Professor used an endoscopic camera to leak question paper in Chhattisgarh, say police

 

Professor used an endoscopic camera to leak question paper in Chhattisgarh, say police

Shubhomoy Sikdar

RAIPUR  23.08.2026

A professor at a private college in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district and five students from the same institution were arrested for their alleged roles in the leak of an Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) entomology question paper, police said on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smruthik Rajanala told The Hindu that 38-year-old Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at Bharti Agriculture College in Durg, had allegedly used an endoscopic camera to capture images of the question papers that he received in a sealed envelope and then shared them with his fellow accused before the exam, which was scheduled to be held on August 20.

The officer alleged that the accused were also involved in leaking the question paper of another examination that was scheduled for August 7.

On August 20, an agricultural entomology exam — AENT 221 [Pest Management in crops and stored grains-I(Rabi Crops)] — for second-year students of B.Sc. (Agriculture), was cancelled after it was alleged that the question paper had been leaked. The exam was written by 1,500 students enrolled in different colleges affiliated with IGKV, a government-run university here.

The Deputy Commissioner said Mr. Sonkesariya had received the set of question papers in a sealed envelope on August 17.

“He then inserted an endoscopic camera into the envelope through a tiny hole and captured the contents… The question paper was a one-page document with all the content printed on the same side. He then used glue to cover the opening through which the camera was inserted,” said Mr Rajanala.

After the examination was cancelled, the university administration filed a police complaint, saying that the Agriculture College and Research Centre at Kawardha received an email at 8.41 a.m., in which it was claimed that the paper had leaked. Other officials received the email at 8.54 a.m.

The complaint added that students and their representatives also informed the university through WhatsApp that some purported questions from the paper were circulating.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008, and Section 316 (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

A team of more than 100 police personnel, including members of the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit as well as personnel from the Telibandha police station, was formed to probe the paper leak.

Endoscopic camera used to copy paper in sealed packet CM orders probe

Endoscopic camera used to copy paper in sealed packet CM orders probe

23.08.2026

Raipur: A tiny endoscopic camera was allegedly slipped through a pinhole in a sealed question paper envelope to film a BSc agriculture entomology paper without opening the packet, exposing a startling loophole in exam security at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh police said Saturday, reports Rashmi Drolia. 

The paper leak surfaced on Aug 20, shortly before the exam. The test was cancelled and rescheduled for the first week of Sept. About 1,200 students from 27 agriculture colleges were to take it. Six people have been arrested, including Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at a private college in Durg, and five students who allegedly paid Rs 12,000 each for the leaked paper, DCP Smritik Rajnala said Saturday.

C’garh police searching for two more suspects, CM orders probe 

Raipur police are searching for two more suspects and are probing if the group was part of a wider network. Sonkesariya allegedly took the sealed entomology paper home, pierced its envelope with a needle and another pointed tool, inserted an endoscopy camera costing about Rs 2,500 and filmed the contents through the tiny opening. The camera, normally used to inspect narrow and hard-to-reach areas inside the human body, allowed him to access the paper without visibly opening the packet. Police said Sonkesariya allegedly reconstructed the questions from the video, sold the paper and passed it to a student network that circulated images through WhatsApp about two hours before the exam. When university officials compared the paper being distributed at exam centres with the viral copy, the questions matched. Police said an FIR was registered under Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008 and BNS sections. CM Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered an impartial probe, while the university formed a five-member panel.

Man assaults delivery agent over ‘small’ delay, arrested

Man assaults delivery agent over ‘small’ delay, arrested

Rahul.Singh1@timesofindia.com  17.08.2026

Meerut: A 22-year-old quick-commerce delivery executive was allegedly assaulted by a customer in Meerut’s Ganga Heights society on Friday night after an argument over a delay of a few minutes in delivering an order. 

The accused, Yaman Kansal, 34, a branch manager with UCO Bank, was arrested on Saturday after the worker filed a complaint and CCTV footage of the incident was widely shared. The victim, Amit Yadav, said he had been working part-time as a delivery agent for about a year while pursuing his studies. 

