A nationwide shutdown called by various Dalit organizations to protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling on amendments under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 has taken a violent turn killing four people in Madhya Pradesh.

The Supreme Court on March 20 had introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

The ruling drew flak from the Opposition parties and some of its own leaders, who said that it would make the law ineffective.

Even as violent protests were reported from across the country, the Centre on Monday filed a petition seeking review of the apex court’s order diluting the provisions of the act that protects marginalized communities against discrimination and atrocities.

Earlier in the day, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad confirmed that the government filed a comprehensive petition in the apex court which would be presented before the top court by senior lawyers. He said that the government didn’t agree with the SC’s ruling and that there was no intention of changing provision of reservation for minorities.

Meanwhile, a storm of outrage engulfed numerous parts of the country, including Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, which even saw angry protestors taking to the destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary.

Below are the updates so far:

Inspector General Law and Order Makrand Deuskar said that four people have died in protests in Gwalior and Morena in Madhya Pradesh.

19 people got injured in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior of which two are in critical condition. Internet services have also been blocked in Gwalior district till 6:00 am tomorrow.

Shots were fired during protests in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior.

Delhi Police is alert. We have adequate police deployment at places and senior officials are also present on the field. All steps will be taken to maintain law and order: Deependra Pathak, spokesperson, Delhi Police on Bharat Band

We salute brothers and sisters from the Dalit community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from the Modi government, tweets Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

One can understand if people protest, but why is opposition playing politics? Parties like Congress who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar are now acting like his followers: Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed all political parties and groups to maintain peace and shun violence.

Informing that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has filed a review petition in Supreme Court for reconsidering of the verdict on the act, he urged the protesters on Monday to refrain from imposing blockades and committing violent acts.

Talking to the media, Rajnath said, “We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties and groups to maintain peace and not incite violence.”

Amidst protest, the shops were being forcibly shut down by protesters in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun.

A person has been killed in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena while curfew has been imposed in parts of Gwalior and Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) imposed in Sagar.

Protesters were thrashed by police personnel in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut for creating nuisance in the area.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also appealed the protestors not to disturb the law and order.

“The central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC and ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government’s notice,” Adityanath said.

A scuffle erupted between protesters and Police in Jharkhand’s Ranchi protesting against Supreme Court directive on SC/ST Act.

The protest turned violent in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut and Rajasthan’s Barmer. Protestors damaged cars and public property. While the effects of Bandh has also been witnessed in Delhi’s Mandi House.

In Punjab, the transport and mobile Internet services have been suspended. The educational institutions also remain closed.

The protest spreads out to Agra and Rajasthan. Agitators are seen taking to the streets over the issue.

Protestors stop a train at Forbesganj Junction in Bihar in the wake of protests over the SC/ST act. The band has been called by Dalit organizations across the country.

The effects of Bandh are visible in Bihar where protestors blocked a train and roads in Sonapur area.

The Congress Party on Monday reiterated that the Centre did not present the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Protection Act properly before the Supreme Court.

Party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told ANI, “Of course, a review petition (SC/ST protection act) should be filed and it’s the right of the Government, it is a legal procedure. The basic question is that why they were unable to present the case properly before SC and lost; inquiry is needed.”

The police force has been deployed in Punjab’s Amritsar to avoid unwelcome situation due to the protests called by various Dalit organizations across the country.

BY Bhavana Akella

Mainstream political parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fear a lower turnout in the Karnataka assembly elections as voting is scheduled for May 12 — a second Saturday when all government offices and quite a few in the private sector are closed.

“It would have been better if polling was on a working day than on a weekend, which can affect voter participation, especially in urban constituencies where people tend to get away because the following day is a Sunday,” BJP state spokesman Vamanacharya told IANS.

The Election Commission on March 27 announced the poll schedule for the 224 assembly segments across the southern state in mid-summer when the average day temperature is expected to be above 40 degrees Celsius.

As in the previous assembly election, held on May 5, 2013, polling will be in a single phase this time too, and the vote count is scheduled for May 15.

