NEET becomes major issue in TN urban local body polls

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NEET becomes major issue in TN urban local body polls

The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) has become a major issue in the urban local body polls to be held in Tami Nadu on February 19 after a gap of ten years.

The returning of the Bill moved by the Tamil Nadu assembly in September 2021 by Governor R.N. Ravi last week triggered a fresh controversy that is now taking centrestage in the urban local body polls.

The AIADMK said that it was during the Congress-led UPA regime to which DMK was a constituent partner when the NEET was formulated. AIADMK leaders and former Chief Ministers, O. Panneerselvam and K. Palaniswami countered Chief minister M.K. Stalin that the DMK was not practicing what it preached and that it was the ruling party that had supported the NEET bill in the Parliament when the UPA government moved it.

Responding to the allegation, Stalin said there was never an instance of the NEET exam being held in Tamil Nadu during the previous DMK government and that it was after Palaniswami became Chief Minister that the exam was held in the state.

The BJP has also taken up NEET as a major issue in the elections stating that it was because of NEET that several students from poor backgrounds got admissions to government Medical colleges in Tamil Nadu.

BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan, a former Union Minister, told IANS, “NEET has given life to students from poor backgrounds in Tamil Nadu to get admission in government medical colleges in the state which would not have been possible earlier. A centralized system of exams is good for society and students are benefiting from it.”

However, with the two Dravidian majors stepping up the campaign centered around NEET, the voice of the BJP has become much feeble and may even backfire.

With NEET taking the centre stage, other contentious issues like the poor quality of materials in the gift hampers for Pongal, the failure of the DMK government to provide Rs 1,000 monthly emoluments to women as promised in the assembly elections, have taken a back seat.

M. Periyasamy, AIADMK leader from Erode, told in an interview, “We will counter the allegations leveled by the DMK against us vis-a-vis NEET as it was the DMK which was part of the then UPA government that supported formulating NEET in the country, not the AIADMK.”

Convene House and pass NEET exemption Bill again: TN parties

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Convene House and pass NEET exemption Bill again: TN parties

The meeting of political parties having their representatives in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Saturday decided to convene a special session of the house and pass again the Bill seeking exemption for the state from NEET.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin decided to send it again to Governor R.N. Ravi to be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent.

The meeting was convened after Ravi had sent back the Bill that was passed by the Assembly on September 13, 2021, to the Speaker for reconsideration of the House.

The meeting resolved that the people of Tamil Nadu will not accept that the Bill seeking an exemption from NEET is unnecessary.

A statement issued by the Raj Bhavan earlier had said the Governor was of the opinion that the Bill is against the interests of the students, especially the rural and economically poor students of the state.

“Hence, the Hon’ble Governor has returned the Bill to the Hon’ble Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on February 1, 2022, giving detailed reasons, for its reconsideration by the House,” the Raj Bhavan said.

US private sector cuts 301,000 jobs in January

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US private sector cuts 301,000 jobs in January

Private companies in the US slashed 301,000 jobs in January, indicating a disrupted recovery in the labor market amid the Covid-19 resurgence fuelled by the Omicron variant, payroll data company Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported.

“The labor market recovery took a step back at the start of 2022 due to the effect of the Omicron variant and its significant, though likely temporary, impact to job growth,” Xinhua news agency quoted Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP, as saying on Wednesday.

“The majority of industry sectors experienced job loss, marking the most recent decline since December 2020,” she said.

Richardson noted that leisure and hospitality saw the “largest setback” after substantial gains in fourth-quarter 2021, with job losses of 154,000.

The service sector saw 274,000 jobs lost in January, while the goods-producing sector cut 27,000 jobs, according to the report produced by the ADP Research Institute in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics.

Large firms slashed 98,000 workers, medium-sized businesses let go of 59,000, while small companies cut 144,000 employees, the report showed, indicating an unbalanced recovery across different company sizes.

The ADP report came two days before the crucial monthly employment report to be released by the Labour Department’s Bureau of Labour Statistics, which will include employment data from both the private sector and the government.

Schools from class X to XII reopen in Rajasthan

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Schools from class X to XII reopen in Rajasthan

Going with the new guidelines issued by the state government, schools from classes 10 to 12 reopened from Tuesday in urban areas across the state.

The offline studies of the children of these classes will start after a break of over 20 days. Schools from classes 6 to 9 will open from February 10.

Schools in the rural areas are already operational.

On January 9, the government had closed the schools up to class 12 in urban areas in the wake of rising cases of COVID.

The state government has also made it mandatory that every organization, firm, shop, etc should paste the complete details on the information board about the vaccination status of the people working there.

In this, separate information will have to be submitted about the number of employees who have had single and double doses of the vaccine. Details of employees who have not got vaccinated also should be given. Failure to do so will result in action under the Epidemic Act.

