FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. XLI NO. 13 | INDORE | FRIDAY | JUNE 21, 2024 | PAGES 14 www.freepressjournal.com NATION 114 deaths: Heatwave turns deadly EDITIONS: INDORE r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 r RNI No. 38281/83 `3 UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL MUMBAI NASHIK SPORTS Cinema Balancing innovation with nostalgia Domestic demand for steel soars in India World Russia hits Ukraine’s energy infra EGG ON FACE | Govt won’t jeopardise future of meritorious students because of isolated leak incidents in Bihar; sets up high-level committee NEET, NITI & NEEYAT GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI Placed in the pillory over the NEET-UG exam leak, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday asserted that the government won't imperil the future of thousands of NEET aspirants because of a few "isolated incidents" of paper leak in Bihar. He was alluding to the paper leak in Patna where some students have admitted to being provided with the question paper a day before the exam. The minister's comments came even as the Congress put the government on the mat and students held protests in various parts, including outside Pradhan's residence. (Many of them were detained). Pardhan reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring a zero-error examination and said a high-level committee is being constituted which will fine-tune the NTA structure and infuse transparency. The committee, he said, will consist of technocrats, scientists, education administrators, academicians and scientists. ‘‘I want to assure you that, once we get concrete evidence, none of the guilty will be spared, whether it is the NTA or some senior NTA official,’’ he asserted. Addressing the media, Pradhan further said, "I want to assure everyone that the government is committed to protecting students’ rights. We will not compromise with transparency. We have received inputs from the Bihar government about NEET examination. Patna Police is investigating the matter and they will soon send a detailed report to the Government of India. Preliminary information indicates that errors were limited to a specific region." Contd. on P6 THE USUAL SUSPECTS n Academics who prepare question papers and those who evaluate answers n Officials responsible for editing, or checking, prepared question papers n Two to three sets of each question paper are prepared n Role of officials who print each question paper as well as that of those who take the printed documents to examination centres n The latter has complete access to all question papers n In some places, at least one leaked paper was available for as little as Rs 5,000. It was circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram groups n Over 11 lakh students had registered for the exam this year ABSURD MISMATCH: Anurag Yadav, who had access to some questions and their answers the night before the exam, scored 185 out of 720. His total percentile score is 54.84 but a look at his subject scores throw up an absurd mismatch of numbers. For instance, Anurag scored 85.8 percentile in Physics and 51 percentile in Biology. But his chemistry is as low as 5 percentile. Apparently, though he got the questions a day before the exam, these scores suggest that he did not get enough time to memorise the chemistry answers. UG-NET LEAK ON DARK WEB: A decision was taken to cancel the UG-NET exam for post of assistant professor and junior fellowships after it was found that the question paper was leaked on darknet, which lies beyond the reach of search engines. Users are largely anonymous and untraceable and mainly pay with crypto currencies like Bitcoin. The paper was available on messaging platforms for Rs 5-6 lakh. The CBI has registered an FIR in the case. Got paper night before: Accused Dheeraj Kumar PATNA Anurag Yadav, a 22-year old NEET-UG 2024 candidate was preparing for the examination at a coaching institute in Kota when his uncle and one of the accused in the paper leak case - Sikander Kumar Yadavendu asked him to rush to the state capital where, he was assured, 100 percent success awaited him in the test. Anurag is one of the four examinees who was taken into custody by Bihar police. He has confessed to obtaining leaked exam papers through his uncle, a junior engineer. Once he got the question paper, Anurag solved the questions and along with other aspirants memorised the answers the night before the test. All four examinees 157.8 kmph star pacer Johnson dies have confessed that they were provided question papers a day before the examination. They have been identified as Ayush Kumar (19), a resident of Danapur, Abhishek Kumar (21) from Ranchi, Anurag Yadav (22) from Samastipur, and Shivnandan Kumar from Gaya. Besides these four, the police arrested Anurag’s mother Rina Kumari, Ayush’s father Akhilesh Kumar, Abhishek’s father Awadhesh Kumar, the exam setters, and the mastermind of the gang, junior engineer Sikander Prasad Yadvendu (of Samastipur), his driver Bittu Kumar (of Rohtas), Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand (from Munger). Ayush, who appeared for the test at DAV School in Patna was later detained