Woman Shot Dead by Militants in J&K's Pulwama

New Delhi: School-going children are picking up drug and smoking habits and engaging in consumption of alcohol, with the average age of introduction to such harmful substances found to be around 13 years, suggesting a need for earlier interventions as early as primary school, a multi-city survey by AIIMS-Delhi said.

The findings also showed substance use increased in higher grades, with grade XI/XII students two times more likely to report use of substances when compared with grade VIII students. This emphasised the importance of continued prevention and intervention through middle and high school.

The study led by Dr Anju Dhawan of AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, published in the National Medical Journal of India this month, looks at adolescent substance use across diverse regions.

The survey included 5,920 students from classes 8, 9, 11 and 12 in urban government, private and rural schools across 10 cities -- Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ranchi. The data were collected between May 2018 and June 2019.

The average age of initiation for any substance was 12.9 (2.8) years. It was lowest for inhalants (11.3 years) followed by heroin (12.3 years) and opioid pharmaceuticals (without prescription; 12.5 years).

Overall, 15.1 per cent of participants reported lifetime use, 10.3 per cent reported past year use, and 7.2 per cent reported use in the past month of any substance, the study found.

The most common substances used in the past year, after tobacco (4 per cent) and alcohol (3.8 per cent), were opioids (2.8 per cent), followed by cannabis (2 per cent) and inhalants (1.9 per cent). Use of non-prescribed pharmaceutical opioids was most common among opioid users (90.2 per cent).

On being asked, 'Do you think this substance is easily available for a person of your age' separately for each substance category, nearly half the students (46.3 per cent) endorsed that tobacco products and more than one-third of the students (36.5 per cent) agreed that a person of their age can easily procure alcohol products.

Similarly, for Bhang (21.9 per cent), ganja/charas (16.1 per cent), inhalants (15.2 per cent), sedatives (13.7 per cent), opium and heroin (10 per cent each), the students endorsed that these can be easily procured.

About 95 per cent of the children, irrespective of their grade, agreed with the statement that 'drug use is harmful'.

The rates of substance use (any) among boys were significantly higher than those of girls for substance use (ever), use in the past year and use in the past 30 days. Compared to grade VIII students, grade IX students were more likely, and grade XI/XII students were twice as likely to have used any substance (ever).

The likelihood of past-year use of any substance was also higher for grade IX students and for grade XI/XII students as compared to grade VIII students.

About 40 per cent of students mentioned that they had a family member who used tobacco or alcohol each. The use of cannabis (any product) and opioid (any product) by a family member was reported by 8.2 per cent and 3.9 per cent of students, respectively, while the use of other substances, such as inhalants/sedatives by family was 2-3 per cent, the study found.

A relatively smaller percentage of students reported use of tobacco or alcohol among peers as compared to among family members, while a higher percentage reported inhalants, sedatives, cannabis or opioid use among peers.

Children using substances (past year) compared to non-users reported significantly higher any substance use by their family members and peers.

There were 25.7 per cent students who replied 'yes' to the question 'conflicts/fights often occur in your family'. Most students also replied affirmatively to 'family members are aware of how their time is being spent' and 'damily members are aware of with whom they spend their time'.

At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services. 

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.

The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi). 

Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-

•    0361-2731621
•    0361-2731622
•    0361-2731623

The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.

Train Services Disrupted

Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.

The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.

Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30. 

The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks. 

Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years

At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.

He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.

Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.

The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.

These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.

The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.

Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.

A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.

Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested. 

The IPL 2026 auction has seen uncapped Indian stars laugh their way to the bank. While Cameron Green set a world record as he was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 25.20 crore, making him the costliest overseas player ever in any franchise competition across the world, CSK roped in Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for a record bid of Rs 14.20 crore each. Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana was picked up for Rs 18 crore by KKR. 

However, top names like Liam Livingstone, Prithvi Shaw, and Sarfaraz Khan have gone unsold. The mini-auction for IPL 2026 is being held in Abu Dhabi, with three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders coming in with the biggest purse (Rs 64.30 crore). Chennai Super Kings entered the auction with the second-biggest purse (Rs 43.40 crore). The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League will be held between March 26 and May 31.