Indian startups generated over 6 lakh jobs: President Kovind

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Indian startups generated over 6 lakh jobs: President Kovind

Hailing the Indian startup success story, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said the burgeoning startup ecosystem has generated more than 6 lakh jobs to date.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament, Kovind said that since 2016, India has seen 60,000 startups in 56 different sectors.

“Our startup industry is also an example of the infinite new possibilities that are rapidly taking shape under the leadership of our youth. Since 2016, 60,000 new startups have been established in 56 different sectors in our country,” he emphasized.

“More than six lakh jobs have been created by these startups. In 2021, during the Corona period, more than 40 unicorn startups emerged in India, each with a minimum market value of Rs 7,400 crore ($1 billion),” said the President.

A Nasscom-Zinnov report said this month that Indian startups raised a record $24.1 billion in 2021, a two-fold increase over pre-Covid levels, while $6 billion were raised via public markets with 11 startup IPOs.

The Indian tech startup base continues to witness steady growth, adding over 2250 startups in 2021, which is 600 more than 2020.

India, accounting for 70 unicorns, added a record number of new unicorns (42) in 2021 across 18 sectors, third-highest after the US and China, with a cumulative valuation of newly-added unicorns standing around $90 billion, according to the report.

Kovind also said that because of the government policies, the cost of internet connectivity and the price of smartphones in India today are among the cheapest in the world.

“This has hugely benefited our young generation. India is also working with great pace on 5G mobile connectivity, which will open doors to new opportunities,” he added.

“India’s efforts on semiconductors will significantly benefit our start-up ecosystem. The government has taken many policy decisions and opened up several new sectors so that our youth can benefit from rapidly changing technology,” the President noted.

Through the ‘Startups Intellectual Property Protection Programme’, he informed, the government has simplified and accelerated the processes related to patents and trademarks.

“As a result, nearly 6 thousand patents and more than 20 thousand trademarks have been applied for in this financial year,” said Kovind.

Afghan women demand govt jobs, representation

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Afghan women demand govt jobs, representation

Dozens of Afghan women from all walks of live held a protest in Kabul demanding the Taliban to provide government jobs and equal representation in society, the media reported.

Some women who participated in Wednesday’s protest were former employees of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, who lost their jobs following the Taliban takeover last August, TOLO News reported.

One such participant, Ferozan Amiri, said: “We the women working in the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, and the 28 percent active force of the government department, have suffered major damage with the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s ruling on government departments on August 15, 2021.”

The protesters also released a resolution which comprised five points — allowing females to work; women’s meaningful inclusion in the government’s decision-making body about women’s affairs; formation of policies to support women’s rights; preservation of posts which were occupied by women; and the creation of a safe environment for women.

“Women are concerned over the fate of jobs in the (Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission). You know, this institution is neutral. Around 28 per cent of the civil service is filled by women,” TOLO News quoted another protester, Khujusta Ilham, as saying.

Meanwhile, Taliban officials have said that there has been no decision to exclude women from the government structure.

“The issue of women’s working activity in (government) departments is under discussion. After an assessment, if the women’s presence is needed in any department, they will be working in the same posts and the same departments,” said Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for Taliban.

To consider the recognition of the current Afghan government, the international community requires the observation of human rights, women rights, and the formation of an inclusive government.

Students claim NEET exam not applicable for AYUSH courses, HC issues notice

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Students claim NEET exam not applicable for AYUSH courses, HC issues notice

A group of students on Monday approached the Delhi High Court claiming that AYUSH courses cannot come under National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) as the examination is restricted to Modern Scientific medicine and does not include traditional medicine courses.

Seeking the stand of the Centre and National Testing Agency in this regard, a division bench headed by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice on the plea filed by six AYUSH aspirants.

Further, the court said it will hear the matter on March 30 along with another plea filed by a group of Allopathic doctors who have moved the Court against allowing AYUSH practitioners to perform some surgeries. It also asked Centre’s counsel Monika Arora to furnish details of allopathic doctors’ plea.

During the course of the hearing, the court also remarked that there is a double standard in the plea. “On a lighter side, you on one hand are saying you are competitive. But when asked to appear in NEET, you are saying we are not,” the court said while listing both the matters for the next hearing.

In the AYUSH aspirants’ petition, it was contended that their courses operate differently and they are fundamentally different from Medical Institutions that grant degrees, diplomas, or licenses in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, or Homoeopathy medicines.

They also said that the common entrance test is not structured to take into account the eligibility criteria for admission to AYUSH courses.

Claiming that NEET for AYUSH courses is in violation of Article 14 which provides equality before the law or equal protection of the laws, the aspirants said they are not against the entrance test system but against NEET for taking admission to AYUSH courses–Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa Rigpa.

GATE admit cards not released, exams likely to be postponed

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GATE admit cards not released, exams likely to be postponed

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) admit cards, which were scheduled to be released on Friday, were postponed and the examination dates have been marked as tentative on the website, signalling that it can be delayed.

