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WEEKEND UPDATES

Feb 07- Feb 13, 2026, WEEKEND UPDATES February 6, 2026 , by

LEVENSON SHUTS UP NOISE

THE new chairman of the Pollution Control Board Levenson Martins has responded to complaints that nightclubs blare away even as weddings have to wind up at 10pm. Levenson has shut down the noisiest nightclubs Salud Kitchen and Hilltop in Anjuna for two months. They have also been fined Rs2 lakh each, hopefully the message goes out to all the nightclubs and shacks which play amplified sound till the early hours of the morning.

KONKANI MUST FOR POSTAL JOBS

HISTORICALLY, there have been complaints that all the postal staff in Goa is from Maharashtra and do not know local language Konkani or local addresses and are inefficient in locating addresses.This was because Goa does not have in independent postal recruitment circle which was being done from Kolhapur.  Taking cognizance of Goan concerns the Central postal department has made knowledge of Konkani compulsory for jobs of postal staff in Goa. Those who do not have a formal education in Konkani will have to produce a certificate from the Konkani Academy for basic proficiency in Konkani.     

BOOKING FOR GMC OPD

Booking of slots for appointment in the out patient department of the GMC has been formally launched. Up to 100 slots in each department can be booked online. This is in the light of complaints that patients or their caretakers have to wait in the queues from 5am onwards to register patients for appointment in the GMC. However, the digitally challenged patients feel that this is discriminatory against those who may not be able to book slots online. Moreover this will encourage irresponsible patients who book slots may not turn up at the last moment, then what? It must be clarified that the bulk of the slots will continue to be allotted to those who walk in and wait in queue for OPD appointments.

NEW AGE SKILLS FOR GEN-Z

MANY universities are now offering specialized courses in digital and social media management. There are even digital media courses since print media is being displaced rapidly by online publications. Tragically, even venerable print institution like the “The Washington Post” has sacked over two-thirds of its correspondents in the field worldwide, including its Delhi bureau chief. Print media is finding it difficult to survive in the digital age and in the face of intense competition from the electronic media.

However, it may be noted that print is still the medium of record and the credibility of print media is much higher than electronic or social media. New courses in AI powered digital media are also part of the curriculum of media colleges.  However, GenZ shows a marked preference for social media content and event management in preference to jobs with print media.

SONIA SIRSAT’S MUSICAL JOURNEY

GOA’S fado queen Sonia Sirsat recently in an interview revealed that music competitions are her biggest vice. In fact, she did not start off as a fado singer. Initially and interestingly she made her reputation signing songs in French after winning an international French singing competition. This gave her an opportunity to spend two months in France. Sonia won a local Vom Kantar which is a traditional Goan folk song competition. She won a prize to go to Portugal. She credits Sergio Masceranhas of Fundacia Oriente for giving her musical journey a prod towards fado, she spent several years in Portugal specializing in singing the fado. She is the daughter of a veteran medical doctor in Ponda who married a Catholic lady.

EXEMPTION FOR CARNIVAL

AMONG the days when amplified sound can be played is the first day of the carnival or carnival, starting on February 14, and the Shigmo festival being held in March. The other days on which amplified sound is allowed are New Year’s eve, the immersion days of Lord Ganesh and select temple jatra and Catholic festivals.

SUBSIDY FOR GOAN PILGRIMS

UNDER  a Centrally-sponsored scheme Goan Hindus who want to undertake the Char Dham the Vaishno Devi pilgirimage, and a visit to the Ayodhya temple, will be provided assistance by the State government. The facility is also being extended to Goan Catholics who wish to visit Tamilnadu for Our Lady of Vailankanni festival. There is already a Central government scheme to enable Muslims from the country over including Goa to do their Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The Goa government is very keen on promoting Goa as a spiritual destination.       

KONKANI DAY CELEBRATED

THE 39th Konkani Official Language Day (Raj Bhas Dis) was celebrated at the Goa State Central Library, Sanskruti Bhavan, Panaji on February 4, 2026. The day marks the occasion when the Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987 was passed on February 4, 1987 which made Konkani as the sole official language of Goa.

