Centre seeks data from states on contractors, inspection agencies penalised under Jal Jeevan Mission
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has directed all states and Union Territories to share details of contractors and third-party inspection agencies against whom penalties have been imposed under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), official sources said on Monday.
The instruction is part of a wider directive from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which has asked Chief Secretaries to submit comprehensive reports, sources said.
Contractors and inspection agencies against whom penalties have been imposed, blacklisting orders issued or recoveries made for irregularities under the JJM are to be included in the list, according to official sources.
The DDWS has also sought information on action taken against officials of the Public Health Engineering Departments (PHED), including suspensions, removals, and FIRs registered in connection with complaints of substandard work or misuse of funds.
States have further been asked to provide one-page summaries of each case where FIRs have been filed, and to review data through "ground truthing" to confirm double entries, delays, non-implementation or over-designing of projects.
According to officials, the directive follows a top-level review of the Mission, during which the government discussed extending the scheme's deadline to 2028.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
