The drone was found by Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police personnel in the field near Noorwala village during a search operation on Friday

The government has opted to not cancel the medical entrance examination NEET, despite a raging controversy and an ongoing investigation of the paper being leaked a day before the exam. Explaining their stand, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the leak affected only a limited number of students, contrasting sharply with previous incidents in 2004 and 2015 where broader leaks led to exam cancellations. He said that cancelling the exam would affect lakhs of students who cleared the examination rightfully.

He also said that the case is being heard by the Supreme Court, and any decision taken by the court will be the final one.

A row erupted after 67 students scored a perfect 720 in the NEET-UG exam, and the National Testing Agency clarified that they had given grace marks to some students due to a wrong question and delay in candidates getting the question paper late.

Nearly 24 lakh students participated in the NEET-UG 2024 examination for undergraduate medical programs, administered by the NTA, held on May 5. The results were released ahead of schedule on June 4. However, controversy arose with claims of a question paper leak and the awarding of grace marks to more than 1,500 students, leading to widespread protests and legal actions, including cases filed in various courts, notably the Supreme Court, which has strongly criticised the NTA’s handling of the matter.

The Centre has refused to cancel the exam as the leak is believed to be localised and only a couple of students from Bihar were the beneficiaries. A student and three other accused have been arrested and are being questioned in Bihar.

Terming the leak of the UGC-NET exam’s question paper an “institutional failure” of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Mr Pradhan said the government will constitute a high-level panel to look into the functioning of the agency, but said that there was no need to cancel the exam.

“It is unfair to hold hostage the career of those candidates who have rightfully cleared the exam because of some isolated incidents of malpractice,” Mr Pradhan said at a press conference in New Delhi.

“We are in constant touch with the Bihar Police. We have sought a report from them. Once we have it, we will decide the future course of action. I take full responsibility and anomalies in the system will be rectified. Let us have faith in our systems and no irregularities or malpractices will be tolerated by the government,” the minister said.

He also appealed to the opposition parties not to politicise the issue and said strict action would be taken against those found guilty, including “top” officials of the NTA.

The Ministry of Education has expedited its response to the issue, acknowledging concerns over grace marks and affirming that these have already been appropriately addressed.

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has anger issues, a co-star has claimed amid allegations that he got a man killed for posting lewd comments about his co-star Pavithra Gowda.

Anusha Rai, another co-star of Darshan, said in a recent interview she couldn’t believe that the actor was involved in the murder case and that he was a very humble and caring person.

“He has anger issues, but he is also very humble and good. He doesn’t get angry about everything. People talk to him carefully. When I speak to him, I keep within my limits. Darshan has openly admitted in interviews that he has anger issues,” she told Hindustan Times.

She, however, said she wasn’t aware of Darshan’s relationship with Pavithra. Ms Rai also expressed concern about the actor’s wife and 15-year-old child, who are facing hate comments online.

“They need to be left in peace,” she said.

Renuka Swamy, a 33-year-old resident of Chitradurga in Karnataka, was allegedly tortured and killed by Darshan and his fans after they kidnapped him from his home on June 8. Next morning, his body was found in a drain in Bengaluru.

His autopsy found 15 wounds on his body and revealed that he died of shock and haemorrhage.

Darshan, a popular name in the Kannada film industry, was arrested two days later from his Mysuru farmhouse. Pavithra, his co-star, has been named the main accused in the case, and is also in custody. 

Actor Sanjjanaa Galrani, who has worked with him, had earlier told NDTV that he was a “demigod figure” in the Kannada industry and that his arrest marked a “black day” for the artistes.

On Darshan’s “temperamental nature” and past controversies, Ms Galrani had defended him saying he was a “soft-spoken gentleman” with a respectful and gentle nature.

“The person being spoken about in the news and the person that I know feel like two different personalities,” she had stated.