内容摘要："If kids are still excited about books, then there's hope," she said.

"If kids are still excited about books, then there's hope," she said.

The party still retains some popular support in a few isolated pockets, primarily in the tribal regions of eastern Maharashtra, southern Chhattisgarh and parts of Odisha and Jharkhand - but without a strong military base.Ongoing operations by state forces have significantly weakened the Maoist military infrastructure in their strongholds in southern Chhattisgarh. Cadres and leaders are now being killed regularly, reflecting the rebels' growing inability to defend themselves.

Mr Venugopal believes the strategy needs rethinking - not abandonment.The underground struggle has its place, he said, but "the real challenge is blending it with electoral politics".In contrast, Mr Ganapathy sees little hope for the Maoists to mount a meaningful fightback in the near future and argues that the time has come for a different approach - dialogue.

"It would be wise for them to go for talks now and perhaps unconditionally or even lay down the conditions and let the government consider them. This is the time to approach the government instead of unnecessarily sacrificing their own cadres, without a purpose," he said.Maoists enjoy support in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from mainstream political parties. In Telangana, both the ruling Congress and the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have backed calls for a ceasefire, along with 10 smaller Left parties - an effort widely seen as aimed at protecting the group's remaining leaders and cadres.

The Maoist movement, rooted in past struggles against caste oppression, still carries social legitimacy in parts of these states. Civil society activists have also joined the push for a truce.

"We, along with other civil rights groups, demanded a two-step process - an immediate ceasefire followed by peace talks," said Ranjit Sur, general secretary of the Kolkata-based group Association for Protection of Democratic Rights."Those who can afford these antibiotics often overuse them; those who can't, don't get them at all," says Dr Ghafur. "We need a system that ensures access for the poor and prevents misuse by the well-to-do."

To improve access, these drugs must be made more affordable. To prevent misuse, stronger regulation is key."Ideally, every antibiotic prescription in hospitals should require a second sign-off - by an infection specialist or microbiologist," says Dr Ghafur. "Some hospitals do this, but most don't. With the right oversight, regulators can ensure this becomes standard practice."

To fix the access problem and curb misuse, both smarter policies and stronger safeguards are essential, say researchers. But access alone won't solve the crisis - the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. The decline in antibiotic R&D - and the limited availability of existing drugs - is a global issue.(AMR), but it may also hold the key to combating it - both at home and globally, researchers say.