Sanjita Chanu's provisional ban lifted by International Weightlifting Federation
New Delhi, Jan 23 : The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Wednesday revoked the ban imposed on India's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu.
The sport's apex body informed the India Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) and Sanjita of the development.
"On the basis of the information at its disposal the IWF has decided that the provisional suspension of the athlete (Khumukcham Sanjita) shall be lifted as of today (22 January 2019)," the IWF legal Counsel Eva Nyirfa said in a letter.
"The IWF Hearing Panel will render its decision on the athlete's case in due course," it added.
Sanjita, who had won a gold in the women's 53kg category at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, had tested positive for anabolic steroid testosterone as her urine sample was taken prior to the World Championships in November 17.
The 25-year-old Indian lifter was then put under provisional suspension in May last year.
In Gold Coast, Sanjita had set a new Commonwealth Games record with a lift of 84 kg in snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk, to finish with a total of 192 kg.
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Karnataka new excise policy: Local liquor to get costlier, premium may get cheaper
Bengaluru: The state government on Monday rolled out a new excise policy that shifts from the decades-old bulk litre-based system to a model based on alcohol content in beverages, Deccan Herald reported.
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to adopt this model. The change is expected to make lower-priced liquor costlier, while some premium brands may see a reduction in prices.
A senior Excise Department official said: “The policy is being implemented from today (May 11). The Karnataka Excise (Excise Duty and Charges) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified after a public consultation on a draft released on April 18, slashes the number of excise slabs from 16 to 8.”
Local liquor manufacturers have alleged that the policy favours multinational companies producing beer and spirits over domestic distilleries.
According to the Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association (KBDA), the first five slabs, which cater to the common man, house the maximum number of state-owned distilleries and contribute nearly 70-75% of the state’s excise revenue, have seen their Additional Excise Duty (AED) rise by 20-30%.
In contrast, slabs 6 to 8, which include products from multinational companies such as United Spirits, Bacardi, Heineken, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch, have seen AED reduced by 10-15%. The association said that while larger companies can absorb pricing shifts across their diverse portfolios, smaller regional distilleries limited to budget liquor may face volume contraction and potential closure.
A senior KBDA member said the price of a 180 ml bottle in the lowest slab, which was around Rs 63 last year, has already risen to Rs 80, and the new policy is set to push that price further to Rs 105 a jump driven by a 42.8% tax bracket.
