In 2025, the South First team worked tirelessly to bring forward what mattered most and what people were interested in hearing.
Published Dec 31, 2025 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 31, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Behind these colourful plates lurks a serious public health question, Is fortified rice safe for everyone?
In 2025, the South First team worked tirelessly to bring forward what mattered most and what people were interested in hearing. These stories sparked readers’ interest, encouraging them to read and better understand the issues at hand.
Here are the top five most-read stories from South First in 2025.
Despite national warnings, scientific red flags, and known risks for children with conditions like thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia, both prevalent in Kerala’s tribal belts, the state embraced a policy that mirrors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-debated 2021 announcement that over half of India’s population would be fed rice fortified with micronutrients by 2024 as a step towards eradicating anaemia. The FSSAI’s scientific panel recommended in August 2021 that people with thalassemia may take iron-fortified food products under medical supervision, and persons with sickle cell anaemia are advised not to consume them. Activists warned that ignoring these concerns could endanger thousands of people from tribal and marginalised communities, violating their constitutional and medical rights.
In January 2025, Reliance Power’s Anil Ambani announced that the company is preparing to set up a solar panel manufacturing industry in the Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh. Anil Ambani inspected the lands in Sitapalem and Setametta villages of Rambilli mandal of the district. According to information received from industrial circles, an investment of ₹6,500 crore will be made, and it is estimated that 4,000 people will get employment, both direct and indirect.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the engineering marvel, the Chenab Rail Bridge, on 6 June 2025. The bridge stands as India’s pride and is the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge, linking Jammu with Srinagar. Dr Madhavi Latha was its primary geotechnical consultant. An alumna of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Dr Latha taught at IIT-Guwahati before joining the IISc in 2004. Her research interests include micro to macro of geomechanics, sustainable soil reinforcement, earthquake geotechnical engineering, and rock engineering.
In Tamil Nadu’s Gudalur region, Adivasi communities rely on traditional healers for oral health care amid limited access to dentists. A three-year study highlighted the importance of integrating these herbal healers into mainstream healthcare through collaboration and certification. The study urged policymakers to recognise their role, preserve indigenous knowledge, and bridge healthcare gaps with culturally rooted, community-based care.
For millions of people with diabetes, the daily ritual of pricking their fingers to check blood sugar levels is painful, inconvenient, and sometimes risky due to infection concerns. IISc Bengaluru scientists have developed a needle-free glucose test that relies on light and sound. The new method, using photoacoustic sensing, uses laser beams to measure glucose concentration inside the body without breaking the skin. The researchers, according to a release by the IISc, say that they discovered that glucose changes the intensity of these sound waves, allowing them to measure blood sugar levels accurately.