“Voting on a week day would have been convenient to lakhs of working people, including thousands of techies in this tech hub as they get a paid holiday to exercise their democratic right,” asserted Vamanacharya.

For instance, most of the 250,000 IT professionals working in Bengaluru get away on weekends to unwind at holiday resorts, tourist spots and wildlife reserves, or go sight-seeing to the nearby Nandi Hills or visit other cities.

As India’s Silicon Valley, Bengaluru is home to about 2,000 IT firms and 750 multinationals.

Second Saturday of the month is also a holiday for state government employees and banks, besides IT and biotech firms, which makes them to get away and skip voting as it may not be a priority.

Concurring with the BJP on the poll date, the ruling Congress is also wary of the weekend fallout on the voting percentage in cities like Bengaluru, which has 28 assembly segments.

“Polling on a Saturday is worrisome as it will affect the turnout at the booths, as many citizens, especially the youth, would prefer getaways than stay back and go to vote,” Congress state unit vice president B.K. Chandrashekar told IANS here.

The voter turnout in the last assembly election was 71 per cent.

The Election Commission has, however, ruled out a change in the poll date, concerns of lower voter turnout notwithstanding.

“EC changing the poll date is unlikely as it is decided after factoring exams, public holidays, festivals and other events,” state Additional Chief Electoral Officer K.G. Jagadeesha told IANS.

The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), a regional party, however, feels the BJP or Congress should not be complaining, as the poll date was decided after the EC had consulted them too.

When the poll panel consulted the parties on the poll date, BJP and Congress representatives had mentioned that any day except Sunday was suitable.

“Parties complaining is only to find an excuse for their weaknesses,” JD-S state spokesman Ramesh Babu told IANS.

Meanwhile, renowned historian Ramachandra Guha said the country had witnessed assembly polls even on a Sunday in the past.

“I don’t think the day or date has much effect on the number of voters as we’ve seen elections with high voter percentage,” Guha said candidly.

Political scientist Sandeep Shastri said it was the responsibility of the parties to get the urban electorate to vote.

The voting percentage in Bengaluru has been the lowest in the state (less than 50 per cent) for the past 35 years, as there is apathy to polling because urban voters are cynical about the politics without understanding, Shastri asserted.

“I would blame the political parties for not being able to get voters to cast their ballot by raising the right issues that concern citizens,” he added.

Compared to the voter turnouts in the West, like the US (55 per cent in the 2016 presidential election), Indian states fare better, Shastri noted.

According to Srinivas Alavilli, a volunteer coordinator for Citizens for Bengaluru, a city-based people’s forum, urban voters’ data tends to be inaccurate with the people moving within and out of the city each year, and hence the voter turnout percentage does not often reflect the true number.

“Many people from Bengaluru don’t vote because they don’t see any political party addressing their issues. Through a citizens’ manifesto, we have been trying to make our demands heard by political parties,” Alavilli stated.

Only when political parties address the people’s issues can the voter turnout go up, he averred.

Asia Jewels Fair 2018 To Dazzle Bangalore City

Asia Jewels Fair 2018, one of South India’s most Glamorous Jewellery Exhibition is all set to host its 13th edition in Bengaluru city from 6th Apr, 2018 to 8th Apr, 2018. The Grand jewellery fair will take place at Conrad Bengaluru Hotel situated at Ulsoor (Near 1 MG – Lido Mall), the newest & the most luxurious 5 star hotel Bengaluru from 10.30 am to 8 pm.

The show will be inaugurated by Angana Roy the renowned South Indian Actress at 12 noon on 6th Apr, 2018 at The Conrad Bengaluru Hotel.

Asia Jewels Fair ‘18 is a niche event exhibiting exclusive & high – end branded gold & diamond Jewellery amongst others. The event will showcase some of the latest collection from, Fine gold Jewellery, Diamond Jewellery, Platinum Jewellery, Traditional Jewellery, Wedding Jewellery, Precious stone Jewellery, Kundan, Jadau & Polki Jewellery to name just a few.

