Supreme Court to consider NEET exemption applications on Tuesday

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a batch of applications seeking that NEET for admissions to undergraduate medical courses may not be thrust on the states and they may be allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations.

An apex court bench headed by the Chief Justice P.S. Thakur on Monday said the hearing by the special bench headed by Justice Anil R. Dave will take place on Tuesday at 2 p.m. after a battery of senior lawyers, including Gopal Subramaniam appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, and K. K. Venugopal appearing for Association of Private Medical Colleges of Karnataka mentioned the matter.

Various states, including the association of private medical colleges are aggrieved by the top courtÂ’s Friday order reiterating that admission to undergraduate medical courses will be only through National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) to be conducted by the Central Board of School Education (CBSE).

The first phase of NEET was conducted on Sunday. The second phase will be held on July 24.

In the meantime, a constitution bench of the top court on Monday upheld the Madhya Pradesh law providing for common entrance test for admission to medical courses both in government and private medical colleges.

The bench, after a majority judgement, said the admissions to the seats not filled under the management quota will be done by the state governments.

The constitution bench also set up a three member committee that will oversee the counselling and admission under the aegis of Medical Council of India till a law is enacted by parliament empowering medical regulatory body to conduct counselling and admissions.

Former Chief Justice of India, Justice R. M. Lodha, former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai and eminent doctor Shiv Sarin are the panel members.

Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs

J&K moves apex court seeking exemption from NEET

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking exemption from National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses, officials said.

The matter is listed to be heard on Tuesday by the apex court.

Earlier, State Education Minister Naeem Akhtar had said: “We are approaching the Supreme Court for relief. We have a strong case and are hopeful our state would get exemption from NEET and we would be allowed to continue our established process for selection to these professional courses”.

The state government officials said given its special status, Jammu and Kashmir should be exempted from NEET.

The first phase of NEET was held throughout the country on Sunday following an order of the Supreme Court on April 28. The second phase is scheduled for July 24.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda told the LokSabha on Friday: “NEET extends in the entire country, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir, for admission in UG (undergraduate) and PG (postgraduate) medical courses”.

However, State Law Secretary Muhammad Ashraf said education is in the concurrent list, but the amendment that brought education into that list was not extended to Jammu and Kashmir.

So education remains a state subject in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

The state has been conducting its own entrance test for medical courses held by the board of professional entrance examinations (BOPEE).

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in the country that has a constitution of its own which is applicable along with the Constitution of India.

“It is this special status that has created the confusion which needs to be immediately cleared. We have also to be clearly told whether the merit arrived at would be such that candidates from outside the state would also get admission in J&K and vice versa,” said Bashir Ahmad War, whose niece is an aspirant for the graduate course in medicine this year.

What happens to reservations available to aspirants if the state is not exempted from NEET, wondered War.

“There is 50 percent reservation for girls in these courses in J&K. Then there are state specific reservations like residents of backward areas, residents of line of control, children of police personnel etc. What happens to these reservations if NEET is the entry route to graduate and post graduate courses in the state?”

The BOPEE has already announced its schedule for this year’s selection to MBBS and other courses in various medical colleges in the state.

The state did not have a NEET centre for phase one and aspirants who took the test had to travel to Delhi and other places to appear in the exam.

Aspirants for this year’s professional courses in Kashmir who had applied for NEET and who appeared for phase one say they did so without much preparation as they are focused completely on the BOPEE test scheduled for May 14 and 15.

“I appeared for the test, but did so only to get a better feel of the test. We are focused on the BOPEE test,” said Suhail, an aspirant for the MBBS course this year.

Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs

CBI arrests Delhi Police inspector

The CBI has arrested a Delhi Police inspector along with a man posing as a joint secretary for allegedly demanding Rs.3 lakh in bribe, agency officials said on Monday.

Inspector Kehar Singh, deployed at west Delhi’s Janakpuri police station as Station House Officer (SHO), was arrested with his aide Ashutosh Singh on Sunday night for demanding the bribe following a complaint.

“The bribe amount of Rs.3 lakh was also recovered from the possession of the accused,” said a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official.

Ashutosh allegedly duped people by posing as a joint secretary-rank government official.

Sources said Ashutosh had allegedly sought the inspector’s help in a case in which he had been arrested for posing as a senior government officer. They were negotiating over the bribe money.

Separate CBI teams conducted raids at the premises of the accused in Delhi and recovered Rs.40 lakh in cash during the operation, said a CBI official.

A car, with a beacon, was also recovered from Ashutosh’s house, the officer said, adding that the search operation was continuing.

Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs

Central government realized mistake of calling off talks with Pakistan: Omar

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the central government had “thankfully realized its mistake of calling off talks with Pakistan on the issue of separatist leaders meeting the Pakistan high commissioner”.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a National Conference (NC) function here, Omar said: “We had said that time that it was a mistake to call off talks with Pakistan.

“Thankfully, they (central government) have realized the mistake now.”

Omar was referring to Minister of State External Affairs V.K. Singh’s written reply in the Parliament on the issue.

In a reply in parliament, Singh said, “Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri ‘leaders’ are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India.”

One of the reasons for which the dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad was halted by the central government was the invitation and subsequent meetings of local separatist leaders with the Pakistan high commissioner in Delhi just ahead of bilateral official talks.

The NC working president also alleged the state government headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti “is without any vision and direction. You cannot see this government on the ground as it does not exist there.”

Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs

NHRC issues notice to Tamil Nadu on rally deaths

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday said it has issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government calling for detailed reports on the circumstances leading to the death of people at election rallies.

In a statement, the NHRC said it has taken cognizance of a complaint that several people were gathered, forced and threatened to sit for political rallies, in open fields under the scorching sun for four to five hours without drinking water and other basic facilities leading to injuries and loss of lives, amounting to violation of basic and fundamental human rights.

“Allegedly, this happened despite the District Collectors’ orders that public should not venture out from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to scorching heat,” the statement said.

The NHRC has issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of police, Government of Tamil Nadu calling for detailed reports, within two weeks, about the circumstances leading to the incidents. The Commission has also directed them to take all necessary measures to prevent reccurrence of all such incidents in the future.

The deaths and injuries happened at the election rallies addressed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa at Cuddalore, Virudhunagar and Salem districts.

“Allegedly, for three public rallies on April 11, 15 and 20, 2016 in Cuddalore, Virudhunagar and Salem districts respectively, people were forced and threatened to assemble as early as 11 a.m. in the scorching heat, although, the meetings were to start after 3 p.m. They were neither allowed to attend nature’s call nor provided with basic amenities like drinking water, thereby subjecting them to various hardships,” the NHRC said.

The NHRC said allegedly, many people fainted at Virudhuchalam rally in Cuddalore district, creating unrest and panic, which in turn, led to stampede.

“Total 17 persons were admitted in hospital following the incident. Two persons lost their lives as first aid was not provided promptly. Another person was seriously hurt in the stampede at Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar district and eventually died while two others died in Magudanchavadi in Salem district due to heat and overcrowding,” the NHRC said.

The commission has said that even if the political parties have the rights to organise public meetings, it is the duty of the State/District Administration, while granting permissions for such meetings, to take all necessary steps considering the safety and security issues in mind.

Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs