Good Morning

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

NEWS TODAY 11.02.2026

Unmarried, widowed & divorced daughters of govt staff eligible for pension

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 11.02.2026. BHOPAL

Bhopal : In a major decision, the state cabinet headed by chief minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday approved a new rule in the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Pension) Rules whereby unmarried, widowed and divorced daughters of state govt employees were made eligible for family pension. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, minister for MSME Chaitanya Kashyap said, “Cabinet approved the provision made for divorced daughters of employees to now claim family pension.”

So far, only the spouse, dependent parents and dependent children up to the age of 25 were eligible to draw family pension of the deceased govt employee. A state govt release further clarified, “Under Rule 44 of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2026, unmarried, widowed and divorced daughters were included among the members eligible for family pension.”

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up Students And Experts Oppose Move

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up

Students And Experts Oppose Move

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 11.02.2026

Chennai : National medical commission will continue to use NEET-PG 2026 as criterion for admissions to master’s programmes in medicine. Yet, candidates can qualify simply by showing up, even if they answer every question incorrectly or skip them entirely.

NMC chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth told TOI that after two rounds of admission in 2025, cut-offs were slashed to a NEET-PG score of -40. “We were left with no choice. More than 10,000 seats were vacant. There were vacancies in clinical courses at govt colleges,” he argued.

Results of the 3 rd round released by the medical counselling committee drew fire as students with low scores, including single digits out of 800, grabbed govt seats in high-demand courses such as orthopaedics. “Doing away with eligibility scores will not take away priority from meritorious students. Many competitive examinations abroad follow this model. Students who have better scores can opt for a preferred course and institution.

A student with a lower score will not be placed over a meritorious candidate. It will avoid delays in the admission process,” he said. Students and experts have vehemently opposed the move. “NMC is not an efficient regulatory body like the UK’s general medical council or the American board of medical specialities,” argued Dr Priya G, who is awaiting PG admissions.

“We wrote the exam in August and received scorecards the same month. But the admission is yet to be completed. Every year, we see a new set of problems in admissions, from paper leaks to errors in scoring and counselling mismanagement,” she said.

Academic counsellors say that if the commission decides to allow students with poor scores to take part from round one, it will dilute merit entirely. “Seats go to the highest bidder, not the best prepared. There are vacancies, but for that, we cannot reward failure,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “It seems very wrong because this system seems to supply candidates to colleges that charge very high fees,” he said.

Living in India as Canadian citizens: Couple returns after 10 years, explains OCI limits on jobs and property

Living in India as Canadian citizens:

Couple returns after 10 years, explains OCI limits on jobs and property

After living in Canada for 10 years, Sneha and her family returned to India on OCI. They answer common questions on working, paying taxes, owning property and staying long-term.

Written by Aditi

Updated:February 10, 2026 21:43 IST

Life in India on OCI: What this Canada-returned family wants you to know

After spending a decade in Canada, Sneha and her family made the big decision to return to India. Since their move, one question kept flooding their inbox: What are the real limitations of living in India on an OCI?

OCI, or Overseas Citizenship of India, is not dual citizenship. Instead, it is a lifelong visa that allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to live and work in India without repeated visa renewals. Sneha explained that while all four members of her family are Canadian citizens, they now live in India on OCI status. But as the family found out, there are some clear rules that come with it.

Can OCI holders work in India?

The couple sat down to make a video addressing some of the most frequently asked questions after their return. One of the biggest concerns for many living abroad is employment. According to the couple, OCI holders are allowed to work freely in India, with a few important exceptions. “You can’t work for the government, and you can’t work as journalists,” they explained. Outside of these restrictions, private-sector jobs are open.

Employers, they said, generally respond positively to a foreign passport. “There are no issues,” they continued, adding that OCI holders are also eligible for EPF benefits just like other employees.

What about taxes in India and Canada?

Taxes are another major worry, especially for families with income streams in more than one country. The rule, they explained, is — you pay tax in the country where you earn the income. “You pay taxes where you earn your income from, be it India or be it Canada,” they said.

There’s also relief for those worried about being taxed twice. India and Canada have a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, which helps prevent the same income from being taxed in both countries.

Essentially, it works like a ‘tax coupon.’ If you’ve already paid tax in India, Canada recognises that payment and deducts it from what you owe them. It ensures that the two governments aren’t reaching into the same pocket for the same dollar, letting families keep more of their hard-earned global savings.