from the examination centre. Contd. on P6 Cancellation SC notice to Centre, NTA NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe, amid mounting outrage over alleged irregularities in conducting the all-India medical entrance test. The apex court also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts. The top court, however, made it clear that it will not stay the counselling process. A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti issued notices to the parties seeking their responses on four separate pleas filed by the NTA seeking transfer of some pending petitions. Contd. on P6 Nitish quota hike to 65 % set aside DHEERAJ KUMAR I'm not safe in Raj Bhavan: Bengal Guv No Lokpal in 16 MP varsities KOLKATA The UGC releases list of 157 defunct universities, including 108 state, 47 private and 2 deemed-to-be varsities Defunct state Our staff reporter INDORE varsities in MP West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose today said that he was apprehending a threat to his security because of the presence of the current contingent of Kolkata Police posted at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. His statement came days after he ordered the police personnel to vacate the Raj Bhavan premises. They, however, are still on duty in the Governor House. "I have reasons to believe that the presence of the current officer-in-charge and his team is a threat to my personal security," Governor Bose told Press Trust of India. "I have informed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that I am insecure with Kolkata Police in Raj Bhavan, but there was no action," he said. Contd. on P6 Rajiv Gandhi Prodoyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), which is in the news for financial irregularities, and Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University (MPMSU) are among 16 defunct universities, including seven state run, from Madhya Pradesh which have not appointed Lokpal (Ombudsperson) in adherence to UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023. Besides, nine private universities from MP have also not appointed the Lokpal. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a list of a total of 157 universities which have not appointed Lokpal. The list includes a total of 16 universities from MP, 7 served for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The state government’s move was based on the findings of the caste-based survey conducted in the state following which it increased the quota for Scheduled Castes to 20 percent, ST to 2 percent, EBC to 25 percent and for OBC to 18 percent. The petitioners had argued that the hike in reservation by the state government was beyond its legislative powers. Contd. on P6 Yadav meets Modi, speaks about bhoomipujan of Ken-Betwa proj Chief Mohan Yadav met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday. Yadav informed Modi about the progress of the Ken-Betwa link project and the ParvatiKalisindh-Chambal link project. Yadav said he had requested the Prime Minister to perform the Bhoomipujan of the KenBetwa link project. He informed the Prime Minister about the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan under which wells, Bawadis, rivers, ponds, tanks and lakes cleaned up with people’s cooperation. The campaign launched from June 5 was to end on June 16, he said. But observing people’s en- order on Thursday evening, the ED requested whether the signing of the bail bond could be deferred by 48 hours so that the order could be challenged before the appellate court. However, the judge refused to stay the order. The AAP boss can walk out of Tihar jail on Friday after paying a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. AAP workers burst firecrackers outside the Delhi CM’s residence as soon as the order was pronounced. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said Kejriwal's release would "strengthen democracy". Contd. on P6 NEW DELHI A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in March in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy of 2021-22. The Bar and Bench reports that vacation Judge Niyay Bindu passed the order after hearing Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate’s submissions over two days. Earlier in the day, Judge Bindu had reserved orders in the matter. After the pronouncement of the PTI BENGALURU Top Of The World Indian Railways on Thursday conducted a trial run of an 8-coach MEMU train on the world's highest railway bridge — the Chenab Bridge — in J&K, paving the way for the start of rail service on the route from Reasi to Baramulla in Kashmir from June 30. offgrid Drainage glitches galore at Ram Lalla's abode When temple was built no engineer gave a thought to ‘snaan’ of Ram Lalla Biswajeet Banerjee AYODHYA The newly built Ram Mandir, constructed at a staggering cost of over rupees one thousand crores, is grappling with technical glitches in the sanctum sanctorum, which is becoming a headache for the priests. The faults lie in the drainage system as there is no outlet for the water that collects. Result: The water used in daily rituals does not get drained out and it is a matter of concern for the priests and the temple