Latest news with #Lucknow-based
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Award for city doc
Lucknow-based physician Dr Pulkit Mehrotra will be honoured with the Young Investigator Award at the World Congress of Gastroenterology 2025, to be held as part of Australia Gastroenterology Week. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A resident doctor at Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, Dr Pulkit's research, which explores overlooked liver disease in high-risk populations, was chosen from hundreds of international submissions. "It's a big moment for me and my mentors," said Dr Mehrotra.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
UP Police initiate probe into cop's 'assault' on Army officer
Lucknow, Police have launched an investigation into allegations that a police sub-inspector assaulted an Indian Army officer in Lucknow, officials confirmed on Saturday. UP Police initiate probe into cop's 'assault' on Army officer The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Army, with senior officials meeting the Lucknow Police Commissioner to demand swift and impartial action. The Lucknow-based Surya Command of the Indian Army took to their official 'X' handle on Friday, stating, "A case of misconduct against a serving Army officer in Lucknow is being pursued with utmost seriousness. An FIR was lodged immediately, and CCTV footage has been examined." The post further revealed that Major General Salil Seth, General Officer Commanding of Madhya Uttar Pradesh Sub Area , accompanied by the station commander, met with Lucknow Police Commissioner Amrendra K Sengar to press for a prompt and impartial investigation. "The Indian Army stands resolutely with its personnel and expects prompt and exemplary action," the statement concluded. Police sources indicated the alleged assault occurred on June 22 within the PGI police station area. Lieutenant Colonel Anand Prakash Suman, currently posted at the NCC Directorate Bihar & Jharkhand in Patna, filed a complaint detailing the incident. He alleged that while driving his car at the Telibagh intersection towards the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, a policeman, driving on the wrong side of the road, began verbally abusing him and slapped him as soon as he rolled down his car window. Based on Lt Col Suman's complaint, police registered a case against an unknown person under sections 281 , 125 , 115 , and 352 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita . Assistant Commissioner of Police Rishabh Runwal told PTI on Saturday that investigations into the case are actively underway. "The incident is being investigated on priority basis and all aspects of the case are being looked into. Further action will be taken as per the findings of the investigation," the ACP said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Umrao Jaan director calls Bhansali's Heeramandi over the top: Too palatial and rich
Director Muzaffar Ali recently shared his opinion on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi' (2024). While appreciating Bhansali's efforts, he also explained why he considers the Netflix series in an interview with Times Now, reflected on the comparisons between his film 'Umrao Jaan' (1981) and 'Heeramandi'. He said, "I have seen one episode of 'Heeramandi'. That's a different thing and an over-the-top effort. It has got its own uniqueness, mine is different."advertisementThe director further said, "It is very difficult to compare. That's also a lot of effort. My journey has come from trunks and closets and cupboards; I have a different passion for textiles." "'Heeramandi' is nice but over-the-top. It is too palatial and rich. I wouldn't do that. I would speak a different language," Ali 'Umrao Jaan' director, in a previous interview with Hindustan Times, also highlighted that it is not possible to remake 'Umrao Jaan' in the present times. He said, "Rekha is not easy to find! You don't find people with such commitment — what she did, no one else can do today."'Umrao Jaan', featuring Rekha in the titular role re-released in theatres, on June 27. The epic-drama is based on the novel 'Umrao Jaan Ada' by Mirza Hadi film narrates the story of a Lucknow-based courtesan and poet, and her rise to fame. It is set against the backdrop of the 19th century and traces Amiran's (Rekha) arrival in a brothel in Lucknow as well as the relationships she forms with people. Apart from Rekha, the movie also featured Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Shaukat Kaifi, Dina Pathak, Gajanan Jagirdar, Prema Narayan, Satish Shah and others in pivotal characters.'Umrao Jaan' was restored by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC and the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission.- EndsTrending Reel
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Uzbek Women Arrested In Lucknow Linked To Human Trafficking Racket, Plastic Surgeon Also Involved