According to him, the dispute began when Kansal called to complain that the order was late. “I told him that the order was delayed by only around five minutes. He argued it was already 15 minutes late. I told him that the reason for the delay would be visible on his app and that I would bring the order as soon as it was packed. He then told me to come to his home and said he would talk to me there,” Amit said. Amit said that when he reached Kansal’s flat, the argument escalated. He alleged that Kansal took away his mobile phone, accused him of misbehaving with his wife and threatened to implicate him in a rape case. “He started saying that I had misbehaved with his wife and threatened to implicate me in a rape case. I kept telling him that if I had done anything wrong, he should call police. But no police call was made,”

Amit alleged. CCTV footage from the society showed the two men arguing before Kansal allegedly took Amit’s phone and slapped and kicked him. The footage also purportedly showed Kansal taking Amit inside the flat, where the assault allegedly continued. Amit further alleged that Kansal threatened to kill him . “I am a student and work part-time in the evening to support myself. A minor delay in an order does not give anyone the right to assault or threaten a delivery worker,” he said.

NEP degree students who exited after 3 years asked to do 4th

NEP degree students who exited after 3 years asked to do 4th 

DEGREE UNCERTAIN 

Sruthysusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 24.07.2026

Bengaluru : Confusion over the multiple entry-exit provision under National Education Policy (NEP) has left a batch of hotel management students in limbo, with a city college asking them to return and complete the fourth year after they exited the programme at the end of the third. 

The affected students — of Army Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, affiliated to Bangalore North University (BNU) — joined the course in July 2022 under NEP framework. They were informed that they could either complete four years to earn a Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) degree or exit after three years with a BBA in Hotel Management. 

Of the 54 students in the batch, 15 exited after three years in Aug 2025, with several securing campus placements. Ten months later, in June 2026, the college contacted them, saying they would not receive a degree after three years because of a confusion in the implementation of the programme. The students were asked to rejoin the course, pay around Rs 2 lakh in fees, and complete the final year. 

Many students said that  they had  already moved on. “Some of us got good placements through campus recruitment, while others pursued higher studies. I’ve joined an MBA programme. I cannot give that up, pay another Rs 2 lakh, and lose a year,” a student said. Another student, who has secured a job paying Rs 70,000 a month, said he could not afford to resign and risk losing a well-paying position. 

According to students, the issue also affects those who exited in 2024. “At least nine students from that batch have also been asked to return. How is it possible to restart the course after such a long gap?” one asked. NEP 2020 was adopted by Karnataka back in 2021, making it the first state to implement the policy. 

Implementation issues 

Institute director Brig VV Subramaniam attributed the issue to implementation of the first NEP batch. “The college management is aware of the issues being faced by students. The institute is engaging with BNU and also the students. The matter will be resolved in their interest. Their careers and interests are what is important. BNU is supportive and the management is positive an acceptable solution will be found,” he said. 

In an email to students, the college said the former principal and chairman of the board of studies had failed to submit proposals for approval of the certificate, diploma, BBA, and BHM programmes. As a result, the institute received approval only for admissions to the BHM programme. BNU vice-chancellor BK Ravi said the issue has been discussed by the academic council and referred to Karnataka State Higher Education Council for a decision.

Meanwhile, an educationist said NEP was implemented in haste, leading to confusion over exit options in professional courses. “Some programmes are designed to be completed in full, and mid-course exit degrees may not be universally recognised. There are ramifications with the state withdrawing from NEP as well. Will our courses be accepted everywhere, say by UPSC? Where is the clarity on all these issues as govts and policies change?” he added.

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

State can’t undo 33-year-old appointment: Gujarat High Court

State can’t undo 33-year-old appointment: Gujarat High Court

July 5, 2026, 01.02 AM IST

Ahmedabad: 05.07.2026

The Gujarat HighCourt has quashed a state govt order cancelling an appointment of a teacher 33 years after he was given the job and some 17 years after his death, and stopping the pension being given to his widow.

In this case, Harshad Bhavsar, along with five others, was appointed as a teacher in its school by Sugyan Education Trust in 1988. After ascertaining he got requisite qualification for the post, his appointment was regularised by the district education officer in 1989. After serving for 16 years, Bhavsar died in 2004. The education department began paying family pension to Bhavsar’s widow, Manorama.

In 2021, the director of schools cancelled the appointment of six teachers and a librarian of the school, including that of Bhavsar, withdrew grant benefits, cancelled employee numbers and stopped salary payments under the Direct Salary Scheme.

The govt action was initiated following a complaint made in 2015 by the husband of then school principal, alleging that the appointments had been made in violation of recruitment rules. The govt cancelled the appointments on the grounds that they were based on forged documents, made without obtaining a no-objection certificate, without publishing advertisements and without seeking names from the employment exchange, causing a financial loss of over Rs 6 crore to the exchequer.

The school trust and the affected employees, including Bhavsar’s widow, challenged the order before HC in 2021. A single-judge bench quashed the govt’s s decision, ruling that appointments could not be cancelled after more than three decades.

However, the state govt appealed appealed against the order regarding the revocation of Bhavsar’s appointment.

Dismissing the appeal, a division bench of N S Sanjay Gowda and Justice J L Odedra said, “If an appointment was made in the year 1988, was regularised in 1989, the same cannot be subjected to a challenge or could be doubted by the state nearly 33 years after the appointment was made.”

The bench further said, “The state, after granting a family pension to the widow of the employee, is now doubting the very appointment itself, which its own officials had regularised. The learned single judge, in our view, has rightly quashed the order of cancellation and held that the state could not exercise its powers to cancel the appointment at such a belated stage.”

Paramedical intake: 27k register for 56k seats

Paramedical intake: 27k register for 56k seats 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  13.06.2026

Ahmedabad : Admissions for paramedical programmes in Gujarat, including BSc Nursing, have so far drawn a weaker-than-anticipated response, with registrations well below the total seats on offer. 

As per official information, about 26,900 candidates have registered for admission against over 56,000 seats available across govt and self-financed institutions in the state. So far, 24,442 applications have been verified. The admission procedure started on May 29 through the admission committee’s official portal, where students had to buy an online PIN and finish the registration process. 

The registration window closed on Friday, and a total of 27,347 PINs were issued during this period. Even so, the relatively small number of completed registrations suggests many seats could remain unoccupied. The deadline for document verification is June 13, and officials anticipate more candidates will complete verification by the last day. At the same time, the state board will conduct supplementary exams from June 11 to June 20. Once the supplementary results are announced, the authorities intend to restart PIN distribution and reopen registrations so additional students can apply

RGUHS to honour college founder amid legal dispute

RGUHS to honour college founder amid legal dispute 

Times News Network  BENGALURU 13.06.2026

Bengaluru : Ironically, RGUHS will award honorary doctorate to AC Shanmugam, founder chancellor of Rajarajeswari Medical College and Hospital, an institute with which the varsity is having a legal tussle. 

In 2019, the Centre and UGC approved an application to change the college from under the ambit of RGUHS and transfer it to Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, a deemed university in Chennai. 

RGUHS and the state govt opposed the move. They argued it will result in a massive loss of medical seats for Karnataka students and that UGC bypassed mandatory procedures by not consulting the state. 

The case is yet to conclude. The college is currently a constituent college of Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute. 

RGUHS said the name came from the governor’s office and they cannot do anything about it. RGUHS VC Bhagavan BC said, “It was a decision taken by the committee constituted by governor. There are three members, of which former VC Sacchidanand was the university’s nominee. We have no role in this beyond nominating a person to the panel.” 

Sharan Prakash Patil, medical education minister, wasn’t too happy about the choice. “This has come to my notice. We have gone to court against the college and they have got a stay. The legal fight is still on. But govt has no say in the selection process of honorary doctorates. All we can do is to initiate processes so that such things don’t happen in future.” 

Rajarajeshwari medical college official said the college has no issues with RGUHS. Apart from Shanmugam, the other awardees are Nailady Sridhar Shetty, former Dental Council of India president, and Harshangi Veerbhadrappa, paediatrician

Can bar overqualified person from job: SC

Can bar overqualified person from job: SC 

‘Rationale Both Reasonable And Equitable’

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesofindia.com  04.06.2026

New Delhi : Sometimes over qualification becomes a disqualification. At a time when highly qualified people, including PhD holders, are competing for class IV govt jobs, the Supreme Court has said a person could be disqualified for a job if he holds a qualification beyond the maximum prescribed qualification. Noting that an employer’s need to have the right people at the right place does not always mean those higher qualified, a bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan said there is nothing wrong in govt’s decision putting a cap on the qualification for a post and disqualifying those holding higher degrees. 

“The rationale behind prescribing an upper limit of qualification is both reasonable and equitable, namely, to provide employment opportunities to persons who, owing to circumstances of life, could not pursue higher education. The State, as a model employer, is justified in reserving certain categories of posts for such persons so that they are not compelled to compete with more highly qualified candidates against whom they would ordinarily stand little chance of selection. 

