Around 3.49 lakh students from Karnataka to attempt CET exams on April 18,19
Bengaluru: The Common Entrance Test Examinations (CET), crucial for admissions to several professional courses including engineering, agricultural science, veterinary, will be held across the state on April 18 and 19. The examination is set to be held across 737 centers in the state, with Bengaluru having the highest of 167 exam centers.
This year around 3,49,637 students will attempt the CET exam. Among them, 648 specially-abled candidates have registered for the CET exam.
In addition, a total of 20,300 personnel have been deployed to ensure that no irregularities happen in the examination. Consequently, there will be CCTV surveillance in all the examination centers. Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of respective districts will be in charge of tight security.
On April 18, Thursday, Biology examination will be held from 10.30 am to 11.50 am, followed by Mathematics from 2.30 pm to 3.50 pm. On April 19, Friday, Physics exams will take place from 10.30 am to 11.50 am, followed by Chemistry exam from 2.30 pm to 3.50 pm. Candidates are advised to arrive well in advance as those arriving after the third ringing of the bell at 10.40 am and 2.40 pm will not be allowed to enter the exam hall.
Each exam room will have 16 sets of question papers, and measures have been taken to avoid duplication. The question paper will be available in both English and Kannada, with the English version considered final in case of any confusion. No queries will be entertained at the examination center regarding this matter. Additionally, drinking water has been arranged at all examination centers due to the summer heat. Asha workers, NCC, and NSS cadets will assist in conducting the examination smoothly.
Meanwhile examinations for Gadinadu (border district) Kannadiga students will be held in Kannada language on April 20 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM at centers in Mangaluru, Belagavi and Bengaluru. Approximately, 1,545 border Kannadiga students will attempt the exam.
It has been instructed to students to mandatorily bring the identity cards along with the admit card for the examination. Other instructions include, only blue or black pens are allowed. Full-sleeved shirts, masks, and jewelry are not permitted. Additionally, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, tablets, watches, calculators, notepads, iPods, and earphones are prohibited.
Once an answer is marked, it cannot be erased or rewritten. It is mandatory to enter the admit card number and question paper version code in the OMR sheet. Candidates must sign at the bottom of the OMR sheet without fail. It has been instructed that nothing should be written or scratched on the timing mark on the OMR sheet.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
