India News
Tamil Nadu against NEET: Here’s why
A 19-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead in his home on Sunday in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district ahead of the Medical Entrance Exam NEET. This sparked a political controversy with opposition parties blaming the ruling DMK for not exempting the state from the test.

NEET or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is an all India pre-medical entrance test for students who wish to pursue undergraduate medical courses in government and private institutions in India and abroad.
However, after the enactment of NMC Act 2019 in September 2019, NEET-UG became the sole entrance test for admissions to medical colleges in India. Before NEET (UG) was implemented nationwide, states and some prestigious medical colleges like AIIMS, JIPMER, IMS-BHU, KMC, and CMC Vellore conducted their own entrance exams.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead in his home on Sunday in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district ahead of the Medical Entrance Exam NEET. This sparked a political controversy with opposition parties blaming the ruling DMK for not exempting the state from the test.
NEET was introduced in Tamil Nadu during the UPA regime when Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was part of it. The then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had managed exempt the state from NEET after getting presidential approval. However, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government could not get a similar exemption from its BJP ally when it came to power, even though the state assembly had passed a Bill against NEET.
Before NEET, Tamil Nadu considered class 12 board exam marks for admissions to private and government medical colleges. Therefore, following a Supreme Court ruling, NEET became a reality in 2017 in Tamil Nadu which had availed an exemption successfully until then. However, the state had abolished NEET exams for nearly a decade, saying it favours affluent as even brilliant poor students and those in rural areas are unable to afford private coaching.
Like any other exam, NEET too is marred by the tragedy of students dying by suicide. Over the last few years, 15 medical aspirants have died by suicide in the state.
A Dalit teenager, S Anitha, died by suicide in 2017 after failing in NEET, although she was a school topper with 98%. Her death led to widespread protests across the state. On 22 August 2017, the Supreme Court did not give Tamil Nadu an exemption from NEET in a case in which Anitha had impleaded herself.
Many voices in the state have opposed NEET and argued that the exam has not led to more deserving students but has only helped the mushrooming of private centres charging exorbitant fees.
Tamil Nadu has been offering free coaching to government and government-aided school students to prepare for NEET. Those for it say that while the rest of the country has taken up NEET, Tamil Nadu has to help its poor and rural students by giving them the right resources.
However, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin appealed to the students to not lose hope and that the government will bring a bill against NEET on Monday. The bill will seek the President’s assent to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET.
In other India news, What is the Tamil Nadu NEET exemption bill?
India News
Amritpal Singh case: Fugitive Khalistani leader’s gunman Gorkha Baba arrested by Punjab Police
Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a notorious associate and former gunman of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police on Thursday, officials said.

Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a notorious associate and former gunman of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police on Thursday, officials said.
A report quoted DSP Payal Harsimrat Singh of the Punjab Police as saying that Tejinder Singh, a resident of Punjab’s Mangewal village, was nabbed by the Khanna police.
DSP Harsimrat said Tejinder, who was a gunman for Amritpal Singh for a long period and often lived with the Waris Punjab De chief, is also involved in the Ajnala case. The officer said that Tejinder, also known as Gorkha Baba, was very active on social media and often posts pictures of himself brandishing different weapons due to which he’s wanted in a separate case registered against him at Malaud police station.
The official further said that Tejinder has been booked under sections 107/151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and two other aides who accompanied him, have also been taken into custody and are being questioned.
Read Also: Tamil Nadu man throws acid at wife inside Coimbatore court complex
She said that Tejinder had several cases, including liquor smuggling and assault, registered against him prior to this and he had already served time for those.
Earlier in the day, seven aides of Amritpal Singh brought to Amritsar’s Baba Bakala court amid heavy police presence where they were remanded to police custody till tomorrow.
In a statement, Senior Superintendent of Police Rural Amritsar Zone, Satinder Singh said the seven accused were nabbed along with six illegal 12-bore weapons and were booked under the Arms Act along with their leader Amritpal Singh, who is still at large.
Earlier today, the Punjab Police said that Amritpal Singh—the notorious pro-Khalistani separatist leader—changed five vehicles in 12 hours to stay a step ahead of law enforcement agencies and evade arrest.
Last month, Amritpal Singh and his supporters armed with swords and guns, stormed a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts of Amritsar city and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides Lovepreet Singh.
Jharkhand: Policeman steps on 4-day-old baby while searching a house, baby dies
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India News
Tamil Nadu man throws acid at wife inside Coimbatore court complex
In a shocking incident, a man allegedly hurled a bottle of acid on his wife and her lawyers at court complex in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, officials said.

In a shocking incident, a man allegedly hurled a bottle of acid on his wife and her lawyers at court complex in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, officials said.
According to the police, the victim, Kavitha had reached the district court complex in Coimbatore in connection with a hearing of a case when her husband, Sivakumar, brazenly threw a bottle of acid at her face, injuring her and at least three others in the attack.
The victims, Kavitha and her lawyers, sustained burn injuries in the acid attack and were rushed to a nearby government hospital for medical attention.
An official said Sivakumar was overpowered and pinned down by some lawyers who witnessed the incident and later handed over to the police.
Giving details he said that police saved Sivakumar from a mob that gathered after the attack and wanted to thrash him, adding that the accused had carried the acid in a water bottle.
Read Also: Jharkhand: Policeman steps on 4-day-old baby while searching a house, baby dies
The official further said that the accused has been arrested and a case registered against him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), adding that further investigation is underway to determine Sivakumar’s motive behind the attack.
In a similar incident, a shocking video emerged back in January, where a man from the Cooperganj area of UP’s Kanpur claimed that his wife threw acid on his face.
As per reports at the time, a heated argument broke out between the couple, where the husband asked her why she came so late home, and the agitated lady lost her temper and threw acid from the bottle on his face.
A video of the incident had gone viral on social media platforms.
With an injured face, the victim went to the police station and registered his complaint about the incident. After investigating and questioning him, police arrested the woman for the offense.
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India News
Jharkhand: Policeman steps on 4-day-old baby while searching a house, baby dies
Bhushan’s family members allege that the child was trampled to death by the policemen.

A horrific incident has come to light from Jharkhand’s Giridh district where a policeman allegedly stepped on a 4-day-old baby while searching a house to nab the accused. The incident took place in Kosogondodighi village in the district on Wednesday.
The reports state that while searching a house for the accused, who is also the child’s grandfather, the police allegedly stepped on a newborn who was asleep in one of the rooms.
State Health Minister Banna Gupta said, Such kinds of incidents will be criticized and strict action will be taken. This country runs according to the Constitution thus action will be taken against the police officials as well.
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The locals claim that a team headed by Sangam Pathak, in charge of the Deori police station, reached the accused, Bhushan Pandey’s, house to catch him after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. However, seeing the police, all the family members of Bhushan’s family left the house, leaving the infant alone.
The mother of the deceased newborn Neha Devi alleged that the baby was sleeping inside the house when the police were searching the nook and corner of the house. Upon reaching the house, after the police team had gone, she found her child dead.
Bhushan’s family members allege that the child was trampled to death by the policemen.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sanjay Rana said that an investigation into this matter is underway and the body has been sent for postmortem. Action will be taken after the proper investigation.
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