Earlier, GATE 2022 examinations were scheduled to be held on February 5, 6, 12 and 13, as per the official website.

According to a notice issued by IIT-Kharagpur, the above mentioned dates are said to be tentative, which means that the examination can be postponed in the light of the surge in coronavirus infections.

The admit cards for GATE 2022 were scheduled to be issued on January 4, which was later extended till January 7. Now, the site has put the admit card download on hold and no new date has been mentioned.

After qualifying the GATE examination, a candidate becomes eligible for recruitment in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

The recruitment process of PSUs consists of an interview or test. Some PSUs recruit directly on the basis of marks scored in GATE exams.

Applicants were given time till November 18 to correct erroneous application forms. The authorities had cancelled the examination in Panipat, Sonipat and Idukki cities. Aspirants who selected these cities for their examination centre were given time till November 15 to make corrections.

This year, two new papers — Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Geometrics Engineering — have been added to the GATES exam, post which the total number of papers reached 29.
Candidates wishing to get admission to M. Tech, other PG courses or PSUs can do it by qualifying the GATE examination.

Delhi: 6 held for solving GMAT exam with Russian hackers’ help

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Delhi: 6 held for solving GMAT exam with Russian hackers’ help

Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSCO) unit of Delhi police has busted an online syndicate and arrested six people for solving the Graduate Management Admission Test examination (GMAT) with the help of Russian hackers, an official said on Wednesday.

GMAT has been the most widely used exam for MBA admissions. Reportedly, around 2,00,000 candidates worldwide take the GMAT exam each year.

According to the official, the members of the syndicate were able to get their clients a score of 780 out of the 800 maximum marks in the said examination. Deputy Commissioner of Police K.P.S. Malhotra told IANS that one of the arrested accused, identified as Raj Teotia from Haryana, was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. ”

He was also wanted in a case by the CBI,” he said. Notably, the involvement of Russian hackers has also been revealed during the investigation. “Russian hackers were used by the syndicate to get access to various examination portals,” added the official.

The accused downloaded the disguised remote access software, which was not detected by the safety measures and Proctor. “The accused Teotia was in touch with Russian hackers and also visited Russia in 2018 while Russian hackers stayed at his place during lockdown,” Malhotra said.

Sharing more startling details about the case, the official said the accused got a tool developed to remotely access the online examination system.

“They connived with lab owners, installed the tool through LAN and later on accessed the systems through remote access,” he said, adding the syndicate opened several online examination labs for this purpose.

The IFSO unit of Delhi Police functions under the Special Cell and is a specialised unit that handles all complex and sensitive cases of cyber crime.

Earlier also, on November 30, last year, the IFSO unit busted a racket helping people cheat in online competitive exams and arrested three persons, including the two masterminds from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, for allegedly running the operation.

Telangana expands IT to another tier-II town

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Telangana expands IT to another tier-II town

As part of its policy to encourage information technology in tier II towns in Telangana, the state government on Friday launched work on IT Hub in Nalgonda.

Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao laid the foundation for the IT Hub, which will be constructed in three acres, with a built-up area of 75,000 square feet.

This state of the art facility will have all the advanced facilities in a plug and play manner.

Officials said nine companies have already signed MoUs with the state government to set up their offices in Nalgonda IT Hub and seven more companies showed keen interest in having their offices in the IT Hub.

The IT Minister said these companies will create jobs for 1,500 local youth. He said the building for the IT hub will be ready in 16-17 months.

He quoted the IT entrepreneurs that Covid-19 has come as a blessing in disguise as it has led to a situation where the work can be done not just from home but from anywhere.

He asked the District Collector and other officials to provide temporary facility to these companies so that they can set up their operations immediately.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said Nalgonda will be the six tier II town to have an IT Hub.

“We have already started IT hubs in Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar. The IT hub in Nizamabad will be inaugurated by Ugadi while the same in Mahabubnagar will be inaugurated soon,” he said.

KTR recalled when the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) came to power in 2014, IT was confined to Hyderabad but Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao set the goal to take it beyond Hyderabad so that tier II towns also enjoy fruits of technology and the youth in these towns also get jobs.

He announced that the IT Hub in Nalgonda will also have a centre of Telangana Academy of Skills and Knowledge (TASK) to train educated youth in IT skills. The facility will also have a regional centre of T Hub to encourage innovations by local youth.

The minister claimed that Telangana was marching ahead on the path of development not just in agriculture and rural development but also in industry and information technology.

He said in a short span of seven years, Telangana witnessed rapid growth.

“Among 28 states in the country Telangana is at 11th place in terms of size and 12th place in terms of population but as per a recent report of the Reserve Bank of India, Telangana is the fourth largest contributor to the economy,” he said.

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