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Mumbai: <keyword id="24063602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-District-Collector" source="keywords">Mumbai District Collector</keyword> <keyword id="20228546" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Yadav" source="keywords">Sanjay Yadav</keyword> on Wednesday cast his vote for the Maharashtra assembly polls. Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Yadav urged the residents of Mumbai to cast their vote. "Today is a very important day for all of us. I have just cast my vote, and I request all Mumbaikars, all voters of Maharashtra, to do the same... We have tried our best to provide all facilities for smooth and peaceful voting," he said. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrsaid that all arrangements have been made for the polling day. "I would like to give people the same message that we have given so far: all arrangements have been made. Voters will get all kinds of facilities; there will be queue management, seating arrangements, drinking water, wheelchairs... We have made wide-scale arrangements for this... Voters of Mumbai should come out to vote in large numbers... There is no reason for voters to not come to voting centers and vote." Bhushan Gagrani told ANI Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single phase of the <keyword id="21983018" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maharashtra-assembly-elections" source="keywords">Maharashtra assembly elections</keyword> and will conclude at 6 pm. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies. A total of 4,136 candidates are contesting the elections, including 2,086 independents. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and the NCP 59. The Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 86. The BSP is contesting 237 seats, while other smaller parties are also in the fray. The state has approximately 9.7 crore registered voters. Shifting alliances, ideological conflicts, complex caste dynamics, and emotional appeals have characterized the battle for power in the Maharashtra Assembly. The primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

Maharashtra assembly elections: Mumbai District Collector Sanjay Yadav casts vote, urges citizens to participate in polling

<keyword id="19918751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sindhudurg" source="keywords">Sindhudurg</keyword>: After a 35-foot <keyword id="22930662" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chhatrapati-Shivaji-Maharaj-statue" source="keywords">Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue</keyword> in Sindhudurg collapsed on Monday, <keyword id="19933070" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra-Minister" source="keywords">Maharashtra Minister</keyword> <keyword id="20063401" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepak-Kesarkar" source="keywords">Deepak Kesarkar</keyword> said that it is sad, but a 100 feet tall statue should be made in its place. He also said that he would speak to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and have all the estimates ready. Kesarkar said, "I haven't been there yet. But I have to say that this statue was erected there by the Navy. They said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the first naval king and they built the statue in his honour. It is sad but there will be good things now. There was a demand from the people that a 100-foot statue should be built here. I will also talk to the CM and Deputy CM and we have the estimates ready for building it." "If that statue has broken now, then a 100-foot-tall statue should be made in its place. This is my feeling," he added. The <keyword id="20114302" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="collapse" source="keywords">collapse</keyword> of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has drawn sharp criticism with UBT Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray blaming the BJP's arrogance for this. "We will never tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who is our and all Maharashtra's idol. Chhatrapati Shivaji's memorial in Malvan, which was built in haste keeping the elections in sight and inaugurated by Modi ji, collapsed today in just 8 months. The contractor regime of the government is the reason for this, but even more dangerous is the mentality of the BJP. They have the arrogance that we will do anything and get away with it. Because of that arrogance, Maharaj's memorial was made in haste without considering the seriousness of it. The intention was to use only the Maharaja's image, so the quality of the memorial was not taken into account. Didn't even hear what the locals said," Thackeray said in a post on X. Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar called for a detailed probe into the incident. "This is the state of Chhatrapati's statue in eight months. This incident must be investigated. At least Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should have been left in your percentage. It has been proved that this government is not based on Chhatrapati's values. Today the people of Maharashtra can see why we are saying that the Mahayuti government in the state is a government of great destruction. A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be installed at this place once again in Dimakha, but the contractor who has mentioned Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be blacklisted. We demand immediate withdrawal of all ongoing work of the concerned contractor. Punishment must be given to those who insulted Maharaj," Wadettiwar said. Earlier, local police filed an FIR against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil following the collapse of the 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. The FIR, registered under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was confirmed by Sindhudurg Police. The incident ignited criticism from the opposition parties, who targeted the state government over poor infrastructure. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the BJP and said that the collapse is a reflection of the poor quality of infrastructure built by the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Maharashtra, stating that every BJP construction project falls victim to corruption. The Indian Navy noted with deep concern the damage caused on Monday morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on December 4, 2023, as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg. The collapsed statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, on December 4, 2023.

100 ft statute must now be built, says Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar after collapse of Shivaji statue

The tallies for each constituency are in, and the arithmetic for the next government is being worked out. If the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) manages to hold onto their alliances, the stage will be set for Modi 3.0. However, if the Congress-led INDIA bloc somehow lures major parties like JD(U) and TDP, they might have a chance, though it is a long shot at the moment. However, with the results out for all 543 constituencies, much has been revealed about the general attitude of the country’s voters. For instance, despite the almost-unshakable belief that the BJP will sweep almost all 80 <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> seats — especially after the Ram Mandir inauguration — the party shockingly only managed to win only 33. Some experts speculate that this outcome came from the party failing to address core issues such as employment and economic anxiety, and instead choosing to focus on religious divide to win ballots. Expert institutions, such as Bernstein and Citi Research, have now noted that new spendings may now thus become focused on the poor, women, farmers and rural areas, especially considering how rapidly BJP’s <a href="https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/bias-of-markets-expected-rural-agriculture-to-be-the-new-focus-areas-reports/110728041">vote share has dropped in the rural seats</a>. For context, rural constituencies make up 60% of the total constituencies in India, according to The Economic Times. However, this is not to say that the party has clear favourites among the more developed and richer states either. Many of the richest Indian states have expressed mixed to lukewarm reactions towards BJP this election cycle, and even delivered unexpected shockers. For instance, the NDA lost a lot of ground in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="19897316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra" source="keywords">Maharashtra</keyword> and Rajasthan — some states with the biggest economies in the country. As for the current scenario, the party favourite remains mixed. Considering that the country has delayed the National Survey by four years, we have to rely on independent sources to come up with more current state-wide economic statistics. Therefore, as per the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), <keyword id="19896017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka" source="keywords">Karnataka</keyword>, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat formed the five largest state economies in India in the 2023 Financial Year. Let’s take a look at how India’s wealthiest states voted in <keyword id="20886626" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-2024" source="keywords">Lok Sabha 2024</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Karnataka" comment="subhead" text="Karnataka">Karnataka</cmsannotation> Despite struggles with making headway in the South, the BJP had made a clean sweep in Karnataka, bagging 25 seats in the 2019 general elections. While the BJP-JD(S) alliance has managed to retain a majority in the southern state with 17 seats, <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> made an impressive comeback this year, winning 9 seats compared to the 1 in the last election cycle. JD(S) managed to capture the remaining two seats. As for the four Bengaluru constituencies, BJP managed to cling onto all of them as well, with Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru South, Shobha Karandlaje in Bengaluru North, P. C. Mohan in Bengaluru Central and C. N. Manjunath in Bengaluru Rural. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Uttar Pradesh" comment="subhead" text="Uttar Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</cmsannotation> As mentioned earlier, the biggest controversies came out of Uttar Pradesh. Housing prominent figures such as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has been widely considered as a stronghold for the saffron party, who had won a whopping 62 seats in 2019. However, resident voters were determined to take to the booths to voice their dissent this year. Of the 80 UP constituencies — by far the state with the largest number of seats — 37 were won by the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the BJP held onto 33 seats, and the INC 6. The difference is stark: BJP lost 27 of the seats it won in the previous election cycle. Many prominent figures were dethroned this year, including Smriti Irani in Amethi, Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra in Kheri and Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur. However, perhaps the biggest shocker came from the fact that the BJP also lost the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which housed the contentious Ram Temple. Awadesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party will be chairing the constituency for the next five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, contested for the Varanasi seat, beating INC’s Ajay Rai by a margin of 2.5 lakh votes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Maharashtra" comment="subhead" text="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</cmsannotation> Another of the biggest losses for the BJP also saw a resurgence for Congress in the state with the highest <keyword id="35050" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp" source="Orion">GDP</keyword>. While the NDA had clinched 41 out of the 48 seats in the previous 2019 elections, it managed to bag a paltry 9 this time around. While this is a monumental loss for the ruling party, they managed to hold firmly onto most of the coastal Konkan belt. Headed by the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP won 7 of the 12 coastal seats, including in Palghar, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Mumbai North. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) maintained its hold on half of the six Mumbai constituencies. Of the four Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) seats, NCP (SP) won Bhiwandi, Shinde-led Shiv Sena won Thane and Kalyan and BJP won Palghar. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Tamil Nadu" comment="subhead" text="Tamil Nadu">Tamil Nadu</cmsannotation> Of all the economic powerhouses, Tamil Nadu was the only state untouched by the BJP this year. Out of the 39 seats in the state, the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came out victorious in 22, the INC won 9, while a coalition of other parties bagged the remaining seats. This was a massive win for the DMK, especially considering the two major opposition parties, the AIADMK and BJP, had come together to contest this year. Considered by many as BJP's most promising candidate, K Annamalai, too lost to DMK’s Ganapathi P Rajkumar in Coimbatore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Gujarat" comment="subhead" text="Gujarat">Gujarat</cmsannotation> While most of the other states endured major plot-twists, the story has remained almost the same for Narendra Modi’s home state, Gujarat. As per final polls, the BJP won 25 of the total 26 seats in the state, falling short of a full clean sweep due to INC clutching the final one. However, the INC win in the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat was no small victory, considering this was the first time in a decade that the party had made ground in the western state. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah contested and won from state capital Gandhinagar by a massive margin of nearly 7.5 lakh votes.

