Bombay HC orders special NEET exam for 2 students after invigilators goofed up

Bombay HC orders special NEET exam for 2 students after invigilators goofed up

Two Solapur students who were given the wrong answer sheet for the NEET exam on 12 September will get a second chance. The Bombay high court ordered NTA to conduct the examination again for these two studentsTwo medical aspirants approached the Bombay high court on September 24 to request that the NTA be ordered to hold a special NEET exam for them since invigilators did not give them a matching set of question and answer sheets on September 12. 

Updated on Oct 21, 2021 09:47 PM IST

By Kanchan Chaudhari

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) afresh for two medical aspirants – Vaishnavi Bhopale and Abhishek Kapse – from Solapur district as they had received mismatching test booklets and answer sheets due to inadvertence of the invigilators.

The division bench of justice RD Dhanuka and justice Abhay Ahuja directed NTA to give the aspirants an advance notice of 48 hours about the date of the retest and the exam centre and to declare the petitioners results in two weeks.

Bhopale and Kapse had moved HC on September 24 through advocate Pooja Thorat, seeking directions to NTA to re-examine them by holding a separate test. They stated that when they had appeared for NEET at Shree Swami Narayan Gurukul International School at Solapur on September 12, their invigilators started giving test booklets and answer sheets to the 12 students in their class five minutes late. They added that the invigilators mixed up the booklets and sheets. While Bhopale received a test booklet of Code 04 and answer sheet of Code P4, Kapse got test booklet of Code P4 and answer sheet of Code 04. They immediately pointed it out, but the invigilators harshly silenced them by threatening them with dire consequences for causing nuisance and disturbance in the examination hall, said their petition.

Even thereafter, the petitioners said, they tried to reason out with the examiners to provide them matching booklets and sheets by pointing out that it would result in complete non-evaluation of their answer papers. They added that the invigilators checked codes appearing on all the booklets given to all the students, but did not rectify the mistake.

Their counsel, advocate Pooja Thorat, pointed out that clause 7 of the Test Booklet Code for NEET mandates the invigilator to rectify the mistake and provide correct test booklet and answer sheet to the student concerned in such a situation. She also pointed out that subsequently, the school and its principal admitted the mix-up in his communication with NTA officials, stating that it was an inadvertent mistake and called upon the testing agency to help the two students.

NTA, however, informed HC through its counsel advocate Rui Rodrigues that it was unable to find a solution to the petitioner’s problem, prompting HC to order a re-examination of the petitioners.

Tamil Nadu: Government order relaxing age-limit bring cheer to PG Teacher aspirants

Tamil Nadu: Government order relaxing age-limit bring cheer to PG Teacher aspirants

As per the new G.O. issued on October 18, general category aspirants will be able to apply till 45 years of age.

Published: 21st October 2021 11:07 AM 

By Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam

Express News Service

The teacher aspirants are all upbeat as the State government, on Monday, issued a G.O. relaxing age-limit criteria for the aspirants of Post Graduate-Teachers Recruitment Board (PG-TRB) examination. As per the new G.O. issued on October 18, general category aspirants will be able to apply till 45 years of age.

That's not all. Adding to the teacher aspirants' joy is TRB's move to change the eligible criteria in its software. The board is now asking the candidates whether they studied in Tamil Medium from class I to X.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, an aspirant, Davamani, said TRB's eligibility criteria change will help her avail certain percentage of reservation under Persons Studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM). "Though I have 20 years of experience in private schools, I was not eligible to apply for PG-TRB according to the earlier G.O. The change in eleigibility criteria will help more than 500 aspirants land job," she said.

It was on September 9 that TRB issued notification to fill 2,207 PG teacher vacancies. At that time, the upper age-limit for the aspirants was fixed as 40.

CM announces 3% DA hike, Diwali bonus for employees

CM announces 3% DA hike, Diwali bonus for employees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur:22.10.2021

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday announced a 3 per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) and ad-hoc bonuses for the state government employees ahead of Diwali. This decision was taken after the Centre approved a 3 per cent hike in DA and dearness relief (DR) for central government employees and pensioners.

“The chief minister has approved a 3% increase in DA for state government employees and dearness relief (DR) payable to pensioners on the lines of central government employees. Now, DA and DR will be payable to the state employees and pensioners at 31% from July 1, 2021. Earlier, the DA rate was 28% for state employees and pensioners,” an official statement read.

About 8 lakh employees, who are drawing salaries on the basis of Rajasthan Civil Services (Revised Salary) Rules-2017, and 4.40 lakh pensioners will get the benefit of this decision. Apart from state employees, the employees of panchayat samitis and zila parishads will also benefit from this decision.

