Education Key to Transformation, Says President Murmu

July 25: President Droupadi Murmu said education has been the most transformative force in her life, as she received an Honorary Doctorate from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies during her visit to Romania.

 Pic Credit: https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn

Accepting the prestigious honour, President Murmu described it as a reflection of the deep and enduring friendship between the people of India and Romania. She expressed gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the important role of education in shaping individuals, societies and nations.

The President encouraged the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and other Romanian educational institutions to further strengthen academic cooperation with India through joint research programmes, faculty exchanges and student mobility initiatives.

She emphasised that greater collaboration in the field of education can build stronger connections between the two countries and create new opportunities for young learners, researchers and academic communities.

President Murmu’s remarks highlighted the shared commitment of India and Romania towards expanding knowledge partnerships and promoting greater understanding through education.

Suna Besha: Puri’s Grand Golden Celebration of Lord Jagannath’s Divine Majesty

The holy city of Puri is preparing to witness one of the most awe-inspiring and spiritually significant moments of the annual Rath Yatra — the Suna Besha, a centuries-old tradition where Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are adorned in magnificent gold ornaments on their chariots.

Also known as Raja Besha or Rajarajeshwara Besha, the grand ritual is observed on Bahuda Ekadashi, the 11th day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha, following the return of the deities from the Gundicha Temple. On this sacred occasion, the three deities appear in a resplendent golden attire, creating a divine spectacle that attracts devotees from across the country and beyond.

The sight of the deities shining in gold, seated on their majestic chariots near the Lion’s Gate (Singhadwara) of the Jagannath Temple, is considered one of the most memorable experiences of the Rath Yatra festival.

A Tradition Rooted in History

The origin of Suna Besha dates back to the 15th century during the reign of Odisha’s King Kapilendra Deva in 1460 AD. According to tradition, after returning victorious from military campaigns in southern India, the king offered a vast treasure of gold and precious gems to Lord Jagannath as a mark of devotion.

The donated wealth was used to create elaborate ornaments for the deities, and the practice of adorning Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with these golden decorations during Rath Yatra became an enduring tradition.

Over the centuries, Suna Besha has remained a symbol of Odisha’s rich spiritual heritage, devotion and artistic excellence.

A Divine Display of Gold Craftsmanship

The golden ornaments used during Suna Besha are preserved in the temple treasury, known as the Bhitara Bhandara. With elaborate security arrangements, the ornaments are brought out and handed over to temple servitors, who carefully decorate the deities on their respective chariots.

Lord Jagannath is adorned with a golden Chakra (wheel), along with a silver Sankha (conch), while Lord Balabhadra is decorated with a golden plough and mace, representing their divine attributes.

The magnificent ornaments include:

• Suna Mukuta – Golden crown
• Suna Hasta – Golden hands
• Suna Payar – Golden feet
• Suna Chakra – Golden wheel
• Suna Gada – Golden mace
• Suna Padma – Golden lotus
• Suna Kundal – Golden earrings
• Mayur Chandrika – Golden peacock feather ornament
• Suna Mala – Intricately designed gold necklaces

Each ornament carries deep religious meaning and reflects the exceptional craftsmanship passed down through generations.

One of the Most Revered Forms of the Deities

Among the 32 traditional forms or Beshas of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, Suna Besha holds a special place in the hearts of devotees. The golden attire represents the divine royalty of the deities and their status as the supreme rulers of the universe.

Suna Besha is celebrated five times a year — four times inside the temple on the Ratna Singhasana and once during Rath Yatra when the deities appear on their chariots for public darshan.

A Moment of Faith and Devotion

For devotees, Suna Besha is more than a religious ceremony; it is an emotional and spiritual experience. Thousands gather in Puri to catch a glimpse of the golden form of the deities, believing that the sacred darshan brings blessings, peace and spiritual fulfilment.

As the golden ornaments illuminate the chariots and devotional chants echo through the streets of Puri, Suna Besha continues to stand as a magnificent celebration of faith, tradition and Odisha’s timeless cultural legacy.