Lok Sabha 2024: How BJP, Congress and other parties have performed in states with largest economies in India

The just-announced <keyword id="22906567" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Unified-Pension-Scheme" source="keywords">Unified Pension Scheme</keyword> for central <keyword id="19933272" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-employees" source="keywords">government employees</keyword> will be available only for those who are currently subscribers of the New Pension Scheme (NPS), including retirees. The new scheme guarantees employees 50% of their average basic pay over the last 12 months before retirement, as a pension for a minimum qualifying service of 25 years against a market returns linked payout under the NPS. According to the scheme approved by the Union Cabinet, the pension will be proportionate for a lesser service period of up to a minimum of 10 years. Also, assured pension of Rs 10,000 per month on superannuation after a minimum of 10 years of service will be provided. The scheme has been brought out to address the concerns of government employees over NPS, which came into effect from January 1, 2004. Under the <keyword id="3246232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Old-Pension-Scheme" source="Orion">old pension scheme</keyword> (OPS), effective before January 2004, employees got 50 % of their last drawn basic pay as pension. Unlike the old pension scheme, UPS is contributory in nature, wherein employees will be required to contribute 10% of their basic salary and dearness allowance while the employer's contribution (the central government) will be 18.5%. Under the NPS, the employer contribution is 14%, and the employee contribution is 10%. However, the eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, mostly invested in government debt. Employees, under the OPS, were not required to make any contribution. They, however, contributed to the General Provident Fund (GPF). The accumulated amount, along with interest, was paid to the employee at the time of retirement. As the NPS was less attractive than the OPS, several non-BJP-ruled states decided to go back to the old pension scheme, which offered a DA-linked benefit. This prompted the Centre to constitute a committee in April 2023, under former Finance Secretary and now Cabinet Secretary-designate TV Somanathan to suggest improvement in the NPS architecture. Fulfilling the long pending demands of government employees ahead of assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Cabinet on August 24 approved the UPS, which will provide assured pension to 23 lakh eligible central government employees. Those opting for the UPS will not be able to switch back. The UPS will put an additional burden of Rs 6,250 crore on the exchequer per year. The expenditure will vary every year according to variations in the number of employees. In addition, there will be an arrear of Rs 800 crore that has to be paid under the National Pension System (NPS) to employees retiring before March 31, 2025. If these retirees opt for UPS, they will receive arrears. "UPS is being implemented by the Central Government, benefitting 23 lakh central government employees," Information &amp; Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on X on Sunday. If states also adopt the UPS architecture, a total of over 90 lakh government employees, who are presently on NPS, would be benefitted, he added. On Sunday, Maharashtra, where assembly elections are due later in the year, became the first state to announce the adoption of the UPS for its employees. RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said though the government has attempted to overcome the shortcomings of the NPS, there are still some issues compared to OPS. BMS will decide its future course of action only after a detailed study of the UPS after it is notified. All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said it is nothing but an extension of the existing NPS. The trade union expressed apprehensions that UPS will have a lot of aberrations once implemented. AITUC reiterated that it will continue to fight for the restoration of the non-contributory OPS. ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar said assured pensions will add to the government's committed expenditure in the future while reducing the uncertainty for employees. "This will have to be built into the fiscal consolidation roadmap going ahead," Nayar added. The UPS reflects a thoughtful approach to long-term social security, addressing concerns about the adequacy and sustainability of pension benefits in a rapidly changing economic landscape, said Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas &amp; Co Partner Dorothy Thomas. "This move signals the government's commitment to providing robust support for its workforce, enhancing financial stability for millions of government employees across the country," Thomas said.

Over 23 lakh govt employees under NPS get option to choose unified pension scheme

India has exported more than 45,000 tonnes of <keyword id="50894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="onion" source="Orion">onion</keyword> since the ban on outbound shipments was lifted early this month, a top government official said on Wednesday. These exports provided relief to farmers after curbs were imposed to keep domestic supplies steady ahead of general elections. The world's biggest vegetable exporter banned exports of the bulb last December and then extended it in March, after a rise in prices triggered by sluggish production. "Since the ban was lifted, more than 45,000 tonnes of onions have been exported, mostly to the Middle East and Bangladesh," Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Consumer Affairs Ministry, told PTI. To keep <keyword id="20035406" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="onion-prices" source="keywords">onion prices</keyword> affordable during the election period, the government on May 4 lifted the ban but imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne. Khare said the forecast of a good monsoon this year will ensure better sowing of kharif (summer) crops, including onion from June onwards. State-owned agencies have started procuring onions from the recent rabi (winter) harvest to build a targeted 5,00,000-tonne buffer stock for the current year, she added. The country's onion production is expected to fall 16 per cent from a year earlier to 25.47 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year due to lower output in key growing regions like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, according to the Agriculture Ministry's first estimates.