Here is the full list of sold and unsold players:

Jake Fraser-McGurk - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
David Miller - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Delhi Capitals - Rs 2 crore
Prithvi Shaw - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Devon Conway - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Cameron Green - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Kolkata Knight Riders - Rs 25.20 crore
Sarfaraz Khan - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Gus Atkinson - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Rachin Ravindra - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Liam Livingtone - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Wiaan Mulder - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Wanindu Hasaranga - Base Price Rs 2 crore - LSG - Rs 2 crore
Venkatesh Iyer - Base Price Rs 2 crore - RCB - Rs 7 crore
Deepak Hooda - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
KS Bharat - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Quinton De Kock - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Mumbai Indians - Rs 1 crore
Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Jonny Bairstow - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jamie Smith - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Ben Duckett - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Delhi Capitals - Rs 2 crore
Finn Allen - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 2 crore
Matt Henry - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Akash Deep - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jacob Duffy - Base Price Rs 2 crore - RCB - Rs 2 crore
Shivam Mavi - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Gerald Coetze - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Matheesha Pathirana - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 18 crore
Spencer Johnson - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Anrich Nortje - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - LSG Rs 2 crore
Fazalhaq Farooqui - Base Price Rs 1.00 crore - Unsold
Rahul Chahar - Base Price Rs 1.00 crore - Unsold
Ravi Bishnoi - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - RR - Rs 7.20 crore
Maheesh Theekshana - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - Unsold
Mujeeb Ur Rahman - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - Unsold
Akeal Hosein - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - CSK - Rs 2 crore
Atharva Taide - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Anmolprteet SIngh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Abhinav Tejrana - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Abhinav Manohar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Yash Dhull - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Aarya Desai - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Auqib Dar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - DC - Rs 8.40 crore
Vijay Shankar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Rajvardhan Hangargekar - Base Price Rs 40 lakh - Unsold
Mahipal Lomror - Base Price Rs 50 lakh - Unsold
Eden Apple Tom - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Prashant Veer - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK Rs 14.20 crore
Shivang Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh
Tanush Kotian - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kamlesh Nagarkoti - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sanvir Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Rouchit Ahir - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kartik Sharma - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK Rs 14.20 crore
Mukul Choudhary - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG Rs 2.60 crore
Tejasvi Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 3 crore
Vansh Bedi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tushar Raheja - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Ashok Sharma - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - GT - Rs 90 lakh
Raj Limbani - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kartik Tyagi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 Lakh
Simarjeet Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Aarya Desai - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Naman Tiwari - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG - Rs 1 crore
Aakash Madhwal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sushant Mishra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 90 lakh
Wahidullah Zadran - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Shivam Shukla - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Yash Raj Punja - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 30 Lakh
Prashant Solanki - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 Lakh
Vignesh Puthur - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 30 lakh
Karn Sharma - Base Price Rs 50 lakh - Unsold
Kumar Kartikeya Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sediqullah Atal - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Pathum NIssanka - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - DC - Rs 4 Crore
Rahul Tripathi - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - KKR - Rs 75 lakh
Sean Abbott - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Michael Bracewell - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Ben Dwarshuis - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jason Holder - Base Price Rs 2 crore - GT Rs 7 crore
Dashun Shanaka - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Daryll Mitchell - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Matthew Short - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - CSK - Rs 1.50 crore
Tom Banton - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Jordan Cox - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Josh Inglis - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Tim Seifert - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - KKR - Rs 1.50 Crore
Kyle Jamieson - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Adam Milne - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Lungi Ngidi - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Mustafizur Rahman - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 9.2 crore
Chetan Sakariya - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Kuldeep Sen - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Waqar Salamkheil - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Danish Malewar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 lakh
Salman Nizar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Akshat Raghuwanshi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG - Rs 2.2 crore 
Satvik Deswak - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RCB - Rs 30 lakh
Aman Khan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK - Rs 40 lakh
Vicky Ostwal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mayank Rawat - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mangesh Yadav - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RCB - Rs 5.20 crore
Salil Arora - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 1.40 crore
Ravi Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 95 lakh
KM Asif - Base Price Rs 40 lakh - Unsold
Sakib Hussain - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh 
Mohammad Izhar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 lakh 
Onkar Tarmale - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 Lakh
Murugan Ashwin - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tejas Baroke - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
KC Cariappa - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mohit Rathee - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Cooper Connolly - Base Price Rs 2 Crore - PBKS - Rs 3 crore
Dan Lawrence - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Taskin Ahmed - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Richard Gleeson - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Alzarri Joseph - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Riley Meredith - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Jhye Richardson - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Dheeraj Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tanay Thyagarajan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Connor E. - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Irfan Umair - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Chintal Gandhi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Amit Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh 
Vishal Nishad - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Nathan Smith - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold 
Daniel Lategan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Atharva Ankolekar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 Lakh
Karan Lal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Utkarsh Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Ayush Vartak - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Ayush Hinge - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 Lakh
Jikku Bright - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Izaz Sawariya - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Krains Fuletra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh
Sarthak Ranjan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 lakh
Daksh Kamra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 lakh
Manishankar Murasingh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold