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Front Page

- MLA’s kin held for running over biker

- Af stun Aus with 21-run win at T20 WC

- 2 teens, mom killed in Gzb gas-leak fire

- 13-yr-old detained for IGI bomb hoax

- 2 drown clicking selfies on boat

- Kejriwal moves SC after HC stay on bail order

- Maya reinstates nephew as her political heir

- 2 CoBRA men killed in Maoist blast in Sukma

- Only 813 of 1,563 who got grace marks take NEET-UG re-exam

- Amid ‘darknet’ threat, NTA experiences a meltdown

- After waste of time, effort & money, fear of a wasted year

- Now, Prajwal’s brother Suraj, a JD(S) MLC, held for unnatural sex

- Std deduction under new I-T regime may be raised

MLA’s kin held for running over biker

A nephew of NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA Dilip Mohite Patil was arrested late Saturday after a car with him at the wheel fatally struck a 19-yearold biker head-on while overtaking a van at a bend on a narrow stretch in Pune.

P 7

Af stun Aus with 21-run win at T20 WC

Afghanistan Saturday penned history in the T20 World Cup 2024, as they defeated Australia by 21 runs in their second Super 8 clash in Kingstown.

P17

2 teens, mom killed in Gzb gas-leak fire

A woman and her two teenage daughters died and four others suffered grievous burns when a gas cylinder leak triggered a fire in a house in Ghaziabad Sunday.

P 3

13-yr-old detained for IGI bomb hoax

A 13-year-old boy was detained for sending a bomb hoax email to IGI airport on June 17. He was “inspired” by a similar incident involving another child.

P 6

2 drown clicking selfies on boat

Two teenagers drowned in the Ganga while clicking selfies on a boat while another managed to swim to safety in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district.

P7

Kejriwal moves SC after HC stay on bail order

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved Supreme Court against Delhi HC’s interim stay on a trial court’s order granting him bail in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. The AAP national convener could have walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday had HC not granted the interim relief to ED.

P3

Maya reinstates nephew as her political heir

BSP supremo Mayawati reinstated Sunday her nephew Akash Anand as the national coordinator and her successor in the party, expressing hope that he will handle the responsibilities with “maturity” this time. On May 7, Mayawati had removed Akash from his roles due to “lack of maturity”.

P7

2 CoBRA men killed in Maoist blast in Sukma

Two personnel from CRPF’s CoBRA unit were killed in a Maoist IED explosion in Silger region of Sukma on Sunday. The blast was so powerful that it blew a crater 40ft long and 30ft wide and hurled the truck several feet in the air. Twelve securitymen have died in Maoist attacks this year.

P7

Only 813 of 1,563 who got grace marks take NEET-UG re-exam

Others Opt For Old Scores Minus Grace

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Only 52%, or 813, of the 1,563 candidates in seven centres who got grace marks due to ‘loss of time’ in the NEET-UG took the retest on Sunday, officials said. Others have opted for their original scores minus grace marks.

In Chandigarh, where two candidates had registered for the retest, neither turned up. At the Jhajjar centre, which was under the scanner as several high rankers had emerged from there, 287 of the 494 candidates took the retest.

A senior NTA official said, “While the overall attendance for Sunday’s retest was 52%, there were 291 candidates who appeared in Chhattisgarh, one in Gujarat, 287 in Haryana, and 234 in Meghalaya.”

17 from Bihar barred, P 9

EDIT PAGE: Examine Our Exam-Nation

ABVP: Explain sudden NEET-PG postponement, P 8

 Oppn, BJP ally PMK slam Centre for NEET mess, P 9

CBI team probing UGC-NET leak attacked in Bihar

A CBI team investigating the UGC-NET leak case was attacked on Saturday in Bihar’s Nawada by villagers who allegedly mistook them for impostors, leading to four arrests, reports Kshitiz. This is the first reported assault on investigators of recent paper leak cases in the state, officials said. The attack occurred when the team, including a woman constable, reached Kasiyadih village for the probe. The team’s vehicles were also damaged.

P8

Amid ‘darknet’ threat, NTA experiences a meltdown

New Delhi: National Testing Agency (NTA) is experiencing a meltdown, with staff unsure about safe delivery of any exam due to the ‘darknet’ threat, reports Manash Gohain. Despite the challenges, there is still an expectation to conduct and announce results on time to prevent delays in the academic calendar, which managed to get back on track last year after Covid-19 disruptions. Another major concern is kee ping the agency together amid rumours of officials on deputation looking to leave.

Veteran staff members believe that whether exams are computer-based or offline, it will be difficult to regain confidence until the agency’s fundamentals are regrouped.

NTA has had to cancel three national-level tests, including two — NCET for ITEP & UGCNET — after the exams were held. CSIR-UGC-NET was postponed days before the exam.

 Big shake-up in tech, P 9

 India needs flexible exam system like SAT: Pradhan, P9

After waste of time, effort & money, fear of a wasted year

Neha Tabassum from Jammu reads the NEET-PG postponement notice outside her Noida centre on Sunday

Ayantika.Pal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi/Noida: Wasted time, wasted effort, wasted money, but above all, gnawing fear of a wasted year.

On the morning they were prepared to write an exam that would determine the course of their medical careers and the rest of their lives, scores of candidates huddled in agony around small notices pasted on boards outside their centres that said the NEET-PG had been postponed and would be “notified at the earliest”.

The decision to postpone NEET-PG was announced by govt late Saturday night.

Girl travels 600km, P 9

Now, Prajwal’s brother Suraj, a JD(S) MLC, held for unnatural sex

4th From Gowda Clan To Be Booked For Assault, Kidnap

Suraj Revanna is taken into custody in Hassan on Sunday

Shrinivas.M@timesgroup.com

Hassan: Former PM HD Deve Gowda’s grandson and JD (S) member of the legislative council (MLC) Suraj Revanna was arrested Sunday on charges of unnatural sex, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

Suraj (37), the eldest son of former minister HD Revanna, is the fourth member of the Gowda family to face serious allegations after his father, mother Bhavani Re- vanna, and 34-year-old brother Prajwal Revanna. Former Hassan MP Prajwal was arrested over three weeks ago in connection with an alleged sex scandal.

CID gets bro case, P 18

Std deduction under new I-T regime may be raised

The finance ministry is assessing the possibility of raising the standard deduction limit for taxpayers under the new regime, without tinkering with the exemption-laced older regime, reports Sidhartha. As NDA govt readies to present its first budget of its third term, it is unlikely to undertake major tweaks in capital gains mechanism. There have been suggestions to align the holding period across asset classes but govt may not be inclined to disturb the system.

P13

LS to meet today amid row over pro tem speaker

The row over appointment of Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro tem speaker is likely to cast a shadow over the first session of the 18th LS starting Monday. Row over NEET-UG and cancellation of other tests is set to dominate proceedings after the first two days when new MPs will take oath. It will be followed by Speaker election on June 26.

P7

Times Nation

- 2 clicking selfies drown in Ganga

- Terrorist killed along LoC at Uri

- 1st arrest in C’garh mob lynching case

- Row over NEET-UG, other tests set to dominate LS proceedings

- Yoga poses at Golden Temple get designer death threats

- EAM’s homage to Kanishka victims amid Canada spat

- 2 CoBRA personnel killed in Maoist IED blast in C’garh’s Sukma

- 1 killed as NCP MLA’s nephew hits bike with SUV on narrow road

- Maya reinstates nephew as BSP nat’l coordinator

- UP DSP found in hotel with woman constable demoted to constable

- CBI files FIR on NEET-UG ‘leak’, sends spl teams to Bihar, Guj

- Mistaken as impostors, CBI men thrashed in Bihar; 4 held

- 2 Maha teachers booked, charged under new law against leaks

- ABVP: Students have right to know why NEET-PG called off

- From paper leak to training students, tech-savvy ‘handlers’ run exam racket

- Computer-based tests more secure than pen-paper mode exams: Experts

- Big shake-up in tech needed to secure exams: Official

- Pradhan: India needs flexible, less stressful exam system

- Exam fiasco hits hard: Odisha girl travels 600km, J&K doc spends `12k on hotel, trip

- Cong expels 5 for ink attack on Odisha unit chief over NEET stir

- Tharoor mocks UP over paper leaks, BJP calls it insult to state

- IMA backs govt, says it’s critical to hold key tests with diligence

- 17 aspirants who appeared earlier in Bihar centres barred from NEET-UG

- Day after 2 brothers suspected as poachers killed in sanctuary, Assam CM orders probe

- Custody death: Autopsy finds injury marks on man’s body

- Not a drop of water in `200cr Karnataka dam built last year

- HC cuts jail term in Pocso case for lack of ‘valid reason’

- Lack of injuries doesn’t rule out rape, says HC, denies bail

- Third bridge collapses in Bihar in one week

- Mahayuti to hedge state poll bets with please-all budget

- Panel: States’ bonuses on top of paddy MSP distorting markets

- 4 channels go off air in AP after elections, YSRCP petitions Trai

- Experts worried as juvenile hilsa floods Kolkata markets

- Assailants on bike gun down BJP youth wing neta in Indore

- Deaf-mute wife helps nab man for rape bid, chilling murder

- IT’S FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR Goa’s Yacht Sector

- Isro’s reusable launch vehicle completes final landing test

- Key API market, but India still pays crores for orphan drugs

- Roads ministry seeks nod for `22 lakh crore highway plan

2 clicking selfies drown in Ganga

Two teenagers drowned in the Ganga river while clicking selfies on a boat while another managed to swim to safety in UP’s Rae Bareli. Tauheed (17), Shaan (18) and Fahad (19) went to the Ganga ghat on Saturday.

“While clicking selfies they moved towards the edge of the boat and lost balance and fell into the strong current of the river. Tauheed and Shaan were swept away while Fahad managed to swim ashore,” said circle officer Arun Kumar. Police deployed divers to trace the missing boys. Tauheed and Shaan’s bodies were retrieved on Sunday morning.

TNN

Terrorist killed along LoC at Uri

A terrorist was killed during an anti-infiltration operation along the LoC at Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, officials said Sunday, reports Saleem Pandit.

The gunfight started late Saturday after a search in the Bajrang-Uri sector following specific information about some terrorists trying to sneak across the LoC, the officials said. Confronted, the intruders opened fire on the forces, triggering the gunfight, they added. The slain terrorist is yet to be identified.

“Operations are continuing,” the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps posted on X.

1st arrest in C’garh mob lynching case

More than two weeks after three truckers from UP were killed by a lynch mob in Chhattisgarh, police made their first arrest in the case on Saturday. The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Harsh Mishra, a Raipur resident who works in a cement retail shop. He was arrested from Borsi in neighbouring Durg district, police said. The incident took place on Mahanadi bridge near temple town Arang on the night of June 7. A group of alleged cow vigilantes chased and intercepted a truck carrying buffaloes. The three men in the truck were thrashed on the suspicion that they were smuggling cows. Two of them died and their bodies were allegedly thrown off the bridge. The third jumped into the river in a bid to escape. He died in hospital on June 18. “We can’t say yet whether any cow vigilantes or other groups are involved. Investigation is on,” said Kirtan Rathore, who is heading a 14-member team for the investigation into the incident.

Row over NEET-UG, other tests set to dominate LS proceedings

1st Session Of 18th LS Starts Today With Oath-Taking Of MPs

Oath-taking of MPs will be followed by election of Speaker on June 26 and Prez Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses on June 27

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The row over appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as protem speaker is likely to cast a shadow over the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commencing on Monday. Besides, irregularities in the NEETUG exam and cancellation of other tests is set to dominate proceedings after the first two days when newly-elected MPs will take oath.

The oath-taking will be followed by election of the speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses on June 27.

Opposition has also demanded review of the three penal laws passed by Parliament last year. Govt, however, has made it clear that it is not going to bow to opposition pressure.

But first up will be the row over appointment of Mahtab as pro-tem speaker. The move has drawn flak from the opposition, which alleged that the claim of Congress member K Suresh to the post was overlooked.

On Monday, Murmu will administer oath to Mahtab as pro-tem speaker at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Mahtab will then reach Parliament House and call the Lok Sabha to order at 11am. The proceedings will begin with members observing a moment of silence on the occasion of the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha. This will be followed by Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh placing the list of members elected to the lower House.

Mahtab will then call upon PM Narendra Modi, the leader of Lok Sabha, to take oath as member of the House.

After the panel of chairpersons, he will administer oath/ affirmation as Lok Sabha members to the council of ministers. Members from states, in alphabetical order, will take oath or make affirmation over the next two days.

The President is scheduled to address the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 27. The debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address will begin on June 28. The PM is expected to respond to the debate on July 2 or 3.

Both Houses are expected to go into a brief recess and reassemble on July 22 for presentation of the Union Budget.

Cong’s fresh salvo on pro tem Speaker

On the eve of the 18th Lok Sabha’s first session, Congress asked why BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab was chosen as pro tem Speaker over his party colleague Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi, who is also in his seventh consecutive term. Congress has been protesting against govt superseding senior-most member in LS K Suresh for the ceremonial post of pro tem speaker, who administers oath to newly-elected MPs.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Kodikunnil Suresh of INC, who is in his eighth term, should have been pro tem speaker. But Bhartruhari Mahtab of BJP has been appointed on the flimsy grounds that he has greater claim because this is his seventh consecutive term.”

TNN

Yoga poses at Golden Temple get designer death threats

Vadodara: A Vadodara-based fashion designer and influencer, Archana Makwana, was put under police protection on Sunday after getting death threats online over her yoga poses at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, reports Tushar Tere. The Gujarat police provided her security and advised her to stay home for the next few days over threats to her life.

The Punjab police booked Makwana for hurting religious sentiments after a complaint was filed by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)on Saturday.

Makwana performed meditation and “Shirsasana” (head stand) on the Golden Temple premises on June 21, International Day for Yoga, and posted the pictures on social media.

The SGPC criticised the incident and said it hurt their religious sentiments. Makwana removed the pictures and posted a video apologising for her act. “I thought of performing shirsasana to spread the message of unity as well as fitness. I never thought that it would hurt sentiments. I apologised for the act, as I was scared for my life,” Makwana told TOI.

EAM’s homage to Kanishka victims amid Canada spat

New Delhi: Paying homage to the AI 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing victims, foreign minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the attack anniversary was a reminder why terrorism should never be tolerated.

Marking the 39th anniversary of the bombing, he said this was one of the worst acts of terrorism in history. The minister’s remarks came in the middle of the diplomatic strife between India and Canada over what the former calls political space given by Canadian authorities to extremists who advocate violence against India.

Another Union minister, Hardeep Puri, called the bombing one of the most reprehensible acts of terror committed against India.

The bombing of the Montreal-New Delhi Air India flight 182 was blamed on Sikh militants who did it in retaliation to ‘Operation Bluestar’.

The ‘Kanishka’ flight exploded 45 minutes before it was to land at London’s Heathrow airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent. Puri said the “dastardly” bombing remained one of the most reprehensible acts of terror committed against India.

TNN

2 CoBRA personnel killed in Maoist IED blast in C’garh’s Sukma

The toll would have been higher had the vehicle been transporting troops, and not groceries. Twelve security personnel have died in Maoist attacks this year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Raipur: Two personnel from CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit were killed in a Maoist IED explosion in Silger region of Sukma on Sunday. Twelve security personnel have died in Maoist attacks this year.

The blast was so powerful that it blew a crater around 40ft long and 30ft wide and hurled the truck — in which the personnel were travelling — several feet in the air. It landed upside down with its driver’s cabin obliterated. The toll would have been higher had the vehicle been transporting troops rather than groceries.

Maoists targeted a road opening party that was moving from Silger camp, the base of 201 CoBRA Battalion, to Tekalgudem camp, police said. Insurgents had planted an IED under the road.

The explosion happened around 3pm near Timmapuram village, 3km from Silger, as soon as the truck passed over the IED. This region is an insurgency hotbed, less than 10km from Hidma’s native village, Puwarti, and 440km from Raipur.

The only two persons in the truck —Vishnu R, 35, from Thiruvananthapuram and Shailendra, 29, from Kanpur — were killed on the spot. The vehicle was smashed to pieces.

“The driver and co-driver were in the truck when the blast occurred. They died instantly. Other jawans of the battalion were following on motorcycles and escaped as they were at a safe distance,” Sukma SP Kiran Chavan told TOI. Security forces are combing the area.

The Silger security camp was established during the previous Congress govt. Ever since BJP formed the govt in Dec last year, security forces have mounted pressure on Maoists with offensive operations and aggressive patrols. Since Dec 2023, 136 Maoists have been killed in the state, and hundreds of-lower-level cadres have surrendered.

Four security personnel have been killed and around 30 wounded in 25 IED blasts this year in Bastar division. More than 60 jawans have died in Maoist IED explosions in the past five years.

1 killed as NCP MLA’s nephew hits bike with SUV on narrow road

Mayur Mohite was arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving

Mihir Tanksale & Alim Shaikh

Pune: A nephew of NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA Dilip Mohite Patil was arrested Saturday after a car with him at the wheel fatally struck a 19-year-old motorcyclist head-on while overtaking a pickup van at a bend on a narrow stretch of road near Eklahare village of Ambegaon taluka in Maharashtra’sPune district.

Mayur Mohite, whose uncle represents Khed Alandi constituency in the assembly, was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving, and other offences linked to the death of Om Sunil Bhalerao.

Mayur, who runs a business, was returning to Shel Pimpalgaon in Khed taluka from Narayangaon with two friends in his SUV when the accident occurred on the old highway to Nashik. The accident site is 65km from Pune.

Pune Rural police said deceased Om Sunil, a resident of Kalamb, was on his way home from Eklahare. His mother is a former deputy sarpanch of Kalamb village.

Machar police station in-charge inspector Arun Phuge said, “The road near Eklahare where the accident occurred around 9pm is a narrow one. The SUV overtook the van at speed and appeared right in front of the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction. The resultant collision was fatal for the biker.”

Police quoted witnesses as saying that Mayur and the other occupants of the SUV didn’t alight to help the victim. “Some youth from our village reached the spot and took Om to a hospital, where he was declared dead,” a villager said.

Pune Rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh told TOI that Mayur’s blood samples had been collected to check for presence of alcohol.

With inputs from Gitesh Shelke

Maya reinstates nephew as BSP nat’l coordinator

On May 7, during the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, Mayawati had removed Akash from his roles due to ‘lack of maturity’

Neha.Shukla@timesgroup.com

Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati reinstated Sunday her nephew Akash Anand as the national coordinator and her successor in the party, expressing hope that he will handle the responsibilities with “maturity” this time. Akash is the son of Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar.

On May 7, during the third phase of LS elections, Mayawati had removed Akash from his roles due to “lack of maturity”. She had tweeted: “In the larger interest of the party and the movement, Akash Anand is being removed from the two significant responsibilities till he attains maturity…”

After officially putting him again as the second-in-command in the party structure, she said: “I hope people in the party will support and encourage him more this time, “so that he emerges true to my expectations”.

He was also declared party’s star campaigner for by-polls in Punjab and Uttarakhand along with Mayawati.

The earlier decision to remove him followed a campaign speech in Sitapur on April 28 where Akash used unparliamentary language against political opponents, leading to an FIR against him and 39 others. However, the primary concern was BSP’s diminishing chances in the elections, as it became apparent that the Jatav vote had shifted away from the party.

In the 2024 polls, BSP did not win any seats in UP, with its vote share dropping from 19.4% in 2019 to 9.3%. It had secured 10 seats in 2019. Akash, after being named Mayawati’s successor in Dec 2023, campaigned extensively for the first time, holding 17 rallies before being benched on May 7. Party’s loss in Nagina, a seat it won in 2019, highlighted the challenges faced. “There was also a demand to bring him back. I thank Behenji for giving him the responsibilities,”said BSP state president Vishwanath Pal.

UP DSP found in hotel with woman constable demoted to constable

The decision has triggered a debate on quantum of punishment that an officer can be awarded for ‘misconduct’

Pathikrit.Chakraborty@timesgroup.com

Lucknow:UP Police has demoted a DSP found in a hotel with a woman constable three years ago to the rank of a constable, his first post when he joined service decades back. Kripa Shankar Kanaujiya is now 59, with only about a year left for retirement.

Saturday’s order requires Kanaujiya to join as a constable in PAC’s 26th battalion in Gorakhpur. The decision has stirred debate within police circles on the quantum of punishment for “misconduct”, the term mentioned in the official communique about the DSP’s demotion. Senior officers also stressed that punishment should be proportionate to “crime”.

Another senior officer pointed out that very few constables rose to become DSPs after serving decades and argued that such demotions should be ordered in the rarest of rare cases.

Former UP DGP and BJP RS MP Brijlal preferred dis- missal, rather than demotions, for officers indulging in such misdemeanours.

However, a senior UP Police pointed out that the action against Kanaujiya was taken under UP govt’s servant (discipline and appeal) rules 1999, which allow reversions to the first post as part of penalty.

The matter goes back to July 2021 when Kanaujiya was a circle officer in Unnao. He had requested the then SP for leave citing family commitments but did not go home. It was reported that he checked into a hotel near Kanpur, accompanied by the woman constable.

CBI files FIR on NEET-UG ‘leak’, sends spl teams to Bihar, Guj

Agency Will Also Examine Role Of Govt Staff

Economic Offences Unit personnel of Bihar police with the arrested NEET accused after medical examination at LNJP hospital in Patna on Sunday

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: CBI on Sunday registered an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam and despatched special teams constituted by agency chief Praveen Sood to Patna and Godhra where local police have registered cases of paper leaks.

The agency will also examine the role of public servants connected with conduct of the examination besides probing the entire “gamut of events and the larger conspiracy”, sources said.

CBI will take over probes being conducted by the police in Bihar and Gujarat. On Sunday, Gujarat accorded sanction to CBI to probe alleged irregularities in the exam held on May 5. Bihar may follow suit soon, sources said.

“The ministry of education has requested CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes, and middlemen, including attempted irregularities,” a CBI spokesperson said.

CBI has filed the case based on a written complaint from the director of the de- partment of higher education in the education ministry.

The complaint said certain isolated incidents occurred in a few states during the conduct of NEET examination by the National Testing Agency on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad, with over 23 lakh candidates appearing for the exam.

Mistaken as impostors, CBI men thrashed in Bihar; 4 held

Patna: A CBI team investigating the UGC-NET paper leak case was attacked Saturday in Bihar’s Nawada by villagers who allegedly mistook them for impostors, leading to four arrests, reports Kshitiz. This is the first reported assault on investigators of leak cases in the state, officials said.

The attack occurred when the officers, including a woman constable from Nawada Town police station, reached Kasiyadih village for the investigation. The team’s vehicles were also damaged. “The CBI team had seized two cellphones in the probe. However, the villagers mistook the team for impostors and assaulted them. Four people, including a woman, were arrested and sent to jail,” Nawada SP Ambrish Rahul said.

2 Maha teachers booked, charged under new law against leaks

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maharashtra Police booked Sunday two zilla parishad (ZP) teachers and an ITI group instructor from Latur and a person from Delhi over alleged links with the NEET scam, reports Mohammed Akhef.

One of the Latur trio was detained Sunday. All four were charged under the new anti cheating law notified by the Centre a few days ago. The cops claimed to have found exam-related documents and details of suspicious financial transactions in their phones. “Based on a complaint by Maharashtra ATS, we have registered an FIR under sections 3 (v), 4 and 10 of the newly introduced Public Examinations (Prevention of unfair means) Act, 2024 and sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC,” Latur SP Somay Munde said.

ABVP: Students have right to know why NEET-PG called off

Siwan (Bihar): Following the postponement of the NEET-PG examination, ABVP general secretary Yagyawalkya Shukla demanded explanations from both the government and the National Board of Education regarding the sudden postponement of the exam just hours before it was due to be held on June 23 morning.

This is the second competitive exam that has been postponed after UGC-NET was cancelled due to the exam paper being leaked on darknet.

“If the National Board of Examination or the ministry of health and family welfare had any kind of suspicion, they should have brought forth everything in front of candidates with full transparency... Student bodies demand the government and the National Board of Education that the students have the right to know the reasons and circumstances behind the step,” Shukla said in a selfmade video.

ANI

PM helpless before paper leak racket, edu mafia: Rahul

Slamming the govt for irregularities and cancelling of entrance exams, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said shuffling bureaucrats of National Testing Agency was no solution to the endemic problem in the education system which had “rotted under BJP”. Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “helpless before the paper leak racket and education mafia”.

TNN

Stalin, BJP ally PMK target Centre for cancelling exam

Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin on Sunday sharpened his attack on the Centre after the NEET-PG 2024 exam scheduled for Sunday was postponed at the eleventh hour. BJP’s ally PMK, too, condemned the decision to postpone the exam at the last moment and demanded a ban on NEET. Stalin said the postponement of the exam, following the cancellation of UGC-NET, “has thrown thousands of our doctors into deep despair”.

TNN

From paper leak to training students, tech-savvy ‘handlers’ run exam racket

THE CROOK BOOK: The six handlers held in Deoghar, Jharkhand, used to reside in rented accommodation, masquerading as labourers. Their brief was to ensure that the leaked papers reached the intended recipients while maintaining high secrecy and anonymity

Kshitiz@timesgroup.com

Patna: When it comes to job description, the versatility of a “handler” is no longer limited to airport cargo, the police dog squad, political campaigns, or even a spy ring.

Investigators piecing together the conspiracy behind the NEET-UG paper leak have a handle on how “handlers” operate in the shady realm of the nationwide exam racket whose roots have been traced to Bihar and Jharkhand.

“The nine handlers arrested in the NEET-UG case so far – six in Jharkhand and three in Bihar — are tech-savvy individuals who played a crucial role in orchestrating the leak of question papers, training examinees who paid for these to memorise the answers, and even escorting them to their respective centres,” a senior police officer said.

The six handlers arrested from Jharkhand’s Deoghar used to reside in rented accommodation, masquerading as labourers. Their brief was to ensure the leaked papers reached the intended recipients while maintaining high secrecy and anonymity.

“Once a particular exam got over, they would get to work on identifying the chinks in the system for the next one,” the officer said.

To expand their client base, these handlers would look for opportunities to connect with coaching centres, schools and colleges on some pretext. They would seek out individuals associated with the exam process, aiming to bribe them into getting useful information.

Bihar Police’s raid on a safe house based on a tip-off on the morning of the May 5 NEET-UG exam threw up evidence of these handlers herding around 30 candidates into this meeting place at Ram Krishna Nagar on Patna’s outskirts on the eve of the test.

“The examinees were there through the night to memorise answers to the leaked question papers. The handlers then transported them to their exam centres in private vehicles, taking all necessary precautions to ensure their safety,” the officer said.

Online form submission for entrance exams was introduced nationwide around 2010, replacing the earlier method of sending applications by mail. The older system had loopholes that fraudsters and corrupt officials would easily exploit.

“Before the introduction of online forms, examination conducting agencies would assign roll numbers based on when they received the application envelopes. Criminals exploited this system by sending multiple application forms in a single envelope, using codes like ‘bogie’ and ‘engine’ to refer to candidates and their proxies, respectively,” said an IPS officer of the Bihar cadre.

“This strategy ensured that all these candidates were allocated roll numbers for the same examination centre and hall, facilitating cheating.”

Another senior IPS officer said paper leaks could occur at various stages—from when these papers are compiled to their storage in bank currency chests before being transported to the exam centres.

He said the older cheating methods included replacing candidates with proxies after videography verification at the exam centres and altering optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets later. “Handlers gathering their clients in one place to memorise answers under their guidance is a new trend. This is meant to eliminate a paper trail.”

Vishal Kumar, an IPS officer formerly with the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) probing the NEET-UG paper leak in Bihar, said three significant gangs were active in the state. One is suspected to be led by Ranjit Kumar Singh, alias Ranjit Don, accused of masterminding multiple paper leaks before foraying into politics.

Computer-based tests more secure than pen-paper mode exams: Experts

Manash Gohain & Durgesh Nandan Jha | TNN

New Delhi: Amid controversies surrounding irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) due to question paper leaks on the “darknet,” experts are debating the pros and cons of offline versus digital exam delivery. The ministry of education has announced the formation of a high-powered committee to review all aspects of the examination process and the functioning of the NTA. Some experts argue that computer based tests (CBT) are more secure than traditional pen-and- paper exams.

Under scanner, NTA officials acknowledged the challenges of conducting exams securely in both formats despite adhering to all security protocols. They suggested a year-round exam model similar to the Scholastic Aptitude Test conducted by the College Board, Educational Testing Service in the US, allowing candidates to appear multiple times and use their best score for college admissions.

While NEET-UG has traditionally been a pen-and-paper exam, UGC-NET, which has been computer-based since 2018, reverted to a pen-and-paper OMR mode on Tuesday. However, the exam was cancelled following inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) indicating it had been compromised.

Some believe that computer-based testing is the future due to reduced human involvement. Dr Arun Gupta, president of the Delhi Medical Council, said: “it may be a good idea to make the NEETUG exam computer-based. The govt can allow the exam to be taken twice a year to make the process more efficient and avoid any shortage of computers or other infrastructure related problems.” A senior official from the Greater Noida Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) also supports adopting CBT models to minimise paper leak risks, stating that such allegations undermine the integrity of the examination process and the medical profession.

In 2018-19, the education ministry proposed a computer-based multi-session mode for NEET-UG, similar to the JEE (Main), but this did not gain traction within the health ministry. Former HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had mentioned the possibility of biannual and digital NEETUG exams, but he later retracted his statement.

A senior official with experience in conducting NEETUG and UGC-NET emphasised that CBT spread over multiple days or sessions would limit the impact of a single-day/ session leak and make it easier to track due to digital footprints, as seen in the 2021 JEE (Main).

Big shake-up in tech needed to secure exams: Official

‘Outfits Using Dark Web Have Hacked System’

The CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. A source in the govt says a national level think tank needs to work on threats related to dark web

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A “big shake-up in technology and capacity building” is the need of the hour, according to a senior official. The official noted that merely looking at exam models proposed by the forthcoming high-powered committee will not be enough. For example, the computer based ITEP had to be cancelled “despite having a comparatively smaller number of candidates. Each file was around 5GB, and when downloaded at the centres, they received distorted question papers”.

ITEP is the entrance test for select central and state universities, IITs, NITs, RIEs, and govt colleges for integrated teacher education programmes.

Sources in the IT department are confident that CUET-UG results could be ready by June 30, but they are uncertain about the rescheduling of the cancelled and postponed exams. Citing the example of the All-India PreMedical Test (AIPMT) paper leak in 2004, where CBSE managed to hold the exam within a week, an NTA source said the agency’s secrecy department, IT, and administrative staff “don’t feel it’s possible now” due to fears that organisations using the ‘dark web’ have completely hacked into NTA’s security protocols and “have decided to expose the chinks this year”.

“They are not going to stop. The dark web is used by terrorist organisations. We are not sure how safe even our black box (where question papers are stored) is,” said a worried official, indicating that NTA doesn’t have the capacity to thwart such “organised attacks”. A source in the govt added, “A national level think tank needs to work on such threats.” While questioning the recent functioning of the agency, insiders insist there have been no “paper leaks in Bihar”.

“Two days ago, Bihar Police asked for details of six candidates, sharing their roll numbers. Two of the roll numbers don’t exist, in another two, the names and roll numbers don’t match. There are so many contradictions, including the timing of the seizures, which was post-exam when all the question papers are already in the public domain,” said an official from NTA’s computer section.

Within the autonomous organisation, there are strong rumours of a “big exodus” of officials on deputation who feel their careers are at stake.

6 held for UP recruitment exam paper leak

Lucknow: UP STF arrested six people Sunday in connection with the paper leak of this year’s Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (Preliminary) Examination. The arrests were made in Prayagraj, reports Pathikrit Chakraborty. The papers were leaked from a printing press in Bhopal, STF said.

The examination was conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission on Feb 11 and cancelled on March 2 following reports of a paper leak.

Those arrested were identified as Sunil Raghuvanshi (mechanical engineer at the printing press), Subhash Prakash, Vishal Dubey, Sandeep Pandey, Amarjeet Sharma, and Vivek Upadhyay.

“The trio of Rajeev, Vishal and Subhash persuaded Sunil to leak the question paper. Sunil demanded Rs 10 lakh. He had also put a condition that the candidates must study the leaked paper in Bhopal under his supervision to prevent widespread dissemination,” said additional SP, STF, Vinod Kumar Singh.

Pradhan: India needs flexible, less stressful exam system

Dharmendra Pradhan said this was the time to ‘reduce the anxiety of students and rebuild their trust by safeguarding their interest’

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Citing the Bihar Police investigation which showed that prima facie all the beneficiaries of the paper leak of NEET-UG took the exams in different centres in Patna, National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday maintained that the “leak” was a localised affair.

On a day when CBI formally took up the probe and appeared set to take over the separate investigations into irregularities in the medical entrance exam, NTA sources said 17 of the NEET-UG applicants suspected to have benefited from the leak took exams at 13 of the 70 centres in Patna.

Highlighting this, sources emphasised that 1 lakh candidates, who are most likely to secure an MBBS/ dental seat, were spread across 4,500 of 4,750 centres, implying that the leak did not affect other centres, including 57 others in Patna.

The assessment, though preliminary in nature which would require corroboration by CBI, strengthens NTA’s case against cancellation of NEET-UG unless the Supreme Court deems otherwise. The apex court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on July 8, has not stopped the counselling process, but has not ruled out cancellation. Sources debunked allegations that the toppers were bunched in “particular centres”.

NTA sources said of the 19 suspects identified by Bihar Police, two were not “valid candidates”. “Rest of the 17 who were in contact with the solver gang are spread across 13 centres in Patna, which points to a very localised issue,” a source said.

Govt on Saturday had replaced the NTA leadership, while appointing a sevenmember ‘NTA reform panel’ to strengthen the integrity of the examinations. The panel will have its first meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, a remark by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan was seen as an indication that govt is open to any suggestion for a drastic reconfiguration of the examination process. “India needs a flexible and less stressful exam system like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the admission test for colleges in the US,” Pradhan told the media.

Bihar Police submitted a report on the investigation sought by the education ministry on Saturday. “Prima facie from the report, the incident seems localised. But to get to the root of the matter is important, which is why a thorough investigation is being sought by CBI,” a senior govt official said.

Pradhan said, “Let the professional agency do the probe. Bihar and Gujarat Police did a good job of intercepting and preventing malpractices.”

He said govt acted in the most “transparent manner”. “Action on NTA and reform of the agency has been initiated, and the probe handed over to CBI.”

Pradhan also said this was the time to “reduce the anxiety of students and rebuild their trust by safeguarding their interest”, and refused to comment on the allegations levelled by the opposition as well as the demand for his resignation. He, however, indicated that he would put the facts before the House during the first Parliament session of the 18th Lok Sabha starting on Monday.

Govt sources said apart from NTA reforms, the “coaching mafia” had also emerged as a concern, indicating that the whole irregularities issue was driven by it. They said expensive private coaching was made a “compulsion” among the middle class, whereas NEET-UG 2024 results showed that students from rural areas and those without coaching could also perform well.

Exam fiasco hits hard: Odisha girl travels 600km, J&K doc spends `12k on hotel, trip

Students protest against NEET-UG re-test in Rajkot on Sunday. Shocked by the uncertainty over a national exam like NEET, a candidate said

 Continued from P 1

Some were unaware, some were unsure what to believe so they reached the venues anyway, and some hoped to find answers to their immediate next question — what would the next date of the exam be?

There was no clarity whatsoever on offer. At the venues, each candidate echoed the other’s confusion and anxiety, and distress building up over days in the academic calendar slipping away. Indignation was directed at the National Testing Agency (NTA), which many candidates called “irresponsible”.

Among the 2 lakh candidates who were to sit for NEETPG, there were many who had travelled long distances and following carefully nurtured dreams to reach the exam centres — like Neha Tabassum, who came to Noida from Jammu with her husband, spending Rs 12,000 on tickets and a hotel, money that went down the drain. “I discovered the exam was postponed only when I was on my way to the centre in the morning. It took two years of preparation, and this would have been my second attempt. What kind of exam arrangement is this? It’s frustrating,” she said.

Sunanda Pansari, who came to an exam centre in Bhubaneswar from Kalahandi in Odisha, 600km away, said it was exasperating that the exam’s dates had been changed four times. “This is extremely wrong. I have travelled 600km to attend the exam. We should have been informed at least 24 hours in advance about the decision. There is also no information (from govt) on the paper leak as of now,” she said, referring to the NEET-UG fiasco.

K Nageswara Rao, whose son was to take the exam in Visakhapatnam, travelled 200km to reach the Andhra Pradesh capital from East Godavari. “It was a bolt from the blue,” he said of the sudden cancellation. “No one has a clue when the exam will be held next. My son quit his job to prepare for a year. Now, he is not sure what to do, go back to working immediately or wait till the exam dates are announced again,” he said.

Sankha Mandal, a medical officer with the railways who was to appear for NEET-PG at a centre in Kolkata, was similarly distraught. “It’s very tough to prepare for such a tough competitive exam while working a full-time job. The indefinite wait for the next date is painful,” he said.

Outside iON Digital Zone in Noida, one of the exam venues in Delhi-NCR, K Murli from Bangalore, who has been staying in Delhi to prepare for NEET PG, said the exam’s dates had anyway been changed three times already and the uncertainty has driven up stress levels. “The first date for NEET PG this year was March 3, then it was postponed to July 7 and again advanced to June 23. Now, it has been postponed till further notice, this time just 12 hours before the exam. This uncertainty is extremely stressful. The exam system and management need to think from a student’s perspective,” he said.

Lambasting NTA, whose director-general Subodh Singh was removed by govt on Saturday evening as the nodal examination body battles a crisis, Atul, an MBBS graduate from Delhi, asked, “How does one pursue academics in such a shaky and mismanaged scenario? This is the third major exam to be cancelled within a week after UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC NET.”

Another MBBS grad, Ankit, who lives in Ghaziabad, said he left his job just to prepare for NEET PG. “I am shocked by the uncertainty over a national exam like NEET,” he said.

Neelam Upadhyay, a Delhi resident, knew about the postponement, but felt she could not trust anything till she saw for herself because of the amount of misinformation that swirls around. So, she landed up at the Noida centre. “I came just to check if the notification about the exam cancellation was real or fake news,” she said.

Renu Aggarwal, the chief medical superintendent of the district hospital in Noida was there too, not as a govt representative but as a mother. Her son was to appear for NEET PG. “If they wanted to postpone the exam for security reasons, they should have done it earlier, giving time to students. Many students got harassed due to this sudden change,” she said.

Ankita, a candidate from Gurgaon, said postponement was annoying, but “it is better this way than to rewrite the paper, if a paper leak were to be found”.

Outside an exam centre in Jaipur, Yash Dubey, a practising doctor, pointed out that the delay would prove costly for some candidates. “There are many candidates who are opting for Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI-CET) counselling to get a PG seat at AIIMS. Those who get a seat via INI-CET but give it up have to pay Rs 3 lakh. Now, with a delay in NEET-PG, candidates who thought of bettering their rank and landing a seat in their desired course at AIIMS will have to take up seats in whichever courses they have got at present through INI-CET. This will at least assure them of a PG seat. Later, however, if they get their desired course through NEETPG, they will have to vacate the INI-CET seat, and for this, have to pay Rs 3 lakh. How is this fair?” he asked.

(With inputs from Uma Mahesh in Vizag, Nirupa Vatyam in Hyderabad, Suparna Roy in Jaipur and Poulami Roy in Kolkata)

Cong expels 5 for ink attack on Odisha unit chief over NEET stir

Bhubaneswar: Five Congress members in Odisha, including a woman, were expelled Sunday for alleged involvement in an ink attack on state unit president Sarat Pattanayak three days ago. Pattanayak had accused BJP of engineering the attack because of Congress protests against the alleged NEETUG paper leak. BJP denied the charges and blamed Congress infighting, reports Debabrata Mohapatra.

Those expelled are Prakash Mishra, Shriyasmita Panda, Sandip Routray, Amaresh Parida and Aryan Samal. “Their indisciplined act damaged the image of the party,” Santosh Singh Saluja, chairman of Congress’s disciplinary committee,said.

Tharoor mocks UP over paper leaks, BJP calls it insult to state

New Delhi: A screenshot shared by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on social media mocking UP over the spate of paper leaks led to several BJP leaders reacting strongly with Union minister Jitin Prasada dubbing it an insult to the state.

“I don’t see the humour in running down my state and its people by stereotyping them with such condemnable remarks. Such an insult to UP is deplorable and must be condemned in strongest words,” Prasada said.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “This gentleman frequently indulges in satirising various cultures (first North-East and now UP) with remarkably caustic words.”

The comments came in response to Tharoor’s post on X in which a respondent is shown “rewarded” 10/10 for the response “where answer is out before question” against a query in Hindi, “Uttar Pradesh kise kehte hain”. He commented on the post with “shandaar”, also adding the hashtag “Pariksha pe charcha”. TNN

IMA backs govt, says it’s critical to hold key tests with diligence

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday lauded govt for enacting stringent laws to address malpractice and irregularities in competitive examinations amid controversy over alleged paper leak of NEET-UG and postponement or cancelling of various other exams.

While many doctors’ groups and opposition party members had demanded a retest, IMA supported govt move to go ahead with counselling for allotting seats to successful candidates. “We recognise that students are the future of India, and it is critical that important competitive exams are conducted with utmost diligence and confidentiality,” the IMA said. TNN

17 aspirants who appeared earlier in Bihar centres barred from NEET-UG

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Seventeen candidates who had appeared for the NEET-UG exam on May 5 from centres in Bihar have been barred from taking the test, the National Testing Agency said based on inputs.

“This takes the number of total candidates barred from the exam this year to 110,” an NTA official added.

The agency had earlier barred 63 candidates for adopting unfair means in the exam. On Saturday, 30 additional candidates from Gujarat's Godhra were debarred. As many as 67 students had scored a perfect 720 in the NEET-UG exam, unprecedented in the NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana’s Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. It was al- leged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank. Later, the Supreme Court ordered cancellation of grace marks and provided the option of retest.

Close to 24 lakh candidates sat for the NEET-UG exam, held on May 5 across 4,750 centres. Initially expected on June 14, the results were announced on June 4 due to early completion of answer sheet evaluations.

Day after 2 brothers suspected as poachers killed in sanctuary, Assam CM orders probe

A day after two brothers, who were suspected to be poachers, were shot dead inside Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaon district, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday ordered the state chief secretary to constitute an inquiry commission to investigate the matter, reports Mukut Das. Following the order, Nagaon DM Narendra Shah has entrusted ADM Sudeep Nath to start a detailed inquiry into the incident under guidelines of NHRC. Shah also asked Nath to complete the probe within 10 days and submit the report.

Custody death: Autopsy finds injury marks on man’s body

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Agra: Severe injuries revealed in the autopsy of a Dalit prisoner who died in custody have shocked the authorities in UP’s Firozabad, raising serious concerns about police and jail conduct. Aakash Kumar, 28, of Nagla Pachiya, was arrested by cops last Monday on suspicion of bike theft and sent to jail on Wednesday. Just 40 hours later, he was dead.

His autopsy, conducted by ateam of three doctors, found 14 severe injury marks on his body. These included a blue patch around his left eye and bruises on his neck, arms, thighs, scapular region, buttocks, and lower back. Blood was also oozing from his nose. The cause of death was stated as “coma due to antemortem head injury.”

Additional details from the postmortem report noted a “bluish contusion on the upper eyelid and conjunctiva of his left eye.” A painful swelling was observed behind his right elbow, accompanied by abrasions.

Further injuries included swelling on the man’s right arm, wrist, buttocks and his right hand. A blue mark was found on the anterior part of his right thigh, while swelling was observed on the lateral aspect of his left thigh. And “abraded contusion 17x16 cm over the left scapular region.”

While jail administration claimed Aakash died of illness, postmortem report contradicted this, revealing the extent of his injuries. Conflicting medical reports from district hospital and district jail have raised questions about their accuracy.

Superintendent (jail) A K Singh declined to comment on district hospital’s medical examination. “The entire matter is being investigated, and whoever is found guilty will be punished,” he stated.

Cops tortured him for `50k, says wife

Preeti, widow of deceased Dalit prisoner Aakash Kumar, recounted the harrowing events that led to her husband’s death, claiming she received a phone call soon after cops detained Aakash, demanding Rs 50,000 to free him. As she was arranging the money, news of his death reached her, reports Deepak Lavania. On Friday morning, two plainclothes policemen arrived at Aakash’s home and obtained his father’s signature on a blank piece of paper. Only then did they inform the family of Aakash’s death. “They threatened us to cremate the body early on Saturday,” she added. She demanded severe punishment for officers involved.

Not a drop of water in `200cr Karnataka dam built last year

Vinobha.KT@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru: A Rs 200-crore bridge-cum-dam built across river Nethravathi in Harekala, Karnataka, and ready a year ago to serve parts of Mangaluru and twin city suburbs of Ullal and Bantwal, does not have even a drop of water.

The bridge-cum-saltwaterexclusion dam awaits a crucial survey that will determine how much area it will submerge and the compensation amount that needs to be paid to people whose land was acquired for its construction.

Mangaluru MLA and legislative assembly speaker UT Khader said the survey would be done soon so that the dam can start storing water. “All works related to Harekala dam are complete. We have been conducting trial runs to see how much water it can store. The areas that will be submerged when storage begins will also be measured. We’ll maintain the water level to a point at which farmers and nearby residents are not affected. Compensation will be paid to property owners based on the survey. In future, the storage level can be increased,” he said.

“Even if water is stored up to two meters, that would be sufficient for the time being,” he added.

Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP said, “I don’t think there is fear of submersion of nearby villages due to the new dam.”

The four-metre high dam was launched by state minister for minor irrigation JC Madhu Swamy in 2020. The bridge provides easy access to people from Puttur, Bantwal and other taluks to reach Harekala, Konaje, Mudipu, Thokkotu, Ullal, and Kerala.

Barricades for the 7.5-metre-wide road over the dam were earlier removed by youth organization members when the model code of conduct was in force in April 2023. A case in this regard was booked by police then.

HC cuts jail term in Pocso case for lack of ‘valid reason’

Vasantha.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: Pointing out that valid reasons must be assigned while awarding maximum sentence, the Karnataka high court recently commuted the sentence imposed upon an accused in a Pocso Act case to 10 years in jail. Partly allowing the appeal filed by the accused, 27, from Chikkamagaluru, a division bench comprising Justices Sreenivas Harish Kumar and CM Joshi, however, increased the fine slapped on him by a special court from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.

The accused had befriended a minor girl in his neighbourhood. In June 2016, he sexually assaulted her repeatedly. In Dec 2016, the girl’s mother lodged a complaint after she found her daughter pregnant. A girl was born and DNA test proved the accused was the biological father.

Police had registered an FIR and filed a chargesheet after conducting investigations. On June 11, 2018, a special court in Chikkamagaluru had awarded him life sentence under Section 6 of Pocso Act and Rs 5,000 fine after holding him guilty for criminal intimidation.

Challenging the verdict, the ac- cused argued that age of the girl was not proven through proper and valid documents. After perusing the material on record, the division bench noted the oral testimony of the girl disclosed hinted at consent on her part. “Her consent is immaterial. Her actual age, at the time of the incident, was 12 years. But traces of consent militate against the imposition of maximum sentence under Section 6 of Pocso Act,” the bench added.

“We find that the sentence imposed is disproportionate inasmuch the special court has failed to assign reasons for imposing maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Accused has to be sentenced in accordance with law as it stood on the date of crime — Aug16, 2019. Section 6 of Pocso Act, as it stood then, permitted imposition of a minimum sentence of 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and maximum of life imprisonment. To subject an accused to maximum sentence requires assignment of valid reasons which are not forthcoming in the impugned judgment,” the division bench further observed while modifying the sentence awarded to the accused.

Lack of injuries doesn’t rule out rape, says HC, denies bail

Rosy.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Denying bail to a man booked for raping a 17-year-old girl, the Bombay HC recently said he cannot be given a clean chit just because there were no injuries on her body.

“Merely because medical report does not explicitly describe any injuries on body of the girl, it cannot be said the applicant can be given any certificate of innocence. In fact, the report does conclude that sexual assault cannot be ruled out,” said Justice Manish Pitale in a June 11 order.

The FIR said the girl had left home due to some reasons. The man found her crying, convinced her to go with him, took her to a hotel and forced himself on her, it said. The next day, he phoned her father and gave him a location to fetch her. Accused was arrested on April 17, 2023.

The man’s advocate said the allegations do not appear logical as he himself called the girl’s father informing him about her. If he had indeed committed the al- leged act, it was unnatural on his part to reach out to her father, said the advocate, adding that the medical report showed no physical injuries or signs of forced sex as claimed by the girl.

The judge said the girl’s statement shows that when she was alone at a place away from her residence and in a disturbed mental state, the man approached her. After she joined him in his vehicle, he gave her water to drink and thereafter, she fell asleep. She described in “sufficient detail” what he did.

He said it is not the man’s case that he knew her or they had any relationship to indicate this could be the backdrop for consensual sex.

Dismissing the bail petition, Justice Pitale said “the allegations are serious and the offences registered... are equally serious”, including under Pocso Act.

Third bridge collapses in Bihar in one week

A 60-ft-long bridge being built across a canal in Bihar’s East Champaran collapsed on Sunday, marking the third bridge collapse in the state within a week, reports Chandra Bhushan Pandey. No casualties were reported and police are probing the incident.

Mahayuti to hedge state poll bets with please-all budget

Stage Set For A Stormy Final Session In Maha

Chaitanya.Marpakwar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: With Mahayuti taking a drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar will look to do a balancing act and reach out to castes, backward communities and minorities as he presents a populist, please-all poll budget during the monsoon session of the state legislature that begins on Thursday.

The last session before assembly polls, likely to be held in Oct, is expected to be stormy as govt will look to reach out to voters and MVA, still riding the high from its stellar performance in LS polls, will look to corner it over several key issues, especially exam leaks, Maratha and OBC reservation rows and the agrarian crisis, as well as expose ‘scams’.

Political observers said it would be a challenge for govt to make sure the Budget rings in some positivity and is seen as inclusive, especially for backward castes and minori- ties while maintaining financial discipline.

“With LS poll setback, Mahayuti will have to use the Budget to reach out to voters, especially backward castes and minorities. Budget will largely be a political tool, rather than a financial instrument. It will in some way be the beginning of the assembly poll campaign and is expected to be very community and caste oriented. Opposition will be more aggressive and vocal after its LS win,” said a political observer.

Officials, too, expected the Budget to have a greater focus on pre-poll sops.

State govt had in Feb presented an interim Budget, since Lok Sabha polls were around the corner, which had sought spending approvals only till July. As a result, it did not mention any major new scheme. However, it played the pre-poll welfare card by providing for different sections, including backward classes, women, youth and farmers.

CM awaits ‘BJP central brass nod’ for cabinet expansion

Mumbai: CM Eknath Shinde had said he will expand his cabinet after LS polls & make appointments on state-run corporations & boards, but there is still no clarity on whether these will happen before monsoon session. There are 29 state ministers, while the permitted strength for the council is 43, reports Chaitanya Marpakwar.

Many Shiv Sena MLAs have been waiting for an expansion since June 2022, when the party split, and close to half a dozen speculative dates were given since Shinde took over as CM. With the assembly polls expected in Oct, there is pressure from MLAs to be inducted as ministers, especially in Sena, political observers said.

Sena sources said Shinde is keen on cabinet expansion, but it will only occur after a go-ahead from central BJP brass. If it does take place, three to four new ministers each from Sena, BJP and NCP could be inducted, they said.

Panel: States’ bonuses on top of paddy MSP distorting markets

Odisha is the latest state to declare bonus on MSP for paddy after BJP came to office this month. The report cites examples of Karnataka, Kerala, TN, Jharkhand and Bengal which have declared bonuses in the past

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which recommends MSP for different agri-produce, has urged states not to announce bonus over MSP fixed by Centre for paddy as this “distorts the market”. The recommendations have come at a time when several states are offering bonus over MSP or political parties have made this poll promise before getting elected.

It made these recommendations in its latest ‘Price Policy for Kharif Crop’ report, which contains MSP for summer crops. It recommended that procurement of rice and wheat should be restricted in those states that impose high charges and pay bonus, in order to bring parity among states. Odisha is the latest state to announce bonus on MSP for paddy after BJP came to office this month.

“Unsustainable and uneconomical practice of offering bonus over and above MSP for paddy procurement by state govts creates distortions in the market. This restrains private trade participation and potentially discourages competition, which, otherwise could be advantageous for farmers,” CACP said.

The report referred to how Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra have declared a bonus for paddy in the past.

Chhattisgarh last season announced to purchase paddy at Rs 3,100 a quintal against MSP of Rs 2,183 a quintal for the current marketing season (Oct-Sept). BJP, in its manifesto for Odisha, had promised to buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal while Centre recently announced MSP of Rs 2,300 for 2024-25 season.

CCPA has also highlighted how several states levy charges including market fee, commission to societies and ‘arhatias’ besides paying bonus over MSP announced by Centre.

While CCPA has recommended concerted efforts for area expansion and yield improvement, and procurement of pulses to become self-sufficient, it also said that to tackle the problem of large imports of edible oils, there should be a dynamic import duty structure based on MSP of oilseeds and domestic and world prices of vegetable oils. In addition, the duty differential between crude and refined oil should be kept at 10-15%.

4 channels go off air in AP after elections, YSRCP petitions Trai

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh): Some news channels have gone off air at several places in Andhra Pradesh following the declaration of the results of the Assembly and Parliamentary elections with an opposition YSRCP Parliamentarian alleging coercion by state govt leading to them being blocked.

Allegations of channels —TV9, NTV, 10TV and Sakshi TV —being blocked have been levelled against NDA govt, comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena. YSRCP RS member S Niranjan Reddy complained to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) over the alleged blocking of these four vernacular news channels by govt.

In a letter to Trai, Reddy claimed Andhra Pradesh Cable TV Operators Association took these four channels off air due to alleged coercion by the TDP-led govt in the state. He alleged TV9, NTV, 10TV and Sakshi TV were blocked ‘without any lawful justification or procedural compliance.’

Meanwhile, a local multisystem operator (cable TV service provider) from the Godavari region confirmed these four channels were blocked.

The operator, who services up to 300 households with cable TV connections observed that the blockade began even before N Chandrababu Naidu took oath as the CM.

PTI

Experts worried as juvenile hilsa floods Kolkata markets

Last week, an average of 130 trawlers brought in 80% small hilsa hauls with the remaining 20% consisting of other fish

Monotosh Chakraborty TNN

Kolkata: Markets across Kolkata have been flooded with juvenile hilsa, weighing between 50g and 200g. This rampant fishing of ‘ilish’ is causing severe damage to the hilsa ecosystem in the Ganga estuary. Fine mesh nets, which trap even the smallest fish, are being used in what many describe as an act of temporal greed. This unsustainable practice is pushing the hilsa population to spawn in Bangladesh, where catching juvenile hilsa is a punishable offence.

The first hilsa catch of the season predominantly comprises juvenile fish. Larger hilsa weighing between 400g and 600g have also been caught but their numbers are very low. Last week, an average of 130 trawlers brought in 80% small hilsa hauls with remaining 20% consisting of other fish and larger hilsa. In past two days, there has been a slight increase in the quantity of larger hilsa.

Ajed Ali Gaji, a fisherman, explained, “Fishermen were in dire straits during the ban period from April 15 to June 14, staying at home. Trawler owners face significant expenses and pressure. During Eid, guards on the India-Bangladesh river border are more relaxed, and many unscrupulous traders take advantage of this. They cross the border under the cover of darkness with their trawler lights off and capture juvenile hilsa indiscriminately. This has been happening for the past week, though it’s now reducing slightly. About 130 trawlers are bringing in 2.5-3 quintal juvenile hilsa daily. This fish is then taken to Namkhana, Kakdwip and Patharpratima, and end up at Diamond Harbour’s Nagendra market. It’s an open secret. Juvenile hilsa is also sold in Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas. The slightly larger fish are sold in city fringe markets, like Senhati, Behala, Dharapara, Kudghat, and Kasba.”

Expressing concern, Bijon Maity, secretary of Kakdwip Fishermen Association, said, “We are against catching small fish. We have discussed this issue. While some listen, a few unscrupulous fishermen continue to do this in secret. We have also appealed to the traders to stop buying and selling small fish.”

Jagannath Sarkar, secretary of Diamond Harbour Hilsa Market, said, “I am looking into this matter. It must be stopped.”

Principal scientist and head of Kakdwip Research Centre, ICAR — Central Institute of Brackish Water Aquaculture, Debasish De said, “As long as bottom-trawling with trawl nets continues, this problem will persist. Unless the rule of using 90cm or 90mm net mesh is strictly followed, we cannot solve this issue.”

“We experience a second migration here. The first peak migration is from Oct 15 to Nov 15, and the second is from end of Feb to end of March. Attention must be paid during these times, and restrictions should be imposed on fishermen if necessary. The third migration is from June 15 to April 14. Restrictions similar to those during this period should be imposed during the other two migration periods,” De added.

Hilsa fishing industry is at a critical juncture, with experts and stakeholders calling for stringent measures to preserve this vital fish population and ensure sustainable fishing practices.

Assailants on bike gun down BJP youth wing neta in Indore

Indore: A 35-year-old BJP youth wing (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha) leader was shot dead by two bike-borne men in Indore early Sunday. Soon after the crime, a group of men broke into the house of the accused and set it afire. They vandalised the furniture and vehicles and made the videos viral on social media, prompting police to deploy heavy force in the area.

DCP Pankaj Pandey said Monu Kalyane, vice president of BJYM’s city unit, was gunned down in front of a shop near Chimanbaag square on Jail Road around 3am. Monu is survived by his elder brother, parents, wife and two children.

Soon after the murder, Monu’s supporters broke into the house of the accused and torched furniture and bedding. They also ransacked the premises and vehicles parked outside. Videos of the vandalism went viral on social media in which the accused mentioned ‘Badla Abhi Baki Hai’.

“Kalyane was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival,” said an official.

TNN

Deaf-mute wife helps nab man for rape bid, chilling murder

Indore: GRP officers on Sunday said they had solved the murder of a woman whose dismembered body parts were found on two trains in Indore and Rishikesh earlier this month. The killer? A 60-yearold man, who lured her to his Ujjain home by offering her shelter for the night but drugged her & tried to rape her, reports Karishma Kotwal.

Police identified the accused as Kamlesh Patel, a history sheeter with several theft cases, who lived in the trackside slums, close to Ujjain station. He has admitted to the murder, said GRP inspector Sanjay Shukla.

It was Patel’s speech-and-hearing-impaired wife Aarti, who testified against him, narrating through gestures how she woke up to find him trying to rape the woman, bludgeon her when she resisted, and then strangle her with a length of rope, Shukla said.

Patel then spent 4.5 hours cutting the victim’s body into pieces after locking his wife out of the house, police said.

Police recovered victim’s clothes, a buther’s knife and an iron bolt from his house.

TIMES Special

IT’S FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR Goa’s Yacht Sector

The Goan coastline, with its tapestry of golden sands, sun-kissed islands, lush mangroves, and blue skies, makes for an alluring destination. Tourists have discovered that the best way to capture it all is from the deck of a yacht cutting through azure waters

Newton.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

From watching the sun dip below the horizon while standing on a gently swaying deck, to proposing to the love of your life, Indians are always looking for new ways to make unforgettable memories. Keen to create a “never-before” experience for the ‘Gram’, many tourists are turning to yachts, and Goa has them aplenty.

Yacht operators in Goa say tourists are willing to pay top dollar, which is anywhere between Rs 12,000 and Rs 75,000, for a front row seat to witness nature’s masterpiece – a multi-hued sunset or a palette of verdant mangroves – all while sipping on champagne.

“Every sunset is occupied. If the tourists are there, there are multiple bookings every day. Weekends are occupied,” said the owner of Boat Goa, a firm that offers yacht services.

Two months earlier, a group of military officers rented a yacht to celebrate their retirement from the services. And every week, a man gets down on one knee to pop the question while his beaming fiancee stands at the bowsprit, her gown caught in the wind. The wind, the waves, and that sparkling ring – it’s a scene straight out of a romantic novel.

“We get a lot of pre-wedding shoots in the morning half...that is something that is trending in a big way. The couple books the yacht for a minimum of two hours. They need the warm light in the morning, which is between 7am and 9am. After that, the light gets harsh,” said Leon Fernandes, director of Yacht Life Goa. “We have seen a steep jump in the number of people looking to make reels during sunset,” Fernandes said. Indians, with their innate sense of romance and flair for the dramatic, are latching onto this nautical trend with gusto. It’s not just about the journey anymore. It’s about crafting that reel to set Instagram feeds ablaze.

Also, it’s not just proposals. Honeymoons, babymoons and wedding anniversaries…Yacht operators have seen them all.

“Over the last few years, yachts have gained popularity and have increased in number. We foresee this will be a trend that will continue to grow. Group sizes of eight to 15 people are the most common when it comes to yacht bookings. Anniversary and birthday celebrations, proposals, retirement parties, and high profile guests just looking for a private time to celebrate on vacation are mostly the reasons yachts are booked,” said Ryan Prazeres, co-founder and CEO of OneBoard.

The price tags for these floating experiences vary as much as the types of yachts on offer. For those looking to dip their toes into the world of yachting, prices start at a reasonable Rs 12,000. But for those seeking the pinnacle of maritime luxury, prices can soar to a princely Rs 75,000 for a mere two hours.

“The average cost for just the yacht is Rs 20,000. The number of people have been between 10-15 persons. People can bring their own food and drinks.

We provide an ice box, water and some mixers and wafers,” said Prazeres.

For private luxury yachts, the peak booking season is from Nov to Feb, with weekends generally sold out. Couples looking for some intimate time generally prefer early morning cruises, while the prime slots for tourists and corporate events are 4pm to 8pm.

Goa has around 50 pleasure boats, which include close to 20 luxury yachts, just over 10 catamarans and an equal number of speedboats. There are twin-hulled boats for sunset cruises too, which can accommodate larger groups. The larger catamarans are used for corporate functions and large private parties with groups of anywhere between 40 and 100 individuals.

“An IT company based in Germany, which has a team based in In- dia, recently hosted its annual meeting on the yacht to thank its team members. A lot of corporate events for team members and distributors are held on yachts instead of hosting them at a hotel’s banquet hall. It becomes more memorable,” said the owner of Boat Goa Yacht Services.

But it is not all smooth sailing. Given that customers are paying a significant amount for a luxury experience, the lack of infrastructure threatens to run the industry aground. “One challenge we have witnessed and the most common feedback we get is that when guests pay such a high price for a two-hour luxury experience, they expect the infrastructure, parking, the jetty, and the pathway to the yacht to be of decent quality. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and guests must board through narrow lanes with no proper lighting. the pathways sometimes run through people’s

properties. If luxury tourism is a focus, this needs to be addressed and upgraded immediately,” said Prazares.

“The yachting industry is a white elephant. Maintaining a yacht is very difficult as spare parts are not available, adequate manpower is scarce and repairs are very expensive and time consuming. This is a niche market. The yacht continues to incur costs whether you run it or not. It is more of a passion than a business,”

said the owner of a yacht.

Isro’s reusable launch vehicle completes final landing test

Bengaluru: Isro conducted Sunday the third and final landing experiment of its reusable launch vehicle (RLV) — the RLV-LEX-03 test — paving the way for an orbital reentry test of a vehicle that will be six times the size of the technology demonstrator version used for experiments so far, reports Chethan Kumar.

Sunday’s test was conducted at 7.10am at Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at Challakere in Chitradurga district, some 220km from Bengaluru.

S Unnikrishnan Nair, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), told TOI after LEX-03: “It was perfect. The trail was so beautiful. This was the first time we got to see it. Conventional aircraft have a very shallow approach, but RLV has a very steep approach. We get numbers from the test to prove this, but seeing is believing. We could see right from the time it was dropped from the helicopter.”

Isro said: “RLV-LEX-03 redemonstrated the autonomous landing capability under more challenging release conditions (cross range of 500 m) and more severe wind conditions. The vehicle, named Pushpak, was released from IAF’s Chinook helicopter at an altitude of 4.5km.”

Key API market, but India still pays crores for orphan drugs

Policy Blocks Make Indian Cos Reluctant To Make Drugs At Home

BITTER PILL: Many industry experts feel that these drugs could easily be made available for a fraction of their current cost

Amrita.Didyala@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: Though India manufactures most of the key active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for over 400 FDA-approved orphan drugs — used to treat rare diseases such as Gaucher’s disease and spinal muscular atrophy — patients in India are forced to cough up crores of rupees to procure them.

The reason: Reluctance among Indian pharma companies to develop the drugs at home owing to policy hurdles. Hence, APIs exported to foreign companies are after being transformed into medicine in the form of tablets, capsules, injections, etc. sold back to India at exorbitant prices. For instance, an annual dose of Trientine, imported for treatment of Wilson’s disease (genetic disorder that causes buildup of copper) costs Rs 1.6 crore, while the Eliglusta t drug administered to patients with Gaucher’s disease (metabolic disorder causing fat buildup in organs) costs Rs 1.8 crore. These prices often make it impossible for pa- tients to avail of treatment, say industry sources.

According to Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society, at least 20 patients across India, suffering from rare diseases like Pompe, Gaucher’s, Wilson’s etc, have died in two y ears because they can’t afford the medicines.

“Exported as powder, when the APIs are shipped back to India as a tablet or injection, we need an import licence. For that, we have to pay 10% of the cost of the drug along with the cost of the package. Also, since some drugs are unstable above room temperature, they have to be sent in a cold box. This further hikes the cost,” said Ramaiah Muthyala, presi- dent, Indian Organisation for Rare Diseases. According to him, only eight of these 400 drugs are actually expensive while the prices of the r est are just inflated. “Encouraging Indian companies to manufacture the drugs is the solution to tackle these expensive price tags,” he added.

In fact, many industry experts feel that these drugs could easily be made available for a fraction of their current cost — for as little as Rs 20,000 to Rs 3 lakh — if generic drug manufacturing companies in India develop them.

But that isn’t an easy affair, claim local firms that have started foraying into this business recently. There is no organised database of patients to ascertain the requirement of such drugs. Also, India lacks a proper channel for marketing such drugs, say industry players.

“Even though we have a ready product to treat Dravet Syndrome (genetic form of epilepsy), which has brought down the cost to a tenth of the price of the US product, it’s a challenge to find patients,” said Dr Jagadeesh Rangisetty, CEO, Biophore Pharmaceuticals, stressing the need to bridge this gap. The company is one of three Indian firms that recently took up manufacturing of orphan drugs. Only about 12 drugs are being manufactured, while for all other diseases patients are dependent on foreign sellers.

The official also stressed the lack of incentive, R&D support and a proper channel to buy and sell products are factors discouraging companies from manufacturing orphan drugs at home. The US govt, on the other hand, allows seven years’ exclusive rights to the company developing a drug for rare diseases to sell these in addition to extending all necessary support for R&D.

Roads ministry seeks nod for `22 lakh crore highway plan

The road and highways ministry has requested the Cabinet for a 10% annual increase in budgetary allocation for project implementation

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In a big push for infrastructure development, road transport and highways ministry has sought Cabinet approval for Rs 22 lakh crore investment in a highway development plan covering around 30,600 km by 2031-32.

The plan, submitted to finance ministry and shared with all key ministries last week, includes construction of 18,000 km of expressways and high-speed corridors, decongestion of 4,000 km national highways around cities and building of strategic and international roads. Around 35% of the investment will come from the private sector.

TOI has learnt that the master plan for highway development has been proposed in two phases. Officials participating in the inter-ministerial meeting chaired by road transport secretary An urag Jain said the ministry has finalised the roadmap to tender all projects under phase-1 by 2028-29 and complete them by 2031-32. The Rs 22 lakh crore estimate is for projects to be taken up in the first phase. The ministry has requested 10% annual increase in budgetary allocation for project implementation. In the interim budget, govt had allocated Rs 2,78,000 crore for the ministry, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous financial year.

The financial estimate in the second phase to develop 28,400 km will be determined later. As per the plan, sanctioning and awarding of stretches under phase-2 will be completed by 2033-34, with construction finishing by 2036-37.

The ministry highlighted how it has planned the development of NH and expressways after carrying out assessment of GSTN data, including commodities transported from point to point and has also taken into account transportation of cargo by trains. The analysis of GSTN data showed nearly 73% of freight was transported by road in 2021-22, with railways accounting for around 23%. The data also showed that for commodi- ties transported less than 350 km, 82% was moved by road, and for distances over 600 km, 62% was transported by road.

Once completed, the average travel speed of trucks on the national highway network will go up to 85 kmph from the current 47 kmph. The average travel speed on highways is over 100 kmph in the US and 90 kmph in China. Govt expects that increasing the average speed will help India achieve its target of reducing logistics costs to 9-10% of GDP.

High-speed corridors have been identified to ensure that such stretches are accessible within 100-150 km from any part of India. Currently, only 3,900 km of high-speed corridors are operational, and by 2026-27, this figure is expected to rise to around 11,000 km.

Times City

- CM moves SC against HC’s interim stay on bail order

- Teachers with 10 yrs of service in one school must apply for transfer online

- Praying For Rain — Or Not: Spectre Of Waterlogged Streets Looms Yet Again

- Gas leak sparks blaze in Gzb house, woman and two daughters die

- Saket residents allege land grab, tree cutting in ‘deemed forest’

- 39.8 Going On 53! Humidity Adds To Delhi’s Discomfort

- ‘Won’t end fast till Delhi gets rightful share’

- Hospitals report 29 more recent deaths, heatwave toll is now 275

- LG speaks to Haryana CM after AAP delegation meets him over water crisis

- City hosp frees 90-year-old of rare stomach condition

- From painful past of acid attack to resilience to live

- Smooth sailing for office-goers as passport seva kendra at ITO relocates to Jhandewalan

- 3 men held for killing cab driver in Shastri Park

- Burger King shooting suspect gives cops the slip in Jammu

- Police Make First Arrest In Killing Of 2 Newborns

- ‘In-laws conspired to kill me too’

- BMW rams auto-rickshaw on NH8; youth dies, one injured

- Prosecutions for stop line violations up 32%, Def Col among top hotspots

- Teenager apprehended for sending bomb threat to IGI

- Uninterrupted Power: New Plan To Light Up Homes In Darkest Hours

- Woman (44) found dead, cops suspect hit-&-run

- Six held for role in ‘digital arrest’ scam

CM moves SC against HC’s interim stay on bail order

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved Supreme Court against Delhi High Court’s interim stay on a trial court’s order granting him bail in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.

The high court on Friday paused the release of the chief minister after the trial court granted him bail on June 20.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate on March 21, could have walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday had the high court not granted the interim relief to the federal anti-money laundering agency.

“Till the pronouncement of this order, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed,” a vacation bench of the high court said and asked the parties to file written submissions by June 24.

The high court said it was reserving the order for two-three days as it wanted to go through the entire case records.

It also issued a notice to Kejriwal seeking his response to the ED’s plea challenging the trial court’s June 20 order, by which he was granted bail. The court had listed the plea for hearing on July 10.

In its bail order, the trial court had held that prima facie, Kejriwal’s guilt was yet to be established and that ED had failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime in the money-laundering case.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.

According to ED and Central Bureau of Investigation, irregularities were committed while modifying the policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.

PTI

Teachers with 10 yrs of service in one school must apply for transfer online

The circular stated that in the case of mutual consent transfers, both teachers would have to apply compulsorily online and should be of the same subject and gender

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Directorate of Education in a circular has stated that all govt schoolteachers who have completed 10 years continuously in the same school must apply for an online transfer by going for the maximum number of choices.

If a teacher doesn’t apply online, they will be transferred to any school as per the official requirement.

“Online applications are invited for transfer from all categories of teachers, except guest teachers, vocational teachers and contract teachers. All teachers are required to apply on the proforma available on the departmental website. The interested teachers are advised to give choices in the order of their preferences,” said the circular dated June 11 and issued by deputy director of education Sushita Biju.

“All the teachers who have completed 10 years continuously in the same school shall compulsorily apply online vide this circular for transfer on the basis of mutual or general opting for maximum number of schools. Such teachers who do not apply online vide this circular, headquarters on its own will transfer them to any school as per official requirement,” the circular said.

It added that all the manual transfer applications received in this directorate till date may be treated as null and void after issuing the circular regarding online transfers.

The circular stated that in the case of mutual consent transfers, both teachers would have to apply compulsorily online and should be of the same subject and gender (except-in co-ed schools where gender restriction is not applicable). Once transfer is done on this basis, both teachers will not be eligible for change for two years.

Ajay Veer Yadav, general secretary of Govt Schools Teacher’s Association, Delhi, said: “We met directorate of education after the circular was issued, making it compulsory for all govt schoolteachers who have completed 10 years continuously in the same school to apply for an online transfer. We have been assured that no teacher will be harassed.”

Yadav added: “We are happy that our demand for the removal of a problematic provision empowering the head of school for transferring two teachers from schools has been accepted and implemented by the directorate of education.”

TIMES Special

Praying For Rain — Or Not: Spectre Of Waterlogged Streets Looms Yet Again

Despite Starting Early, Agencies Struggling To Meet Deadlines As Monsoon Approaches

Vibha Sharma & Siddhanta Mishra | TNN

New Delhi: The pre-monsoon showers hit Delhi on Friday, but govt agencies are still struggling to meet targets for cleaning the major drains across the city, with implications for waterlogging and flooding in the city.

Delhi govt’s irrigation & flood control department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Development Authority need an additional week to finish their tasks, while the Public Works Department may require a couple of more days to complete clearing drains of silt, having completed 85% of the targeted work.

PWD manages 1,037 storm water drains along its 1,400 km road network. Despite starting the desilting work earlier this year, the agency is still facing delays. "We are trying our best to complete the work of desilting by next week in the majority of places. But there will be slight delays in some zones for various reasons," said a PWD official.

In the 22 major drains that have their outlets in river Yamuna, barely 50% of the desilting has been done in some locations, though others have seen 70% of the work done. Delhi High Court has earlier expressed concern at the city's preparedness for the monsoon season and instructed the Chief Secretary to establish a single agency responsible for overseeing the management of 22 major drains in the city.

Meanwhile, residents have doubts about the authorities' claims of having met 85% of the desilting target because they have hardly seen silt dumped on the roadsides, unlike in previous years. There is a fear of a recurrence of last year's flooding.

Gurdeep Singh, who lives in Ordnance Apartments in Vikaspuri, said, "The authorities claims of having cleaned the drains is farcical. Before the Lok Sabha election, after silting in PVR Complex Vikaspuri but even after 20 days no one came to collect the silt, so we had to approach the area councillor and MCD zonal officials for timely action. However, on the PWD road facing my apart- ment, the drains weren’t unclogged. I hope they don’t do anything now since we don’t want heaps of silt adding to our monsoon problems."

Nitin Gupta of Kamla Nagar Traders Association claimed, "Last year, due to flooding our basements were flooded. In 2022, due to the drains not being cleared, we had to get pumps to flush out water. We fear there will be the same this year.”

MCD has already breached its June 15 deadline for desilting the major drains. As of June 20, MCD has completed desilting of 250 out of 713 drains that are more than 4 ft deep, with work still in progress at 434 locations. According to an MCD report, 73,404 tonnes of silt have been removed from 713 drains, which is 94% of the targeted volume of 78,062 tonnes.

Raja Iqbal Singh, leader of the opposition in MCD, stated, "So far 94% of work has been done and it will take another week to 10 days to meet the Phase I target. MCD had initially set May 30 as the deadline for completing the desilting work, which was extended to June 15. However, even after not meeting the two deadlines, AAP in MCD is simply ensuring arrangements to deal with waterlogging."

MK Gupta of S Block, Greater Kailash I, said, "We have two agencies that are involved in desilting in our area. On Hansraj Gupta Marg, PWD does desilting, and for colony drains, we have written to MCD's maintenance department. Till now, there’s no action. If it rains heavily, our locality will be waterlogged."

NDMC set a target for removing 2,000 cubic metres of silt, and has cleared 1,400 cubic metres so far. "Most of our drainage falls into the Kushak nullah and Sunheri Pul nullah. While desilting is in progress at all places, we have arranged 99 fixed pumps, 62 temporary and cleaned 8,704 bell mouths to ensure no water logging happens," said NDMC vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay.

I&FC manages all the major drains, including the largest Najafgarh drain that is approximately 57km long and directly enters the Yamuna.

“There are approximately 15 lakh tonnes of silt accumulated in these drains, which is equivalent to roughly one sixth of the total legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill site. Of the 15, more than 10 lakh tonnes have already been removed from major drains,” claimed a govt official.

DDA, which has jurisdiction over 382km drains in Dwarka, Rohini and Narela, claimed to have lifted 5,926 tonnes so far. It also said it had installed pumps at vulnerable locations to prevent waterlogging.

Gas leak sparks blaze in Gzb house, woman and two daughters die

By the time fire tenders reached, locals had doused the flames

Avishek.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Ghaziabad: A 36-year-old woman and her two teenage daughters died and four others of their family suffered grievous burns when a gas cylinder leak triggered a fire in a house in Tila Mod on Sunday morning. DCP (trans-Hindon) Nimish Patil said the fire is believed to have started at 11.40am and a distress call was made around noon. But by the time fire tenders reached the house, local residents had doused the flames.

“Yes, the flames were brought under control by the locals there. A team of firefighters and police started a rescue operation and brought out the occupants, all of whom were critical- ly injured. They were taken to GTB Hospital for treatment, where the woman and her two daughters succumbed to injuries. The others are undergoing treatment,” he added.

The three who died were Bhagmati (35) and her daughters Himani (18) and Priyanka (16). Mukesh Kumar, Bhagmati's husband; his brother-inlaw Nathuram (55); his son Ankit (17); and Sonu (35), Nathuram’s son-in-law, suffered grievous burns.

Nathuram, who owns the house, runs a potato business in the Sahibabad mandi. Mukesh and his family had been living with him for the past three years.

Chief fire officer Rahul Pal said since the house was undergoing renovation, all seven occupants had stored their belongings in one room.

“Preliminary investigation suggests gas started leaking from the pipe after Bhagmati prepared lunch earlier in the day. When everyone gathered to eat, she went to the kitchen to heat the food. No sooner did she turn the burner on, the entire room burst into flames,” he added. According to Pal, a huge ball of fire is suspected to have formed in the house because the leaking gas had spread to every room by then.

Saket residents allege land grab, tree cutting in ‘deemed forest’

The squatters have even installed electricity meters

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Residents of Saket have alleged that around 500 jhuggis have sprouted on a parcel of land, which is a deemed forest, behind Press Enclave.

The Press Association Cooperative Group Housing Society said that the people in the illegal cluster have caused considerable harm to the fauna and flora by “often cutting trees for firewood and engineering forest fires to grab more land”. The association claimed that they were also burning plastic and rubber waste.

“Over recent years, this green belt, the lungs of Saket, has been encroached up on and was grabbed by numerous individuals residing in over 500 makeshift jhuggis.... These individuals (are) relieving themselves in the open, including in and around the forest, particularly near the boundary wall of the Press Enclave colony. This not only crea- tes a health hazard but is converting the green forest into a dump yard,” the association alleged. It filed a complaint at Saket police station on June 20.

A deemed forest is not a notified or a reserve forest. In Delhi, any area over 2.5 acres with over 100 trees per acre is a deemed forest.

A senior forest official said: “We will get this area inspected and if any violation related to tree norms is found, action will be taken. After the inquiry, a notice will be issued to the landowning agency....” Ajay Sud, president of the Press Association Co-operative Group Housing Society, said: “The encroachers are endangering the environment.”

Rakesh Dabas, president of the federation of RWAs Saket, said: “The deemed forest... is unsafe for residents.”

When TOIvisited the site, some of the jhuggis seemed to have electricity with meters.

In April 2023, the forest and wildlife department informed National Green Tribunal that it had found encroachment in the area.

“On the land, some jhuggies were present behind the Kadeem Zari Muslim Eidgah, Hauz Rani village. Plastic, polythene bags and other material were found dumped on this land. However, some trees were found to have naturally fallen. No burning of plastic, polythene bags or electric wires was observed,” the forest department had told NGT last year in a report.

NGT later in an order said: “Unauthorised encroachments exist.... Following the order dated 14-01-2010 passed by a Delhi court, DDA has been restrained from taking action with respect to Khasra No. 197 (5-11) of village Hauz Rani. However, there is no stay granted by the court with respect to Khasra No. 198 of Village Hauz Rani and DDA has submitted that DDA shall take up the matter with revenue department.”

DDA didn’t respond to queries on the matter.

Residents claimed the flora and fauna of the forest land was being destroyed

39.8 Going On 53! Humidity Adds To Delhi’s Discomfort

Rain Keeps Avg Temp Below 40°C, Heatwave Unlikely Till Month-End

TRYING TO PLAY IT COOL

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Several parts of the city recorded light rain on Sunday. The maximum temperature remained below 40 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day, but the heat index or feel-like temperature rose to 53 degrees Celsius as high humidity caused discomfort to people.

A heatwave is unlikely in Delhi until the month's end, with India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting very light rain over the next seven days. The normal monsoon onset date for Delhi is June 27. During this summer, Safdarjung has recorded 14 heatwave days, the highest number of such days in at least 14 years.

The maximum temperature was 39.8 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal, at Safdarjung on Sunday. The city recorded its worst streak from May 14 to June 21 when maximum temperature continuously surpassed 40 degrees Celsius. The spell broke on Saturday when it touched 39.4 degrees Celsius.

Though the maximum temperature stayed below the 40-degree mark, the high humidity made it uncomfortable as the heat index was recorded at 53 degrees Celsius as against 47 degrees Celsius a day earlier. The humidity level oscillated between 49% and 73% in the past 24 hours. IMD has predicted that the heat index is likely to remain in the range of 51-53 degrees Celsius for the next 48 hours.

Safdarjung logged 0.6mm rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Sunday. During the same period, 6.9 mm rainfall was recorded at Palam, while only 'trace' was seen at Lodhi Road. Ridge and Ayanagar received 0.8mm and 1.2 mm, respectively.

The minimum temperatu- re settled at 29.6 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal, against 28.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

“Very light rain is likely to lash the city over the next six days. There is a possibility of thunderstorms over the next few days,” said an IMD official, adding that heatwave conditions are unlikely till the month-end.

IMD has sounded a ‘yellow’ alert for Monday for thunderstorm accompanied by very light rain. Gusty winds at the speed of 30-40 kmph are expected on Monday. However, the maximum temperature is likely to stay around 39 degrees Celsius on Monday, it may again cross 40 degrees Celsius from Tuesday.

The maximum temperature is predicted to remain in the range of 40-42 degrees Celsius from June 25 to 28 and it may again dip to 39 degrees Celsius on June 29. The minimum is likely to hover around 29-31 degrees Celsius over the next few days.

‘Won’t end fast till Delhi gets rightful share’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Water minister Atishi's indefinite fast entered its third day on Sunday even as the crisis in Delhi continued to worsen. In a video message, Atishi alleged that the closure of a gate at Hathnikund Barrage by Haryana had further reduced the raw water supply to Delhi's treatment plants.

According to the latest summer bulletin, DJB produced only 906 million gallons of water per day (MGD) of drinking water on Sunday, significantly lower than the city's average demand of 1,290 MGD. Officials attributed the reduced production to the underperformance of major treatment plants at Wazirabad and Chandrawal.

"I am on this fast because there is a huge water crisis in Delhi. Delhi does not have its own water; all the water here comes from neighbouring states. Delhi needs a total of 1,005 MGD of water, out of which 613 million gallons comes from Haryana," said Atishi.

She alleged that Haryana had been reducing the supply for the past three weeks, claiming it didn’t have enough water to provide to Delhi. However, she claimed, journalists who visited Hathnikund Barrage captured photos and videos that clearly showed that the barrage was full of water, but the gate from which it was released for Delhi had been closed. "I request Haryana govt with folded hands to open the gates of Hathnikund Barrage. Delhiites should get the water they are entitled to. This strike will continue till Haryana govt gives Delhiites the water they are entitled to," Atishi said.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said it would be the first "satyagraha" in Indian history where the satyagrahi (Atishi) only appeared for photo opportunities and then disappeared. He said as water minister, Atishi had a responsibility to alleviate the crisis in Delhi and fix leakages, but she was, instead, trying to evade her duties.

Earlier in the day, minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that PM Narendra Modi was quite on the issue despite several letters being written to him.Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav, meanwhile, said Atishi was indulging in “drama” instead of finding a solution.

Hospitals report 29 more recent deaths, heatwave toll is now 275

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The city’s record breaking heat wave has clocked a death toll of 275, with an additional 29 deaths recently.

Among the victims, 154 people were "brought dead to various hospitals," underscoring the gravity of the situation.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge that the actual death toll may be even higher than the reported figures. Several hospitals have discontinued sharing information on deaths attributed to heat strokes. This lack of comprehensive information raises concerns about the true extent of the crisis.

Over the course of June 22 and 23, an additional 28 patients lost their lives due to heat related illnesses while receiving care at Delhi govt-run hospitals, bringing the total death toll to 71. The information indicates that in the past two days, a minimum of 132 people suffered from health issues caused by extreme heat, and the number has risen to 417.

Safdarjung Hospital also reported one more fatality linked to heat-related illness on June 22. Currently, the hospi- tal is treating 15 patients, with 10 of them in critical condition. "Since June 16, 67 patients have been admitted to the hospital due to heat-related illness,” confirmed authorities.

From June 11-23, Delhi govt hospitals have recorded 154 patients who were brought dead due to heat-related illnesses. The latest figures reveal that on June 22 and 23 alone, eight such cases were reported.

Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital disclosed information regarding heat-related casualties and patient admissions until June 19. The data revealed that the hospital had recorded 18 deaths due to heat- related illnesses by that date.

At the time of the report then, the hospital had 32 patients admitted, with 26 on ventilator support. Following the release of this initial information, the hospital has declined to provide any additional updates or details concerning heat related illnesses and fatalities.

LG speaks to Haryana CM after AAP delegation meets him over water crisis

LG’S OFFICE SAYS Not only Delhi's but the population of all states has also increased proportionately and all states are equally affected by the heatwave. LG assured that he would take up the matter of the release of water on humanitarian grounds with CM of Haryana, as requested by AAP delegation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Hours after an AAP delegation met LG VK Saxena seeking his intervention to request Haryana govt for extra water, the latter spoke to Haryana chief minister on Sunday regarding this matter. “LG spoke to CM of Haryana at 4pm. Haryana CM has assured that he will seriously look into the matter and try to help tide over the situation, to the farthest possible extent,” said LG's office in a statement.

A delegation of AAP functionaries met LG at 12.15 pm and appealed for his intervention to secure Delhi's "rightful water share" from Haryana. The delegation, including Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta, minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLAs Dilip Pandey, Somnath Bharti, Rajesh Gupta, Rituraj Jha and others, highlighted the severe shortfall of water released by Haryana to Delhi. Bharadwaj said, “We informed LG that there is a shortage of about 113 MGD of water in the supply coming from Haryana right now. Due to this, lakhs of people in Delhi are facing pro- blems. Since LG is the representative of central govt, we requested him to talk to Haryana govt and get Delhi its full share of water. On this, LG has assured that he will talk to Haryana govt and try to get Delhi its full share of water.”

The delegation also conveyed to LG that it will rain in a week. “It has started raining in Shimla, Himachal, and so much water will come in the next week that Haryana will not be able to stop it even if it wants to.

It is just a matter of a week. We have requested LG to try and get water from Haryana for Delhi for a week,” Bharadwaj said.

After listening to the representatives, LG reiterated that the share of Yamuna water between Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other neighbouring states had been fixed by Upper Yamuna River Board and was up for renewal in 2025. The same had been upheld time and again by Supreme Court, most recently a week back. LG said the advice by SC that Delhi could approach Haryana for extra water on humanitarian grounds could be fructified only in an atmosphere of cooperation and amicable dialogue, rather than by indulging in accusations, abuse and blame game through media and social media.

“Not only Delhi's but the population of all states has also increased proportionately and all states are equally affected by the heatwave. He assured that he would take up the matter of the release of water on humanitarian grounds with CM of Haryana, as requested by AAP delegation,” said LG's office in a statement.

City hosp frees 90-year-old of rare stomach condition

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New Delhi: A city hospital has successfully treated a 90-year-old man with a rare and life-threatening stomach condition that had caused his stomach to move up towards the chest.

The man initially experienced severe difficulty in breathing while eating. After an examination, doctors found out that a portion of his stomach had pushed upward into his chest through a small opening in the diaphragm, a rare condition known as gastric volvulus, which posed a grave threat to his life. It occurs in less than 1% cases.

This condition arose due to a hiatal hernia, which allowed the stomach to move into the chest cavity.

The patient, Muralidhar, said he was unable to eat anything and would vomit whatever he consumed. He also felt a persistent heaviness on the chest. Alarmingly, he said, he lost 10kg in a single month.

His family took him to several hospitals. It was only then that they learned that his stomach had shifted into his chest. "Several doctors refused to take the risk of surgery. They all said it was risky at this age. I had little hope of being successfully treated," he said.

The case was eventually taken up by the experienced doctors at Sir Gangaram Hospital.

According to the medical team, diagnosing gastric volvulus is particularly challenging because it is so rarely considered.

They said it occurs in about 1 in 100,000 patients who undergo upper stomach surgery, with a significantly high mortality rate of 15-25%.

Dr Tarun Mittal of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital explained that performing a surgery on a 90-year-old patient was rare and complex, especially when the entire stomach had moved into the chest.

He elaborated that the treatment involved bringing the stomach from the chest cavity back into the abdomen and placing a mesh to prevent the abdominal contents from moving upwards again.

The surgery, which lasted four hours, was meticulously planned.

After surgery, Muralidhar reported a significant improvement in his condition. He expressed gratitude towards the medical team, saying that he was able to eat and was hopeful of living many more good years with his family.

From painful past of acid attack to resilience to live

ART ATTACK: Nanki Singh (top) showcases her work at the exhibition

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Sally Mann, a renowned American photographer known for her black-andwhite works, once said that "photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future."

That is what the recently concluded exhibition of photographs of acid attack survivors displayed at The Stainless Gallery in Delhi aimed to depict. The pain that these victims went through and the resilience that they embody define their future lives.

Aaina Tak Ka Safar (the Journey to the Mirror) went beyond simply displaying the faces of the women. The photographs showed their determination to triumph over the suffering and pain. The photographs prominently displayed their scars, serving as a testament to the immense suffering they have endured.

"The scars can be seen in the photographs clearly, which show how much pain they have gone through," said 22-year-old photographer Nanki Singh, fresh out of the School of Visual Arts in New York with a BFA in Photography and Video. She featured eight powerful photographs depicting the lives of six acid attack survivors. “The images showcase their transformative journey," she said.

The photographs captured the emotional and physical challenges the women faced, particularly the difficulty when looking into the mirror, she added.

"Despite undergoing numerous surgeries, ranging from 10 to 20 operations, their faces and skin bear indelible marks of the ordeal. The exhibition aims to highlight their resilience and courage in embracing their altered appearance, emphasising that true beauty lies in inner strength" Nanki said.

Anshu Rajput (26), an acid attack survivor whose image was featured in the exhibition, said: “These photographs show our identity which we are living with. These are beautiful pictures.”

She said she felt like a celebrity when people approached her and learned about her journey, unlike the stares she gets when she goes out.

The exhibition provided a unique experience for the survivors, as people appreciated their photographs, making them feel valued. Rajput emphasised that this was an incredible experience. They had never encountered this before.

Singh told TOI that she consciously opted for black and white pictures when capturing and exhibiting her photographs due to the optimal interplay between the subject and lighting in this format.

Moreover, photographs in colour can potentially divert the viewer's focus with their shades and backdrops, while monochromatic images guide the gaze directly to the subject.

"The main motive of the exhibition was to show how comfortable these women are in their own skin."

Singh possesses a longstanding fascination with the narratives of women who demonstrate resilience. Her prior work includes projects that revolve around domestic abuse and the documentation of menstruation.

Singh, revealed that although capturing the photographs took only a month, she invested nearly four years in understanding the lives of her subjects. She wanted to delve deep into their experiences, the challenges they faced, and their daily struggles. Singh aimed to develop a profound connection with them to accurately portray their stories.

"I decided to keep visiting them. Over the course of four years, I visited the survivors annually during my vacations to India," she said. Singh spent time with the survivors at the Sheros Hangout in Noida, a cafe run by acid attack survivors. They also celebrated birthdays together.

In March, Singh's debut exhibition titled 'Aaine Tak Ka Safar' at the Chelsea Art Gallery in Manhattan successfully raised $13,000, which was donated to support the cafe. The recent exhibition also saw generous contributions.

Smooth sailing for office-goers as passport seva kendra at ITO relocates to Jhandewalan

IT’S A MAZE: Within days of the PSK opening at ITO, the spot had become a traffic bottleneck

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In a big relief to thousands of people working in the offices on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, including media houses, the passport seva kendra (PSK) at ITO’s Herald House has been shifted to Videocon Tower at Jhandewalan. It will commence operations from July 24.

The decision to open a PSK at the end of the lane that flanks the main road was inexplicable because of the traffic nightmare that ensued. Within days the spot became a traffic bottleneck with the parking mafia taking over the entire place.

Vehicles were parked haphazardly all along the road and often in multiple rows with scant regard for people whose workplaces were located here. In fact, legitimate parking places for the office-goers were taken over by visitors to the passport office, stretching back to Shaheedi Park. A one-way road became a two-way affair, leading to daily chaos.

This showed that no assessment of the parking infrastructure had been carried out before going ahead with the ope- ning of the PSK. How NOCs were given remains a mystery.

Soon, many shops and vendors – selling stationery to food and offering various services --began doing business in that narrow lane, close to PSK with their patrons obstructing traf- fic. Also, a long queue of passport applicants – and often an unregulated crowd – on the street would aggravate the situation.

The shopkeepers and vendors will now lose business but they shouldn’t have been allowed to operate right from the beginning. Many of them are now looking for options at Jhandewalan. The profit of parking operators too will get badly dented but the anarchy they had unleased in this narrow street will be a thing of the past.

According to the passport department's website, the new office is located on the ground floor of Videocon Tower in Jhandewalan. A notice on the passport website reads: "Applicants having appointment at PSK Herald House-ITO, kindly note the new address: Videocon Tower, Ground Floor, Block-E, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi -110055. (Nearest metro station: Jhandewalan)".

No official reaction could be elicited from either Tata Consultancy Services, which operates the PSKs, nor traffic police on the development.

3 men held for killing cab driver in Shastri Park

New Delhi: Three men were arrested recently for killing a cab driver in Shastri Park.

The accused were identified as Akash (24), Yogish (33), and Rohit (24). Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjay Sain said they received information on May 30 regarding the murder of a 28-year-old cab driver, identified as Jauhar Abbas.

Sain said the breakthrough came through extensive technical surveillance and scrutiny of CCTV footage, which led them to Akash, Yogesh, and Rohit. The trio were apprehended from Gokulpuri. During questioning, Akash, alias Moosi, disclosed financial disputes with his wife’s former employer, Waqar, who owned a call centre. On the day of the incident, Akash called his friends Rohit and Yogesh to confront Waqar at Shastri Park. An altercation ensued with three bystanders who noticed the weapons. During this, one of the bystanders struck Rohit with a helmet, prompting Akash to stab him in retaliation before fleeing. TNN

Burger King shooting suspect gives cops the slip in Jammu

Anu was spotted boarding a Mumbai-bound train at Katra station

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi Police sleuths missed one of the three prime suspects in the Burger King shooting incident at west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden by a whisker at Katra station in Jammu. Suspect Anu (24) managed to enter the last bogey of the general category of a Mumbai-bound train to give cops a slip.

Police suspect that she may be headed to Goa or nearby places to meet shooters Ashish and Vicky and then may attempt to flee abroad. Many henchmen of US-based fugitive Himanshu Bhau have visited Goa in the last one year. On June 6, one of his key henchmen, Ajit Kalia, was arrested from there.

Anu, who honey-trapped the target, Aman Joon, and brought him to the eatery last week, had fled to Jammu on the night of incident, June 18. The next day she stayed at a guest house in Katra and its owner told the cops that she used the hotel Wi-Fi before going to the station.

The CCTV footage of the station shows Anu, wearing a neon green top, black trousers, and a scarf, hurriedly walking across the platform. She was carrying a trolley bag besides a backpack.

Anu was heading to board Bombay Swaraj Express which departed from Katra station at 10am on June 20. As she managed to reach near the train around 10.06am, it had started moving slowly. Anu, however, managed to board train.

Police have found that Anu had made a fake account in the name of Preeti on Instagram to befriend Joon. She was running at least 15 accounts — all in different names — on the social media app.

After the killing, Anu vacated her paying guest accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar. She asked the owner to give her security deposit to a friend. She then went to the railway station to board a train to Katra.

Cops have questioned her family members, who said Anu’s surname was Dhankad but she goes by her first name. Her family said they had filed a habeas corpus writ after she went missing last year. It later turned out that she had joined Bhau’s syndicate.

Meanwhile, cops have been questioning jailed gangsters Naveen Bali and Neeraj Bawana after seeking their custody from court. Both gangsters, lodged in high security cells of Tihar Jail, were mentioned in the Instagram post by Bhau in which he claimed responsibility for Joon’s killing.

The murder, claimed the post, was to avenge the killing of Bawana's cousin Shakti by rivals in 2020. Joon was believed to have tipped off the killers about Shakti's whereabouts.

Police Make First Arrest In Killing Of 2 Newborns

Father-In-Law Held; Husband, Others Absconding; House Locked

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A day after TOI reported about the sensational case of female infanticide in the national capital, Delhi Police on Sunday made the first arrest in the case. The arrested man has been identified as Vijender Solanki, the father-in-law of the woman whose female twins were taken away by her husband and his family after their birth, killed and buried at an isolated spot.

The woman's husband, Neeraj Solanki, and other members of her in-law’s family are absconding after locking their house in outer Delhi’s Pooth Kalan village. The raids are being conducted to nab others, police said.

Police on Sunday also recorded the statement of the woman, Pooja, and her family members. Her family has alleged that the killing of babies was planned. Police said they had exhumed the bodies after seeking judicial orders.

The woman belongs to Ismaila village in Rohtak district of Haryana. She and her family came to Sultanpuri police station on Sunday. In her statement, the woman told police that she married Neeraj on Feb 2, 2022.

The family allegedly asked for Rs 30 lakh and jewellery which they have received. However, the harassment started soon after the marriage and she was pressured for giving birth to a boy.

Her family members have detailed the allegations of dowry and torture besides the sequence of events surrounding the incident. An enquiry by the sub divisional magistrate (SDM) is also underway.

Solanki was arrested on Sunday after he was questioned for several hours. "He denied his involvement and claimed the babies died due to illness. He, however, couldn't answer why were the newborns taken away from the mother," said an investigator.

Police said they will file a watertight chargesheet in the case and they are waiting for the autopsy and other medical reports.

The chilling case has yet again brought to fore the issue of female infanticide in the country. Although infanticide has been criminalized in India, it remains an under-reported crime due to various factors. While there is no reliable data, police are roped in in a miniscule number of cases.

A 2016 report by NGO Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has revealed that preference for son over daughter is a major reason for female infanticide. The report claimed India had one of the highest female foeticide incidents in the world.

In law, section 315 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines infanticide as the killing of an infant in the 0–1 year age group. It is a cognizable and a nonbailable offence. In India, the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act prohibits sex-selection or disclosure of the sex of the foetus.

‘In-laws conspired to kill me too’

Police found the house of Neeraj Solanki (inset) locked

Abhay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Pooja Solanki, who arrived in the city on Sunday, was visibly shaken. In the nine months of pregnancy, she used to plan about starting afresh and living a happy life with her baby. But she had barely seen her new-born daughters before they were taken away, killed and buried allegedly by her husband Neeraj Solanki and his family. She had only seen these things in movies and never imagined it could happen to her.

Speaking to TOI outside Sultanpuri police station, Pooja, a science graduate, detailed how her in-laws had allegedly conspired to kill her as well but she had managed to escape. She recalled how her life turned upside down when she learnt and informed Neeraj and his family about the pregnancy.

Pooja was warned that the new-born must be a boy. This demand weighed heavily on her, adding immense stress to an already challenging period.

The distraught mother recounted that three months later, her in-laws deceptively to- ok her to a clinic under the guise of a routine check-up. To her shock and horror, it turned out to be a sex determination test. Upon discovering she was carrying girls, they tried to get an abortion done and subjected her to physical assault when she refused.

Pooja said, “I managed to escape from my in-laws’ house, reached a bus stand. I was pregnant, and my condition was unbearable, but somehow, I took a bus to Ismaila in Rohtak. During the journey, I borrowed a phone from another woman who was traveling with me to inform my brother about the situation, and I reached my parents’ house.”

Her family members claimed that the entire incident was orchestrated by her inlaws. They not only took away the new-borns but also confiscated Pooja's phone to prevent her from contacting relatives on her husband's side and informing them about the situation.

“After giving birth, I was in extreme pain from the surgery… The agony was excruciating. I couldn't see my daughters' faces clearly, I couldn't even hold them,” she lamented. “And then there was the emptiness – I couldn't even feed them. They were supposed to bring me joy, but now it all feels tragically crushed,” she said as her voice faltered, overwhelmed with emotion.

Her sister-in-law, Manita Khatri, expressed shock at the regressive mentality of her in-laws in distinguishing between girls and boys. "Pooja's in-laws never contacted her since she came to her parents' house," she added.

TOI on Sunday visited outer Delhi’s Pooth Kalan village where Neeraj lived with his family. The residents claimed that the Solanki family had been living there for over a decade. On Saturday and Sunday, they saw several policemen at the house who then enquired about the family in the neighbourhood. The Solanki family owned two houses and both were locked.

BMW rams auto-rickshaw on NH8; youth dies, one injured

Gurgaon: A 22-year-old man died and his colleague suffered injuries when a BMW car hit an auto-rickshaw from behind on NH8 in Sector 18 during the early hours on Saturday. The driver abandoned his car and fled the spot. The police registered a case against the car driver.

Gurusevak Singh (22), who was from DLF-3, worked for a private company in DLF-2, police said.

According to police, the police received acomplaint from Singh’s brother Sukhdev Singh Bajwa of UP’s Rampur. He reported that his younger brother and his colleague, Nitu Kumari (23) from Bahadurgarh, were travelling during the early hours of Saturday, when the BMW rammed the autorickshaw from behind on NH8 near the Airtel Corporate office in Sector 18.

“The auto driver and the two passen- gers suffered injuries in the accident. The injured were shifted to nearby Narayana Hospital by our team with the help of locals,” inspector Surender Singh said.

Two of the injured, Gurusevak and Nitu were subsequently referred to Fortis Hospital on Saturday morning, the officer said. While undergoing treatment at the hospital, Gurusevak succumbed to his injuries on Saturday afternoon. TNN

Prosecutions for stop line violations up 32%, Def Col among top hotspots

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Defence Colony, Mayur Vihar, and Safdarjung Enclave have emerged as the worst hotspots for stop line violations, according to an analysis by Delhi Traffic Police.

Statistics for the current year reveals that Delhi Traffic Police booked 2,37,976 offenders for stop line violations, marking a significant increase from 1,80,538 violators in 2023. This represents about 32% rise in the number of prosecutions for stop line violations compared to the same period last year.

A senior officer, noting the substantial increase in these violations this year, said, "The data indicates a marked rise in instances where drivers fail to adhere to stop line regulations. These violations pose a significant risk to pedestrian safety and disrupt the smooth flow of traffic. Delhi Traffic Police has intensified efforts to curb this trend through increased vigilance and the use of technology".

The traffic police conducted a comprehensive analysis of the top 10 traffic circles with the highest number of challans issued in 2024. "By identifying areas with frequent traffic violations, this study facilitates targeted enforcement efforts to enhance road safety and ensure compliance with traffic regulations," the officer said.

Apart from Defence Colony, Mayur Vihar, and Safdarjung Enclave, other identified areas include Lajpat Nagar, Dwarka, Tilak Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Vasant Vihar, Civil Lines, and Model Town.

Police highlighted that enhanced monitoring, including deployment of automated cameras at major intersections, played a crucial role in detecting these violations. "The traffic police has also conducted several awareness campaigns to educate the public about the importance of stopping at designated lines," the officer added.

Along with technological steps, traffic police increased on-ground enforcement. Regular checks and stringent actions against offenders aim to deter motorists from breaching stop line rules, another officer emphasized.

Teenager apprehended for sending bomb threat to IGI

The boy was inspired by a similar incident involving another child a few days earlier

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A 13-year-old boy was apprehended for sending a hoax bomb threat email to IGI Airport on June 17. The claim that there was a bomb on a Delhi-Dubai flight turned out to be a hoax. The boy was inspired by a similar incident involving another child a few days earlier, which he had seen on social media. He claimed to have sent the email purely for fun.

Police said that on June 17, they received a complaint from DIAL (Security & Vigilance) regarding a bomb threat email targeting a flight scheduled from Delhi to Dubai, leading to the registration of a case. According to deputy commissioner of police (IGI) Usha Rangnani, the airport was placed on high alert and a full emergency was declared due to the severity of the threat. "The guidelines and protocols outlined in the SOP were strictly adhered to, ensuring the safety and security of all passengers at the airport. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the threat email was a hoax," she stated.

A dedicated team, led by SHO (IGI) Vijender Rana, was formed to investigate the case. "During the investigation, it was discovered that the sender's email ID was deleted immediately after sending the email," the officer explained. Technical surveillance traced the origin of the email to Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, and the suspect was identified as a 13-year-old boy, a Class IX student. The boy used a phone provided by his parents for studying to send the email and promptly deleted the address, believing he could remain anonymous.

"The boy claimed he did it for fun and excitement but did not inform his parents out of fear," the officer said.