Can OCI holders stay in India long-term?

Yes — and this is one of the biggest advantages. “You can live in India as long as you want with an OCI,” Sneha said. There is no limit on how many years an OCI holder can stay in the country, making it especially appealing for families planning a permanent return.

What you can and cannot buy

OCI holders are allowed to buy property in India, including flats and houses. However, there is one key restriction. “You can own any property in India except agricultural land,” the couple clarified. This rule often surprises returning OCI holders, especially those hoping to invest in farmland or ancestral agricultural property.

Education costs in India for OCI citizens

For parents, education is a major concern. Sneha cleared up a common myth right away. “School fees are not higher for OCI students,” she said, explaining that primary and secondary schools usually charge the same fees regardless of nationality. However, things change at the university level. Many Indian universities charge higher fees for foreign nationals, so OCI holders are advised to check individual institutions before applying.

Passports, renewals and paperwork

Canadian passports can be renewed from India, and so can OCI documentation. One important detail many people miss is that OCI itself does not expire.

“OCI actually doesn’t need to be renewed,” Sneha explained. “You just need to update your photos periodically.”

Despite not being Indian citizens, OCI holders are not taxed differently simply because of their nationality. “You will not be taxed differently as you’re not an Indian,” the couple confirmed.

Summing it up, the family said OCI offers freedom, but not full citizenship. On the positive side, OCI holders can live and work in India for as long as they want. On the downside, they cannot vote, cannot work in government roles or journalism, cannot buy agricultural land, and may need special permissions to visit certain protected areas.

https://www.financialexpress.com/trending/living-in-india-as-canadian-citizens-couple-returns-after-10-years-explains-oci-limits-on-jobs-and-property/4135307/

44 for Gynaecology, 4 for Ortho: What's behind alarmingly low NEET PG cut-offs for medical seats

This shift was especially noted during the third round of counselling for the 2025–26 session, where seat allotments were recorded at record low scores.

Updated on: Feb 10, 2026 11:15 PM IST

Written byPriyanjali Narayan

The recent rounds of NEET PG counselling have highlighted an unusual admission pattern in government medical colleges, with candidates securing postgraduate seats at exceptionally low scores across several specialties in government institutions.

In one of the most striking instances, an MS Orthopaedics seat at a government medical college in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate who scored just 4 marks out of 800, (Representative image/Unsplash)

This has raised questions as it also includes core clinical and surgical branches across several states.

This stark shift was especially noted during the third round of counselling for the 2025–26 academic session, where seat allotments were recorded at single-digit and low double-digit scores in multiple disciplines.

What is happening?

In one of the most striking instances, an MS Orthopaedics seat at a government medical college in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate who scored just 4 marks out of 800, according to an NDTV report.

At a government medical college in Tamil Nadu, a Physiology seat was allotted to a candidate with a minus 12 score. Meanwhile, a premier Delhi medical institution saw an Obstetrics and Gynaecology seat allotted at 44 marks, while a General Surgery seat was filled at 47 marks, the report added.

How low scores can lead to top colleges?

These outcomes followed the Union Health Ministry’s decision to substantially lower NEET-PG qualifying thresholds for the 2025–26 academic session.

Under the revised criteria, the cut-off score for the general category was reduced to 103 from the earlier 276, the report stated.

For SC, ST and OBC categories, the cut-off was brought down to minus 40 from the earlier score of 235, allowing candidates with extremely low — and in some cases negative — scores to qualify for counselling.

The impact was visible across disciplines. Seats were allotted at 10 marks in Transfusion Medicine, 11 marks in Anatomy and even minus 8 marks in Biochemistry, particularly under reserved and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) categories.

Why low score selections can be a problem?

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to explain its drastic reduction of the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26, according to a PTI report.

"Then the argument will be that the standards are being lowered and the counter-argument is that seats are going waste. So, somewhere there has to be a balance," the bench observed.

Who is raising the issue?

Doctors’ bodies, including the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the Federation of Doctors Association (FORDA), had raised an issue even during the second rounds of counselling.

In a letter addressed to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, FAIMA president Dr Rohan Krishnan said that reducing the qualifying percentile to zero sets a dangerous precedent for the future of India’s medical education system.