India exports over 45,000 tonnes onion after lifting ban, brings relief to farmers

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 13 (ANI): Mumbai police have registered a case against 32 people including the promoter of the <keyword id="16404205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mahadev-betting-app" source="Orion">Mahadev betting app</keyword> under various sections of fraud and gambling. According to the information, two prominent businessman names have also been included in the case. Police registered a case including Mahadev Betting App promoter Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal and Shubh Soni, under various sections of fraud and gambling, based on the complaint of Prakash Bankar, a social worker from Matunga. According to the information, social worker Bankar has claimed that people have been defrauded to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore. "The accused were playing gambling and other games through the app. Illegal earnings worth crores were made through it," the complaint said. Matunga police registered a case against under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 120 (B) of IPC. The accused Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal and others used to receive money every month through hawala transactions. Earlier, The Noida Police booked 18 accused in the <keyword id="15960875" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mahadev-app" source="Orion">Mahadev App</keyword> case under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is investigating the Mahadev Book Online Betting APP syndicate in which the promoters of this betting syndicate are allegedly sitting abroad and remotely running thousands of panels across India with the help of their friends and associates. According to the ED it has already arrested 4 accused persons and seized proceeds of crime worth more than Rs 450 Crore and has filed a prosecution complaint against 14 accused persons. On November 2 ED received intelligence input that large amount of Cash is being moved in Chhattisgarh by the promoters of Mahadev APP in relation to Assembly Elections scheduled on 7th &amp; 17th of November, 2023. ED conducted searches at Hotel Triton and another location in Bhilai and successfully intercepted a Cash Courier Asim Das who was allegedly sent from UAE especially, to deliver large amount of Cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress Party. ED claims that from the questioning of Asim Das, and from the forensic examination of the phone recovered from him, and examination of an email sent by one of the high ranking accused of Mahadev network many startling allegations have come forth, namely, that regular payments have allegedly been made in the past and so far around Rs 508 Crore have been paid by <keyword id="19364971" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mahadev-app-promoters" source="Orion">Mahadev APP Promoters</keyword> to <keyword id="166481" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bhupesh-baghel" source="Orion">Bhupesh Baghel</keyword>, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. (ANI)

