4 Arrested Over Torturing 27-Year-Old Tribal Woman In Telangana: Cops

Four persons were arrested for allegedly torturing a 27-year-old Chenchu tribal woman for a week in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana after she did not turn up for work in an agricultural land, police said on Saturday.

The woman was assaulted by the four accused, including her sister and brother-in-law in Molachintalapally village of Kollapur mandal. She was rescued after some villagers took up the matter with the police on Wednesday.

The woman was admitted to a hospital and is undergoing treatment.

In her complaint, the woman said that she was beaten up with sticks and tortured for not turning up for work in the agricultural land owned by one of the accused, a senior police official said.

The victim also had a dispute with her sister over a family issue, they said.

The accused allegedly inflicted burns on her private parts and thighs besides putting chilly powder in her eyes and body, police said.

Four accused persons were arrested on Friday and remanded to judicial custody.

Based on the complaint, a case on charge of sexual assault, attempt to murder, relevant IPC sections and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, was registered, police said.

State Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Saturday called on the woman at the hospital and consoled her.

Rao said that the culprits would not be spared.

Announcing Rs two lakh financial assistance, the minister also assured that the government would take care of the education of her children.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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No Leak In CSIR-UGC NET Exam, Postpones Due To Logistic Issues: Minister

The "top leadership" of the National Testing Agency is under the scanner over alleged irregularities in competitive exams NEET and NET, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday even as he denied any paper leak in the CSIR-UGC NET, which was postponed a day back.

The minister said he is the custodian of students' interests and has to take that into account before taking any step. Amid a raging row over irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET, Dharmendra Pradhan had said earlier this week that he cannot jeopardise the careers of the lakhs of candidates who cleared the exam rightfully.

The June edition of the Joint Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and UGC-NET was postponed on Friday night. The Joint CSIR-UGC-NET is a test conducted to determine eligibility for junior research fellowship and assistant professor and admission to PhD in science courses.

"There was no leak in CSIR-UGC NET, it was postponed because of logistic issues. There is also a retest of 1,563 NEET candidates tomorrow. For smooth conduct of the exam everywhere, the decision was taken," Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters.

Asked about any inquiry into the NTA's role, Dharmendra Pradhan said, "I have already said there has been an institutional failure. I have taken responsibility. NTA's top leadership is under several types of questions. But I have to safeguard students' interests first. I am a custodian of their interests." Earlier this week, the ministry sought a report from the Bihar Police's Economic Offences Unit, which is investigating the allegations of paper leak in NEET.

"The report has not been received yet... But it is certain that nobody involved or responsible for any irregularity will be spared," he said.

On irregularities in Gujarat's Godhra, the minister said the issue in Godhra was not of a paper leak but of organised cheating and 30 students have been debarred.

"Gujarat case is not of leak...police took preventive action, a few telephone conversations were intercepted. There were attempts to cheat, 30 students who have been found involved have been debarred. They are in addition to 63 students from across the country who were debarred from NEET for using unfair means," he said.

The Centre is under fire over alleged irregularities in competitive exams NEET and NET. While the medical entrance exam question paper was allegedly leaked, a case being investigated by the Bihar Police, UGC-NET was cancelled a day after it was conducted following inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. The matter is being probed by the CBI.

The education ministry on Saturday notified a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.

On Friday night, the Centre operationalised a stringent law that aims to curb malpractice and irregularities in competitive examinations and entails provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for offenders. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"May God...": 2 Arrested Over Burglary At Actor Anupam Kher's Office

The Mumbai police have arrested two persons in connection with a burglary at actor Anupam Kher's office this week, an official said on Saturday.

Majid Sheikh and Daler Bahreem Khan were taken into custody from the Jogeshwari area on Friday night for committing the crime, he said.

Police said the two were serial thieves and would travel to various places in the city by autorickshaws to steal.

The two struck on Wednesday at Kher's office on Vira Desai Road in the Amboli area and took away negatives of a film produced by his company and Rs 4.15 lakh. They also committed theft in Vile Parle that day, the official said.

A part of the property stolen from Kher's office has been recovered from the duo, the official from Amboli police station said.

The 69-year-old actor had narrated the incident on X and Instagram.

"Last night in my Veera Desai Road office two thieves broke two doors and stole the entire safe from the accounts department (which they probably couldn't break) and the negatives of a film produced by our company which was in a box. Our office has filed an FIR," he had written in Hindi, without mentioning the name of the film whose negatives were stolen.

CCTV footage outside the building showed the duo leaving in an auto, Kher said, adding that "may God give them good sense

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NEET-PG Test Scheduled For Tomorrow Postponed As Exam Mess Spirals

The NEET-PG scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed and fresh dates will be announced soon, the Health Ministry said in a statement today.

The government alluding to the huge row over alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and UGC-NET said it decided to "undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of NEET-PG, conducted by the National Board of Examination for medical students."

"It has accordingly been decided, as a precautionary measure, to postpone the NEET-PG scheduled to be held tomorrow (June 23). Fresh date of this examination will be notified at the earliest," the Health Ministry said, adding it "sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to students".