The mobile phone linked to the hoax threat email was seized by the police, and the boy was handed over to his parents.

This incident marks the second case of a 13-yearold boy being apprehended for sending a hoax email to IGI Airport in June. Earlier, another boy had sent a threat email claiming that there was a bomb on a flight scheduled from Delhi to Toronto on June 4, allegedly sending the email 'just for fun' to test if the authorities could trace him.

Uninterrupted Power: New Plan To Light Up Homes In Darkest Hours

BSES Starts Work On India’s 1st Standalone Battery Energy Storage System

Atul.Mathur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In the time to come, you may get continuous electricity supply even if there is a technical fault in the power transmission or distribution system or the grid develops a snag.

Power distribution company BSES, which supplies electricity to nearly twothird of Delhi through its two subsidiaries, has started working on India’s first utilityscale standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is said to be the largest in south Asia.

Being installed at BSES Rajdhani’s Kilokari substation in south Delhi, the system will serve as an alternative source of power supply in the local area when there is a power cut due to unforeseen reasons. BSES Rajdhani has already got the approval from the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to initiate the project and it should be ready to be commissioned within 10-12-months. Once commissioned, more residential areas will be taken up under the project.

Officials said the project would be designed to handle the extreme variations in electricity demand, improve power supply, reduce network overloading and enhance the grid stability. It will also help in reducing the cost of power procurement and integrate renewable energy, thus deferring the need for capacity upgrades at the 33/11 kv power sub-station at Kilokri.

“The BESS is being installed using cutting-edge technology as a cost-effective option for managing electricity distribution at high and medium levels,” said a BSES official.

BSES Rajdhani is working on the project in partnership with IndiGrid and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet’s (GEAPP) and likely to improve power supply for nearly one lakh residents Kilokri, a heavily congested low-income residential pocket. With its easy deployment, the project will set templates for other state electricity regulatory commissions and power discoms, paving the way for future pro- jects across the country.

BESS will use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which is said to be the most advanced and proven technology in its league. The system can be used as a generation, transmission and a distribution asset. In case of a power cut, it can serve the electricity demand locally. It can operate both in parallel – that is when the power supply is available and islanded – when there is a cut mode, iso- lating operations from power disturbances or failures.

“Earlier this month, there was a long power cut in parts of east and south Delhi due to a fire in a substation in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat area. This system can come handy in such scenarios and the residents of the area, where BESS is available, can enjoy the continuous supply. Power outages can be prevented by a BESS unit like this one,” said an official.

The BESS will be charged during off-peak hours with surplus or low cost power available, which will be supplied (discharged) during time of peak power demand. Officials said this will help savings in power purchase costs by avoiding costly market purchase during the period of peak power demand.

It will also integrate renewable energy and help the discom meet renewable power obligations. It will help BSES in ‘greening-the-grid’ by adding flexibility to procure increased share of renewable energy.

During peak hours, when the power load is maximum, the system will help avoid withdrawl from the grid, thereby avoiding overloading. “For this very reason, it will be very useful in congested areas,” said an official.

Woman (44) found dead, cops suspect hit-&-run

New Delhi: A 44-yearold woman was found dead on Sunday at Mahipalpur bypass road. Police suspect she was struck by a vehicle.

Police received a PCR call at 5 am regarding an unconscious woman found opposite CISF gate number 1.

During their inquiry, they identified the woman as Meera Chetri, a native of West Bengal who worked as a maid. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead by the doctors.

Her husband, Rajesh Chetri, was informed about the incident.

Analysis of CCTV footage, along with discussions with the doctor regarding the nature of her injuries, revealed blunt force trauma to her ribs and liver, suggesting she was hit by a vehicle. However, a full investigation is underway.

TNN

Six held for role in ‘digital arrest’ scam

New Delhi: Six people were arrested for duping people through a digital arrest scam. An investigation revealed they had cheated people out of over Rs. 3 crore. Police also found links between the gang and Chinese nationals.

Complainant Deepanshu Vaid reported that on April 29, he received a call from an unknown number, where the caller posed as an employee of a courier company. The caller alleged that a parcel, booked using Vaid's Aadhar Card and phone number, contained passports, bank cards, clothes, a laptop, cash, and drugs. Subsequently, the call was purportedly transferred to Mumbai Cyber Police. Under the guise of protecting him from legal troubles, the caller defrauded Vaid of Rs. 2.4 lakh.

The defrauded amount was deposited into an account in Rohtak belonging to a person named Ansh. “Further probe revealed that a total of Rs. 3.2 crore was credited to this account and subsequently transferred to other accounts,” stated the officer. The officer added acting on information from Ansh, Sahni was apprehended in Lucknow. Police probe revealed that Rs. 3.20 crore from fraudulent activities was deposited into Ansh’s account, with Sahni receiving approximately Rs 6.24 lakh as commission in cryptocurrency.

TNN

Times Business

- Standard deduction may rise under new tax regime

- GST waiver on ESOPs spells relief for cos like MS, Google & Oracle

- FPIs are back, buy `12,170cr stocks in June

- ‘As is where is’ added to GST lexicon

- Rights issue: Byju’s moves HC against NCLT order

- At `9cr, Adani pay in FY24 lags peers

- Are EV loans cheaper? Depends on what vehicle & lender you choose

- Food cos step up vigil, e-tailers ready to ‘delist’

- Moving On From FDs? Manage Exposure With Equity Savings Funds

Standard deduction may rise under new tax regime

Eyes On Budget: Major Tweaks Unlikely In Capital Gains Setup

Sidhartha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The finance ministry is assessing the possibility of raising the standard deduction limit for income taxpayers under the new regime, without tinkering with the exemption-laced older regime.

Besides, as the NDA govt readies to present its first Budget of its third term, it is unlikely to undertake major tweaks in capital gains mechanism, an issue on which the income tax department has been seeking a review. There have been suggestions to align the holding period across asset classes but govt may not be inclined to disturb the system, at least for the moment.

While discussions on the contours of the Budget have just begun with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman undertaking public consultations, most of the exercise is currently limited to the finance ministry and internal assessment is being undertaken on multiple issues some of which will be discussed with other wings of govt before the finance ministry takes a final call, based on feedback from the PMO.

The overall mood indicates that most wings of govt are in favour of offering concessions to taxpayers, especially the middle class, which has been a supporter of the Modi regime but is increasingly raising questions about the returns it gets for the tax it pays, be it through public healthcare or education.

In the 2023 Budget, FM had introduced a standard deduction of Rs 50,000 for sa- laried taxpayers and those who earn pension under the new tax regime, which became the default option, unless you opted out. Also, rebate under Section 87A was increased under the new tax regime for taxable incomes not exceeding Rs 7 lakh, allowing those earning up to this level (taxable income) to not pay any tax under the new regime. The highest surcharge under the new regime was also removed.

Currently, individuals with a taxable income of upwards of Rs 3 lakh have to pay 5% income tax and there have been suggestions from industry leaders to tweak the rates in the higher brackets to boost consumption. A higher standard deduction will benefit all the salaried taxpayers, including those in the upper segment although it will entail some revenue loss.

GST waiver on ESOPs spells relief for cos like MS, Google & Oracle

Sidhartha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The GST Council’s decision on Saturday to waive the levy on ESOPs will benefit the likes of Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Walmart whose Indian employees were getting the benefit from their global parent with the Indian arm making a payment on which authorities were seeking tax.

The issue had been pending with the Council for several months after the legal wing suggested a waiver. The decision was, however, taken on Saturday as the Council met for the first time in eight months. Tax consultants said that several companies would be relieved as they were under the lens of tax authorities for what was a normal remuneration practice across the corporate sector.

Under GST law, securities are neither considered goods, nor services. Purchase and sale of securities or shares is neither supply of goods or services and does not attract GST, an official explained. Further, companies offer ESOPs to their employees to motivate them to perform better and to retain them and are part of the remuneration in line with the terms of the contract. Again, services rendered by employees are neither classified as goods or services and do not attract GST.

When the foreign holding company directly transfers shares to employees of the Indian arm, reimbursement by the domestic entity to the parent is done on a cost-to-cost basis, which is at the market value and without any commission. Since the transfer of funds to the foreign holding company is for transfer of securities, it does not attract GST.

If the foreign company, however, charges an additional fee or commission then it will be treated as a supply of service and attract GST. The tax will have to be paid by the Indian entity on a “reverse charge basis”.

FPIs are back, buy `12,170cr stocks in June

New Delhi: Staging a comeback after election results, foreign investors have pumped Rs 12,170 crore in Indian equities so far in June, mainly driven by expectations of continued policy reforms and sustained economic growth.

This came following a net withdrawal of Rs 25,586 crore from equities in May on poll jitters and more than Rs 8,700 crore in April amid concerns over a tweak in India’s tax treaty with Mauritius and a sustained rise in US bond yields.

The total outflow now stood at Rs 11,194 crore so far in 2024 (till June 21), data with the depositories showed. Sunil Damania of MojoPMS, said FPIs inflow will remain constrained due to the high valuations. FPIs had been waiting on the sidelines for the election results. So far in 2024 — barring March (Rs 35,000 crore inflow) — they have been pulling out from India. Early trends indicate FPI buying in financial services, telecom and realty, said V K Vijayakumar of Geojit Financial Services. AGENCIES

‘As is where is’ added to GST lexicon

Sidhartha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The GST Council on Saturday clarified several pending issues, from the levy on sprinklers and poultry keeping machinery to railway SPVs and reinsurance. They related to interpretation of the law or regularisation on an “as is where is” basis. In all, there were seven such instances in the press release.

While the idea is to remove litigations and disputes, it also means that those who have paid the demand raised by authorities will not get a refund but those who have prolonged the disputes will breathe easy, said a tax expert. Tax professionals see it as part of recognition by authorities that the law was not aligned with business practices and is now being tweaked to avoid unnecessary disputes.

Rights issue: Byju’s moves HC against NCLT order

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Troubled edtech startup Byju’s has moved the Karnataka high court challenging the National Company Law Tribunal’s order restraining it from going ahead with the second tranche of its $200-million rights issue. Byju’s declined to comment.

In a fresh order issued earlier this month, the Bengaluru bench of the NCLT had directed the startup to not proceed with the second tranche besides restricting it from using any funds that have been collected since the opening of the issue on May 13. The NCLT also directed the company to maintain status quo with regard to existing shareholders and their holding.

The second tranche is part of the issue through which the cash-starved company sought to raise $200 million. With certain investors not participating during the first round, the issue was not fully subscribed and hence split into two tranches. In the second round, the unsubscribed portion was put up for existing investors to invest on a super pro rata (a provision which allows investors to buy a larger percentage of the company) basis.

In their petition, a group of Byju’s investors have reiterated that due to the siphoning off funds by the startup’s management, the company is in “dire straits” and therefore, they should not be allowed to raise further money.

At `9cr, Adani pay in FY24 lags peers

New Delhi: India’s second richest person Gautam Adani, whose net worth is Rs 8.9 lakh crore, received a total remuneration of Rs 9.3 crore in FY24, lower than most industry peers as well as some of his own key executives. Adani drew salary from two listed companies in his conglomerate, annual reports showed. While the richest Indian, Mukesh Ambani has been foregoing his salary since Covid, he had earlier capped his pay at Rs 15 crore, Adani’s pay is lower than Sunil Mittal (Rs 16.7 crore in 2022-23), Rajiv Bajaj (Rs 53.7 crore), and Pawan Munjal (Rs 80 crore). AGENCIES

Are EV loans cheaper? Depends on what vehicle & lender you choose

Yogesh Kabirdoss & Nandini Sengupta TNN

Chennai: Buying an EV? Is the financing rate on offer the same if you were to buy a petrol or diesel vehicle? The answer is both yes and no.

In electric passenger vehicles, the rates are competitive with ICE and sometimes lower as well. In e-two-wheelers, the rates are invariably higher depending on the brand and the credit profile of the customer.

“Captive NBFCs and banks offer green loans for ePVs which is 0.1% cheaper than ICE financing so the rates are more or less the same. In e-two wheelers, the rate differential is anything from 1-4% depending on product and brand,” said Deloitte India partner Rajat Mahajan.

Currently, loans for petrol and diesel passenger vehicles attract anything between 9.3% and 10.3% interest rates, while ICE two-wheeler rates are 16-20%. In EVs, cars and SUVs come for 8.5-9.5% while e-two-wheelers come for 18-22%.

But that’s not the critical part. Financiers and dealers admit, off the record, that EV financing is lower than ICE even when both are from the same automotive brand.

“As EVs are an evolving segment, banks and NBFCs have been cautious while funding due to lack of understanding of how EV batteries work (working life, replacement/repairs) and are awaiting the evolution of a strong secondary/resale market,” IndoStar Capital Finance CEO Karthikeyan Srinivasan said.

That explains the differen- ce in financing penetration between ICE and e-two-wheelers. “Currently, petrol two-wheeler financing penetration is 80% plus,” said Nikunj Sanghi, MD of JS Fourwheel, Hero Motocorp and M&M dealers. While, “financing penetration of e-two wheelers have gone from 15-20% around 18 months ago to 40-45% now with 80% financing coming from banks,” said Mahajan.

EV financing has also seen rate revisions in the past one year. Public sector Indian Overseas Bank for instance has increased the rate of inter- est for EV four-wheelers by 25 basis points to 8.65-10.15% from 8.4-9.9% a year ago due to revision in repo-linked lending rate. However, its rate of interest on EV two-wheelers remains the same at 11%. The bank also provides 0.2% interest concession for e-four-wheelers “to promote clean energy and environment”, said IOB MD & CEO Ajay Kumar Srivastava. L&T Finance has also hiked rates on EV financing by 1-1.5 percentage points in a year. “Currently, it is 8.5-9.5% (flat). The range is due to the different risk profiling of clients,” said a spokesperson.

In commercial vehicles, where EV adoption is higher than PVs, there has not been much change in rates and EVs are more competitive than ICE. Reason: captive NBFCs. Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility said: “We leverage the synergies of Hinduja Leyland Finance, the financing arm within our group, utilising financial infrastructure to provide competitive financing options for customers.”

Food cos step up vigil, e-tailers ready to ‘delist’

Contamination Cases Lead To Policy Overhaul

Asmita.Dey@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: E-commerce platforms are stepping up product checks in their dark stores and warehouses to ensure consumer safety amid a spate of instances of food contamination.

Plans are afoot to rejig internal policies, with some platforms even willing to delist sellers in case of repeated violation of safety protocols on their part. Quick commerce firm Zepto is considering rolling out a recall policy, where if a customer of the platform finds any instance of food contamination in a product manufactured and marketed by an FMCG brand, the company will recall the entire batch of products, sources told TOI.

“As platforms, we have zero visibility into the manufacturing processes of FMCG brands. Such episodes of food contamination reflect lapses on the manufacturing side of the brands. The onus is on them. We try our best to comply with the quality parameters that are under our control,” the CEO of an online platform said on condition of anonymity. Zepto did not comment.

Once a product is sealed, platforms cannot control its quality, an executive with another online firm said. “We already have a policy in place wherein we delist sellers if we find any serious lapses on their part. That’s the toughest step we can take and if required, we will do that,” the executive added.

As far as brands are concerned, they are tightening vigilance on the manufacturing process. iD Fresh Food, for instance, plans to deploy AI cameras in its manufacturing plants for better inspection of the procedures. “Food contamination usually happens at the factory level and in certain cases, it can also occur when the storage is improper. We have quality inspectors who do the due diligence but with AI cameras, the process will be strengthened,” said P CMusthafa, global CEO and co-founder at iD Fresh Food, the maker of idli, dosa batter, parathas and chapatis.

Hershey’s India, which came under the scanner recently after a customer alleged finding a dead mouse in the brand’s chocolate syrup, said that every product undergoes multiple quality checks before reaching consumers. “We have investigated these reports and verified all our food safety and production processes. We are confident that we have the right measures in place to ensure food safety and this kind of alleged contamination is not possible,” the company said, adding that it received no response from the customer even after repeated attempts to establish contact, further suggesting that the claim is not “legitimate”.

Ice cream maker Baskin Robbins said that the brand has stringent process controls in place entailing evalua- tion at various stages, right from procurement of raw material to production and storage. “Adoption of technology at various stages of the production process including fully automated machines, scanners and metal detectors helps identify and segregate products with issues and ma- intain the sanctity of the process. As a brand that customers trust, the onus is on us to keep the vigil,” said Mohit Khattar, CEO at Graviss Foods, which is the master franchisee of the brand in India.

Angshu Mallick, MD & CEO at Adani Wilmar, said that all its plants are AIB (American Institute for Baking) approved, which is the benchmark standard quality for any factory and the firm’s understanding of the India market makes it better equipped to deal with quality issues. “In light of recent incidences, Food Business Operators should revisit their GMP (goods manufacturing practices) systems and processes and ensure adequacy to the evolving delivery platforms,” said Deepak Jolly, chairperson, Ind Food & Beverage Association (IFBA).

Moving On From FDs? Manage Exposure With Equity Savings Funds

TOI IN THE CLASSROOM

Amidst high valuations, wealth managers believe conservative investors moving from fixed deposits could consider an investment in equity savings funds that invest 15-25% of their corpus in large-cap stocks and give the benefit of equity taxation.

What Are Equity Savings Funds?

Equity savings schemes are funds that belong to the hybrid category. They invest in a mix of equity, debt and arbitrage opportunities. A scheme in this category invests in equity and debt securities, employing a combination of three investment strategies — pure equity (net long equity), arbitrage plays, and debt. The net long equity exposure is generally in large-cap cos, which generates capital appreciation. Allocation to arbitrage opportunities and debt securities provides income and generates stable returns for the portfolio.

What Is The Portfolio’s Composition?

Typically, equity could constitute 65-90% of the portfolio, of which arbitrage opportunities could be 25-75%, unhedged equities at 15-40% based on the fund manager’s strategy, and debt and money market instruments making up the remaining 10-35%. If the fund manager is positive on equities, he would generally opt to have a higher allocation in the portfolio. Conservative fund managers typically keep it at 15-25%, with equity comprising primarily large-cap cos. The debt portion, too, is conservatively managed by investing in AAA-rated paper or govt securities with low duration.

How Are These Funds Taxed?

The portfolio of these schemes is structured so that the corpus invested in stocks and arbitrage remains above 65%. Hence, they are classified as equity mutual funds for taxation purposes. Investors pay 15% as short-term capital gains tax if the holding period is less than a year and 10% as long-term capital gains tax for a holding period of more than a year and for gains above 1 lakh, making these schemes attractive for investors in the 30% tax slab.

Who Are They Suitable For?

Over the last three years, according to data from Value Research, this category of funds delivered a return of 9.39%. Financial planners believe these schemes work for investors looking for returns above fixed deposits over three years, first-time mutual fund investors moving from FDs, and investors worried about high volatility in pure equity funds. These funds typically suit investors seeking equity exposure with low volatility and having a short-term time horizon of 1-3 years. The tax advantage is a bonus.

PRASHANT MAHESH

Editorial

- Fix It, GOI

- Helping The Help

- It’s hair-razing

- Examine Our Exam-Nation

- ‘No reason why INDIA can’t win the next Bihar assembly elections, even if advanced…Our vote share has shot up’

- Develop The Ability To Make Enlightened Choices

- CONTRAPUNTO

- Sacred space

Fix It, GOI

The future of India’s young depends on govt thinking creatively on reforming exams

Misery piles on for our young examinees. Last Wednesday, education ministry cancelled UGC-NET exam, conducted a day earlier, fearing a paper leak. On Saturday, it postponed NEET-PG exam scheduled for the next day, over “logistical issues”. When seen together with NEET-UG controversies, the message is loud and clear: something is seriously wrong with the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) functioning. And fixing the problem poses the first big challenge for new NDA govt.

Problems evident for long | The crisis may have blown up this year, but the signs have been there for years. Exams like NEET and JEE conducted by NTA have run into controversies regularly. In NEET 2022, CBI had to step in following allegations of impersonation in the exam. In 2021, a Russian hacker even hacked into the software for that year’s JEE to help examinees cheat.

It is the reluctance of authorities to take timely action against such episodes that is responsible for the present mess. This was made clear, when despite ample evidence, the education ministry remained in denial of a paper leak in this year’s NEET, ordering a CBI inquiry only on Saturday.

Remedy has failed us | What is galling is that NTA was put in place precisely to weed out issues we are facing today. So, one of the questions that needs to be asked is whether there are in-built flaws in conducting a mammoth exam like NEET, with 2.4mn examinees taking it in 13 languages across 4,500 centres.

It is welcome that govt has set up a high-powered committee to examine NTA’s functioning and recommend ways for fair conduct of exams. It has also brought into effect the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 to prevent use of unfair means in public exams.

Nothing should be off table | But the panel’s work will have to be more than a bureaucratic exercise if the system is to be rid of its flaws. We need genuine reforms that address the spectrum of concerns that experts have been raising. The use of technology that allows algorithmic question patterns is one answer to paper leaks in avast system with innumerable nodes. Conducting exams more than once a year, as is the case in US, is another option to be considered. But decentralising the exams altogether is an option govt mustn’t shy away from. The future of young Indians is at stake.

Helping The Help

At home or abroad, Indians treat domestic workers as exploitable, cheap labour

Britain’s wealthiest family, the Hindujas, appealing a Swiss court’s ruling, which found them guilty of exploiting domestic help from India, raises two important issues. First, domestic workers who go abroad for work are a vulnerable category. Second, the huge cohort of domestic workers in India continues to face exploitation because there’s no legal protection and social safety net.

Vulnerable abroad | In the Hindujas case the family is accused of underpaying workers, keeping them on call without proper breaks, confiscating their passports and paying them in Indian currency. While the family has denied these charges, it’s a reality that domestic workers working abroad often face similar employment conditions.

GOI has launched a consular grievances redressal system called MADAD. It’s a measure of the challenge that top FAQs on MADAD cover non-payment of dues, termination or absence of employment contract, and repatriation.

Vulnerable at home too | Conditions of domestic workers in India aren’t any better. According to govt data, total number of domestic workers in the country was 28mn in July 2023. The actual number is likely to be more than twice as much. GOI did enact four labour codes in 2020 aimed at providing decent working conditions and wages. But they don’t specifically cover domestic workers. Plus, despite most state govts adding domestic work to the list of scheduled employment, they haven’t implemented this on the ground. Only Kerala is moving ahead with a specific law for the welfare of domestic workers that will fix minimum wages, working hours, and ensure a safe work environment.

Learning from international examples | India needs a standalone law covering domestic workers. Asean countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, have laws that ensure weekly off days, pensions, minimum wages and even social security for domestic workers, most of whom are foreign nationals in those countries. GOI too must make a beginning in this direction for domestic workers at home.

It’s hair-razing

Man’s trial by woman’s shampoo and conditioner

Milind Ghatwai

Most men of a certain vintage can’t tell a shampoo from a conditioner. They are clueless about what goes first. They occasionally take a sly look at the colourful bottles stacked on bathroom shelves in their homes or hotels but chicken out due to fear of the unknown. But they do so at their own peril. When they get to use either, it’s a consequence of someone else’s motive – their better halves, partners, or whoever calls the shots at home.

It begins on an innocuous note. Products that don’t deliver on promised lustre, bounce, shine come their way. The guilt of leaving expensive stuff half-unused reminds women of their men. Ditto for nearly out-of-date bottles that are fobbed off with sugar-coated words.

The male is coaxed into washing his hair with whatever is left in the fancy bottles. He’s clueless about the sudden attention his scalp gets. He is happy about bubbles and foam. So far so good. After all, sharing is caring. But things get a little sinister when it comes to testing products of indeterminate provenance. Or those that say something in the fine print that you read only in the comfort of your home.

Can women be accused of unethical conduct? No. Who cares about male hair anyway? Hasn’t Bollywood sung paeans to female locks, tresses, and curls, whether bheegi, bikhari or reshami. Not to forget Urdu shayari. The male variety gets a mention only in films like Bala, where it’s for lack of it, not abundance.

Anyway, there’s only anecdotal evidence about such clinical trials at home. Will women plead guilty to the charge? Are women likely to squeal on other women? Probably these minor transgressions are covered under omerta. Men at the receiving end of such experiments must take solace in the fact that they’re helping preserve a national treasure. No need to call it a sacrifice because you are most likely to get rid of what grows on your head at the earliest.

There’s one product that some men swear by. A certain beer shampoo. The very name gives them a heady feeling, if not essential vitamins and oils. But gentlemen from the old school, who detest anything that deviates from the customary, are perplexed when they encounter a bald spot. The root cause of falling hair need not be only stress. They need to read the fine print too.

Examine Our Exam-Nation

The national testing system, centred around a three-hour exam that encourages rote learning, is broken and irreparable. What we need is a new method that employs three-year progressive evaluation

We should have a national aptitude assessment with normalised scores to wipe out state differences, and a psychometric test in grade 10 that points to the strengths of each student

KalyanTChakravarthyandHemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

India’s centralised exam system is losing credibility by the day. As GOI, which sacked NTA’s chief, is struggling to restore a semblance of order, it’s time to ask a different, more fundamental set of questions.

Fixing accountability and rescheduling exams may be all very well, but what about the impact of such decisions on young minds? In any case, should a three-hour test be a deciding factor that defines the lives of millions of young Indians? There is a serious issue with the system and we need to revisit the three Ms – mindset, methodology and modality – to fix it. And we need to look inwards for solutions.

Macaulay to Maitreyi mindset | The rise of Kota, Sikar, Hyderabad as coaching hubs should have raised red flags long ago that India’s entrance exams can be cracked with two years of intensive coaching. Worse, what students go through to do so is terrifying; coaching institutes have even gone to the extent of jamming windows and removing fans to ensure students do nothing but study and there is no untoward incident when stress drives them up the wall.

What we instead need are tests that allow for soch, moving away from a Macaulay system of measuring memory to amore holistic system that measures innate inclination(swadharma), IQ and EQ.

We need to break free of the colonial legacy and adopt an India-centric system, a version of which had been in vogue long ago – as exemplified by the Upanishadic story of Maitreyi, India’s first woman scholar – before it was replaced by Macaulay’s rote learning-based mindset.

Given the controversies we are facing, examiners can no longer be lazy; they must be imaginative and devise tests that genuinely assess the learning levels and understanding of students.

Use of technology is key | In a nation where millions of aspirants want to be a doctor or engineer, where candidates and their parents are open to paying lakhs to get their hands on a question paper and its answer key, what could possibly be the way to conduct exams? Technology offers us solutions. AI may have disrupted the jobs scenario, but it has also taught us to live with, adapt to, and embrace uncertainty.

The question to be asked is: why must our exams be so symmetrical, syllabi clearly defined, textbooks rigidly prescribed. We know deep inside that the marrow of any exam’s soul is to evaluate, not put teenagers through a pressure cooker environment that kills the joy of learning. AI can be deployed to design and pick questions from a large bank to personalise in real-time each candidate’s question paper, thus eliminating the possibility of paper leaks.

Exams with a high volume of aspirants requiring quick evaluation may not lend themselves to subjective questioning, but multiple-choice questions can be replaced by fill-in-your-choice format, allowing for infinite possibilities in solutions, with machine evaluation and immediate result generation. After candidates are filtered, a second advanced exam could ask them to defend their responses, thus reinforcing their application of learnt concepts.

From competitive exams to self-evaluation | If there is technology to rig the system, there is also enough resource to prevent the system from breaking. The present exam system is overwhelming for students. Testing them for a paltry three hours a year can jam the nerve pathways of the most robust mind and body. We need an exam modality that allows students to realise their dreams, potential and the pathway ahead. One test cannot be a single point of failure.

The New Testing system ought to be a three-year progressive evaluation, with a national general aptitude assessment with normalised scores to wipe out state differences. A part of this would be a psychometric test in grade 10, which assesses the strengths of each candidate, and what she is best at pursuing. Before an entrance test is held, grades 11 and 12 should have focused national tests, including those assessing special aptitudes like writing code or creating music.

Such an early feedback system for self-selection would allow several things to happen: a potential writer, economist, artist, or musician would be freed of the pressure to live the wry half-lives they would as engineers or lawyers. Also, it would reduce crowding into three or five entrance exams of the country.

Second, tests need to be offered on an on-demand basis. Third, students must be allowed to choose from more than one national testing agency. Open book exams are also an option to be considered.

The examination system needs to be reimagined, recalibrated and revised, as the existing model is not working. Indian exams need Indian solutions. We owe our students new ways of testing them, so that, once evaluated, they can go back to deriving joy and wonder from constant learning and discovery.

Chakravarthy is executive director of PanIIT Alumni Reach for India Foundation

‘No reason why INDIA can’t win the next Bihar assembly elections, even if advanced…Our vote share has shot up’

Q&A

Days after LS results, parties in Bihar are already preparing for 2025 assembly polls. State party CPI-ML has returned to Parliament after 35 years with two MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha. In a stunning comeback in 2020 Bihar polls, the radical Left party won 12 seats. Party general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, credited with CPI-ML’s electoral revival, tells Subodh Ghildiyal about lost opportunity in Siwan and Saran, where Lalu’s daughter Rohini Acharya narrowly lost by 13.6k votes, and sharp spike in INDIA’s EBC vote shares.

● SP-led opposition did very well in UP, but RJD’s score in Bihar was underwhelming.

Though their socio-economic profile may be similar, the situation was very different in the two states. UP, after all, is the laboratory of ‘bulldozer raj’. It has seen much worse caste oppression and anti-Muslim violence than Bihar. Of course, INDIA bloc in Bihar could have put up a better performance with better management of seat-sharing, choice of candidate and campaign execution. That said, outcome of eastern UP and south Bihar is quite on the same level.

In the final phase, INDIA won 6 of 13 seats in Purvanchal, and 6 of 8 in adjoining region of south Bihar. As an example of better seat-sharing, we had a legitimate claim over Siwan, which could’ve helped us and INDIA win not only one more seat, but also improve our chances in adjoining constituencies, including Saran that RJD lost by a very narrow margin. Likewise, friction between an Independent and RJD over Purnea possibly weakened INDIA prospects over seats in Koshi-Seemanchal.

● Will INDIA have a good show in assembly polls?

In 2020, we bounced back after a crushing defeat in 2019. This time, our LS performance in terms of vote share and seats has been much better. There’s no reason why INDIA cannot secure a clear victory in the next assembly-elections even if they’re held ahead of schedule.

This was the first time CPI-ML contested LS elections in alliance with RJD – Left as a bloc wasn’t part of RJD-Congress alliance in 2019. Impact of Left’s inclusion in general, and ML in particular, saw massive-improvement in INDIA vote share. CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey found that vote share increased by 38 percentage points among non-Paswan Dalits, by 28 among Paswans, by 9 percentage points among non-Yadav OBCs and by 7 among Muslims.

INDIA should consolidate these gains and prepare for the next battle without delay.

● CPI-ML is in Parliament after decades. Do you see a bigger sustainable trend?

In the past we’ve won independently in multicorner contests, winning assembly seats on our own. But our votes weren’t enough to win an LS contest. But we still finished second on seats like Siwan and Ara in Bihar, and Koderma in Jharkhand.

This time, support of INDIA allies has been as crucial to our victories, as was our support for their wins. Both our MPs are farmer netas who represent Shahabad and Magadh regions. Eight of our 12 MLAs also represent this region. More focused attention to developmental needs here alongside the struggle to improve education, healthcare and housing needs, jobs and conditions of scheme workers will help the party expand.

● How can parties like Congress improve opposition’s political strategy without taking a radical tack, like, say, CPI-ML?

Not for me to advise other parties. Congress has nearly doubled its tally, indicating a significant revival. Perhaps this also calls for a certain degree of reinvention and reorientation of policies. There are signs that Congress is moving in that direction. Greater emphasis on social equality, adequate representation of sections so far excluded, common people’s economic welfare, and people-oriented development can help pro-democracy forces come closer.

● How do you see the way forward for BJP govt at Centre?

BJP aimed for 370 seats, but fell short by 130! Certainly a big defeat. Sangh-BJP forces may have to go a little slow in terms of implementation of their core agenda. Modi 2.0 was marked by escalation, acceleration and all-out aggression. I only hope democracy can prevail more decisively. The broad spectrum of political forces, civil society and digital community aligned with INDIA will have to continue to work in unison.

● Do you think TDP and JDU will cramp BJP’s style?

Not majorly, but the threat of JDU and TDP moving away will haunt BJP. Its previous allies Shiv Sena and Akali Dal paid a heavy price; parties like BJD, YSRCP, BRS and AIADMK also suffered while supporting BJP at the national level. If TDP and JDU move away, no potential ally would risk joining hands with BJP.

Develop The Ability To Make Enlightened Choices

THE SPEAKING TREE

BK Brij Mohan

Yog consists of profound and subtle teachings; it is described as the supreme secret revealed by God. Yog is “evenness of mind” and “skill in action,” chapter 2 of the Bhagwad Gita enunciates. “Established in yog, perform action,” Krishn exhorts Arjun. Later, in chapter 8, Arjun is asked to always be steadfast in yog. These examples from the Gita make it clear that yog is more about our state of mind and way of life than mere physical postures.

Its goal is bigger than attaining perfect physical health and fitness. The practice of yog, in all its aspects, including action without attachment to the result, devotion to God, acquisition of knowledge, and control over the self, leads to freedom from the bondage of vices and liberation from sorrow.

Yog is an essential component of not just spiritual practices but also ethical conduct and a life of virtue. The purity of mind that comes from regular practice of meditation, a key element of yog, enables one to have accurate discernment and the right judgment, which leads to correct action, success, and happiness.

If the mind is tainted by vices, it distorts our perception of people and situations, negatively influencing our conduct and decision-making. Purity of mind is fundamental to fostering divine qualities, while an impure mind is the breeding ground of demoniacal tendencies, as the Gita envisages in chapter 16. Yog holds the key to transforming an evil mind into a pure one.

The protection of the good, destruc- tion of evil, and establishment of righteousness that God manifests for – as He tells Arjun in chapter 4 of the Gita – is done by His teachings of yog. It enables humans to know their true spiritual identity and connect with Him to empower themselves and overcome their weaknesses.

The yog taught by God is Raj Yog, meant for the salvation of all. It is a spiritual process and practice capable of being universally adopted and undertaken even by the elderly. This king of yog enables the self to rule over the senses and sublimate worldly desires and attachments. It also leads to the purification of the soul and freedom from sorrow.

In Raj Yog, the Self is recognised as an immortal being, a sentient nonphysical entity or as a divine point of light twinkling between and behind eyebrows. In the process of Raj Yog, our mind and intellect stay connected to the Supreme Soul through His loving remembrances, even while doing our daily duties.

Regular practice of Raj Yog draws into the soul the powers and virtues of the Divine and transforms it from weak to powerful, from disturbed to peaceful, from its subservience to passions, people and situations to being master of the self, unshaken by circumstances.

Raj Yog is an ancient art and skill that restores intellectual communion with the Supreme Being. It’s not just about achieving physical well-being but also about learning a better way of life by developing the ability to make more enlightened choices.

The writer is chief spokesperson for Brahma Kumaris Organisation

CONTRAPUNTO

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled

PLUTARCH

Sacred space

The truth knocks on the door and you say, ‘Go away, I’m looking for the truth,’ and so it goes away. Puzzling.

