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NEW DELHI : The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday dismissed as “false” and “fraudulent” claims circulating on social media about alleged leak or sale of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination question paper and warned of strict action against those spreading such content. In a statement on X, the agency said messages claiming a “leak”, advance access or “sale” of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination paper were aimed at misleading students and parents. “The National Testing Agency (NTA) has noted certain messages circulating on social media and messaging platforms claiming a ‘leak’, advance access or ‘sale’ of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination question paper,” the NTA said in a post on X. “These claims are false, fraudulent and intended to mislead,” the NTA said, adding that such content was being circulated by “organised cheating rackets” seeking to exploit the anxiety of candidates and their families by selling fake question papers. “Such content is the work of organised cheating rackets that prey on the anxiety of students and their families. Their objective is to extort money by selling fake ‘papers’, and every such claim circulating is a fabrication,” the agency added. “The integrity of the examination process is fully intact, and every safeguard is in place to ensure a fair and secure examination for all candidates,” the agency said. The NTA said it was actively identifying and reporting the offending channels, accounts and content to the platforms and cyber-crime authorities for immediate takedown and action. The agency further said it was filing a formal complaint with law-enforcement and cyber-crime authorities, warning that creating, circulating or forwarding such fraudulent content and attempting to defraud students constituted a serious punishable offence. “Strict action will be taken against those responsible,” it said. Candidates and parents have been advised not to engage with, pay for or forward such messages and not to fall prey to these “fraudulent solicitations”. It also said to rely only on official communications issued through NTA’s verified channels. “We urge all aspirants to ignore these rumours and to rely solely on official communication issued by NTA through its verified website and channels,” the statement said. “To every candidate appearing for NEET (UG) 2026 — focus on your preparation with confidence. Your hard work is what matters, and NTA stands committed to conducting a fair, secure and credible examination,” it added. The NEET-UG for admissions into medical courses took place on May 3 this year but was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 amid allegations of a paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating this matter, and a retest is scheduled for June 21. (Source: PTI)        

NEW DELHI : The Congress on Wednesday said the BJP has decided to brazen it out in Arunachal Pradesh with Chief Minister Pema Khandu keeping control over all files that have to be part of the CBI inquiry ordered by the Supreme Court. The top court on April 6 directed the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry into allegations of preferential allotment of contracts for public work in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly owned or related to the family members of Chief Minister Khandu. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that all principles and norms have been abandoned by the BJP in the case of Khandu, and that this was an “insult” to the Supreme Court. “The BJP has clearly decided to brazen it out in Arunachal Pradesh, even though the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI investigation on the decision of the chief minister there,” Ramesh said on X. “The CM continues to be PWD minister as well and therefore has control over all files that have necessarily to be part of the CBI inquiry. All principles and norms have been abandoned,” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said. This is an “insult” to the Supreme Court, to the people of Arunachal Pradesh, and to the Constitution of India, he said. The Congress last month had questioned why Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Khandu has not been removed even after the Supreme Court directed the CBI to begin a probe into charges of corruption against him. Ramesh had said this amounts to “gross travesty” of the Supreme Court order itself. He had said it was on April 6, 2026, that a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court directed the CBI to commence a preliminary inquiry into allegations that the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister’s family was awarded contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore over 10 years from January 2015 to December 2025 in a direct conflict of interest. Observing that the state and its instrumentalities cannot confer benefits according to the “whims of any political or administrative functionary”, the apex court had said it was a fit case where an “independent investigation” was necessary. The bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath had said where a case concerns the integrity of public procurement and involves allegations of conflict of interest at the highest levels, an investigation must not only be fair but also must appear fair. (Source: PTI)

HYDERABAD : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the need of the hour, in the wake of the West Asia crisis, is to use petro products with restraint. Speaking at an event here where he virtually laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around ₹9,400 crore in Telangana, he said the imported petro products should be used only as per need, as it will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war. Observing that, over the past few years, India has reached a spot among the top countries in the world in terms of solar power, he said, unprecedented work has been done in ethanol blending in petrol. First, the government is focused on 100 per cent LPG coverage, and now, it is focused on the supply of piped gas economically. The government is also promoting a CNG-based system. Due to all these efforts, India is dealing with the major energy crisis in the world, he said. “But, today, the need of the hour is also to use petrol, gas, diesel and such things with great restraint. We have to use imported petro products only as per need. This will not only save foreign exchange but reduce the adverse impact of war,” he said. He also said India is moving on reforms express today, and also building modern infrastructure. He said he would like to assure every family in Telangana, Centre will continue to work with greater speed to realise your dreams. Modi on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around ₹9,400 crore in Telangana at the HICC here. Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and several other leaders attended the event at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). Modi laid the foundation for projects, including the four-laning of National Highway-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar on the Hyderabad-Panaji Economic Corridor and Zaheerabad Industrial Area in Sangareddy district. He inaugurated various sections of Kazipet-Vijayawada multi-tracking project of railways, Greenfield POL (Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants) Terminal in Hyderabad, Kazipet Rail Under Rail Bypass and PM MITRA Park at Warangal (Kakatiya Mega Textile Park). Developed at an estimated cost of around ₹1,700 crore, the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park is India’s first fully functional PM MITRA Park and operationalises the Centre’s 5F vision – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign. (Source: PTI)        

NEW DELHI : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday announced that its much-awaited verification and re-evaluation portal for Class 12 students is now live, ending uncertainty after a delay caused by technical issues and cybersecurity concerns. In a post on X, CBSE Headquarters informed students that the portal had become operational and urged them to follow the application process carefully. “Dearest Students, The verification and re-evaluation portal is now LIVE! Please watch the video carefully for step-by-step instructions on how to apply for Verification of Marks and re-evaluation,” CBSE HQ said. The launch comes a day after a CBSE official told ANI that the portal, originally scheduled to go live on June 1, had encountered technical issues and would start soon. The delay had sparked concern among students and parents, particularly after reports of glitches during the answer-sheet access process earlier this month. CBSE had earlier stated that the portal would be made operational from June 1, 2026, to facilitate a transparent and seamless process for students seeking verification of marks and re-evaluation of answer books. “In order to ensure a transparent and glitch-free process for verification and re-evaluation of answer books of students who intend to submit their applications on the Post-Result Activities portal, it has been decided that the designated portal will now be operational from 1st June 2026. This is to ensure the highest standards and protocols of evaluation,” the board had said in a statement. The board has also advised students facing difficulties or seeking clarification to contact the CBSE Tele-Counselling Helpline at 1800 11 8004 or write to resultcbse2026@cbseshiksha.in. The portal’s launch follows CBSE’s recent efforts to address cybersecurity concerns surrounding the OnMark portal operated by its service provider. On Sunday, the board said it had deployed a team of cybersecurity experts from various government agencies and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to strengthen the platform’s security infrastructure. CBSE said identified vulnerabilities had been contained, and additional checks were underway to eliminate any remaining weaknesses. The board also acknowledged the contributions of alert citizens and ethical hackers who had flagged potential security issues, assuring students that every effort was being made to ensure a secure and reliable post-result process. This comes at a time when the CBSE continues to face mounting pressure following reports of technical failures in its post-result portal and OSM discrepancies in evaluated answer sheets. (Source: ANI)    

NEW DELHI : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the CBSE OSM row, saying he had the time to speak about mangoes during his monthly radio address, but not about 18.5 lakh children whose answer sheets were scanned with phones. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) issue is no longer indifference, it is “complicity”. In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcast on Sunday morning, Modi referred to the king of fruits, saying there is hardly a home where mangoes are not talked about in the summer season. In a post on X, Gandhi said the CBSE’s May 2025 tender required answer sheets to be scanned with automatic robotic scanners, spines preserved, at a minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch). “The tender re-issued in August quietly removed all of it. ‘Scanners’ became generic. The resolution dropped to 200 DPI. Now we know what that meant in practice. It has been exposed that COEMPT scanned the answer sheets using mobile phones,” the former Congress chief said. “The blurred copies, the missing pages, the unscanned books — they are not ‘errors’. They are the predictable outcome of a contract written to fit a vendor,” Gandhi said. This is fraud and every child whose marks were wrongly evaluated is a victim of it, he said. “This morning, the Prime Minister had time to speak about mangoes. He has not had time to speak about 18.5 lakh children whose answer sheets were scanned with phones. Dharmendra Pradhan ji still sits in office. Modi ji’s silence is no longer indifference. It is complicity,” Gandhi said. In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast, Modi noted that every region has its own mango and its own aroma. “Hapus or alphonso of Maharashtra, Kesar of Gujarat – these are the lifeblood of ‘aamras’; Dussehri of Uttar Pradesh and Langra of Kashi. There are mangoes from Bihar, whose aroma can be smelt from far. Chausa, Malda – memories of people are tied to every name,” he said. The prime minister said if someone goes to south India, people will find other varieties like Banganapalli, Totapuri, Neelam, Malgova; there is Himsagar in Bengal; Suvarnarekha of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. “In other words, the place changes, and so does the mango’s form, colour, and taste… This journey of the mango is now reaching from villages to the global market,” he said. Gandhi on Sunday targeted the Centre over the CBSE’s OSM row, sharing a video of his interaction with a group of students and describing them as brave young Indians who asked the Modi government simple questions but received “insults instead of answers”. Asserting that the students deserved a bright future, Gandhi said, “We will make sure they get it.” (Source: PTI)      

  NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to rejig his Cabinet next month, his first such exercise since he assumed power for a third consecutive term in May 2024. According to sources, some ministers are likely to be dropped, while the representation of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh is expected to go up in view of the upcoming Assembly elections. Among those likely to be dropped is Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra. He was appointed Delhi BJP president earlier this week. In his place, Lok Sabha member from West Delhi Kamaljeet Sehrawat is likely to be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Similarly, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary is set to be dropped. He took over as the Uttar Pradesh BJP chief in December 2025. The fate of Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu also hangs in the balance, given that the BJP top brass is said to be unhappy with his poll-management skills in the recently concluded local body elections in Punjab. There is also a question mark over his renomination to the Rajya Sabha. It remains to be seen if the Prime Minister will show the door to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is under fire over the NEET paper leak and the controversy involving the CBSE. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s continuation is said to be doubtful following the Opposition’s tirade against him over the infamous Epstein files. The chances of Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu being inducted into the Union Cabinet are high, as the BJP leadership is keen on increasing Punjab’s share in view of the upcoming polls. The other possibility is that former Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar may be inducted into the Union Cabinet and subsequently nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Along with Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Assembly elections are due in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur in February-March next year. The portfolios of some ministers are also likely to be changed. There is no clarity on the future role of former BJP chief and Union Health Minister JP Nadda in Himachal Pradesh, which, along with Gujarat, goes to polls in December 2027. (Source: Newsdrum)