Mumbai police book 32 in Mahadev betting app under fraud and gambling

Tune into any bit of news these days, and you’re bound to come across the <keyword id="19978984" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neet" source="keywords">NEET</keyword> controversy. With allegations of <keyword id="20118897" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bribery" source="keywords">bribery</keyword>, paper leaks and a dozen other crimes making for some murky water ahead for India’s future medical aspirations, there is no wonder the <keyword id="20039944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scam" source="keywords">scam</keyword> has been plastered all over the news cycle over the past week. NEET, which stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is a mandatory test a student must attempt if they wish to pursue <keyword id="21099893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medical-courses" source="keywords">medical courses</keyword> in India and abroad. This extremely competitive exam is conducted once a year by the National Testing Agency (<keyword id="19985628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NTA" source="keywords">NTA</keyword>) in different locations all over the country, where students can score between -180 and 720 marks. Nearly 24 lakh aspirants participated from 4,750 centres this year. Here’s a list of all major events so far. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NEET result declared" comment="subhead" text="NEET result declared">NEET result declared</cmsannotation> Less than a month after the exam was conducted on May 5, 2024, the NTA declared the NEET-UG 2024 exam results on its official website. Right from the get-go, things appeared suspicious, considering how the results were announced ten days earlier than their normal date. Many also pointed out how the NTA’s results coincided with the outcome of the 2024 Indian general election, calling it a ploy to distract from the <keyword id="21286400" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malpractice" source="keywords">malpractice</keyword> at play. Further, many centres had faced several exam disruptions, which could have placed certain students at a disadvantage. As a result, the NTA announced that an appropriate “normalisation” formula would be applied to compensate for these interruptions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Parents question how 67 candidates achieved full marks" comment="subhead" text="Parents question how 67 candidates achieved full marks">Parents question how 67 candidates achieved full marks</cmsannotation> As per test results, 67 candidates had topped the NEET with a perfect 720 score — something that was unprecedented in NEET-UG history. For context, only two students acquired the All India Rank 1 in 2023, with the highest being 3 toppers in 2021. Further probing revealed that six of these 2024 first-rankers were from a single centre in Haryana, making for some highly unlikely coincidences. In addition, some students had scored 718 and 719 marks, which was pointed out to be mathematically impossible as per NEET’s grading systems. These outcomes, combined with allegations of leaked <keyword id="20263157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="question-papers" source="keywords">question papers</keyword>, led to public outcry and protests that demanded that the Education Ministry re-conduct the examination. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NTA provides explanations" comment="subhead" text="NTA provides explanations">NTA provides explanations</cmsannotation> Later on, the NTA clarified that the process of normalisation, alongside easier physics and chemistry sections, might have led to some students acquiring these “impossible” mark sheets. However, many were not satisfied with these explanations and questioned how some students had a much higher rank than their peers with the exact same marks. Further, the NTA admitted there was an “incorrect distribution of papers” at the Haryana centre with six toppers. This led to lost time and thus the normalisation of marks was applied here too. Unsatisfied, many experts demanded a probe into the mechanism behind the grace marks. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Problems with the paper" comment="subhead" text="Problems with the paper">Problems with the paper</cmsannotation> As per The News Minute, 13,000 students flagged a particular question on the paper since it had two correct answers mentioned. Considering that NEET deducts marks for incorrect answers, many resorted to avoiding that question, losing out on crucial marks in the process. Many candidates have demanded that the NTA omit the question in the process of evaluation. In addition, many of the toppers attempted this erroneous question, which many found fishy. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Courts demand answers from NTA" comment="subhead" text="Courts demand answers from NTA">Courts demand answers from NTA</cmsannotation> The NTA was subsequently taken to the Calcutta and Delhi High Courts, where questions were raised on the vast number of toppers this year, in addition to the legitimacy of the grace marks awarded. While the NTA refused to conduct a re-exam for all 25 lakh students who wrote the NEET, committees were formed to investigate the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates, and why certain centres had unusual time lapses during the examination process. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Supreme Court intervenes, orders re-exam for 1563 students awarded grace marks" comment="subhead" text="Supreme Court intervenes, orders re-exam for 1563 students awarded grace marks">Supreme Court intervenes, orders re-exam for 1563 students awarded grace marks</cmsannotation> Calling the grace marks “arbitrary”, a petition was officially filed in the Supreme Court to challenge the NTA’s decision on the compensatory marks. Amidst falling trust in the examination system, the Supreme Court ordered a re-test for the 1,563 students who were given these grace marks at the initial NEET exam. This was to take place on June 23, with the declaration of results within a week. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NTA withdraws grace marks" comment="subhead" text="NTA withdraws grace marks">NTA withdraws grace marks</cmsannotation> The NEET tells the Supreme Court that it has cancelled all grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates, leading the number of top rankers to drop to 61. The outcome of the retest will determine whether these students will retain their top rank. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="No corruption at play, says Education Minister" comment="subhead" text="No corruption at play, says Education Minister">No corruption at play, says Education Minister</cmsannotation> Despite many claims of malpractice, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan denies any allegations of corruption. A few days later, however, Pradhan acknowledged there were irregularities at two exam centres. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Anonymous tip leads Bihar police to uncover nationwide fraud" comment="subhead" text="Anonymous tip leads Bihar police to uncover nationwide fraud">Anonymous tip leads Bihar police to uncover nationwide fraud</cmsannotation> Hours before the initial NEET-UG exam in May, Patna police received an anonymous tip-off leading them to find four suspected criminals. These individuals led the police to a meeting place where around 30 candidates had allegedly gathered to memorise leaked questions and answers. A top source from Bihar’s Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) — to whom the investigation was later handed over to — explained that such a practice might be happening nationwide. These papers were found burnt at an individual’s flat, who later confessed to the crime. "Photocopies of the question papers were given to the candidates and they were told to memorise the answers. The duplicate question papers were collected later in the morning and burnt," explained a source to The Times of India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="‘Solver’ gang in Bihar" comment="subhead" text="‘Solver’ gang in Bihar">‘Solver’ gang in Bihar</cmsannotation> The EOU later found evidence that there might be several gangs involved in the <keyword id="20116086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paper-leak" source="keywords">paper leak</keyword>. They speculate that ‘solver’ gangs from Nalanda might have acquired the question paper from Jharkhand, solved it with experts, and then passed it on to the prime accused from Khagaria. In a confession statement, the prime accused admitted that they demanded between Rs 30-32 lakhs from each student, with the intermediate charging around Rs 40 lakh from each aspirant. The EOU makes many dozens more arrests. There are also speculations that these gangs provided proxy candidates to take the tests for the students. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jharkhand private school leaked the paper" comment="subhead" text="Jharkhand private school leaked the paper">Jharkhand private school leaked the paper</cmsannotation> The Patna police then arrested five Nalanda residents, including key architect Baldev Kumar, who is also associated with the notorious Sanjeev Kumar, alias Lutan Mukhiya gang. These suspects, accused of multiple interstate paper leaks, allegedly received the NEET-UG solved answer sheets in PDF format a day before the exam. The Mukhiya gang procured the papers from a private school in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, as per the police report. "The gang had been plotting this for several months and it was a professor from Hazaribagh who had sent the question papers to Sanjeev using WhatsApp. Later, with the help of medical students from Patna and Ranchi, the paper was solved," explained a top official to ToI. Photocopied versions of the paper were given to around 30 candidates staying at a “safe house” in Patna. The other members of the Mukhiya gang have since confessed to providing duplicate SIM cards, mobile phones and accommodation for the gang members involved in the leak. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Political connections" comment="subhead" text="Political connections"><keyword id="22176947" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-connections" source="keywords">Political connections</keyword></cmsannotation> Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, and also the leader of the opposition in Bihar, has now claimed that Mukhiya’s political links are preventing the arrest of Sanjeev Kumar. "The investigative agencies are not arresting Mukhiya because of his political connections. I will expose his pictures with politicians in the time to come," he told reporters. The RJD has also released a photo of Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary with Amit Anand. In response, another Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha noted that Tejashwi had prior knowledge of the accused. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Blue Dart and SBI involved" comment="subhead" text="Blue Dart and SBI involved">Blue Dart and SBI involved</cmsannotation> As per The Print, the leaks might have been due to oversight from courier company Blue Dart and the State Bank of India. A preliminary probe suggested that both organisations failed to comply with norms during the transport of the question papers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Godhra centre teachers asked to fill in answer sheets" comment="subhead" text="Godhra centre teachers asked to fill in answer sheets">Godhra centre teachers asked to fill in answer sheets</cmsannotation> According to a report by The Print, dozens of students allegedly paid between 10 lakh and two crores to a coaching institute in Godhra, Gujarat, to receive help from their teachers during the exam. As per the report, the coaching institute, which was in cohorts with the exam centre, would fill in the OMR sheets for the students after the test ended. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Maharashtra teachers detained, possible Delhi connection" comment="subhead" text="Maharashtra teachers detained, possible Delhi connection">Maharashtra teachers detained, possible Delhi connection</cmsannotation> Suspecting involvement in the NEET paper leaks, the Nanded Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) detained two teachers, Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umar Khan Pathan, as per a Moneycontrol report. In addition to teaching, both individuals run private coaching institutes in Latur. As per reports, the FIR also mentions Delhi-based Gangadhar and Iranna Kongalwar. These new suspects may have helped Jadhav and Pathan contact aspirants ready to pay for the leaked paper. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Only 52% appear for NEET re-exam, toppers unlikely to repeat performance" comment="subhead" text="Only 52% appear for NEET re-exam, toppers unlikely to repeat performance">Only 52% appear for NEET re-exam, toppers unlikely to repeat performance</cmsannotation> After all this controversy, the NEET 2024 re-test was finally conducted for 1563 candidates across four states on June 23. However, only half of these students managed to appear for the exam. The six students who topped with full marks from the aforementioned Haryana centre noted that it is unlikely that they will repeat their perfect performance, considering how the retest was more challenging than the previous iteration. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Government passes law to curb exam malpractices" comment="subhead" text="Government passes law to curb exam malpractices">Government passes law to curb exam malpractices</cmsannotation> The government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 in February. It aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. Under the new law, offenders can see a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to RS 1 crore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NTA Chief removed from office" comment="subhead" text="NTA Chief removed from office">NTA Chief removed from office</cmsannotation> Following the uproar, the Chief of the NTA, Subodh Kumar Singh, was removed from his post and placed on “compulsory wait” in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Further, a high-level committee of experts under former ISRO and IIT Kanpur chairman Dr K Radhakrishan has been appointed to ensure smooth, transparent and fair examinations.