Such a policy has consistently been upheld by the courts. Thus, when the post was specifically intended for candidates possessing lower educational qualifications, permitting a person with higher qualifications to secure such employment would necessarily result in depriving a genuinely eligible and deserving candidate of the opportunity,” the bench said. 

 It passed the order while upholding termination of job of a bank employee on the ground that he was graduate at the time of joining while the job specification stipulated the candidate should possess the qualification of passing 8th standard, but should not have passed 12th standard or acquired qualification. “..though we may have sympathy for the respondent, the conduct attributed to him and the settled position of law leave us with no option but to interfere with the impugned judgment.”

RGUHS won’t call for new nursing college applications this year

RGUHS won’t call for new nursing college applications this year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 27.05.2026

Bengaluru : Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has decided not to invite new applications for nursing colleges for academic year 2026-27. However, the university will process the pending 130 applications for new colleges filed for 2025-26.

Last year, the file for 130 nursing colleges was not processed. Of these, around 70 colleges are likely to be eligible. These applications will have to be checked by various bodies like academic council and senate before the final decision. No new applications will be entertained, said RGUHS vicechancellor Bhagavan BC.

“The seat matrix for nursing seats has been sent. The new additions will be sent separately once approved. As there is still time for CET counselling, we should be able to send them in time.” Last year, 671 colleges offered 34,050 seats through Karnataka Examinations Authority. In 2024, 652 colleges gave away 24,642 seats.

Only PCI Can Inspect Pharmacy Colleges: Council Warns States, Universities Against Re-Inspections

Only PCI Can Inspect Pharmacy Colleges: Council Warns States, Universities Against Re-Inspections 

Written By : Susmita Roy

Published On 17 May 2026 11:12 PM | Updated On 17 May 2026 11:12 PM

New Delhi: The Pharmacy Council of India has directed all state governments, universities and examining authorities to refrain from conducting re-inspections or subsequent inspections of pharmacy institutions that have already been inspected and approved by the Council, warning that such actions violate the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and may invite strict legal action.

In a circular issued to all State Governments/UTs, Examining Authorities approved by PCI, State Admission Committees and Central Council members, the PCI clarified that under Section 16 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, the statutory authority to inspect pharmacy institutions rests exclusively with the Council.

The Council stated that it has come to its notice that several universities and state authorities are continuing to conduct inspections of pharmacy institutions even after PCI approval has been granted, despite court rulings stating that such authorities do not possess statutory powers under the Act to undertake these inspections.

Also Read:PCI Mandates Implementation of New B.Pharm Syllabus from 2026-27 Under NEP 2020 

Referring to recent judicial pronouncements, the PCI cited an order dated October 6, 2025, passed by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court in the case of Gramin Vikas Multipurpose Education Society and Prabhat Institute of Pharmacy vs PCI & Others. The Court held that if a statute prescribes a particular procedure, it must be followed in that manner alone, and observed that the Joint Director had no authority under the Pharmacy Act or PCI norms to inspect a pharmacy college once the No Objection Certificate (NOC) had already been issued.

The Court further observed that if complaints were received by the State Government or Joint Director, they could be forwarded to PCI, which alone could carry out inspections in accordance with the law.

The Council also referred to a November 26, 2025 judgment of the Karnataka High Court in Karnataka Pharmacy College Management Association vs Union of India and Others, where the Court ruled that the State Government lacked jurisdiction or authority to conduct inspections of pharmacy colleges in the absence of any statutory provision empowering it to do so.

According to the PCI circular, once the initial verification process for issuance of the first-time approval of the Examining Authority and NOC for starting a new pharmacy institution or course is completed, the concerned State Government, state authorities or universities cease to have jurisdiction to conduct re-inspections or subsequent inspections under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

The Council reiterated that powers relating to inspection, monitoring, approval of courses, intake capacity and verification of pharmacy institutions vest exclusively with PCI under Section 16 of the Act.

PCI further directed that if any complaint, deficiency, irregularity or allegation concerning a pharmacy institution comes to the notice of any state government, university or authority, such details must be forwarded to the Council for appropriate action and further inspection, wherever necessary.

Warning against non-compliance, the Council stated that any violation of the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and regulations framed thereunder by any authority, institution or examining body would be viewed seriously and strict action would be initiated in accordance with law.