Gene Regulation Map Reveals Treatment Targets for Heart Failure

July 25: Researchers from University of California San Diego have created the most detailed map to date of how gene regulation breaks down in human heart failure, revealing how genes are controlled in specific cell types as the disease develops and pointing to potential new therapeutic targets. The study, published on July 23, 2026 in Science, integrates multiple layers of genomic data to uncover the hidden rules underlying heart failure at single-cell resolution.

“Our goal is to use this atlas to discover targets that we can act on therapeutically,” said Neil Chi, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Right now, one of the biggest limitations in cardiology is not the lack of tools, but the lack of targets. This kind of data changes that.”

Heart failure remains the leading cause of illness and death worldwide, yet treatment options remain limited, with only a small number of therapies proven to significantly improve outcomes. One major challenge has been identifying actionable biological targets. While genetic studies have uncovered many genetic changes linked to heart disease, more than 85% of these genes lie in noncoding regions of DNA — stretches that don’t make proteins, but instead control when and how genes are turned on or off — making it difficult to determine how they contribute to disease.

To address this, the research team analyzed heart tissue from 36 individuals, including patients with and without heart failure. Using advanced single-cell techniques, they analyzed how genes are controlled and organized across more than 750,000 individual heart cells.

“What makes this study unique is the ability to integrate multiple layers of genome regulation in the same cells,” said Bing Ren, PhD, professor emeritus of cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and scientific director and CEO of the New York Genome Center. “These technologies allow us to look beyond which genes are active to understand how the genome is organized and controlled, revealing regulatory elements and interactions that were previously inaccessible.”

This comprehensive approach allowed the team to identify 12 major cardiac cell types and dozens of subpopulations, each with its own distinct patterns of gene control. They found that heart failure is associated with major shifts in cell composition, including increased numbers of fibroblasts — cells that produce structural support and scar tissue — and immune cells, and a reduction in cardiomyocytes — the cells responsible for contraction.

The study also revealed widespread changes in gene regulation. In cells from failing hearts, researchers identified more than 10,000 genes with altered expression and more than 50,000 regions of DNA with changed accessibility, or changes in how easily proteins can bind to DNA. These changes were particularly pronounced in cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts, which showed extensive remodeling of their regulatory networks.

Importantly, the team uncovered distinct disease-related cell states. For example, cardiomyocytes progressed from healthy to diseased through several intermediate cell states. The researchers also identified pathways through which healthy fibroblasts transform into activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts — cell types known to contribute to fibrosis and tissue remodeling in heart failure.

“These intermediate states are where the disease is actively unfolding,” Chi said. “If we can understand and target those transitions, we may be able to intervene earlier and more effectively.”

The study also sheds new light on how genetic risk contributes to heart failure. By integrating their atlas with genome-wide association data, the team showed that disease-associated genetic changes are concentrated in regulatory regions active in specific cell types — particularly cardiomyocytes — and often act through long-range DNA interactions to influence gene expression. This suggests that genes in cardiomyocytes may be more viable as treatment targets for heart disease than other cardiac cell types.

In addition to offering insights into heart disease, this work helps resolve a longstanding challenge in genetics: identifying which genetic changes are truly causal and which genes they affect. By mapping these connections, the researchers provide a framework for linking genetic risk to specific biological mechanisms in heart disease.

“This is a higher-order view of disease biology,” Chi said. “Instead of just asking which genes are turned on or off, we’re now understanding how their regulation is controlled across the genome — and that’s where most disease risk actually resides.”

Beyond its immediate findings, the study establishes a comprehensive resource for the scientific community. The dataset can be used to identify new drug targets, particularly in a field where therapeutic options remain limited.

“This study provides a roadmap to the landscape of major cardiac cell types of all four chambers of the normal and failing human heart,” says Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, professor of cardiovascular medicine at University of Utah Health. “These findings establish a mechanistic framework for biological pathways of heart failure development and present multiple targets for developing new therapies for heart failure.”

Looking ahead, the team is already working to translate these insights into potential treatments by developing pipelines to test candidate targets identified through the analysis.

