Latest news with #FCI
New Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN govt turns down centre's order to distribute three months' ration at one go
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has turned down the union government's directive to distribute three months' entitlement of rice and wheat in advance to NFSA (National Food Security Act) cardholders. In May, the Union Food department had asked Tamil Nadu and other states to supply food grains for June, July, and August at one go to NFSA beneficiaries. It had directed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to coordinate with the state government for advance lifting and distribution. The centre attributed the decision to the need to avoid losses due to adverse weather conditions and other factors. The directive from the Deputy Director of the Statistics division, Department of Food and Public Distribution, advised states to lift food grains in advance and ensure immediate distribution, citing the upcoming monsoon season and the anticipated logistical and storage challenges caused by adverse weather conditions such as floods. Sources from the FCI told TNIE that while the state government initially agreed to lift food grains in advance from the FCI, it later decided against the move. A few states, including Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, have already distributed three months' worth of rice at one go to beneficiaries. According to union government guidelines, the FCI is required to maintain sufficient food grain stocks to meet six months' demand. The proposed advance lifting is expected to enhance rice storage capacity and help minimise storage losses at warehouses. However, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection department has raised several practical challenges in implementing bulk distribution. It has informed the centre that the existing system of monthly distribution will continue for now.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Aberdeen scanner study could improve brain tumour treatments
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have secured funding to generate never-before-seen brain tumour images with the aim of improving of all glioblastoma patients die within 15 months of diagnosis even after surgery, radio and scans used to monitor a tumour's behaviour can be imprecise but it is hoped the Field Cycling Imaging (FCI) scanner - developed in Aberdeen - will give clinicians better £350,000 in support - from the Scottish government - will fund a trial which will be carried out on a group of 18 patients. MRI scanners were invented at the University of Aberdeen 50 years ago, but the new FCI scanner is the only one of its type used on patients anywhere in the can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were not previously can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan - acting like multiple scanners and extracting more information about the new technology can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some team of doctors and scientists involved will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy. It is hoped the research will establish that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth and progression, and "pseudo-progression" which looks like a tumour but is not cancerous Anne Kiltie, chair in clinical oncology at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the study, said: "We already have evidence that FCI is effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients."Applying this exciting new technology to glioblastoma patients could give us a much more accurate and detailed picture of what is going on in their brain."If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy."Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients."Prof Kiltie's role at the university is fully funded by the charity Friends of ANCHOR through its Dream Big executive Sarah-Jane Hogg welcomed the "really promising" development and thanked donors and fundraisers for their support.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
New scanner could detect brain tumours in world-first
Scientists in Scotland have developed a pioneering new scanner aimed at improving treatment for glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour. Field Cycling Imaging (FCI), a new technology derived from MRI, will be used by researchers at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian after receiving £350,000 in funding from the Scottish Government. This unique scanner can track brain cancer spread by generating detailed images, working at low magnetic fields and detecting tumours without the need for injected dye. It is hoped FCI will differentiate between tumour growth and "pseudo-progression," allowing for more effective chemotherapy adjustments and preventing premature cessation of treatment. The technology aims to provide more accurate information for patients and clinicians, potentially improving quality of life, treatment effectiveness, and healthcare cost-effectiveness for glioblastoma patients.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Wheat procurement surges, giving govt breathing room on food grain aid
New Delhi: The Centre is confident of maintaining wheat-rice allocations under its Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) this year, buoyed by strong wheat procurement — a politically sensitive development ahead of key state elections, according to two officials familiar with the matter. Under PM-GKAY, 813.5 million beneficiaries receive 5 kg of free food grains each month—currently split as 2 kg wheat and 3 kg rice—translating to an annual wheat requirement of around 19.5 million tonnes (mt). Wheat procurement in the 2025–26 Rabi marketing season (April–June) has already crossed 30 mt, nearing the government's target of 33.37 mt, according to data from the Food Corp. of India (FCI) data. 