Special Highlight of the Exhibition:

This landmark Exhibition will showcase one of Shobha Shringar Jeweller’s finest creations, The Femina Miss India crown 2017. The crown comprises of 8000 magnificent diamonds along with 60 splendid rubies, and was worn by current Miss World, Manushi Chhillar.

“Asia Jewels Fair is one of the finest jewellery exhibitions in the city. Pre – book your jewellery for the upcoming Akshaya Tritiya festival & for all the prospective grooms & brides. A fair like this is a one stop destination that brings some of the best jewellery designs & precious stones under one roof, perfect destination to buy exquisite & world class jewellery in South India.”

On display will be Luxury jewellery designs from top leading brands of Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata et al creating the most glamorous & the most spectacular platform for all branded jewellery. Adding to the exquisite display will be a dazzling array of International jewellery designs, from top most brands from all across India like:

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Joyalukkas, The World’s favorite jeweler, P. C. Chandra Jewellers, Amrapali Jewels, Creations Jewellery, Sri Ganesh Diamonds & Jewellery, Shobha Shringar Jewellers, Mumbai, Nikhaar Jewels, Orra Jewels, Diamond Mantra, Abira Jewellers – Kolkata, Ananya Jewels, Gold Karat – Delhi, Design Source by Archana Aggarwal – Delhi, Sehgal Jewellers – Delhi, Ziva Jewellery – Mumbai, Karma Jewels, Reyna Gems & Jewels, Aura by Surana Jewellers – Delhi, K. Jewels – Delhi et al.

Asia Jewels Fair is an exquisite & most sought after event show brought to you by the Introduction Trade Shows Pvt. Ltd.

Several Dalit organisations have called for ‘Bharat Bandh’ today against the alleged “dilution” of the SCs/STs Act. Following the SC order, in which Apex Court had banned automatic arrests in the said Act, the protests today have hit life in several states.

Hundreds of protesters carrying swords, sticks, baseball bats and flags forced shopkeepers and other establishments in Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda to shut down. Similar protests have been reported from Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar ..

One can understand if people protest, but why is opposition playing politics? Congress, who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar, are now acting like his followers: Ramvilas Paswan, Union Minister
Rajasthan: Showrooms vandalised in Jaipur. Curfew imposed in parts of Gwalior, Section 144 imposed in Sagar.

Central & state govts are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC & ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law & order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to govt’s notice: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

*Today govt has filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST Act. We don’t agree with the SC’s order. Opposition politicising the Dalit issue, says Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

* Protesters blocks trains in Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan.

Shops, educational institutions and other establishments remained closed in Punjab. The final practical examinations of Class 10 and 12 of Punjab School Education Board, which were scheduled to be held on Monday, will now be held on April 11.

* The Centre will file a review petition today against the Supreme Court’s order, in which it had puts an end to immediate arrests in complaints filed under the SC/ST Act provisions.

*Of course a review petition(SC/ST Act) should be filed. ..

Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd, under its flagship initiative of #byherside, Pink Valve Cap Campaign, for supporting Breast Cancer patients, has provided world class latest technology equipment (Fluobeam – ICG Fluoroscopy Imaging Device) to TATA Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, which will be the 1st ever of its kind installation in India and currently available in only few developed countries worldwide. In addition, part of the contribution given will be utilized for the underprivileged breast cancer patient treatment assistance program.

Bridgestone launched the campaign in Oct, 2017, focusing on creating awareness towards the disease as well as highlighting the importance of early detection & treatment. Breast Cancer is considered as one of the leading cause of death amongst women and thus, Bridgestone assumed the responsibility of generating the necessary attention & alertness for the cause.

During the ceremony, Bridgestone India’s Managing Director, Parag Satpute handed over the cheque of the total sum amounting to Rupees Eighty Seven Lacs & Fifty Thousand (INR 87.5 lacs) to Dr. Rajendra Badve, Director of Tata Memorial Hospital.

This contribution is given with the aim to support the less fortunate suffering from breast cancer. The equipment & funds provided for the treatment are likely to support more than 64,000 patients, who visit Tata Memorial Hospital annually, from India as well as abroad. Nearly 60% of these cancer patients who receive curative care at the Hospital are needy and treated free of charges.

