Arbeenah Shah
Srinagar Oct 08 : At least 19 percent of over 15 years population in Jammu and Kashmir has elevated blood pressure and are taking medicines to control it.
This has been stated in the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
According to the survey 19 percent of the over 15 years of population in J&K has elevated blood pressure and are taking medicine to control it.
According to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), the survey has found that more women are suffering from elevated blood pressure than men.
“Elevated hypertension among women in J&K was recorded at 20 percent and 18.9 percent for men, while the national average settled at 21.3 percent and 24 percent, respectively. Notably, several of J&K’s nutritional indicators have worsened since the fourth round of the NFHS, which was held in 2015-16,” it says,
Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries is too high. The incidences of hypertension have seen a sharp rise in Kashmir and while earlier it was common in the older age groups.
Some of the common indications of high blood pressure include severe headache, blurring vision, breathing difficulty, especially breathlessness on exertion, chest discomfort, and easy fatigability. (KINS)
Sweet poison: Use of colouring agents in food items
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Oct 08 (KINS): Sajjid Ahmad, a college student had Wazwaan last month at a restaurant in Srinagar. After an hour, he suffered severe digestive tract infection. He felt an irritation in his throat and burning sensation, followed by fever.
According to news agency KINS, Sajjid, who lives in Srinagar’s Habak area, was rushed to the hospital. After the screening, doctors told him that he had food poisoning because of consumption of colouring agents with Wazwaan.
“The colouring agents are being used in food items but why does the government allow their sale in markets,” he asked, who was discharged after three days from hospital.
This is not an isolated case, but scores of such cases are getting reported everyday in Kashmir where people face food poisoning after consumption of Wazwaan or other food items like traditional snack Nadre Mounji, Biryani and pickle.
Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Batamaloo, said that use of chemicals was being widely used in dishes like Wazwan and grilled chicken and meat, which gives it a reddish colour. “Government is not taking any measures to stop this practice.”
Earlier the government had issued an advisory asking people not to allow chefs to use any artificial colorants while preparing the Wazwan.
“Consumers are advised to encourage use of safe and natural colour extracts like cocks comb, sun-dried red chillies and pure spices both at home and during functions and festivals,” the advisory said.
Ali Mohammad, a chef from old city Srinagar said that the government should completely ban the colourful food agents.
In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court also banned the use of artificial colours Carmoisine, Tartazine and sunset yellow, after a report submitted by Shar-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.
The report had shown the presence of harmful colouring agents in samples collected from three food processing companies, and termed it “shocking and hazardous” for health.
Subsequently, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) also warned the sellers of strict punishment under the FSS Act of 2006 if they used the banned colours in their products.
However, seven years later, the unhealthy practice is going on with food items.
The UK Food Standards Agency commissioned a study at Southampton University of the effect of six food dyes (Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow WS, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine) on children. The study found “a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity”.
Dr Bashir Ahmad, a physician, said that colouring agents were being widely used in Wazwaan and other food items. “They mostly cause liver cancer,” he said, who advises people to stop using colouring agents in food items.
A senior official of the Food Safety Department said that several hotels, eateries and roadside vendors randomly add the colouring agents to foods including in Wazwaan without “knowing its consequences.
“We have taken action in a number of cases against those who used these harmful coloring agents in food items,” the official added. (KINS)
Union Government approves Development of Jakh (Vijaypur)-Kunjwani section of NH-44 to 6-lane Expressway standards as part of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway worth Rs.1917.32 cr
Lt Governor expresses gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister and Union MoRTH Minister
These projects are the road of J&K’s destiny that will accelerate the development, meet aspirations of people and facilitate ease of living: LG
KINS Desk
Srinagar Oct 08 (KINS): Union Government has approved the project for the Development of Jakh (Vijaypur)-Kunjwani section of NH-44 to 6-lane Expressway standards as part of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway including development of Kunjwani to 4th Tawi Bridge section of NH-144A to four-lane NH standards at the revised cost estimate of Rs.1917.32 cr. under Bharatmala Pariyojana in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir on Hybrid Annuity Mode.
Once completed, the stretch would boost connectivity to Jammu Airport.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on behalf of the people of Jammu Kashmir, expressed his deepest gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari.
“These projects are the road of J&K’s destiny that will accelerate the development, meet aspirations of people and facilitate ease of living”, added the Lt Governor. (KINS)
AC gives nod to Jammu and Kashmir Public University Bill
KINS Desk
Srinagar Oct 08 (KINS): The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, gave nod to the Jammu and Kashmir Public University Bill, 2022.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.
With the view to address the issues regarding a wide variety of universities in J&K and separate Acts governing each university or group of universities with existing regulations, the government intends to frame a common Public University Bill which would apply to all public universities of UT of J&K.
Further the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020) envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.
The NEP 2020, moreover envisages fundamental transformation in the structure of higher education by mandating the transformation of all affiliated colleges to either multidisciplinary research or teaching universities or degree-awarding autonomous institutions by 2035.
The salient features of the current draft includes emphasis on uniformity and flexibility in working of all the higher educational institutions. A number of new provisions have also been introduced to make the functioning of universities transparent and accountable through transparent procedures and public disclosures. In order to make the recruitment process fully transparent and merit based, screening by the Public Service Commission and reduction in weightage to interview has been proposed for gazetted positions.
For non-gazetted positions, it has been proposed to do away with interviews altogether and conduct recruitment through the Service Selection Board. Screening/recruitment by Public Service Commission’s/ Service Selection Boards have been introduced in varying measures by other states like Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand etc. (KINS)