Robert M Pirsig

Times Global

- Pak opposition contests PM’s nationwide military op plan

- Netanyahu doubles down on criticism of US arms supply

- France’s far-right party leads in opinion poll

- Egypt says will prosecute haj travel agents for ‘fraudulent’ trips

- WATER WOES FORCE ITALY’S HOLIDAY HOTSPOT TO BRIEFLY BAN TOURISTS

- UK election betting scandal widens as 4th Tory official is probed

- Russia blames US for deadly Ukrainian strike on Crimea

- AROUND THE WORLD

- Trump proposes a ‘migrant league of fighters’ for UFC

- 32-yr-old Indian dies in US store shooting

- Yacht fireworks spark blaze on Greek island

- A school with 7 students: America is witnessing a ‘microschools’ boom

Pak opposition contests PM’s nationwide military op plan

Omer Farooq Khan | TNN

Islamabad:Opposition parties in Pakistan criticised PM Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to initiate a nationwide military operation named Azm-i-Istehkam (Commitment for Stability), which aims to eradicate extremism and terrorism in the country. The move came shortly after Beijing warned Islamabad and identified security as a critical challenge threatening China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Former PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, alongside other opposition lawmakers, rejected the military operation without prior parliamentary consultation. “It is our demand that if there is any operation, whether intelligence-based or full-fledged or in certain districts, villages, or tehsils, it is necessary to take parliament into confidence,” PTI chairman Gohar Khan said. He called for an in-camera briefing by military officers, referencing previous practices.Leader of the opposition Omar Ayub Khan echoed the call for parliament‘s approval for military operations.

Militants have increasingly targeted Chinese interests in Pakistan, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions, including CPEC. In March, two attacks highlighted the ongoing threats: an attempted breach of Gwadar Port Authority complex by Baloch Liberation Army and a suicide bombing in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting a convoy of Chinese engineers, resulting in multiple fatalities.

High-ranking Chinese official Liu Jianchao underscored the security threats to CPEC as primary hazards to the project’s cooperation and success. “As people often say, confidence is more precious than gold. In the case of Pakistan, the primary factor shaking the confidence of Chinese investors is the security situation,” he said.

Netanyahu doubles down on criticism of US arms supply

Israeli Def Minister In Washington For ‘Reconciliation’ Efforts

Tens of thousands of protesters waving Israeli flags and chanting slogans against Netanyahu’s govt rallied in Tel Aviv Saturday, demanding elections

Jerusalem:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aired new grievances Sunday over the Biden administration’s supply of munitions for the war in the Gaza Strip as his minister of defence arrived in Washington for meetings with senior US officials.

Some Israeli news outlets had portrayed the visit by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, although preplanned, as a “reconciliation” trip aimed at smoothing recent tensions with the country’s most crucial ally. Netanyahu’s govt and the Biden administration have been increasingly at odds over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, and Netanyahu lashed out at the United States last week for withholding munitions.

But Sunday morning, Netanyahu doubled down. In remarks broadcast in Hebrew before his weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said he appreciated the Biden administration’s support for Israel through eight months of war, “but starting four months ago, there was a dramatic decrease in the supply of armaments.” “For long weeks, we turned to our American friends and requested that the shipments be expedited. We did that time after time,” Netanyahu said.

There was no immediate comment from the Biden administration about the remarks, which could upstage Gallant in Washington. They come just days after Netanyahu released a combative video, in English, excoriating the Biden administration for, as the Israeli leader put it, withholding weapons and ammunition when Israel was “fighting for its life” against Iran and other common enemies.

US officials said at the time that they found the video “perplexing” and did not know what Netanyahu was talking about. While the Israeli prime minister complained of “bottlenecks”, the Biden administration maintained that it had held up only one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about their use in densely populated parts of Gaza.

Yuli Edelstein, a Likud lawmaker and chair of the Israeli Parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee, said Saturday that differences of opinion with the US should not be handled “via video clips.” Netanyahu on Sunday defended his actions, saying he went public based on “years of experience and the knowledge that this step was vital to opening the bottleneck.”

NYT

Israeli troops strap injured Palestinian to jeep in W Bank

Israeli troops tied a wounded Palestinian to the top of a military vehicle Saturday morning during an operation in the occupied West Bank, a scene that was captured on video and quickly went viral, prompting outrage. The Israeli military said that the act violated military procedure and that there would be an investigation.

Israeli soldiers raided Wadi Burqin, a Palestinian town on the outskirts of the city of Jenin, to arrest Palestinians suspected of involvement in militant groups. A firefight broke out between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers, the military said. Israeli troops arrested a Palestinian injured in the shooting. “In violation of orders, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle,” the military said. The troops handed over the wounded Palestinian to the Palestinian Red Crescent for medical care, it added. The occupied West Bank has seen increasing violence since the war began. Over 500 Palestinians and 12 Israelis have been killed in the territory.

NYT

France’s far-right party leads in opinion poll

Paris:France's far right National Rally (RN) party and its allies are seen leading the first round of the country's parliamentary elections with 35.5% of the vote, according to a poll published Sunday. The Ipsos survey conducted for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19-20 — showed the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance in second place with 29.5% of the vote. Prez Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance was seen in third place, winning 19.5% of votes.

The turnout rate is seen at between 60 and 64%, which would be much higher than the 47.5% seen at the last general election in June 2022.

The RN’s lead in polls ahead of the election that will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, is unlikely to win the party an absolute majority. Macron called the ballot after his alliance’s crushing defeat at EU polls earlier this month.

In a separate Ipsos survey, the National Rally is seen as the most trustworthy when it comes to managing the economy and public finances.

REUTERS

Ex-prez Hollande says once-protege Macron’s ascent over: ‘Far-right has never been so strong’

French Prez Macron’s ascendancy is “over”, former head of state Francois Hollande said Saturday, after his former protege called a snap election likely to hand massive gains to the far right. Suffering at the time from abysmal poll ratings, Socialist Hollande did not himself stand for a second term at the 2017 election. Running as a pro-business centrist, his former economy minister Macron pulled off a surprise win that shattered traditional governing parties on the left and the right. Now just two years into the younger man’s second term, “Macronism is over, if indeed it ever existed. But it's over, I say it with no special hostility,” Hollande said. “I don’t mean that his presidential term is coming to an end, that’s something different. But what he may have represented for a time is over,” he added.“The far right has never been so strong.”

AFP

Egypt says will prosecute haj travel agents for ‘fraudulent’ trips

Cairo: Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly ordered 16 tourism companies stripped of their licences and referred their managers to the public prosecutor Saturday over illegal pilgrimages to Mecca, the cabinet said. The PM also imposed a fine on the companies to benefit families of the pilgrims who died.

The order came after countries whose citizens performed this year’s haj reported more than 1,100 deaths, many attributed to the oven-like summer heat in Saudi Arabia. An AFP tally Friday put the toll at 1,126, more than half of them from Egypt. Arab diplomats said earlier this week Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths — 630 of them unregistered pilgrims.

Prez Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ordered a “crisis cell” headed by Madbouly follow up on the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims.

A cabinet statement said the rise in the number of deaths of unregistered Egyptian pilgrims stemmed from some companies which “organised the haj programmes using a personal visit visa, which prevents its holders from entering Mecca” via official channels. It added more than 50,000 Egyptians joined the pilgrimage officially, and that there were “31 deaths as a result of chronic diseases”.

AFP

WATER WOES FORCE ITALY’S HOLIDAY HOTSPOT TO BRIEFLY BAN TOURISTS

The Italian island of Capri lifted a ban on tourists Saturday after problems with the water supply to the holiday hotspot were resolved. Capri’s mayor Paolo Falco said the ban was ‘revoked’ after a technical issue preventing the arrival of water from the mainland was fixed. The ban was announced early Saturday, forcing several morning ferries on their way to the island from Naples and Sorrento in southern Italy to return to port. In justifying the ban, Falco warned of ‘a real emergency’ and said that local tanks were ‘running out’. Capri, in the Bay of Naples, is famed for its white villas, cove-studded coastline and upscale hotels. In May and June, Capri was the most popular Italian destination among foreigners.

AFP

‘AKIN TO PARTYGATE’

UK election betting scandal widens as 4th Tory official is probed

London: The chief data officer of Britain’s Conservative Party has taken a leave of absence, British media reported on Sunday, following growing allegations that the governing party’s members used inside information to bet on the date of Britain’s July 4 national election before it was announced.

Sunday Times and others reported that Nick Mason is the fourth Conservative official to be investigated by the UK’s Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election. The Times alleged that dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings worth thousands of pounds.

The reports came after revelations in recent days that two Conservative election candidates, Laura Saunders and Craig Williams, are under investigation by the gambling watchdog. Saunders’ husband Tony Lee, the Conservative director of campaigning, has also taken a leave of absence following allegations that he was also investigated over alleged betting.

Police said one of PM Rishi Sunak’s police bodyguards was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest came after the gambling regulator confirmed it was investigating “the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election.”

The growing scandal, just two weeks ahead of the national election, has dealt a fresh blow to Sunak’s Conservative Party, which is widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.

Sunak said this week that he was “incredibly angry” to learn of the allegations and said that anyone found to have broken the law should be expelled from his party. Sunak announced on May 22 that parliamentary elections would be held on July 4. The date had been a closely guarded secret and many were taken by surprise because a vote had been expected in the fall.

Senior Conservative minister Michael Gove condemned the alleged betting and likened it to “Partygate,” the ethics scandal that contributed to former PM Boris Johnson’s ouster in 2022. “It looks like one rule for them and one rule for us. That’s the most potentially damaging thing.”

AP

Russia blames US for deadly Ukrainian strike on Crimea

Says US Missiles Used In Attack That Left 5 Dead, 124 Hurt

A partial electricity cut in Kyiv. Ukraine’s energy operator said Sunday that rolling electricity blackouts will be imposed nationwide throughout Monday because of increased Russian attacks on power stations

Moscow: Russia said on Sunday that the US was responsible for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with five US-supplied missiles that killed at least five people including three children. At least 124 were injured, including 27 children, five of whom are in a serious condition.

Russian defence ministry said four of the US-delivered Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defence systems and the ammunition of a fifth had detonated in mid-air. The ministry said US specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from US spy satellites, meaning Washington was directly responsible. “Responsibility for the deliberate missile attack on the civilians of Sevastopol is borne above all by Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and by the Kyiv regime, from whose territory this strike was carried out.”

The US began supplying Ukraine with longer range ATACMS missiles, which have a 300-km range, earlier this year. Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said missile fragments had fallen near a beach in Sevastopol where locals were holidaying. Russia will respond to the attack, the ministry said.

Neither Ukraine nor the US has commented on the attack, which came on a day when Ukraine said one person had been killed and 10 others wounded by Russian strikes on Kharkiv.

REUTERS

Religious sites, police post attacked in Russia’s Dagestan; 6 cops, a priest die

Moscow: Gunmen opened fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church and a police post in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, killing six policemen and injuring 12, the region’s interior ministry was quoted as saying. The ministry, quoted by Russian news agencies, said two gunmen had been shot dead as the incidents unfolded. An Orthodox priest was also reported to have been killed.

The agencies reported that street fights were gripping Makhachkala, the chief administrative town in Dagestan, a mainly Muslim region on the Caspian Sea.

An unofficial channel on Telegram said police were preparing to storm a building where gunmen were holed up in Derbent, about 125km further south.

The gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent, home to an ancient Jewish community and a Unesco World Heritage site. The interior ministry was quoted as saying that both the synagogue and church were ablaze.

REUTERS

AROUND THE WORLD

FESTIVE CHARM: Ukrainians jump over a campfire during a celebration on the Ivana Kupala holiday, an ancient tradition originating from pagan times, which is marked with overnight festivities during which people sing and dance around campfires believing it will purge them of their sins and make them healthier. Hundreds participated in the event amid the war with Russia

This is the world’s ugliest dog. It took him 5 tries to win

Maybe it’s the way his lolling pink tongue juts out, or how his glittering wide eyes bejewel a tiny head under amop of long, frizzy, brownand-white fur, but there’s just something about Wild Thang — and a panel of judges agreed. The 8-year-old Pekingese from Oregon was crowned the World’s Ugliest Dog on Friday, confirming that when the looks are, well, lacking, there’s something to be said for persistence. It was his fifth try for the top prize at the competition. As winner, Wild Thang takes home $5,000.

‘Widespread disruption’ at UK airport after power cut

A “significant” number of flights at the UK’s third-busiest airport were delayed or cancelled Sunday after a major power cut, the airport operator said. Power has now been restored at the international airport in the north of England, but some passengers were told to “not come to the airport until further notice” as flights were being cancelled.Some flyers took to Xto describe the “chaos”, with one passenger saying there was “baggage thrown on any carousel” and another saying they were “stuck on the plane”.

Wild Thang has won a $5,000 prize

Trump proposes a ‘migrant league of fighters’ for UFC

Former US Prez Donald Trump said Sunday in an address to an evangelical group he had suggested starting a sports league for migrants to fight one another. He described migrants with the dehumanising terms he often uses to refer to them, saying they were “tough”, “come from prisons” and are “nasty, mean.” Trump then said he suggested to Dana White, an ally of his who is CEO of the UFC, “Why don’t you set up a migrant league of fighters?” He continued, referring to the UFC: “And then you have the champion of your league — these are the greatest fighters in the world — fight the champion of the migrants? I think the migrant guy might win! That’s how tough they are.” Trump also said White “didn’t like the idea too much.”

White, when asked,said, “It was a joke, it was a joke. I saw everybody going crazy online. But yeah, he did say it.”

NYT

32-yr-old Indian dies in US store shooting

DGopi Krishna, who is survived by a wife and a one-and-a-half-yearold son, travelled to the US 8 months ago in job search. He had an engineering degree

Madhu.Rasala@timesgroup.com

A 32-year-old Andhra Pradesh native in the US died Sunday of gunshot wounds inflicted by a robber who attacked him at the counter of a gas station convenience store in Pleasant Grove, Dallas, the previous day

CCTV footage of the crime shows the assailant shooting D Gopi Krishna, whose family is from Yajali in Karlapalem mandal of Bapatla district, at close range before hopping over the counter to reach the cash till. Gopi, who had an Indian engineering degree with which he hoped to land a proper job, was employed at the store counter when he was shot and critically wounded. He died hours after being hospitalised.

D Laxman, Gopi’s un- cle, told TOI that the young man with a wife and a one-and-a-half-year-old son travelled to the US eight months ago for job opportunities. He was staying with a relative.

Gopi’s body will be flown to his hometown on Wednesday, Laxman said. Srikanth Damarla, a family friend, is raising funds on GoFundMe to help pay for repatriation of the body and other expenses. “Gopi was a caring, hardworking individual who had been there for his loved ones. He had a heart full of aspirations,” Srikanth said.

Yacht fireworks spark blaze on Greek island

Athens:A Greek prosecutor Sunday brought criminal charges against the captain and crew of a chartered yacht suspected of triggering a forest fire on a resort island in the Aegean Sea during a firework display. The blaze on Hydra destroyed about 75 acres of pine forest Friday.

The crew of the yacht, which was anchored just off where the fire started with 17 tourists on board, were arrested Saturday when they docked near Athens. The tourists were not detained or charged.

State-run ERT said the crew was charged under stricter legislation adopted recently and would face sentences of 10-20 years in prison if convicted.

AP

A school with 7 students: America is witnessing a ‘microschools’ boom

NEW WAY OF LEARNING: There are estimated 95,000 microschools across the US, serving more than 1m students. And this number is expected to grow

Atlanta:When Nathanael was in kindergarten, he told his mother, Diana Lopez, that he did not want to return to school — ever. His teacher yelled at him, he said. And when Lopez picked him up from school, he would often immediately start to cry. Nathanael has autism, and in a busy classroom of 25 children, the teacher seemed to have few strategies for working with him, Lopez recalled. This year at a new school, Nathanael, 7, was happier. He shared a teacher with only six other students — not in one classroom, but in the entire school.

Nathanael attended a mi- croschool, an increasingly popular type of super-small, largely unregulated private school, often serving fewer students than are enrolled in a single classroom at a traditional school. The programmes are benefitting from two trends: Since the Covid-19 disrupted schooling, many parents have rethought their children’s education, and are open to nontraditional options. And Republican state lawmakers and donors, who have long supported private-school choice, have increasingly directed money toward microschools across the US, saying they give parents a chance to withdraw from school districts at a reasonable price — typically $5,000 to $10,000 per year.

Microschool students are usually registered with their states as home-schoolers. But the new generation of microschools, like the programme Nathanael attended, Kingdom Seed Christian Academy, operates more like modern-day one room schoolhouses, meeting in homes, church basements and storefronts. These schools are often open four or five days per week, with full-time teachers, set curricula and sometimes even standardised tests.

There is little data on the schools. But the National Microschooling Centre, an advocacy group that surveys pro- gramme founders, estimates there are 95,000 microschools and home-schooling pods na- tionwide, serving more than 1 million students. That number is expected to grow as eight states last year joined Arizona and West Virginia in providing near-universal access to education savings accounts, a type of voucher that can be used for home-schooling costs. In April, Georgia, too, passed a law creating the accounts. An estimated 1million children now use public funds for some form of private education, more than double the number from before the pandemic, according to new research from EdChoice, a nonprofit that supports school choice and tracks the sector.

NYT

Times Sport

- STAYIN’ ALIVE

- Toppers Spain aim to see Albania fail

- AN ITALIAN’S JOB

- Lukaku stays ‘offside’ but Belgium in sight of goal

- ALBANIA’S DAKU BANNED FOR TWO GAMES AFTER NATIONALIST CHANTS

- FIELD-SIDE SECURITY INCREASED IN BID TO STOP PITCH INVADERS

- Brazil look for fresh start after period of turmoil

- MEXICO EDGE JAMAICA; SUPER SUBS GIVE VENEZUELA A WIN

- Semifinal spot on the line as South Africa take on co-hosts West Indies

- Miller rapped for Code of Conduct breach

- If not Windies, Viv backs India to win title

- PAYBACK TIME FOR INDIA?

- Inspired Afghanistan give Oz a reality check

- Could not sleep in Mumbai after loss to Oz, can’t sleep today too: Rashid

- Jordan, Buttler power England into semifinals

- Kuldeep enjoying the challenge of being a step ahead of batters

- The race to the T20 WC semis

- GALLERY

- Aditi climbs to T-43 at PGA C’ship

- IOA proposes medical insurance, pension for all ex-Olympians

- Sinner’s first on grass

- India drub SA by 6 wickets to sweep women’s ODI series 3-0

- Verstappen pips Norris to top spot

- NADA suspends Bajrang again, serves him ‘notice’

- Prajwal bro’s case handed to CID

- 22 TN fishermen held by Lanka over ‘poaching’

- Rahul thanks people of Wayanad for ‘unbridled love’

- Caught by surprise, JD(S) distances itself from case

- Muslims with Kunbi certs too should get OBC quota: Jarange

- Canada permits for desi students at new low

- Salvi is Indian women’s team’s bowling coach

STAYIN’ ALIVE

Croatia Face Defending Champs Italy In Crunch Survival Clash; Azzurri Need A Draw To Advance

Leipzig: Group B was dubbed Euro 2024’s ‘Group of Death’ but while Spain soared through with a game to spare, heavyweights Italy and Croatia meet on Monday fighting to stay in the competition.

Both sides were outclassed by Spain, and while reigning champions Italy edged Albania 2-1, Croatia could only draw 2-2 with the minnows. It gives Italy the upper hand ahead of their clash in Leipzig, with Croatia’s golden generation at risk of a disappointingly early exit if they fail to win. Croatia, who reached the 2018 and 2022 World Cup final and semi-final respectively, may make several changes as they scrap for Euros survival.

Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, playing in Saudi Arabia, has come in for criticism after sub-par outings in the first two matches, while Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, 38, has also struggled Full-back Ivan Perisic has looked a shadow of himself, still to find his footing after a long injury lay-off.

“It makes me cry when I watch (Modric) on the pitch, he is giving his last atoms of strength... but he is not (the Modric) we are used to seeing,” read one column in Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List.

Youngster Luka Sucic could replace Brozovic, as he did at halftime against Albania. Striker Bruno Petkovic, who missed a penalty in the 3-0 beating by Spain, called on Croatia to deliver for their vast support in Germany.

“The responsibility is on us, we owe it to our fans to show more,” he said. “I expect us to beat Italy, and I hope it’s going to happen. We are aware of everything we did or didn’t do in the first two matches, and we need to fix that.”

Coach Zlatko Dalic complained ahead of the game he was not being given credit when Croatia did well but was immediately criticised when they struggle. “I have learned some things in these seven years where there have been far more successes than failures,” he said.

Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was positive ahead of the clash with the Euro 2020 winners.

“We control our own fate -that’s a good thing,” said the stopper, who shone at the Qatar World Cup, saving a penalty in a shoot-out against Brazil to take Croatia to the semis. Italy need a draw against Croatia to claim second place but after being thoroughly outplayed in their 1-0 loss to Spain, expectations are not high for the Azzurri.

Newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport labelled them “Little Italy”, a far cry from the steely team which beat England at Wembley. The coach could also ring the changes with striker Mateo Retegui in contention, along with defender Matteo Darmian, who could replace Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

AFP

GROUP B EQUATION

● Croatia will be through as group runners-up if they beat Italy and Albania do not beat Spain.

● If Albania also win, Croatia and Albania will be split for 2nd and 3rd place by overall goal difference or then goals scored, or then disciplinary points or then Euro Qualifiers rank.

● Croatia will be unable to advance if they lose, or if they draw and Albania avoid defeat.

What ails Croatia?

POSSESSION 60.5%: Croatia are third in the possession stats with 60.5% behind only Germany and Portugal, but Croatia have 1 point.

TOPS EXPECTED GOALS METRIC: The Croats top Opta’s expected goals metric, ahead of Spain, 2nd on completed passes into the penalty area, with 27, behind Germany (28), and in the same position for shots on 37, again (Ger 38). Turning dominance into goals has proved tough.

(STATS TILL SUNDAY)

Toppers Spain aim to see Albania fail

Dusseldorf: Spain are already qualified for the Euro 2024 round of 16 as Group B winners and is the only team yet to concede a goal. If they are to qualify, Albania will likely to need a win that would rank among all-time great upsets. The kickoff in Dusseldorf is at the same time as group rivals Croatia and Italy meet in Leipzig.

Spain’s slick, confident performance in their 1-0 win over defending champions Italy means they — European champions in 1964, 2008 and 2012 — are once again being hailed as favourites for the title. Germany and Portugal were the only other teams to win their opening two games.

The one possible negative from Spain’s win over Italy was that it took an own goal from Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.

No Spain player has scored since Dani Carvajal just before half time in the opening 3-0 win over Croatia. Albania scored the opening goal in both of their games — breaking a record with one after just 23 seconds — but ended up with just one point after a 2-1 loss to Italy and a dramatic 2-2 draw with Croatia.

Spain midfielder Rodri is suspended for the game. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will have to consider whether to rest right back Dani Carvajal or central defender Robin le Normand, who have already been booked once. Another yellow card would leave them suspended for the round of 16.

AP

AN ITALIAN’S JOB

Italy continues a tradition at the European Championship with Italian coaches — this time five — in charge of national teams at the tournament in Germany. This tops the Netherlands’ mark of having three coaches — out of 16 teams — at Euro 2008. Among the five, all but Domenico Tedesco studied at the Italian federation’s coaching school.

LUCIANO SPALLETTI

Italy

The best-known of the Italian coaches at the tournament, Spalletti attended the FIGC’s coaching school in 1998-99 and graduated with the maximum grade attainable: 110 cum laude. He wrote his thesis on “The 3-5-2 playing system.” He won Italian Cup titles with Roma in 2007 and 2008 and then Russian league trophies with Zenit St. Petersburg in 2010 and 2012.

Spalletti took charge of Italy last year, shortly after quitting Napoli. He led the southern team to their first Serie A title in more than three decades.

VINCENZO MONTELLA

Turkiye

Montella was also one of the top students in class, with a final mark of 110/110 at the end of his course in 2011. Montella took charge of Turkiye’s national team last year but has been living in the country since 2021 as coach of Super Lig team Adana Demirspor. The 50-year-old had previously coached Fiorentina, AC Milan and Sampdoria among others in his native country as well as Sevilla in Spain. His only trophy as coach was the Italian Super Cup with Milan.

FRANCESCO CALZONA

Slovakia

Slovakia may be Calzona’s first job as head coach but the 55-yearold has had an impressive apprenticeship. Calzona was also part of Spalletti’s staff at title-winning Napoli. Calzona left before the season ended, when former Napoli and Slovakia captain Marek Hamsik suggested he take over as the coach of Slovakia’s national team.

MARCO ROSSI

Hungary

After several years of coaching in the lower Italian leagues, Rossi considered joining his brother’s accountancy firm. But a chance meeting with the sporting director of Honved in Budapest led to him taking charge of the Hungarian team. The 59-yearold Rossi had two spells with Honved and led the team to their first Hungarian league title in 24 years in 2017. He also coached a Slovakian team. He was appointed Hungary coach in July 2018. Rossi also steered Hungary to Euro 2020.

DOMENICO TEDESCO

Belgium

The 38-year-old Italian-German was appointed as Belgium’s coach in February 2023 but has quickly built a solid team that was unbeaten in his tenure until the shock loss to Slovakia. The youngest of the Italian coaches emigrated from Italy to Germany when he was two years old. He began his coaching career with the youth squads at Stuttgart when he was just 22 while working at the Mercedes factory.

CLUB CLASS

The strength is evident not only in the national teams but also at the club level. Carlo Ancelotti won his fifth Champions League title this month while Atalanta, under Gian Piero Gasperini, won the Europa League.

Lukaku stays ‘offside’ but Belgium in sight of goal

Team Hopes Striker’s Luck Will Turn As They Look Forward To Ukraine Match In Even Group

BIT PART: Lukaku (facing) had a third goal ruled out by VAR at these Euros. But he laid the ball off for Tielemans to score

Stuttgart: Belgium defender Arthur Theate said he has no doubt Romelu Lukaku’s luck will turn after seeing three goals ruled out in his team’s first two matches at Euro 2024.

Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time leading scorer with 85 goals but has yet to add to that tally in Germany, having another effort disallowed in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Romania in Cologne.

Lukaku set up the opening goal for Youri Tielemans in the second minute and was a constant threat to the Romanian defence, but his strike in the second half was ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside decision. Kevin De Bruyne wrapped up the points in the closing stages to leave all four teams in the group level on three points.

That came after he was twice denied by video reviews in Belgium’s shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia.

“It’s probably not easy because it’s his third goal that’s disallowed, but I think it’s unlucky when you see the offside,” Theate said on Sunday.

“It’s very, very hard to accept because it’s maybe one centimetre (offside), but I think he’s in a good mindset.

“He’s very important for us, he creates a lot of chances, a lot of spaces, so if he carries on and keeps going like this, I’m sure he will score a lot of goals.”

All four teams in Group E are level on three points going into the final round of matches, the first time that has happened in the tournament’s history. Belgium take on Ukraine in Stuttgart on Wednesday, while Romania face Slovakia at the same time in Frankfurt.

“It’s not easy. We knew this when we lost the first game against Slovakia, we’re going to have to not lose anymore,” said Theate, who returned alongside 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen in defence against Romania.

“We won yesterday so it’s a great thing. Now we have to do the same thing on Wednesday. We just have to look at ourselves and do our job and then everything will be fine.”

Romania, ranked in 47th place, competed gamely as they chased their own shock, but this time Belgium’s superior class proved decisive. “I have the same feeling as against Slovakia: we played well but the difference is that we scored and won today,” said Belgium captain De Bruyne.

“We made a few mistakes and gave away a few chances, but we can be satisfied with our performance, both offensively and defensively.”

Domenico Tedesco’s team faces Ukraine in their decisive group match on June 26. “We have an extreme amount of potential. Let’s see, the last game will be difficult,” he said.

“We are very relieved we won. It was very important to get the three points. For the rest of the tournament, we are released (from the pressure) and happy.”

AGENCIES

ALBANIA’S DAKU BANNED FOR TWO GAMES AFTER NATIONALIST CHANTS

Frankfurt: Albania player Mirlind Daku was banned on Sunday for two games after leading fans in nationalist chants at the Euros, that UEFA said brought football into disrepute. Daku took a megaphone after Albania’s 2-2 draw with Croatia on Wednesday in Hamburg and joined in chanting slogans against Serbia and North Macedonia.

The incidents and fallout from the game in Hamburg have been the most serious involving Balkan politics at a Euros. UEFA also ordered the Albanian football federation to pay fines totaling 47,250 euros ($50,500) for incidents at the game where its fans chanted an antiSerb slogan, reportedly “Kill the Serbs.”

Daku later apologized for his actions in a social media posting, as UEFA appointed an in-house investigator to study his “alleged inappropriate behavior.” The 26-year-old forward began playing for Albania last year having used his right under FIFA rules to change his eligibility from Kosovo, the ethnic Albanian former province of Serbia that declared independence 16 years ago.

FIELD-SIDE SECURITY INCREASED IN BID TO STOP PITCH INVADERS

Frankfurt: Security will be increased field-side to stop fans getting to players at the Euros after the problem peaked when at least six fans tried to get selfie photos with Cristiano Ronaldo, said UEFA. Four fans pursuing Ronaldo got on the field Saturday during Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey and more tried after the game ended in Dortmund. Though the field invaders seemed to want just a photo, the tournament security plan also aims to protect players from harm.

Multiple games at Euro 2024 have seen fans on the field, including a fan with a camera who got within touching distance of Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne in Frankfurt.

AP

Brazil look for fresh start after period of turmoil

THE SPEARHEAD: Vinicius Junior, who will lead the line for Brazil, chases the ball during practice ahead of their opener against Costa Rica

Los Angeles: Brazil open their 2024 Copa America campaign against Costa Rica on Monday in Los Angeles with a whole new look almost from top to bottom, with Real Madrid’s rising star Vinicius Jr leading a group that were waiting for an opportunity for a fresh start.

After a heartbreaking shootout defeat by Croatia in the World Cup quarterfinals at Qatar 2022, Brazil went through two caretaker managers as they waited for almost an year trying to lure manager Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.

But after the Italian extended his contract with the Spanish giants, Brazil settled on journeyman Dorival Jr. He won the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brazil with Flamengo a few months after taking over. He led Sao Paulo to a Brazilian Cup title before accepting the Brazil job in January.

Dorival had a lot on his plate with the national team. Brazil suffered defeat in three consecutive World Cup qualifiers for the first time, their first loss to Uruguay for 22 years and saw the end of a 58-match unbeaten home streak in the qualifiers.

Add to that the loss of Neymar, with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee on international duty in October, and Brazil hit rock bottom. With no Ancelotti and a team in turmoil, Dorival turned his attention to recovering the confidence and self esteem of a young and revamped squad in which Vinicius Jr claimed the responsibility of carrying the load as Brazil’s key player.

Dorival relied on his players’ grit and pride, fixing up a team that was more feisty than colourful. They got a 1-0 win over England at Wembley and fought back to draw 3-3 with Spain at the Bernabeu earlier this year.

In both games his hero was 17-year old sensation Endrick.

The Copa America will be the first time Dorival has had time to work extensively with his players, who face Costa Rica following a three-week training camp in Florida before taking on Paraguay and Colombia in Group D.

With most of the attention on world champions Argentina and Lionel Messi, now playing in the MLS, Brazil will start their Copa America campaign without great expectations.

MEXICO EDGE JAMAICA; SUPER SUBS GIVE VENEZUELA A WIN

Santa Clara (United States): Goals from substitutes Jhonder Cadiz and Eduard Bello gave Venezuela a 2-1 win over 10-man Ecuador in their Copa America Group B match on Saturday.

In the group’s other game, Mexico made a winning start to their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in Houston but lost their captain Edson Alvarez to injury.

Ecuador were forced to play with 10 men from the 22nd minute of the game at Levi Stadium when striker Enner Valencia was sent off for dangerous play. The 34-yearold forward struck the chest of Venezuela defender Jose Martinez with his boot.

AGENCIES

Semifinal spot on the line as South Africa take on co-hosts West Indies

PREVIEW

North Sound: Hosts West Indies will need their allround firepower for taming a rampaging South Africa in their must-win final Super Eight clash to seal the semifinal berth at the T20 World Cup here. After their only loss in six games to England in their opening Super 8 game, WI regrouped to smash co-hosts USA by nine wickets.

For WI, a win will see them through to the last-four, while a loss will knock them out as England thumped the USA in the other group match to qualify. South Africa, who have won all their six games so far, surrendered their top position to England as their net run rate, thanks to narrow wins, is not great. Hence, only a victory will see them go through.

West Indies may derive some mental advantage from the fact that they beat South Africa 3-0 in a bilateral series before the start of the World Cup. However, a majority of the South African and West Indies main players were absent from that series due to the IPL. AGENCIES

Miller rapped for Code of Conduct breach

St Lucia: Explosive South African batter David Miller was reprimanded and handed one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during a Super Eights Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup against England. Miller was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match.”

The incident occurred in the 19th over of South Africa’s innings. Miller played a full toss from pacer Sam Curran and expected it to be called a ‘no ball’ for height. When it was not declared a ‘no ball’, the lefthander signalled to review the decision when it could not have been reviewed. PTI

If not Windies, Viv backs India to win title

North Sound: Batting legend Vivian Richards visited the Indian team’s dressing room and expressed his support for Rohit Sharma and his men. The West Indian was a part of the fielding medal ceremony which was won by Suryakumar Yadav after they defeated Bangladesh in the Super Eights on Saturday. “Well done today, going all the way?” he asked.

“What can I say to a team that is already so powerful? You have a good thing going here and I can only say that if the guys in maroon don’t get it done, I will be backing you. Is that reasonable enough?” Richards said in the video posted by the BCCI. PTI

PREVIEW

PAYBACK TIME FOR INDIA?

Men In Blue Have A Chance To Avenge ODI World Cup Final Defeat Vs Australia

EAGER: India will look to knock Australia out

TIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St Lucia: The small island, with the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, is absolutely buzzing. For the last couple of days --cricket tourists --mostly Indians from the US and Canada --have been trooping in for an extended weekend, and once the Saturday night theatre happened in St Vincent, the excitement has gone up manifold.

Australia’s defeat to Afghanistan has suddenly opened up the possibility for the Indian fans who are here and those across the world to finally get their redemption. The defeat to the Aussies in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad in November is something no one related to Indian cricket has forgotten, and now it’s a chance to pay the Aussies back with interest. A win on Monday for India will not only officially seal for them a semis berth, but also show Australia the door, provided Afghanistan beat Bangladesh later on Monday.

The Indian team, that came in here late on Saturday night and cancelled their practice session on Sunday owing to exhaustion and the extreme humidity in this part of the world, would also surely be licking their lips.

On current form, there’s absolutely no reason why India wouldn’t beat their biggest rivals Australia, making their own journey forward a little smoother. India apart, there is no other team than Australia which has so many individual match-winners who can destroy opposition on their day. If they can be taken care of before the semis, Rohit Sharma’s boys would probably have to just carry on playing the way they are and this cup would be theirs.

The Darren Sammy International Stadium, the venue of this game, though has been slightly different from most other venues across the Caribbean. Scores have fluctuated between 180-220, barring the last game between South Africa and England, which the Proteas won with 163. Normally the ball does come on to the bat here which should be a bit of a relief for Aussies, who were absolutely strangled by the Afghanistan bowlers on the super slow St Vincent track.

Australia had chosen to drop Mitchell Starc and add left-arm spinner Ashton Agar in the playing XI on Saturday. Even though Agar was extremely economical (0/17), there was no denying that Starc’s explosive ability to run through opposition in Powerplay was missed.

Aussies will be tempted to bring Starc back for this huge game, even though the average economy rate of spinners in St Lucia is 7.9 in the five matches played, which is significantly better than it is for the pacers (9.4).

