DHARMAPURI l friday l january 03, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION IIT-Guwahati develops injectable hydrogel for cancer treatment Researchers developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised cancer treatment with fewer side effects than conventional treatments Professor Debapratim Das (left) with a research student Targeted drug release can cut side effects Tumour shrinks 75% within 18 days Hydrogel is a water-based, three-dimensional polymer network that can absorb and retain fluids. It can act as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs. It responds to high glutathione (GSH) levels, a molecule found in cancer cells. Upon encountering high GSH levels, it releases the drug in a targeted manner, not affecting nearby cells, leading to fewer side effects ■ ■ “In preclinical trials, a single injection of the hydrogel, loaded with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, resulted in a ~75% reduction in tumour size within 18 days,” professor Debapratim Das of IIT-G said The research was conducted in collaboration with Bose Institute, Kolkata. It has been published in the journal Materials Horizons 8,00,000 New cancer cases in india each year, according to govt estimates CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Head coach Gambhir’s ambiguous reply gives new twist to Rohit not figuring in the playing XI for Sydney Test saga rested? g o m e s h S @ Sydney The tribunal also directed Tamil Nadu to enhance border surveillance by setting up a dedicated task force | v karthikalagu Illegal dumping: Is Kerala aiding violator, asks NGT S V K r i s h n a C h a ita n ya @ Chennai The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday questioned the Kerala government as to whether it is colluding with the alleged violator in the illegal dumping of biomedical waste in Tamil Nadu and directed the secretary of Kerala’s environment department to submit a detailed report on the issue. The tribunal also directed Tamil Nadu to enhance monitoring along the border by setting up a dedicated task force to track vehicular movement. Criticising the Kerala authorities for their failure to take decisive action, the tribunal flagged inaction and lack of accountability in addressing this serious environmental and public health issue. The bench, comprising Jus- IMAGE at Kerala’s high-level meeting NGT expressed surprise and concern that IMAGE, the only agency authorised to handle biomedical waste in Kerala and an alleged violator, had participated in a high-level meeting chaired by the Kerala Chief Secretary on December 19 tice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, expressed displeasure with the report submitted by Kerala, which did not specify the quantity of waste removed from the border villages in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The tribunal found Kerala’s response inadequate and vague. Kerala State Pollution Con- trol Board (KSPCB) informed the tribunal that it had issued a show-cause notice on December 19, 2024, to the Regional Cancer Centre, Credence Multispecialty Family Hospital, and Leela Kovalam resort. However, apart from Credence, none of the entities responded, and the KSPCB failed to take any further action. The counsel of Credence Hospital, in its defence, stated that it had handed over its biomedical waste to IMAGE, the only agency authorised to handle such waste in Kerala. The hospital argued that it could not be held liable for any illegal dumping. The tribunal expressed surprise and concern that IMAGE, despite being an alleged violator, had participated in a high-level meeting chaired by the Kerala Chief Secretary on December 19. With less than 24 hours to go for the Sydney Test, the India team did not know who would come out for toss. Or so it seems. “The answer remains the same.” That was what India team head coach Gautam Gambhir had to say when he was asked whether Rohit Sharma will be in the playing XI for the fifth and final Test between India and Australia that begins on Friday “We are . going to take a look at the wicket and probably announce our playing XI tomorrow,” Gambhir said moments earlier. Probably for any other player this would have been an apt answer but for a captain who has been appointed for a series this seemed little ambiguous. Whether resting was the decision of the team management or Rohit’s was also not clear. India begin their last match of the tour amid speculation of dressing room drama and Gambhir’s stern warning to players for not performing well. Even before a ball was bowled there seemed to be intrigue over Sharma’s position in the team. There were multiple indications, including his time in the nets, that suggest he is all set to be replaced. In fact, there are indications that he has told the team about his decision to opt out. This could be one of those rare instances when a captain has been dropped on poor form and for India this could be one of the first in- What next for Rohit? Rohit Sharma’s future, with England visiting India for a whiteball series (five T20Is and three ODIs) in January before the Champions Trophy, depends on him and what he decides. His ODI numbers have been exceptional and he could lead the team against England after a possible meeting with selectors. stances when a captain has been dropped or opted out. Gambhir made it clear during the briefing that performance alone matters. “Indian cricket’s transition is in safe hands as long as there are honest people in the dressing room. Only criteria to be in that dressing room is performance,” he said. In that case, Shubman Gill is set to walk in at No 3 and in-form Jasprit Bumrah will lead in the absence of Sharma, who has been out of form, scoring only 31 runs at an average of 6.2 from five innings so far. He lost two Tests after joining the team in Australia. If Sharma gets dropped, which is most likely as of Thursday evening, MCG Test could be his last as a Test player.  