NewsBytes

All 6 stanzas of National Song must before National Anthem: MHA guidelines

The Union Home Ministry has directed that all six stanzas of the National Song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, shall be sung first when the National Song and National Anthem Jan Gana Man are to be played together. In an order dated January 28, the home ministry gave the first set of protocols for singing the National Song, directing that six stanzas of it, having a duration of 3 minutes 10 seconds, shall be sung on official functions such as the arrival of the President, unfurling of the tricolour, and speeches of governors. "When the National Song and the National Anthem are sung or played, National Song will be sung or played first," the order read. The assembly where the National Song is sung shall stand in attention, it said. "Whenever the official version of the National Song is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the National Song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the National Song," it said. The work in school shall begin with the playing of the National Song. The Centre is observing the 150th year of Vande Mataram. According to the order, the official version of the National Song shall be played accompanied by mass singing on these occasions on the unfurling of the National Flag, on cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades, and on the arrival of the President at any government or public function, among others.

Panel constituted to examine VBSA Bill

A 31-member joint committee of Parliament to be headed by BJP MP D Purandeswari has been set up to examine the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, which seeks to establish a single higher education regulator. According to a Lok Sabha secretariat notification, the committee comprises members from both Houses of Parliament and will scrutinise the provisions of the proposed legislation before submitting its report.

The VBSA Bill, introduced during the Winter session, seeks to overhaul the higher education regulatory framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The proposed legislation aims to replace multiple existing regulators with a single overarching body and provide for separation of accreditation, funding and standard-setting functions.

Rajya Sabha members on the panel are Surendra Singh Nagar (BJP), Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP), Pradip Kumar Varma (BJD), Meenakshi Jain (BJP), Digvijaya Singh (Cong), Sagarika Ghose (TMC), Sasmit Patra (BJD), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U) and Ram Gopal Yadav (SP). Lok Sabha members include D Purandeswari (BJP), Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJP), Sambit Patra (BJP), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Anurag Singh Thakur (BJP), Bansuri Swaraj (BJP), Vivek Thakur (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Brijmohan Agrawal (BJP), Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (Cong), Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Cong), Vamsi Krishna Gaddam (Cong), E T Mohammed Basheer (IUML), Lalji Verma (SP), Sougata Ray (TMC), T R Baalu (DMK), Sribharat Mathukumilli (TDP) and Alok Kumar Suman (JD-U). The government had told the Lok Sabha its intent to send the bill to a joint panel for wider consultations amid concerns raised by opposition parties over issues relating to federalism, institutional autonomy and centralisation of powers. The JPC is expected to invite suggestions from stakeholders, including state governments and academic bodies, before finalising its recommendations. 

Glucose remains best test for diabetes diagnosis

On the Lancet study claiming that the HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) alone could delay diagnosis of diabetes, Chairman, Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, V Mohan said, "This article is a review article... It (HbA1c) is the gold standard for assessing long-term control of diabetes, but it is not the gold standard for diagnosing diabetes. Glucose still remains as the best test for diagnosis..." " In India, the labs are not ready (to test HbA1c)... HbA1c cannot be used as a single test... We showed in our studies that using HbA1c doubles the prevalence of diabetes... Do not use the HbA1c alone for diagnosis. The test picks up people with very mild abnormalities and labels them as having diabetes..." He said According to a new evidence-based Viewpoint published online in Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, the widely used glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test, as available in India, may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels for millions of Indians, particularly in regions with high prevalence of anaemia, hemoglobinopathies, and red blood cell enzyme (G6PD) deficiency. Experts reviewed the reliance on HbA1c as a sole diagnostic or monitoring tool for type 2 diabetes in South Asia. HbA1c measurements primarily reflect the glycation of haemoglobin. Any condition that affects the quantity, structure, or lifespan of haemoglobin--such as anaemia, hemoglobinopathies, or other red blood cell disorders--can distort HbA1c values and lead to misleading estimates of average blood glucose. "Relying exclusively on HbA1c can result in misclassification of diabetes status," said Professor Anoop Misra, corresponding author and Chairman of Fortis C-DOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes. "Some individuals may be diagnosed later than appropriate, while others could be misdiagnosed, which may affect timely diagnosis and management. Similarly, monitoring of blood sugar status may be compromised." Shashank Joshi, co-author from Joshi Clinic, Mumbai, added, "Even in well-resourced urban hospitals, HbA1c readings can be influenced by red blood cell variations and inherited haemoglobin disorders. In rural and tribal areas, where anaemia and red cell abnormalities are common, the discrepancies may be greater."