Politics, Regional

North Bengal civic bodies under line of fire from chief minister Mamata Banerjee

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The Bengal CM reprimanded Gautam Deb, mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation for poor performance of the civic body

Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, 25.06.24 : Gautam Deb, the mayor of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), came in the line of fire of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

On one hand, the chief minister reprimanded him for poor performance of the civic body. On the other hand, she asked Deb to be proactive in stopping the highhandedness of land mafias who are grabbing government land and making illegal constructions.
“We are well aware of what is happening in the Sevoke Road, Kawakhali and Dabgram-Fulbari areas. Mafias are grabbing and selling government land. We have initiated a probe and will not spare these people. Gautam (Deb), you are here and you can’t evade your responsibility,” said Mamata, while speaking at the meeting in Nabanna.

She also asked the mayor to not only demolish illegal constructions but also restore the original condition of such land.

“Be tough. Don’t allow such highhandedness. We have information that a section of policemen and some people in the land (and land reforms) department is also linked to these land mafias,” Mamata told Deb.

In Siliguri and surroundings, highhandedness of land mafias is a major issue which has not been addressed in a major way so far. Several complaints have been registered with the police and the administration regaring the operations of land sharks.

“These land mafias have voted the BJP. It is because of their support that the BJP has won,” said Mamata.

Mamata also said four civic bodies in north Bengal performed “worst.”

The SMC, she said, is one of the worst-performing civic bodies in the state in providing drinking water, along with Alipurduar municipality.

The SMC, Mamata pointed out, has also performed miserably in the field of housing (including its failure to control illegal construction), along with Raiganj municipality.

The Dalkhola civic body, on the other hand, has been included in the list of worst-performers in the parameter of cleanliness.

In the course of the meeting, Mamata also sneered at Rabindranath Ghosh, the civic chairman of Cooch Behar, for the decision to increase mutation charges and some other taxes.

“Who are you to increase the taxes? Such an increase cannot be done without the state’s approval,” said Mamata, while addressing Ghosh.

The chief minister was equally critical over the functioning of certain development authorities and said the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA), has been dissolved.

“Hundreds of people have been engaged at these authorities….they simply sit idle. This will not be tolerated. We have dissolved SJDA and handed over the responsibility to the DM (of Darjeeling),” she said.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Crime, Regional

Siliguri: 2 held for sexually assaulting minors

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MP, 24 June 2024, Siliguri: A 41-year-old man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old minor daughter in Siliguri. According to sources, the accused person used to physically torture his wife regularly. 

Recently, when the wife went to her father’s house with her daughter, the minor confided in her mother about her father’s misdeeds. 
Immediately, the mother lodged a written complaint at the police station and the police arrested him on Sunday night. In another incident, a 59-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old minor in Siliguri. 
The accused has been identified as Satish Barman. 
Sources said that the minor was left alone at home for a few days while her parents were away for work. During their absence, an elderly man from the neighbourhood allegedly assaulted her. 
Upon their return, the minor informed her parents about the incident. 
They lodged a complaint on June 12. The accused was arrested on Sunday night. Both the accused have been booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and produced at Jalpaiguri court on Monday. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-2-held-for-sexually-assaulting-minors-569259?infinitescroll=1
West Bengal

‘Rupashree aid of Rs 25K must reach beneficiaries before marriage date’

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 24 June 2024, Kolkata: State government has directed all the district administrations to ensure that the one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 under Rupashree scheme is transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries well before the date of their marriage. 

