Ankit Cs
850 posts






India's official COVID death count was 530,000. My own paper in J. Dev Econ put it near 4 million. That's an 8x gap. One undercounts; the other assumes every excess death was COVID. My new paper uses verbal autopsies — interviews with decedents' families — to settle it.



Nearly 50% Indians now have metabolic or cardiovascular disease. This is a public health emergency. Today’s Times of India report highlights a reality we can no longer ignore: Nearly 50% of Indians now have cardiovascular or metabolic disorders (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, thyroid) - up from 31% a decade ago 13% reported illness in the last 15 days, almost double from 7.5% earlier Out-of-pocket hospitalization costs have risen ~70% (financial burden exploding) Meanwhile, infectious diseases are declining This is a clear epidemiological shift. India is no longer battling infections. India is battling metabolic dysfunction. And the deeper data makes it even more serious: Non-communicable diseases now account for >57% of all deaths in India Metabolic syndrome already affects ~30% of adults, rising to ~50% in people aged 50–59 Hypertension affects ~20–24% of adults This is not a healthcare problem. This is a metabolic crisis driven by lifestyle and food environment: High refined foods Ultra-processed foods Reused rancid oxidized seed oil junks Frequent eating patterns Chronic hyperinsulinemia We have created a system where disease is the default. If 1 in 2 Indians is metabolically unhealthy… the question is not “Who is sick?” The question is “Who is still healthy?” The solution will not come from more hospitals or more drugs. It will come from restoring metabolic health at scale. It will come with awareness: Improve insulin sensitivity Prioritize real food over processed food Exercise India is at a tipping point. We either act now… or we normalize disease for the next generation.









Massive open burning of plastic, industrial, and municipal waste—seen TWICE in one day in Gurugram. This is not just pollution. This is poisoning the air we breathe. Where is enforcement? #EarthDay reminder. 👉 GiveBackToGurugram.com #EarthDay #AirPollution #CleanAir #India










