Female foetus not acceptable yet!?
New Delhi: A woman working as Office Assistant in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here alleged on Saturday she was brutally assaulted by husband and in-laws when she was pregnant after she refused to abort her female foetus, police said.
The woman, 42, a resident of Sector 49, Gurugram, got married to a Delhi-based doctor, Rajnish Gulati on July 21, 2016. Gulati is associated with Mudit Vishwakarma Hospital and resides in West Patel Nagar, police said.
"The woman in her complaint to police said Gulati, his sister Amita, his uncle Sushil Kumar Nagrath and her mother-in-law Sarla Gulati dragged her from their house after she refused to abort her female foetus, in February this year," the FIR said.
"When I tried to enter my her in-laws' house, my mother-in-law beat her. Later, I complained to Delhi Police but no action was taken against my husband and in-laws," the victim told IANS.
She also alleged in her complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rohit Rajbir Singh that Station House Officer (SHO), Pramod Kumar Joshi and a Sub Inspector, Devender, posted in Patel Nagar Police Station traumatised her on many occasion and threatened to fabricate her in wrong cases if she does not take her complaint back.
She also alleged that SHO Joshi, on April 1, 2017, forced her to sit in police station for over six hours and did not let her drink water and eat food, even though she was pregnant.
Her husband also beat her inside the police station. The repeated assault and trauma eventually led to miscarriage.
She later approached Tis Hazari Court against them. During counselling in the court, her husband assured that the matter would be sorted out peacefully and also requested her to issue a written statement that she would not go for any legal action against him and his family members.
He took the victim to his residence but after a week, threw her out from house. The woman made a fresh complaint on Monday (December 25) against her in-laws and SHO Joshi, and sought action.
ACP Rohit Rajbir Singh told IANS that he has received a complaint regarding cruelty on the woman by her husband and in-laws.
"We are examining the matter," the police officer said.
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India misses 2025 TB elimination target; cases stand at 185 per 100,000 population
New Delhi: India reported an estimated 2.7 million tuberculosis cases in 2025 which translates into an incidence of 185 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest official update on the disease burden.
The figure is more than four times the elimination benchmark set under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis. The plan had aimed to bring down incidence to 44 cases per 100,000 population and mortality to three per 100,000 by 2025. The target was announced in March 2017 and was set five years ahead of the global End TB goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Data indicate that TB notifications have increased by 13 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels, as IndiaSpend reported in July 2025. Public health experts have said higher notification does not necessarily reflect a rise in incidence, but indicate improved case detection. Authorities have stepped up efforts to improve reporting and plug gaps in diagnosis and treatment, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
According to a 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine, the most substantial gap occurs during the testing stage, with nearly half of those with incident tuberculosis not receiving diagnostic tests. Experts say stigma, restricted availability to molecular testing, and dependence on sputum microscopy continue to impede early detection.
According to official data, 19.3 million smear microscopy tests were performed in 2023, compared to 6.83 million molecular tests using the CBNAAT/GeneXpert and Truenat platforms, indicating that smear-based diagnosis will continue to be used. While doctors report inconsistent implementation across regions, legislation mandates 100% molecular testing for suspected tuberculosis patients.
Health officials point to the increase of diagnostic infrastructure, which includes approximately 10,000 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test equipment and over 25,000 microscopy centers across the country. Eexperts identify operational difficulties such as specimen transportation, machine maintenance, supplier chains, and unequal distribution of skilled staff.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the government has expanded active case-finding in high-risk areas and identified 1.58 lakh vulnerable villages and urban wards using an AI-based mapping tool. Under which the latest campaign document states that of the 2.73 million cases reported in 2025, 35 per cent were asymptomatic.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
The government increased financial aid for Tuberculosis patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana to ₹1,000 per month, as the disease is mostly linked with malnutrition and poor living conditions and those with a BMI less than 18.5 are given energy-dense nutritional supplements for the first two months of therapy.
