Fitness crisis: 95% students not physically active, reveals KAMS study
Bengaluru: A staggering 95% of school students are not engaging in physical activities, even during scheduled Physical Training (PT) periods, according to a recent study by the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS).
The findings, cited by The New Indian Express on Saturday, raise serious concerns about the deteriorating health and fitness levels among school children in the state.
The study was conducted following a sharp increase in health issues reported among students, including fatigue, low blood pressure, and early symptoms of cardiac-related conditions. Based on years of observations across schools, KAMS attributes these issues to a growing sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and a disturbing lack of physical engagement both at home and in school.
“Structured opportunities for exercise and cultural involvement are being ignored by students, with many showing complete disinterest in physical or extracurricular engagement. Alarmingly, this withdrawal is often enabled by parents, who routinely seek exemptions from PT classes, citing vague complaints such as body pain or fatigue,” a release by KAMS stated.
KAMS General Secretary Shashi Kumar, during school visits, has personally observed the lack of participation. “Even during my school visits, I ask teachers to check how many students do any physical activity, be it jogging, exercise, or yoga. In most schools, you won’t find even 1 to 2 percent of students doing it regularly,” TNIE quoted Shashi Kumar, General Secretary, KAMS, as saying.
The association emphasised that this trend is not limited to the school environment but is deeply rooted in home settings. Poor nutritional choices, especially high consumption of processed and junk food, coupled with the lack of participation in household responsibility and excessive screen time, are contributing to reduced stamina and deteriorating physical health.
KAMS also raised alarm over the health of female students, who are increasingly displaying symptoms of anemia, low endurance, and other signs of malnutrition and inactivity. While some attribute these issues to post-COVID conditions or environmental changes, the association opined that most are lifestyle-related and preventable.
Stay fit, Grow strong: KAMS' four-point action plan
To address this growing concern, KAMS has proposed the following steps:
* Parents must take responsibility for ensuring daily physical activity at home
* Schools should accept exemptions from PT only on medical grounds
* Health education must begin at home
* Screen time and food habits should be actively monitored and corrected
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