Paper leak, massive bribes, political connections: Here's all you need to know about the NEET exam controversy

Mumbai, RBI Governor <keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> on Monday said the central bank is "not comfortable" with the gross non-performing assets ratio of 8.7 per cent in urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and asked them to work towards improving the same. Addressing directors of UCBs in the financial capital at an RBI-organised conference, Das urged that such lenders should improve the governance standards, avoid related-party transactions and focus on credit risks, among others. It can be noted that the UCB sector has been fraught with multiple challenges and also witnessed difficult times in the recent past, like the implosion of the city-headquartered Punjab and Maharashtra Bank. Das reminded the directors of the UCBs that banks run on depositors and added that protection of the hard-earned money pooled in from the middle class, poor and retirees is far more sacred than going to a temple or a gurdwara. While the overall picture at an aggregate level looks nice, the situation on GNPAs and capital adequacy is "not at all satisfactory", Das said. He said the overall GNPAs have improved to 8.7 per cent, which is "not a good number. It is not a comfortable number even at an aggregate level". Scheduled commercial banks' GNPAs stood at a decadal best level of 3.9 per cent in March 2023 and are widely estimated to improve further. To manage the scourge of <keyword id="127693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="npas" source="Orion">NPAs</keyword> better, Das suggested that there should be a focus on credit risk management with better underwriting. He said the RBI has come across instances of conflicts of interest or related party transactions, which need to be avoided. Similarly, there have been instances of many of the top defaulters being individuals or businesses having the ability to pay, Das said. The top 20 defaulters account for over 60 per cent of the loan overdue, and focusing on this segment can help improve the overall NPAs, he added. On the capital adequacy front, he noted that there has been an improvement in the ratios to 16.6 per cent at the end of FY23 from 15.5 per cent a year ago. Making it clear that he wants to share the RBI's concerns with the lenders, Das exhorted the UCBs to focus on the quality of governance by paying attention to compliance, risk management and internal audit. He said the RBI has come across instances where there is only "paper compliance" and no compliance is observed when an on-field inspection takes place, Das said, adding that the internal audit function also requires focus. The governor asked bank management to present a risk analysis report to the board on a quarterly basis, rather than making it into an annual effort. It is also necessary for the directors - who are elected and not appointed based on their skill sets, unlike the SCBs - to understand the financial sector, credit risk, banking, information technology and risk management, Das said. The <keyword id="6354335" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="Orion">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> has prescribed a board of management to help the elected board members with professional help in running a bank, and the same should not be seen as an impediment, he added. Stressing that the board discussions should be free and fair, Das said it is important to have any dominance of one or two persons in the decision-making. "There should be free, frank and democratic discussions. Board members should be encouraged to ask whatever questions they have on their mind," he said. Das also expressed the RBI's discomfort with board committees like those handling important functions, such as audit and risk not meeting regularly, stating that it has come across instances where such meetings are not held for months or even multiple years. He also asked UCBs to monitor asset-liability mismatches, follow transparent accounting practices and recruit people based on requirements and ability to spend. On the technology front, he said the RBI has found that the quality of the core banking solution is not at all satisfactory in some banks, and the treasury operations are not getting reflected in the CBS. Going ahead, the UCB segment will be facing competition from tech-savvy entities like digital lenders, fintechs, non-bank lenders and micro-lenders, and hence, need to focus more on technology, Das said. The governor said the UCB sector - built to serve as the neighbourhood bank - is "doing well" from an overall perspective, and also made it clear that the RBI is fine with some of the entities in the sector growing big.

Not comfortable with NPAs in urban co-op banks says RBI, asks lenders to focus on governance

It was in the early <a href="https://www.the-aiff.com/article/indian-football-down-the-years-looking-back-at-the-glorious-moments">1950s </a>that newly free India went up against Iran on the <keyword id="64" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="football" source="Orion">football</keyword> court in the inaugural Asian Games and bagged its first gold medal. Later, the country participated in the Olympics and other Asian Games, and also formed a team for women in 1980, grabbing many shiny medals along the way. <div type="image" title="India in action at the 1956 Olympics - AIFF" msid="93647037" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;India in action at the 1956 Olympics - AIFF &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> For the first time ever in football’s history, India has been suspended by the International Federation of Association Football (<keyword id="57149" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fifa" source="Orion">FIFA</keyword>). <keyword id="57299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="All-India-Football-Federation" source="Orion">All India Football Federation</keyword> (<keyword id="50985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AIFF" source="Orion">AIFF</keyword>) has also been stripped of its right to host the 2022 junior Women's World Cup. The Under-17 Women’s World Cup was scheduled to be held across Odisha, Goa and Maharashtra in October this year. Many first-time participants, who have been training for years, are now feeling uncertain about their future. <div type="image" title="Under-17 Women’s World Cup team" msid="93647050" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Under-17 Women&amp;#8217;s World Cup team&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The ban could still be lifted if a few conditions are met but what led to AIFF’s suspension? Why has FIFA suspended AIFF? The governing body of world football announced the suspension citing the "undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes”. The suspension is effective from August 14, 2022 until further notice, according to a letter from Fatma Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA. This will affect India’s international participation. The troubles began when former AIFF president Praful Patel who was also a FIFA council member, refused to resign from his post as the head of football in the country after his tenure of three years ended in December 2020. Patel is also a member of the Nationalist Congress Party. <div type="image" title="Praful Patel&amp;#39;s tenure ended in December 2020" msid="93647079" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Praful Patel&amp;#39;s tenure ended in December 2020&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> FIFA’s rules state that its member federations must be free from legal and political interference. FIFA’s Article 19 also states that each member association shall manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties. A member association’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that association. A member association’s statutes shall provide for a democratic procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or appointment. <div type="image" title="Timeline of what led to AIFF’s ban" msid="93647104" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt; Timeline of what led to AIFF&amp;#8217;s ban &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> After Patel’s resistance to resigning, AIFF did not hold fresh elections. The matter then went to the Supreme Court, which announced the immediate resignation of Patel and formed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run the AIFF and govern the sport. It appointed Justice (retired) Anil R Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr S.Y. Quraishi and former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly to the CoA. <div type="image" title="Supreme Court formed a three-member Committee of Administrators" msid="93647115" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Supreme Court formed a three-member Committee of Administrators&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> FIFA directed CoA to get new elections underway, finalise the constitution and present it to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). India is not the only country India is not the first country to be suspended by FIFA. In 2021, Pakistan Football Federation was banned temporarily due to the same violations. The ban was lifted last month. Zimbabwe, Kenya, Chad, Benin, Kuwait, Nigeria and Iraq have also been at the receiving end of FIFA’s wrath. How will it affect India? Both male and female players won’t be able to participate in international tournaments till the ban is lifted, which includes the 2023 Asian Cup. In June, India’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri said a ban would be “catastrophic” for the country and him. “No matter what is happening on that front, I hope it is under control and the country does not get a ban. Because, that will be catastrophic, not just for the whole country but for me, because I’m 37. I’m playing my last games. You never know when there’s a last game for you,” said Chhetri. Indian professional football club based in Calicut, Gokulam Kerala, has already found itself stranded in Uzbekistan after the FIFA suspension. The team was scheduled to play at the AFC Women's Club Championship. On August 18, SC asked the centre to take a proactive role and ensure that India is able to host the U-17 Women’s World Cup in October. The men’s team is also scheduled to play Singapore and Vietnam in September and India’s participation in SAFF Women's Championship next month also looks uncertain. The suspension has not only dampened the morale of players who have been training for years, but it has also disappointed fans who were looking forward to watching the tournament live. The sport is watched by more than 23 million people, says a recent report by Ormax Media. Will the suspension be lifted? The suspension will be lifted once the AIFF administration regains full control of their daily affairs, which means no CoA. FIFA has also told India to form an independent electoral committee. Till then, as far as Indian footballers are concerned, it’s a wait-and-watch game. Here's a small video <div type="image" title="Why has FIFA banned All India Football Federation?" msid="93647172" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Why has FIFA banned All India Football Federation?&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