The move has been taken to accelerate the process of providing funds to the beneficiaries of the Rupashree scheme. The district officials have been asked to transfer the amount latest by the date of marriage of the beneficiaries failing which accountability would be fixed on those officers who are responsible for delivering the services. 
An order has been issued to the districts clearly stating that it was desirable that the financial assistance is given to the beneficiaries account four days ahead of their date of marriage. The concerned officials will have to ensure that the money is credited to the beneficiaries’ bank account latest by the date of marriage. 
Earlier, there were complaints that in several cases the one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 was transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank account after their marriage had taken place. The beneficiaries will also get to know the status of their applications from Duare Sarkar camps or through an online portal. 
The applicants can apply for the financial assistance through online or offline processes. Application forms are available in various government offices. The applicants can apply for the money 30-60 days prior to the date of marriage. 
The scheme, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that was launched on April 1, 2018, provides one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to the family of a girl at the time of her marriage if her family income is less than Rs 1,50,000 per year. 
Initially, Rs 1,500 crore was allocated for the project. The woman must be a permanent resident of West Bengal and above 18 years at the time of her marriage with a cap on an annual family income of Rs 1.5 lakh. No minimum educational qualifications are required to apply for the scheme. 
The scheme introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government has immensely benefited many families who used to find it extremely difficult to bear the expenditure of marriage of their daughters. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/rupashree-aid-of-rs-25k-must-reach-beneficiaries-before-marriage-date-569272
Regional, West Bengal

Heavy rains likely in north Bengal till June 28

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PTI, 24 June 2024 : Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in northern West Bengal owing to a trough from Rajasthan to Bangladesh and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, officials said on Monday.


A warning was issued for landslides in the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and a rise in the water level of rivers such as Teesta, Jaldhaka, Sankosh and Torsa owing to the possible downpour, they said.

Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur are very likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till June 28 owing to an east-west trough running from southeast Rajasthan to north Bangladesh and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, the Met Department said in its forecast.

After days of continuous downpour, there was a respite from the rains in the region.

Thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at a few places in southern West Bengal, especially in the coastal and adjoining districts, over the next few days, the Met Department said.
Crime, National

Amid NEET, NET exam mess, UPSC moots AI-based CCTV surveillance to prevent cheating

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PTI, Jun 24, 2024 : Amid NEET and NET exam controversies, UPSC plans to implement AI-based CCTV surveillance and facial recognition to prevent cheating. It has invited bids for solutions including Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, and QR code scanning of e-admit cards, along with live AI CCTV monitoring during exams. 

Amid the raging controversies involving alleged irregularities in NEET, NET exams, the country’s premier recruitment body UPSC has decided to use facial recognition and Artificial Intelligence-based CCTV surveillance system to prevent cheating and impersonation in its various tests. It has recently floated a tender to invite bids from experienced public sector undertakings to devise two tech solutions — “Aadhaar based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) & facial recognition of candidates and QR code scanning of e-admit cards” and “Live AI-based CCTV surveillance service”– to be used during the examination process.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a Constitutional body, conducts 14 major exams — including the prestigious civil services examination to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) — besides a number of recruitment tests, interviews every year for induction to Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts of the central government.
An estimated 26 lakh candidates are expected to appear in such recruitment, conducted at a maximum of 80 centres in Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl and Gangtok, among other major cities.
“The UPSC attaches great importance to the conduct of its examinations in a free, fair and impartial manner. In its endeavor to fulfill these objectives, the Commission intends to make use of the latest digital technology to match and cross-check the biometric details of the candidates and to monitor various activities of the candidates during the examination to prevent cheating, fraud, unfair means and impersonation,” read the tender document dated June 3, 2024.
Accordingly, the Commission has desired to incorporate Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) and facial recognition of candidates, scanning of QR Code of e-admit cards and monitoring through live AI-based CCTV video surveillance, it said.
The move is aimed at strengthening the examination process and eliminating the possibility of malpractices by the candidates.
The selected service provider will use the data provided by the UPSC for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication of candidates and facial recognition during the exam, according to the scope of work mentioned in the tender document.
“Provision should be made for a real-time attendance monitoring system through secured web server. System should have provision for real time monitoring of the enrolment activity along with GPS coordinates against every enrolment and time stamp to ensure that enrolment is done during the stipulated shift,” it said.
The Commission said that facial recognition should be performed in a completely stateless transaction of two images — one provided during the online registration and the other captured on the day of the exam.
The UPSC said that it has decided to implement CCTV/video surveillance with recording and live broadcast systems to monitor various activities of the candidates and other persons deployed to conduct the Commission’s examinations at the various centres/venues across the country under a secure environment.
“The service provider has to install adequate number of CCTV colour cameras in every classroom (minimum 1 CCTV camera for 24 candidates), entry/exit gate and control room (where pre-examination sensitive material will be kept and opened and post-examination sensitive material will be packed) of every examination venue,” the document said.
The UPSC said that the service provider will install one CCTV camera for every 24 candidates at each exam hall/room “subject to the condition that at least 1 CCTV camera is installed in every room irrespective of candidates being less than 24.”
In case of the exam hall/room having more than 24 candidates, one CCTV camera for every 24 candidates shall be installed ensuring that the CCTV camera to candidate ratio is not less than 1:24 and that there are zero blind spots, it added.
The AI-based video system need to be capable of generation of alerts “if any movement is detected at entry/exit gates during examination,” and “if the furniture inside the classrooms is not properly arranged.”
It will also alert the authorities “if the cameras are offline or are tempered (sic) by masking or black screen,” “if there is any movement in classrooms 1 hour before or after the exam” and “if Invigilator is not moving even after the specified time/inactivity is detected in Invigilator’s movement,” the tender document said.
The AI should raise red flags at incidents which would indicate cheating, unfair means, absence of invigilators etc, it added.
The date of closure of the bid document is July 7, 1 pm. The bid will be opened on the same day at 1.30 pm.
The development by the UPSC assumes significance as the Central government faces heat over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of UGC-NET — (University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test) — which determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship — and in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG, a medical entrance.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking into the allegations of malpractice in both the UGC-NET and NEET-UG exams conducted by the National Testing Agency.
National, Politics