State unlikely to enforce NMC order on MBBS fees for four­ and­ a­ half­ years

State unlikely to enforce NMC order on MBBS fees for four­ and­ a­ half­ years

 The Hindu (Kochi) A.S. Jay­anth KOZHIKODE 4 May 2026

The recent dir­ect­ive of the National Med­ical Com­mis­sion (NMC) to med­ical col­leges in the coun­try to levy fees from MBBS stu­dents only for four­ and­ a­half years is unlikely to be imple­men­ted in Ker­ala now.

In the order issued on April 7, the NMC had said that col­lect­ing fee from stu­dents for the entire dur­a­tion of the course for five years or five­ and­ a­ half years would not be per­mit­ted. The MBBS course com­prises four­ and­ a­ half years of aca­demic study, fol­lowed by one year of com­puls­ory rotat­ing intern­ship. In gov­ern­ment med­ical col­leges in Ker­ala, the annual fee is over ₹30,000, while in self­f in­an­cing col­leges it is around ₹8 lakh and above for the gen­eral cat­egory and ₹21 lakh and above for the NRI cat­egory.

This fee is determ­ined and revised by a fee reg­u­lat­ory com­mit­tee. It is now headed by retired High Court judge K.K. Dineshan. However, the incum­bent LDF gov­ern­ment is unlikely to take a decision on the dir­ect­ive now, as its ten­ure is set to end soon.

Mr. Dineshan told The Hindu recently that the fee reg­u­lat­ory com­mit­tee was bound by judg­ments of the Supreme Court of India and the Ker­ala High Court, as well as laws passed by the Ker­ala Legis­lat­ive Assembly. 

He said the fee fixed by the com­mit­tee for a batch would remain in force for the entire five year course. He poin­ted out that the High Court had, in 2022, cla­ri­fied that the NMC’s office memor­andum stip­u­lat­ing gov­ern­ment fees for 50% of seats in self­ fin­an­cing med­ical col­leges need not be imple­men­ted in Ker­ala.

Mean­while, the Ker­ala Uni­versity of Health Sci­ences (KUHS) is of the view that the dir­ect­ive should be imple­men­ted in the State.

KUHS Vice­ Chan­cel­lor Mohanan Kun­num­mal told The Hindu that other States such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were already plan­ning to enforce it. “However, we are not in a pos­i­tion to express our views on this because KUHS is not part of the fee reg­u­lat­ory com­mit­tee… There is a con­ten­tion that the entire course fee is divided over five years, so it can con­tinue that way. 

But such an argu­ment has not been explained any­where offi­cially,” he added. ‘The NMC said that col­lect­ing fees for five years or more was not con­sist­ent with the pre­scribed aca­demic struc­ture of the MBBS pro­gramme and could res­ult in charges for peri­ods that do not con­sti­tute aca­demic teach­ing. 

“Any instance of non­com­pli­ance shall be viewed ser­i­ously and appro­pri­ate action ini­ti­ated by the Com­mis­sion, as per the extant stat­utory and reg­u­lat­ory pro­vi­sions,” the order added.

Busted by DVAC, office assistant jumps to death

Busted by DVAC, office assistant jumps to death 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   16.05.2026

Trichy : An assistant at the block development office in Tiruvarur jumped to death from the third floor of his office building on Thursday evening while being interrogated by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) officials after his arrest, along with the BDO, for accepting a bribe. 

The deceased was identified as R Suresh Kumar, 51, a resident of Thuvakudi in Trichy district. According to sources, Bharathidasan, a resident of Tiruvarur district, went to the office a few days ago seeking a plot approval receipt. The BDO for village panchayat scheme, S Swaminathan, along with his assistant Suresh Kumar, allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹7,000 to issue the receipt. Bharathidasan lodged a complaint with DVAC in Tiruvarur. After conducting a preliminary inquiry, DVAC confirmed the bribe demand and planned a trap. The sleuths gave Bharathidasan ₹7,000 in currency notes laced with a chemical powder to be handed over to the two officials. On Thursday afternoon, as Swaminathan and Suresh Kumar took the money from Bharathidasan, the DVAC team caught them red-handed. During the inquiry, Suresh Kumar excused himself for a break, went to the terrace and jumped off the building. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 04424640050)

No biryani, wedding turns bloody

No biryani, wedding turns bloody 

Knives Out After Wedding Guests Bicker Over Being Served Pulao 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Ahamedabad 14.05.2026

Ahmedabad : Food can make or break an event. And, a wedding meant to celebrate a new beginning went spectacularly off the rails after a late-night argument over biryani, or rather a lack thereof, exploded into a violent family clash involving knives and iron ladles. 