Dr Hanumant Chopdekar, associate professor of Konkani, Goa University, who was the resource  person at the commemoration, recalled the journey, which involved struggles and sacrifices, to get Konkani recognized as the official language of the people of Goa. “It’s said that people who don’t know their past don’t have a future. It’s important to know our roots and language plays a huge role in it,” he said, adding that this celebration of Konkani’s official language day should be of the masses and all should identify with its significance.

Well known lexicographer and grammarian, Damodar Ghanekar, also recalled highlights of the brave struggle to make Konkani the official language of Goa. “There were morchas even in the rain. We should not ask what Konkani lacks, because over the decades united efforts of people have helped develop this language and continue to do so. Konkani is the “lok bhas” (language of the people of Goa,” he said.

 “Zaad Nirakar”– a documentary on Sahitya Academy awardee poet and writer, Shankar Ramani, and  “Das Parv” — a documentary on freedom fighter, writer, journalist, social reformer Laxmidas Borkar were later screened. Present at the celebration were Konkani writers, poets, students, teachers, among others. Smt Sulaksha Kolmule, curator, Goa State Central Library, proposed the vote of thanks.

AI APPLICATION DIAGNOSES LUNG CANCER FASTER!

MOST of us know that amongst the cancers which afflict humankind, lung cancer is one of the most painful and as usual most patients seek treatment at late stages, making it difficult to achieve any kind of remission. But comes some good news in that Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, speaking to media people at a press conference held on February 3, 2026  revealed that with the application of advanced AI technology to over 1 lakh chest X-rays done across the public health system diagnoses is much faster. In fact, AI application reduced  diagnosis time by over 50 %.

The AI enabled early outcome was courtesy a program put into place across the State’s public healthcare system. The AI-facilitated chest X-ray program revealed 10,564 lung nodules —  out of which 18 lung cancer cases were confirmed for treatment. The Astra Zeneca India artificial intelligence-based program was integrated into routine chest X-rays done at government primary health centers, without requiring additional tests or patient visits, and the results are eye-opening.  

For lung cancer is one of the leading causes of  cancer-related mortality in India, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis. This new AI program will automatically review every chest X-ray conducted in public health facilities for early signs of lung abnormalities and initiate timely follow-up.  

Said Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, “The Department of Health has been consistently advancing initiatives focused on early detection, preventive healthcare, and cancer screening to strengthen the public healthcare system. By embedding AI into routine diagnostic processes,  Goa is reinforcing early detection in a structured and scalable manner. This program ensures that advanced technology supports clinical decision making without adding cost or complexity for patients. Early diagnosis must be accessible all, and should not be limited by geography or affordability. Integrating AI into public healthcare represents the way forward in delivering timely, efficient and equitable care to our people.”

The program has been implemented in close co-ordination with clinicians across Goa’s public health system. Pulmonologists and radiologists from government hospitals have guided the clinical adoption of AI-enabled triaging, ensuring alignment with existing diagnostic pathways and follow-up protocols.

To reiterate the AI program has to date  analyzed 1,06,248 chest X-rays across 18 public healthcare centers in the state, 10,564 lung nodules flagged and 1,609 classified as high-risk…this enabled clinicians to prioritize patients requiring urgent evaluation —  18 confirmed lung cancer patients are now being treated on a priority basis.  

The government of Goa has signed an MoU agreement with AstraZeneca India and Qure.ai for the program and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, while saying Goa is the first to implement the AI program to routine chest-Xrays,  it won’t before the rest of India catches up on how to upgrade patient diagnoses for cancer and other degenerative diseases.  At the press conference were Qure.ai’s Ankit Modi (founding member and chief product officer) who added, “What makes Goa’s program significant is its ability to deliver impact at scale using infrastructure that already exists within the public healthcare system. By leveraging routine chest x-rays the state has enabled earlier identification of lung abnormalities.”

AstraZeneca India’s Praveen Rao (country president and managing director) said, “This is a significant milestone for the state of Goa. We are honored to partner with the Department of Health Services and Qure.ai and congratulate the team on surpassing 100,000 AI-enabled lung screening scans.  It underscores our shared purpose of earlier detection and equitable access to healthcare.”

AstraZeneca’s science hopes to bring  technology closer to patients, lowering barrier to care, and building scalable, data-driven pathways across India, so people are identified sooner and connected to the right care at the right time. There are further plans to expand the program by integrating AI-enabled screening into mobile health units and community outreach services.

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