CBI takes over 5 cases of alleged malpractices in NEET-UG from Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan

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Over 2 dozen students detained during march to Parliament
The CBI has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 24 2024 : The CBI has taken over the investigation of five new cases of alleged malpractices in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG that were being probed by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, officials said on Monday.

They said the central agency has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR, while it is also likely to take up another case from Maharashtra’s Latur.
Barring the case from Bihar, the other four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials, invigilators and candidates, the officials said.
The CBI has already registered its own FIR in connection with the case on a reference from the Union education ministry to conduct a comprehensive probe, they said.
After taking over these new cases, the CBI is now probing a total of six cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, the officials said.
ALSO READ: ‘Abolish NEET, restore state-led exams’: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi
NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
The examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the test.
The first CBI FIR was registered on Sunday, a day after the ministry announced it would hand over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam to the central agency, a demand raised by a section of students protesting in several cities.
“The ministry of education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen,” a CBI spokesperson said earlier.
The role of public servants, if any, connected with the conduct of the examination and also into the entire gamut of events and the larger conspiracy will also be under the scanner, officials have said.
Sikkim

Stray Animals in Sikkim Could Be Auctioned if Not Properly Tethered, Government Warns

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According to the last livestock census that was conducted in the country in 2019, the total population of stray dogs and stray cattle in India stood at 203.31 lakh

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 24.06.24 : The Sikkim government has threatened to auction off stray animals if they are not claimed and tethered at home immediately.

According to the last livestock census that was conducted in the country in 2019, the total population of stray dogs and stray cattle in India stood at 203.31 lakh.
Given this all-pervasive problem in the country, the move by the Sikkim government is being appreciated.

The office of the additional director, animal husbandry and veterinary services (AH &VS), of Pakyong district in Sikkim has issued a public notice stating that of late, some cattle have been found roaming at large on the streets of Rangpo bazar and near NH10 in Rangpo nagar panchayat.

“It is found that these cattle have been left to roam on the streets by their owners,” a public notice issued by Dr A. Pradhan, additional director, AH &VS, department said.

The notice states that in the past few days, several incidents have been reported, wherein stray cattle have hindered traffic on the national highway and on busy streets. There have also been instances of animals being hit by speeding vehicles at night.

The department has asked the owners to claim the animals immediately and keep them on the owner’s premises, failing which the government would seize the animals.

If the owner claims the animal after it is seized, the “department of AH &VS and Rangpo Nagar Panchayat reserves the right to impose fines and penalties to recover the cost incurred thereof”

If no claims are made, the department plans to auction off the animals.

