India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Centre's high-level panel on exam reforms has advised against permanent staffing in the National Testing Agency (NTA), instead recommending longer tenure for executives and domain experts with attractive service conditions. Under fire over alleged irregularities in the conduct of medical entrance exam NEET-UG and PhD entrance NET, the government set up the panel in July to study the functioning of the NTA. The Opposition had claimed that NTA operates with fewer than 25 permanent employees and somehow it conducts over two dozen major exams, including the highly competitive NEET-UG. In its report, the panel, headed by former ISRO Chief R Radhakrishnan, has said, "It is prudent to avoid permanence while staffing NTA. Still continuity and institutional memory must be maintained by longer tenure of executives and domain experts drawn through central staffing scheme or from academic or specialised organisations." "To attract competent and willing persons to relocate to NTA, attractive service conditions may be devised (special pay/higher grade on deputation, performance-related incentives or schemes, waiver of age limit)," it added. The seven-member panel has noted that the NTA needs to be manned by internal domain-specific human resources and a leadership team with domain knowledge, proven experience and skill sets who should take charge of the testing process in future. Suggesting a restructuring of the NTA, the committee noted that the agency should have an "empowered and accountable" governing body with three designated sub-committees to oversee test audit, ethics and transparency; nomination and staff conditions; and stakeholder relationships. The panel has recommended 10 specific verticals, each by a director level. The verticals will be related to technology, products and operations, test security and surveillance. Laying down a roadmap for testing centres, the panel suggested that it was possible to integrate such testing centres from Kendriya Vidyalyas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, reputable universities and institutes to establish a nationwide network of about 400-500 testing centres within a time frame of a year or so, which would provide about 2-2.5 lakh testing capacity for conducting CBT (Computer-based test) in one session nationwide. It recommended that the NTA could target developing at least 1,000 secure standard testing centres in a phased manner in reputable government institutions. This process may require a "war-footing" approach, it noted. "The committee envisions a testing centre allocation policy to ensure that ideally the candidates should get a choice of testing centre in their district of residence," it said. The NTA's role came under the scanner when medical entrance exam NEET became a centre of controversy over irregularities, including alleged leaks. The UGC-NET was cancelled as the ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam had been compromised. Both matters are being probed by the CBI. Two other exams -- CSIR-UGC NET and NEET PG -- were cancelled at the last moment as a preemptive step. The panel also includes former AIIMS Delhi director Randeep Guleria, Central University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor B J Rao, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras K Ramamurthy, People Strong co-founder and Karmayogi Bharat board member Pankaj Bansal, IIT Delhi Dean of Student Affairs Aditya Mittal and MoE Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal. The committee was also tasked with examining the existing security protocols related to the setting of the papers and other processes for various examinations and making recommendations to enhance the robustness of the system. The panel had also two IIT Kanpur academicians as members -- Amey Karkare, professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Debapriya Roy, assistant professor. PTI GJS GJS TIR TIR
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises," the Supreme Court on Wednesday told former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, held in an alleged cash-for-job scam in the state. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Chatterjee, questioned the enforcement directorate (ED) over his continued incarceration saying he cannot be kept inside for an indefinite period. "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of Rupees were recovered from your premises. Wha ...Read More >
Kanpur: A 24-year-old PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, dies by suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room on Monday. The deceased student, identified as Ankit Yadav, took his own life by hanging himself from the ceiling of his hostel room. The incident came to light when Ankit's friends tried to contact him, but their calls went unanswered, prompting his hostel mates to inform the IIT-Kanpur authorities. ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at 15 places in Mumbai and Kochi in connection with the Mithi River desilting scam that caused a wrongful loss of more than Rs 65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), official sources said. The massive crackdown is underway at the premises across Mumbai and Kochi linked to the accused and suspects as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities. According to the sources, the searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at locat ...Read More >