Captain Mitchell Marsh knows it, but he also knows that if they are to make a match of it against a marauding India, they will first have to deal with the mental scars of a defeat like this in a turnaround time of mere 36 hours.

“First things first, we have to recover. We have a lot of belief in our group because we know we are a good cricket team. We had an off night but I guess there’s also a positive in the fact that in 36 hours we go again. It’s a big game --a must-win. I think if you look back at the short history of this team, I know for a fact that it brings out the best in our guys, so the boys will certainly be up and about for it,” Marsh put up a brave face on Saturday night.

For India, it’s way more straightforward. Every constituent part of the Indian machine has been running smoothly and it’s about keeping it going. No change is expected in the playing XI and with Jasprit Bumrah in outstanding form, one can hope the threat of Travis Head upfront will be taken care of. The explosive left-hander has caused enough heart-burns for India across formats, but he is coming off a failure against Afghanistan.

Everything points to a perfect day for Team India and its fans, it’s just about Rohit and his boys to maintain the composure that they have shown in the World Cup so far.

Inspired Afghanistan give Oz a reality check

HISTORY: Afghan players celebrate their victory over Australia

Kingstown: Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran shared an opening stand of 118 before Gulbadin Naib took over to drive Afghanistan to a 21-run win over Australia in St Vincent on Saturday and keep alive their hopes of reaching the Twenty20 World Cup semifinals.

A win for Australia would have sent the 2021 champions and India into the last four, but even a second hat-trick in as many matches from Pat Cummins was not enough to keep their unbeaten record at the tournament intact.Half centuries from Gurbaz and Zadran helped the Afghans rack up 148-6 in their 20 overs, before their bowlers dismissed the Australians for 127 on a tricky track.

Naib claimed 4-20 and Naveen-ulHaq bagged 3-20, but it was the third century partnership of the tournament from Gurbaz and Zadran that laid the foundation for a win that also kept Bangladesh alive. “We’ve waited for a long time (for this),” said manof-the-match Naib.

“It’s a big moment for our nation and our people. I have no words, but thanks to the fans who supported us in our career and cricket journey ... thank God we finally beat Australia. It’s a great achievement for Afghanistan. We have achieved many things in the last 10 years, but this is big.”

Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and sprang a couple of surprises by sending the Afghans in to bat and naming a team with leftarm spinner Ashton Agar in the bowling line-up in place of Mitchell Starc.

In the early overs it looked like the Australian bowlers would suffocate the Afghans, but the lack of a breakthrough wicket allowed Gurbaz and Zadran to settle in and accelerate through the middle overs.

Crisp batting and hard running from the Afghans put the pressure back on the Australians, who made uncharacteristic fielding errors under the Arnos Vale Ground lights.

The pair reached their half-centuries before Marcus Stoinis finally separated them in the 16th over, when Gurbaz mistimed a shot to David Warner at deep square leg to depart for 60.

Spinner Adam Zampa removed Azmatullah Omarzai (2) and Zadran (51) in the following over and paceman Cummins sent back skipper Rashid Khan cheaply with the final ball of the 18th over.

Karim Janat and Naib followed with the first two deliveries of the 20th over as Cummins became the first bowler to take two hat-tricks at a T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan made the best possible start with ball with Naveen bowling Travis Head for a duck in the opening over and having Marsh caught in the deep for 12.

Warner followed for three off Mohammad Nabi’s first delivery to leave the Australians struggling on 32-3 in the final over of the power play, before the Afghans heaped more pressure by removing Stoinis and Tim David.

The explosive Glenn Maxwell gave Australia some hope with a battling 59 off 41 balls, but his dismissal by Naib, thanks to an acrobatic catch by Noor Ahmad, but sealed their fate.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 148/6 in 20 overs (Gurbaz 60, Zadran 51; Cummins 3/28) bt Australia 126 in 19.2 overs (Maxwell 59; Naib 4/20, Naveen 3/20) by 21 runs. REUTERS

Could not sleep in Mumbai after loss to Oz, can’t sleep today too: Rashid

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

India and West Indies are the two teams with biggest fan bases in this part of the world. But if there’s one nation that the neutrals love to root for, it is Afghanistan.

The celebration around the Afghanistan win in a pub in a remote corner of St Lucia tells you the story --everyone wants this beleaguered nation to defy the odds, both in life and sport. As for the Afghan players, these victories --in ODI World Cup against Pakistan or in the T20 World Cup against Australia on Saturday --are not just victories on the cricket pitch. It is a way of telling all those back home that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, there’s something to look forward to when life hasn’t exactly been fair to them.

“It gives people back home so much hope and especially the young generation…Cricket is the only source of happiness back home and you all know that. And I feel like we are so lucky to be here giving those moments of happiness to the people back home,” Rashid Khan, the mercurial captain of the Afghanistan team, said after his team pulled off the upset win against Australia.

Afghanistan have played every game in this World Cup with a lot of purpose. Even in their defeat to India in Barbados the other day, there were moments when they made it difficult for the best side of the tournament. It is this desire to give something back to the country that keeps Rashid & Co. punch above their weight, time and time again.

“We hardly see such events back home where our people can celebrate and enjoy. But these little games, or big if you want to call it that, give them so much happiness. All that matters is the smile on the faces of my countrymen,” Rashid said.

The best thing about this Afghanistan team is that they are not shy of looking the opposition in their eye.

Take their wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz for example. He didn’t mind having a word with Marcus Stoinis, the Aussie allrounder, who isn’t exactly known to be tonguetied when things heat up.

Rashid fully endorsed Gurbaz’s sledging of Stoinis saying: “Some guys in the team, they need that fire. Once they keep silent, they forget how good they are. I want the fire to keep burning.”

In a way, the win on Saturday was a redemption for Rashid & Co. after the way they lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup in Mumbai a few months ago. They had the game all wrapped up before Glen Maxwell played one of the best ODI innings of all time to take the game away.

Maxwell threatened to do the same on Saturday too for a while, before Afghan bowlers had the last laugh. Rashid acknowledged that the Mumbai game hurt him and that he can “sleep better now”. “That was a night that didn’t let me sleep. Probably, tonight too, we won’t sleep, but that’s because of happiness,” Rashid said, hoping to live the dream again on Monday against Bangladesh.

Jordan, Buttler power England into semifinals

Bridgetown (Barbados): Pacer Chris Jordan grabbed a sensational hat-trick in his birthplace before captain Jos Buttler’s blitzkrieg helped England storm into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a 10-wicket mauling of USA here on Sunday. Making a comeback in place of Mark Wood, Jordan (4/10) mopped up the USA tail by claiming four wickets in five balls, including the hat-trick, in the 19th over as the Americans folded for 115 in 18.5 overs.

Buttler then blazed away to a 38-ball 83 not out as England completed the chase in 9.4 overs to become the first team to make the semifinals of the showpiece.

During his scintillating knock, Buttler smashed seven sixes and six fours, including hitting five maximums in a Harmeet Singh over to leave the USA bowling battered and bruised. arlier, the 35-year-old Jordan, who was born and grew up in Christ Church, Barbados, began the penultimate over dismissing a wellset Corey Anderson for 29 with a low full toss.

After surviving the next ball, Ali Khan found his off stump knocked over before Jordan went on to dismiss Nosthush Kenjige and Saurabh Netravalkar off successive deliveries to pick the first hat-trick for England in men’s T20Is. Leggie Adil Rashid, named player-of-the-match, bowled a miserly spell of 2-13. PTI

Brief Scores: USA: 115 in 18.5 overs (Nitish Kumar 30, Corey Anderson 29; Chris Jordan 4-10, Adil Rashid 2-13) lost to England 117/0 in 9.4 overs (Jos Buttler 83*, Phil Salt 25*) by 10 wickets.

Kuldeep enjoying the challenge of being a step ahead of batters

POTENT THREAT: Kuldeep Yadav made timely strikes in the middle overs against Bangladesh

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St Lucia: If there’s one bowler whose non-inclusion in the India playing XI in the New York leg of the T20 World Cup was slightly criticized in different quarters, it is Kuldeep Yadav.

The chinaman bowler has been India’s best spinner across formats in recent times, still the Indian team management was waiting to employ him in slightly more favourable conditions for spinners than what it was at New York. But as the coaches kept explaining Kuldeep the situation, the wrist-spinner didn’t lose heart and he delivered the moment he got his chance in West Indies.

Performances of 2-32 against Afghanistan and 3-19 against Bangladesh have proved how well-prepared in his mind Kuldeep was. The bowler mentioned that he “would have loved to bowl in New York”, but he felt totally included in everything that was going on. “I wasn’t playing, but I was the 12th man there. I was helping out the teammates and carrying the drinks, so that is more like playing. I didn’t bowl there but I would have loved to because it was more like pitches in Australia,” Kuldeep said after India’s comprehensive win against Bangladesh.

It was in the West Indies that Kuldeep made his T20 debut back in 2017. He had a fair idea of what to expect in the Caribbean that helped. “I knew the condition very well --the length to bowl and the importance of varying the pace. It was perfect for the spinners to come here and bowl,” Kuldeep added.

The left-armer explained how he doesn’t think much about the conditions, which way the wind is blowing and all that when he comes into bowl. For him, it is more about the length and outthinking the batsman. “I didn’t think about the wind, just the length mattered. And obviously reading the batter and what they are expecting from me. It is about just reading one step ahead what the batters are thinking and reacting to it,” Kuldeep said.

It was evident that he was outsmarting the batters when he got Tanzid Hasan with a beautiful googly as the right-hander shaped to go to his back-foot. As for Towhid Hridoy, the mode of dismissal was the same, just that the ball turned in the opposite direction after landing in the same spot.

Kuldeep plays his IPL cricket for Delhi Capitals, whose home ground is Ferozeshah Kotla, which isn’t the easiest venue for a spinner. Coming from there, the T20 World Cup was a welcome relief for Kuldeep. “IPL is totally different, what you experience in IPL is what you are experiencing in the T20 World Cup are not the same…For me, wherever I play, it is about being more aggressive. That actually helped me in the IPL and it is helping me here as well,” Kuldeep said, hoping to keep it going against Australia in their last Super-8 game on Monday.it going against Australia in their last Super8 game on Monday.

The race to the T20 WC semis

Group A

● India (4 points) are virtually through. If they beat Australia (2) on Monday, they qualify as the top team from the group. Afghanistan (2) will then need to beat Bangladesh (0) on Tuesday to go through.

● If India lose to Australia and Afghanistan beat Bangladesh then India, Australia and Afghanistan will finish on 4 points each. NRR will come into play where Afghans are behind. They will need to beat Bangladesh by a big margin. India can only miss out if Australia and Afghanistan win their final matches by more than 120 runs.

● If Afghanistan lose to Bangladesh and India lose to Australia, the latter two advance. If Australia lose, they finish on 2 points along with Afghans and Bangla. Again, NRR will be decisive where Aussies have an advantage.

Group B

● Defending champions England (4) are through after their win over USA (0). The winner of Monday’s South Africa (4) vs West Indies (2) tie will qualify. An SA win puts them on top. WI need to win big to qualify as toppers.

GALLERY

Archery: Dhiraj’s two bronze takes India to 4 medals

Dhiraj Bommadevara picked up two bronze medals on the final day of Archery World Cup Stage III at Antalya, Turkey, to help India finish with a haul of four medals in the last international event before the Paris Olympics. The women’s compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur bagged the gold, while Priyansh clinched the silver in compound individual event on Saturday.

Chelsea sign Brazilian Estevao Willian: Brazilian winger Estevao Willian will join Chelsea from Palmeiras in 2025, the Premier League club announced. Chelsea did not specify the amount they will pay for the 17-year-old, with British media saying that the Brazilian Serie A club will receive an initial fee of 29 million pounds ($37 million) plus performance-related add-ons.

Cameron Young posts 59 at Travelers: Cameron Young made a par putt from just inside 10 feet for an 11-under 59 on Saturday in the Travelers Championship, the first sub-60 round on the PGA Tour in nearly four years. Money shines: Money Exchange, Saro Bird, Land of Gold ,Vayu and Dynamic Force shone well during the tryouts in Mysore. Outer-sand: 600m: Land of Gold (Md. Imran Ashraff) -39secs: attracted. Money Exchange (RB) 42secs: shone well. Saro Bird (Ayaz Khan) 39secs: caught the eye. Vayu (RB) 40secs: moved quite well with plenty in hands. Dynamic Force (RB) 43secs: shaping well.

TNN/AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

CRICKET: ICC T20 WC, WI vs SA, 6 am; India vs Australia, 8 pm (Star Sports);

FOOTBALL: Euro 2024, Albania vs Spain; Croatia vs Italy, 12.30 am Tuesday (Sony Sports)

Aditi climbs to T-43 at PGA C’ship

R.Satya@timesgroup.com

Sammamish (USA): A trifle wobbly to start with, Aditi Ashok, who relied on her strong suit --putting -to get out of trouble, found her touch around the greens in the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Saturday.

The Indian ace came up with clutch putts, in the eight to 12 feet range, to save pars early in the round. Despite missing a handful of birdie putts and two lip outs, the 26-year-old stayed patient to post a creditable even-par 72. She climbed to tied 43rd position with a three-day total of five-over 221.

South Korea’s Amy Yang, still searching for her maiden Major title, shot a gritty one-under 71 to open up a twoshot lead. The 34-year-old, winner of the season-ender last year and a five-time winner on the LPGA, took her total to seven-under 209.

IOA proposes medical insurance, pension for all ex-Olympians

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is set to bring in medical health insurance and pension scheme for all former Olympians, the top sports body’s president PT Usha said here on Sunday.

Usha has proposed the recommendations to the IOA’s Executive Committee which will come up for discussion soon. The IOA will solely cover all these expenses from its coffers and the idea came to Usha’s mind after she witnessed the plight of Indian archer Limba Ram.

“The IOA is taking many athlete-centric steps and one of these is medical insurance and pension for all our exOlympians,” Usha told PTI while felicitating legendary Indian athlete Gurbachan Singh Randhwa. “We have submitted the proposal to all EC members for all ex-Olympians. It is a small help from IOA for all ex-Olympians. We should remember all our exOlympians.”

Usha said the idea struck her after she met ailing Olympian Limba Ram, who suffered a brain stroke and approached IOA on a wheelchair for financial assistance. “I was really moved when I saw Limba Ram on a wheelchair in the IOA office struggling for financial assistance. That moment the idea came to my mind,” she said.

Randhawa also appreciated the IOA chief’s efforts but requested her to do more for the well-being of veteran Olympians.

“Sports persons’ spouses don’t get pension after their death so please pitch for that, that is necessary. I hope the government spends 10 to 15 per cent under CGHS on former athletes. Financial assistance for old sportspersons should be there.”

PTI

Sinner’s first on grass

Edges Hurkacz To Clinch Halle Open Title

FIGHTING IT OUT: Jannik Sinner leaves the court after winning the final

Halle: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner won his first ever grass court tournament on Sunday, beating former champion Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/2) in the Wimbledon warmup ATP Halle tournament.

The 22-year-old Italian went to the top of the ATP rankings thanks to his semifinal run at the French Open. “It means a lot. It was a tough match against Hubi,” said Sinner after playing his doubles partner. “I knew I had to serve really well and you play only a couple of really important points throughout the whole set. So I was happy and I tried to produce in the best possible way in the important moments. I’m very happy about this tournament because (winning for) the first time on a grass court, it’s a good feeling.”

The triumph means Sinner is the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to win his first tournament after becoming world No.1. The fifth-seeded Pole, Hurkacz, 27, won Halle two years ago and was chasing a second title of the season after winning on clay at Estoril in April.

Tommy Paul warms up for Wimbledon with Queen’s final victory: Tommy Paul added his name to a list of American tennis greats in winning the Queen’s Club tennis title after defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) in Sunday’s final.

Victory gave the fifthseeded American his third ATP tour title -and biggest success of his career -after he won in straight sets after 88 minutes on court in London.

Pegula bags title in Berlin: Jessica Pegula saved five match points against Anna Kalinskaya to win her first title on grass in the Wimbledon warm-up WTA tournament in Berlin. Fourth seed Pegula pulled through 6-7 (0/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) after earlier ousting top seed Coco Gauff in the semifinal which had been suspended overnight. Berlin is Pegula’s fifth career title and first since winning in Seoul last year.

AGENCIES

India drub SA by 6 wickets to sweep women’s ODI series 3-0

IN FORM: Smriti Mandhana smashes one to the fence on Sunday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana continued her purple patch and capped a fine run with a record. The opener played another match-winning knock (90; 83b, 11x4) to help India register a 6-wicket win, which ensured a 3-0 series sweep over South Africa in the third and final ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

With a fine knock, Smriti took her three-match tally to 343, the highest individual score in a three-match bilateral ODI series in women’s cricket. She bettered South African Laura Wolvaardt’s record of 335.

Opting to bat first, South Africa were restricted to 215 for 8 in 50 overs with Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy scalping two wickets each. The target was not a tall order for the in-form home team, who reached the target in the 41st over.

Earlier, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (61) and Tazmin Brits (38) laid a solid foundation with a 102-run opening-wicket stand. But the visitors lost wickets including both the openers and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to slump to 143/5.

Brief scores: South Africa 215 for 8 in 50 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 61, Tazmin Brits 38; Arundhati Reddy 2/36, Deepti Sharma 2/27) lost to India 220 for 4 in 40.4 overs (Smriti Mandhana 90, Harmanpreet Kaur 42) by six wickets.

Verstappen pips Norris to top spot

ON SONG: Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning the Spanish GP

SPANISH GP

Barcelona:Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix, marking his seventh victory out of ten races that have taken place during the 2024-25 season. It was Lando Norris, who started the race at pole but lost the lead in the very first corner when he went too wide trying to block a charging Verstappen giving surprise contender George Russell the space to move from P4 to P1. Lando Norris fell to P3 just seconds later and fell behind Red Bull.

Verstappen went on to overtake the Mercedes in the third lap and secured a marginable lead that ultimately secured the second consecutive win for the three-time world champion. Despite the poor start Lando was in the thick of the action. He engaged in brilliant wheel to wheel action with Russell, and a P2 finish for the British driver also secured the trophy for ‘Driver of the Day’ for the McLaren star.

Lewis Hamilton recently spoke on the improvement of performance in his car after recent upgrades, and it was on full display on the day as he overtook his Mercedes teammate to secure a P3 finish in what was the 7-time world champion’s 198th podium finish and his first since the Mexico GP last season.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sains in their Ferraris finished fifth and sixth. With the win, Verstappen has scored 219 points in the drivers championship. He has a sizeable lead on second-placed Lando Norris, who has 150 points to his name.

AGENCIES

NADA suspends Bajrang again, serves him ‘notice’

New Delhi: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Sunday suspended Bajrang Punia for a second time, three weeks after its Anti-Disciplinary Doping (ADDP) panel had revoked his suspension on the grounds that NADA had not issued a “notice of charge” to the wrestler. NADA had on April 23 suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler for refusal to give his urine sample for dope test during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10. The sport’s global governing body United Wrestling World (UWW) had also suspended him.

Bajrang had appealed against the provisional suspension and the ADDP had revoked it on May 31 till NADA issues the notice of charge. Swinging into action, NADA on Sunday served the notice to the wrestler. “This serves as a formal notice that you are being charged with the violation of Article 2.3 of the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021 and now you are provisionally suspended,” said NADA’s communication to Bajrang.

Bajrang has time till July 11 to request for a hearing or accept the charge.

The elite wrestler has maintained that he never refused to give sample but only demanded to know NADA’s response to his e-mail where he wanted to know why expired kits were sent to take his samples in December 2023. Bajrang’s lawyer Vidhushpat Singhania said they will challenge the suspension. “Yes, we will have to file a reply,” Singhania added.

PTI

Prajwal bro’s case handed to CID

Cops’ Lens On Counter-Plaint Alleging Plot To Frame Suraj

Suraj Revanna being brought back to the police station from the hospital after a medical test in Hassan on Sunday

Continued from P1

Suraj, a surgeon-turnedpolitician, was arrested following a police complaint by a 27-year-old JD(S) worker. On Sunday night, he was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days and sent to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.

The complainant first approached senior police officers in Bengaluru on June 21 and later filed a formal complaint with Holenarasipura police in Hassan district, resulting in the registration of an FIR. “Based on the complaint, we’ve filed the case and due procedure has been followed,” Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said, while confirming the state govt’s decision to hand over the investigation to CID.

According to sources, Suraj was summoned to appear before investigators at the CEN police station in Hassan city Saturday evening. He re- portedly denied the allegations during questioning.

Following his arrest and medical examination, Suraj was transferred to Bengaluru Sunday, where he was permitted to consult with his legal team. The investigation includes an examination of calls and messages exchanged between Suraj and the complainant, as well as the latter’s visit to Suraj’s farmhouse on June 16.

Police are also investigating a counter-complaint filed by a friend of Suraj, accusing the JD(S) worker of fabricating the allegations to extort money from the legislator.

Suraj has faced multiple controversies since entering public life. After younger brother Prajwal’s election to Lok Sabha in 2019, Suraj tran- sitioned into politics, starting with his role as director of Hassan District Cooperative Central Bank (HDCC) in 2020. He was later elected unopposed as director to Holenarasipur Taluk Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.

In 2021, Suraj contested the legislative council elections from Hassan segment on a JD(S) ticket and won. However, his candidacy was marred by accusations of concealing personal details, including his marital status.

Suraj has maintained a relatively low profile compared to his family members. His father Revanna was elected MLA in 1994, while mother Bhavani served as member of the Hassan zilla panchayat. “He is yet to come out of the shadow of his father,” a senior JD(S) functionary said.

22 TN fishermen held by Lanka over ‘poaching’

Madurai:Sri Lankan navy apprehended 22 Rameswaram fishermen on Sunday on charges of poaching in the Island nation’s territorial waters. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody till July 5.

The three trawlers belonging to N Justin, J Raymond, and R Herin set sail on Saturday from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. There were seven fishermen each on Justin and Raymond’s boats and eight fishermen on Herin’s boat.

During the operation, the navy impounded the trawlers. The seized trawlers and the fishermen were handed over to Mailadi fishery inspector.

TNN

Rahul thanks people of Wayanad for ‘unbridled love’

Rahul expressed confidence that Priyanka will do an excellent job

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday addressed an emotional letter to the people of Wayanad, the constituency he is giving up to represent Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, and said when he faced abuse on a daily basis, their unconditional love protected him.

He also expressed confidence that his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is set to contest from the constituency in the ensuing bypoll, will do an excellent job of being an MP if the people of Wayanad decide to give her the opportunity.

“I was a stranger to you and yet you believed in me. You embraced me with unbridled love and affection. It didn’t matter which political formation you supported, it didn’t matter which community you were from or which religion you believed in or which language you spoke,” Rahul said.

“When I faced abuse day after day, your unconditional love protected me. You were my refuge, my home and my family. I never felt for even a moment that you doubted me,” he added.

“I am sad, but I am consoled because my sister Priyanka will be there to represent you. I am confident that she will do an excellent job of being your MP if you decide to giver her the opportunity. My central commitment to both you and the people of Rae Bareli is that we will fight and defeat the hatred and violence being spread in the country,” he said.

Caught by surprise, JD(S) distances itself from case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

TROUBLE IN FAMILY

Mysuru/Bengaluru:The arrest of JD(S) patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda’s second grandson in a matter of weeks took party functionaries by surprise and they’re trying to distance themselves from the case involving MLC Suraj Revanna, who faces charges of unnatural sex, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.

Suraj’s uncle and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy refrained from commenting, saying: “Why are you asking me? I don’t know anything about the case. The law will take its own course.”

In Mysuru, party’s core committee chief GT Devegowda said disciplinary action against Suraj, son of former minister HD Revanna, may be considered, while asserting that JD(S) is not responsible for his alleged actions.

“If one person from Kar- nataka does something wrong, can the entire 6.5 crore Kannadigas be held responsible? Nevertheless, we have taken cognizance of his arrest and will initiate measures if necessary,” he said, assuring that the party will not shield anyone guilty, as demonstrated in the previous case involving Suraj’s brother and former MP Praj- wal Revanna, who was arrested over three weeks ago for alleged sexual abuse.

JD(S) ally BJP preferred to keep quiet too. BJP’s Mandya district in-charge minister N Cheluvarayaswamy dismissed claims of a political motive behind the arrest.

Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah confirmed that govt had granted police full autonomy to investigate the case impartially. “There is no political conspiracy against the Revanna family or JD(S),” he assured.

Muslims with Kunbi certs too should get OBC quota: Jarange

Prasad.Joshi@timesgroup.com

Jarange said govt has to offer quota to Muslims at any cost

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:Adding a fresh twist to the Maratha-OBC quota issue, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday said Muslims and other community members, including Brahmins, who have Kunbi records should get OBC quota benefits, like Marathas. The statement comes at a time the state govt is trying to appease Marathas by providing those with Kunbi records OBC quota, while OBC activists are up in arms demanding that OBC quota shouldn’t be disturbed.

This is likely to add a fresh challenge to Mahayuti govt as BJP has consistently opposed quota for minorities, while its partner Ajit Pawar-led NCP has been backing quota for Muslims in education. In 2015, the Devendra Fadnavis govt had scrapped the 5% quota granted to Muslims by the previous Congress-NCP govt.

“Muslims, Marwaris, Lingayats, Brahmins and others with Kunbi records have the right to the reservation. It is up to the members of those communities to decide if they want to avail of the quota benefits or not. However, it is legitimate to give them the benefit of reservation,” Jarange said, adding that Kunbi records of lohar (blacksmith) and kumbhar (potter) communities have also surfaced.

Claiming that he is firm on getting OBC reservation for “eligible” Muslims, Jarange told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar that the govt has to offer quota to the minority community at any cost.

Reacting to this fresh demand, OBC activist Laxman Hake said the Muslim community does not have a social hierarchy like the Hindu community does.

Canada permits for desi students at new low

Parth.Shastri@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad: Indicating a sharp drop in processing of study permits from Indian students, the Canada govt sanctioned only 4,210 such permits in March this year — lowest or one-sixth of the average permits processed in the same month in past two years — an analysis of the data of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) by a Canadian edutech firm shows. IRCC processed 28,000 and 24,600 permits from Indian students in March 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The dip in student visas sanctioned in March indicates the impact of the string of announcements by the Canadian govt including acap on foreign students at 3.6 lakh annually, mandatory provincial attestation letters (PAL) required for visa, and closer watch on dubious educational institutes, along with factors such as job shortage and housing crisis in major Canadian cities.

The new initiative has landed another blow to the aspirants — a survey initiated by the Canadian govt in educational institutes indicated that govt intends to align the post-study work permits to the sectors in which the country would require skilled human resources. No official an- nouncement on the issue, however, is made so far.

Upinder Singh Bedi, a Canada-based immigration lawyer, said Canada is adopting the Australia model where only skilled professionals or workers will be welcomed. “Some of the sectors where the demand could be high include STEM, medicine and nursing, and vocations such as carpentry, plumbing, masonry and so on. I believe those who have already secured admission in Septintake may not be impacted.” he said.

Several Indian students are already in fix and are devising ways to ensure that their Canadian dream is not dashed in an increasingly-difficult job market.

Salvi is Indian women’s team’s bowling coach

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Former India and Mumbai seamer Aavishkar Salvi is the bowling coach of the Indian women’s team for the ongoing home series against South Africa.

On Sunday, the teams played the third and final ODI of the series, after which they will lock horns in a one-off Test in Chennai and three T20Is.

Salvi, who was Punjab’s head coach for the past two seasons, guided the northern team to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy title last season. “Salvi has been offered a threeyear contract recently at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. If the results are good, he could be with the Indian women’s team for a longer period,” a source told TOI.

In the past, Salvi was the bowling coach of Oman. The 42-year-old, who played 4 ODIs in 2003 before injuries plagued his career, featured in 62 first-class matches, 52 List A matches and 19 T20 games for Mumbai.

Delhi Times

- Subtlety is not meant for a franchise like Border: JP Dutta

- RIGHT NOW, I WORK FOR MYSELF, FOR THE JOY OF IT: SONALI

- FOREIGNERS ARE TYPECAST IN INDIAN CINEMA: MARK BENNINGTON

- BUZZ STOP

- Taylor Swift’s royal selﬁe in London

- Let’s get this straight. No one’s your servant

- HOW TO: Clean your makeup brushes properly

- GALLERY

- Mark: In India, for foreigners like me, the typecast role is a bad British guy

- Sidhartha Mallya ties the knot with GF in London

- DID YOU KNOW?

- Border 2 will have chest thumping patriotism, says JP Dutta

- IF I WORKED IN A NEWSROOM, I’D DEFINITELY HAVE LIFESTYLE DISEASES: SONALI

- Too hot in north India, I am missing Mumbai rains: Twinkle Arora

- Raatan Lambiyaan singer Asees Kaur welcomes first baby

- Ajith test drives race car in Dubai

Subtlety is not meant for a franchise like Border: JP Dutta

The sequel will be about other battles fought in the same (1971 Indo-Pak) war. Stories of bravery and heroism of our armed forces will always be relevant as well as our love for our country. We respect the soldiers who have laid down their lives for us and hearing those stories is important JP DUTTA

JP DUTTA

Renuka Vyavahare

JP Dutta’s epic war film Border celebrated its 27th anniversary this month with an announcement that the film will get a sequel in 2026. Sunny Deol will reprise his role in the much-awaited instalment to be directed by Anurag Singh and written by Nidhi Dutta (JP Dutta’s daughter). The director of the ’97 original, spoke to us about Border 2 and how he will closely overlook the project as its creator.

‘ALL MY ACTORS IN BORDER GAVE IT THEIR ALL’

Reflecting upon the massive success of the original, he said, “As a maker, you just know that sometimes, certain films have a destiny of their own, but in the case of Border, it was the stories of valour. Our armed forces are so inspiring with everything they do that if the emotion is caught and portrayed the right way, it can create magic in the hearts of people. Also, my actors gave it their all. They portrayed the characters so well.”

CONTINUED ON 4

Border 2 will also be based on the 1971 India-Pakistan war, but a different battle and Sunny Deol, who played Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in the ’97 hit, will reprise his role in the sequel

RIGHT NOW, I WORK FOR MYSELF, FOR THE JOY OF IT: SONALI

When I decided to get back to fiction, I was waiting for a character like this (Amina in The Broken News) to come along. I wanted to play a woman my age

Sonali Bendre in a still from The Broken News Season 2, an adaptation of the British series Press

Niharika Lal

Actress, a published author who also runs a book club, Sonali Bendre wears many hats. Since her OTT debut two years back with The Broken News, Sonali has often been asked about her decision to step away from films. But as someone who sees her work on OTT as her second innings, Sonali says, “I am not the kind who lives in the past. Nostalgia is great for a while, but I tend to look forward. I like to move on. I am not the person who will hold on to the past or pine for it and say, ‘Oh my God, those days’. Yes, those days were great, you have learned so much from them, but now you will learn something more. I love to look at what’s ahead.”

‘I LIKE BEING AWAY FROM PRETENSE’

Addressing the amount of pretense in showbiz and the need to remain true to oneself in this profession, Sonali says, “In what I do for a living, there is so much pretense. For me, for the rest of my life, I like being away from pretense. I think that’s what keeps me grounded, and that kind of anchors me.”

CONTINUED ON 4

FOREIGNERS ARE TYPECAST IN INDIAN CINEMA: MARK BENNINGTON

Mark with Aditi Rao Hydari in a still from Heeramandi

Following the success of his recent stint in Heeramandi, American actor, photographer, drummer, and author Mark Bennington spoke to us about working in Indian cinema, his fluency in Hindi, upcoming projects, and more

P3

BUZZ STOP

SONAKSHI SINHA -ZAHEER IQBAL’S PRE-WEDDING CELEBRATIONS

Ahead of their wedding on Sunday, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal were seen engaging in prewedding festivities with friends and family.

Taylor Swift’s royal selfie in London

Taylor Swift grabbed the perfect royal selfie ahead of her Wembley gig – posing with the Prince of Wales and two young music fans, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. For Prince William, taking his two eldest children to the hottest show in town was a way to earn maximum dad points on his 42nd birthday. “Thank you @ TaylorSwift for a great evening,” the Prince of Wales wrote on X

POV

Let’s get this straight. No one’s your servant

I am not your servant sir,” an angry air hostess had argued with a passenger, who was allegedly rude to her in a viral video last year. We have all heard these words being used in myriad situations. The insinuation being that it is perhaps acceptable to treat our ‘servants’ in a manner you would not treat even your worst enemies.

The most recent illustration of which is the headlining case of UK’s billionaire Hinduja family, where the domestic staff in their Swiss property has alleged that their employers made them “sleep in windowless basements” and “spent more on their dogs than their employees.” While the high profile family faces up to four years of imprisonment, the incident has put the spotlight on how, despite all the bells and whistles we have attached to our public persona, we remain deeply feudal and exploitative in the way we deal with those less fortunate than us.

This special treatment accorded to the invisible workforce that keeps urban households running is a questionable legacy from our colonial days. We may have moved on from referring to them as ‘servants’ to more politically correct and seemingly genteel nomenclatures of housekeepers, caregivers, nannies and staff. But we still forbid them from using the same elevator as us. Sit on our chairs, or eat the food they cook for us. At a posh restaurant, they may not be allowed to enter or be seated with you, even though they are taking care of your kids while you are raising a toast to the good times.

The servile Ramu Kakas of different world, the familiar trope in our cinema, may be going through a transformation. In some urban pockets, domestic workers are unionised and have found a voice and representation in their fight for their basic rights.

But these changes may not make a difference if we continue to be enamoured by the idea of unquestioned servitude that blinds us to our own inhumanity. Because we may have simply replaced a medieval caste system with a slightly more sophisticated one.

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

HOW TO: Clean your makeup brushes properly

RINSE THEM

Take your makeup brushes and rinse only the tips, using lukewarm running water.

SHAMPOO THEM

Put a tablespoon of any shampoo into a bowl of lukewarm water. Avoid using soap on your brushes as that may cause the bristle to dry out.

SWIRL AND MASSAGE

After mixing the shampoo and water, swirl the tips of your brushes in the mixture. You can also swirl the brush tips on your palm.

RINSE AND REPEAT

Rinse the tips of your brushes a second time using running water. Try repeating the whole process until the brush becomes clear. Squeeze out excess water from the bristles using a clean, dry towel.

GALLERY

Dancers rehearse in an abandoned Paris hangar for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony in the city on July 26

Dancers start practising for the Olympics opening show

For the first time in history, the ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Instead, it will stretch across 7 km of the Seine river bank, with more than 3,000 dancers performing

Mark: In India, for foreigners like me, the typecast role is a bad British guy

I still can’t speak fluent Hindi and this is still a big topic of conversation at my home. My wife is from here and I have two girls, and my sixyear-old always tells me that she will teach me Hindi soon

Mark and Dimple Kapadia in a scene from Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo

Akash Wadhwa

American actor, photographer, drummer and author, Mark Bennington is enjoying his stint in the Indian entertainment industry. Known for his roles in films and OTT projects like Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, Angrezi Medium and RRR, among others, the actor shared about his journey so far and how his ethnicity limits the role in the Indian entertainment industry. Excerpts...

How has your journey in the entertainment world been so far? You have done so many Hollywood projects and even Indian projects, what basic difference can you spot between the two?

