On Friday, the Congress party hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government over reports that the Centre had halted the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) in order to provide scholarships to deserving students.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that a “public relations (PR) exercise was prioritized over a vision for progress.

She emphasized that the NTSE Scholarship, established in 1963, has significantly impacted the futures of many children by facilitating access to quality education and contributing to national development. Vadra referred to a news report indicating that the NTSE scholarship had been suspended for the past three years.

“Yet, the Pariksha Pe Charcha continues for the Prime Minister’s personal publicity. In the last three years, ₹40 crore could have been allocated for scholarships, while ₹62 crore has been spent on publicity,” Vadra remarked.

She expressed concern that the discontinuation of scholarships for thousands of students has seemingly closed the door to a promising future, while the Prime Minister’s PR efforts persist unabated.

On January 9, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also raised similar points, noting that the scholarship had been discontinued three years ago under the pretext of controlling spending on scholarships. “However, the non-biological PM has continued with a PR campaign labeled Pariksha Pe Charcha, wasting around ₹62 crore. This is what we call ‘Entire Political Science,’” he added.

Reports indicate that the government has allocated over ₹62 crore for Pariksha Pe Charcha, an annual event where Prime Minister Modi offers advice to schoolchildren on how to approach exams. During these three years, the scholarship program designed for schoolchildren up to doctoral levels—linked to the National Talent Search Examination—was suspended after the education ministry instructed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to put the examination on hold.

Had the scholarship program continued, total expenditures over the past three years would have been less than ₹40 crore, based on previous spending patterns. Some government officials suggested that suspending the Talent Search Exam was part of an effort to reduce scholarship-related expenditures.

Many academics and parents have raised questions about the government’s priorities, asserting that Pariksha Pe Charcha amounts to little more than a repeated “public relations” and “self-glorification” initiative by the Prime Minister, whereas the scholarship could significantly benefit students.

Pariksha Pe Charcha is conducted in January or February at a venue in Delhi, where students from various states and schools gather. Modi responds to a selection of pre-screened audience questions as well as some pre-recorded ones, with expenses covered by the education ministry.

Five members of a family, including three young children aged eight, four, and one, were found murdered in their home, with their bodies stuffed in sacks and hidden in a bed box, police said on Friday. The brutal killings have sent shockwaves through the Uttar Pradesh town of Meerut.

Two individuals have been detained in connection with the shocking murders, and several other suspects have also been taken into custody as investigations unfolded following the discovery of the bodies on the night of January 9. The parents were discovered wrapped in bedsheets, and all five victims suffered from severe head injuries and slash marks on their necks.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada stated that, based on a complaint lodged by the relatives of the deceased woman, a case has been filed against three named suspects and other unidentified individuals. He confirmed that two named suspects and several others are currently being questioned.

The bodies of the husband and wife were located wrapped in bedsheets, while the bodies of their three children were discovered stuffed into the storage compartment of a bed in the family’s home, located in the densely populated Suhail Garden area, under the jurisdiction of the Lisari Gate police station.

SSP Tada mentioned that one named suspect is currently on the run, and police teams have been assigned to locate and apprehend him. He assured that all evidence is being collected and expressed confidence that the case will be resolved soon.

The victims have been identified as Moin, also known as Moinuddin (52), his wife Asma (45), and their daughters Afsah (8), Aziza (4), and Adeeba (1). According to police reports, Asma’s brother, Shamim, filed a formal complaint late at night, alleging the involvement of Asma’s younger sister-in-law, Nazrana, and her two brothers in the suspected murders.

SSP Tada, who visited the crime scene on Thursday night, indicated that the family’s house was secured from the outside when concerned neighbors and locals checked on the family. The bodies were discovered after they gained access through the roof.

“The locked state of the house suggests that the perpetrator may have been familiar with the family,” Tada noted, adding that initial investigations point to an old grudge as a potential motive behind the horrific incident.

The SSP further revealed that one of the deceased’s legs was found tied with a bedsheet, and a forensic team, along with senior officers, is compiling evidence. The family, who had recently relocated to the area, is also being investigated for their background for further details.

Moin, a mechanic, and Asma had been unaccounted for since Wednesday. According to police, Moin’s brother Salim was the first to discover the gruesome scene when he went to check on the family after becoming worried about his brother’s absence. Salim had initially arrived at Moin’s house with his wife and, after multiple attempts to gain entry failed, was ultimately forced to break in with the help of neighbors.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi today slammed Larsen and Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour work week demand, suggesting it reeks of wanting to be new age slave drivers.

Taking to social media platform X, the Shiv Sena MP said that besides being misogynistic, this statement reeks of wanting to be the new age slave drivers of India.

Recently, Larsen and Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan triggered an online outrage with his remark, asking people to work for 90 hours a week. In an undated video, L&T chief said that he regrets that he is not able to make employees work on Sundays. He added that if he can make employees work on Sundays, he will be happier, because he works on Sundays.

He further questioned what people do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working, he added.

Later, the company in a statement issued a clarification on Subrahmanyan’s remarks, describing it in the context of extraordinary efforts required for achieving extraordinary outcomes for the nation.

In a statement, the L&T spokesperson said that they believe this is India’s decade, and a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise their shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary effort, the statement continued.

Earlier, Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy, too, had a few months back advocated a 70-hour work week. He said that India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world, and requested that youngsters must say that it is their country, and they want to work 70 hours a week.