P11 CM allays fear Protests in MP’s Pithampur over Union Carbide’s toxic waste ANURAAG S I NGH @ Bhopal PROTESTS erupted at Pithampur industrial town in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Thursday, hours after truckloads of toxic waste was brought from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. The hazardous waste collected from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy site is scheduled to be disposed at the treatment, storage and disposal (TDSF) facility located at Tarapura village in Pithampur Industrial Area. Pithampur, which has a population of 1.75 lakh, on Thursday witnessed massive protests by various groups against the planned incineration of the chemical waste. Some groups have called for a total shutdown on Friday . “Send the waste generated by the American company back to the US. We don’t want it here. The bandh call is to save our future generations and agricultural crops,” read a pamphlet distributed by the protesters. According to local activists, 10 tonnes of toxic waste from Union Carbide was incinerated at the Pithampur TSDF in 2015 on a trial basis. The disposal contaminated the soil, groundwater, and water sources in the nearby villages; so, incinerating 337 tonnes of waste could inflict greater harm on the environment, they claim. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav sought to reassure people that the waste is not dangerous as its harmful effects have weakened over 40 years. He said the government will take extra care while handling the waste. Manu and Gukesh among four Khel Ratna awardees Express News Service @ Chennai This being an Olympic year, there were exceptions to the number of D hya n C h a n d K h e l Ratna awardees and also the Arjuna Awards list. As expected the list is dominated by Olympic and Paralympic medal winners. What seems interesting is that D Gukesh who became the youngest world champion in December too has been included in the list the sports ministry released on Thursday . Speculation over Manu Bhaker not being considered for Khel Ratna for not applying too has been laid to rest. India men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh who won bronze medal at this year Olympics his second medal after Tokyo 2020 in 2021 too feature among the four chosen for country’s highest sports awards. Paraathlete high jumper Praveen Kumar is the fourth name. There were reports that suggested Manu’s named was not on the list but the ministry’s official announcement included her name. What seems to be interesting is that Manu did not apply It is not clear wheth. er Gukesh’s name was added after his world championship match that he won on December 12. It is learnt that the national awards committee met a couple of days after the chess final. It is understood that the committee had taken cognisance of applications but the final list was made after sports ministry included two more names as per latest rules. EXPRESS READ Waqf JPC could miss Budget session deadline New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf Amendment Bill may miss the next deadline of the Budget session of Parliament, scheduled to begin on January 30, according to sources. The committee headed by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal is scheduled to present its report on the last day of the Budget session after missing the first deadline of the just concluded winter session of Parliament. The Budget session is expected to conclude on February 12. The Centre may now push the report for the Monsoon session as the committee will not be able to complete its work by the stipulated deadline, said people aware of the developments. Another key reason, according to sources, is the strong opposition from NDA allies Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United) over the proposed legislation. Several Muslim groups in AP and Bihar are opposing most of the amendments. ENS royal ride ZONAL OFFICE Dharmapuri Sadhus of Shree Mahanirvani Akhada take part in the Chavni Pravesh , the royal entry procession for Maha Kumbh Mela, towards Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday. The mela is set to take place from January 13 to February 26 | PTI 3 dead, 5 injured as ambulance rear-ends lorry on Ramnad NH Express News Service Please Visit our Asset Fair to shortlist any Property as per your requirement, within your budget and buy directly from Indian Bank Through Public e-auction without any Brokerage @ Ramanathapuram Three people died and five others sustained severe injuries after the ambulance they were travelling in rammed a lorry from behind near Valantharavai village near Kenikarai along the Rameswaram-Madurai National Highway in Ramanathapuram district late on Wednesday. According to police, Varusaikani (64) of Maraikayar Pattinam in Mandapam was being rushed to a hospital in the private ambulance. She was accompanied by six of her relatives — Jaffer Sathik (42), Anis Fathima (42), Dhaga Aayisha (26), Syed Arsath Rahman (30), Noorul Hadeejarani (33) and Mohammed Nibhas. Riyas Khan (24) was driving the vehicle, police said. When the ambulance was near Valantharavai village, a lorry in front carrying logs took a sudden turn to the right without any signal, police said. The driver attempted to The accident took place when a lorry in front made a sudden right turn | Express stop the ambulance, but it rammed the lorry, police added. Sathik, who was seated in the front, suffered fatal injuries and died on the spot. Varusaikani and Fathima were rescued, but both died on the way to the Ramanathapuram G ove r n m e n t M e d i c a l C o l l e g e Hospital. Five others sustained injuries and were admitted to a private facility. Date : Time : Venue : 04-01-2025 & 05-01-2025 (Saturday & Sunday) 10.00 am to 6.00 pm VALLAL ADHIYAMAN KOTTAM Adhiyaman Kottai, Dharmapuri. Contact : Near By Indian Bank Branches