Speaking about the contribution Parag Satpute said, “Bridgestone’s global CSR Commitment is ‘Our Way to Serve’ and it is the foundation of Bridgestone India’s every initiative to improve life of the people & communities they move, live, work play in. This contribution is all the more valuable to us, as it blends the contribution from Bridgestone India with the overwhelming support coming from our employees, dealers & customers who supported the cause through the consumption of Pink Valve Caps.

On this occasion, Bridgestone thanks all the team members of Tata Memorial Hospital for exceptional services towards the fight against Cancer and this makes us feel more privileged to have been able to make a humble contribution towards the cause.”

Dr. Rajendra Badve further added, “We are extremely happy to see esteemed organizations such as Bridgestone coming forward to support the cause. Such efforts will not only help the underprivileged patients fighting the disease, but also raise awareness towards the cause. We acknowledge Bridgestone for taking their generous support for the patients suffering from breast cancer.”

Bridgestone India will continue to support the cause through various awareness campaigns for encouraging all women to undergo early age detection procedure. One such initiative was the recent Breast Cancer Screening Camp organized on 8th Mar, 2018 on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Series of such camps will be organized at PHCs (Primary Health Centres) across Khed Taluka, in Pune for the benefit of rural & tribal community.

Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd started its operations in 1996. In Mar, 1998 with the setup of its manufacturing facility in Kheda, Madhya Pradesh, Bridgestone achieved its objective of running Indian manufactured Bridgestone tyres on Indian Roads. It expanded its facilities by setting up 1 more facility in Chakan, Pune in 2013. In a short stint of more than 2 decades, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd has become one of the leading tyre companies in both the OEM & the Replacement market.

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire & rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber & chemical products as well as sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations & territories around the world.

In the Asia Pacific region, Bridgestone locates its regional headquarters in Singapore, overseeing the operations of tire production & sales facilities, as well as supplying its products across more than 25 countries in the region. Bridgestone Asia Pacific plays a key role in facilitating this large & growing market as it contributes significantly to the entire Bridgestone Group.
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The Doon School – Dehradun, India’s pre-eminent boarding school, has announced its residential ‘Summer @ Doon Leadership Programme’ from 2nd to 16th June 2018. The programme is open to all aspiring girls and boys in Grades 9-12 who are passionate about making a positive impact on the world around them.

Application for this programme closes on April 30th, 2018.
This dynamic and thought-provoking leadership programme will be a blend of creative experiential learning, leadership case studies, design thinking, motivational lectures, outdoor adventures, self-reflection and group interaction. The programme will allow students to expand their horizons across many disciplines and learn through the lenses of psychology, history, geography, philosophy, and economics.
A critically important element will be the relationship between leadership, social service, and environmental responsibility. This programme will ensure that boys and girls develop a deeper understanding of what successful leadership is all about and what is required to demonstrate it in the 21st Century in the context of a developing society in an increasingly globalized world. The programme will be taught by many of the school’s experienced staff as well as by Doon School alumni and other special guests.

“The Doon School has long been associated with innovative thinking and leadership and is passionate about being at the forefront of educational opportunity for its students”, said Mr. Matthew Raggett, Headmaster. “Summer @ Doon seeks to create a very special experience that will enable a wider student body of girls and boys to discover essential qualities within themselves that will help them on their journey of action, leadership, service, and fulfillment.”
“The two-week long programme will be an adventure that promises to be challenging and intellectually demanding, enabling students to meet and make like-minded friends, and to learn from each other and the adults leading Summer @ Doon”, added Mr. Raggett.

The course opened in 2014 and has received rave reviews. Some past students have said, “I’ve become more confident and done things that I would never have dared to do before.” Palak Mehta
“All the outdoor activities were meaningful and taught me about endurance. It was a very intellectual, interactive and fun experience.” Zoravar Singh Paintal
For more details about the Summer @ Doon Leadership programme,

ABOUT THE DOON SCHOOL
The Doon School aims to be an institution of excellence, dedicated to finding and developing exceptional students from all backgrounds to serve a meritocratic India. Founded in 1935 by Satish Ranjan Das, The Doon School has had a long and distinguished history on India’s tradition-enriched soil. It offers programmes that lead to the Cambridge IGCSE, ISC and IB Diploma to 560 boys between the ages of 12 and 18 in a fully residential environment. A significant number of students, who come from every socio-economic background and from 26 Indian states, receive scholarships or bursaries as part of the school’s mission to attract exceptional boys irrespective of their religion, caste or economic background.

