BHUBANESWAR  FRIDAY  JANUARY 03, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 14  JEYPORE EDITION Professor Debapratim Das (left) with a research student TARGETED DRUG RELEASE CAN CUT SIDE EFFECTS Researchers developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised cancer treatment with fewer side effects than conventional treatments 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 IIT-GUWAHATI DEVELOPS INJECTABLE HYDROGEL FOR CANCER TREATMENT ■ ■ “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 ambiguos 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 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 be gin 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 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 is set to walk in at No 3 and in-form Jasprit Bumrah will Zeenat mess forces govt to re-assess strategy SUDARSAN MAHARANA @ Bhubaneswar THREE year old tigress Zeenat’s 23-day habitat exploration that finally ended at West Bengal’s Bankura district has prompted Odisha government to re-evaluate its strategy of relocation of big cats to more protected areas (PAs) of the state as part of its larger tiger s u p p l e m e n t a t i o n programme. Forest and Environment minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia on Thursday said the state government has planned to introduce tigers to Debrigarh and other landscapes. However, steps for translocation of the big cats to these landscapes will be taken only after a thorough assessment of the current situation. “Considering Zeenat’s exploration and the previous relocation project (taken up in Satkosia), we will study the landscapes, current situation and the movement of the two tigers brought to Similipal before moving further with our plan of relocation in other PAs,” We will study the landscapes, current situation and the movement of the two tigers brought to Similipal before moving further with our plan of relocation in other PAs – Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, minister TOP HONOUR Manu, Gukesh among four Khel Ratna awardees E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai 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. 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 12.83 average, is expected to take over if Rohit sits out. Under Bumrah’s captaincy that India won the first Test in Perth. 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 chatting with Washington Sun- MP town protests over Union Carbide waste A N U R A A G S I N G H @ Bhopal PROTESTS erupted at Pithampur industrial town in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Thursday hours after truck, loads 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 is mindful of public sentiments and will take extra care while handling the waste. “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 basically a co-product of the process of making methyl isocyanate and pesticides. Experts believe its toxic effects will end after 25 years,” Yadav claimed. dar, 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 ChampiP13 onship hopes alive. Singhkhuntia said. The wildlife wing of the Forest department has already prepared a detailed project report to bring at least six tigers from Central India landscape to supplement the big cat population in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) which now has around 27 tigers and 12 cubs. Similarly, it has planned to introduce three tigers - one male and two females - at Debrigarh wildlife THIS being an Olympic year, there were exceptions to the number of Dhyan Chand Khel 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. Para-athlete 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 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. sanctuary from the Central India landscape to develop it into a tiger reserve and the Madhya Pradesh government gave its approval recently for relocation two big cats from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve for the purpose. The wildlife wing has also managed to obtain permission from the National Tiger C o n s e r vat i o n Au t h o r i t y (NTCA) to resume the relocation project in Satkosia where plans are afoot to bring over a dozen big cats over a period of five years after meeting the conditions laid down by the apex tig er conservation CONTINUED ON P7 body . Work not over yet, Waqf JPC could miss Budget session deadline as well P R E E T 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.