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Education India News Karnataka

Karnataka passes resolution against NEET exam

Earlier on Tuesday, July 23, the Supreme Court declined to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 exam, realising that giving direction for a fresh NEET-UG for the present year would be replete with serious consequences for over 24 lakh students who appeared in this exam…reports Asian Lite News

Raising its strong voice against the all-India medical entrance exam NEET, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government on Thursday passed a resolution in both houses of the state government against the exam and demanded the Centre for allowing the state to revert back to the earlier system of CET for medical admissions in Karnataka.

Pointing out the flaws and the recent irregularities in the NEET exam, the resolution urged the Union Government to exempt the State of Karnataka from this examination and allow it to provide admissions to medical colleges based on the Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by the state government.

While the State Minister of Medical Education and Skill Development, Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, moved the resolution in the legislative assembly, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar presented it in the legislative council.

“The NEET examination system severely affects the medical education opportunities of poor rural students and deprives the rights of the state governments to admit students in the state government medical colleges and considering the repeated irregularities in the NEET examination, the Union Government should make necessary amendments in the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (Central Act 30 of 2019) so that the NEET system is given up at the national level. Also, the Karnataka Legislative Council unanimously urges that the Union government should immediately exempt the state of Karnataka from examination and provide medical admission based on the Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by the state government,” the resolution said.

” Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil has been continuously opposing the NEET exam by highlighting the massive irregularities and how this system was affecting the chances of underprivileged and rural students and their dream of a medical profession,” it added.

On Wednesday, the ruling TMC government in West Bengal moved a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly demanding the scrapping of the NEET and restoration of the previous system of individual state governments conducting such examinations. The resolution was passed in the assembly.

Earlier on Tuesday, July 23, the Supreme Court declined to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 exam, realising that giving direction for a fresh NEET-UG for the present year would be replete with serious consequences for over 24 lakh students who appeared in this exam.

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held. (ANI)

UPSC to overhaul exam system amid Puja Khedkar row

Amidst new revelations in the controversy surrounding Puja Khedkar, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is set to enhance its examination security measures using advanced technologies like Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, facial recognition systems, and AI-driven CCTV surveillance, according to several media reports.

This overhaul aims to uphold the integrity of UPSC exams following widespread allegations of cheating in the NEET medical entrance exams. The UPSC conducts 14 examinations annually, including the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE), and various recruitment tests and interviews for Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts within the Government of India. In 2023, over 1.01 million people applied for the CSE, with approximately 590,000 candidates appearing for the exam. The CSE recommends candidates for esteemed services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).

The move comes in light of several lapses reported during the NEET 2024 exams and follows a controversy involving trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, alleged to have forged documents to appear for the CSE 12 times, exceeding the allowed number of attempts. The UPSC has filed a criminal case against Khedkar.

On June 20, the UPSC issued a tender seeking bids from public sector undertakings (PSUs) to revamp its examination process. The Commission aims to utilize the latest digital technology to match and cross-check candidates’ biometric details and monitor activities during the exams to prevent cheating, fraud, and impersonation.

Changes to the UPSC exams will include using data and images submitted during online registration for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and facial recognition to verify candidates on exam day. Fingerprint scanners and facial recognition devices will be deployed at examination centers to ensure accurate identity verification. The UPSC also proposes a real-time attendance monitoring system with GPS coordinates to confirm enrollment within the designated shift. The QR code on the Admit Card, containing the candidate’s roll number, will be scanned to retrieve information from the Application Database. If the QR code cannot be scanned, the roll number will be entered manually from the Admit Card.

The UPSC plans to implement CCTV/video surveillance with recording and live broadcast capabilities to monitor candidates and exam personnel nationwide. The service provider will be required to install an adequate number of CCTV cameras in every classroom, ensuring at least one camera for every 24 candidates. Cameras will also be placed at entry and exit gates and control rooms where sensitive pre- and post-examination materials are handled. Additionally, remote live viewing of CCTV footage will be arranged at the UPSC’s control room, ensuring real-time monitoring and enhancing overall security during the examinations.

ALSO READ-Bengal Assembly passes resolution on scrapping of NEET

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Education India News

Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, job and skilling

Taking forward the theme of the first full-year Budget of the newly elected government, the Finance Minister announced a Prime Minister’s package of five schemes and initiatives…reports Asian Lite News

The Centre has set aside Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling of youth, which is 30 per cent higher than the previous allocation of Rs 1.13 lakh crore. 

“In this Budget, we particularly focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs and the middle class,” stated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament on Tuesday.

Taking forward the theme of the first full-year Budget of the newly elected government, the Finance Minister announced a Prime Minister’s package of five schemes and initiatives.

The package aims to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. “This year, I have made a provision of Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling,” she added.

Delving into further details of the announcement, Sitharaman stated that the government will implement the following three schemes for ‘Employment Linked Incentive’, as part of the Prime Minister’s package. These will be based on enrolment in the EPFO, and focus on recognition of first-time employees, and support to employees and employers, she said.

The Finance Minister said that 20 lakh youths will be skilled over five years.

The government will also provide financial support of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher education in domestic institutions.

As part of the scheme, 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes will be upgraded in a hub and spoke arrangements.

The Finance Minister on Tuesday laid out nine priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, with a focus on employment, skilling, agriculture and manufacturing.

These are — agriculture, employment, inclusive development, manufacturing and services, urban development, energy, infrastructure, innovation R&D and next-gen reforms.

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Experts hail allocation

Experts hailed the Rs 1.48 lakh crore allocation for education, employment, and skilling in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on Tuesday.

“The 2024 budget sounds positive and forward-looking, with a focus on job creation, education, skill development, and building a more inclusive workforce,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital.

“The provision of Rs 1.48 lakh crore made to support education, employment, and skilling demonstrates a robust commitment to workforce development. Schemes enabling industries to create new jobs, financial support for higher education loans, ITI upgrades, and internship schemes will all enable a higher-skilled and employable workforce,” she added.

Sharma said the proposed initiatives will bolster industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and MSMEs.

Welcoming the Budget as a “positive development,” Anuraag Saxena, CEO, E-Gaming Federation said that jobs are the “primary driver of economic growth, and putting new initiatives and allocations into practice would not only improve the employment situation.”

He added that the budget will “also have a significant impact on developing a trained labour force for all industries, including online skill gaming.”

“The urgency around skilling requirements has been rightly reflected through announcements related to skilling loans, interest subvention on higher education loans, and incentives to corporates for providing internship opportunities,” said Ranen Banerjee – Partner and Leader of Economic Advisory, PwC India.

ALSO READ-Gulf NRIs hail jobs, skills boost in India’s budget

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Education India News

SC asks NTA to publish NEET-UG results of all students

The bench said it will continue the hearing of pleas alleging paper leak and malpractice in NEET-UG 2024 exams, on July 22…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to publish on its website the marks obtained by all the students who appeared in Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test undergraduate exam (NEET-UG) 2024 and said the identity of students should be masked.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered that result should be published separately, city and centre-wise by Saturday 12 noon.

The apex court passed the direction to the NTA to publish the results, after the petitioners-students urged it to direct the testing agency to publish the result of all students to bring in some transparency.

The top court in its order stated, “The petitioners have submitted that it would be appropriate if the results of the NEET-UG 24 exam is published on the website so as to bring about some transparency on the centre-wise marks obtained by candidates. We direct the NTA to publish the marks obtained by students in the NEET-UG 2024 exam while at the same time ensuring that the identity of the students is masked. The results should be declared in relation to each centre and city separately.”

The bench said it will continue the hearing of pleas alleging paper leak and malpractice in NEET-UG 2024 exams, on July 22.

The top court held a day-long hearing in the NEET-UG matter.

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held.

Aspirants had approached the top court and raised the issue of leakage of question paper, awarding compensatory marks and anomaly in question of NEET-UG.

NEET-UG examination, conducted by NTA, is the pathway for admissions into MBBS, BDS and AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.

The NEET-UG, 2024 was held across 4,750 centres on May 5 and around 24 lakh candidates appeared in it. During the hearing, apex court posed several questions to NTA regarding alleged paper leak and malpractices in NEET exam.

It asked NTA about how many students out of 23.33 lakhs who appeared for the exam changed their centre.

NTA said that in the name of corrections, students change centres and 15,000 students utilised the window for corrections.

NTA said that students can change only the city and no candidate can choose the centre. Centre is allotted by the system and centre’s allotment is only two days before the exam, so nobody knows which centre is going to be allotted, it added.