Sources revealed that Lola Kayumova, a foreign national living illegally in India despite an Interpol lookout notice against her, played a role in arranging shelter for the women What began as a routine arrest of two Uzbek women without valid documents in the Sushant Golf City area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has now ballooned into a high-stakes investigation uncovering an elaborate international trafficking and sex racket. The case, officials say, points to a powerful syndicate that not only facilitates illegal entry of foreign women into India via Nepal but also helps them establish fake Indian identities with fabricated documents and even altered appearances. The two Uzbek nationals, Holida and Nilofer, were detained for lacking passports and visas. But investigators soon discovered that they were pawns in a far-reaching network that stretches from New Delhi to Nepal, and all the way back to Uzbekistan. The syndicate allegedly smuggles women across the Indo-Nepal border, confiscates their original documents, and disperses them to various Indian cities through a network of brokers for prostitution and possibly more sinister activities. Police sources reveal that Lola Kayumova, a foreign national living illegally in India despite an Interpol lookout circular against her, played a central role in arranging shelter for Holida and Nilofer in Lucknow. She reportedly secured them an apartment in Omaxe R2 through her associates, Trijinraj alias Arjun Rana and a local doctor named Vivek Gupta. Lola's backstory reads like a screenplay. To cement her presence in India, she married twice – first to Trijinraj, originally from Kerala but now residing in Lucknow's Telibagh area, and later claimed another man, Janak Pratap Singh, as her husband. Using forged documents, including a marriage certificate with Janak, she managed to obtain an Aadhaar card and driving licence. The local police, officials now admit, failed to thoroughly verify the paperwork during routine tenancy verification. With these forged identities, Lola is believed to have orchestrated the movement of multiple women from Uzbekistan into India, bypassing immigration checks by using Nepal as a transit hub. The racket appears to have been operating in plain sight. The investigation has taken a darker turn with revelations during the interrogation of the two Uzbek women. They disclosed that Dr Vivek Gupta, a Lucknow-based plastic surgeon, conducted cosmetic procedures on them, allegedly to alter their facial features to resemble Indian women and thus dodge biometric recognition systems. Authorities are now scrutinising Dr Gupta's role in the operation, especially after discovering a cryptocurrency wallet on one of the women's mobile phones. Transactions linked to the wallet suggest that Gupta may have accepted payments for the surgeries in crypto, potentially to avoid detection. Both Trijinraj and Dr Gupta have been named in the FIR along with Lola Kayumova, and police have launched a manhunt to trace their whereabouts. Investigators are also trying to ascertain whether any elements of this operation are linked to anti-national activities, although they say it is too early to draw definitive conclusions. The detained Uzbek women have undergone biometric analysis, and deportation proceedings have been initiated. Meanwhile, the police are working with central intelligence and immigration authorities to map the full extent of the syndicate's network. First Published: June 26, 2025, 18:27 IST
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Should you buy OPD insurance? Get the complete lowdown to help you decide.
Imagine this: you have some health issues and visit a doctor. She prescribes you medicines and a couple of diagnostic tests. You pay a good amount of money for the doctor's consultation, medicines and tests, and wonder whether your health insurance policy will cover it. Well, here's the bad news: most health insurance policies do not cover outpatient department (OPD) expenses. According to a report by India Insurtech Association, India's OPD spending amounted to a massive $37.7 billion in FY24, of which retail OPD insurance accounted for less than 0.1%. Noting this gap, insurers have of late started to offer OPD coverage and healthcare startups have also entered the space, providing OPD subscription plans directly to customers or via employers. Here's a lowdown of what all is available. OPD plans from insurers India's OPD market is highly fragmented, so providing coverage is difficult. The high chances of billing fraud can't be ignored, so insurers prefer to offer OPD coverage on a cashless basis, allowing you to only visit their network partners for doctor consultations and diagnostics. Some insurers may agree to reimburse the cost incurred at non-network facilities as well. Among popular plans, as shared by ICICI Lombard's Elevate comes with an OPD+ rider. The premium varies by age. A 35-year-old male must pay ₹4,980 annually for ₹10,000 OPD coverage in a year. The plan only works on a cashless model and has no sub-limits on procedures such as dental and vision. Bajaj Allianz's Health Prime and Niva Bupa's Acute-Best Care offer both cashless facilities and reimbursements. The former has a premium of 2,062 for ₹15,000 coverage while latter costs ₹4,801 for ₹10,000 coverage for a 35-year old individual. Niva Bupa's Well Consult-OPD puts a co-payment of 20% if a policyholder files for reimbursement. Star Health Insurance has a standalone OPD insurance policy that allows cashless and reimbursement only for accident-related emergencies. A 35-year old individual will