The curriculum is broad and provides a balance of intellectual challenge, creative problem solving and adventure in addition to a strong sporting tradition and love of the arts. Service, social responsibility and leadership are part of the school’s curriculum and are embedded in its ethos.

Since its foundation, the school has produced many distinguished alumni in all walks of life, including Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, many chief ministers of Indian states, ambassadors and luminaries in the world of arts and letters such as sculptor Anish Kapoor and authors Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh and Ramachandra Guha. Doon is a member of the Round Square Organisation, The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) and the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC) and is also an IB World School.

Researched & Written by: Dr.Parmeshwar Arora

Drinking water in excess can harm your health:
While, at present everybody is inclined for drinking maximum possible water for keeping healthy, our ancient Ayurvedic texts & Vedas surprisingly direct us to drink minimum possible water to remain healthy. There are certain diseases where water has been contraindicated or is allowed in very minimum quantity.
These days it is a common practice that if you have to fix your digestion – drink lots of water, if you have to detox your body – drink lots of water, if there is burning while passing urine – drink lots of water, if you have to lose weight drink lots of water etc.
But when we try to understand as to how drinking water in abundance help in these conditions, the reasoning which surfaces up is something completely beyond our understanding. For example, for all the problems related to digestion like – Constipation, Acidity, Gas formation and even IBS , the cause is our sluggish digestion power. Even the modern science says that for all these conditions the reason is decreased secretion of digestive enzymes.
Hence, we can get rid of these conditions by improving our Jatharagni i.e. digestive fire. In such a case, how would the excessive intake of water, which is the worst opponent of fire, increases digestive fire and how would it help in fixing the problems, is totally beyond understanding. Is it not possible that this excess quantity of water consumed by us to resolve our digestive issues actually make these conditions chronic which eventually become incurable? Same is the case for other conditions also. Please do think about it.

