Delhi: Students protest near education ministry, demand probe into NEET 'irregularities'
New Delhi (PTI): Members of Left-affiliated students' unions held a protest near the education ministry here on Monday demanding a probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam, a statement said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday said the education ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates in the exam.
The move came amid allegations of inflation of marks leading to 67 candidates sharing the first rank in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam.
"Students demand an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam to ensure accountability," Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union vice president Avijit Ghosh said.
"We demand the ministry to establish a more reliable and secure examination system to safeguard the integrity of entrance exams," Ghosh said.
The student community stands united in demanding a fair and transparent exam system. The future of countless students is at stake and the ministry must take immediate action to address these critical issues, Ghosh was quoted as saying in a statement.
The NTA has denied any irregularities and said the changes made in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres were some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.
The issue has also taken a political turn with several parties raising concerns about the authenticity of the national exam for medical courses.
The result of the medical entrance exam was announced on June 4 and thereafter aspirants have been alleging multiple issues, including irregularities in the test demanding a fresh examination.
Sixty-seven candidates had shared the first rank in the exam including eight from the same centre in Haryana. A record of more than 24 lakh candidates had registered for the exam this year.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
