Elderly woman mauled to death by stray dogs; another injured

New Delhi, Mar 19: Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes on Wednesday extolled the virtues of 'gaumutra' and shared an anecdote about a man claiming to have cured his cancer by drinking cow urine to drive his point home.

Participating in a debate in Rajya Sabha on two bills for setting up national commissions for homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine, the former Union minister said, "My extreme friend Jairam Ramesh pulls my leg, when I talk of 'gaumutra'."

Sharing an anecdote, Fernandes said once during a visit to an ashram near Meerut he had met a person who claimed to have cured his cancer by drinking 'gaumutra'.

Many BJP leaders have earlier spoken about the healing power of 'gaumutra'. The Congress has reacted sharply to such remarks.

He also praised the virtues of the Indian systems of medicine. He said when he had severe pain in knee joint and doctors had suggested for replacement surgery. However, he refused and started doing 'Vajrasana'.

"I started Vajrasana, practising yoga, and today I am able to do wrestling without any difficulty," the septuagenarian leader said.

"When (former) prime minister (Atal Bihari) Vajypee ji had a knee surgery, I thought if I had known him earlier, I would have definitely gone to him and ask him to follow 'Vajrasan' and it could have been cured," he said.

He also claimed to have met a person in US aged around 104 years and moving swiftly as a young man.

"Yoga is our wealth. If you practise yoga, may be our budget cost of health can be reduced by 50 per cent. It's way of life," he said.

"Our own Indian systems of medicine will provide a lot of reliefs even before going to a doctor," he said.

Though Fernandes supported the bills but raised objection over the exclusion of yoga and naturopathy.

"I would urge the minister either to amend the bill or bring an assurance that it will bring a separate legislation to cover yoga and naturopathy," he said.

Bengaluru, May 10 The asymptomatic and healthy people among international passengers will now have to undergo institutional quarantine for 14 days, according to the new standard operating procedure (SoP) issued by the Karnataka government for a third time.

The SoP, which has been revised twice, was issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department on Saturday, May 9.

The international passengers will be divided into two categories upon their arrival at the airports. Symptomatic will be directly sent to the covid-19 hospitals. Asymptomatic will not be allowed to go home directly. They will be sent for mandatory quarantine for 14 days in hotels and guest houses. 

Earlier, international passengers had to undergo seven days of institutional and seven days of home quarantine.

Passengers will also be tested only twice — once on arrival and for the second time on the 14th day — instead of the earlier decision to test thrice. They will be discharged from the facility if they test negative.

The first group of 350 people are expected to arrive from London at 3 am on Monday at the Kempegowda International Airport, said Lakshman Reddy, Joint Director, Social Welfare Department. 

Flights are expected from Singapore on May 13, Jeddah on May 14 and San Francisco on May 15. 

Among the stranded include 4,408 tourists and visitors, 3,084 students, 2,784 migrants and 557 ship crew.

Bengaluru, Feb 11: Onion price dropped to Rs 25-30 per kg on Monday, down from the dizzying Rs 200/kg in December and January. The price had spiked because of excess rain, which ruined the crop in several parts of the country.

With supply stabilising, especially from Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, and exports banned, the rate is now easing, officials said.

Consumers may be smiling but farmers are worried as they are not able to make more than Rs 17/kg as against the expected Rs 40.

"We get onions from Nasik and Sholapur in Maharashtra. Nasik onions used to be exported but since that is currently banned, they are landing in Bengaluru, leaving the market here with a surplus," said K Lokesh, president, Karnataka State Onion Merchants Association.

A farmer from Sholapur wh o was part of a onion growers' delegation which met traders in Bengaluru, said, "The cost of everything has gone up. Labour charges and fuel prices are draining us. How can we survive? How can I pay for my children's education?"

Another Sholapur farmer rued: "My daughter's wedding is in March. How am I going to meet all the expenses? I have to pay for labour, transportation, gunny bags and when everything adds up, I don't get to save more than Rs 30,000 in a month."