Nalin Kumar Kateel assures all students of Dakshina Kannada stuck in Ukraine will return safe
Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP and BJP Karnataka Chief Nalin Kumar Kateel on Wednesday visited the families of two Mangaluru students who were stuck in Ukraine but were later evacuated to Romania.
Speaking to the families of the students Anusha and Sakshi Sudhakar here in Bejai, Kateel added that all the other students will also be evacuated and that he is in constant touch with the students in Ukraine.
According to the government data, 12 out of 18 students of Dakshina Kannada who are stuck in Ukraine, are from Mangaluru.
“Some of them have been evacuated and have already left for India while some are still stuck in bunkers,” Kateel said adding that the government will take every necessary action to ensure the safe evacuation of all the students.
Urging the families to stay strong, Kateel also expressed condolences to the family of Naveen, a Karnataka student who was killed in Ukraine on Tuesday.
Kateel stated that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai has appointed the nodal officer for further enquiries. He added that the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, and Minister of External Affairs Jai Shankar are also doing the needful in bringing the Indian students back home.
Vedavyaasa Kamath, Member of Legislative Assembly, Jagadeesh Shenava, Vijay Kumar Shetty, and others were present during Kateel’s visit to the families of students.
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Bengaluru: A new health report has revealed that over 75% of Karnataka's population screened in 2024 is either obese or overweight, highlighting an alarming rise in lifestyle-related health issues.
According to the Health of the Nation 2025 report by Apollo Hospitals, as cited by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, 56% of those screened were diagnosed as obese, while another 21% were classified as overweight.
The report underscores a growing public health crisis, driven by sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and undiagnosed chronic conditions that often do not show visible symptoms. The annual report, which examined health data from over 2.5 million preventive screenings conducted across the Apollo ecosystem in India, reveals that symptom-based healthcare is increasingly insufficient to address these hidden health risks.
In Karnataka, the report found that 28% of the individuals screened were hypertensive, with half of them classified as pre-hypertensive. Diabetes was found in 20% of the population, with an additional 25% falling into the pre-diabetic category. These figures reflect the rising metabolic stress among asymptomatic individuals, many of whom are unaware of their conditions.
Additionally, the report noted that 84% of the screened individuals in the state had low vitamin D levels, which can negatively impact bone health and immunity. Furthermore, 64% exhibited reduced flexibility, affecting musculoskeletal wellness.
Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, emphasised the need for India to shift towards a preventive health culture. "Early screening, personalised interventions, and health education should become integral to our homes, schools, and workplaces," TNIE quoted him as saying.
The report also highlighted several other health threats, including fatty liver disease, post-menopause health risks, and childhood obesity. Of the 2.5 million people screened nationally, 65% had fatty liver with 85% of those cases being non-alcoholic. Heart disease signs were present in 46% of asymptomatic individuals, while post-menopausal women saw a sharp increase in both obesity (from 76% to 86%) and diabetes (from 14% to 40%).
Childhood obesity is also becoming a significant concern, with the report revealing that 28% of college students were either overweight or obese, and 19% showed signs of prehypertension.
Mental health issues, often under-reported, emerged as another area of concern, with 7% of women and 5% of men screened nationwide showing symptoms of clinical depression, particularly among the middle-aged population.
