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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels over misinformation after Pahalgam terror attack



NEW DELHI: Following the terror attack in Pahalgam, the Indian government on Monday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including several major news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Razi Naama, GNN, and Irshad Bhatti’s channel, officials said.


According to officials, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting acted on a recommendation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after it was found that these channels were "spreading communally sensitive content and misinformation against India."


A senior official stated, "On the MHA’s recommendation, the Government of India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News, for promoting provocative, communally sensitive content, and false narratives against India, its Army, and its security agencies, especially after the tragic Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir."


The combined subscriber base of these 16 banned channels is around 63.08 million, according to a list shared by officials. The banned channels include both news agencies and individual creators: Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, Samaa TV, ARY News, BOL News, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, Suno News HD, and Razi Naama.


Officials added that these channels are now inaccessible in India, and warned that any other platforms spreading misinformation against India and its security forces will also face similar action.


Additionally, the government has taken up the matter with the BBC over its coverage of the Pahalgam attack. A senior official said, "The XP division of the Ministry of External Affairs has conveyed strong concerns to Jackie Martin (BBC India Head) regarding their portrayal of the terrorists as militants. A formal letter has been sent to BBC criticizing this terminology, and the XP division will continue monitoring future reporting."


This move comes after the U.S. government also criticized The New York Times for using the term "militants" instead of "terrorists" in its coverage, with the U.S. Senate panel and House Foreign Affairs Committee stating that such language downplays the seriousness of the attack.


Meanwhile, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further. India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), cancelled visas issued to Pakistani nationals, and intensified retaliatory action following continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops over the past three nights along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara and Poonch districts.

Indian forces have been responding to Pakistani fire with appropriate retaliation, though no casualties have been reported so far.


Following the deadly Pahalgam attack, India has also expelled Pakistani military attachés, closed the Attari land-transit post, and taken several strong diplomatic measures. These decisions were finalized in a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who pledged that India would "identify, track, and punish" the terrorists and their "backers" responsible for the attack.


In response, Pakistan has suspended all bilateral agreements with India, including the 1972 Simla Agreement.


Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, intensifying efforts to collect evidence and interrogating several overground workers and jailed terrorists aggressively.

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