kochi l Sunday l june 23, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city edition Photo: Shekhar Yadav Delhi, Dhaka sign agreements for maritime cooperation, railways Sheikh Hasina’s India visit saw her signing agreements in oceanography, health, medicine, disaster relief, digital, green partnership Conservation of Teesta in Bangladesh Dhaka’s armed forces to be modernised “Fifty-four shared rivers connect India and Bangladesh. We have been cooperating on flood management, early warning, drinking water projects. We have decided to start negotiations at the technical level for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after summit talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina ■ India’s push to help Bangladesh in Teesta comes as China has also shown interest in the project. Sheikh Hasina is going on a state visit to China soon ■ Both the nations agreed to strengthen cooperation in defence. India will help Bangladesh in the modernisation of its armed forces and increase engagement on counter terrorism, de-radicalisation, border management 10 times Narendra Modi and Sheikh hasina have met since 2019 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI NTA head rolls; NEET-PG on hold CBI probe ordered into NEET-UG paper leak; ex-ISRO chief heads panel to clean up NTA RA J E SH K U M AR THA K UR & K e t a n N a r o t ta m Ta nn a @ New Delhi With its credibility at stake amid continuing protests over irregularities in holding the NEET-UG, the government on Saturday took a flurry of decisions, sacking the head of the National Testing Agency (NTA) that conducted the exam, forming a panel to reform the NTA, ordering a CBI probe into the NEET-UG mess and putting the NEET-PG on hold. The NEETPG was scheduled to be conducted on Sunday . In a late night announcement, the Ministry of Education said it has decided to assign the probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG held on May 5 to the CBI. Row over move to grant remission to 3 convicts in TP case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kozhikode Raising suspicion that the LDF government in Kerala is considering granting a reprieve to the convicts in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case, the Kannur Central Prison authorities have sought a report from police on granting remission to three accused. The superintendent of the Kannur Central Prison recently sent a letter to the Kannur city police commissioner requesting a report on potentially commuting the sentences of 59 convicts currently in jail in various cases. The list includes the names of T K Rajeesh, Muhammad Shafi and Sijith S alias Annan Sijith — the fourth, fifth and sixth accused, respectively, in the TP case. The move comes despite a High Court order imposing a life term of 20 years without remission on the convicts in the TP case. The letter, dated June 13, mentions a preliminary proposal to release 59 convicts from the Kannur prison as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative. The list calls for a thorough investiga- tion into their eligibility for release. It also seeks a prompt report based on enquiries with the convicts’ relatives and friends, as well as the victims of their crimes, if any . Rajeesh, Muhammad Shafi and Sijith were sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by the High Court, which restricted their right to remission. The HC had enhanced their sentences while dismissing a petition to overturn punishment awarded by the Kozhikode Additional Sessions Court. The government had recently granted parole to TP case convicts Manoj, Muhammad Shafi, Sinoj, Sijith, and Rajeesh. K K Rema, Vadakara MLA and wife of TP Chandrasekharan, sharply criticised the move to release TP case convicts. She said the “government’s move is a serious contempt of court”, and vowed to challenge the decision both legally and politically . State Director General of Prisons & Correctional Services Balram Kumar Upadhyay clarified that TP murder case convicts will not be re● More on P5 leased. Congress activists protest the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG results, in Kolkata | PTI Ever since the NEET-UG results were announced on June 4, there were charges of malpractices, including cheating and impersonation in the exam, which is the single-window entry point for medical course in the country . When a couple of days ago, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called out the NTA for systemic failure, it was clear that its chief Subodh Kumar Singh was on the chopping block. Singh was replaced by former home secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, a retired IAS officer of the 1985 batch. The Appointment Committee of Cabinet, while approving Kharola’s appointment as the new NTA head, placed Singh in waiting for posting in the department of personnel, public grievance and pension till further orders. Parallelly, the Union Health Ministry decided to postpone the NEET-PG as a “precautionary measure”. The day began with Centre announcing the setting up of a high-level panel of seven experts, led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the NTA’s performance and suggest course corrections. P7 Suresh Gopi promises urgent measures to protect Varkala Cliff S h a i n u M o h a n @ T’Puram Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi on Saturday visited the Varkala Cliff along with a team of officials and assessed the current status of the geological