pay ₹4,802 for ₹25,000 coverage. This plan has a waiting period of 1-3 years for OPD expenses of pre-existing diseases. "Traditionally the OPD plans had sub-limits on doctor consultation, diagnostic tests or pharmacy bills. For example, the OPD sum insured could very well be ₹20,000 but pharmacy bills having a sub-limit of ₹5,000. But insurers are increasingly launching plans with no sub-limits for customers to utilise the OPD benefit in the way they want," said Siddharth Singhal, business head - health insurance, Direct-to-consumer plans Lucknow-based Geeta Srivastava (66) heard about healthcare startup LivLong's OPD plan Eldercare. "The plan costs me ₹12,000 a year. OPD benefits such as medicines and lab tests are restricted to ₹3,000 a year, but there are other useful benefits such as full-body check-up (83 parameters), unlimited consultation with doctors and nutritionists, six consultations a year with specialists and two free ambulance services. Another benefit is having a healthcare manager at my disposal who checks up on me every now and then and helps me with what I require," Srivastava said. Data from LivLong showed they have three plans, priced at ₹5500, ₹6,000 and ₹11,599. "These plans have a perceived value of ₹15,000, ₹16,000 and ₹28,800, respectively," said Gaurav Dubey, founder & CEO, LivLong 365. To be sure, there is no underlying sum insured in LivLong OPD plans. They offer up to 50% discounts on OPD benefits such as consultations, lab tests, diagnostics and medicines, which translate into perceived savings. Healthcare provider Even Health offers OPD insurance in partnership with Magma General Insurance. However, you can't buy standalone OPD cover from them. You need to buy IPD cover (sum insured ranges from ₹3 lakh to ₹1 crore) in which OPD cover of ₹10 lakh will be inlcuded if you pay extra over the premium. People aged 0-35 years can buy it for around 4,500 a year, 36-49 years for ₹10,000 a year, and over 50 for ₹19,000 a year, excluding the premium for IPD coverage. "Our OPD plan works everywhere in the country on a cashless basis. We have partners in every pin code from Lakshadweep to Leh. We not only cover doctor's consultations but also diagnostic (radiology, pathology) and medicines. We offer reimbursement, too, but with 50% co-pay," said Mayank Banerjee, Co founder, Coverage from your employer Companies such as Onsurity and Plum, or for that matter even Even Health and LivLong, curate OPD coverage in partnership with employers to offer it to employees. Noida-based Anmol Bhushan (28) works with a financial services firm as an actuarial consultant. His employer offers OPD benefits as part of its wellness services. He pays ₹11,000 per year to insure himself and his parents for a maximum benefit of ₹21,000. "The plan has a co-payment of 10% for me and 20% for my parents. Each year I manage to avail of at least ₹18,000 benefit," said Bhushan. Data from Onsurity shows their wellness OPD plans cost a minimum of ₹145 more per member per month and can go up to ₹4,500 or more based on the features. "Pricing retail OPD plans at a low cost is difficult because the utilisation will be high in those plans. We offer it to them via employers so that the utilisation is comparatively lower and we can keep the pricing viable," said Suman Pal, chief claims officer at Onsurity. Can't argue with free Some employers offer the benefit to employees for free. Mumbai-based Dipen Chheda (50) for example, used it while he was working with his previous employer. "The challenge in that plan was the limited number of associated partners. If I have to take doctor consultation and no network doctor is available nearby, it does not make sense for me to go far. Similarly, nearby chemists also offer discounts on medicines. Sometimes those are better than what OPD cover offers," he said. For Bengaluru-based Shobhit Katikia (27), the experience has been great. "We get a flat coverage of ₹20,000 per year from our employer. I don't have to pay for it. It covers me and my parents. I availed the claim twice in the past two years – for dental treatment that included the procedure and medicines in the first year, and for new glasses in the second year. The cost of the eye check-up, frame and lens was all covered," he said. In his case, he could choose any doctor or pharmacy and file for reimbursement. "The claims were approved in 24 hours," he said. Should you buy an OPD plan? Well, it depends on the cashless network the platform provides, and the sub-limits. "We have noticed that doctors empaneled with different such platforms may just have an MBBS degree and not really be specialists. The way the OPD market works is people may want to visit specialists and diagnostic centres of their choice. We are in the process of launching retail OPD cover, which will address these issues," said Saurabh Vijayvergia. founder & CEO, CoverSure. Mint's take India's OPD insurance market is at a nascent stage. While employer-linked OPD cover offers decent benefits, there are very few direct-to-customer options from healthcare startups. There is greater variety in policies offered by insurers. Whichever option you choose, sub-limits on various benefits make such plans restrictive. You could considering buying it to giving it a try if you can afford it.