Well, the journey so far has been good and there is a big difference between the two industries. I did a lot of theatre in the US and TV projects for a couple of years. But most of my film and TV work has been here in India. What work I did in the USA was a real struggle. Here, in India, things are very different. Here, you approach casting directors and freely walk into their office and send videos of auditions but back in LA, it is a taboo to do that. Back there, they have several agencies of different tiers of actors. You have to work your way to get work through them. But one main difference is that I am still getting the residual cheques

of the TV shows I did 25 years ago which is not the case in India.

Are you happy with the opportunities coming your way in the Indian entertainment industry? Does somewhere being a foreigner limit the vision of makers towards you?

It is limited, of course! The market in the USA is so diverse and there are so many ethnicities now playing a variety of leads and all different kinds of roles. You have so many examples of popular foreigners playing prominent roles in Hollywood while in India you have none. In India, for foreigners like me, the typecast role is a British bad guy. So many times the casting directors tell me the same words when I ask them about my role in a project. When I ask them to be more specific they tell me I have to be evil in my character (laughs). So, foreigners are typecast in Indian cinema. Sometimes I am happy to do such roles while other times I turn them down as they are not layered in any way. I am longing to play more characters like the one I played in Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo of Donze.

How was it sharing screen space with DimpleKapadia and romancing her in the seriesconsidering she is considered the queen ofromance of her time?

I really had no idea about her background. In fact, I only found out when she told me sitting by the pool at the location of our show. I knew she was famous but I hadn’t seen any of her work. But for actors, it is always nice not knowing anything about the person’s background. She is such a pro and so down to earth and easy to talk to. We had a fun jovial professional relationship. Dimple and I actually looked good together on screen when I saw the show, we looked like a real couple in Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo.

MARK BENNINGTON

The actor in play Devika Rani

(Left) Mark as British Officer Reginald Craddock in the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar; (right) the actor in Telugu film Devil

Sidhartha Mallya ties the knot with GF in London

Sidhartha Mallya, son of Vijay Mallya, married his longtime partner Jasmine in an intimate ceremony on Saturday in London. Earlier this week, Mallya wrote on Insta, “Wedding week has commenced”

DID YOU KNOW?

Tom Hanks voiced the role of Woody in Toy Story

Tom Hanks won the Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for his iconic role as Sheriff Woody in the 1995 film Toy Story. This award highlights the exceptional voice acting skills of Hanks, who brought the character of Woody to life with his signature wit, warmth and humour.

Border 2 will have chest thumping patriotism, says JP Dutta

As a maker, you just know that sometimes, certain films have a destiny of their own. But in the case of Border, it was the stories of valour. Our armed forces are so inspiring with everything they do that if the emotion is caught and portrayed the right way, it can create magic

About the massive success of Border (1997), JP Dutta says, “My actors gave it their all. They portrayed the characters so well”

CONTINUED FROM 1

‘THE SEQUEL WILL BE ABOUT OTHER BATTLES FOUGHT IN THE SAME WAR’

For those curious, Border 2 will also be based on the 1971 India-Pakistan war, but a different battle. “Yes, the sequel will be about other battles fought in the same war. Stories of bravery and heroism of our armed forces will always be relevant as well as our love for our country. We respect the soldiers who have laid down their lives for us and hearing those stories is important,” says the veteran director, stressing on the relevance of the sequel.

On the creative front, Dutta informs us that Border 2 was written two years ago by his daughter, Nidhi. “She wrote the story and when she came to me, I was thrilled that she had imbibed the love for the armed forces from me. She was able to pen down the emotion genuinely. Having Bhushan Kumar on board with us only made our will to make this film stronger.”

‘THE SEQUEL WILL HAVE THE SAME SENSIBILITIES AS MY PREVIOUS FILMS’

People’s sensibilities have changed over the years. The patriotic language is subtler. Will the sequel have a different sensibility than the first movie, we wonder. Dutta clarifies sternly, “The film will have the same sensibilities as my previous films – telling stories that make you want to join the Indian Army. Subtlety is not for a franchise like this. Border 2 will have chest thumping patriotism.”

Dutta is confident about Anurag taking over as a director. “Anurag will helm the film as a director. I really liked his work in Kesari (starring Akshay Kumar), and he seemed like a man with sensibilities like mine, and thus, a perfect choice to take the franchise ahead. Of course, I will overlook the entire creative process to make sure the emotion and sensitivity of the armed forces is kept in mind, as they have put their trust in me for years. Will I return to direction in the near future? You never know,” he adds.

Bhushan Kumar, Nidhi Dutta and Anurag Singh

JP Dutta shared that Border 2 was written two years ago by his daughter, Nidhi

IF I WORKED IN A NEWSROOM, I’D DEFINITELY HAVE LIFESTYLE DISEASES: SONALI

Only when you remain relevant and adapt with the times is there hope (for you to grow in life and career)

Sonali Bendre says, “I do feel that a lot of times when we play a woman of my age, they start downplaying the looks and glamour”

CONTINUED FROM 1

Talking about her decision to headline a web series, she shares, “When I decided to get back to fiction, I was waiting for a character like this (Amina Qureshi in The Broken News) to come along. I wanted to play a woman my age. And I do feel that a lot of times when we play a woman of my age, they start downplaying the looks and glamour.” Sonali adds, “I feel like my life is just beginning; like this is the beginning of my second innings. Right now, I work for myself, for the joy of it. That, I think, is so important.”

‘AMINA’S CHARACTER PORTRAYS HOPE’

Sonali shares that she has a preference for characters who have a strong voice and evoke a sense of hope. She elaborates, “In that sense, Amina’s character was strong. But more than that, I like that Amina portrays hope and is relevant. Only when you remain relevant and adapt with the times is there hope (for you to grow in life and career). If you’re not going to adapt, there is no future.

‘UNDERSTANDING THE INNER WORKINGS OF A CHARACTER WORKED FOR ME’

Considering The Broken News marked her OTT debut, how did she maintain the consistency of her character with a twoyear gap between the seasons? Sonali explains, “I know there are a lot of actors who hold onto certain physical aspects of the character and work from there, which is an interesting way to work. But for now, understanding the inner workings of the character is what has worked for me. Where does she come from? What is her backstory? If you ask me, what is it that the character likes or doesn’t like? What kind of music does she listen to? I would be able to tell you because that’s how I know her.”

‘When we talk about high stress jobs, we never talk about journalism’

About her experience portraying the role of a journalist, Sonali says, “Frankly, now I understand what happens behind the scenes – the pressure! I realise that when we talk about high stress jobs, we usually talk about corporate jobs, finance jobs, medicine or law. We never talk about journalism. Now I think, ‘Oh my God! If I worked in a newsroom, I’d definitely have lifestyle diseases’. The timings are weird, you are eating at wrong times, and you are always on the go. The pressure to deliver is so high. I was like, why has nobody ever spoken about it?”

Sonali in The Broken News

Too hot in north India, I am missing Mumbai rains: Twinkle Arora

We should water plants as much as possible and put out water for stray animals. It’s sad to see their plight in this searing heat across north India

Twinkle Arora enjoys a gola in her hometown, Chandigarh to beat the heat; (below) with Vivian Dsena in still from the TV show Udaariyaan

Jaspreet Nijher

Udaariyaan actress Twinkle Arora, who hails from Chandigarh recently returned home from Mumbai after her role in the TV show ended. Though returning home is “always a priority,” this time around the intense heatwave of north India made her trip “less pleasurable,” she says.

“I had time off from work so thought of spending it with my family,” she says, adding, “But, it is way too hot in Chandigarh compared to Mumbai. And yeah, for the first time, I was missing Mumbai (laughs). It is raining there, and I love rains, and the temperature there is hovering at 33 degrees while here it is about 46!”

Twinkle ensured staying protected from a heatstroke by, “not going out during peak heat hours,” she says. “I am also having foods like gond katira, coconut water, chia seeds, kachi lassi, which are traditionally known for thandi taseer,” adds the actress.

Besides self-care, Twinkle believes in taking care of animals and plants. “We should water plants as much as possi- ble and put out water for stray animals. It’s sad to see their plight in this searing heat across north India,” she says.

Professionally, after Udaariyaan which has taken a generation leap with new actors, Twinkle is working on another project. “Udaariyaan opened more offers for me, for which I will always be grateful,” she says, adding, “I’m hoping my new project will be announced soon.”

Raatan Lambiyaan singer Asees Kaur welcomes first baby

Asees Kaur and Goldie Sohel welcomed a baby boy on World Music Day (June 21)

Singer Asees Kaur – best known for songs like Raatan Lambiyaan (Shershaah), Ve Maahi (Kesari) and Ankh Lad Jave (Love Yatri) – and her husband Goldie Sohel welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on June 21.

Sharing the news on Instagram, the couple wrote, “Waheguru Tera Shukar Hai... With immense joy and gratitude, we announce the birth of our precious BABY BOY on World Music Day! This special day has blessed us with the sweetest note in our life’s symphony. Our hearts are overflowing with love, happiness & gratitude (sic).” In the picture she posted on Instagram, Asees is seen wearing a strappy yellow dress, proudly displaying her baby bump and holding tiny booties while Goldie looks on.

Soon after, fans of the singer flooded their post with congratulatory messages.

TNN

Ajith test drives race car in Dubai

Ajith checks out a race car in Dubai

Pictures and videos of Vivegam star Ajith testing a race car in Dubai have been going viral on social media since Saturday. His manager informs us that the test drive took place on June 21. He shared that the actor made a stopover in Dubai on his way to Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, for the shoot of his next, Magizh Thirumeni’s VidaaMuyarchi, which also stars Trisha.

“Ajith sir left Chennai a couple of days ago, stopped in Dubai, and went to check on some of his old friends. That’s where he took a test drive in a race car,” Ajith’s manager told us.

– Roopa Radhakrishnan

Education Times

- NMC reduces internship tenure for FMGs, amends earlier notice

- Dissolution of NTA is no remedy, it must have a robust system in place

- DU changes SOPs for teacher recruitment, invites ire of faculty

- CBSE tweaks Web Applications, AI and IT subjects to increase industry focus

- UGC-NET 2024 cancellation frustrates aspirants who lose faith in NTA

- Ceramic engineering is bridging gaps in innovation across industries

- CUET UG and PG scores to be valid for both admission sessions

- Animal welfare diploma sees growing demand amid ethical concerns

- Skilling can enhance job prospects

- Tech stacks powering seamless telemedicine consultation service

- Low-code platforms make institutes digitally efficient

- Board games fostering critical thinking in design classrooms

- ALERTS ALERTS

- NMC directs med colleges to include data related to holidays in AEBAS module

- Academia-industry collaboration is key to create global managers

- B-schools should adopt attributes of Vedic education

- Why news on social media needs to be fact-checked by journalism students

- NMC tells medical colleges to complete curriculum for PG Broad Speciality 2021 batch

- Internships give wings to aspiring BBA aviation graduates

- Paper leaks demand plugging systemic issues plaguing the education system

NMC reduces internship tenure for FMGs, amends earlier notice

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has amended its circular that asked Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) to repeat 12 months of internship. The Commission has now reduced the tenure of the internship to one year if students have sufficiently compensated classes in physical mode instead of online classes and subsequently passed an examination equivalent to MBBS in India.

Amending the earlier circular that was released on June 7, NMC has stated that, “In continuation to the public notice of even number dated June 7, 2024, it is clarified that all students who have sufficiently compensated classes in physical onsite instead of the online classes and subsequently passed an examination equivalent to MBBS in India, shall be eligible for a one-year mandatory internship as specified in the CRMI Regulations 2021.”

However, the official notification states that all other conditions are to remain the same. “All other conditions will remain the same as mentioned in the public notice dated 07.12.2023. This Public Notice also applies to similarly placed students who passed the FMG Examination equivalent to MBBS in India from any other countries,” reads the notice.

Dissolution of NTA is no remedy, it must have a robust system in place

Educationists call for decentralisation and empowerment of states to conduct competitive exams

When a single entity is entrusted with several large-scale sensitive exams, chances of lapses are high

Students stage a protest over the NEET-UG and UGC-NET examinations issue outside Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesgroup.com

The effectiveness and reliability of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in conducting large-scale entrance exams have once again come under criticism this year. Entrance exams such as JEE, NEET, UGC NET and CSIR-UGC-NET– all conducted by the NTA – have been condemned by students and other stakeholders due to allegations of cheating, mismanagement, and irregularities. While the Centre recently deferred the joint CSIRUGC-NET June 2024 exam till further notice due to unavoidable circumstances and logistical issues, it has also cancelled the UGC NET exam over ‘compromised integrity of exam’. Meanwhile, with allegations of widespread irregularities and unfair marking in NEET UG 2024 results, the Centre has scrapped the scores of 1,563 candidates who were seeking admission into medical colleges after they were given grace marks for a wrong question. The JEE Main too earlier this year was also marred by controversy over alleged discrepancies in the results.

The NTA was established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education to conduct entrance exams for admission and fellowship to higher educational institutions. Makkal Kalvi Kootiyakkam, a collective of educationists in Tamil Nadu, and many student organisations have demanded the Centre to take accountability and dissolve the agency. In a chat with Education Times, Furqan Qamar, educationist, says, “Dissolving one agency and replacing it by another is no solution. India is too large a nation to afford one nation one examination approach. We must decentralise the process and empower states to conduct entrance exams. There is a need to restore the sanctity of the examinations to enable students to focus on their school, college, and university exams.”

Normalise variations

Agreeing that there would be an issue of inter-board variations in marks, Prof Qamar calls for tools to normalise the differences to prepare merit for selection. He says that too many and too frequent changes in the exam system keeps it in suspended animation, and tends to put severe pressure on the testing agency. “The NTA replaced the CBSE for NEET and JEE, but it has miserably failed to live up to the expectations in a very short time. There is a need to strengthen the existing institutions and insulate them from political, bureaucratic, and ideological interference,” he says. In favour of having on-demand examinations, Qamar says, if at all there is a need to have a centralised system of entrance, the authorities should go by the technology rather than going against it.

PV Navaneethakrishnan, former professor and director, Entrance Exams and Admission, Anna University, Chennai, says, “When a single entity is entrusted with several large-scale sensitive exams, chances of lapses are high. Necessary infrastructure, talented manpower, innovation, knowledge experts in different areas are required to contain it. Temporarily engaged outsiders must be tested for integrity.”

Hold online exams

“NTA can create regional centres, each with a different set of exams, which can be rotational, just like different IITs conducting JEE Advanced in different years. There will be a competitive spirit, resulting in overall better performance,” he says.

Exam pattern must change

Brajesh Kumar Tiwari, associate professor, Atal School of Management, JNU, says that the pattern of exam has to be changed. “Like every year, there are over 10 lakh candidates in Civil Services Exam, still UPSC conducts leak-proof exam. As far as online exams are concerned, there will be a threat of leakage due to the continuous use of technology-based exams. The threat is sure to increase with the advent of AI as cybersecurity will be a concern,” he says. Tiwari emphasises, “Students waste their time and money. The NTA’s inconsistency is affecting the morale of not only the students but also their parents, with many students not being able to appear for re-examination due to time constraints. The NTA is still engaging in trial and error, rather thanimplementing robust solutions.”

Revise modus operandi

Amruth G Kumar, professor and dean, School of Education, Central University of Kerala, says, “If the agency is dissolved, all states will conduct their own exams and there will be differences in the scores. The students would have to apply in different institutes, leading them to incur high costs.” He adds that the NTA will never lose its essence; the only thing it needs to do is revise its modus operandi and make its practices foolproof.

DU changes SOPs for teacher recruitment, invites ire of faculty

The protesting teachers are concerned about the ‘assessment through presentation’ criteria as this will be a major impediment

Ayushi.Gupta1@timesgroup.com

The University of Delhi (DU) has recently revised its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for teacher recruitment. The decision has invited the ire of faculty members who are against the new recruitment process which is time-consuming and confusing. The faculty members are also concerned that the new SOPs will demotivate several candidates as multiple new requirements are included for the applicants. The varsity has raised its minimum eligibility from the earlier 50 to 55 points with a relaxation of five points for SC/ST/PwD candidates in the SOP. The final selection of candidates will be conducted in two stages— assessment through presentation and interview with the selection committee.

Centralisation

The protesting teachers are concerned about the ‘assessment through presentation’ criteria as this will be a major impediment for the candidates. There is a possibility of misuse of these criteria and the selecting committee might pick their ‘favourite’ candidates. Teachers at DU claim that the new rules will centralise the recruitment process. “The new SOPs will centralise the process, as there will be two committees – one to monitor the presentation and the other for conducting interviews. We are concerned if they will pick a qualified and suitable candidate. There is a possibility that the selecting committee will turn down any candidate by rejecting their presentation,” Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), DU, tells Education Times. According to the DU notification, candidates will be assessed on their presentation, writing and communication skills. The committee will also assess the candidate’s ‘humility, passion and zeal for teaching’. The varsity has also made changes in the weightage given to different components used in the assessment of the candidates. Parameters such as academic record, experience and research performance have been clubbed together for 20 points out of 100 points marker, while the subjective parameters have been given high weightage.

Falling standards

Several teachers have alleged that members of the selection committee have been appointed from many state universities and not from Central Universities (CUs). “Sri Aurobindo College is currently conducting interviews for recruitment in the Physics department. The selection committee consists of faculty who are not from CU and there are allegations of misappropriation in the presentation rounds,” adds Habib.

Faculty members believe that the recruitment at a CU should be done by members who are familiar with the functioning and standards of CUs. “There are 45 CUs in the country with several learned professors, but DU has been inviting members from state universities to the selection panel. It is being done to recruit candidates who have been referred by people in power,” says Anand Kumar, member, DUTA.

CBSE tweaks Web Applications, AI and IT subjects to increase industry focus

Academic and industrial experts are updating skill subjects curricula as per the changing job roles

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

To match pace with industry requirement and rapidly evolving technological landscape, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced revisions to the curricula and content for various skill subjects, effective from the academic year 2024-25. These changes will impact courses such as Web Application for class XI, Information Technology (IT) for class X, and Artificial Intelligence for classes IX and XI. Moreover, the curriculum for the Web Application subject for class XII is set to be implemented in the academic year 2025-26.

Explaining the dynamics of the skill subjects curricula and the imperative revision, Biswajit Saha, director (Skill Education & Training), CBSE, says, “These are our regular skill subjects wherein we periodically review the curricula as per the job roles. We updated the curricula as per the recommendations of the subject experts and the industry requirements. Our experts are from the academic world and industry, and they are involved in both curriculum and content development. The updated curricula for the skill subjects are being uploaded on the board website for everyone to access.” As per the revised programme structures, changes in the Web Application course for class XI and Information Technology course for class X will be effective from the 2024-2025 academic session. “We had already modified the IT course for class IX last year, hence it became necessary to revamp the IT curriculum for class X from this academic year. For AI, the modified curriculum will be effective from this year for class IX and XI, and for class X and XII from the next academic year,” informs Saha, adding further that in case of the Web Application course for class XII, the revised curriculum will be effective from the 2025-26 academic session.

Restructuring the curriculum

Computer Science and its allied subjects are constantly evolving given the swift changes in the technology space. “Based on feedback from the teachers and industry experts where it was pointed out that certain web application tools have become obsolete, the need to change the syllabus became all the more important. A committee of experts decided to review the curricula to identify the gaps and accordingly suggest some inclusions and deletions depending on their current relevance,” Saha says, emphasising that the changes were not implemented in between sessions to prepare the teachers through capacity-building programmes both online and physical. “In the next six months, we need to organise at least 25-30 capacity building programmes each for IT, Web Applications and AI at apan India level followed by master trainer training programmes at the state and district levels so that every nook and corner of the country can be covered,” he adds. It is not as if the entire curriculum is being restructured nor is a new subject being introduced, hence teachers are already well versed in the existing curriculum. "only certain portions of the syllabus are being revised, for which supplementary materials are being provided,” Saha says.

Key changes

Highlighting some of the changes, Alka Kapur, principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, says, “For the Web Application course in classes XI and XII, the curriculum now emphasises on projectbased and application-oriented learning. Notable changes include introducing capstone projects in class XI, which were previously part of the class XII curriculum. Additionally, students must now complete professional development courses and internships, such as IBM Skills Build Certification, boot camps, or other industry certifications. These enhance- ments aim to provide students with industry exposure and hands-on experience, aligning their skills with current industry standards. The revisions in the IT course for class X, and AI course for classes IX and XI are designed to deepen students’ understanding of emerging technologies. For AI, the new curriculum includes modules on data literacy, focusing on qualitative and quantitative data, graphical data interpretation, and foundational Mathematics for AI, such as statistics and probability. Generative AI has also been introduced as a new topic,” she says, explaining the changes are focused on bridging the gap between theory and practical as per industry demands. However, getting appropriate hardware to support the newly suggested changes will be a challenge. “For AI-based activities, we need good internet connectivity in labs for all systems; supporting devices like earphones, web cameras, mics, etc, are also a must for good practical exposure in school labs,” Kapur adds.

Elaborating on the curricular changes, Shylaja Menon, principal, The Shri Ram Universal School, Bengaluru, says, “Older topics like HTML and CSS have been removed as they are not as much in use. In the Information Technology course for class X, the emergence of cloud computing is a meaningful part of the curriculum along with data analytics and ethical hacking. A lot of the content that involves manuals, installation of older software has been removed.” Since the rate of innovation in web development, IT, and AI is particularly high, it necessitates frequent updates to the curriculum. “Other skill subjects may not experience the same rapid pace of change. Additionally, there is a demand for technical skills in the job market, particularly in IT and AI. Revamping these subjects ensures that students become more agile and adaptable to the demands of the modern workforce and are competitive in high-growth industries in the next decade or two,” Menon adds.

Course details

Web Application for class XI

Aim: To skill the students on job roles such as web developer and graphic design and offer a holistic exploration of cutting-edge concepts and practical skills across various domains, ranging from foundational programming principles to advanced topics in graphic design, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.

Information Technology for class X

Aim: To prepare the student for the role of domestic data entry operator. On completion of the course, students should be able to identify the principal components of a computer system; demonstrate the ability to provide a selfanalysis in the context of entrepreneurial skills in addition to the knowledge of the importance of green skills.

Artificial Intelligence for class IX

Aim: Helping learners understand the world of AI and its applications through games, activities and multi-sensorial learning to become AI-Ready; introducing the learners to the importance of Math for AI, data literacy and generative AI.

ArtificialIntelligence for class XI

Aim: The students will engage with a host of multi-media online resources, as well as hands-on activities and sequence of learning experiences. The course hopes to prepare students for further study to take up careers as AI scientists and developers to solve real-world problems.

Web Application course for class XII

Aim: This course is aimed at skilling students towards the job role of web developer & graphic designer. It will enable them to understand the concepts and implications of emerging technologies, identify the role and impact of IoT in various industries, explain the concepts of cloud computing and edge computing, describe the applications and significance of AI and ML.

UGC-NET 2024 cancellation frustrates aspirants who lose faith in NTA

TALKING POINT

Wanted to help my father financially

My exam went well, and after discussing the question paper with my mentors at the coaching centre, I scored around 125-130 out of 150 marks. I was hoping to crack JNU this time and was hoping to get the JRF stipend of Rs 34,000. I was hoping to bring my father to live with me in Delhi as he lives alone in Sohawal village near Ayodhya after my mother passed away last year. I was quite excited to begin my PhD journey and had already started to prepare my research thesis. I am a first-generation learner, and it is a matter of pride for my family as I am the first in the entire village to have qualified for even a master’s degree.

MANISH VERMA,

POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT, UGC-NET JUNE 2023, DELHI

Enrolled into PhD

This was my third attempt. I have already enrolled in a PhD programme at Purnea University, Bihar. I got into PhD through PhD Entrance Test (PET) but after the UGC made NET qualification mandatory, I am trying to crack it. I am 34 years old and have been preparing to become an assistant professor. I was hoping to apply for assistant professor-level vacancies that the Bihar government is supposed to begin. However, the exam cancellation has foiled my plans.

MANHOMAN KUMAR,

HISTORY STUDENT, UGC-NET JUNE 2023, PURNEA, BIHAR

Strict action needed

I am very disappointed with the paper leak and exam cancellation. I was hoping to clear this exam and get enrolled into a PhD programme but

with the current situation, everything seems difficult and frustrating. I have lost faith in NTA. I request the authorities to act against the NTA for such negligence. This was my second attempt, and I was appearing for this exam to clear the cut-off to get admission into a reputed government college, but now my future looks blurry.

NIRBHAY SHANKAR,

POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT, UGC-NET JUNE 2023, DELHI

CBT format replaced by pen-paper mode

The cancellation of the exam raises questions on the reliability of the NTA. It reflects that the testing agency has zero transparency. My students have informed me that the question paper in their centres did not arrive in a sealed envelope, the OMR sheet was of poor quality, which got torn while marking the answers. Apart from that, there is no answer or reason given by the NTA as to why they decided to switch to the earlier method of conducting the examination through the OMR sheet and not continue with the CBT mode. The chances of cheating in online mode is much less compared to the pen and paper mode.

DR AMIT KUMAR NIRANJAN,

UGC-NET EDUCATOR, KANPUR – As told to Ayushi Gupta

Ceramic engineering is bridging gaps in innovation across industries

The broad application of ceramics in all sectors keeps the relevance of the course intact

Pursuing a course in ceramic engineering opens the gates to many opportunities in several sectors

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesgroup.com

As long as oxidation persists due to moisture in the air, the value of ceramic and glass material in factories will continue to be important. This sums up the importance of ceramic engineering, which is often perceived to be an obsolete stream.

Pursuing a course in ceramic engineering opens the gates to many opportunities in several sectors for students. Being interdisciplinary, ceramics can be exploited in all branches such as civil engineering, metallurgical, chemical, biomedical, mechanical, electrical, electronics, and computer engineering. This enables ceramic engineers to be in great demand across a range of sectors, including electronics, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and energy. The course remains highly relevant in today’s age due to its broad application across various advanced technologies and industries.

Shantanu K Behera, professor, Department of Ceramic Engineering, NIT Rourkela, says, “The relevance of ceramic engineering and the development of ceramic material technologies has risen in recent years due to an increased thrust in sustainable development areas such as water decontamination, hydrogen technologies, storage technologies, where many forms of advanced ceramic materials are being used. Further, India is experiencing increased footprints in its defence programmes and space technologies that require the development of materials for aggressive environments.Therefore, the importance of ceramic engineering has shifted to modern materials along with the existing traditional ceramics.”

Ceramics are essential in the production of dielectric materials used in capacitors and other electronic components. Ceramic substrates provide astable platform for mounting semiconductor devices, enhancing performance and reliability. “Ceramic engineering is the science and technology of creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials. This field involves designing and manufacturing ceramic products, which are typically hardened by baking at high temperatures,” says Behara.

Research and applications

Major advances are happening in the ceramic world. Carbon nanotubes and graphene, which are different forms of carbon, have recently influenced ceramics like no other materials in the past. Incorporating nanoparticles into ceramic matrices enhances properties like toughness, wear resistance, and thermal stability. Applications include cutting tools, medical implants, and coatings. Advanced thermal barrier coatings are being currently developed that can allow operation of aeroengines at a much higher temperature making them more energy efficient. Further, engine components are being made from ceramics that allow hypersonic travel of aircraft and projectiles.

“Many modern applications are also being researched that include energy storage devices, such as batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors. Due to the compatibility of some ceramics with human body, they are progressively being used for bone-tissue engineering, wound healing, agents for drug delivery etc,” says Behera.

Ashutosh Suresh Gandhi, professor, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, IIT Bombay, says, “The earth’s crust is essentially made of ceramics silica sand, various minerals, and ores are all naturally occurring ceramic materials. The smartphone display has a very hard and tough glass (a ceramic material) as a crucial component. Electronic devices have electro ceramics making up a large fraction of components. Next-generation semiconductors such as III-V semiconductors, silicon carbide, are ceramics. Solid-state lithium-ion batteries are made of ceramics. Thin films and coatings are used in a wide range of structural and functional applications, and most of these are ceramics. Prosthetics (artificial body parts) like dental implants, artificial bone and joints are made of ceramic materials. New safe, energy efficient buildings that can be made by 3D printing use ceramic building materials.”

Institutes that offer course

Degrees of BTech, MTech, and even PhD are typically offered in many universities. Ceramic technology programme is offered at IIT BHU, Varanasi; IIT Bombay; NIT Rourkela; Calcutta University, Kolkata; Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, Kolkata; Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam; Alagappa College of Technology, AU, Chennai; College of Engineering and Technology, Bikaner; PDA College of Engineering, Gulbarga, and PES College of Engineering, Karnataka.

Core curriculum

Gandhi says, “IIT Bombay offers a degree in metallurgical engineering and materials science. Ceramic engineering topics are subsumed in this curriculum. The curriculum of ceramic engineering branch includes science of ceramic materials, their properties, extraction from ores, processing into shapes by particulate processing techniques, their mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and thermal properties.” Sreevats Pandey, a former PhD student, from IIT-BHU says, “A typical ceramic engineering curriculum includes core courses: introduction to Materials Science, Ceramic Materials and Processing, Thermodynamics of Materials, Mechanical Properties of Ceramics, Electronic Ceramics. The laboratories and practical training consist of materials characterisation, sintering and processing techniques etc.”

Positive hiring trends

Graduates can take their chosen career path. Many join PSUs like SAIL, Nalco, EIL, BHEL and other corporations. The typical industrial jobs are available as refractory engineers or glass engineers. Graduates with BTech in ceramic engineering also get into a career in IT much like other engineering graduates. “NIT Rourkela claimed 100% placement in 2023. Tata Steel offered 13 lakh per annum for core roles in 2023. The branch also opens doors to non-core roles like analytics and software positions. Average non-core roles can fetch freshers over 10 lakh per annum. Many go for higher studies and research in IITs and IISc and to specialised institutions in the US, UK and Japan,” says PV Navaneethakrishnan, former professor and director, Entrance Exams and Admission, Anna University, Chennai.

Unlike IT jobs

Being engaged in the processing of these materials as an engineer is a completely different thing as compared to an IT professional. The work often involves manufacturing or processing materials following scientific and engineering methods in the lab. The new materials are then characterised with regards to its phase, morphology, microstructure, etc. This may be entirely different from the nature of jobs IT professionals do.

CUET UG and PG scores to be valid for both admission sessions

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

The University Grant Commission (UGC) has said that CUET UG and CUET PG scores will be valid for both admission sessions in the biannual admission scheme. The Commission further said that apart from undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, PhD scholars can also be admitted by higher education institutions (HEIs) twice a year. The UGC decision to extend biannual admissions in offline mode, made on May 15, comes in the wake of a positive response from the students. The Commission has said that the biannual admissions will make it possible for HEIs to better strategise their resource dis- tribution. As to whether the entrance tests would also be conducted twice for admission to the two sessions, M Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson, UGC told ToI that there is no need for multiple entrance tests. CUET-UG or PG test scores will be valid for the entire year and students can seek admissions in the JulyAugust as well as in the Janu- ary-February admission cycle based on their scores. Earlier, aligning with global practices, the UGC amended its regulations to allow biannual admissions in HEIs in regular mode from the 2024-25 academic session. In 2023, the UGC permitted biannual admissions under ODL and online modes in January and July during an academic year.

Animal welfare diploma sees growing demand amid ethical concerns

Sonal.Srivastava@timesgroup.com

In recent decades, ethical concerns about animals’ quality of life have increasingly become the subject of public policy. Consequently, the demand for courses related to animal welfare is rising, leading to universities such as IGNOU announcing admissions to the fifth batch of its Postgraduate Diploma in Animal Welfare (PGAW) programme. Since its launch, the programme has seen 800-1,000 learners annually. In the past four years, the course has seen 3,421 enrolments. It was launched in partnership with the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education, University of Edinburgh, UK, in 2020 during the Covid pandemic.

Core components

“Unlike many other scientific specialities, the field of animal welfare owes its existence to societal and ethical concerns and faces several challenges, including inadequate funding, the rising cost of education, insufficient capacity to train and educate veterinarians in multiple/expanding disciplines, and a faculty shortage. Keeping this in view, the PGDAW has covered the core components of welfare science, welfare ethics, welfare issues, and welfare standards,” says Prof PVK Sasidhar, programme coordinator, PGAW, IGNOU.

The course is primarily meant for in-service and pre-service personnel, including employees working in animal welfare organisations/ NGOs/gaushalas; faculty, researchers, technical staff and PG/PhD students in universities, research organisations and veterinary colleges; members of state animal welfare boards, institutional animal ethics committees and civil servants. “Officials and researchers working in forest departments, zoos and wildlife institutes; faculty and research scholars under Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), and veterinarians/ para-veterinarians in state/central government/RVC and paramilitary forces will find this course useful,” he says.

Capacity building

Sasidhar says, “Veterinarians and para-veterinarians play an important role as intermediaries between animals, their owners, and the public in protecting animal well-being. Animal welfare is inadequately covered in the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) degree programmes, and there are no animal welfare credits in the veterinary polytechnic curriculum offered to para-veterinarians.” He adds, “Traditional veterinary colleges are facing several challenges, including inadequate funding, the rising cost of education, insufficient capacity to train and educate veterinarians in multiple/expanding disciplines, a shortage of faculty, and time limits of veterinary degree programmes. Distance education can potentially address many of these issues as it can increase the capacity of current facilities and faculty and provide increased flexibility, convenience, and high-quality technology-enabled learning experiences. It will also allow students to acquire knowledge in a cost-effective manner while allowing them to maintain their employment.”

Skilling can enhance job prospects

States need to introduce impact-focused initiatives to promote skill development, writes Chandrakant Patil

Atal Incubation Centres have played a pivotal role by generating over 32,000 job opportunities

India has the largest youth population in the world – accounting for around 40% of our total population. Estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggest that the Indian labour force is set to grow by over 8 million per annum over the coming decade, most of which will be driven by youth entering the labour market. As a country, we have immense potential to leverage this demographic dividend – for good.

However, today, as the world continues to evolve and hurtles towards a digital future, as a country, we must ensure that our young people remain adaptive to such change. In this context, the imperative of continuing to upskill remains of utmost importance. Against this backdrop, and in the pursuit of building a bright and empowered future, our government has undertaken a series of impact-focused initiatives to promote skill development across the country.

Government policies

Complementing Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the central government launched the Skill India Mission in 2015 to upskill and reskill the youth to meet the demands of a dynamic job market. As many as 1.4 crore young individuals have received training under PMKVY. Out of these, 24 lakh individuals have successfully secured placements, while 54 lakh have undergone upskilling and reskilling programmes.

The impact of the government’s efforts is reflected in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) findings, showcasing a significant decline in youth unemployment rates from 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10% in 2022-23, with the youth LFPR (Labour Force Participation Rate) expanding from 38.2% to 44.5% over the same period.

Furthermore, a monumental stride was taken towards fulfil- ling the promise of creating 10 lakh government jobs through Rozgar Mela, with over 8 lakh positions already filled across 12 editions.

The Atal Incubation Centres (AIC) have also played a pivotal role by generating over 32,000 job opportunities, contributing significantly to our employment landscape.

Networking matters In Maharashtra, a state that has a network of 75 universities and more than 6,000 colleges and institutions, the government has placed immense focus on the skilling and upskilling of students and young graduates. By aligning the state’s educational framework with the central government’s National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 to drive impact at scale and change the way learning happens in our colleges and universities at present, we have also established robust collaborations with several stakeholders to enhance employability.

To increase opportunities, we have forged strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Infosys and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) to enable the students to gain access to skill development courses, ensuring that they are equipped for the professional world.

State partnership with Infosys allows students to gain access to an extensive range of skill development courses and resources offered through the Infosys springboard portal. Similarly, with our government having joined forces with NASSCOM, the premier trade body for the IT and IT-enabled services industry in India, our students are constantly being able to access a diverse set of skill development programs and vocational courses. These courses, offered by Infosys and NASSCOM, are specifically designed to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving job market, ensuring that students can emulate/ imbibe the necessary skills and competencies to excel in their chosen careers.

For this, we have also seen the impact of having established such focused collaborations, which have indeed, led our students to leverage from these gains. As per the recent India Skills Report 2023, Maharashtra has the highest concentration of highly employable candidates from the BE/BTech, Engineering domain with 69.03% scoring above 60% on the WNET (Wheebox National Employability Test).

Financial knowledge

Focussing on the importance of financial literacy, the student are acquiring essential knowledge of personal finance, budgeting, savings, and investment strategies – enabling them to make informed decisions about their financial well-being. To this end, we have collaborated with the Moneybee Institute and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to enhance financial literacy and securities market awareness among students.

Additionally, our government’s focus remains on our students’ holistic growth and development. A crucial aspect of this endeavour is facilitating academic exchanges, joint research projects, cultural exchange programs, and various other initiatives that enrich the global exposure and international perspective of our students. To this end, we have joined hands with esteemed institutions and organisations, including the British Council. Our department, in particular, is dedicated to working closely with the British Council to bolster Maharashtra’s higher education ecosystem through capacity building, leadership development, and faculty training – all aimed at supporting our internationalisation agenda.

(The author is Minister, Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra)

Environment-friendly system

The Maharashtra government is aware of the impact of climate change on our communities, infrastructure, and the economy. With each year consistently breaking the record on several climate-focused indicators, we realise that now it is more important than ever to promote and encourage climate empowerment and action, especially among our students. As a step in this direction, we have partnered with UNICEF Mumbai – extending our efforts to 3000 colleges and engaging with 2 million youths across 13 districts of Maharashtra – promoting localised youth action for climate empowerment. Thus, as we look towards the future, it remains imperative that we continue to prioritise and invest in skill development initiatives that empower our youth. By cultivating/ fostering a culture of lifelong learning, equipping graduates with pertinent skills, and creating pathways for continuous professional development, can our country truly leverage the full potential of its youth dividend and emerge as a global leader in talent and innovation. In Maharashtra, our focus will always be on building a future where every student has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society and the economy.

Tech stacks powering seamless telemedicine consultation service

Telemedicine should be on the radar of education policy specialists, writes Prof Nisheeth Srivastava

The word telemedicine is likely to conjure a vision of talking to your doctor over a video call on your smartphone these days. However, telemedicine covers a wide spectrum of medical services, from simple phone-based consultations to exotic telerobotic surgeries. Telemedicine, in its varied forms, has been with us for decades but has risen to prominence since the pandemic, when it became the primary mode of healthcare consultation.

Internet-driven

We frequently take network connectivity for granted in civilian life, but telemedicine acquires particular significance specifically in many extreme real-world settings wherein communication bandwidth is precarious. Creating and maintaining ad hoc networks on oil drilling platforms in the middle of the ocean, at high-altitude military camps, is a prerequisite for telemedicine. Even in more quotidian environments, telemedicine increases in significance, precisely as locations become more remote and hence, less likely to be served well by communication networks. Maintaining call fidelity under such low-resource conditions requires expertise in signal processing, computer networks, and IoT. A key challenge for doctors in teleconsultation settings is how they can assess a patient’s well-being. Tacit knowledge about patients’ health is accessible more easily through physical interactions. Telemedicine providers seek to make up for the deficit in tacit understanding by presenting a comprehensive view of the patient’s prior interactions with the healthcare system. India’s National Health Stack, maintained by the National Health Authority, enables health record interoperability by design. However, proper utilisation of health records requires skill in health informatics, fundamentals of medical science, and comfort with data schemes.

(The author is professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur)

Low-code platforms make institutes digitally efficient

Low-code is used to automate course registration, writes Bharath Kumar B

Imagine a high school teacher, with no coding expertise, building an online app for scheduling classes, setting reminders for tests, and drawing out an entire timetable that can be accessed at all times by both students and parents. With low-code application development platforms, this is possible.

What is low-code

Low-code tools empower users with little or no coding experience to build applications with the help of drag-and-drop visual builders. Professionals in any field can learn how to use low-code and build specific apps as per requirements.

Hurdles

Low-code platforms help users build end-toend and scalable solutions across devices for varied needs like admissions management, assessment management, grading and attendance management.

Usage in educational institutes

Several institutes use low-code to automate various tasks such as course registration, faculty selection, and timetable generation. Students can register for courses online, select optional subjects, and receive timetables via email. This transition to digital processes has significantly improved efficiency, while also making their system more convenient and accessible.

(The writer is the head of marketing and customer experience for Zoho Creator)

Board games fostering critical thinking in design classrooms

By immersing themselves in games, students can sharpen their analytical abilities and learn to approach design problems with a strategic mindset, writes Anjan Chakravorty

Design education has traditionally been grounded in theoretical knowledge, technical skills, and practical applications. However, as the landscape of education evolves, educators are increasingly seeking innovative methods to enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for the dynamic challenges of the design industry. One such method gaining traction is integrating board games into design curricula. Board games offer a unique blend of entertainment and education, providing a platform for students to develop essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and iterative thinking. Here are the key areas where board games can be used in classrooms:

Enhancing creativity

Creativity lies at the heart of design. Board games catalyze creative thinking by presenting players with diverse challenges and scenarios. Games such as “Codenames” or “Dixit” encourage abstract thinking and associative skills, pushing students to explore unconventional ideas and solutions. By engaging with these games, students can expand their creative horizons, breaking free from conventional design paradigms and cultivating a more versatile approach to problem-solving.

Developing critical thinking

Critical thinking is a fundamental skill in design, enabling students to analyse, evaluate, and synthesise information effectively. Board games require players to make strategic decisions, anticipate outcomes, and adapt to changing circumstances. Games like “Settlers of Catan” or “Risk” challenge students to manage resources, formulate long-term strategies, and consider the consequences of their actions. By immersing themselves in these games, students sharpen their analytical abilities.

Promoting collaboration

Collaboration is essential in design, where projects often require teamwork and cooperation. Board games offer a platform for students to hone their collaborative skills. Cooperative games like ‘Pandemic’ foster communication, teamwork, and collective problem-solving.

Encouraging iterative thinking

The iterative design process is a cornerstone of design methodology, involving constant refinement and iteration. Board games mirror this iterative approach, requiring players to adapt their strategies based on feedback and evolving circumstances. Games like ‘Scrabble’ or ‘Ticket to Ride’ challenge students to refine their tactics and adjust their approach in real time. By engaging with these games, students internalise this creative mindset, understanding that logical reasoning is essential for innovation in design.

Providing a safe space for failure

Failure is an inevitable part of the design process, offering valuable learning opportunities. Board games provide a low-stakes environment where students can experiment, take risks, and learn from their mistakes. By embracing failure as a natural part of the learning process, students develop resilience, perseverance, and a willingness to push creative boundaries in their work. Educators can use games as icebreakers to foster rapport among students or as tools for teaching concepts and skills.

(The author is dean, School of Communication, World University of Design)

Encouraging creativity

Board games offer a multifaceted approach to enhancing design education, providing a dynamic platform for students to develop essential skills and mindsets. By encouraging creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and iterative thinking, board games prepare students to tackle the complex challenges of the design industry with confidence and innovation. As design education evolves, it becomes more important to integrate board games into the curriculum.

ALERTS ALERTS

■ UPES Dehradun invites applications for its undergraduate programmes

Eligibility: Minimum 50% marks in Class X and XII Deadline: June 27, 2024 Link: https://www.upes.ac.in/admissions

■ All India Management Association (AIMA) invites applications for Management Aptitude Test (MAT) exam Eligibility: Graduates in any discipline Deadline: Not announced Link: https://mat.aima.in/

■ Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi invites applications for various teaching positions for its affiliated schools

Eligibility: Depending on the position Deadline: July 12, 2024 Link: https://bhu.ac.in/Site/Page/1_3355_ 6219_Recruitment-and-AssessmentCell-Teaching-Position

■ Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad invites applications for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) programmes

Eligibility: Graduates with at least 50% from a recognised university along with CAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA and CMAT scores Deadline: June 27, 2024 Link: https://edii.nopaperforms.com/pgdm -e?utm_source=bodhbridge

NMC directs med colleges to include data related to holidays in AEBAS module

In continuation of an earlier advisory on implementing the Adhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) in all government and private medical colleges, the NMC has asked the medical colleges to include gazetted holidays, local administrative holidays, etc, in the college’s AEBAS module at the beginning of the calendar year. The NMC stated that arbitrary retrospective inclusion makes AEBAS data inconsistent.

Academia-industry collaboration is key to create global managers

The link between the concepts acquired in institutions and the skills needed to succeed in the dynamic workforce must be strengthened, writes Harini KN

Guest lectures, industry professionals provide students with an understanding of trends in industry practices

In an era of constant change, nations consistently work towards achieving a leading position in the global economic landscape. To navigate in this rapidly shifting world, establishing strong academia-industry partnerships can be a powerful catalyst that enhances competitiveness by building an inexhaustible engine of globally employable managerial talent.

Educational institutions provide the foundation for knowledge-building and skill development by teaching core concepts in a given discipline, while the industry networks focus on enhancing market exposure to understand the latest market trends and emphasise skills like teamwork, problem-solving, effective communication, and time management in order to deliver marketable innovations, thus fostering academia-industry collaborations becomes critical to performing job duties effectively and enhancing the future industry professional’s job prospects.

Wealth of benefits

The collaboration between academia and industry can provide a wealth of benefits for all stakeholders of the economy, be it consumers, employees, businesses, government, investors, institutions, regulatory bodies, etc, by promoting innovation, developing highly skilled and industryrelevant workforce, and driving economic growth. An academia-industry disconnect can leave future-industry professionals underprepared for the workforce, thus making it critical to have certain policies and frameworks in place to bridge this knowledge gap. Establishing policies and frameworks as guidelines are noted to provide a clearer pathway to strengthen connections between academia and industry, benefiting the overall market ecosystem. Some of the mechanisms could include:

Tailored curriculum development

Creating academia-industry advisory boards that focus on tailored curriculum development and skill-building so that future industry professionals are job-ready and equipped with the knowledge that employers seek.

Enhancing student connection with industry through internship programmes that provide critical practical experience in industry settings. Guest lectures, industry professionals provide students with an understanding of trends in industry practices along with career guidance and mentorship opportunities, in turn preparing them to adapt to the dynamic job market. Thus, inducting the posi- tion of Professors-of-Practice (PoPs) as faculty, in line with government guidelines becomes critical. PoPs are experienced industry professionals who bring their real-world expertise into the classroom, ensure the latest industry updates to course curriculums, offer guidance and mentorship on navigating career paths, and leverage their connections to enhance networking, job, and internship opportunities.

Enhancing faculty connection with industry through initiatives like faculty exchange programmes wherein university faculty members immerse in the indust- ry setting to keep abreast with the latest industry trends, and in turn, faculty can provide niche consulting services to the industry by utilising their vast research knowledge repository.

Gaining first-hand experience

Setting and developing Centres of Excellence (CoEs) or innovation labs by leveraging collaboration between Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), industry partnerships, and government support for research and technology development projects to provide an opportunity for top talent to gain first-hand experience to work on live projects. This involves building knowledge-sharing professional networks via initiatives like joint research projects to address questions on realworld challenges, creating the potential for commercially viable innovations.

Some of the initiatives of Government of India to drive such collaborations include Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC); Impacting Research Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT) scheme; Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY); AICTE-INAEDistinguished Visiting Professorship Scheme; Technology Business Incubators (TBIs); and other schemes in various fields of study, with scope for more partnerships towards furthering this collaboration objective. Additionally, the government also provides infrastructure support for such associations by providing space for research parks and virtual labs for cross-country HEI-industry-government partnerships. While policies and frameworks can bridge the gap between academia and in- dustry and provide various advantages, at the same time, these partnerships are not without their challenges, such as conflict on intellectual property ownership rights, differing goals sometimes due to rapid commercialisation requirements, data privacy and exchange issues, and limited funding availability that can create constraints and hurdles in these partnerships. However, by ensuring clearly established agreements, having open communication, and by remaining focused on shared goals, these collaborations can be extremely successful.

Well-prepared workforce

Academia-industry cooperation becomes crucial to navigate the challenges of a globalised marketplace. Successful implementation of these policies and frameworks can create a strong collaboration that will ensure a well-prepared workforce has developed the relevant knowledge and skills to flourish in the dynamic labour market. The linkage between the concepts and knowledge acquired in educational institutions and the skills needed to succeed in the dynamic workforce must be strengthened since any mismatch can create challenges for both future industry professionals and the hiring organisation.

This strong base of capable and employable managerial talent that meets, enhances, and strengthens industry and academia collaboration can be a game changer for a country’s success in the global marketplace. That is, by consistently bridging the academia-industry knowledge gap, future industry professionals will be well-positioned to thrive in the job market, at the same time companies will have access to market-ready top talent to flourish in the competitive global landscape.

(The author is co-chair, MBA-International Business, TAPMI)

Critical frameworks

An academia-industry disconnect can leave future-industry professionals underprepared for the workforce, thus making it critical to have certain policies and frameworks in place to bridge this knowledge gap. Establishing policies and frameworks as guidelines are noted to provide a clearer pathway to strengthen connections between academia and industry, benefiting the overall market ecosystem.

B-schools should adopt attributes of Vedic education

It will help instil knowledge, morality, and boost skills among the budding managers, write Rajkumari Mittal and Smita Dayal

The system expected five qualities essential for personal growth of the learner

Vedic education system, one of the first Indian education systems, was respected and known across the world for its multidimensional focus on character development and knowledge acquisition. It was aimed at understanding Vedic texts for gaining knowledge and executing it for societal well-being. Vedas namely Rig Veda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda taught scholars not only the right path in this materialistic world but also the path towards liberation after death. One of the Sanskrit shlokas summarised this as ‘only that which is real knowledge, leads to liberation’. Thus, attributes of the Vedic education system, such as experiential learning, collaboration, inclusivity, multidisciplinary decision-making, and learning as a lifelong process have been universally applicable and beneficial to date for all verticals of education. These attributes emphasise upon holistic development of students by fostering ethical, and solutionoriented strategies which lead to the growth of students in his/her professional domain. Role of learners, educators, and the institute were equally important in meeting the objective of education.

Modern business schools must adopt these ideas to instil knowledge, morality, and practical skills amongst the budding managers in today’s corporate environment. Vedic education was fundamentally solution-oriented, focused on developing ethically upright leaders with a growth mindset and collaborative spirit.

The Vedic education system expected five qualities‘Panch Lakshanas’ from learners namely perseverance(Kaag Chesta), concentration(Bako Dhyanam), alertness(Shwan Nidra), moderation in eating (Alp-Ahari), and detachment from home comforts(Grih Tyagi). These qualities were essential for effective learning and personal growth of the learner. During the Vedic period, Gurukuls were residential schools where shisyas (learners) received formal education. The learners were away from the comfort zone of their homes, and permeated values, and character traits from the educator’s daily activities. Therefore, the educator acted as creator, and sustainer of knowledge, along with destroying ignorance from the minds of learners.

Receive deep insights

Gurus were instructors as well as practitioners of their subject which facilitated students in having deep insights about the practical significance of their educational domain. One such example was the multifaceted persona of Chanakya (c. 371–283), who taught and wrote eminent works on political science (Nitishashtra) and economics(Arthashastra) and served as aphilosopher, economist, royal advisor, and jurist in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. In the Vedic era, pedagogy followed an interesting trilogy of Shravana, Manana and Nidhidhyanasana. Shravana or listening pushed the learner towards understanding the Vedic texts, Manana or contemplation of the knowledge prompted them to gain understanding of subject, and Nidhidhyasana or realisation of the knowledge urged them to deliberate and practice these learnings till it became a part of their life and existence.

(The authors are associate professor and assistant professor, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi)

Why news on social media needs to be fact-checked by journalism students

A survey conducted on learners showed the essence of news from mainstream media is credible, which is missing on social media platforms, writes Renuka Phadnis

The way news is reported and consumed has changed with the rise of social media platforms. With the help of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X –users get to know about the news and events happening around the world. Even if it comes with several benefits and is available as it happens, misinformation and fake news are always a threat.

However, today’s youth are well-informed digital natives. They believe the content on social media selectively, cross-checking suspicious information and rejecting what they finds is fake. Familiar with quick checks, many run photos and videos through a reverse photo check on Google Images and InVid, a software tool on their browser that checks the veracity of videos.

Aware of the pitfalls

The fact that they verify what they read is significant because it is becoming difficult to tell what is true and what is fake in the news today. Technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep fakes are making it easy to modify pictures and videos. Everything looks real un- less we are experts in software and technology. Every bit of content has to be verified. The good news is that several youngsters who read content on social media are aware of the pitfalls and do a fact-check before they trust it.

Many Gen Z students pursuing adegree in journalism in Bengaluru get their news updates from social media as they find it a good source of news as mainstream media. One reason is that they see it as a more inclusive medium than mainstream media as anyone can write anything. Varsha, a journalism student, says, “Social media is abetter source of getting news than mainstream media. It has its ears to the ground and is more real and independent. But not everything on

social media is true. So do not trust everything that is on it.” A survey conducted recently on un- dergraduates studying journalism in two leading colleges in south Bengaluru saw replies on what kind of ‘news’ journalism students see as trustworthy. The findings showed clarity in their minds on how they perceive the veracity of news. More than 75% of them said, “It is easy to get updates on social media but check before trusting it.”

Maria, one of the respondents, says, “The essence of news from mainstream media is credibility, which is missing in social media. Anyone with a mobile phone and internet connection can call themselves a journalist on social media.” Some of the respondents also think that content on social media is less credible because it is shortlived. Nisha, another student, wrote: “Social media has news in reels or podcasts (which are limited in terms of time). But we can read news in mainstream media whenever we want to.”

They were also concerned that social media can lead to an ‘inability to think independently’. They see social media platforms as the main medium from which people will get news. But they also think that it is dangerous as people can be easily influenced instead of thinking for themselves. Of course, any media that distorts content using AI and fake news will lose its credibility. Highlighting the need to check facts, Zaid Nayeemi, alumnus of a Bengaluru journalism college and a young journalist, who worked in a leading national newspaper in New Delhi, said that it is important to ensure that content meant for publishing anywhere is subjected to robust editing.

Lack the stringency

While journalism students are aware of the attractions and hazards of news on social media, one perspective is that dubious news is the product of technology and the cost of editorial gatekeeping. KV Lakshmana, a veteran journalist, says, “One can be excused for falling victim to unverified untruths aimed at spreading misinformation. The malice (of fake news) can afflict any form of media — print, digital or the new media. They all often lack the stringency and effectiveness of gatekeepers checking in on various aspects of news processing — from gathering, sourcing, to its final presentation, without bias and with objectivity”.

More than half of the respondents in the survey said that they believe social media will get more popular as a source of news but that would come with the risk of getting fabricated news. So, news consumers — much like product consumers — will have to follow the ‘buyer, beware!’ rule.

(The author is a former journalist and associate professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dayananda Sagar University, Bengaluru)

Running quick checks

The youth believe the content on social media selectively, cross-checking suspicious information and rejecting what they finds is fake. Familiar with quick checks, many run photos and videos through a reverse photo check on Google Images and InVid, a software tool on their browser that checks the veracity of videos

NMC tells medical colleges to complete curriculum for PG Broad Speciality 2021 batch

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

The National Medical Commission (NMC) in a recent notification has directed the medical colleges to complete the academic curriculum, including the examination of the PG Broad Speciality students who were admitted in 2021, by December 31, 2024.

“The Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations-2000 (PGMER-2000) notified by the erstwhile Medical Council of India stipulated 1st May of each year for commencement of academic sessions for Post-Graduate Broad Speciality Courses (both Degree and Diploma courses). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this schedule has been modified from time to time. The Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), National Medical Commission (NMC) vide Public Notice dated 11.01.2022 (copy enclosed) had intimated all concerned that the academic session for the Broad Speciality Courses for the year 2021 shall commence from February 1, 2022. The academic curriculum of the diploma and degree courses shall be completed by December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024 respectively. However, the post-graduate Degree and Diploma students should complete the required period of 36 and 24 months respectively,” states NMC.

Internships give wings to aspiring BBA aviation graduates

Practical knowledge is crucial in shaping well-rounded professionals capable of managing the dynamic nature of the aviation sector, writes Kanishk Dugal

In today’s fast-paced world, the aviation industry stands as a beacon of opportunity, particularly for those armed with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in aviation management. However, to truly soar in this field, one must navigate beyond the classroom. Internships and industry partnerships play apivotal role in this journey, acting as the wind beneath the wings of aspiring aviation professionals.

The aviation industry creates over 23.5 million jobs annually, with the Indian sector contributing 2,50,000 to 5,00,000 jobs. The UDAN scheme has broadened career opportunities by making air travel affordable and boosting economic development and job growth. It aims to enhance regional connectivity through the creation of 200 airports, requiring skilled professionals. The Union Budget 2023 supported this with plans for 50 additional airports, helipads, water aerodromes, and advanced landing groups, further expanding job prospects.

Leveraging networks

Industry certifications such as Galileo and training from the Airport Authority of India, which provides an overview of airport management and drills on fire, emergency exit, and water safety, enhance the prac- tical learning experience. Furthermore, a tie-up with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) allows students to earn a global certification in airport management from ICAO and the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Specialised institutions play a crucial role in facilitating internships by acting as intermediaries between students and the industry, leveraging their networks to secure valuable opportunities. Several institutions have established strong ties with aviation companies, ensuring that their students are placed in reputab- le organisations. Additionally, colleges provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the internship process, helping students prepare their resumes, coaching them on interview techniques, and ensuring they are well-equipped to maximise their internship experiences. This support system is essential in helping students’ transition smoothly from academic life to professional careers.

Internships serve as the bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application for BBA aviation management students, offering invaluable handson experience in various facets of the aviation industry. Whether working with airlines, airport operations, or aviation consultancy firms, these experiences provide a realworld understanding that textbooks alone cannot offer. Internships expose students to the day-to-day operations and challenges within the industry, such as managing passenger flow, implementing security protocols, and handling customer service at airports. This practical knowledge is crucial in shaping well-rounded professionals capable of managing the dynamic nature of the aviation sector.

Hands-on experience: Internships provide BBA aviation students with practical experience in real-world aviation environments. This exposure helps them understand the intricacies of the industry, including airport operations, airline management, and customer service.

Skill development: Through internships, students develop crucial skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. They also gain technical knowledge related to aviation management, which is essential for their future careers.

Industry networking: Internships offer students the opportunity to build professional networks within the aviation industry. These connections can lead to job offers, mentorship opportunities, and valuable industry insights.

Career exploration: Internships allow students to explore different career paths within aviation, helping them identify their areas of interest and specialisation. This exploration is vital for making informed career choices after graduation.

Enhanced employability: Having internship experience on their resume makes BBA aviation graduates more attractive to potential employers. It demonstrates that they have practical experience and are well-prepared to enter the workforce, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.

(The author is COO, ILAM)

Comprehensive guidance

Colleges provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the internship process, helping students prepare their resumes, coaching them on interview techniques, and ensuring they are well-equipped to maximise their internship experiences. This support system is essential in helping students’ transition smoothly from academic life to professional careers.

Paper leaks demand plugging systemic issues plaguing the education system

Despite stringent laws and ongoing efforts, these leaks persist, underscoring the need for more effective preventive measures, writes Brajesh Kumar Tiwari

The examination commission should have its printing press or the soft copy should be sent directly through code lock 15 minutes in advance to the exam centre

The UGC NET exam was cancelled just one day after it was conducted. Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) issued a notice to the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) in response to a petition seeking the cancellation of the NEETUG 2024 exam due to an alleged paper leak, a problem that has become more serious over time. According to media reports, in the last seven years, papers of more than 75 examinations have been leaked in different states of the country, due to which the careers of about two crore youth have been affected.

Laws to address the problem: The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, also known as the anti-paper leak law, has been implemented in the country. The notification from the central government was issued precisely at midnight on Friday, June 21. Even before the central government made laws, many states had made strict laws at their level.

The offence of paper leaks during public examinations affects the public at large and creates a huge financial burden on the state exchequer. The recently passed act prescribes a minimum term of imprisonment—the minimum prescribed is three years, but it should be at least 10 years. However, the amount of punishment prescribed under the act does not align with the offence’s gravity.

There is no provision for a time-bound investigation. The act does not provide any fixed period within which the re-examination must be conducted again. Along with the additional term of imprisonment in case of default in payment of a fine for an offence under the act, the provision of forfeiture of the offender’s property should also be included. The candidate taking advantage of unfair means should be disqualified from future examinations.

Only DSPs should be able to investigate unfair public examinations under this act. The act’s offences are un- common and affect a large group of candidates, so a Special Investigation and Regulation Authority may be needed to investigate them. Additionally, examination procedures are unknown to invigilators and administrative officers, so they need specialised training.

Future actions: Institutions such as UPSC should become role models; along with this, appointments with political connections in the recruitment commissions should be completely stopped, and the examination commission should have its printing press or the soft copy should be sent directly through code lock 15 minutes in advance to the examination centre. It should be printed and distributed to the candidates present there. With this method, question papers will certainly be a little more expensive than press printing, but it will be safe and leakproof.

Question papers pass through many hands while drafting, printing and transporting them to the examination centres. In such a situation, all these people should have mobile phones banned and maximum sets should be made as far as possible. CCTV cameras should be installed at the examination centres to monitor the process. Every year, crores of students are affected by a series of question paper leaks from various school board exams, university exams, and even competitive exams. It is high time to take ‘pariksha pe charcha’ seriously.

[The author is associate professor, Atal School of Management (ABVSME) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi]

(Views expressed are personal)

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 24, 2024

Front Page

MLA’s kin held for running over biker

Af stun Aus with 21-run win at T20 WC

2 teens, mom killed in Gzb gas-leak fire

13-yr-old detained for IGI bomb hoax

2 drown clicking selfies on boat

Kejriwal moves SC after HC stay on bail order

Maya reinstates nephew as her political heir

2 CoBRA men killed in Maoist blast in Sukma

Only 813 of 1,563 who got grace marks take NEET-UG re-exam

Amid ‘darknet’ threat, NTA experiences a meltdown

After waste of time, effort & money, fear of a wasted year

Now, Prajwal’s brother Suraj, a JD(S) MLC, held for unnatural sex

Std deduction under new I-T regime may be raised

Times Nation

2 clicking selfies drown in Ganga

Terrorist killed along LoC at Uri

1st arrest in C’garh mob lynching case

Row over NEET-UG, other tests set to dominate LS proceedings

Yoga poses at Golden Temple get designer death threats

EAM’s homage to Kanishka victims amid Canada spat

2 CoBRA personnel killed in Maoist IED blast in C’garh’s Sukma

1 killed as NCP MLA’s nephew hits bike with SUV on narrow road

Maya reinstates nephew as BSP nat’l coordinator

UP DSP found in hotel with woman constable demoted to constable

CBI files FIR on NEET-UG ‘leak’, sends spl teams to Bihar, Guj

Mistaken as impostors, CBI men thrashed in Bihar; 4 held

2 Maha teachers booked, charged under new law against leaks

ABVP: Students have right to know why NEET-PG called off

From paper leak to training students, tech-savvy ‘handlers’ run exam racket

Computer-based tests more secure than pen-paper mode exams: Experts

Big shake-up in tech needed to secure exams: Official

Pradhan: India needs flexible, less stressful exam system

Exam fiasco hits hard: Odisha girl travels 600km, J&K doc spends `12k on hotel, trip

Cong expels 5 for ink attack on Odisha unit chief over NEET stir

Tharoor mocks UP over paper leaks, BJP calls it insult to state

IMA backs govt, says it’s critical to hold key tests with diligence

17 aspirants who appeared earlier in Bihar centres barred from NEET-UG

Day after 2 brothers suspected as poachers killed in sanctuary, Assam CM orders probe

Custody death: Autopsy finds injury marks on man’s body

Not a drop of water in `200cr Karnataka dam built last year

HC cuts jail term in Pocso case for lack of ‘valid reason’

Lack of injuries doesn’t rule out rape, says HC, denies bail

Third bridge collapses in Bihar in one week

Mahayuti to hedge state poll bets with please-all budget

Panel: States’ bonuses on top of paddy MSP distorting markets

4 channels go off air in AP after elections, YSRCP petitions Trai

Experts worried as juvenile hilsa floods Kolkata markets

Assailants on bike gun down BJP youth wing neta in Indore

Deaf-mute wife helps nab man for rape bid, chilling murder

IT’S FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR Goa’s Yacht Sector

Isro’s reusable launch vehicle completes final landing test

Key API market, but India still pays crores for orphan drugs

Roads ministry seeks nod for `22 lakh crore highway plan

Times City

CM moves SC against HC’s interim stay on bail order

Teachers with 10 yrs of service in one school must apply for transfer online

Praying For Rain — Or Not: Spectre Of Waterlogged Streets Looms Yet Again

Gas leak sparks blaze in Gzb house, woman and two daughters die

Saket residents allege land grab, tree cutting in ‘deemed forest’

39.8 Going On 53! Humidity Adds To Delhi’s Discomfort

‘Won’t end fast till Delhi gets rightful share’

Hospitals report 29 more recent deaths, heatwave toll is now 275

LG speaks to Haryana CM after AAP delegation meets him over water crisis

City hosp frees 90-year-old of rare stomach condition

From painful past of acid attack to resilience to live

Smooth sailing for office-goers as passport seva kendra at ITO relocates to Jhandewalan

3 men held for killing cab driver in Shastri Park

Burger King shooting suspect gives cops the slip in Jammu

Police Make First Arrest In Killing Of 2 Newborns

‘In-laws conspired to kill me too’

BMW rams auto-rickshaw on NH8; youth dies, one injured

Prosecutions for stop line violations up 32%, Def Col among top hotspots

Teenager apprehended for sending bomb threat to IGI

Uninterrupted Power: New Plan To Light Up Homes In Darkest Hours

Woman (44) found dead, cops suspect hit-&-run

Six held for role in ‘digital arrest’ scam

Times Business

Standard deduction may rise under new tax regime

GST waiver on ESOPs spells relief for cos like MS, Google & Oracle

FPIs are back, buy `12,170cr stocks in June

‘As is where is’ added to GST lexicon

Rights issue: Byju’s moves HC against NCLT order

At `9cr, Adani pay in FY24 lags peers

Are EV loans cheaper? Depends on what vehicle & lender you choose

Food cos step up vigil, e-tailers ready to ‘delist’

Moving On From FDs? Manage Exposure With Equity Savings Funds

Editorial

Fix It, GOI

Helping The Help

It’s hair-razing

Examine Our Exam-Nation

‘No reason why INDIA can’t win the next Bihar assembly elections, even if advanced…Our vote share has shot up’

Develop The Ability To Make Enlightened Choices

CONTRAPUNTO

Sacred space

Times Global

Pak opposition contests PM’s nationwide military op plan

Netanyahu doubles down on criticism of US arms supply

France’s far-right party leads in opinion poll

Egypt says will prosecute haj travel agents for ‘fraudulent’ trips

WATER WOES FORCE ITALY’S HOLIDAY HOTSPOT TO BRIEFLY BAN TOURISTS

UK election betting scandal widens as 4th Tory official is probed

Russia blames US for deadly Ukrainian strike on Crimea

AROUND THE WORLD

Trump proposes a ‘migrant league of fighters’ for UFC

32-yr-old Indian dies in US store shooting

Yacht fireworks spark blaze on Greek island

A school with 7 students: America is witnessing a ‘microschools’ boom

Times Sport

STAYIN’ ALIVE

Toppers Spain aim to see Albania fail

AN ITALIAN’S JOB

Lukaku stays ‘offside’ but Belgium in sight of goal

ALBANIA’S DAKU BANNED FOR TWO GAMES AFTER NATIONALIST CHANTS

FIELD-SIDE SECURITY INCREASED IN BID TO STOP PITCH INVADERS

Brazil look for fresh start after period of turmoil

MEXICO EDGE JAMAICA; SUPER SUBS GIVE VENEZUELA A WIN

Semifinal spot on the line as South Africa take on co-hosts West Indies

Miller rapped for Code of Conduct breach

If not Windies, Viv backs India to win title

PAYBACK TIME FOR INDIA?

Inspired Afghanistan give Oz a reality check

Could not sleep in Mumbai after loss to Oz, can’t sleep today too: Rashid

Jordan, Buttler power England into semifinals

Kuldeep enjoying the challenge of being a step ahead of batters

The race to the T20 WC semis

GALLERY

Aditi climbs to T-43 at PGA C’ship

IOA proposes medical insurance, pension for all ex-Olympians

Sinner’s first on grass

India drub SA by 6 wickets to sweep women’s ODI series 3-0

Verstappen pips Norris to top spot

NADA suspends Bajrang again, serves him ‘notice’

Prajwal bro’s case handed to CID

22 TN fishermen held by Lanka over ‘poaching’

Rahul thanks people of Wayanad for ‘unbridled love’

Caught by surprise, JD(S) distances itself from case

Muslims with Kunbi certs too should get OBC quota: Jarange

Canada permits for desi students at new low

Salvi is Indian women’s team’s bowling coach

Delhi Times

Subtlety is not meant for a franchise like Border: JP Dutta

RIGHT NOW, I WORK FOR MYSELF, FOR THE JOY OF IT: SONALI

FOREIGNERS ARE TYPECAST IN INDIAN CINEMA: MARK BENNINGTON

BUZZ STOP

Taylor Swift’s royal selﬁe in London

Let’s get this straight. No one’s your servant

HOW TO: Clean your makeup brushes properly

GALLERY

Mark: In India, for foreigners like me, the typecast role is a bad British guy

Sidhartha Mallya ties the knot with GF in London

DID YOU KNOW?

Border 2 will have chest thumping patriotism, says JP Dutta

IF I WORKED IN A NEWSROOM, I’D DEFINITELY HAVE LIFESTYLE DISEASES: SONALI

Too hot in north India, I am missing Mumbai rains: Twinkle Arora

Raatan Lambiyaan singer Asees Kaur welcomes first baby

Ajith test drives race car in Dubai

Education Times

NMC reduces internship tenure for FMGs, amends earlier notice

Dissolution of NTA is no remedy, it must have a robust system in place

DU changes SOPs for teacher recruitment, invites ire of faculty

CBSE tweaks Web Applications, AI and IT subjects to increase industry focus

UGC-NET 2024 cancellation frustrates aspirants who lose faith in NTA

Ceramic engineering is bridging gaps in innovation across industries

CUET UG and PG scores to be valid for both admission sessions

Animal welfare diploma sees growing demand amid ethical concerns

Skilling can enhance job prospects

Tech stacks powering seamless telemedicine consultation service

Low-code platforms make institutes digitally efficient

Board games fostering critical thinking in design classrooms

ALERTS ALERTS

NMC directs med colleges to include data related to holidays in AEBAS module

Academia-industry collaboration is key to create global managers

B-schools should adopt attributes of Vedic education

Why news on social media needs to be fact-checked by journalism students

NMC tells medical colleges to complete curriculum for PG Broad Speciality 2021 batch

Internships give wings to aspiring BBA aviation graduates

Paper leaks demand plugging systemic issues plaguing the education system