“If the owner(s) fails to claim the same, these animals will be auctioned off without further notice and the department of AH &VS and Rangpo Nagar Panchayat will not be held liable for any further action,” the notice states.

Owners who fail to take care of animals can be charged for committing an offence.

According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, failure to provide animals with sufficient food, drink and shelter or abandoning them is a punishable offence.

Many individuals associated with animal welfare said the problem of stray animals was also a public health concern as animals could carry diseases which could be passed off to humans.

According to a written reply given by Parshottam Rupala, the then Union minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying in the Lok Sabha on March 15, 2022, a total of 3,860 people died in the country between 2018 and 2020 bgecasue of attacks by animals.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Regional

Darjeeling sets date for a grand ‘Azalea Affair’ on June 30 in a bid to beautify Chowrasta

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 Azaleas are hardy plants and are known to flower twice a year in Darjeeling

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 24.06.24 : Darjeeling has set a date for a grand “Azalea Affair” on June 30 at Chowrasta.

People from different walks of life are preparing to plant hundreds of azaleas, a popular flowering plant of the rhododendron genus, along the popular Mall Road that starts and ends at Chowrasta in a bid to beautify the most popular promenade in town.

Azaleas are hardy plants and are known to flower twice a year in Darjeeling.

“Last year, I, along with Bandu Ratna Bomjon, was on our walk around Chowrasta on World Environment Day (June 5),” said Ananta Sharma, the brain behind the initiative.

The duo noticed that saplings were being planted haphazardly along the Mall Road. “They were bringing saplings by trucks; some people were planting them; some were taking the plants home. It was then that we discussed doing a systematic planting,” said Sharma.

Sharma soon posted the idea on social media and it was well received. “Even last year, we managed to plant many azaleas along the Mall Road.”

From educational institutions like St Teresa Girls Higher Secondary School to St Robert’s Higher Secondary School to non-government organisations like MARG, Hayden Hall, Vik-Run Foundation are contributing to buy saplings.


Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Crime, Regional

Siliguri: One arrested with horn of rhinoceros

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MP, 23 June 2024, Siliguri: A smuggler was arrested with a horn of rhinoceros before smuggling it to Nepal. 

The accused has been identified as Ajit Kumar Singh, a resident of Manipur. According to forest sources, on Saturday night, Seema Suraksha Bal of 41 number battalion and foresters from Tukuriyajhar Forest Range arrested the person near Sat Bhaiya toll plaza under Naxalbari Block. The horn weighing 1.25 kg was recovered from the possession of the accused. 
After that he was arrested and handed over to Naxalbari police. The horn was about to be smuggled in Nepal via Siliguri. The rhinoceros will be sent to the Zoological Survey of India for examination. 
The arrested was sent to Siliguri Court on Sunday. Investigation is being conducted to find out if anyone else is involved in this incident. 
Suraj Mukhiya, Range Officer of Tukuriyajhar said: “We are investigating the origin of the object. We suspect that more people are involved in the case. A detailed investigation is underway.” Meanwhile, a forest worker was killed when a wild elephant attacked him near Kalabari Forest under Naxalbari. 
The incident happened in the wee hours on Saturday. The worker has been identified as Rajendra Roy, he was serving as an Aranyasathi in the Forest department. 
According to forest sources, four forest workers were attempting to guide a group of elephants back into the forest near the Ashapur Tea Estate in Naxalbari when a wild elephant attacked them. While three of the workers managed to escape, Rajendra Roy was unable to evade the elephant and suffered severe injuries. 
Forest officials rescued him and shifted him to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), where he later succumbed to his injuries. The Forest department and local police are investigating the incident. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-one-arrested-with-horn-of-rhinoceros-569090
Crime, Regional

Gang smuggling banned drugs to Bhutan busted

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RAJESH SHARMA, EOI, JAIGAON, JUNE 23,2024 : The Jaigaon Police have busted a gang involved in smuggling drugs and intoxicants to Bhutan across the international border. Inspector Paljor Bhutia said on Sunday a large quantity of banned capsules and cough syrups had been seized at the check-post.

One person was arrested, a resident of Ghoksadanga in Cooch Behar but now staying in the Triveni Toll area of Jaigaon.

