UGC-NET 2024 New Schedule: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced important dates for aspiring researchers in India. The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) will be conducted in a computer-based test (CBT) mode this year, a shift from the earlier pen and paper format.

The UGC NET exam will be held between August 21 and September 4, 2024. The CSIR NET exam, on the other hand, is scheduled for July 25-27, 2024. Both these exams are crucial for candidates seeking lectureships and research fellowships in Indian universities and research institutions.

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency has also confirmed that the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) 2024 will proceed as planned on July 6th.

The UGC-NET-2024 exam for the selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 18 in two shifts across the country. The exam was postponed after the government said that the “integrity of the examination may have been compromised”.

Ministry of Education had cancelled the UGC-NET exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency, just a day after it was held. Over 9 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam.

For the past few days, student organisations have been staging protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG and the cancellation of UGC-NET exams. The Union Education Ministry responded, stating that the reported malpractices were limited in scope and isolated incidents. They emphasised that it would be unfair to penalise the careers of the many candidates who legitimately passed these exams.
 

Expressing his condolences to the family of the taxi driver who was killed after a portion of the roof collapsed at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 on Friday morning, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the ministry swung into action immediately and everyone was evacuated from the terminal as a precautionary measure.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Mr Naidu – who took charge of the ministry on June 13 – also listed the steps that the government is taking to ensure that the tragedy does not happen again and emphasised that the safety and comfort of passengers is his top priority.

The cab driver was killed and five others were injured in the collapse, which occurred around 5.30 am at Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is one of the world’s busiest airports. Operations were stopped at the terminal for the rest of the day, leading to IndiGo and SpiceJet, the only two airlines that operate from there, cancelling some flights and moving others to Terminals 2 and 3. 

“It is an unfortunate accident, especially in the very early days of me taking charge of the ministry. As soon as I knew that such an incident happened, I wanted to rush to the airport. It was a little challenging at the time considering there was heavy rain and there was traffic congestion across Delhi, but one thing I have to mention is the kind of encouragement I got from PM Narendra Modi. He called me immediately and gave me the encouragement and guidance on how to handle such a crisis,” Mr Naidu, who went to the airport soon after the accident, said.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader said the injured were rushed to hospitals immediately and the ministry is ensuring that proper medical care is given to them. 

“One of the first things we did was to evacuate the entire building as a precautionary measure. All flight operations from T1 were also stopped and, to avoid passenger inconvenience, we transferred all the traffic to T2 and T3, where additional manpower was provided,” he said.

War Room

Sharing details of a review meeting he had with the Civil Aviation secretary and officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India, among others, the minister said a 24X7 war room has been set up so that passengers can get refunds within seven days or an “alternate choice of travel”. Helpline numbers have also been given.

Highlighting the advisory to airlines against raising airfares on routes to and from Delhi, the minister said the focus is also on trying to find out why the collapse happened. 

IIT Team

When it was pointed out to him that a portion of the canopy at the Jabalpur airport had also fallen on Thursday, Mr Naidu said, “There have been two back-to-back incidents and we were very concerned. A structural engineering team from IIT Delhi has also been brought in to investigate… A team is also being sent to Jabalpur. All of the nearly 157 airports in the country will see a structural inspection being done. I have asked for a report on my table within two to five days.”

“When we get the reports, we will see what needs to be done, whether it is regulation or a policy framework. Passenger convenience and safety has been my motto right from day one of taking charge of the ministry,” he assured. 

When he was asked about visiting the injured in the hospital and thanking the staff members involved in the rescue operation, Mr Naidu said he had done so because he was concerned and also wanted to express his gratitude. 

“I wanted to give that sense of confidence that the government is there for them and the minister is there for them. It’s through these gestures that I want to send a message to the people of the country that the Civil Aviation Ministry is your ministry; we care and we are listening to you,” he said.

‘Political Brownie Points’

On the opposition claiming that the roof fell in the terminal that was inaugurated by PM Modi three months ago, Mr Naidu stressed that this was not the case. 

“This is fake news. The collapse happened in a part of a building that was constructed and inaugurated in 2009. This is not an excuse, but linking it to the inauguration is totally fake news. I don’t think this is where people should try to score political brownie points… I wanted to see political maturity,” he said.   

Even as the whispers about a possible leadership change in Manipur continue to get louder, Chief Minister Biren Singh has admitted that some MLAs from his party and its allies are in Delhi, but rubbished talk of their visit having anything to do with his resignation.

Over the past few days, there have been reports that a section of MLAs from the BJP and its allies, Naga People’s Front (NPF), National People’s Party (NPP) and JDU, are pushing for the chief minister to step down. 

Sources said that efforts to convince the BJP leadership to replace Mr Singh have been mounted several times since he became the chief minister in 2017 and gathered steam after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 last year, but yielded no results. 

What’s different this time, however, is that the BJP has had to pay an electoral cost, having lost both of Manipur’s Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in the just-concluded polls.

On Friday, the chief minister said there had been a meeting with NDA allies – who have 53 of the state’s 60 Assembly seats between them, with the BJP alone accounting for 37 – the previous night, and it was decided that a memorandum for lasting peace in Manipur would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We also discussed going to Delhi for a courtesy call with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The MLAs entrusted me with getting the appointment, but since the Parliament is on and things are so hectic, I thought why should I disturb? When the meeting happens, I will also go. But some people have gone ahead. This has nothing to do with a resignation. Around 35 MLAs were present yesterday and we signed the memorandum,” Mr Singh said.

“We are also grateful to the PM and Mr Shah that they have put Manipur on their list of priorities for the first 100 days (of the new NDA term). Mr Shah has also held meetings with various agencies and our gratitude was part of the resolution,” he added. 

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293. 

The ‘Almost’ Resignation 

Last June, when the pressure on his government was near its peak, the chief minister had almost quit. A minister had claimed he has left for the governor’s house with his resignation, but had turned back because of a human chain formed by hundreds of women in his support outside his residence in Imphal. It had also been claimed that his resignation letter was snatched from two ministers and torn up by people who wanted Mr Singh to remain the chief minister.

The opposition had dubbed the entire sequence of events a carefully orchestrated drama. 

Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester.