vijayawada l monday l may 04, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION National childhood diabetes treatment framework live Union Health Ministry on Sunday released a document providing a framework for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood diabetes universal screening of all children Provision for free-of-cost care package The document, for the first time, establishes a structured and standardised national framework, positioning India among a select group of countries that have integrated childhood diabetes care into the public health system. The framework aims to ensure universal screening of all children from birth to 18 years for early identification of diabetes ■ ■ Suspected cases will undergo immediate blood glucose testing and be referred to district health facilities for diagnosis and treatment A key feature is the provision of a comprehensive free-of-cost care package at public health facilities, including diagnostic services, lifelong insulin therapy, glucometers, test strips, and regular follow-up | P7 3 Lakh Children in india are living with diabetes, as per one estimate 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 All eyes on which way the power pendulum swings Results of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, TN & Puducherry polls today P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi Phogat flags bias ahead of comeback H A R P R E E T B A J W A & Fir o z M ir z a @ Chandigarh / Chennai DAYS before her comeback event, Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Sunday said she is among the six victims who had lodged sexual harassment complaints against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Phogat, now a Congress MLA from Haryana’s Julana, is set to participate in the National Open Ranking Tournament to be held on May 1012 in Gonda, UP a stronghold , of Bhushan. Phogat said she is worried about her safety and fears unfair treatment. as votes are counted in the high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry on Monday, all eyes are on the outcome, which will shape new political alignments and power equations. With the exit polls setting the tone, regional heavyweights such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu, TMC in West Bengal, and CPI(M) in Kerala are seeking to retain power, even as BJP attempts to expand its footprint beyond traditional bastions. In West Bengal, the results will be crucial in determining whether the three-term Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can withstand a fierce challenge from the saffron party and secure another term in office. While several exit polls showed a tight race between the BJP and the TMC, a historic breakthrough for the BJP would be to breach the TMC stronghold for the first time. If the TMC secures a strong mandate in Bengal, Mamata will solidify her position in national politics. Tamil Nadu presents another is attempting a comeback. All eyes are on the new entrant TVK, led by actor-turned-politician Vijay which has added a , new dimension to the race. In Kerala, the reAssembly sults will be a elections make-or-break for the Cong ress, which is hoping to return to power buoyed by its perSecurity personnel patrol the streets of formance in the 2024 Lok Sabha Howrah in Kolkata on Sunday | PTI polls and recent local body elections. What’s at stake The ruling LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is State Total Halfway seeking a third consecutive Seats Mark term, while the BJP-led NDA is West Bengal* 294 148 attempting to gain a foothold in the state with a bipolar polity . Tamil Nadu 234 118 A defeat for the LDF would also Kerala 140 71 mark the first time since the Assam 126 64 1960s that Left parties are not in power in any state. Puducherry 30 16 In Assam, Chief Minister TOTAL 824 — Himanta Biswa Sarma is seeking a second consecutive term, * Result of Falta constituency to be with the Congress aiming to declared after repolling mount a credible challenge. intriguing contest. The DMK, Puducherry, known for its under Chief Minister M K Sta- history of electoral alternalin, is hoping for a second con- tion, is also witnessing a closesecutive term, while the AIAD- ly fought battle, with exit polls MK, now aligned with the BJP , indicating a tight contest. Iran sends new proposal to US to break talk deadlock ‘Impossible military op’ vs bad deal Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the US faced a choice between an “impossible” military op or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal UK military says bulk carrier hit A bulk carrier near the Strait of Hormuz has reportedly been attacked by multiple small craft, UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said on Sunday, warning all vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz with caution A g en c ies @ Tehran EYEING to break the deadlock over peace talks with the US, Iran has conveyed a “multi-layered proposal” to Washington, a senior official in the know said on Sunday . While US President Donald Trump has not rejected Iran’s latest 14-point proposal outright, experts believe Washington is unlikely to accept any framework that does not include firm guarantees preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The Iran war, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, has been on hold since April 8, with one round of peace talks having taken place unfruit- day fully in Islamabad since then. The official told PTI that the fresh Iran proposal is a phased deescalation framework. “The first component of the plan focuses on urgent de-escalation measures. Iran has indicated willingness to ease tensions in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, provided Washington reciprocates by scaling back its military posture and easing economic pressure,” he said. Secondly Iran is seeking to decouple the res, toration of maritime trade and oil flows from nuclear negotiations. Thirdly, Iran says it is open to discussing limits on uranium enrichment and enhanced monitoring mechanisms, but only within a broader agreement that guarantees sanctions relief. 65 7 teachers for four students, none clears SSC exam C P Ven u g o pa l @ Anantapur At a time when the State is celebrating the good performance of government schools in the SSC examinations 2026, a contrasting picture has emerged from Anantapur district. The Zilla Parishad High School with a student strength of four at Oobicherla village in Gooty mandal has recorded a shocking 0% pass despite having seven teachers. While the overall pass percentage in the SSC examinations stood at 85.25, Anantapur district achieved 77.17% success. All the four students of the ZP High School failed in the exam. The analysis of results revealed that one student failed in Telugu, another in Social Studies, the third in Mathematics and Social Studies, while the fourth managed to pass only in English. The unusual teacher-student ratio — seven teachers for just four students — has further intensified scrutiny . The District Collector has taken the issue seriously and p4 ordered an inquiry  .