BHUBANESWAR SATURDAY JULY 27, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 12 LATE 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 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 Mamata, Soren to attend NITI Aayog council meet today Some facts and figures from the Opening Ceremony M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi 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 chief ministers of Opposition-ruled states. The meet will discuss a range of issues, including a Viksit Bharat@2047 document. “If they allow me to record our voice, I will do so. Else, I will leave in protest. I will try to speak on behalf of our state. As far as I know, Hemant (Soren) is also going to speak for his state. On behalf of us (INDIA Mamata Banerjee bloc), we will speak for everybody,” Mamata said in Kolkata. Upon her arrival in Delhi, she went ballistic against the NITI Aayog, sayHemant Soren ing it should be scrapped and the Planning Commission brought back. “Since the NITI Aayog came up, I have not seen a single work being done because they don’t have power. Earlier, there was a Planning Commission.... at that time I saw there was a system,” she charged. As for Viksit Bharat@2047, sources said it is a vision document on making India a developed economy of $30 trillion by 2047. “In 2023, NITI Aayog was entrusted with the task of consolidating the 10 sector-wise thematic visions into a combined vision for ViksitBharat @2047. The vision encompasses various aspects of development,” a senior official said. The governing council includes all CMs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of NITI Aayog. 85 No. of boats Indian athletes wave their national flags from a boat on the Seine River in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday | AP SURREAL CEREMONY OPENS PARIS GAMES T HE Eiffel Tower stood attentive, as if trying to capture the moment that will forever be embossed in the annals of Olympic history, adorned with a bouquet of adjectives: outrageous, bold, wild, yet beautiful and sublime. The Seine flowed majestically as ever beside it. The Trocadero stood on the other side where the dignitaries sat in the immersive settings of the Opening Ceremony . It all began at 7.30 pm Paris time, with football legend Zinedine Zidane starting off things in a humorous skit. On a wet evening, Paris did not need an invocation of the spirits or intervention from diTNIE @ OLYMPICS vinity For once, . INDRANEEL DAS the city that had been an inspiraPARIS tion for many poets, artists, writers and composers was its own muse. From the depths of its heart, it sang melodious tunes and ushered in a new-age world of sport — an apt reflection of the central theme of unity and brotherhood the Opening Ceremony tried to showcase. On Friday the city wished for , a dry evening. But the day started on a damp note. The biggest wish on Friday would have been to keep the rains away There was some rain but . not heavy enough to send the joyous crowd home. The gigan- Paradigm shift as PSU sale put on ice DISINVESTMENT PROCEEDS (IN ` CRORE) 50,000 50K 40K 35,293 16,500 30K 32,885 20K 10K 2024-25* 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 * Budget Estimate | Source: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management D I PA 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. Delegations 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 170 Cameras 200 Rehearsal days 2,000 Artists 1,800 Costumes 78 Indian athletes in parade Indian group led by PV Sindhu and A Sharath Kamal, had 78 athletes & officials from 12 different sporting disciplines Majhi announces 10% reservation for Agniveers in Odisha E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar 50,300 13,534 tic screens on the course of the river captured every movement of the 85 boats ferrying about 6800 athletes over 6 km cheered by over 3,00,000 spectators congregating on the banks on various stages to watch their favourite athletes float by; like how dreams float in the air. The Games are an opportunity to celebrate Paris in its essence. ‘Us’ is the underlying theme and the ceremony was an amalgamation of history and innovation, heritage and creativity. It celebrated a city that has always been imbued with thought, art, festivity and daring, a world-city where the plurality of living together first emerged, birthing along with it, the possibility of an ‘Us’. The challenge was keeping the audience engaged while the athletes sailed on their boats. Parkour, another reflection of modern urban sport, was like an interlude fusing the 12 tableau and while each composer presented their story. Lady Gaga did her gig too. The parade of boats along the Seine continued into the evening as athletes danced, waved their flags and wore their smiles easily From Satur. day though, the festivities will , be replaced by the world’s best athletes going against each other for global glory. Let the P11 games begin. 205 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 holdings 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 . Disinvestment Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey recently disclosed that the Reserve Bank of India might soon give clearance on fit and proper criteria for the prospective investors. CHIEF Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced a 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in all uniformed services of the state. Joining a host of states which made similar announcements marking the 25th anniversary of India’s Kargil victory, Majhi said Odisha will also provide five years of age relaxation to the Agniveers who are not absorbed in the defence services. Speaking to mediapersons before he left for New Delhi to attend NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, the chief minister said soldiers are pride of the country and the Agniveers, trained by the defence forces, are qualified to serve the nation in various security related sectors. Terming the Agniveer scheme a historic initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Majhi said the initiative has made youths of the country able and fearless so that they can face various challenges in life. “That is why the Odisha government has decided to recruit Agniveers in the state’s uniformed services,” he added. Not just Odisha, states including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh announced a similar reservation for the Agniveers in their police and other uniformed jobs. MODI CALLS OUT PAK FOR TERROR ON KARGIL ANNIV Says Agnipath scheme was implemented at the behest of the armed forces for reforms M AYA N K S I 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. “Our bravehearts will trample all the terror attempts.” Modi paid homage to the bravehearts, who made the supreme 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-Padum-Darcha Prime Minister Modi pays tribute at the Kargil war martyrs, in Dras on Friday | PTI I salute the brave sons of the country who made the supreme sacrifice to protect the motherland. India will overcome all challenges that come in the way of development Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. The Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of the Army and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh. Lauding the defence forces for the reforms in the defence sector, Modi dwelt at length on the Agnipath scheme. “The purpose of the Agnipath scheme is to keep forces young and continuously battle-ready,” Modi asser ted, while criticising its politicisation. “The truth is that the Agnipath scheme will increase the strength of the forces and the country will get capable youth,” he added. Modi sought to reset the perception that Agnipath was merely a pension-saving scheme. “We have respected the decision taken by the armed forces (on Agnipath) because for us the security is more important than politics.”
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