kottayam 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 capital city as unhygienic as T’Puram: HC E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi 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 Rail Scare before Games inaugural P 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 TNIE @ olympics three out of four fast Indraneel Das lines were affected after miscreants burnt Paris 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 un- wanted bag” and did not want to take any chances. The opening show 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 amalgamation of ‘history and innovation, heritage and creativity . Just before dinner local time, rain trickled and threatened to dampen the spirit of the Parisians as the Seine was draped in all its finery. Somehow, the day that had started on a worrying note, started to rejoice in the history The banks were full. Ac. cess to the stages erected on both banks was through layers of security checks. By evening, the boats went through the Seine and resembled an Armada – another reflection of France’s strong maritime presence in the historical past. The athletes were ferried to the starting point – Pont d’Austerlitz, where the story of Paris began. The historical diversity of Paris was reflected in the light and sound shown in and around Seine. Factional feud in Cong intensifies, Sudhakaran, Satheesan draw daggers Cyn t h i a Chan d 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 legislature 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 KPCC chief. On Thursday, Sudhakaran had called an online meeting of KPCC office-bearers where a few general secretaries targeted Satheesan for coming up with a circular on the strategy to be adopted for local body elections. Sudhakaran came out with a detailed six-page circular, cancelling Satheesan’s dossier. Sudhakaran, who is in Delhi as the parliament is in session, had no qualms in admitting that there were certain issues with Satheesan. But they would be resolved soon through talks, he said. However, Satheesan denied issuing ● More on P4 any circular. 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 1,800 Costumes 78 Indian athletes in parade Indian group led by PV Sindhu and A Sharath Kamal, will have 78 athletes & officials from 12 sporting disciplines 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 manage- ment 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. Modi calls out pak for Terror on Kargil anniv ‘Agnipath scheme implemented at behest of armed forces for reforms’ Mamata, Soren to attend NITI Aayog council meet today M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi 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. “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. PM Narendra Modi pays tribute at Kargil War Memorial 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 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 NimuPadum-Darcha 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 pur pose of the Agnipath scheme is to keep forces young and continuously battle-ready ,” Modi asserted, while criticising its politicisation. “The truth is that Agnipath scheme will increase the strength of the forces and the country will get capable youth,” he added. Paradigm shift as PSU sale put on ice DIPA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi IN a marked departure from its aggressive privatisation pitch in the past, the Narendra Modiled 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 Stateowned entities on the block, and that it makes more sense in holding on to such enterprises and making them profitable “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. Disinvestment proceeds (in G crore) 50,000 50K 40K 35,293 16,500 30K 50,300 32,885 13,534 20K 10K 2024-25* 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 * Budget Estimate | Source: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management 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 sell- ing 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 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 . 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 issues, including a Viksit Bharat@2047 document. “If they allow me to record our voice, I will do so. Else, I will Mamata Banerjee 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. Hemant Soren On behalf of us (INDIA bloc), we will speak for everybody,” Mamata said in Kolkata. Upon her arrival in Delhi, she went ballistic against the NITI Aayog, saying 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. E X PRESS READ Tiruvalla couple sets car ablaze, ends life 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 are Raju Thomas, 69, and his wife Laiji Thomas, 63, both residents of Thukalassery in Tiruvalla. Tiruvalla DySP Ashad S confirmed it was suicide. P5 Woman swindles `20 cr to fund online rummy craving, posh life E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @Thrissur The long arm of the law finally caught up with a 40-year-old woman who embezzled nearly `20 crore since 2020 by diverting funds from the personal loan account of the company where she had been working for the past 18 years. Dhanya Mohan, an assistant general manager and tech lead at Manappuram Comptech and Consultants Ltd (Macom), the IT product and services arm of the Thrissur-based Manappuram Finance, was taken into custody from Kollam on Friday Dhanya, . a resident of Nellimukku in Kollam, absconded when the fraud came to light on Tuesday , but surrendered before the Kollam East police at 6pm on Friday She was handed over to of. ficers from Valappad police station, where a case was registered. Kodungallur DySP Salish N S said Dhanya created fake accounts and diverted funds as ‘loans’ from the company’s digital personal loan account to her father and brother’s accounts. The embezzlement came under the police lens after Macom lodged a complaint against Dhanya on July 23 (Tuesday) for swindling `85 lakh from the company Following a thor. ough analysis of the accounts, the firm realised the sum was just a tip of the iceberg, and the total fraud amounted to `19.94 crore committed over a period from May 2020. Salish said Dhanya had been coming to office until the case was registered on July 23. “Soon after she learnt about the case, she left office citing health issues and did not respond to calls,” he said. He said the police have issued a lookout notice for Dhanya’s husband Mohan, who worked abroad and returned to Kerala recently . It is learnt Dhanya does not hold a passport. The police said Dhanya was addicted to online rummy games and spent a lot of money on it. They suspect she committed the crime due to her losses in online rummy. The Kodungallur DySP said she made fake accounts and diverted funds in the name of loans. “The exact way in which the transactions were carried out can be known only after we question her,” he said. Dhanya also spent a fortune on buying a house and land at Valappad. She also seems to have bought three luxury cars, all in the last four years.
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