Drinking too much of water at a time, even when thirsty, can make you ill
As per Ayurveda, a generally healthy person should drink adequate amount of water in summer (Mid May to Mid July) and Autumn (Mid September to Mid December) and minimum possible amount of water in rest of the seasons. If someone has a tendency to drink too much of water at a time even when thirsty, this can become a cause of ‘Pitta’ and ‘Kafa’ related diseases like indigestion, bloating, nausea, vomiting, over-salivation, heaviness in the body and even cold-cough and respiratory issues. Especially, the fever patients should only drink small quantity of water slowly and with patience.
Modern science does not have any specific guidelines about consumption of food while Ayurveda which has been written with the main motive of maintenance of good health, talks about food/drinks in detail. So if we go by the deteriorating levels of health, the time has come when we should drop the common beliefs and adopt the food habits directed by our Shastras which will eventually help us in keeping healthy like our ancestors and keep away from diseases.
Water is ELIXIR only when taken correctly, can be POISON if consumed otherwise :
As per Ayurveda whether water has to be taken on its own or after medicating it with suitable herbs or taken after boiling it or taken in cold form or taken as just warm water, deciding this on the basis of state of body and when taken in right quantity at right time & in right way, then only acts like Elixir else it acts like Poison if used otherwise.
There is almost opposite opinion about drinking of water when present trends are compared with the directions of our ancient Ayurvedic texts. Whereas there is no authentic & detailed book about correct diet and life style of present era, Ayurveda was written with the primary intention of maintaining health by correct diet and correct life style. For the same every dietary item including water has been explained in detail in Ayurvedic texts.
Drinking water in excess can complicate or produce diseases like Indigestion, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure & Kidney diseases :
Anyone who tends to consume water in excess or at wrong time or in wrong manner initially weakens his Digestive fire (Jatharagni) and subsequently fire at tissue level (Dhaatvagni) & cellular level (Bhutaagni). It gives rise to a condition of Ajeerna (Indigestion) & Aama (Undigestive Food) at various levels in the body. Ajeerna & Aama are supposed to be the root cause of almost every disease, including Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Kidney Diseases & Heart Diseases etc.
How drinking excess of water complicates or leads to Indigestion Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Kidney Diseases etc. has been explained in detail in the book, “Water-Elixir or Poison ?”. Various other important facts about water consumption have also been explained in the book.
Recommended Quantity of Water can not be defined:
The common recommended quantity of water consumption can’t be defined for every person. The adequacy will vary based on the physical work done by that individual, environment around them and status of body health.
Right Quantity, Right Time & Right Way of drinking water:
In general, a healthy person should consume between 1 to 1.5 litres of liquid in a day which includes water, milk, juice, tea, coffee etc. To put it more precisely, we can assume a person to be consuming enough quantity of liquid if he/she is releasing ½ to 1 litre of clear urine in a day.
General recommendations are as follows:
For Intestinal Cleansing: Consume 250-300 ml or a full glass of warm water, sip by sip on empty stomach in the morning.
For Helping in Digestive Process: Water with Meal: a cup (i.e. about 150 ml) of warm water should be consumed, sip by sip while having meal. After Meals, consume a small cup (150-200 ml) of warm water every hour or two, even when not feeling thirsty.
On Feeling Thirsty: Drink a small cup (i.e. 150-200 ml) of water, patiently. It is best to drink warm water or boiled water kept for less than 24 hours.
Drinking too much of water at a time can lead to indigestion:
The excess water consumed, being a good medium of transportation, pushes the food down ahead of time irrespective of digestive stage. Due to this hurry, the digestion-process of the prior stages is missed out and hence the digestion remains incomplete. This results in a condition of indigestion. Even in summer season, consuming small quantity of water at regular intervals, when feeling thirsty, helps in maintenance of better health. Consumption of more water in summer season is usually the reason behind our digestion fire becoming sluggish and hence we feel less hungry and also there is trouble in digesting consumed food.
Always Drinking Boiled Water is beneficial for health:
Consumption of un-boiled water increases the possibility of different types of infections in the body. Water is the only liquid food which is neither cooked before consumption nor it is processed by our digestion fire. So, it is clear that if water is contaminated, it can reach out blood streams and become the cause of infections. In general this contamination is removed by boiling process. Hence it is recommended to consume only boiled water, even in Summers.
Special contribution of this research besides providing better health:
This research papers about water would not only give us better health by avoiding the possible damages from drinking excess water, but it would also help in coming out of the misunderstanding about consumption of more and more water. This will also help us in reducing the need of scarce potable water resources and would also help in its conservation.
If one fourth of the population of India comes out from the myth of drinking excess water and reduce just 1 litre of water intake, then there will be saving of about 500 crores litres of clean drinkable water everyday. Calculations about this figure have also been explained in the book.

Dr. Arora’s questions for the Doctors recommending consumption of more and more water:
1. While giving commandments of drinking of more and more water, is not it their moral responsibility to also mention the deadly effect of this on diseases related to heart, digestion, kidney and hundreds of issues related to hormones?
2. Can I ask those water healers who are associated with either Allopathy, Ayurveda or Naturopathy, as to how does consumption of excess quantity of water help our body? Do they have a scientific, textual or research based evidence to support their process?
3. I would like to ask these water healers who simply quote Ayurveda in their lectures on consumption of high quantity of water, that have they even touched the original text books of Ayurveda like Charak Samhita, Sushruta Samhita or Ashtang Sangrah by Acharya Vagbhatt? Can they quote even a single line from these texts which recommend consumption of excess water? If not then what action should be taken against these people who are spreading the wrong trend and creating health hazards for millions of people?
4. These water healers should explain to the society if a patient of kidney problems or blood pressure or diabetes which impacts the kidneys negatively or diseases which bring swelling in different parts of body – should drink excess water? If yes, then please explain how as otherwise it is well known to have adverse effect on the health condition. You can read about scientific and Vaidic analysis of this subject along with references in my book – “Water – Elixir or Poison?”.