Petitioners-candidates counsel argued that question papers were dispatched to the centres on April 24 through a private courier company and reached the SBI and Canara banks on May 3.

To this, CJI said that the papers were dispatched on April 24 and received on May 3, which makes the time gap about nine days.

The top court was informed that question papers were sent to SBI and Canara bank branches in 571 cities and there were 4,750 centres.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that CBI has investigated the entire chain of event from the printers to the centres.

“CBI has investigated the entire chain of event from the printers to the centres… how there was sealing, GPS tracking…, there are digital lockers… There is a 7-layer safety system. There are two printing presses because there are two papers,” he said.

Petitioners’ counsel told the bench that a trunk was found to be travelling on an open e-rickshaw to Oasis school and Hazaribagh school principal received this trunk and now arrested by CBI. The sealed trunk was delivered to him and not to any bank.

He further said, “There is a systemic failure by NTA in conducting the exam by NTA, it’s failure is multi-dimensional. The transportation of question papers got compromised when for six days the papers were in the hands of a private courier company and the papers were being transported in an e-rickshaw in Hazaribagh. Instead of taking it to the bank, the driver took it to the Oasis school.”

The dissemination of the leaked papers was doing rounds from May 3 itself, he said, adding that evidence of Telegram videos show that the solved papers were being circulated on May 4.

“Given the nature of social media, it is impossible to accurately determine the exact spread of the leaked papers and the beneficiaries,” argued the counsel.

To this, CJI Chandrachud asked, why would people making money out of leaked papers circulate them mass-scale?

“The idea of somebody doing this is not to make a national charade of NEET exam. People were doing it for money. So, it was not to bring disrepute to the exam and somebody was doing it to make money, which is evident now. Mass leakage of paper also requires contacts at that level so that you connect to all such key contacts in different cities, etc. Anybody who is making money out of it won’t circulate it mass scale,” said the bench.

CJI asked NTA and Centre that, according to them “students got papers at 10.15 am. There are 180 questions. Is it possible that between 9.30 am and 10.15 am that there are problem solvers and they are given to students in 45 minutes?”

Solicitor General replied that there were seven paper solvers and they demarcated 25 questions each.

“Whole hypothesis that within 45 minutes there was a breach and entire paper was solved and given to students seems very farfetched,” said CJI.

Solicitor General said that there (accused) modus operandi was that “they give the papers to the ones who gave postdated cheques. They did not want mass leak at all. Otherwise, their efforts are wasted. this gang member in Hazaribagh sent the paper to another gang member in Patna through WhatsApp.”

In Godhra incident, the bench said that it cannot say it was a part of widespread malpractice, there is no evidence that the cheating took place.

“It appears that wrongdoing has only happened in Hazaribagh and Patna… then after this we are only left with statistics that 61 students got 720/720… Can we cancel the entire examination on that sole basis?” it asked petitioners’ counsel. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Govt clears appointment of two new judges in SC

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Education India News

CUET-UG: NTA to conduct re-test on July 19

NTA said that information to all such affected candidates has been sent through e-mail mentioning their subject code(s)…reports Asian Lite News

The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Sunday that it will conduct a re-test for affected candidates of Central University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode on July 19.

The NTA conducted the CUET (UG)-2024 Examination in hybrid mode (CBT and Pen & Paper) on May 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, and May 29, 2024, at various examination centres located in 379 cities, including 26 cities outside India, for about 13.48 lakh candidates.

The challenges were invited from July 7 to 9, 2024, vide Public Notice dated July 7, 2024. All challenges received online were shown to the concerned subject experts. Based on the feedback of the subject experts, the Final Answer Keys are being prepared and the same will be uploaded soon on the official website of the CUET (UG)-2024.

“The grievances received from candidates up to June 30, 2024, regarding the CUET (UG) – 2024 examination, as well as the complaints sent to rescuetug@nta.ac.in between July 7 and July 9, 2024 (before 5:00 p.m.), have been reviewed. Based on these grievances, a re-examination will be conducted for those affected candidates on July 19, 2024, Friday, in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode,” Senior Director NTA said in a public notice issued on Sunday.

NTA said that information to all such affected candidates has been sent through e-mail mentioning their subject code(s).

“Admit Cards for all affected candidates will be issued soon. The concerned candidates are requested to download their Admit Card of CUET (UG)-2024 (using their Application No. and Date of Birth) from the website https://exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG/ and go through the instructions contained therein as well as in the Information Bulletin,” the public notice read further.

The NTA public notice said that the candidates are advised to carefully read the Subject-Specific Instructions and other instructions mentioned in the Question paper and abide by the same.

In case any candidate faces difficulty in downloading the Admit Card for the CUET (UG) – 2024, he/she may contact 011-40759000/011-69227700 or e-mail at cuet-ug@nta.ac.in. The candidates are advised to regularly visit NTA website(s) www.nta.ac.in and https://exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG/ for the latest updates regarding the examination, it added. (ANI)

JNU expects delay in first semester commencement

Jawaharlal Nehru University is expecting a delay in the commencement of the first semester for undergraduate courses due to the pending results of the Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduates (CUET-UG), Vice Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit said on Sunday.

Speaking to ANI, Vice Chancellor Pandit made it clear that the University is not planning to abandon the CUET system.

According to the NTA’s information bulletin, the CUET-UG results were initially scheduled for release on June 30, but they are yet to be announced.

The semester for first-year students at many Universities, including Delhi University (DU) is also expected to be postponed to August 16, according to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh.

When asked if JNU might drop the CUET system, the Vice Chancellor said, “No, MA admissions are already completed, and BA admissions will go through CUET.” She confirmed that classes will begin as soon as the CUET results come out.

The University was planning to start the classes in August.

“When asked about communication related to the results from the National Testing Agency (which conducts CUET-UG), the vice chancellor responded in refutation.”

JNU admits students to various undergraduate programmes based on CUET marks, including B.A. (Hons.) in Foreign Languages and B.Sc.-M.Sc. Integrated Programmes.

The NTA is currently grappling with paper leak allegations involving NEET-UG and UGC-NET, which has delayed the CUET-UG results.

The CUET-UG acts as the primary admission test for undergraduate programs at 46 Central universities, with this year’s exam conducted from May 15 to May 31 in both online and pen-and-paper formats.

The delay in results will affect the admission timelines of all participating institutions.

As lakhs of students and 261 universities, including institutions like Allahabad University and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), await the CUET-UG 2024 results to begin the undergraduate admission process, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chief M. Jagadesh Kumar has reassured students that the NTA is working diligently to announce the results as soon as possible.

“After the last date for the draft key challenge, experts review the challenges and prepare the final key. It usually takes about a week or two for NTA to complete this process, but they are committed to announcing the results promptly,” he told ANI over the phone on Saturday. (ANI)

ALSO READ-‘Mega scam’: Oppn slams Centre over UGC-NET, NEET rows

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MBZUAI welcomes largest-ever cohort to AI internship

The university attracted applications from around the world, including the UAE, the US…reports Asian Lite News

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi has welcomed 45 international STEM students as part of a month-long undergraduate internship.

A rigorous selection process was undertaken for the second edition of the Undergraduate Research Internship Programme (UGRIP), which is a four-week program for top-flight undergraduate students to develop foundational Artificial Intelligence (AI) knowledge and hands-on research skills.

The university attracted applications from around the world, including the UAE, the US, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Vietnam, India, Egypt, the Republic of Korea, and Kazakhstan.

Many of the aspiring researchers are from leading global computer science universities, including IIT Madras, Harvard University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vietnam National University HCM City, and Australian National University.

“A core part of MBZUAI’s mission is to identify and nurture the next generation of innovators and leaders in AI, and the 32% growth of UGRIP in just its second year shows the increasing prominence of our university globally and the attractiveness of studying in UAE,” MBZUAI’s Provost, Professor Timothy Baldwin, said.

He added that the students had the unique opportunity to work alongside world-leading faculty on real-world AI research problems with global impact in areas including health and bioinformatics, robotics, and the use of large language models to detect machine-generated text.

The Undergraduate Research Internship Programme interns chose from various AI research projects based on their interests and academic and career aspirations.

The projects included developing a metaverse prototype for digital healthcare, enhancing the accuracy and robustness of baby cry analysis models using AI, and systematically evaluating the generalizability of large language models across languages and tasks.

“I applied because I wanted to study Arabic and artificial intelligence,” visiting student Ben Lambright, who studies computational linguistics and Arabic at Brandeis University in the US, said. “My focus was to learn more about multimodal models for Arabic and English. This was an interesting opportunity for me to study with researchers from around the world and to collaborate with them.”

Interns also participated in a brain tumor segmentation challenge, which used computer vision techniques to detect tumors in medical images and had the opportunity to engage in an insightful industry panel discussion about the UAE’s AI sector and job market.

To complement their research and interactions with MBZUAI’s expert faculty, the UGRIP interns also experienced the UAE’s rich history and culture through a series of cultural trips facilitated by Abu Dhabi Residents Office and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to places such as Qasr Al Hosn, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, and Abrahamic Family House.

ALSO READ: UAE, US explore expanding investment opportunities

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Education India News

Sibal questions Modi’s ‘silence’ over NEET exam

They will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time, the Centre had said…reports Asian Lite News

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday hit out at the Centre over the NEET exam issue and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” over the matter.

The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared for it. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answer sheets was completed earlier.

There have been allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the prestigious exam.

In a post on X, Sibal said, “NEET Examination. The Gujarat factor. Open corruption. Open manipulation. PLEASE notice: Modiji’s ‘neat’ silence.”

The Centre and the National Testing Agency on Thursday told the Supreme Court they had cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses.

They will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time, the Centre had said.

The opposition MPs have been attacking the government over the issue and demanding justice for students.

Stepping up its attack on the government over the NEET-UG exam issue, the Congress on Friday questioned Modi’s “silence” on the matter and asserted that only a Supreme Court-monitored forensic probe can safeguard the future of lakhs of young students.

ALSO READ-Cong demands SC-monitored probe into NEET-UG exam row

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Cong demands SC-monitored probe into NEET-UG exam row

The Congress also held a press conference on the issue. Party leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged that “BJP government’s attitude towards the ongoing demand for an inquiry into the NEET exam, is irresponsible and insensitive”…reports Asian Lite News

Alleging that there has been fraud and “paper leak” in the NEET-UG exam conducted by National Testing Agency, the Congress on Wednesday said there was a “scam” and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the problem in NEET exam did not pertain only to grace marks.

“There has been fraud, paper leak, corruption. The future of 24 lakh students, who gave them the exam, is at stake due to the deeds of Modi government. There is nexus between exam centres and coaching centres in a which ‘give money, take paper’ is happening. The Modi government cannot escape its accountability by putting blame on NTA. The Congress demands an independent probe into the entire NEET scam monitored by Supreme Court,” Kharge said in a post on X.

He said strict punishment should be given to the guilty after probe and candidates “should be paid compensation” to save their academic year.

“Modi government has in the past year destroyed career of crores of youth through paper leak and wrongdoing,” he alleged.

The Congress also held a press conference on the issue. Party leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged that “BJP government’s attitude towards the ongoing demand for an inquiry into the NEET exam, is irresponsible and insensitive”.

“We demand a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into this entire scandal, which has affected around 24 lakh students. Ordinary families have been forced to cough up amounts close to Rs 30 lakh due to promises given to them by different coaching centres and examination centres. We believe that no inquiry can be just and fair if it is headed by NTA,” he alleged.

Gogoi demanded that the NTA chairperson should be removed from his post.

“Prime Minister Modi, who likes giving examination advice to class 10th students should not forget the mental anxiety of these potential undergraduates,” he said, adding that PM Modi had not spoken on the issue.

Gogoi said so far the government had only said that it will cancel the grace marks of 1,563 students offering them a second chance to take a retest on June 23. He said the government has not come out with any proposal to address other discrepancies and doubts among the students.

The Congress leader claimed there were videos in the public domain and that “question papers, particular questions were available for a particular amount between Rs 10 to Rs 40 lakh”.

Gogoi said INDIA bloc parties will take up the cause of these students.

“INDIA alliance has the sufficient strength to bring the government to its knees and make them accountable to the students,” he said.

Gogoi said it is a mystery, why the results were declared on June 4.

“They knew that there was a storm brewing and they wanted to avoid any discussion on these NEET results by declaring them on 4th June, when the entire country would be talking about the election results. We want a Supreme Court monitored investigation into this entire scandal because the lives of 24 lakh young Indians cannot be toyed with,” he said.

