New Delhi, June 26: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested a manager of the Punjab National Bank’s Bhadrauli Branch in Agra’s Barhan, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with an alleged bribery case.

According to the CBI, the case was registered on June 25, based on a complaint filed by an employee of a private company. It was alleged that the bank manager demanded illegal gratification of Rs 7,000 per loan file to process and clear around 19 solar panel loan applications.

The complainant alleged that after negotiations, the accused agreed to accept a total bribe of Rs 52,000 to clear the 19 loan files, which had already been sanctioned by the bank.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused manager red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting a part payment of the bribe amounting to Rs 30,000 from the complainant.

The accused was arrested on June 25 and is scheduled to be produced before the competent court in Ghaziabad on Friday. Further investigation into the case is underway.

Earlier on June 25, the CBI held a coordination meeting with the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Chief Vigilance Officers of public sector banks, IDBI Bank and Life Insurance Corporation of India here on Thursday on measures to expedite investigations into bank fraud cases, according to an official statement.

The meeting was attended by the Department of Financial Services Secretary Sanjay Lohiya, the CBI Additional Directors A.Y.V. Krishna and N. Venu Gopal, Joint Directors of the CBI and DFS Joint Secretaries Shalini Pandit, Ashish Madhaorao More and Manoj Muttathil Ayyappan, along with other officials.

“During the day-long meeting, several issues, including previous approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, sanction for prosecution under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, awaited documents, bank fraud complaints, one-time settlement (OTS) issues, recent court judgments and issues related to mule accounts were discussed and deliberated upon,” the CBI statement said.

Kolkata, June 25: The roof collapse in the under-construction warehouse in the Taratala area of Kolkata was due to faulty construction, low-quality materials, and wrong planning.

These points have been highlighted by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in a report submitted to the Commissioner of KMC on Thursday.

According to the report, the construction design was approved on the 54-katha land in February 2025, following which a three-storey structure was built there. According to the rules, iron casting has to be done from the first floor. But in the warehouse case, the casting work was started from the third floor. The construction structure could not bear that load.

The report said the material used for casting was of low quality.

The three-storey structure was erected without strengthening the base and the lower side, which led to the disaster on Thursday afternoon.

The report also said that this construction design was approved for 43 out of 54 kathas of land.

Following the disaster, the investigation has thus far found that construction activities were taking place on an extra five kathas of land, exceeding the sanctioned design. The builders had unlawfully expanded the warehouse dimensions.

The report submitted by the building department said that there was no error in the original construction design. But there was negligence in supervision by the concerned officials and those involved in the construction.

The building department has mentioned in the report that due to a lack of sufficient staff, supervision of work is affected in such constructions.

Nine workers were killed, and 20 others were injured after the roof of the under-construction warehouse collapsed in Taratala. The injured have been admitted to the SSKM Hospital for treatment. The condition of the two is said to be critical.

So far, five people have been arrested in the warehouse collapse incident. The police have lodged a suo motu FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

The Kolkata Police have also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.

New Delhi, June 25: The retest of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) was conducted with all fairness and without any major hiccups on June 21 across the country by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the central agency under the Ministry of Education for conducting multiple national-level competitive exams for admission to higher institutions.

This came as major relief for over 22 lakh medical aspirants as well as the NTA, particularly in light of intense criticism and backlash after the cancellation of the May 3 NEET exams due to paper leaks. The exams also marked an end to the ordeal for students and their parents.

For conducting the NEET re-examinations, the NTA not only plugged all gaps but also created a robust framework to ensure smooth examinations and addressed the concerns of anxious and distressed students by adding a ‘human touch’ to its preparations.

The NTA made extensive arrangements, ranging from essentials like drinking water to a series of “thoughtful measures” to extract the best out of the competing students. Many education experts saw the exams, not just a “big success” but as something “designed entirely around students”.

A look at the humane steps undertaken during the June 21 retest showed NTA’s commitment to students:

Clean drinking water to counselling

When students walked into examination centres for the NEET (UG) re-exams, they were greeted not just by invigilators but by a carefully designed environment built around their comfort, dignity, and peace of mind.

The NTA undertook a series of thoughtful, student-first measures to ensure that every candidate could perform at their best — free from stress, physical discomfort, or logistical anxiety.

Cool, Comfortable, and Well-Lit

Every examination centre was equipped with adequate lighting, fans and power backup systems to ensure uninterrupted comfort throughout the session.

Hydration as a right, not a privilege

Students were permitted to carry their own clear, transparent water bottles into the examination hall — a practical measure that respected candidates’ individual needs and reduced unnecessary anxiety during a high-pressure session.

Medical and diabetic accommodations

Basic first aid and medical support were stationed at centres. Diabetic candidates were permitted to carry permitted items such as fruits and sugar tablets.

Ballpoint pen provided at exam centres

To streamline entry and reduce the risk of malpractice, NTA provided black ballpoint pens at the venue. Students were relieved of carrying stationery, and the examination hall was kept free of unnecessary items.

More time for exams

The examination window was also extended by 15 minutes from 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., ensuring that invigilation formalities did not eat into the students’ actual test-taking time. Every minute of the exam belonged to the student.

The question booklet itself was redesigned with four pages of rough workspace, double that of earlier.

Tele-MANAS: A helpline for the heart

Perhaps the most quietly significant initiative was the integration of Tele-MANAS (Helpline: 14416) — the government’s mental health support service — as part of the examination ecosystem.

Those students experiencing exam-related stress or anxiety were made to interact with the trained counsellors, who not only comforted them with valuable guidance but also helped lift their spirits.

The string of measures undertaken by the NTA shows that there was a ‘fundamental shift’ in the way competitive examinations are conducted. The exam’s focus was not just on conducting smooth exams but also on hand-holding students the moment they walked into the examination centres.

More than 20 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET-UG re-examinations on June 21 at more than 5,000 centres across the country, and also 14 centres abroad. The re-examinations also saw the NTA mobilising Central machinery and engaging various government departments to conduct the exams. Around seven lakh officials, including police teams, observers and examination staff, were mobilised across the country, and this was done in just one month.

The scale of extensive preparations by the NTA also earned it praise from various quarters, including a plethora of students who appeared relieved and relaxed over the successful execution of the re-examinations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also applauded the successful conduct of the NEET-UG re-examination on Wednesday. He said that the exercise demonstrated a “whole-of-government” approach and was organised “smoothly and with integrity”.

PM Modi, speaking at the cabinet meet on Wednesday, commended all the ministers involved in the exercise for fool-proof planning and execution and urged that the same coordinated model be adopted for similar occasions in the future.