Education Ministry announces cancellation of UGC-NET; CBI probe ordered

The Education Ministry announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination after inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs suggested that the integrity of the examinations had been compromised. The University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test is conducted by the National Testing Agency. The development comes at a time when the NTA is embroiled in a controversy over irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical and allied courses.

At least 9 die after consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi

At least nine persons including a woman died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district. While six of them died in Kallakurichi, three others succumbed in neighbouring Salem district. It is feared the toll could go up. Only last year, at least 22 persons had died in twin hooch tragedies in nearby Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts.

Official data: more frequent surveys, quicker results on the cards

The Centre is eyeing an increase in the frequency of some critical official Surveys, including the periodic survey to measure employment, and releasing their results faster to facilitate timely and informed policy decisions, a top Statistics Ministry official said on June 19.

Centre raises paddy MSP by ₹117 to ₹2,300 per quintal for 2024-25

The government raised the minimum support price for paddy by 5.35% to ₹2,300 per quintal for the 2024-25 kharif marketing season. The hike in paddy support price comes despite the government sitting on surplus rice stocks, but it is significant ahead of elections in states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

Canadian Parliament holds moment of silence for Nijjar killing anniversary; India says it will mourn Kanishka victims

Canadian parliamentarians stood for a moment of silence to mark one year since the killing of Khalistani separatist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a sign that bilateral ties between India and Canada are likely to spiral further downwards, despite a meeting between the two countries’ Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau, in Italy on June 14. Khalistani groups were also allowed to take out processions in different Canadian cities, where they shouted anti-India slogans over the killing and called for a trial against Indian officials and Mr. Modi.

The Hindu’s senior photojournalist Nissar Ahmad passes away in Srinagar — an obituary

A camera shutter that captured the multiple phases of Kashmir’s turbulent history shut forever with the demise of senior photojournalist of The Hindu, Nissar Ahmad, in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar. Mr. Ahmad, 59, started his journalistic career in the late 1980s. He has the distinction of working with reputed Urdu dailies published from Kashmir, which include the Aftaab and the Alsafa. His work brought to light the violent phase of Kashmir’s history in the early 1990s when he started working with the widely-respected Jammu-based newspaper, the Kashmir Times. 

Madhya Pradesh suspends licence of Som Distilleries over child labour row

The Madhya Pradesh Government temporarily suspended the licence of Som Distilleries, a liquor factory in Raisen district. Authorities rescued 59 children from the factory last week amid allegations they were made to toil in the factory. An inspection was conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on a complaint by the non-profit Bachpan Bachao Andolan on June 15. The inspectors said, 39 boys and 20 girls were rescued from the liquor manufacturing unit.

Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly polls, Sharad Pawar launches Baramati blitz to challenge nephew Ajit’s hold over constituency 

After trouncing his nephew Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party in the Lok Sabha election, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has begun a whirlwind campaign in the Baramati Assembly segment in a bid to supplant the younger Pawar in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. On June 19, the 83-year-old Mr. Sharad Pawar, on a three-day tour of drought-affected villages in Baramati, expressed confidence in the NCP (SP) coming to power in Maharashtra after the Assembly election.

CISF yet to get formal orders to take over Parliament security

The Central Industrial Security Force is yet to receive formal orders to take over the security at the Parliament, officials told The Hindu. In the past few months, over 2,500 CISF personnel have been deployed on the premises replacing the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Force. CISF has assumed some key duties earlier assigned to the Parliament Security Service such as issuance of pass and facilitating the entry of MPs.

Demolition drive in Lucknow: More than 1,200 illegal structures razed in Akbarnagar

“The demolition work of illegal buildings on the river bed of Kukrail river in Akbarnagar has been completed,” officials of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) said. “Around 1,169 illegal residential properties and more than 100 commercial properties were demolished using heavy machinery, including bulldozers,” they said.

Renukaswamy died due to shock and haemorrhage, says post-mortem report 

The post-mortem report of Renukaswamy, who was allegedly murdered by actor Darshan and his associates, according to documents obtained by The Hindu, has concluded that “the death is due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries”. Police sources said it was the post-mortem report that threw light on the victim being administered electric shocks, a fact that the police did not know and the accused had tried to suppress.

Restore statues of leaders to their original position in Parliament complex: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman that the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and other national leaders that were relocated and placed at the newly inaugurated Prerna Sthal inside the Parliament complex should be restored to their original place.

Stood against hatred: Congress, INDIA bloc leaders hail Rahul Gandhi on birthday

Birthday wishes poured in for Rahul Gandhi as he turned 54 with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge saying that his qualities of unwavering commitment to the values espoused in the Constitution and his emphatic compassion for the millions of unheard voices set him apart. Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress president and MP from Rae Bareli, has instructed all Congress workers to avoid any grand celebrations and instead celebrate this occasion by engaging in humanitarian efforts and charity.

Sri Lanka needs to connect with India to benefit from its industrial success: President Wickremesinghe

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said Sri Lanka needs to connect with neighbouring India to reap the benefits of its massive industrial development. “Our neighbour India is going through a phase of massive industrial development. Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are experiencing it. We must also join in,” said Mr. Wickremesinghe in his address at the Industry 2024 event in Colombo.

Monsoon gathering pace, to strengthen in Maharashtra by June 21-22: IMD

The south-west monsoon, which has slowed down after hitting Mumbai, is gathering pace and is expected to progress further by June 21-22, an official of the India Meteorological Department said. The progress of the monsoon will provide a much-needed relief to north India, which is reeling under an intense heatwave.

Mizoram awaits Centre instruction to initiate biometric enrollment for Myanmar refugees

“The Mizoram government is waiting for instruction from the Centre to initiate biometric enrollment for more than 33,000 Myanmar refugees in the northeastern State,” a Home Department official said. The official said that a new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared. In April last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had directed Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to capture the biometric and biographic details of “illegal immigrants” in their States.

AI creating false stories about World War II, Holocaust: UNESCO

AI technology is helping to create false stories about World War II atrocities including Holocaust denial, risking an “explosive spread of anti-Semitism”, the U.N. warned. The U.N.’s education and culture body UNESCO called for governments and tech companies to introduce ethical safeguards around AI technology, and for schools to spread the word about the risks of AI-generated content.

Israel may have violated laws of war in Gaza campaign, UN rights office says

Israeli forces may have repeatedly violated fundamental principles of the laws of war and failed to distinguish between civilians and fighters in their Gaza Strip military campaign, the United Nations human rights office said. In a report assessing six Israeli attacks that caused a high number of casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, the U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces “may have systematically violated the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.”

You are one of the greats: Wesley Hall tells Kohli

Legendary West Indies pacer Wesley Hall has seen a lot of great batters over the years and in his opinion, Indian superstar Virat Kohli belongs right at the top with the all-time legends of the game. The 86-year-old from Barbados, who formed a lethal bowling partnership with Charlie Griffith in the 1960s, also feels that the modern day West Indies players can’t be expected to turn down million-dollar contracts in franchise cricket though it does impact the health of Test cricket in the region.