authority, a priest said. The temple was consecrated on January 22. According to a priest, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Ram Lalla is bathed every day before the adornment ceremony. The ritual includes bathing with water from the Saryu River and a mix known as Madhu Purk, which contains milk, curd, ghee, and honey. After this, Ram Lalla is bathed agan with Saryu's water. “However, there is no provision for draining the water that collects on the floor after these rituals,” said the priest. Currently, a large plate is placed below to catch the water, which is then offered to the plants. Any remaining water is dried manually. This makeshift solution is far from ideal and poses a continuous challenge for the priests. Contd. on P6 thusiasm, the time limit of the campaign has been extended up to June 30, Yadav said. He also informed the Prime Minister about the campaign launched in the state to wipe out sickle cell anaemia. It was Yadav’s first meeting Modi after he took over as Prime Minister for the third time. Yadav also met Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. On Wednesday, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Forest Minister Bhupendra Yadav. All the leaders congratulated him for winning all the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Those living in Karna should learn Kannada Kejriwal gets bail in money laundering case Online Report state universities and 9 private ones. The defunct universities have been told to appoint the Lokpal as the regulators and communicate about the same to the UGC. Vidhyapeeth University; Madhyanchal Professional University; Oriental University; Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya; Swami Vivekanand University, Gyanodaya University; JNCT Professional University and Amaltas University. BHOPAL In a major jolt to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Patna High Court on Thursday set aside the amendment notified in the two reservation legislations, paving the way for a hike in reservation cap from existing 50 percent to 65 percent. The Division Bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Harish Kumar passed the order on a batch of writ petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the legislations brought by the state government in November 2023. With the two amendments coming into force, the reservation cap in government jobs and educational institutions had reached 75 percent after adding 10 percent seats re- Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya; Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University; Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication; Nanaji Deshmukh Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya; Raja MansinghTomar Music &Arts University; Rajiv Gandhi Prodoyogiki Vishwavidyalaya and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya DEFUNCT PVT UNIVS: Aryavart University; LNCT OUR STAFF REPORTER PATNA BENGALURU Former Indian cricket team pacer David Johnson died after falling from the fourth floor of his apartment in the Kothanur police station limits in Bengaluru on Thursday. Ac c o rd ing to police, Johnson fell from the fourth floor of the SLV Paradise Apartment. Although he was immediately rushed to the hospital, the cricketer succumbed to his injuries. (Details on Sports Page) Member: Audit bureau of circulation Jan to Dec 2023. MONEY SALT, BAIRSTOW SPREAD CARNAGE E-paper Poor Cooling Solutions To protect Ram Lalla from the heat, two tower air conditioners have been installed. However, these ACs are proving to be insufficient. The priest mentioned that the engineers of Ram Mandir are also actively seeking solutions to this problem. The Ram Mandir Trust declined to comment. The technical deficiencies also prevent the installation of a more efficient cooling system within the sanctum sanctorum. The structure, built with intricately carved stones, would require significant alterations for AC installation or to create a drainage system. Breaking the stones would not only spoil the sanctum's aesthetics but is also technically challenging, as the construction involved interlockContd. on P6 ing stones that cannot be easily tampered with. It is the responsibility of every Kannadiga to protect the Kannada language, land, and water, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said as he gave a call for creating a Kannada atmosphere in the state. "It is the duty of all to create a Kannada atmosphere. For that, all the people living in Karnataka should learn Kannada. We cannot remain silent like that," he said. "Kannadigas are not insolent. But love for Kannada should be developed. We should not become like the bigots in other states. But we should develop respect and admiration for our language, land, and country," he said. "Everyone must decide to speak in Kannada with those who live in Karnataka. A vow must be taken that no language other than Kannada is spoken. Kannadigas are generous. That is why there is an environment in Karnataka where even those who speak other languages can live without learning Kannada," he stated. "The same situation cannot be seen in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. Contd. on P6