KOLLAM l saturday l july 27, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION NEET-UG 2024 Ranks change as nta RELEASES final revised RESULTS The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced the final results of the controversy ridden medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024 Representational Image 44 toppers lose 5 marks after revision Now, 17 candidates share All India Rank 1 Final results were released after the Supreme Court dismissed pleas seeking re-test. The earlier scores were revised taking into account SC’s decision on the correct answer to an ambiguous physics question, which NTA said had two answers. As a consequence, 5 marks were cut from those who chose the incorrect option. They include 44 students who had scored full marks earlier ■ With the announcement of the final results of the medical entrance test, 17 candidates now share the top rank, down from 61 in the revised results ■ Among the 17 toppers with All India Rank 1, four are from Rajasthan, three from Maharashtra, two each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Chandigarh, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal 23,33,297 Number OF STUDENTS WHO APPEARED FOR THE 2024 MEDICAL ENTRANCE TEST 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 No other capital city as unhygienic as T’Puram, says HC Modi calls out E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi Highlighting the “pathetic” condition of Thiruvananthapuram due to waste, the Kerala High Court on Friday said no other capital city was i n s u c h a n u n hy g i e n i c condition. During a special sitting it held following the death of a sanitation worker who had gone missing in the filth-filled Amayizhanchan canal, the division bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath also suggested the authorities visit Sri Lanka to understand its waste management methods. The HC observed that the report of the amici curiae appointed to assess the condition of Amayizhanchan canal in Thiruvananthapuram, presented an embarrassing situation for the state. “Thiruvananthapuram is currently in a dire state. Nowhere else can you find a capital city in such an unhygienic condition. All capital cities in the world are...visual treat. Even in India, most of the capital cities are visual treats. But the report of the amici curiae pointed out that every part of Thiruvananthapuram is piled up by garbage. How could this happen in a place which is under the nose of the government,” asked the bench. It suggested that authorities visit countries like Sri Lanka to understand their waste management methods. “If you want to understand how cities are kept clean, you don’t have to travel far. Just go to Sri Lanka and see the number of tourists visiting the country and the cleanliness of the roads and streets. You can’t find a single piece of litter. Sri Lanka is not a rich country,” the bench commented. It also referenced Singapore’s waste management techniques, where plastic waste is burnt to generate substantial energy, such as electricity. The court urged authorities to seek expert help and adopt waste management techniques used in ● More on P4 other countries. Mamata, Soren to attend NITI Aayog meet today M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi Some facts and figures from the Opening Ceremony 85 No. of boats 205 Delegations Emma Terho (second from left), Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and IOC President Thomas Bach (centre) take part in the Olympic Village Torch Relay on Friday | AP P Rail Scare before Games inaugural ARIS woke up to a wet morning. There was rain in the air and prediction was grim. But what more worrying was the news of a “coordinated and malicious acts of vandalism” on some of the busiest train lines in Europe. Almost all newspapers on the continent screamed with headlines about the incident. There was momentary chaos and the buildup to the Opening Ceremony picked up as the day progressed. Yet, the news was a topic of discussion all over the city as travel plans of hundreds were hit. Reports indicate that three out of four fast lines were af- E X PRESS READ Tiruvalla couple sets car ablaze, dies by suicide Pathanamthitta: A couple in their sixties was charred to death in their car in a suicide attempt at Vengal in Tiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district on Friday. The victims were identified as Raju Thomas, 69, and his wife Laiji Thomas, 63, both residents of Thukalassery in Tiruvalla. Tiruvalla DySP Ashad S confirmed it was suicide. “It is learnt that family issues prompted them to take the extreme step. Their only son is in a de-addiction centre. They also had financial problems,” he said. P5 TNIE @ olympics Indraneel Das Paris fected after miscreants burnt the cables controlling the signals. The Eurorail that also connects London and Paris has cancelled 25 per cent of the trains. German news agency DPA, reported that the two , athletes on one of the trains affected were forced to miss the Ceremony Whether it was . due to the train ‘vandalism’ or a precautionary measure, a few hours before the Ceremony a section of the Main Press , Centre (MPC) at the Palais des Congress was cordoned off. There were conflicting reports within the premises but volunteers at the help desk explained that security found “an unwanted bag” and did not want to take any chances. The greatest sporting show on earth aptly opened with the greatest show on the Seine. In Thomas Jolly’s (the artistic director of the Opening Ceremony), words, “The Seine is now a goddess, she had two gifts: the power to heal and the power to grant wishes.” The ‘us’ is the underlying theme and the show, according to Jolly has been an amal, gamation of ‘history and inn ov a t i o n , h e r i t a g e a n d creativity . 