The bride, 23, who had travelled from Delhi with her family for the May 12 wedding, ended up spending the night at a police station, accusing the groom and five others of attacking her relatives after guests complained that pulao, and not biryani, was served at dinner. 

According to the bride’s complaint, she and her family were staying near the marriage hall in Kubernagar. The engagement ceremony was held on May 10, followed by the wedding rituals the next evening. Trouble began brewing during a pre-wedding dinner when guests objected to the pulao being served. They also allegedly created a ruckus on it “not being prepared properly”, the complainant stated. 

A heated exchange followed, but relatives allegedly managed to calm things down. A few hours later, however, tempers flared again. The bride alleged that around 1 am, the groom, his brother and several others arrived at the hall where her family members were staying and restarted the argument over the food issue. 

According to the complaint, the groom’s side began “hurling filthy abuses” at the bride’s father. The bride told police, “One of the men attacked my father with a knife, injuring his left hand, while another relative, who intervened, suffered a knife wound on her left palm. We all stepped in to separate them.” As relatives rushed to stop the fight, the marriage venue allegedly turned into a battleground, with pushing, shouting, and scuffles breaking out between members of both families. 

During the chaos, gold ornaments worn by the bride and her aunt reportedly disappeared. The injured relatives were rushed to Civil Hospital for treatment before the bride filed a complaint seeking action against the groom and his relatives. However, the groom’s side has given police a very different version. According to the cross complaint, police were called to settle the verbal dispute that arose during dinner, and both sides “reached an understanding”. “However, around 1.30am, the argument allegedly erupted again after the bride’s brother began abusing members of the groom’s family. 

When relatives attempted to calm him down, the bride’s brother, her father and another man attacked them with kitchen utensils and a sharp weapon. An iron ladle was used to strike the complainant on the head,” stated the complaint. Three people from the groom’s family also suffered injuries and were taken to Civil Hospital, the complaint stated. Police have registered complaints from both sides and launched an investigation into the wedding-night showdown.

Abandoned in forest, two-year-old walks for 20 hours, survives

Abandoned in forest, two-year-old walks for 20 hours, survives

Amarjeet.Singh1@timesofindia.com 04.05.2026

Bhopal : A two-year-old boy, unclothed waist down, walked barefoot alone for nearly 20 hours through a forest full of wild animals after his father allegedly killed his mother and abandoned him in a remote patch of Madhya Pradesh. The stunning survival story ended with cops finding the weak and dehydrated toddler early Sunday in a remote patch along the Vidisha-Raisen border after arresting his father. 

So hungry and thirsty was the baby that he grabbed food and water the cops offered before he was rushed to hospital and stabilised. “It was a miracle that he survived,” said Sonali Gupta, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Begumganj, the pocket where the rescuers found the child, nearly 2km from the spot where he had been abandoned. The horrors started unfolding Saturday noon when the child’s father, a 25-yea rold from a village in Vidisha district’s Haidergarh area, allegedly crushed his wife’s head with a stone, police said. 

Their son was with them at the time. After the killing, the man took the child on his motorcycle and rode about 2km into adjoining Raisen district’s Begumganj belt. He dumped the child near a stream behind a temple in the dense forest. The area, the police said, is known for the movement of wild animals, making survival a challenge even for adults.

HC bins RGUHS move to exclude senate members from panel

HC bins RGUHS move to exclude senate members from panel 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  03.05.2026

Bengaluru : The high court quashed a 2024 resolution of a syndicate meeting of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) excluding senate members from the local inspection committee on continuation of affiliation of colleges. 

J Nandeesh and other RGUHS senate members had challenged the resolution, contending the syndicate did not obtain the assent of the senate which has power to make, amend or repeal statutes under the RGUHS Act. Justice ES Indiresh pointed out that for amending or repealing the statute, the syndicate has to submit its proposal to the senate which has the power to give assent. Thereafter, such a resolution along with the recommendation of the senate should be placed before govt for assent. 

