kochi l friday l January 03, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late 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 NSS trains guns on Pinarayi over remark on shirtless temple entry E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kottayam Evoking memories of the revolt that he had spearheaded against the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the Sabarimala women entry issue in 2018, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair on Thursday unleashed a scathing attack on the chief minister on another contentious topic — men entering temples with shirts on. “It (removing shirt while entering temple) is a practice followed by people for ages, and it cannot be altered by a government or a particular community,” Nair said, referring to Pinarayi’s remark supporting Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Satchidananda’s call to change the custom. “The CM should not have endorsed (Satchidananda’s) suggestion,” he said, while addressing the inaugural session of the Mannam jayanthi celebrations at the NSS headquarters in Perunna. A charged-up Nair didn’t spare the Sivagiri Mutt either. “There are reports that somebody said the practice (of removing the shirt) is to ascertain whether the person entering the temple is a Brahmin. Why are these interpretations limited to Hindus and their customs alone? Such obsolete practices, particularly pertaining to costumes, exist in other religions, too. Does the Sivagiri Mutt or the chief minister have the guts to question such practices in other reli- 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 agricul- rested? g o m e s h S @ Sydney Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala and NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair during the 148th Mannam Jayanthi celebrations at NSS headquarters in Perunna on Thursday | Vishnu Prathap gions?” he wondered. The NSS is against changing ageold rituals and customs, he said. “Several temples are managed by various subdivisions in the Hindu community, and each temple follows its own customs and practices. While some temples permit darshan wearing shirts, others do not. In Sabarimala, there are no such restrictions. Hindus have the freedom to enter the premises without disrupting the customs and rituals of the respective temples. This is the stand of the NSS in this matter,” he said. NSS founder Mannathu Padmanabhan had opened his temple at Perunna for all people years before uprisings erupted demanding temple entry rights for all sections and subsequent proclamations, Nair added. P4 Chennithala, NSS end 11-year standoff Kottayam: After an 11-year-long standoff, the NSS rolled out the red carpet for Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who inaugurated the Mannam jayanthi celebrations in Perunna, marking a significant moment of redemption for the seasoned politician. P4 Sivagiri Mutt head on Guru, Sanatana Dharma T’Puram: With political leaders locking horns over Sanatana Dharma and its relevance in Sree Narayana Guru’s philosophy, Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Satchi-dananda said Guru himself has enunciated his doctrine in the matter. “In his last speech at Pallathuruthy, Guru said the proclamation ‘One caste, One religion, One god’ itself is Sanatana Dharma,” Swami Satchidananda told TNIE. P4 MP town protests over Budget likely on Feb 7 Union Carbide waste, CM says it’s not harmful A N URAA G SI N G H @ Bhopal Head coach Gambhir’s ambiguous reply gives new twist to Rohit not figuring in the playing XI for Sydney Test saga tural 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 CM Mohan Yadav sought to reassure people that the waste is not dangerous as its har mful effects have weakened over 40 years. “Over 60% of the 358 tonnes of waste is local soil, while the remaining 40% comprises 7-naphthol, reactor residues, and semi-processed pesticides. The 7-naphthol residue is a coproduct of the process of making methyl isocyanate and pesticides. Experts believe its toxic effects will end after 25 years,” Yadav claimed. 16 pages, including 4 pages of kochi Express Climate resilience considering the impact of climate change on agriculture and disaster events will be given focus in Kerala budget for the 202526 fiscal, which will be presented in assembly in second week of February| P5 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 over 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 instances 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 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, may depend on what he decides. His ODI numbers have been exceptional and he could lead the team against England after a possible meeting with selectors. Bumrah likely to captain India Jasprit Bumrah, the vice captain, has been the team’s top performer with 30 wickets in four outings at an astonishing average of 12.83, and is expected to take over if Rohit sits out. Under Bumrah’s captaincy India won the first Test in Perth. 