they’ve got an Operation AMRITH, in which they’ve tried to end over the counter antibiotic sale without prescription… The state is also trying to promote awareness at the community level, training ASHA workers that visit households and explain the problems… Alex Broom: In the hospital sector, the private environment has expanded radically versus the public sector… And what that means is that when you get a crisis like this which requires some degree of control, you then sit back and you say, we don’t actually own or run these institutions. Can we really tell them not to use antibiotics? 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