The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister's residence.
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health has significantly deteriorated on the 16th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, protesting alleged examination irregularities. His blood glucose and weight have dropped, prompting calls from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and political leaders like AAP's Atishi and CPI(M) MPs for government intervention and accountability.
The Congress party has criticised the Modi government's announcement of a new committee on exam reforms, alleging it is a tactic to divert public attention. The opposition highlighted that recommendations from a previous committee formed in 2024 remain largely unimplemented, while Prime Minister Modi has now constituted another high-powered task force led by Nandan Nilekani to reform NTA examinations.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is deteriorating on the 18th day of his hunger strike, with his weight dropping significantly and vital signs requiring continuous monitoring. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused the government of 'cruelty' for its refusal to engage in dialogue regarding alleged NEET irregularities, intensifying calls for accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Rahul Gandhi recently connected with Gen Z through an engaging 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram, offering candid responses on student protests, his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even his philosophy on pet ownership.
'Some people may not like what I am saying, but shortcomings have to be pointed out. These deficiencies should be rectified within the next three months.' 'This is Gorakhpur, where our CM himself resides. If such shortcomings exist here, then what will happen?'
Poor families, she said, cut corners on their own needs to pay for coaching and fees, and when their child clears JEE, it's the happiest day the family has had in years. So why, she asked, her voice already starting to climb, does the same system that we're told is the best in the country keep pushing those very students toward what she called 'institutional deaths'?
As Vismaya Mohanlal makes her acting debut with Thudakkam, here's what you need to know about Mohanlal's daughter, from her Muay Thai training to her life away from the spotlight.
As the debate in Parliament over the use of excessive force and pellet guns against student protesters continues, experts have warned that injuries caused by pellet guns can result in irreversible damage, particularly when there is substantial soft-tissue loss, bone defects, or disruption of the continuity of nerves and blood vessels.
A parliamentary committee has voiced concerns over ongoing examination irregularities despite government measures, recommending the Ministry of Education publish a time-bound roadmap for reforms. The panel also urged a nationwide blacklist of firms involved in exam processes and suggested utilising the National Testing Agency's financial surplus to enhance its capabilities.
Rahul Gandhi's aggressive street politics is giving him a fresh political edge, but overplaying his role could hurt his credibility with the wider opposition, predicts M R Narayan Swamy.
'The made-up stories really angered me. Forget angering me, it actually made me feel, okay, if they want to play this game, let me play along.'
The Trinamool Congress has launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over rising fuel prices, economic concerns, and exam irregularities, accusing the Centre of betraying citizens.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke plans to return to India to launch a peaceful protest seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination-related lapses.
'This generation decides on their own what is good or bad for them.' 'They got an outlet to vent their anger against this government through CJP and they did that.' 'They felt how can the government control us or lathi charge us?'
BJP MP Anurag Thakur has submitted a notice of breach of privilege and contempt of the House against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging use of "unparliamentary and derogatory language" and "unsubstantiated allegations" against Home Minister Amit Shah during a Lok Sabha debate.
Aamir Khan's comments that his 3 Idiots character Phunsukh Wangdu was not based on Sonam Wangchuk has triggered reactions from politicians, activists and social media users, with some accusing the actor of distancing himself from the educationist, who is currently on a hunger strike.
The state government cancelled the exam on March 2, following reports that the paper was leaked.
With political divisions dominating conversations, can couples with opposing views stay together?
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has lodged a formal complaint with the Delhi Police regarding a series of coordinated cyber attacks targeting its post-result services portal. The board confirmed that all attacks were successfully mitigated, and no data breach or compromise of information was detected. The attacks aimed to destabilise the platform and potentially extract information, occurring amidst existing controversies for CBSE concerning alleged mismatches in Class 12 answer sheets.
'When you are standing for what the Constitution guarantees you, you are not alone.'
'Instead of choosing dialogue, the government chose repression... Force ought to be the last resort, not the first.'
The chairman and secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have been removed from their positions following allegations of irregularities in the digital evaluation system for the class 12 examination process.
Cockroach Janata Party, which according to Dipke had 201,000 followers on X, came about following a controversy over Chief Justice of India Surya Kant using "parasites" and "cockroaches" while pulling up a lawyer for his plea seeking senior designation.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
The Delhi High Court has asked a review committee to examine the blocking of the Cockroach Janta Party's X account, refusing to order its immediate unblocking but allowing the party's founder to appear before the committee.
The Bihar Police's Economic Offences Unit, which is probing the alleged National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) paper leak case, on Saturday claimed to have obtained reference question papers of the test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) and planned to compare these with documents recovered from a flat in Patna during a search operation last month.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two persons including a key accused in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leak case who allegedly stole the paper from a National Testing Agency's trunk in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, officials said Tuesday.
The CBI did not find any large-scale conspiracy in the episode and would limit the charge sheet to offences of attempt to cheat or cheating, they said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, which was cancelled due to alleged irregularities, will be re-conducted on June 21.
Scores of students on Friday staged a protest outside the CBSE office in Delhi against the paper leak.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified 144 candidates who had allegedly paid to get National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) leaked and solved papers hours before they were to take the examination for admissions in medical colleges, officials said on Monday.
India generates 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, nearly 20 per cent of the world's total.
Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev 'Mukhiya', an alleged kingpin behind the NEET paper leak, was not only minting money but wanted to become an MP or MLA.
The cancellation of UGC-NET, amid the raging row over NEET, led to questions being raised over National Testing Agency's (NTA) capability to conduct exams of larger magnitude.
Police in Patna, Bihar used water cannons and mild force to disperse protesters demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam held on December 13. The protesters, who were joined by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishore, attempted to march towards the chief minister's residence, prompting police action. The protesters had gathered at Gandhi Maidan despite warnings from the administration that any demonstration would be considered unauthorized. The district police registered an FIR against 21 known persons, including Prashant Kishore, for organizing the gathering. The protest is ongoing, with students seeking the cancellation of the exam due to allegations of a question paper leak. The government has agreed to meet with a five-member delegation of BPSC aspirants.
The statement implicated members of the Mukhiya gang, accused of orchestrating multiple interstate paper leaks, as the source of the leaked answer sheet.
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar alleged the Centre gambled with these competitive examinations by asking the NTA to conduct those.
The credibility of the examination system has also come under question, they said.