“By connecting genetic risk, gene regulation and cell-specific disease processes, this study provides a blueprint for precision therapies in heart failure,” Chi said. “It opens the door to targeting the right mechanisms in the right cells at the right time.”

Additional co-authors on the study include: Yang Xie, Luca Tucciarone, Elie N. Farah, Lei Chang, Qian Yang, Weston Elison, Shaina Tran, Jovina Djulamsah, Audrey Lie, Timothy Loe, Alyssa R. Holman, Sierra Corban, Justin Buchanan, Sainath Mamde, Haowen Zhou, Ruth M. Elgama, Jeffrey Huey-chuan Chiu, Rebecca Melton, Emily Griffin, Qingquan Zhang, Jacinta Lucero, Eugin Destici, Agnieszka D’Antonio-Chronowska, Allen Wang and Kyle J. Gaulton at UC San Diego; Thirupura S. Shankar, Eleni Tseliou, Vincent Huang, Sutip Navankasattusas and Craig H. Selzman at University of Utah; Zhaoning Wang at UC San Diego and Columbia University; Daofeng Li, Chanrung Seng and Ting Wang at Washington University. 

The study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (Grant #NHLBI R01 HL135121, NHLBI 1R01HL166513, HG012059, NHLBI T32HL007444, and 1K08HL168315-01) and others. 

The following authors declare competing interests. Consultancy fees: Drakos (Abbott), Gaulton (Genentech). Gaulton has received honoraria from Pfizer, holds stock in Neurocrine Biosciences, and his spouse is employed at Altos Labs. Drakos acknowledges research support from Novartis. Elgamal  is an employee and shareholder of Pfizer. Holman is an employee of Aspen Neuroscience and holds equity in the company. Ren is a shareholder and consultant of Arima Genomics Inc. and cofounder of Epigenome Technologies, Inc. Chi and University of California San Diego are inventors of a filed patent. All other authors declare no competing interests.

Young Hockey Stars Set for Action as 15 Academies Gear Up for Gwalior Championship

Gwalior, July 25: The stage is set for an exciting display of young hockey talent as 15 academies prepare to compete in the 4th Hockey India Junior Women Academy Championship, beginning July 26 in Gwalior.

The tournament, which will continue until August 3, will see teams divided into four pools, with players from across the country competing for top honours and gaining valuable match experience.

The championship provides a significant platform for emerging hockey players to showcase their skills, test themselves against strong competition and take another step towards higher levels of the sport.

With several promising athletes expected to take part, the tournament is set to highlight the growing strength of women’s hockey in India and the efforts being made to develop future stars of the game.

India Squad Meets Zimbabwe Ambassador Ahead of Second T20I

New Delhi, July 25: Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer and members of the team visited the Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe ahead of the second T20 International, as the squad continued preparations for the upcoming match.

The players interacted with the Ambassador and officials, highlighting the strong connection between Indian cricket and the Indian community abroad. The meeting provided an opportunity for the team to engage in a warm exchange ahead of the important fixture.

The Indian side is focused on building momentum in the series and adapting to the conditions in Zimbabwe. Players and support staff are working on their strategies as they prepare for the second T20I.

The visit also reflected the spirit of camaraderie and goodwill surrounding India’s cricketing engagements overseas.

Govt Programme Boosts 4.32 Lakh Rural Enterprises

New Delhi, July 25: A government programme aimed at promoting rural entrepreneurship has supported 4.32 lakh enterprises across the country, with 86 per cent of beneficiaries coming from disadvantaged sections of society.

The initiative has helped strengthen livelihoods by encouraging self-employment and supporting small businesses in rural areas. It has provided opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to establish and grow their enterprises, contributing to local economic development and job creation.

A significant share of the beneficiaries belongs to communities including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and other vulnerable groups, highlighting the programme’s focus on inclusive growth.

The government said the initiative is part of its broader effort to build a strong rural enterprise ecosystem, promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level and ensure wider participation in economic development.

The programme continues to support rural communities by creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and strengthening the foundation of a self-reliant rural economy.