'We have enough stock to meet the requirement, and it will continue through the year," said one of the officials cited earlier, adding that adequate stocks would also allow for market interventions if prices rise. Read this | Import duty was slashed for edible oils, but what happened to retail prices? As of 31 May, wheat stocks in the central pool stood at 37.99 million tonnes, comfortably above the buffer requirement of 27.58 million tonnes set for 1 July, according to official data. The timing is crucial as assembly elections approach in Bihar this November, while legislative polls in West Bengal are due in March 2026, with subsidized food aid remaining a politically potent issue in both states. The robust procurement comes after two years of shortfalls that forced the Centre to slash wheat allocations and replace them with rice—only restoring the original ratio in September 2024. In May 2022, wheat quotas under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) were cut for 10 major states—Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. These states collectively account for nearly 67% or 551 million of the 813 million poorest beneficiaries covered under NFSA. At that time, all beneficiaries received only rice for their 5 kg monthly entitlement. This year's rebound is driven by improved production prospects. The government expects wheat output to rise 2% to a record 115.4 million tonnes (mt) in the 2024-25 Rabi season, mainly on account of higher acreage. According to official data, procurement stood at 26.6 mt in 2024-25 and 26.2 mt in 2023-24, far above the sharp drop to 18.8 mt in 2022-23. The highest ever procurement remains 43.3 mt in 2021-22. Read this | Changes in western disturbances may adversely affect food security, crop productivity Much of this season's surge has come from Punjab (11.92 mt), Haryana (7.14 mt) and Madhya Pradesh (7.77 mt), where state governments offered additional bonuses over the Centre's minimum support price (MSP) of ₹2,425 per quintal. Madhya Pradesh announced a ₹175-per-quintal bonus, while Rajasthan, which procured 2.09 mt, offered ₹150. Procurement from Uttar Pradesh, India's largest wheat producer, has reached 1.02 mt so far, against an initial estimate of 3 mt. States like Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat saw minor participation. Procurement remained nil in Maharashtra, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. Arrivals are still being monitored, particularly in eastern states where procurement is typically backloaded, the second official said, adding that final numbers could rise in the coming weeks. Price stability in focus The procurement uptick also gives the government a buffer to contain price pressures, which remain a concern amid rising mandi prices in some regions. Wholesale price index (WPI) inflation fell to a 14-month low of 0.39% in May, but wheat prices have shown modest firming. As of 18 June, the average retail price of wheat stood at ₹31.32 per kg, up 1.2% from a year earlier. Wheat flour (atta) prices rose 1.5% year-on-year to ₹36.65 per kg. Wholesale wheat prices rose 2.7% year-on-year to ₹28.20 per kg. Also read | India tells WTO it won't lift wheat export ban 'Wholesale and retail wheat prices have remained firm in some states due to high mandi prices, but with strong procurement, market prices should ease soon," the second official added.
The National
2 days ago
- Health
- The National
New scanner used for brain tumour patients trialled in world-first
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 of Scottish Government funding to generate never-before-seen images of glioblastoma brain tumours. The technology is hoped to potentially improve treatment and quality of life for patients, by investigating a new way to scan glioblastoma brain tumours – the most common and aggressive type, with more than 3000 new patients in the UK diagnosed each year. Half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. READ MORE: Anas Sarwar urged to whip Scottish Labour MPs against welfare cuts Field cycling imaging (FCI) is a new and specialist type of low-field MRI scan pioneered in Aberdeen and has already been found to be effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients. It is hoped it can now be used to help brain tumour patients. MRI scanners were invented at the University of Aberdeen 50 years ago, but the new FCI scanner is the only one of its type used on patients anywhere in the world. The FCI derives from MRI but can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible, and can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan – acting like multiple scanners and extracting more information about the tissues. The new technology can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients. The team of doctors and scientists involved will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy. It is hoped the research will establish that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth and progression, and 'pseudo-progression' which looks like tumour but is not cancerous tissue, which could improve care and quality of life. (Image: PA) Professor Anne Kiltie, Friends of ANCHOR chair in clinical oncology at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the study said: 'We already have evidence that FCI is effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in patients following a stroke. 'Applying this exciting new technology to glioblastoma patients could give us a much more accurate and detailed picture of what is going on in their brain. 'If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy. 'Also, being able to verify that a patient has pseudo-progression will prevent effective chemotherapy being stopped too early, because it was thought that the tumour has progressed, thus worsening prognosis. 'Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients. 'Importantly, having a reliable method to identify progressive disease will allow development and more precise evaluation of emerging potential treatments. This is of particular importance as patients currently have a limited choice of treatments for combating their cancer. 'Ultimately, this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond.' Sarah-Jane Hogg, chief executive at Friends of ANCHOR, added: 'This is a really promising development and another example of the pioneering work coming out of the University of Aberdeen. 'Professor Kiltie's role at the University is fully funded by Friends of ANCHOR through our Dream Big appeal, and our thanks go to our donors and fundraisers for the part they've played in supporting this work.' A spokesperson for The Brain Tumour Charity said: 'This pioneering technology is a promising step forward for people who have been diagnosed with the most aggressive type of brain tumour. 'It's positive news in contrast to the accounts we often hear about delays to diagnosis, limited treatment options, and the struggle to get vital innovations to the NHS front line. 'We welcome this, and The Brain Tumour Charity will continue working with clinicians and policymakers in Scotland – and the rest of the UK – to help bring advances to patients more quickly.'
