Goa govt to enforce uniform rates, crack down on illegal watersports activities: Minister
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Panaji (PTI): Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has said the government will implement uniform rates, standardised kiosks, and stricter enforcement to streamline watersports operations in coastal areas to provide the best possible experience to tourists in the state.
After chairing a meeting with stakeholders concerning the tourism industry on Wednesday, he said watersports activities have been a traditional source of livelihood for Goans.
“With time, we must ensure that regulations and transparency are maintained to provide the best possible experience for tourists,” he said.
The minister said the state has notified the rates proposed by watersports associations in an official gazette.
“Uniform rates for watersports across Goa from North to South have been finalised and will be implemented by all associations to ensure consistency,” he said, adding that the move will prevent overcharging and bring parity across beaches.
Khaunte said the government will clamp down on the illegal sale of watersports packages by unregistered travel agencies.
“The Tourism Department, in coordination with local panchayats and the watersports associations, will enforce strict measures to curb this activity without inconveniencing tourists,” he said.
He said some travel agencies were luring tourists away by selling tickets for watersports in neighbouring states, which has been classified as a nuisance under The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) (Amendment) Bill, tabled in the assembly in July this year.
The tourism department will integrate and promote the official portal of the watersports operators on the Goa Tourism website to raise awareness and ensure visitors have access to authentic information, he said.
To bring uniformity and credibility to authorised operators, Khaunte said kiosks offering watersports will soon sport a standard design across beaches.
“Whether one visits a beach in North or South Goa, the kiosks will have a standard look and feel, making them easily identifiable as official watersports kiosks,” he said.
He said that watersports associations have agreed to issue ID cards to their staff to curb touting. “This initiative is welcome, provided that proper data sharing with the Department of Tourism takes place after police verification,” he said.
The minister said the Captain of Ports has been instructed not to grant permissions for tourism activities during the monsoon ban period to protect marine biodiversity.
The meeting also discussed coordination between departments and stakeholders to ensure smoother operations and better safety protocols, he added.
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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.
