Daily Hygiene

Your car's steering wheel may be dirtier than you ever thought, say experts

Experts say steering wheels are major germ hotspots-dirtier than toilets-and advise weekly cleaning to ensure a safer and healthier drive

'Polythene bags, rags…': What clogged lavatories on Air India flight

AI126 from Chicago to Delhi returned to the US city on March 6. The company then stated that the flight was returned because of a technical issue

Budget allocates Rs 74,226 crore for drinking water and sanitation

The Centre has allocated Rs 74,226 crore for the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Union Budget 2025-26, with most of it allotted to the Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide tap water connections to rural households. The allocation marked a substantial rise from the revised estimates of Rs 29,916 crore for 2024-25 for the department. However, the allocation is lower than the Rs 77,390.68 crore originally earmarked for the department in the Budget for 2024-25. The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has been allocated Rs 25,276.83 crore, an increase from Rs 21,640.88 crore from the revised estimates. Under the Namami Gange Mission-II, Rs 3,400 crore has been earmarked for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, up from Rs 3,000 crore last year. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship programme of the Centre aimed at providing tap water connections to every rural household, has been allocated Rs 67,000 crore, marking a significant

Municipal bodies must impose proper user charges for facilities: RBI report

Municipal corporations need to impose adequate user charges for essential services like water supply and sanitation, to boost non-tax revenues and provide quality public services, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report. The 'Report on Municipal Finances' delves into the fiscal position of 232 municipal corporations (MCs) from 2019-20 to 2023-24 (Budget Estimates), with a focus on the theme 'Own Sources of Revenue Generation in Municipal Corporations: Opportunities and Challenges'. "MCs can significantly enhance them (non-tax revenues) by applying appropriate and adequate fees and user charges for essential services such as water supply, sanitation, and waste management while also ensuring seamless availability of high-quality public services," it said. These measures, combined with more transparent and accountable governance practices, can contribute to bolstering the financial health of MCs, setting off a virtuous cycle of better services for the public, stronger revenue

Policy on menstrual hygiene products distribution at advanced stage: Govt

The national policy on distribution of menstrual hygiene products to adolescent school-going girls is at an advanced stage of formulation, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala took note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, and allowed her plea for grant of two more months for framing of the policy. The top court was hearing a plea of Congress leader and social activist Jaya Thakur seeking directions to the Centre and the states to provide free sanitary pads to girl students of class 6-12 and ensure separate female toilet facilities in all government-aided and residential schools. The framing of the national policy on the issue is at an advanced stage and two more months' time may be granted, theG said. "We will keep this matter on the first Monday of September month," the bench said. The plea highlighted the difficulties faced by adolesc

Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International passes away at 80

Bindeshwar Pathak established the Sulabh International Social Service in 1970, to resolve the country's sanitation problems

Air India business class passenger shares video of insect in flight meal

Earlier, on the same day, two such complaints surfaced regarding Air India

Dabur India enters women's personal hygiene with sanitary napkin launch

Product will only be sold online, comes in two variants

Tomato Flu not related to SARS-CoV-2, Centre sent advisory to states

Centre has sent an advisory to states on HFMD (Hand Foot & Mouth Disease), commonly known as Tomato Flu, stating that it's a self-limiting illness targeting mostly young children aged 1-10 years and immune-compromised adults and no specific drug exists to treat it.The advisory further mentioned that although the Tomato Flu virus shows symptoms similar to other viral infections (fever, fatigue, body aches & rashes on the skin); the virus is not at all related to SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox, dengue, and/or chikungunya.The best prevention is the maintenance of proper hygiene & sanitization of the surrounding. Isolation should be followed for 5-7 days from the onset of any symptom to prevent the spread of infection to other children or adults.Tomato Flu was first identified in Kollam, Kerala on May 6, 2022. As of July 26, over 82 children younger than 5 yrs with the infection have been reported by local govt hospitals. Additionally, 26 children (aged 1-9yrs) were reported as ..

Reckitt quarterly sales beat estimates on boost from hygiene products

The company has benefitted during the pandemic from people buying more cleaning products, besides cold and flu remedies like Lemsip and Strepsils

Tips on picking suitable accessories and fixtures for your bathroom

Put in a little money to get the aesthetics right, and morph the most private space in your house to a place where you can rejuvenate and spend quality 'me time'

App launched to spread awareness about oral hygiene among children

A bi-lingual mobile application Healthy Smile' has been launched to spread awareness about maintaining oral hygiene among children, the AIIMS said on Wednesday

Wellness startup Pee Safe raises Rs 25 cr for R&D, product launches

The brand is also looking at raising Series B funding later this year.

Covid-19 wave pushes packaged, hygiene goods consumption back in focus

Demand for products such as honey, chawanprash and ayurvedic teas has jumped by 60 per cent in April.

States with better sanitation more at risk to Covid? Theory needs testing

Studies and data indicate that the hygiene hypothesis may be at play, but experts say that there are more factors influencing deaths

A brand new world of health and hygiene products in the post Covid scenario

Cleanliness remains the best defence against Covid-19, vaccine or no vaccine. Business Standard brings you products that are critical to keep yourself and your surroundings sterile

Godrej Consumer: Q3 update positive, sustaining trend crucial

Scale-up of personal and home hygiene segments, stable demand across other categories drivers of growth

India Coronavirus Dispatch: India's 'R value' remains unchanged at 0.90

Steps to self-register for vaccination drive, findings from a study on impact to brain tissue, pictures from Delhi's Covid-19 vaccine dry run-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

Strategy to enhance presence in all-weather categories could benefit Emami

Momentum in existing products, market share gains are other triggers

Population's normal body temperature may dip with improved hygiene: Expert

While the normal human body temperature has long been considered to be 37 degrees Celsius, scientists have found evidence that it may go down to even about 36.5 degrees Celsius, based on a study