
Triumala Tirupati Devasthanam suspends 4 non-Hindu employees. Here's why
The employees were reportedly following the Christian faith, which violates the code of conduct expected from staff working in a Hindu religious institution, TTD said in a statement on X.
'Following a vigilance report and review of supporting evidence, disciplinary action was taken as per rules, leading to their immediate suspension,' TTD said on X.
According to the TTD, the suspended employees are B. Elizer, Deputy Executive Engineer (Quality Control), S. Rosi, Staff Nurse, BIRD Hospital, M. Premavathi, Grade 1 Pharmacist, BIRD Hospital, and Dr. G. Asunta, SV Ayurvedic Pharmacy.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar raised strong objections to the employment of non-Hindus in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) during his visit to Tirumala on his birthday on Friday.
Addressing the media after offering prayers at the Lord Venkateswara temple, he questioned, 'How can non-Hindus be given jobs in TTD?' Why are they still being retained even after changes in governments and administrations? What action is being taken when over a thousand non-Hindus are employed in TTD? They must be removed from their positions immediately."
"TTD should allocate funds to support temples, especially those that are unable to afford even the basic rituals like dhupa-deepa-naivedyam, " he said, stating that it was unacceptable that non-Hindus are currently working in TTD despite lacking belief in Hinduism or the deity.
"Would mosques or churches ever employ a Hindu wearing a bottu (sacred mark on the forehead)? No, they wouldn't. So why are non-Hindus being given jobs in TTD? Continuing this practice, even after changes in government, is not right. I strongly demand their immediate removal," he said, demanding their immediate removal.
Sanjay asserted, "Tirumala belongs to Hindus. If non-Hindus or foreigners want to visit the deity, a faith declaration is mandatory. Unfortunately, over a thousand non-Hindus are working in TTD, many of whom do not believe in Hinduism or the deity. Why are such people being employed and retained?"
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
12 hours ago
- Mint
NRIs turning to India for high-quality quality affordable healthcare, customers up 150% YoY in FY25: Report
New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are increasingly choosing India as their destination for high-quality and affordable healthcare, according to the data released by Policybazaar. The data showed a significant 150 per cent growth in the share of NRI customers in FY 2024-25 compared to FY 2023-24, highlighting India's growing appeal in the global medical tourism space. It stated, "India is fast emerging as one of the world's most sought-after medical tourism hubs. The growth is quite visible with more NRIs turning to India to access high-quality healthcare. Our data indicates a 150 per cent overall growth in the share of NRI customers in FY 25". One of the key reasons behind this mentioned in the data report is the surge is the massive cost advantage India offers for medical treatments when compared to countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. For instance, heart bypass surgery in India costs between USD 5,000 and USD 8,000, while the same procedure in the U.S. can cost between USD 70,000 and USD 150,000. Similarly, a knee replacement surgery costs only USD 4,000 to USD 6,000 in India, compared to USD 30,000 to USD 50,000 in the U.S. A liver transplant in India is priced between USD 25,000 and USD 35,000, whereas it costs USD 300,000 to USD 500,000 in the U.S. NRIs opting for elective procedures in India typically have average claim amounts ranging from USD 2,000 to USD 15,000. For more complex surgeries, the claims may rise to USD 20,000 to USD 40,000, still representing considerable savings when compared to international healthcare costs. The affordability factor also extends to health insurance premiums. In India, the average annual health insurance premium per person ranges from USD 120 to USD 300. In contrast, the same coverage in the U.S. can exceed USD 8,000 annually, while in GCC countries, it ranges from USD 4,000 to USD 5,000. This significant difference has led to a visible increase in online searches by NRIs exploring health insurance options in India for themselves and their families. The data further reveals a 125 per cent surge in the share of women NRI customers and a 148 per cent increase in the number of NRI customers under the age of 35. This showed that younger NRIs and women are increasingly considering Indian healthcare as a preferred choice. When it comes to preferred locations for treatment, South Indian cities continue to dominate the list across all tiers. Cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, and Thane are also gaining popularity among NRI patients. With a combination of quality care, advanced medical infrastructure, and substantial cost benefits, India is rapidly emerging as a leading hub for NRI medical needs. (ANI)


Hans India
15 hours ago
- Hans India
Bandi sanjay slams Cong govt over BC Declaration