6,800 Attending athletes 6KM Distance between Pont d’Austerlitz (starting point) and the Pont d’lena (end) 3.2L Spectators in 124 ground stands 320,000 170 Cameras 200 Rehearsal days 2,000 Artists Factional feud: Sudhakaran, Satheesan draw daggers Cyn t h i a Chand r an @T’Puram With the competition and one-upmanship between state Congress chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan breaching the limits and threatening to dampen the spirits of the party workers stirred up by the Lok Sabha election results, many senior leaders think it’s time for the high command to intervene and rein in the two leaders. A day after Sudhakaran snubbed him by cancelling a circular he issued in his capacity as the Congress legisla- ture party leader, an apparently annoyed Satheesan boycotted the Thiruvananthapuram district executive meeting, which he was scheduled to preside on Friday. The meeting was slated as part of the Congress’ ‘Mission 2025’ programme. The two leaders have shared a strained relation for quite some time. A few days ago, the Sudhakaran camp had approached the party national leadership against Satheesan, alleging that the LoP’s loyalists had been deliberately planting stories against the ● More on P4 KPCC chief. Paradigm shift as PSU sale put on ice D IPA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi IN a marked departure from its aggressive privatisation pitch in the past, the Narendra Modi-led government seems to have quietly put the disinvestment drive on the back burner. Confirming this paradigm shift, top government sources told this newspaper that privatisation of public sector companies is no longer a priority for the Centre. The new line of thinking is that there is great value to be unlocked in some of the State-owned entities on the block, and that it makes more sense in holding on to such enterprises and making them profitable than giving them away at low prices. “There has been a change of emphasis and a change of orientation, more towards a balanced view of the benefits of holding versus the benefits selling off. But disinvestment will continue, but will not be the sole priority said a source. ,” This, however, doesn’t mean privatisation plans are on hold; only that sell-off is no longer the priority of the government, which will continue to look for ways to pare down its hold- ings in some public sector entities. The Budget has estimated `50,000 collection from disinvestment in FY25. Last year, disinvestment proceeds stood at `16,500 crore against revised estimates of `30,000 crore. Despite its best efforts, the government could privatise only two PSUs – Air India and Neelanchal Ispat Nigam – so far. Stake sale in IDBI Bank is ongoing, and that is the only PSU which may go to a private entity as the government and LIC—which together hold 94.7% in the bank—look to sell 46% stake to a new entity . West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will participate in the ninth meeting of the NITI Aayog governing council on Saturday for some time if she is allowed to speak, as will her Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, amid a boycott by other CMs of Opposition-ruled states. The meet will discuss a range of is- Mamata Banerjee s u e s, i n c l u d i n g a Vi k s i t Bharat@2047 document. “If they allow me to record our voice, I will do so. Else, I will leave in protest. As far as I know, Hemant (Soren) is also going to speak for his state. On behalf of us (INDIA bloc), we will speak Hemant Soren for everybody Mamata said. ,” pak for Terror on Kargil anniv Says Agnipath scheme was implemented at the behest of the armed forces for reforms M AYA N K SI N G H @ Dras Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called out Pakistan for using proxy war to stay relevant, in his address to mark the 25th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil war. “Today I am speaking at , a place from where the masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their nefarious intentions will never succeed,” Modi said at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Ladakh. Referring to Pakistan’s deceit when India was making all efforts to maintain peace, he said, “Falsehood and terror were brought down to their knees by truth...We not only won the war, we presented an incredible example of truth, restraint and strength.” Modi asserted that the nefarious intentions of terrorists will never be fulfilled. Modi paid homage to the bravehearts, who made the su- Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at Kargil War Memorial in Dras on Friday | PTI preme sacrifice in the line of duty, on the occasion of 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas. He also witnessed the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project in Ladakh, virtually. The project consists of a 4.1 km long twin-tube tunnel to be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 ft on the Nimu-PadumDarcha Road to provide allweather connectivity to Leh. Lauding the defence forces for the reforms in the defence sector, Modi dwelt at length on the Agnipath scheme. “The pur pose of the Agnipath scheme is to keep forces young and continuously battleready Modi asserted. ,”
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