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Friday, October 1, 2021

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The Supreme Court on Thursday passed an interim order allowing Overseas Citizens of India(OCI) candidates to participate for the NEET-UG counselling i

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NEET: OCI candidates can appear in general category

NEET: OCI candidates can appear in general category

Court says they need not be treated on a par with NRIs

01/10/2021

Krishnadas RajagopalNew Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) candidates to participate in the NEET-UG 2021 counselling in the general category.

A Bench of Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari was hearing a challenge to a March 4, 2021 notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs directing OCI candidates to be treated on a par with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) for the purpose of NEET. This would mean that successful OCI candidates would have to pay the higher fee paid by NRIs for medical seats in India.

An NRI is an Indian citizen residing abroad. An OCI is a foreign national of Indian origin who is registered as an OCI cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act.

‘Seats taken away’

The government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, justified the notification, saying OCIs were “foreigners” who had pledged allegiance to a foreign state. Allowing them to participate in the general category meant taking a chunk of the seats away from young Indian citizens who aspired to study medicine and work as doctors in India. Ms. Bhati said there was a very high possibility that OCIs would use the scarce medical education resources in India and then return to their countries with their degrees.

The court, while appreciating the point made by Ms. Bhati, said the sudden implementation of the March 4 notification, starting with the current academic year itself, was arbitrary.

“We are of the view that at least for the current academic year 2021-2022, the petitioners are entitled to be considered eligible for all the medical seats which the OCIs were eligible for before the issuance of the impugned notification dated March 4, 2021. Therefore, we direct the National Testing Agency to declare the result of the examination taken by the petitioners (NEET-UG 2021) and the eligible petitioners are permitted to appear for the counselling in the general category,” the court directed in its order.

The court, on Ms. Bhati’s insistence, clarified that the order allowing the OCIs to compete in the general category was confined to the 2021-2022 academic year alone. During the hearing, Ms. Bhati said OCIs had voluntarily taken up the citizenship of another country.

Justice Murari observed that the government recognised these people as OCIs and gave them rights. It was now not right on the government’s part to take it away from them all of a sudden.

Justice Nazeer said the country was known for its spirit of inclusiveness. Besides, the number of OCIs who had participated in NEET, around 400, was miniscule.

More time to renew FCRA registration

More time to renew FCRA registration

NGOs can do so till December 31, 2021

01/10/2021

Special Correspondent New Delhi

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the deadline till December 31 for NGOs to apply for renewal of their Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration certificates.

The registration is mandatory for associations and NGOs to receive foreign funds. The Ministry had earlier given a relief up to September 30 to NGOs whose registration was expiring between September 29, 2020 and September 30, 2021. The latest order says the deadline for NGOs certificates or registration expiring between September 29, 2020 and December 31, 2021 could apply for renewal till December 31, 2021.

The certificates of around 80% of NGOs are expected to expire on October 31 and as per norms they have to apply at least six months before the expiry of registration.

Registered NGOs can receive foreign contribution for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic and cultural.

The FCRA registration is renewed every five years. The NGOs also have to compulsorily open an account with the SBI in Delhi to receive funds.

Coimbatore: Four students arrested for ragging, nine others on run

Coimbatore: Four students arrested for ragging, nine others on run

Four students of a private nursing college in Coimbatore have been arrested and nine others booked for allegedly ragging and assaulting a junior.

Published: 01st October 2021 05:39 AM | Last Updated: 01st October 2021 05:39 AM

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Four students of a private nursing college in Coimbatore have been arrested and nine others booked for allegedly ragging and assaulting a junior. According to the police, the victim, a 20-year-old from Panmana in Kollam in Kerala, who has completed his first-year BSc in computer technology in the Allied Health Science department, returned to the hostel on September 20.

On Monday, when he was in his hostel room, a group of senior students, all from Kerala, staying in the hostel ragged him and assaulted him as he was unable to pronounce their names. The seniors also warned him not to go out of the hostel premises. The police further said that though the student reported the incident to the college management, no action was taken against the seniors.

He approached the Saravanampatti Police on Wednesday and lodged a complaint against 13 senior students aged between 20 and 25. A case was registered under Sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) and 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC and Sections 3 (Prohibition of ragging) and 4 (Penalty for ragging) of The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act.

Sources said the arrested were released on bail and the Saravanampatti police have formed a team to locate the remaining nine students. When contacted, the college principal denied the allegations and said they were informed about the issue only on Thursday.

PTR stopped at Chennai airport by CISF staff for carrying two laptops

PTR stopped at Chennai airport by CISF staff for carrying two laptops

The Finance Minister who was bound for Thoothkudi, gave his bag for scanning at the domestic terminal.

Published: 01st October 2021 05:36 AM | Last Updated: 01st October 2021 05:36 AM

Palanivel Thiaga Rajan

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: An argument broke out between Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the airport on Thursday morning after the minister was stopped for carrying two laptops.

The Finance Minister who was bound for Thoothkudi, gave his bag for scanning at the domestic terminal. The CISF personnel found the bag had two laptops and said passengers cannot carry two laptops. The minister in reply told the CISF personnel that there was no rule restricting passengers from carrying two laptops.

According to Chennai Airport spokesman, “The issue was due to a communication gap and it was resolved immediately. The officials later apologised to the Finance Minister.”

NEET-UG : Supreme Court Permits OCI Candidates To Appear For Counselling In General Category For 2021-22; Says 'They Are Indian Origin; Not Outsiders'