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said that the government has accepted the Supreme Court’s ruling that 1.563 candidates who had been compensated for “time loss” in NEET-UG exam be given the option to either reappear in the exam or accept the original total, without grace marks.

Pradhan hoped that the doubts surrounding the NEE-UG exam will end following the Supreme Court observations.

National Testing Agency, which holds the NEET-UG exam, said on Thursday said that the grace or compensatory marks awarded to all 1563 students stand withdrawn.

“Subsequent to the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Observations on the Report of NTA’s High Powered Committee, the grace / compensatory marks awarded to all 1563 students stand withdrawn. A re-test of all the 1563 candidates will be held on June 23, 2024,” NTA said in a communication.

“NTA will issue a Public Notice shortly and will also contact these 1563 candidates through email to ensure that they receive the official communication,” it added.

Pradhan said that NEET-UG exam is conducted in around 4,500 centres and some centres abroad also.

“Regarding the NEET issue, the Supreme Court made a decision today. Around 24 lakh students appeared for the NEET exam and around 13 lakh students qualified. Around 4,500 centres are there for the exams conducted in 13 languages. This time when the exam was held, in six centres out of 4500 centres, the wrong question papers were sent mistakenly,” he said.  (ANI)

‘Only solution to restore role of state govt for MBBS courses’

Amidst the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leak and results controversy row, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday said that the only solution for this issue is to restore the role of state governments in deciding the method of selection for MBBS courses.

Stalin alleged that the Union Government’s attempt to wriggle out of the “NEET scam” by agreeing to the cancellation of grace marks was another admission of their ineptitude.

“The Union Government’s attempt to wriggle out of the recent #NEET Scam by agreeing to cancellation of grace marks is another admission of their own ineptitude. It should not be allowed to divert attention away from the core problems of irregularities and unprofessional conduct of exams, after taking away the right of States,” the Tamil Nadu CM posted on X.

“While condemning their incompetence as well apathy towards the agony of lakhs of students, we reiterate that the only solution for this issue is to restore the role of state governments in deciding the method of selection for MBBS courses,” he added.

Meanwhile, alleging that there has been fraud and “paper leak” in the NEET-UG exam conducted by National Testing Agency, the Congress said there was a “scam” and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the problem in NEET exam did not pertain only to grace marks.

“There has been fraud, paper leak, corruption. The future of 24 lakh students, who gave them the exam, is at stake due to the deeds of Modi government. There is nexus between exam centres and coaching centres in a which ‘give money, take paper’ is happening. The Modi government cannot escape its accountability by putting blame on NTA. The Congress demands an independent probe into the entire NEET scam monitored by Supreme Court,” Kharge said in a post on X.

ALSO READ-‘Sanctity has been affected’: SC slams NTA on NEET-UG row

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Education India News Legal

‘Sanctity has been affected’: SC slams NTA on NEET-UG row

Supreme Court.

Earlier, the apex court had denied a stay on the declaration of the result of the NEET UG examination but had issued a notice to NTA and others in a similar matter….reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to pass any interim direction to stay the admission counselling process to medical programmes pursuant to the NEET UG 2024 examination.

However, a vacation bench presided over by Justice Vikram Nath sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others on a plea seeking cancellation of the NEET UG examination held on May 05 this year.

“It is not so simple that because you have done it is sacrosanct. Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers. How much time do you want (for replying to the petition)? Immediately on the re-opening? Otherwise, the counselling will start. If you need more time, we will stop the counselling,” remarked the Bench, also comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah.

In response, the counsel representing NTA submitted that a similar petition is coming up for hearing on July 8 before a bench headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud.

At this, the apex court said, “We will have this matter on 8th July. We will tag it with the pending petition. In the meantime, you (NTA) file your reply.”

Earlier, the apex court had denied a stay on the declaration of the result of the NEET UG examination but had issued a notice to NTA and others in a similar matter.

The plea filed by young aspiring students seeks directions for the conduct of an expeditious and thorough investigation of the “malpractices and fraud involved” in the NEET examination held on May 5 and a stay on declaration of results till the investigations on paper leak are completed.

Further, it sought directions to NTA to recall the results of the examination conducted on May 5 and conduct the examination afresh after issuing due public notice.