Based on the interrogation of the arrested person another man who used to arrange the supply of these drugs was also arrested on Sunday.

The wife of the supplier was a Bhutanese citizen. A phone seized from them had given clues about many Bhutanese citizens who used to buy these drugs. 

Crime, National, Northeast

Manipur: Fresh gunfight breaks out between armed men

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PTI, Imphal, Jun 23, 2024 :  A fresh gunfight broke out between armed men belonging to two warring communities in Manipur, police said.


The incident took place after some armed persons opened fire towards Thamnapokpi and Lamlai areas in Imphal East district from hilltop positions in adjoining Kangpokpi district around 10.30 pm on Saturday, a police officer said.

Local village volunteers returned fire and security forces rushed to the area to bring the situation under control, he said.

The gunfight stopped after an hour and no casualties were reported, the officer said.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kukis since May last year.

India Tv, 23 June 2024 : In the latest development in violence trapped Manipur, fresh clashes broke out between the armed men in two communities, the police said.



The incident that took place on Saturday, saw some armed miscreants firing towards the Thamnapokpi and Lamlai areas in Imphal East district. The shots were fired from hilltop positions in the adjoining district of

.

The gunfight took place at around 10:30 pm on June 21, the police said. According to the police, local village volunteers did retaliatory firing while the security forces rushed to the site to bring the situation under control. An hour later guns silenced and no casualties were reported.


Jiribam violence



Earlier on June 7, violence erupted in largely peaceful Jiribam after a lifeless body of Soibam Saratkumar Singh (59) was recovered. He was suspected to have been killed by the militants, officials said. Agitated by this, locals set a few abandoned structures on fire which was followed by the imposition of curfew in the area.

Jiribam, which has a diverse ethnic composition comprising Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis and non-Manipuris, had remained unaffected by the ethnic strife till the unfortunate incident. Meanwhile, suspected militants had also torched two police outposts, a forest office and at least 70 houses, prompting the authorities to transfer the superintendent of police.


Additionally, a contingent of more than 70 state police commandos was airlifted from Imphal to Jiribam to assist security personnel in their operations against militants. After the Jiribam violence, more than 200 people were moved to relief camps in Manipur. Meanwhile, people also crossed stare borders to reach Assam’s Cachar district.


Notably, the ethnic violence started in Manipur in May last year. Since then, more than 200 people have lost their lives and thousands have been rendered homeless between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kukis.

Crime, National

CBI team probing UGC-NET case allegedly attacked in Bihar’s Nawada, 4 arrested: Officials

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PTI, Nawada (Bihar)/New Delhi, Jun 23, 2024 :  A CBI team probing alleged irregularities in the conduct of the UGC-NET examination was allegedly attacked by locals in Rajauli area of Bihar’s Nawada after which four persons were arrested by police on a complaint from the central agency, officials said Sunday.


The incident occurred on Saturday when the CBI team had gone to Kasiyadih village on the trail of some suspects, they said.

“A team of CBI officials was gheroed, manhandled and attacked by a group of villagers in Kasiyadih village, under the jurisdiction of Rajauli police station, at around 4.30 pm on Saturday,” the office of the Superintendent of Police of Nawada said in a statement.

“Immediately after receiving the information, a team of police officials led by the station house officer (SHO) of the Rajauli police station reached the spot and pacified the villagers, following which the situation was brought under control,” it said.

Police registered a case and arrested four persons in connection with the incident.

It is believed that a driver of the CBI vehicle sustained a minor injury in the attack, sources said.

According to local police officials, villagers thought that the sleuths were imposters who were falsely claiming to be CBI officials after they reached the village looking for some suspects allegedly involved in the UGC-NET question paper leak case based on the location of their mobile phone numbers.

“CBI officials were looking for a villager – Phool Chand – in connection with the UGC-NET question paper case case. They seized two mobile phones from the house of Phool Chand,” said a senior police official in Nawada on the condition of anonymity.

An FIR was filed by the local police against the accused on charges of causing disruption in government work and assault, among others, officials said in Delhi.

The local police arrested four persons allegedly involved in the attack and they have been sent to judicial custody, they said.