Hyderabad: UnionMinister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar stirred a major controversy on Sunday after launching a direct attack on the Telangana Congress government, accusing it of introducing a 'Muslim Declaration Bill' under the guise of a Backward Classes (BC) Declaration. Speaking to the media after inaugurating the Central government-funded 'Critical Care Block' at Karimnagar District Main Hospital, Bandi Sanjay claimed the state government's reservation proposals unfairly favor Muslims at the expense of BCs and Hindus. 'Under the so-called BC Declaration, 27 percent reservations are being implemented for BCs, and an additional 5 percent is supposedly for BCs, but out of that, 10 percent is indirectly being granted to Muslims. Effectively, the Congress is making a 100 percent reservation for Muslims in Telangana in the name of the BC Declaration. This is not a BC Declaration, it is a Muslim Declaration,' asserted Bandi Sanjay. He further alleged there was a wider 'conspiracy' to turn Hindus into a minority in Telangana, warning that if what he called this 'poisonous tree' was left unchecked, it could spread across India. Minister Bandi Sanjay firmly stated he would oppose the bill unless Muslims were removed from the BC category and demanded that full 42 percent reservations go only to BCs. 'I will convince the Centre to approve the bill only after Muslims are excluded from the BC list,' he insisted. In a political challenge, Bandi Sanjay referred to claims that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) would merge with the BJP if cases against K. Kavitha were filed, stating the proposal by K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) before CM Ramesh was 'absolutely true' and daring KTR to a public debate. 'If you have the courage, let's discuss in front of everyone and see who is right,' he challenged. On the hospital's new Critical Care Block, Sanjay emphasized that the entire Rs 23.75 crore funding came from the Centre's PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM ABHIM). He pressed the state government to quickly appoint medical staff and allocate operational funds, warning of adverse effects on patient care due to poor state support. He presented budget statistics, attributing the near doubling of health and education budgets to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014. He highlighted the rapid expansion of AIIMS, medical colleges, and the increase in MBBS and postgraduate seats across India. He also claimed that there have been revolutionary changes in healthcare access for the poor under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Switching focus to the Jubilee Hills by-election, the Union Minister strongly criticized the alleged demolition of the Banjara Hills Peddamma temple, attributing the action to an attempt to appease Muslim voters. 'If this is not rectified and an apology issued, Hindus will unite and send a clear message at the ballot box,' he warned. Bandi Sanjay also questioned Rahul Gandhi's religious loyalties and accused the Congress party of orchestrating a 'grand conspiracy' to grant Muslims undue reservations while dividing Hindus. 'Rahul Gandhi's comments and actions make his contempt for Hindus and India evident,' he alleged, urging the electorate to send a strong rebuke to the Congress in the upcoming local body polls.


Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
Cheaper cancer care therapy earns big bucks for pharma company
India's cell and gene therapy pioneer ImmunoAct has turned profitable in its first full year of operations, a rare feat in the country's emerging startup landscape where research-based pharma enterprises encounter serious scale and cash flow challenges. ImmunoACT, in which Hyderabad-based drugmaker Laurus Labs has roughly 34% equity stake, saw revenues of ₹62 crore with a profit before tax of ₹12 crore in FY25, according to sources. The year before, ImmunoAct had revenues of ₹11 crore. Founded by immunologist Rahul Purwar in 2013, ImmunoACT was spun off from the department of bioengineering department of IIT Bombay in 2018. ImmunoACT's NexCAR19 is the first indigenously developed breakthrough cancer CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy approved by India's central drug regulatory agency in October 2023. NexCAR19 was formally launched in India in April 2024 at a price ~90% cheaper than its US and European counterparts like Novartis and Gilead, making it far more affordable for India and low-and-middle income countries, on its potential approval. So far, the therapy has been infused in over 350 patients across 70 hospitals in India. In CAR-T treatment, the patient's immune cells are extracted and through a maze of re-engineering processes infused back to recognize and kill cancer cells, giving a longer remission to patients as compared to the conventional options like immunotherapy or bone marrow transplants. The therapy is used when all other options are CAR-T dose (one-and-done infusion) costs around ₹30 lakh, which was initially priced at ₹42 lakh, and is expected to see a further decline as demand picks ImmunoACT has recently appointed former managing director of Roche India V Simpson Immanuel as its strategic Purwar added, "We needed someone who understands not just the commercial landscape, but also the nuances of innovation, patient access, and global expansion." Earlier this year, Immuneel Therapeutics, backed by leading names like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and globally renowned oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee secured approval for Qartemi, its cell therapy for adult B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, in India. Companies like Cipla, Dr Reddy's Labs and Bharat Biotech are investing heavily in new CAR-Ts. Globally, CAR-Ts are at the frontiers of a range of cancer treatments, attracting billions of dollars in investments from large drugmakers. The market for such therapies is expected to touch $134 billion by 2034 from around $10 billion at present.