Simply put: Why has FIFA banned India and how will it impact India’s football industry?

India's 1983 World Cup-winning hero <keyword id="204836" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="roger-binny" source="Orion">Roger Binny</keyword> is likely to replace Sourav <keyword id="6505" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ganguly" source="Orion">Ganguly</keyword> as the <keyword id="6354756" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bcci" source="Orion">BCCI</keyword> President when the Board will hold its AGM on October 18, sources in the cricket body said on Tuesday. After hectic parleys and back-channel discussions in the past one week, it was decided that the 67-year-old from Bengaluru would be the 36th Board president, one of the sources familiar with the development, said. Jay <keyword id="1858" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shah" source="Orion">Shah</keyword>, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will continue as BCCI Secretary for his second consecutive term. Shah is also expected to replace Ganguly as India's representative at the all-powerful ICC Board. "Jay has been at the forefront of dealing with ICC matters on behalf of BCCI and with the 2023 World Cup around the corner in just one year's time, it is important that India has robust leadership at the Board of Directors meeting in the coming days," a BCCI source said. Binny will officially take charge of BCCI on October 18 at the AGM in Mumbai. There won't be any election to any post as all candidates will be chosen unopposed. All the people in the fray, including Shah and Shukla, filed their nomination papers on Tuesday. Binny, though, is a surprise choice to head the BCCI. However, hints were dropped that his name will crop up for some position when Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) named him as its representative at the BCCI AGM instead of secretary Santosh Menon. "Roger is one of the finest human beings and a thorough gentleman, who has graced the field for India. Plus he is also a World Cup hero and has a squeaky-clean image. He had resigned from the selection committee as his son Stuart back then was in contention to be in the Indian team," said another BCCI source. "He is the right choice for the job," the source added. The only Congressman in the BCCI cabinet is <keyword id="13855" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-shukla" source="Orion">Rajeev Shukla</keyword>, who will continue as vice president. Sports minister Anurag Thakur's younger brother Arun Singh Dhumal, who is currently the treasurer, will now become IPL chairman. He will replace Brijesh Patel. Influential Maharashtra BJP leader Ashish Shelar will be the new treasurer which means that he won't become Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president. He was supposed to take up the role with support from the Sharad Pawar faction. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's close aide Devajit Saikia will replace Jayesh George as the new joint secretary. Whether BCCI will contest for the ICC chairmanship hasn't been decided as yet. The medium pacer was one of the architects of India's historic World Cup triumph in 1983. In eight games, he took 18 wickets, the highest in that edition of the prestigious tournament. Ganguly, who reached Mumbai on Monday evening, had a lot of meetings with the stakeholders in New Delhi, last week. The former India captain was keen to continue as BCCI President but he was told that there is no precedence of giving a second term to the Board president. "Sourav was offered IPL chairmanship but he politely declined the offer. His logic was that he cannot accept becoming head of a sub-committee in BCCI after heading the same institution. He had expressed interest in continuing in the position," the BCCI source said. In the case of Dhumal, the decision makers waited for Ganguly to take a call on IPL chairmanship and once he refused, they promoted the Himachal man, who, along with secretary Shah, is known to be one of the most efficient men in the last BCCI cabinet. With Ganguly moving out of the picture, the East representation was always going to be Assam CM Biswa Sarma's call as he played a key role even last time. The names of members in the BCCI Apex Council and IPL Governing Council will be known when the final list will be published in a few days. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/cji-lalit-recommends-justice-chandrachuds-name-as-his-successor/articleshow/94784360.cms">CJI Lalit recommends Justice Chandrachud's name as his successor</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/opening-new-innings-shikhar-dhawan-will-be-seen-in-double-xl/articleshow/94781583.cms">Opening new innings: Shikhar Dhawan will be seen in 'Double XL'</a>

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