Meanwhile, the CBI has asked a Kushinagar-based youth to appear before it in connection with the UGC-NET alleged paper leak case.

The youth who was questioned on Saturday at Padrauna police kotwali in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh has been asked to join the investigation at the CBI Headquarters in Delhi on Monday, the officials said.

The CBI had registered an FIR into the UGC-NET paper leak case on Thursday against unidentified people on a reference from the Union education ministry.

The UGC-NET-2024 exam for the selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country.

The next day, the University Grants Commission received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and allegedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms, sources said.

According to the complaint from the education ministry, the inputs from I4C, which functions under the Union home ministry, “prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised”, officials said. 
Crime, National, Politics

6 held in Deoghar in NEET paper leak case

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 The six arrested from Jharkhand include a man known as Sintu, alias Chintu. The agency is delving into his past and present contacts to ascertain how far he was involved in the paper leak
Activists under the banner of Yuva Shakti stage a protest over the alleged irregularities in NEET 2024 results and UGC-NET 2024 exam cancellation, in Patna, Saturday, June 22: PTI photo

Dev Raj Patna, TT, 23.06.24 : Investigations by the Bihar police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) have indicated that a mafia specialising in leaking papers of competitive examinations compromised the NEET-UG and circulated the leaked paper with the help of other gangs in Bihar and Jharkhand.

The EOU arrested six people from Deoghar in Jharkhand late on Friday and brought them to Patna on Saturday for questioning after completing the necessary formalities. This has taken the number of arrests in the case to 19.

“We initially arrested 13 persons in the NEET-UG paper leak case being investigated by us. However, with the progress in our probe, and with technological surveillance and inputs provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducted the examination, we have arrested six more from Jharkhand. We have seized mobile phones and other electronic gadgets from them,” a senior EOU official told
The Telegraph.

The six arrested from Jharkhand include a man known as Sintu, alias Chintu. The agency is delving into his past and present contacts to ascertain how far he was involved in the paper leak.

“The actual name of this Sintu alias Chintu is something else,” the EOU official said.

“He (Sintu) has been associated with Sanjeev Mukhiya, who we believe to be the kingpin of the NEET-UG paper leak in Bihar and Jharkhand. He is currently absconding, but his son Shiv Kumar — a doctor — is currently in jail in connection with the Teacher Recruitment Exam-III paper leak,” the EOU official added.

The agency has also sent a notice to Pritam Kumar, personal secretary to leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, to appear for questioning after he was accused of facilitating the stay of four arrested candidates at the behest of Sikandar Kumar Yadvendu in an inspection bungalow belonging to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Patna.

Sikandar is a junior engineer in the water resources department and has been accused in various instances of corruption. He was previously arrested in an LED light scam in Rohtas district and is now on suspension. The EOU considers him a link in the chain of transfer of the illegal NEET-UG papers.

The EOU submitted a status report on its investigations to the Union education ministry earlier this week. This includes the statements and alleged confessions of 13 arrested people, including four examinees.

The agency is preparing another report that will be submitted to the Supreme Court before it takes up the NEET-UG case for further hearing on July 8.
Education, National, Politics

Amid row, Centre sets up 7-member panel headedby Ex-ISRO chief to reform exams, review NTA

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 The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 22 2024 :A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the CBI and the ED to investigate alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG held on May 5.

The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case and file a report before the apex court.

“The petitioners are fully aware of the ramifications of the cancellation of the examination but there is absolutely no other alternative.

“The NEET UG Examination of 2024 had many other irregularities, in particular, the gross negligence on the part of the authorities to make the question papers available to the candidates on time. In some places, the wrong set of question papers was distributed and later recalled,” the plea said.

The top court had earlier sought responses from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe, amid mounting outrage over alleged irregularities in conducting the all-India medical entrance test.

The apex court had also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts.

The top court, however, had made it clear that it would not stay the counselling process.

The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answer sheets was completed earlier.

The allegations of irregularities have led to protests in several cities and sparring between rival political parties.

As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a centre in Haryana’s Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.

The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.