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. With the home series loss against New Zealand, pressure was mounting on the Indian captain. If nets were any indication, Sharma, who was not much involved for the better part while India were training. He could be seen chat- E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kalpetta The victims of the Wayanad landslides have expressed their resentment over “inadequate allocation of land for building houses” in the proposed township project in Kalpetta. Estimated to cost `750 crore, the state government has started the process to set up townships on 58.5 hectares and 48.96 hectares of the Nedumbala Estate in Meppadi panchayat and Elstone Estate in Kalpetta municipality respectively , . As per the government deci- sion, houses will be constructed on five-cent plots in Elstone estate and 10 cents in Nedumbala. However, the action committee of the disaster victims said they cannot accept the de- cision to allot just five cents of land to build a house. “The people in the disasteraffected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala have been living in vast lands with farming. The land allotment for houses should be increased to 10 cents like in Nedumbala. However, we are fine with the selection of spots — in Kalpetta and Nedumbala,” said Shajimon, a Chooralmala native who is now residing in Ambalavayal panchayat and the convenor of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala Ac● More on P4 tion Committee.  Editor who revolutionised magazine journalism It could well be a curious coincidence that he bade adieu exactly a week after legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair breathed his last. For he could well be termed as MT’s favourite editor. It was he who first published MT’s magnum opus ‘Randamoozham’ in Kala Kaumudi, and later Varanasi in Samakalika Malayalam. Veteran editor, author, critic and screenplay writer S Jayachandran Nair, 85, who revolutionised magazine journalism in Malayalam, passed away in Bengaluru on Thursday . As editor of Samakalika Malayalam Weekly a sister publi, cation of TNIE, Nair was instrumental not only in grooming young talents, but also bringing out notable works Manu, Gukesh among four Khel Ratna awardees E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai As last year was headlined by the Olympics, there were exceptions to the number of Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees and the Arjuna Awards list released by the sports ministry on Thursday. 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 Har manpreet Singh who won bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, his second medal after Tokyo 2020, also features among the four chosen for country’s highest sports awards. Para-athlete high jumper Praveen Ku m a r i s t h e 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 whether 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. Resentment among landslide victims Work not over yet, Waqf over ‘inadequate allocation of land’ JPC could miss Budget session deadline as well S Jayachandran Nair (1939-2025) E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram ting with Washington Sundar, Bumrah, Gill before batting briefly along with the backup batters towards the end. It was not until most of the drill was over that Sharma and Gambhir were seen together alongside Bumrah. If Sharma gets dropped, which is most likely as of Thursday evening, MCG Test could be his last as a Test player. For India, a win in Sydney would help retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and keep World Test ChampionP11 ship hopes alive.  top honour of senior writers. An editor par excellence, his ability to identify budding talents was well known, as writers like V P Sivakumar and Narendra Prasad began under him. Later as Samakalika Malayalam editor, he carried columns from a host of veteran authors like M N Vi- jayan, Madhavikkutty, O V Vij aya n a n d M a l ayat t o o r Ramakrishnan. When TNIE launched Samakalika Malayalam, he brought in celebrated literary critic M Krishnan Nair, whose column Sahitya Varaphalam had a huge readership. Similarly he brought iconic illustra, tor artist Namboothiri who ushered in a new perspective to the literary works that appeared in the weekly . Under his editorial leadership, Samakalika Malayalam carried an array of noteworthy works like Chidambara Smarana by poet Balachandran Chullikkad. Similarly one of the last major interviews of Communist ideologue EMS Namboodiripad was carried in Samakalika Malayalam. As an editor he was never reluctant to stand up for what he believed was right.  ● More on P4 P r eet h a N a i r @ 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 Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have been opposing most of the amendments, including the appointment of non-Muslims as members of the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards. “The government has not given any assurance to TDP or JD (U) on bringing any changes in the contentious proposals. The JD(U) does not want to risk its electoral prospects in view of the impending assembly elections in Bihar,” said a party leader, adding that the TDP and JD(U) enjoy a strong support base of minorities in their states. Though the government had listed the Waqf bill for passage during the winter session, the panel sought an extension after a showdown with the Opposition. Speaking to this paper, a panel member said it is impossible for the committee to meet the deadline as it will take a long time to record the concerns of lakhs of witnesses. “The chairman is under pressure from the Opposition to hear out stakeholders who have real concerns. The committee has not followed due process till now,” said an Opposition member.