Delimitation based on population will be injustice to southern states: Mallikarjun Kharge
Gadag (Karnataka), Mar 16 (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that if the delimitation exercise is based on population, it will be an injustice to the southern states as it would reduce their representation in the Lok Sabha and urged people to unite against this "injustice."
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of the late K H Patil, a former minister, he also criticised the central government, expressing concern over the alleged lack of emphasis on education and the large number of vacancies in educational institutions.
"The central government talks about cooperative federalism. If there is cooperative federalism, why are people not receiving the funds they are entitled to? Are cooperatives in Karnataka getting the money they should from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)? It has decreased by 58 per cent," Kharge said.
Addressing the gathering, he urged the people of Karnataka to unite and fight against the injustice being done to them.
"When the issue concerns Karnataka and its development, everyone should speak in unison," he said.
"Delimitation based on population is being planned, through which efforts are being made to reduce the number of parliamentary and legislative assembly seats in South India," Kharge stated, adding that in the northern states, representation is expected to increase by 30 per cent.
"Such reports are emerging, and we should wait and see. If this happens, it will be an injustice. We must unite against this injustice," he added.
Accusing the union government of interfering in various institutions, the AICC chief said that the education sector is not receiving the importance it deserves.
Alleging a reduction in central funding for education, he said, "The number of vacancies that should be filled, the number of teachers who need to be appointed—whether in Navodaya schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, or universities—50 per cent of these posts remain vacant."
"If 50 per cent of positions are unfilled at central universities, IITs, IIMs, and Kendriya Vidyalayas, how will our children study and progress?" he asked.
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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.
