National News
NEET retest: Not just end of ordeal, NTA’s student-centric focus presents model for future
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.
Crime
Delhi Police arrest 11 cyber criminals for digital arrests linked to Cambodia

New Delhi, Oct 13: Eleven cyber criminals were arrested and a potential loss of Rs 7.25 crore through digital arrests, prevented by the Delhi Police, who busted an international syndicate linked to gangs in Cambodia and other South-East Asian countries, an official said on Tuesday
The arrests by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police led to the working out of cybercrime cases spread across different states, including Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and resulted in a freeze/hold on Rs1.96 crore in HDFC and SBI accounts related to fraud cases, the police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, IFSO Unit, Gaurav Tyagi said in one case probe began on the complaint of Pradeep Kumar Das, 69, retired Scientist “F”, Director, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, regarding a “digital arrest” fraud of Rs 1.25 crore, the police said.
During the investigation, the police identified a hotel and a flat in Sector-7, Dwarka, along with the mobile number 8617839064, which was registered/linked with the HDFC Bank account of the MR Traders and used for facilitating cybercrime, said a statement.
The main handler was identified as Anish Khan, a resident of Etah, UP, who was in contact with foreign-based handlers through Telegram and involved in operating/managing the bank account allegedly used for cybercrime-related transactions.
As per the investigation, he was allegedly working on a 5.5 per cent commission basis. The commission was allegedly received in USDT (Tether/cryptocurrency) and subsequently converted into Indian Rupees through different cryptocurrency exchanges/platforms, the police said.
Other accused were identified as Mahfuzar Rahman and Izhar Alam, both from West Bengal; Altaf Hussain, a resident of J&K; and Intekhab, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, UP, the police said.
The mastermind of another related case was identified as 31-year-old Anil Sagu alias Krishna, a resident of village Dabri, District Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. He was arrested in connection with a case registered by the Special Cell.
The DCP said that Sagu collected commission in USDT (Tether/cryptocurrency) and distribute it among his associates.
He was the main handler who remained in touch with foreign associates through Telegram, the police said.
Other arrested accused were identified as Neeraj Kumar Mittal, an account holder from Meerut; Kanwar Pal, introducer for the bank account in Meerut; Saif Ali Khan, resident of Gajraula, UP; Ranbir, resident of Rampur, District Shimla; Prabhat Rai alias Ashutosh, resident of Mangolpuri, Delhi.
During the investigation, the police recovered the cheque book of the alleged bank account No. 50200099629024, maintained with HDFC Bank, of MR Traders.
Six Mobile phones, which contain the WhatsApp chat, Telegram chat, and the crypto currency transaction history and other incriminating evidence relevant, with the case, were also seized.
As many as seven Telagram channels have been identified through which the sale and purchase of mule bank accounts was being undertaken by the accused, said the police.
An analysis of Telegram and WhatsApp chats revealed the sharing of bank credentials, linking the accused to 78 National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) complaints across different States, with further investigation ongoing. The total amount involved in these 78 NCRP complaints was Rs 73 crore, said the statement.
Business
Adani Enterprises, Jabil plan to build mega AI, data centre infra platform in India