Regional

New Evidence Supports Innocence of Goods Train Driver in Kanchanjunga Incident, Unions Assert

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Jeevan Prakash Sharma, Rediff News, June 22, 2024 : Driver unions, which contradicted the Railway Board when it prima facie blamed the now-deceased goods train driver for the deadly collision with the Kanchanjunga Express, have claimed they have fresh documents to prove his innocence.

IMAGE: Rescue operation underway at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site, in Darjeeling on June 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo
They referred to authority letter T/369 (3B) issued to the goods train driver to cross the first two defective signals after the Ranipatra station premises with a 15 kmph speed restriction while the other authority letter — T/A 912 — did not mention any speed restriction.

Ten people, including the driver, lost their lives and 40 were injured in the accident near New Jalpaiguri on June 17. The employees’ unions had said that squarely blaming the driver, who is not alive to defend himself, amounts to making him a scapegoat for the systematic shortcomings of the Railways.

Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation’s working president Sanjay Pandhi on Friday said, “T/A 912 was issued to all seven train drivers who passed Ranipatra station after 5.50 am to cross nine defective signals and it does not show any speed limit.”

“However, T/369 (3B), which was issued separately to cross two signals immediately after leaving Ranipatra station premise (also called starter and advanced starter signals), imposes a speed limit of 15 kmph,” he added.

Pandhi argued that the T/369 (3B) authority letter along with existing rules of driving during multiple signal failures prove that the goods train driver was right in crossing all defective signals at normal speed.

The Railway Board, in its initial response, said the goods’ train driver overshot the signal which caused the accident. Later, it emerged that the automatic signalling system had failed since 5:50 am on that day due to which all automatic signals between Ranipatra and Chattar Hat turned defective.

The station master of Ranipatra, following the railway operation norms, issued the authority letter T/A 912 to all train drivers to pass through defective signals.

Railway Unions such as IRLRO and All India Railwaymen’s Federation defended the deceased driver and said he had the authority letter to cross defective signals hence he was not at fault.

The Unions blamed the operating department of New Jalpaiguri for not ensuring that the section (route between Ranipatra and Chattar Hat) was clear before issuing T/A 912 to the goods train driver.

According to the Unions, when multiple signals in an automatic signalling system fail, safety norms dictate that the whole section should be converted into an absolute block system and only one train should be allowed at a time.

The Railway Board countered this argument, saying that even if the goods train driver was issued T/A 912, an authority to cross defective signals, he should have proceeded with a caution speed of 10 kmph with a one-minute stoppage at each red signal.

Five senior officials of a joint probe team held on June 18 that the goods train driver was guilty of violating signal aspects and speed restrictions. One official of the probe team gave a dissenting opinion and blamed the operating department of the New Jalpaiguri division.

Now, it has come to light that after the signalling failure at Ranipatra, authority letter T/369 (3B) was also issued to all drivers, asking them to pass two defective departure signals immediately after the station premises with a restrictive speed of 15 kmph.

A railway safety expert said, “T/369 (3B) is issued to train drivers when two signals (called starter and advanced started) that come immediately after the station premises turn defective. T/A 912 is issued for all other signals after these two signals till the home signal (an entry signal) of the next station.”

Pandhi said there were 11 signals between Ranipatra and Chattar Hat stations.

“If I put it in sequence, these 11 signals include Ranipatra station’s starter, advanced starter and automatic signals AS-654, AS-652, AS-650, AS-648, AS-646, AS-644, AS-642, AS-640 and AS-638. After all these signals, the Home Signal of Chattar Hat station comes,” Pandhi said.

“Now, if you see T/369 (3B), it tells the driver to pass the starter and advanced starter at 15 kmph speed and then T/A 912 tells the driver to pass the remaining nine signals without mentioning any speed limit. It is very much obvious that the driver will cross all these signals at normal speed,” he added.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, the general secretary of AIRF, said, “The station master should have ensured that the section is clear of any train before issuing these two authority letters. Maintaining precaution in a defective signalling system is everyone’s duty but the goods train driver should not be held responsible.”
The matter is now being investigated by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
Crime, West Bengal

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬: 𝟒𝟏 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞

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 Barasat police have announced a helpline to report such rumour-mongering on social media platforms

Snehal Sengupta, Monalisa Chaudhuri, TT, Barasat, 22.06.24 : A 28-year-old man from Madhyamgram was arrested on Friday for allegedly spreading rumours on social media about alleged childlifters in Barasat, North 24-Parganas.