structure, which is fast eroding. The Union minister said urgent measures will be taken to protect the Varkala Cliff — a declared national geological monument and a geo-heritage site. B e s i d e s S u re s h G o p i , former Union minister V Muraleedharan, Geological Survey of India (Kerala) deputy director V Ambili and District Collector Geromic George were part of the team. Heavy rain this season has accelerated the erosion leading to significant collapses at many places along the 6.1-kmlong red laterite cliff. TNIE has reported extensively on various violations and human activities that triggered and accelerated the erosion. Suresh Gopi said a report will be submitted to the Union ministries concerned after discussions with the GSI officials, district collector and the agencies involved in the conservation of the cliff. Muraleedharan emphasised the need for urgent gov- With dinghies, SWTD to take tourism experience to new paths ists will have the option to explore the winding backwaters through narrowEver been to the backwater para- er canals or water bodies enroute by dises of Alappuzha or Munroe Island? paying an additional charge. For inSail into the interior regions there and stance, they can sail through the naryou will be welcomed by a maze of en- row canals of Munroe Island and exchanting narrow canals fringed with plore the beauty of the backwaters palm or coconut trees on both sides. like never before. If successful, we will Now, tourists can explore such narrow roll out more such boats,” said a senior canals where cruise official with boats or even houseSWTD. boats can’ t sail The mechanised into. dinghy boats will Thanks to the be deployed on an novel initiative of experimental basis the Kerala state wain Munroe Island ter transport de( Ko l l a m ) , A l ap partment (SWTD) puzha, Kochi backthat has rolled out waters, and Parfive dinghy boats, assinikadavu similar to those A dinghy launched by state water transport (Kannur). used by the fire department in Kochi backwaters | Express The move is part force. These tiny of the department’s boats, with a maximum capacity of 10 efforts to substantially boost its revepassengers, will be towed behind the nue through tourism. It’s also set to luxury tourist cruise vessels of the de- introduce an online reservation syspartment like Indra, the country’s tem, aimed at facilitating tourists to largest solar-electric AC boat current- book its popular services from anyly deployed in the Kochi backwaters. where in the world. “We are deploying five dinghy boats, Meanwhile, the department is planeach costing `5 lakh, on an experimen- ning new tourism cruise services on tal basis. They will be attached to the “unexplored routes” to woo tourists in ● More on P5 main tourist cruise vessels. The tour- large numbers. ernment intervention to protect the cliff, which has been recognised as a wonder of nature by GSI. The team, which arrived at 8am, spent about an hour assessing the situation, and visited the Bali Mandapam area, where a significant portion has collapsed leading to the closure of the Mandapam at Papanasam beach. The district collector had ordered the demolition of the cliff near the Bali Mandapam invoking various sections under the Disaster Management Act, triggering widespread protests. Following this, the GSI stepped in demanding the conservation of the cliff. GSI has launched a comprehensive scientific study to assess the destruction and suggest long and short-ter m solutions to conserve the cliff. “An expert committee from our headquarters will study the situation and we will submit an interim report to the district administration soon. Besides this, a five-monthlong detailed scientific study will be conducted to come up with specific solutions to conserve the cliff,” said V Ambili. “We will submit report to the Central and state governments,” she said. Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi cautions GSI Deputy Director General (Kerala) V Ambili against going to the edge of Varkala Cliff during their visit on Saturday. District Collector Geromic George is also seen | B P deepu Pinarayi takes a dig at Muslim League NEET & Unclean PLUS 12 PAGES d i pa k m o n d a l @ New Delhi Opposition-ruled states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Saturday raised the issue of borrowing limits imposed by the Centre depriving them of necessary funds leading to liquidity crunch. In a pre-budget consultation with the Centre here, Kerala finance minister K N Balgopalan requested that a special package of at least `24,000 crore be announced in the Union budget 2024-25 to tide over the current liquidity stress the state is facing due to borrowing limits imposed by the Centre. Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu pointed out that because of the Centre’s diktat the state lost `8,500 crore of borrowing space over the last four years. In the meeting, most state finance ministers stressed the need for more funds for improvement of infrastructure in their respective states. Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal highlighted the urgent need for a special capital investment of `5,000 crore for the state for fulfilling its part in the development of the Vizhinjam International Mother Port and the Port region. He sought another `5,000 crore for Kerala makes fresh pitch for SilverLine T’Puram: Hoping to revive SilverLine semi high-speed rail project, which has been pending for long due to nonclearance from the Centre, Finance Minister K N Balagopal raised the issue at the finance ministers’ meeting on Saturday ahead of the Union budget. P2 financing certain other infrastructure projects such as the ‘Tunnel Road link between Calicut and Wayanad’. Odisha deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo sought dedicated budget allocations and resources for large-scale infrastructure projects, such as industrial parks and corridors, electricity grids and railway infrastructure. Chhattisgarh finance minister O P Choudhary demanded financial assistance for the development of the state capital region — Nava Raipur — as an industrial hub. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the media that on the issue of devolution of taxes, most finance ministers agreed to raise the issue at the finance commission. Conciliatory tone at GST Council meet D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi E X PRE S S RE A D K r i s h n a K u m a r K E @Kochi States raise issue of borrowing limit in pre-budget meeting Kozhikode: Accusing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of aligning with the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Social Democratic Party of India for electoral gains, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday called on Muslim League leaders to introspect over whether they had lost face over the collaboration. P5 4 Congress leaders in Kasaragod expelled Kasaragod: The Congress state leadership has removed four leaders in Kasaragod from the primary membership of the party for attending the wedding reception of the son of Periya double murder accused. The action follows a report by the inquiry panel appointed by the KPCC to probe the allegations. P5 In her first GST Council meeting after assuming the role of finance minister in the new government, Nirmala Sitharaman was in a conciliatory mood as she reiterated that the Central government does not intend to send GST notices to businesses left, right and centre. “I want to reassure assessees that our intent is to make the GST assessees’ life easier. We are working towards less and less compliances,” she said at the fag end of the press briefing called to announce the decisions made in the 53rd GST Council. To buttress her point, she underlined that the Central GST department has sent notices to only 1,14,939 assessees, or 1.96% of the total 58.63 lakh active assesses till 31 December 2023. “Our intention is to make it easier and simpler, less cumbersome,” she added. The same conciliatory tone was reflected in the GST Council decisions as it decided in favour of taxpayers in many ongoing thorny issues, including introducing the sunset clause Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs the GST Council meet | PTI for anti-profiteering provisions, exemption of GST on corporate guarantees, and reducing the amount of pre-deposit for filing of appeals under GST. The Council also decided to exclude Extra Neutral Alcohol used for manufacture of alcoholic liquor for human consumption under the ambit of GST. Some of the decisions would directly impact the common man. The Council decided to exempt some services provided by the Railways, such as sale of platform tickets, facility of retiring rooms/waiting rooms, cloak room services and battery-operated car services. To deal with fake invoicing, the Council decided to roll out nationwide Aadhaar-based authentication of registered taxpayers in a phased manner. Sporting life Sports help refugees build bridges, integrate into society this newspaper highlighted the beauty of sport and its role in helpTHIRTY-SIX athletes with as many ing athletes integrate into society. tales training in 12 disciplines, host- Her words were at times John Lened by 15 countries representing nonesque: ‘there is no country or more than 120 million disreligion too...’ placed people across the “I am so lucky to be world. All unified through Sunday chef the mission of a sport. The International Olteam Special ferent that’s from difympic Committee’s (IOC) cultures, speaks Refugee Olympic Team is not different languages,” just a team, it’s an amalgamashe said. “I suffered a lot tion of myriad emotions, stories of of discrimination because of resilience and hope. my nation and of my ethThe sentiments echoed by the nicity... We are from difteam’s chef de mission, Masomah ferent countries. The OlAli Zada, during an interaction with ympic Games is the In d r a nee l d a s @ Chennai moment they will realise their dream.” Masomah, who was forced to flee Afghanistan for pursuing her passion, cycling, because of the Taliban government’s hostilities towards women playing sport, said the only thing that kept each of them sane while waiting for endless paperwork was sport. “When we arrive in a new country, we have to wait for paperwork and it’s a long process. Dur- Masomah Ali Zada ing this period, we cannot do anything. We cannot learn the language. We don’t have access to education so we wait. Sport is the only possibility that helps refugees to just pass the time and wait. Most refugees in this period try to play a sport, also to rem a i n h e a l t hy, m e n t a l ly a n d physically .” Masomah felt despite athletes not representing a country, refugees have the right to compete at the Olympic Games. “They have a lot of talent. They just need a chance. I know that it’s really difficult to be a refugee, but still, we have to keep going,” Masomah. P11
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