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High-level panel urges govt to take steps to eliminate NEET

The committee’s report, derived from comprehensive data analysis and feedback from students, parents, and the public, was shared with various state governments…reports Asian Lite News

Retired Madras High Court judge Justice A K Rajan has urged the Tamil Nadu government to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) through legal or legislative means and to use higher secondary examination marks as the sole criterion for medical school admissions.

Justice Rajan, who led a high-level committee formed after the DMK came to power in 2021, recommended this to ensure equal opportunities for students from different educational boards through score normalization.

The committee’s report, derived from comprehensive data analysis and feedback from students, parents, and the public, was shared with various state governments to highlight NEET’s detrimental impact on the poor and social justice.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin, a vocal opponent of NEET, shared the report on social media to emphasize these points.

The committee recommended immediate action to eliminate NEET, asserting that the state government could leverage specific legal provisions to argue against NEET’s imposition.

They suggested using Act 3 of 2007, which governs admissions to affiliated colleges under the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, or passing a new act requiring Presidential assent to abolish NEET.

The report emphasized the importance of using higher secondary scores for medical admissions and normalizing these scores across different educational boards to ensure fair opportunities.

It also proposed identifying and mitigating socio-economic and demographic factors that adversely affect disadvantaged students’ performance, possibly through a pre-developed “Adversity Score” framework.

The committee called for educational reforms to foster genuine learning over rote memorization, from curriculum development to teaching methods and assessments.

It also recommended that Tamil Nadu pass legislation to bring deemed universities under state control and obtain Presidential assent.

Following the committee’s recommendations, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a bill seeking exemption from NEET, which is awaiting Presidential approval.

Stalin, highlighting growing national opposition to NEET, shared the committee’s report in multiple languages to raise awareness about NEET’s negative effects.

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Indian students begin turning away from UK universities

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In the year to March 2024, Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted visas on this route (64,372), representing almost half (46 per cent) of the grants…reports Asian Lite News

Indian students choosing the UK as their higher education destination have started registering a fall, with over 21,000 fewer Master’s degree applicants than the previous year being registered in official statistics released in London on Thursday.

According to UK Home Office data based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, there was a 16 per cent drop in Indian student applicants over the year ending December 2023 in an overall 10 per cent fall in net migration compared to 2022.

While the figures will come as a welcome sign for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has made curbing migration one of his key planks for a general election now set for July 4, the student visa figures will worry universities who rely on overseas student fees.

“There were 116,455 sponsored study visa grants to main applicants that are Indian nationals in the year ending March 2024, (26 per cent of the total), 21,717 fewer than the previous year,” the Home Office analysis reads.

“The majority (94,149, or 81 per cent) of Indian students come to the UK to study at Master’s level, and the recent decrease in Indian students was driven by 21,800 fewer Indian nationals coming to study at Master’s level,” it notes.

The fall in numbers follows a visa clampdown on students being able to bring their family dependents, spouses or children, from earlier this year. It comes at a time when university vice-chancellors and diaspora groups are lobbying the government not to safeguard the country’s post-study work visa offer under the Graduate Route scheme.

In the year to March 2024, Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted visas on this route (64,372), representing almost half (46 per cent) of the grants.

This reaffirms previous statistics around this scheme, which offers a chance to gain work experience at the end of a degree and is seen as crucial to Indians choosing their higher education destination.

Thursday’s data also revealed data under the new India Young Professionals Scheme, which has a quota of 3,000 visas for young people annually and saw 2,105 grants to Indian nationals up to March this year. According to the ONS, almost half of those immigrating to the UK for work-related reasons came from India or Nigeria, most commonly in the Health and Social Care sector, and Indians continued to top the tally of Skilled Worker visa grants.

The top five nationalities outside the European Union (EU) for long-term immigration flows into the UK in the year ending December 2023 were Indian (250,000), Nigerian (141,000), Chinese (90,000), Pakistani (83,000) and Zimbabwean (36,000). Overall, the ONS data estimates about 1.22 million people came to the UK in 2023 and around 532,000 have left.

The ONS said: “Long-term net migration (the number of people immigrating minus the number emigrating) was provisionally estimated to be 685,000 in the year ending (YE) December 2023, compared with our updated estimate of 764,000 for the YE December 2022; while it is too early to say if this is the start of a new downward trend, emigration increased in 2023, while new Home Office data show visa applications have fallen in recent months.”

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