NEET UG

The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the governments of Delhi and other states can close or withdraw FIRs against students who participated in protests against the NEET paper leak, provided they do not have antecedents involving grave and heinous offences. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also made it clear that the expression "criminal antecedents" referred only to grave and heinous offences. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the top court that the Union government was serious in its commitment not to pursue FIRs against protesting students except those with criminal antecedents. Mehta said that FIRs against over 2,700 people with antecedents involving grave and heinous offences would not be withdrawn. During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that even lawyers' children were beaten during the protests. "The videos are very shocking. We have given 300 videos to the court. Since

The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the governments of Delhi and other states can close or withdraw FIRs against students who participated in protests against the NEET paper leak, provided they do not have antecedents involving grave and heinous offences. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also made it clear that the expression "criminal antecedents" referred only to grave and heinous offences. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the top court that the Union government was serious in its commitment not to pursue FIRs against protesting students except those with criminal antecedents. Mehta said that FIRs against over 2,700 people with antecedents involving grave and heinous offences would not be withdrawn. During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that even lawyers' children were beaten during the protests. "The videos are very shocking. We have given 300 videos to the court. Since

Following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a Rs 7.5-crore tender for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters at Minto Road, regional offices at Okhla, storage facilities and other notified locations. According to the tender document, the move aims to safeguard NTA's personnel, visitors, assets, premises, records, confidential examination material, server rooms, strong rooms and other critical infrastructure. The July 25 Request for Proposal (RFP) said the estimated contract value is "Rs 7.5 crore plus GST (tentative) for a 2-year contract without variation". Bids can be submitted until 3 pm on August 17, and the printing-services tender closes on August 20, it said. The contract will initially remain valid for two years and can be extended for two additional one-year periods, subject to satisfactory performance, mutual consent and approval of the competent authority. The tender requires a Rs 15 lakh deposit and wil

Following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has floated a Rs 7.5-crore tender for round-the-clock security services at its headquarters at Minto Road, regional offices at Okhla, storage facilities and other notified locations. According to the tender document, the move aims to safeguard NTA's personnel, visitors, assets, premises, records, confidential examination material, server rooms, strong rooms and other critical infrastructure. The July 25 Request for Proposal (RFP) said the estimated contract value is "Rs 7.5 crore plus GST (tentative) for a 2-year contract without variation". Bids can be submitted until 3 pm on August 17, and the printing-services tender closes on August 20, it said. The contract will initially remain valid for two years and can be extended for two additional one-year periods, subject to satisfactory performance, mutual consent and approval of the competent authority. The tender requires a Rs 15 lakh deposit and wil

The first round of counselling for admission to MBBS and other undergraduate medical courses under the All India Quota (AIQ) will begin on August 4 and the academic session for the 2026-27 batch will commence on September 8, according to the Medical Counselling Committee. According to the counselling schedule released by the committee, the first round of AIQ counselling for deemed and central universities will be held from August 4 to August 17. The last date for joining will be August 22. The second round of AIQ counselling will take place from August 24 to September 2, followed by the third round from September 10 to September 18. The stray vacancy round is scheduled from September 28 to October 3. The last date for joining after the stray vacancy round is October 10. For state quota seats, the first round of counselling will be conducted from August 13 to August 22, with candidates required to join by August 28. The second round will be held from August 31 to September 8 and the

The first round of counselling for admission to MBBS and other undergraduate medical courses under the All India Quota (AIQ) will begin on August 4 and the academic session for the 2026-27 batch will commence on September 8, according to the Medical Counselling Committee. According to the counselling schedule released by the committee, the first round of AIQ counselling for deemed and central universities will be held from August 4 to August 17. The last date for joining will be August 22. The second round of AIQ counselling will take place from August 24 to September 2, followed by the third round from September 10 to September 18. The stray vacancy round is scheduled from September 28 to October 3. The last date for joining after the stray vacancy round is October 10. For state quota seats, the first round of counselling will be conducted from August 13 to August 22, with candidates required to join by August 28. The second round will be held from August 31 to September 8 and the

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Investigation into the July 20 clashes during the "Chalo Sansad" protest organised by the CJP has revealed that some protesters may have used AI tools to learn methods of countering police crowd-control measures, including use of wet jute bags to minimise effects of tear gas, police sources said on Thursday. According to the source, the ongoing investigation has indicated that some participants may have searched artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for information on mitigating the impact of tear gas, and preparing for confrontations with security personnel. "The investigation is being carried out through multiple methods. We have reasons to believe that some protesters used AI tools or other generative AI platforms to search for ways to immediately reduce the effects of tear gas, including use of wet jute bags, and to prepare themselves with hard hats, masks and goggles," the source told PTI. He said police are in the process of collecting evidence, which is a time taking ...

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said students deserve justice and asserted that an independent Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee must be constituted to probe the "brutalities" against them. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also shared on X a video clip of police lathi-charging students. "Students deserve justice. An independent SC-monitored high powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students," Gandhi said on X, referring to the crackdown on agitators by security forces during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led protest march to Parliament and on student demonstrators in other parts of the country. Gandhi also on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into what he claimed was a "brutal attack" on protesting students and the use of pellet guns on them. The former Congress president alleged that by ordering the "brutalities" on students, Shah was culpable and

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said students deserve justice and asserted that an independent Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee must be constituted to probe the "brutalities" against them. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also shared on X a video clip of police lathi-charging students. "Students deserve justice. An independent SC-monitored high powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students," Gandhi said on X, referring to the crackdown on agitators by security forces during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led protest march to Parliament and on student demonstrators in other parts of the country. Gandhi also on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into what he claimed was a "brutal attack" on protesting students and the use of pellet guns on them. The former Congress president alleged that by ordering the "brutalities" on students, Shah was culpable and

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of RAF deployed at Jantar Mantar during students' protest against NEET paper leak. The top court questioned one of the prayers sought in a plea filed by former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and two victims seeking a complete ban on use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations. It referred to the advisory of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and said police are empowered to use pellet guns in exceptional situations. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to those who suffered pellet injuries during the NEET paper leak protest here. The bench, however, said it was ready to examine the use of pellet guns in the July 20 protests called by Cockroach Janta Par

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The designated fast-track court to deal with criminal cases linked to paper leaks and the use of other unfair means in public examinations on Wednesday took on record the CBI's chargesheet in the NEET paper leak case. Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga, took on record the agency's final report against the 13 accused and granted the CBI time to file annexures. The CBI said that around 20,000 pages of annexures are being scanned, following which these would be submitted after three days. The judge posted the matter for further proceedings on August 3. Advocates V K Pathak and Arjun Anand have been appointed as the CBI's public prosecutor in the case following a court order to the prosecution to make the appointments, sources said. On Tuesday, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 13 accused in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, including three paper experts, two associated with coaching centres, middlemen and a number of beneficiary candidates, officials said on Tuesday. In its chargeshe

The designated fast-track court to deal with criminal cases linked to paper leaks and the use of other unfair means in public examinations on Wednesday took on record the CBI's chargesheet in the NEET paper leak case. Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga, took on record the agency's final report against the 13 accused and granted the CBI time to file annexures. The CBI said that around 20,000 pages of annexures are being scanned, following which these would be submitted after three days. The judge posted the matter for further proceedings on August 3. Advocates V K Pathak and Arjun Anand have been appointed as the CBI's public prosecutor in the case following a court order to the prosecution to make the appointments, sources said. On Tuesday, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 13 accused in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, including three paper experts, two associated with coaching centres, middlemen and a number of beneficiary candidates, officials said on Tuesday. In its chargeshe