2 min readJan 30, 2026 07:37 AM IST
First published on: Jan 30, 2026 at 07:33 AM IST

Rice, wheat and wheat flour will cost more from February 1 following a sharp increase in the central issue prices for the public distribution system. According to an announcement, procurement prices are also being raised. The issue prices of wheat, flour and common variety of rice for PDS have been raised by Rs 18, Rs 18 and Rs 14 per quintal.

Narcotics control plan

Concerned over the alarming rise in drug trafficking involving international syndicates, the government is examining a proposal to set up a Narcotics Control Bureau. The proposed high-powered body, to be headed by a director-general, will have five zonal offices based in New Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Varanasi. It is likely to have a site office in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan (Indo-Pakistan border) and Silchar in Assam (Indo-Burma border).

TV exposé leads to action

The Health Ministry has decided to invite the Institute of Marketing Management., Delhi, to study the working of major hospitals in the capital, suggest remedial measures and help the hospital managements in effecting the changes. This is one of the several decisions taken by an embarrassed Health Ministry after the shocking exposure of conditions in hospitals in the Sach ki Parchhayiyan (shadows of truth) telecast.

Star Wars may suffer delay

Star Wars, as US President Ronald Reagan’s strategic defence initiative research programme is known, may suffer a delay as would space science if investigations into the Challenger disaster take as long as similar investigations in the past have done. According to procedure, NASA will halt its space programmes to find out the cause of the problem as it conducts its “failure analysis” into this matter. Congressional sources are also, according to newspaper reports, expressing fears that the Pentagon’s portion of the space programme may be set back seriously by this explosion.