Follow the correct way of Water Consumption even in Summers:
A person should consume water on the basis of the condition of their body in right quantity, at right time and in right process. The time has come when we should come out of the jugglery of over consumption of water as it can lead to several health conditions. This is the reason that our texts have called it even a ‘poison’ if water is consumed in a wrong way. We should consume water patiently and in right process even in Summer. You would notice that in the summer oriented seasons i.e. even in rainy season a person feels less hungry and the possibility of issues like indigestion and other digestive problems also increases, a person may feel low energy levels and anxiety and restlessness. If you observe closely, these things happen to a person more he/she consumes more and cold water.
Same way winter dominated seasons like Autumn, Fall and Winter a person feels comparatively more hungry and chances of diseases also reduce, energy levels are better and one finds self in better mental health too. Please notice that these are the times when we usually consume lesser amount of water and certainly not cold water.
So it is quite evident that the hunger, better digestion and good mental health are all dependent on our digestive fire i.e. Agni and not on consumption of water. Is it not possible that the because of effect of summer we consume excess water that makes our Agni sluggish which in turn makes our digestion worse resulting in indigestion, lack of hunger etc. and we feel physically and mentally weaker.
A person should drink adequate quantity of room-temperature water patiently and slowly in small quantity as per the need of our body to maintain our digestive fire properly.
Not drinking increased quantity of water in Summer – is not the reason behind Diseases:
Please note that most of the dehydration issues found during summer are not because of lack of water intake but they are caused by consuming contaminated water resulting in indigestion and diarrhea. The issues like headache, bad throat, cold and cough etc. are caused by drinking cold water after coming from high temperature environment. Hence it is recommended to consume only adequate quantity of water at right time and in right way as per the requirement of one’s body.

66 year old  lady gets a new  life as she undergoes a heart transplant at M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre – a unit managed by Narayana Health. The donor was 20 year old youth who had met with an accident at Sakleshpur and was initially admitted at private hospital in Sakleshpur. However, as his condition was worsening he referred to Sparsh Hospital, Yeshwanthpur. Doctors at the hospital declared him ‘Brain Dead’ today morning and the family consented for organ donation.

The heart was retrieved at Sparsh Hospital, Yesthwanthpur and was transported to M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre, Mattikere.

The recipient is a 66 year old  dance teacher hailing from Bhubaneswar. Three months ago she had suffered from a heart attack at her home town and the heart was damaged owing to delay in seeking medical help. In fact, she was in the ICU at the hospital in Bhubaneswar for a month, however, as she was having recurrent heart failures, she was airlifted a month ago to M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre for heart transplant. Fortunately for her the 20 year old heart was a complete match.

The heart transplant was performed by Dr. Julius Punnen, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Transplant, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre, Dr.Nagamalesh.U.M, Senior Consultant Heart Failure & Transplant, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre, Dr. Ravi Shankar Shetty, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Heart Transplant Surgeon, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre, Dr. Shilpa Rudradevaru, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre and Dr. Prashanth Ramamurthy, Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetist, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre.

With this heart transplant, M S Ramaiah Narayana Heart Centre completes 3 heart transplants within a the short duration of a month.

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all stakeholders to help eliminate the disease by 2025.

“On World Tuberculosis Day, I call upon all stakeholders to come together to fight tuberculosis. TB continues to be one of the biggest public health challenges in our country. The time has come for all of us to join hands to eliminate TB from India by 2025,” the President tweeted.

“In the spirit of this year’s World TB Day theme of ‘Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world’, I urge citizens and organisations to take the lead in the movement to end TB. A TB-free world is a wonderful service to humanity,” Modi tweeted.

He also said that the government was working to make India TB free.

“While the world has set a target of 2030 for TB elimination, we in India want to become TB-free by 2025! At the recent Delhi End TB Summit, I spoke more about the subject,” he said in another tweet attaching a news report of about his speech on TB on March 13.

The World TB Day is observed to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to step up efforts to end the global epidemic.

The date marks the day in 1882 when Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

(IANS)