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4 shot dead in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar outside polling booth; PM condoles deaths, Mamata Banerjee blames BJP

Four people were shot dead in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district in a clash with security forces outside a polling booth during the fourth phase of state elections on Saturday.

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Four people were shot dead in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district in a clash with security forces outside a polling booth

Four people were shot dead in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district in a clash with security forces outside a polling booth during the fourth phase of state elections on Saturday.

After the incident, the Election Commission has adjourned the polling at booth 126, Jorpatki in Sitalkuchi Assembly Constituency, Cooch Bahar. The election body has sought a detailed report on the violence by 5 pm.

According to reports, the violence unfolded at the polling booth when a youth who voted in Sitalkuchi constituency went home saying that he was unwell. This is when rumours were spread that he was manhandled by the security forces and soon after locals gathered around then tried to snatch weapons from them. That is when the CISF opened fire at the voters in which four of them died.

However, when asked from the families of people killed, they alleged that the central forces opened fire at those voters who refused to vote for the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the deaths at a rally in Bengal. He said, What happened in Cooch Behar is sad, I offer condolences to bereaved families. Further attacking Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee, he said Mamata Didi and her goons are jittery because of the groundswell of support for the BJP.

On the other hand, Banerjee demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying that the BJP knows it won’t win so it’s resorting to bombs and violence. She went on to say that  BSF and CISF are torturing people in villages. Women, boys, and girls are being threatened that they should vote for BJP. They have gone and shot people standing in line to vote. Who has given them this courage? So many people were not killed during the panchayat elections. In the state election, 20 people have been killed, and 13 of them from our party, she added.

Blaming the BJP, Trinamool Congress leaders have alleged that five of its party supporters were killed. Reacting to the recent incident, TMC MP Saugata Roy said this is part of the conspiracy. Why did the Central Armed Police Forces fire? Where do they get this audacity of firing on common voters? That is the main question. This is a part of a conspiracy and we do not think that the PM is out of this conspiracy. This is an effort to intimidate voters, she said.

However, the Central Reserve Police Force has clarified that in the killing of 4 civilians, CRPF was not involved in the incident in any way as it was not deployed at the said booth.

Read Also: Finally!! ECI issues Covid warning after polls in 4 states, says won’t hesitate to ban netas, star campaigners

Meanwhile, phase 4 of the eight-phased state Assembly election began at 7 am for 44 seats in West Bengal. So far, 52.89% voter turnout recorded as per data updated till 1:30 pm.

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E20 Janta Party set to follow in CJP footsteps

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After the success of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a new outfit, calling itself the E20 Janta Party, has come into being.

It trended across social media platforms on Thursday after the CJP claimed victory following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with supporters applauding the outcome as a major milestone in the ongoing student-led movement over alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities.

Thousands of posts, memes and videos flooded social media with users celebrating what they described as the growing influence of the CJP-led agitation. The term “E20 Janta Party” quickly gained traction on X and other platforms as motorists worried over the mixing of ethanol in petrol claimed they would themselves stage protests a la CJP.

Motorists all over India have been protesting against the fuel mixture given that their cars and motorcycles bought earlier had not been tuned for such increase in ethanol ratio. Some have claimed damage, ranging from engine damage to lower mileage. The government has not conceded the engine damage claim but has accepted that mileage may be compromised. Further, they have been agitating for a lowered fuel price for E20 since it has 20% ethanol but the government has shown willingness only to lower prices for the E85 blend which is being introduced slowly.

The public outpouring of support for the anti-NEET protests seems to have egged the anti-E20 people to come out of the woodwork though they have been vocal on social media. The Delhi taxi drivers association is also believed to have lent support to this cause. Transporters are also expected to join the protest slated on August 4 year since there are moves afoot to introduce isobutanol-diesel blend this year.

During the protests at Jantar Mantar, many activists had raised the ethanol issue time and again targeting Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, an overzealous advocate for ethanol blending.

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Parliament Monsoon Session 2026: Bill against paper leaks to be introduced in Lok Sabha today

The Lok Sabha will introduce and consider the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing stricter punishment, fast-track courts and stronger safeguards against paper leaks.

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The Lok Sabha is set to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage on Monday as the Centre moves to tighten laws against paper leaks and examination-related fraud.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will seek the House’s permission to introduce the Bill before moving it for consideration and passing during the day’s legislative business.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha are scheduled to begin at 11 am with the Question Hour, during which ministers will respond to listed oral questions.

Bill proposes stricter action against paper leaks

The proposed amendment aims to strengthen transparency and integrity in the public examination system through stricter legal provisions while safeguarding the interests of students.

Among its major provisions are:

  • Imprisonment of up to 10 years for those found guilty.
  • A fine of up to Rs.10 crore.
  • Confiscation of assets of convicted offenders.
  • A mechanism to ensure verdicts in such cases are delivered within three months through fast-track courts.

The proposed changes follow the Union Cabinet’s approval of the legislation and related measures aimed at tackling paper leaks and examination fraud with stricter punishment and expedited trials.

Supreme Court judges amendment Bill also on agenda

Apart from the anti-paper leak legislation, the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to consider the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move the Bill for consideration. It seeks to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Ministers to present implementation reports

Several Union ministers are also expected to place statements before the House on the implementation of recommendations made by various Parliamentary Standing Committees.

Among them:

  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will present an update on recommendations related to the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Jayant Chaudhary will report on recommendations concerning the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  • Pankaj Chaudhary will table a statement on recommendations relating to the Ministry of Finance.
  • Suresh Gopi will present implementation updates on recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.

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Who are the experts in Nandan Nilekani-led PM Modi’s exam reform task force?

PM Modi has constituted a six-member task force led by Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency. Here’s a look at the experts on the panel.

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Following the announcement of a high-powered task force to reform India’s examination system, the Centre has brought together experts from technology, space research, intelligence, education, cybersecurity and logistics to recommend structural changes for the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel, led by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.

In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the government aims to make examinations more reliable, transparent and technology-driven. He said the task force would submit recommendations to improve the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest.

Nandan Nilekani to lead the panel

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, will head the task force. Widely recognised for leading the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and playing a key role in the development of Aadhaar, Nilekani is expected to contribute his expertise in technology, digital infrastructure and data security to the examination reform process.

Former ISRO chief S Somanath

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath, an aerospace engineer, is also part of the panel. During his tenure, ISRO successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-3 mission. His experience in executing complex, high-precision missions is expected to help strengthen quality control and multi-layered verification processes in examinations.

Former IB director Tapan Deka

Former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka has been included for his experience in intelligence and security. A former IPS officer with a postgraduate degree in Physics, he is expected to provide inputs on strengthening intelligence gathering and cyber monitoring to curb organised examination fraud and paper leak networks.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti

V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, is another member of the panel. A computer science academic, he has led initiatives related to microprocessor development and information security at the institute. His expertise is expected to support measures aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and protecting examination software and digital infrastructure.

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal brings administrative and academic policy experience to the task force. A retired IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, she is expected to contribute recommendations on examination policies, answer-key mechanisms, evaluation standards and improvements in the functioning of examination centres.

Logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena

Retired bureaucrat Amrit Lal Meena, who previously served as Bihar’s Chief Secretary and as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, completes the six-member panel. His expertise in supply chain management is expected to help strengthen the secure printing, storage and transportation of question papers through tamper-resistant logistics systems.

The multidisciplinary panel has been tasked with recommending structural reforms aimed at improving transparency, security and reliability in India’s examination system.

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