Even for continuation of affiliation, local inspection committee members have to verify the entire records pertaining to various requirements and even if there is any lacuna in compliance of mandatory provisions, it is the duty of the committee to withdraw the affiliation of the college concerned. In view of the matter, excluding the members of the senate would affect the foundation for decision making process, the judge said.

750 MP engg seats remained unfilled last yr, 66 colleges closed down

750 MP engg seats remained unfilled last yr, 66 colleges closed down 

Bhopal : 30.04.2026

In what points to a sorry state of affairs and a potential existential crisis for engineering education in Madhya Pradesh, as many as 750 seats remained unclaimed across the state in the last year alone while 66 engineering institutions closed down over the last ten years, official numbers with the technical education dept have revealed, reports Ramendra Singh . 

Marked by plummeting placements and waning interest in traditional engineering branches, colleges are being forced to surrender seats or shut down entirely, pointing to a shift toward employability over volume. As per the dept, 138 colleges offer 74,722 seats, a sharp decline from 200 colleges and 95,000 seats in 2015-16

UGC allows autonomous colleges to seek deemed university status

UGC allows autonomous colleges to seek deemed university status 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  27.04.2028

The UGC has permitted autonomous and constituent colleges of state universities to apply for deemed-to-be university status. The newly introduced provisions also allow these colleges to operate as off-campus centres for existing deemed universities. 

These structural changes were formalised through a Gazette notification issued recently, titled University Grants Commission [Institutions Deemed to be Universities] Amendment Regulations, 2026. The amendments modify the previous UGC regulations established in 2023. 

Currently, there are 146 deemed-to-be universities operating under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, enjoying the academic privileges of full-fledged universities to strengthen their specialised fields of study. While the path to deemed status has been opened, the transition hinges on strict clearance from state authorities. Institutions must secure a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective state governments to move forward.

Man waits 5 hours, catches runaway wife at polling booth

Man waits 5 hours, catches runaway wife at polling booth 

24.04.2026

Jalpaiguri : A tense domestic drama unfolded at booth no. 25/238 in Phansidewa’s Tarabari, under the MatigaraNaxalbari assembly segment in Siliguri subdivision, on Thursday — when a man staked out a polling station for hours to intercept his wife, who had eloped with another man two years ago, reports Pinak Priya Bhattacharya . 

He had reasoned, correctly, that she would have to show up to vote. And so he waited. Early in the morning, eyewitnesses at Tarabari Primary School noticed a man standing outside, speaking to no one, giving nothing away. It was a humid, overcast day and the sweat was visible on him, but he didn’t move. Hours passed. He stayed. 

At 2pm, a woman arrived at the booth with her voter’s slip and EPIC card. The man moved instantly — lunging at her, trying to snatch her voter’s card, pulling her hair and wrapping his arms around her from behind. The two struggled until CAPF personnel rushed in, freed the woman and restrained the man, who kept shouting and cursing. 

It emerged that the woman was his wife. She had eloped with her partner two years ago. He had calculated that the SIR process — which had prompted widespread anxiety about voter deletions — would compel her to appear at her booth. Once restrained, the man demanded that CAPF not allow his wife to vote until his name was removed from her EPIC card as her husband. 

The security personnel declined. After twenty minutes, they ensured she cast her vote and then escorted her out of the area. The man left the polling station in a fury, throwing curses at the security personnel and the officials. The officials, for their part, could not keep straight faces. “I have been doing election duty for 26 years and this is a first-of-itskind experience for me,” said one polling official.

Poor academics no bar to jobs for high-rankers: HC

Poor academics no bar to jobs for high-rankers: HC 

18.04.2026

Cuttack : The Orissa high court observed that high ranking candidates in a recruitment exam cannot be disqualified on the basis of their poor academic records. The HC ruling came on Thursday while it was hearing a batch of 242 petitions challenging the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission’s (OSSSC) Oct 10, 2025 order, that denied candidates a place in the merit list for recruitment to the posts of livestock inspector, forester and forest guard, reports Lalmohan Patnaik . OSSSC had rejected the petitioners’ claim for appointment on grounds that they had adopted unfair means during the written exam. HC noted that the commission had not received report of illegality or irregularity in the conduct of the written exam from any of the 94 centres. Justice Biraja Prasanna Satapathy directed OSSSC to recommend the 242 petitioners for appointment within three weeks. The state govt was to ensure timely appointments.