NEWS TODAY 23.07.2026

 

NEET’s top two scorers: Protest is a right, reform is the answer

NEET’s top two scorers: Protest is a right, reform is the answer

 Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com 23.07.2026

New Delhi : Aryan Gupta and Panshul Bansal felt the same anger and sense of injustice as lakhs of NEET-UG aspirants when the May-3 examination was cancelled after a paper leak. They believe students were within their rights to protest. But instead of joining the demonstrations, they stepped away from the noise, revitalised their will and prepared for the June 21 re-exam — a decision that took them to the top.

Both scored 715 out of 720, with Gupta securing All India Rank 1 and Bansal placed second under the tie-break rule. They now want computer-based testing (CBT), tighter security and two NEET attempts a year to help examinees avoid what they experienced this year. “Although it was unfair, it was not unfair only to me. It was unfair to everyone,” Gupta said, adding that he treated the re-test as a chance to improve his performance. He had expected around 696 marks in the first examination. 

The cancellation left him “devastated and disappointed”, but he focused on what remained in his control. Bansal did the same. As reports about the leak and protests multiplied, he stopped following the news for nearly two months because it was giving him “negative thoughts”. But both defended students’ right to demonstrate. “Protest and dissent are basic rights of a citizen. They are very essential for a democracy,” Gupta said. Bansal said his job was to prepare, while it was govt’s responsibility to repair the system. Their re-examination experience was better. 

Gupta said the June-21 test was conducted in a “much more secure and much better manner”, with police, an ambulance and firefighters at his centre. During the first test, invigilators kept speaking and shouting for nearly two hours. “During the second examination, decorum was maintained.”

NEWS TODAY 21.07.2026

 

Faulty meters, billing errors caused spike in power bills: TNPDCL

 

Faulty meters, billing errors caused spike in power bills: TNPDCL

An internal communication issued by the director (finance) to all chief engineers states that field verification by revenue and accounts supervisors “has not been carried out properly”.

Image used for representational purposes only.(File Photo)

S Guruvanmikanathan

Updated on:

20 Jul 2026, 7:41 am

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has admitted that lapses by its own officials – from chief engineers down to revenue supervisors – allowed faulty meter readings and billing errors to go unchecked, and has now warned of disciplinary action against those responsible.

The warning, part of the utility’s ongoing revenue reforms, is aimed at improving revenue collection, ensuring accurate billing and enhancing consumer satisfaction. The move comes amid a rise in complaints from domestic consumers over unusually high electricity bills.

An internal communication – accessed by TNIE – issued by the director (finance) to all chief engineers, states that field verification by revenue and accounts supervisors “has not been carried out properly”, and inspections by electricity distribution circle officials “have not been conducted effectively”.

The result was a spate of complaints from domestic consumers hit with unusually high bills which could be traced to defective meters, wrong readings and billing anomalies that a basic inspection should have caught, the circular said.

The communication also points out that defective meters were routinely missed at the first stage, with the job of fixing them dumped entirely on section offices. This, the communication said, had led to negligence in several cases. TNPDCL said this had directly dented consumer confidence and exposed how poorly its own billing and inspection procedures were being enforced on the ground.

The utility has now proposed timely inspections, quick action on consumer complaints, and accurate readings. To enforce this, TNPDCL has ordered, following the directions of director (finance), periodic inspections and mass verification drives in every section to catch defective meters and clear grievances without delay. Superintending engineers have been told to fix individual responsibility within circles and zonal offices to ensure accountability is maintained. Officials have also been asked to closely monitor billing operations and take corrective measures immediately wherever irregularities are noticed.

Employees Thank Government for Restoring Old Pension Scheme

Employees Thank Government for Restoring Old Pension Scheme 

DC Correspondent

19 July 2026 8:43 PM 

Government employees and teachers who shifted from the Contributory Pension Scheme to the Old Pension Scheme thanked the Andhra Pradesh government for restoring retirement benefits. TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao speaks at a thanks giving meeting organised by employees after the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme in Visakhapatnam. 

Now Employees and teachers from North Andhra who have been shifted from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) held a thanks giving meeting in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, expressing gratitude to the Andhra Pradesh government for implementing the pension reform. 

Addressing the gathering, MLC and Government Whip Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had provided long-term financial security to thousands of government employees by restoring the OPS. He said the scheme would benefit around 11,000 families by ensuring financial security even after employees retired. 

Chiranjeevi Rao said the government had also extended OPS benefits to employees and teachers recruited under the 2004 notification but who joined service after 2004 due to technical reasons, making them eligible for pension and gratuity. 

Telugu Desam state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao thanked the Chief Minister for issuing Government Order (GO) No. 53, which facilitated the transition from CPS to OPS. He said the government remained committed to the welfare of employees and teachers. 

Visakhapatnam North MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju criticised the previous YSRC government, alleging that it had undermined the dignity of teachers by assigning them duties related to managing queues at liquor shops. 

( Source : Deccan Chronicle )

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/employees-thank-government-for-restoring-old-pension-scheme-1972262