The increased amount of DA - from July 1 to September 30 - will be deposited in their general provident fund accounts. It will be paid in cash in October salary.

The state government will bear a financial burden of nearly Rs1,230 crore annually for the hike. Similarly, Gehlot has also approved ad-hoc Diwali bonuses for about 6 lakh employees in the state. This benefit will be provided to state employees drawing pay in the Pay Matrix Level-12 or Grade Pay-4800 and below. State Service Officers (Gazetted) will not get this benefit. The bonus will also be paid to panchayat samiti, zila parishad and work-charged employees.

The ad-hoc bonus will be calculated for the year 2020-21 on the basis of maximum emoluments of Rs 7,000 and a month of 31 days. It will be payable for a period of 30 days. In this way, each employee will get a maximum ad-hoc bonus of Rs 6,774.

This time, 50 per cent of the bonus amount will be paid in cash and the remaining 50 per cent will be deposited in their general provident fund accounts. The state government will bear an additional financial burden of Rs 500 crore on this.

Forgery of degrees to be non-bailable

Forgery of degrees to be non-bailable

Jaipur:22.10.2021

The state government is mulling to make forging degrees or certificates a non-bailable offence.

The decision was taken during the first round of talks held between a sixmember delegation of Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrit Mahasangh and principal secretary to the chief minister Kuldeep Ranka to discuss the demands of the unemployed youth in the state on Thursday. TNN

T starts process to set up eight medical colleges

T starts process to set up eight medical colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:22.10.2021

The government has set the ball rolling for establishment of eight new government medical colleges (teaching hospitals) in Telangana ahead of National Medical Commission (NMC) inspection, which is likely in December.

The government had submitted applications to establish teaching hospitals in Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Mahabubabad, Bhadadri-Kothagudem, Jagtial, Sangareddy, Mancherial and Ramagundam. Ahead of the NMC inspection, the director of medical education (DME) has begun the recruitment process to fill up professor, assistant professor and associate professor posts in these colleges.

“We completed the application process for the eight colleges in September. We are expecting the NMC visit, tentatively, by Novemberend or December. As per guidelines, we have started the recruitment process in the way of absorptions, promotions and contractual basis,” DME, Telangana, Dr K Ramesh Reddy said.

The last date for submitting applications by qualified candidates is October 28 following which the final selection list would be released by the DME on October 31 and selected candidates have to join by November 7. Considering the NMC team might visit these colleges in December, the DME has made it clear that selected candidates should not have appeared for NMC assessment on and after July 31, 2021, since the assessment is for the academic year 2021-22.

Establishment of these colleges would add another 1,200 medical seats in the state. The DME officials were also focusing on establishing 12 departments, including cardiology, neurology and gastroenterology, in these new institutions. “We are also modifying the buildings as per NMC guidelines wherever required. The roads and buildings department is taking care of the college buildings,” Reddy added.

The last date for submitting applications by qualified candidates is October 28 following which the final selection list will be released by DME on October 31 and selected candidates have to join by November 7

HC poser to govt on doctors’ plea against vax order

HC poser to govt on doctors’ plea against vax order

New Delhi:  22.10.2021

Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of Delhi government on a plea by two doctors challenging its order prohibiting healthcare, frontline workers and teachers from attending their offices on failure to get even first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by October 15. The doctors, working in a government hospital, claimed that it violates their fundamental right right to earn a livelihood and right to attend office. Justice Rekha Palli, who issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its reply on the petition, listed the matter for further hearing on February 3. PTI

Govt employees to get concession if buying e-vehicles

Govt employees to get concession if buying e-vehicles

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh:22.10.2021

The Haryana government has decided to give a special concession to its employees on the purchase of their first e-vehicle. In addition, financial assistance of up to Rs 5 crore will be given for research and development in the field of e-mobility to any state-, national- or international-level institute in the state.

Sharing the details, deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of industries and commerce department, shared this information on Thursday after a meeting on ‘Haryana Electric Vehicle Policy-2021’ with senior officers of various departments.

He claimed the government was working to ensure that the policy being formulated for e-vehicle in Haryana would be the best policy in the country.

He said that for the formation of the policy, three rounds of discussions had been held with the officials and, on Thursday, the final consultations were held. The policy would be released in the next one month, he added.

The electric vehicle policy would be focusing on the manufacturers, user drivers and people setting up charging stations, in which special exemptions would be given to them, he said, adding that the state government was emphasising on promoting two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheeler e-vehicles.

He said while e-vehicles would be given exemption at the time of registration in the policy, the commercial vehicles converted from petrol or diesel to electric would also be given concession.