New Delhi: The first warship in the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft series, equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations, is set to be inducted into the Indian Navy on June 18, officials said on Friday. The commissioning ceremony of 'Arnala' at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. "The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L& ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday cancelled the bail granted to former Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni in connection with a 2016 case related to the murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda. A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order while noting that there was sufficient material on record to suggest that attempts were made by Kulkarni to either contact the witnesses or alternatively, influence them. "Keeping in mind the totality of circumstances, this court is of the considered opinion that the bail granted to the respondent (Kulkarni) ought to ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Delhi government has rolled out guidelines for tree officers to enforce certain sections of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, officials said. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Section 8 of the DPTA mandates that no tree shall be felled, removed or disposed of without prior permission from the tree officer. However, it provides an exception for emergency cases, where a tree poses an immediate danger to life, property or traffic, he explained. In such situations, RWAs, land-owning agencies, individuals or responsible agencies may act wit ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification. The three institutes are IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. The Hyundai Centre of Excellence (CoE), which will be set up on IIT Delhi campus, will operate through sponsorships from Hyundai Motor Group. The primary objective of the Hyundai CoE is to take the lead in driving advancements in batteries and electrification, specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the Indian market. Hyundai Mo ...Read More >
Mumbai, December 11: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has announced changes to the schedule for the NEET PG Counselling 2024. Candidates planning to participate in the upcoming counselling rounds are advised to review the revised timetable, which has been made available on the official website at mcc.nic.in. This update ensures clarity and provides sufficient time for candidates to prepare for the counselling process. As per the revised timetable, the Round 2 choice filling and locking for NEET PG counselling will end on December 11, 2024. Candidates can fill their choices until 8 AM o ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, is expected to announce the AIIMS BSc Nursing Result 2025 soon. Candidates who appeared for the B.Sc (H) Nursing examination can check and download the results on the official website of AIIMS at aiimsexams.ac.in when declared. It must be noted that the AIIMS B.Sc Nursing written exam was held on June 1. The board is likely to declare the results today, June 6. That said, the institute has not yet shared any official results. The AIIMS B.Sc Nursing exam consisted of one paper, which lasted two hours. The exam p ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday said it will raise Rs 500 crore through ESG bonds. An ESG bond is a debt security that funds an environmental, social, or governance goal. "Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced a Rs 500 crore ESG bond issuance deal, becoming the first Indian corporate to do so under the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) newly introduced ESG and sustainability-linked bond framework," the company said in a statement. HSBC is acting as the sole lead arranger in the transaction, it said. As part of the ESG bond deal, the ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) A special CBI court on Friday remanded a junior engineer at Garrison Engineer office in Mumbai's Navy Nagar to police custody till June 9 in a bribery case. Dinesh Pandey was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4.5 lakh from a contractor to clear a building repair bill. The CBI told court Pandey was caught red-handed and the bribe amount of Rs 3.4 lakh was recovered from a cupboard in his office in Naval Officers Family Residential Area (NOFRA) here. The CBI sought five-day custody of Pandey citing the need to ...Read More >
India's Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Anantha Nageswaran, has urged regulators not to hinder innovations in the crypto and gaming sector. Speaking at the 2024 Global Economic Policy Forum on Wednesday, Nageswaran stressed the importance of regulatory transparency. He also advocated to strike a balance between fostering innovation and addressing social costs. "In a country with low per-capita income and financial illiteracy, not every innovation needs to be encouraged without any questioning. You have to have a social cost-benefit analysis of innovations such as Crypto and online gaming." He ...Read More >
Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday slammed the introduction of a facial recognition system at Mantralaya here, saying it is a ploy to keep common people away from those in power so that land and wealth can be given to builders and industrialists. In a tweet, Patole said while builders' cars roll into Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai, smoothly, common people's entry is being obstructed. "The fact is the new process is an attempt to keep common people away from those in power and democracy so that the state's land and wealth can be given to ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Also Read | World Environment Day 2025: Italian Deputy PM Antonio Tajani Lauds PM Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' Initiative (See Pics and Video). "Large-s ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Delhi government has barred hospitals in the national capital from buying medical devices, consumables, equipment and machinery directly, asking them to make all purchases exclusively through the government's e-procurement process. "Direct purchases or cart-based procurement on the GeM (Government-eMarketplace) portal by hospitals are strictly prohibited," the state health ministry said in an order, warning disciplinary or legal action in case of any deviation. The government's Central Procurement