Police said 57 rumour-mongering posts on Facebook had been identified and 41 pulled down by Friday evening.

Abdul Karim was the fourth person arrested for allegedly spreading rumours that led to three persons getting beaten up at two places in Barasat on suspicion that they were child lifters.

Three persons — Pritam Mistry, Sheikh Mijanur Rehman and Payal Talukdar — were arrested on Thursday on similar charges. The police said the trio were administrators of two Facebook groups.

Barasat police have announced a helpline to report such rumour-mongering on social media platforms.

A senior police officer said on Friday that people can report suspicious posts on Facebook or other social media platforms by sending WhatsApp messages to 9163766694.

Karim, the police said, did odd jobs for a living and drove a bike taxi. He had allegedly shared multiple posts and videos aimed at spreading rumours that a gang of child traffickers was active in the area, an officer in the Barasat police district said.

“Karim had also commented multiple times on rumour-mongering posts uploaded on at least two Facebook groups,” the officer said.

Karim has been charged under the Information Technology Act and IPC sections related to mischief and causing breach of peace in society.

An officer said the 57 Facebook posts they had identified were meant to spread rumours and create panic. The posts had been made from various accounts.

The Barasat additional superintendent of police, Sparsh Nilangi, said that of the 57 Facebook posts, 41 hadbeen taken down till 5.30pm on Friday.

“We are in touch with Facebook and have asked them to take down these posts as they are solely aimed at spreading rumours,” Nilangi told Metro.

The Barasat superintendent of police, Pratiksha Jharkhariya, said the four in custody had been actively spreading rumours through two Facebook groups that a gang of child traffickers was active in the area.

“We have arrested 19 people for Wednesday’s assaulton two men and a woman,” she said.
Education, Regional, West Bengal

Government Directs District Inspectors to Monitor Energy Efficiency in Schools, Curtail Power Wastage

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 The official said the education department has received complaints that non-teaching employees at times forget to switch off lights, fans and other electric appliances after the classes are over or the campus shuts for the day

Subhankar Chowdhury, TT, Calcutta, 22.06.24 : The state education department has asked the district inspectors (DIs) of schools to be vigilant against consumption of power beyond school hours in government and government-aided schools and run random checks on campuses.

A notice addressed to the DIs and signed by the commissioner of school education says: “You are also requested to ensure visit in the schools under your jurisdiction beyond school hours by yourself and subordinate officials for random checks about any misuse of power consumption.”

The notice was issued on Thursday, hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction in a meeting over the alleged misuse of electricity in government offices and schools.

“The chief minister feels that if the office heads or institution heads remain cautious, the expenditure on electricity bills could be cut down to some extent,” said an official in the state primary education board.

The notice by the commissioner of school education says: “It has come to the knowledge at some places, the use of power/electricity is not efficient. At times, the misuse of power beyond class hours has been observed. It is thus be advised that all school authorities be communicated to remain extremely vigilant with regard to power consumption. Any unnecessary use of electricity must be avoided at each place.”

It further says: “You are also requested to ensure visit in the schools under your jurisdiction….”

The primary education board, secondary education board and the council of higher secondary education have been issued copies of the notice.

There are about 55,000 primary schools run or aided by the government in Bengal. The number of secondary and higher secondary schools run or aided by the government stands at close to 12,000 and 9,000, respectively.

“If misuse of power could be prevented at these institutions, a substantial amount of money could be saved,” said an official.

The official said the education department has received complaints that non-teaching employees at times forget to switch off lights, fans and other electric appliances after the classes are over or the campus shuts for the day.

“The teachers, too, stand accused of dereliction of duty,” the official said.

Swapan Mandal, the general secretary of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “The schools are required to send data about their teachers or other information…. The work for that is done after classes. We have to keep lights and fans on for this work.”
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