New Delhi, Oct 13: Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and global engineering, supply chain and manufacturing company Jabil Inc. on Tuesday said they have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a proposed 50:50 joint venture to manufacture and assemble artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre equipment in India.
The MoU follows the June 2026 announcement of Adani Group and Jabil’s intent to establish a strategic alliance to develop an AI and data centre infrastructure manufacturing ecosystem in India.
“The AI revolution will demand far more than just breakthroughs in algorithms. It will require an entire new industrial architecture where energy, hyperscale infrastructure, advanced computing and precision manufacturing converge to power the intelligence economy,” Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said.
At Adani, “our vision is to expand up the AI value chain evolving from powering and hosting AI infrastructure to engineering and manufacturing the critical systems that will define the next generation of computing”, the billionaire industrialist said.
According to a statement, the proposed joint venture remains subject to execution of definitive agreements, receipt of applicable approvals, and satisfaction of customary conditions.
“Our proposed joint venture with Jabil marks a strategic step towards this future, combining Jabil’s world-class engineering and manufacturing capabilities with Adani’s integrated strengths in energy, infrastructure and data centres to help build the physical backbone of the global AI economy,” said Gautam Adani.
The venture would provide a manufacturing base in India to serve domestic demand and support exports.
The companies estimate the global market opportunity at more than $3 trillion over the next seven years, driven by investment in AI computing.
“The signing of this MoU is the next step forward in our shared efforts to establish a scaled AI infrastructure manufacturing platform in India, a market we believe will become increasingly important for both domestic and global AI infrastructure demand,” Jabil Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mike Dastoor said.
“Integrating Jabil’s 60 years of engineering and manufacturing expertise with Adani’s significant infrastructure and energy capabilities, we can bring our rack-level data centre solutions to more hyperscalers in India and around the world,” he added.
The venture is aligned with Adani Group’s $100 billion commitment to develop 5 GW of green-energy-powered, hyperscale AI-ready data centres by 2035. The proposed venture would add hardware manufacturing to the Group’s presence across infrastructure, energy, logistics and data centres.
The joint venture would manufacture and assemble AI racks, servers, storage and networking equipment used in data centres. The racks would house high-performance computing systems for AI applications and other digital services, the statement said.
National News
‘People will never forgive such behaviour’: Piyush Goyal on LoP ‘pushing’ a female journalist

New Delhi, Oct 13: Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday that the way Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and members of the Opposition “misbehaved” with a female journalist during the INDIA bloc march a day before, the conduct would “never be forgiven” by the people of the country.
Addressing a press conference, Goyal said: “Yesterday’s disgraceful behaviour by Rahul Gandhi and his colleagues towards a woman journalist was unacceptable. She was three months pregnant and therefore was repeatedly telling them to be careful. However, she was pushed around and thrown to the ground, and eventually had to be hospitalised. What was her only fault? She was covering their protest and asking a few questions.”
“I do not believe the 1.4 billion people of this country will ever forgive such behaviour. I do not believe that even a single journalist, male or female, could ever forgive this conduct,” he added.
Meanwhile, Goyal referred to Rahul Gandhi’s previous allegations against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying: “They (Congress leaders) abuse Mamata Banerjee and contest elections against her, accusing her of opening the doors for the BJP to win the recently held West Bengal polls through her alleged wrongdoings and malpractices.”
“After both of them (Congress and Mamata-All India Trinamool Congress) lost elections (in West Bengal), they shamelessly took a U-turn and started blaming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Election Commission since both of them are now searching for a reason for their defeat. Both Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee should show some spine and stick to one story rather than constantly changing narratives,” he remarked.
The Union Minister spoke about the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls, emphasising that the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutional validity of Bihar’s SIR in May 2026.
“While proceedings regarding Form-6 are ongoing in court, if they (Congress) truly respect the Constitution, why take to the streets? The judicial process is already underway. The court is examining whether Form-6 is appropriate, and if any corrections are needed, it will direct them. The court has already held that the SIR is constitutionally valid. So, why are they (Congress) taking to the streets and trying to create anarchy?” Goyal said.
“Why are they (Congress) trying to provoke people? When constitutional avenues and methods are available to you, but you refuse to follow or respect them, you demonstrate that you are an anarchist and believe in the path of anarchy. I think Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are insulting the Constitution and showing anarchy on the streets,” he remarked.
Goyal said that if Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party really have any evidence of “vote chori”, then why was it not submitted to the court or to the Election Commission?
“This is such height of stupidity that they (Congress) can’t even file a petition properly despite (Congress) giving Rajya Sabha seats to such big lawyers. There were 14 defects in the petition (filed) in the Supreme Court…I believe the Congress is itself responsible for its failure. The party has a dark future under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” he remarked while referring to the petition filed by opposition leaders in the Supreme Court alleging irregularities in SIR.
Goyal added: “The person (Rahul Gandhi) who believes in anarchy and does his politics based on lies, the party’s leaders who can’t even file a petition properly…what future will such a party and its leader give to the country!”
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