Agency (CPA) will "solely" handle all demand and bidding processes, it said. Th ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Friday allowed an application filed by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) seeking permission to schedule the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-PG 2025 on August 3. A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih took note of the submission that August 3 was the earliest possible available date given by its technology partner for conducting the NEET-PG 2025 examination in terms of the recent apex court order. Allowing the application filed by the NBE to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination on August ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 6 (PTI) Karnataka BJP general secretary P Rajeev on Friday said he has filed a police complaint seeking legal action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara for the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people. The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the Chinnaswamy stadium here, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people died and 56 were injured in the incident. Also Read | Bengaluru Stampede: Police Complaint Lodged Against Virat Kohli Over St ...Read More >
Mangaluru, (Karnataka) Feb 5 (PTI) District in-charge Minister of Dakshina Kannada, Dinesh Gundu Rao, directed officials on Wednesday to install CCTV cameras on both sides of bridges along major highways and main roads to prevent 'illegal' activities. During an inspection of the strengthening work on the Addur Bridge along the Perali-Addur State Highway, Rao highlighted reports of sand mining near bridges weakening their structures. Also Read | Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: National Capital Records 57.89% Voter Turnout; Exit Polls Give BJP Edge Over AAP. He said that although extracting sa ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted the National Board of Examinations (NBE) permission to reschedule the NEET PG 2025 exam to August 3, 2025. The exam was initially set for June 15, 2025. While granting the extension, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih made it clear that no further postponements would be allowed. The court emphasised that the decision to reschedule the exam was bona fide and necessary to ensure a smooth examination. 'We are satisfied that the prayer for extension of time is bona fide. Accordingly, the time a ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) An Apache helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made a "precautionary landing" in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur on Friday due to a technical issue while on a routine sortie, officials said. Both the pilot and the co-pilot are safe, they said. Also Read | Bengaluru Stampede: Police Complaint Lodged Against Virat Kohli Over Stampede Tragedy Near Chinnaswamy Stadium. An IAF Apache helicopter made a "precautionary landing" in Saharanpur around 11 am due to a technical issue, a senior IAF official said. All necessary checks were conducted after the landing and the helicop ...Read More >
Kuldeep Singh Sengar is also serving a 10-year jail term in connection with the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim's father. Kuldeep Singh Sengar sought interim bail on the grounds that he was suffering from various ailments The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted a two-week interim bail on medical grounds to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is serving life term for raping a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh suspended the sent ...Read More >
Ballia (UP): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to incite people and spreading anarchy in the state and said he is a "confused" leader who does not know what to do. Pathak was reacting to Gandhi's visit to Hathras where the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha met the family of a Dalit woman who died allegedly after being gangraped in September 2020. "(Rahul) Gandhi is confused. He has no idea what he will say and when. Sometimes he thinks of visiting Sambhal, sometimes Aligarh or Hathras. He is totally derailed and ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 12 (PTI) ISRO on Thursday said it has achieved a major milestone after its C20 cryogenic engine passed a critical test in ambient condition, featuring restart enabling systems. According to ISRO, this success was a vital step for future missions. "ISRO has successfully carried out the sea level hot test of its CE20 Cryogenic Engine featuring a nozzle area ratio of 100 at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu on November 29," the Indian space agency said in a statement. The indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre is poweri ...Read More >
CHENNAI: National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday postponed the UGC-NET December 2024 Exam scheduled on 15th January 2025 after receiving representations to postpone the UGC NET December 2024 examination on account of Pongal, Makar Sankranti and other festivals on 15th January 2025. The New date of exam will announce later, as per reports. Examination scheduled on 16th January 2025 will be conducted as per earlier schedule. Earlier, Chief Minister Stalin has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to reschedule the upcoming UGC-NET exams, which are set to be conducted by the Nation ...Read More >
There were no external injuries on the body. New Delhi: A student has been found dead in his hostel room at IIT Delhi. The room was locked from the inside and there were no external injuries on his body.. Officials said they received a call at the Kishangarh police station on Wednesday about a student not opening the door of his hostel room despite repeated knocking. When they reached the premier institute, police officials found that the door was locked from the inside, and it was forced open ...Read More >