The government said the decision was taken in the best interests of students and to maintain the sanctity of examination.

An hour before the announcement of the exam postponement came, the government issued an order that said it has replaced the chief of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET-UG and UGC-NET.

Subodh Kumar Singh, who was NTA director general, has been replaced by retired Indian Administration Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Singh Kharola. The move is significant as it shows the government is cracking down on NTA officials.

With the parliament session beginning soon, the Centre is bracing to face an onslaught of questions on the controversies surrounding these key exams for entry into medical and higher education teaching positions.

Earlier in the day, the Education Ministry formed a high-level committee of experts to make recommendations on reform in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols, structure and functioning of the NTA.

The UGC-NET was recently cancelled just a day after the exam was conducted. Also, the NTA on Friday announced the postponement of the Joint CSIR-UGC-NET, which was scheduled for June 25-27.

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Ensure Those Displaced By 'Post-Poll Violence' Return Home: Court To Bengal

The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government today to take steps to ensure that people displaced in the alleged post-poll violence in the state return to their homes.

The court also extended the deployment of central forces in the state till June 26, when the matter would be listed for hearing again.

"We cannot shut our eyes to the spate of complaints as disclosed and the allegation on the role of the police administration for which we feel that the deployment of the central forces may continue for a limited period," the court observed.

A division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon directed the West Bengal government to take immediate action to ensure that people displaced due to the alleged post-poll violence in the state return to their homes.

The court directed the police administration to ensure the safety and security of such displaced persons and keep a constant vigil in the area of their residence and ensure that no threat perception or any kind of violence takes place in such areas.

Hearing petitions regarding allegations of post-poll violence in West Bengal after the Lok Sabha elections, the division bench directed the state to take note of those complaints and take immediate action as required, including registration of the complaints or FIRs.

The court had earlier ordered the deployment of the central forces in the state till June 21.

The state's Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta informed the court that from June 4, when the Lok Sabha election results were declared, till June 18, a total of 859 complaints have been received through email by the Director General of Police's (DGP) office.

He stated that out of these, 204 complaints constitute cognisable offences, and FIRs have been registered based on those.

Mr Dutta said that 175 complaints relating to non-cognisable cases have been registered.

The AG stated that 219 were duplicate complaints, 26 were incomplete and 14 were under scrutiny.

Observing that serious allegations have been made about violence in the state following the elections, the court said that the question would be whether the continuation of the deployment of central forces in such a scenario is inevitable.

AG Dutta submitted that 10 to 12 or even 20 complaints a day about cognisable cases throughout the state do not depict a picture that the state police is unable to handle the situation and said that it does not warrant central forces to remain deployed in the state.

He further submitted that the central forces cannot remain deployed after the parliamentary election is over and that maintenance of public order is primarily a state subject.

He claimed that the state government has taken all possible steps to combat any incident of violence and none of the parties have been able to make out a case of dereliction on the part of the police administration in discharging their duty.

Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, representing the central government, stated that if the court directs, it will continue the deployment of the central forces in the state.

Lawyer-petitioner Priyanka Tibrewal gave a list of people displaced from their homes and of those whose houses were looted, in an affidavit submitted before the court.

It was alleged by Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal in their separate PILs that people belonging to a particular political party were being subjected to atrocities following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election process.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Preparations On In Jammu And Kashmir For Assembly Polls: PM In Srinagar

Preparations for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir have begun and the Union territory will regain its statehood too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today in Srinagar.

Addressing an event after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating 84 developmental projects worth Rs 1,500 crore in the Valley, PM Modi said the Centre has taken the recent terror attacks in the Union Territory very seriously and the enemies of Jammu and Kashmir will be given a befitting reply.

He praised the young men and women of Jammu and Kashmir for the high turnout in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and said they have ensured a victory of democracy.

PM Modi said the wall of Article 370, which was scrapped in August 2019, collapsed and the fruits of the Indian Constitution were ensured in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Today the Indian Constitution has truly been implemented in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The Prime Minister said the forces inimical to peace and development are making last-ditch efforts today to stop the progress of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The Centre has taken the recent terror attacks very seriously. The Home Minister held a meeting and reviewed the entire mechanism. I want to assure you we will leave no stone unturned to punish the enemies of Jammu and Kashmir," he said, assuring that permanent peace will be established in Jammu and Kashmir.

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ASHA Workers Cheated Of More Than Rs 24 Lakh On Pretext Of Jobs: Cops

A man has been arrested in Maharashtra's Latur district for allegedly cheating four ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers of more than Rs 24 lakh by promising to get them jobs in the state health department, police said on Wednesday.

While Sudhir Karbhari was arrested and remanded in police custody till Saturday, co-accused Shrikant Dasrao Shinde and Rajratan Ramrao Suryawanshi were absconding, said a police official.

As per the complaint filed by Surekha Choudhary, an ASHA worker posted at Honali village in Deoni tehsil, between March 2021 and June 2024, the three accused collected a total of Rs 24.3 lakh from her and three other ASHA workers, promising to provide them jobs in the sub-divisional health department.

They accused also provided them fake appointment letters, she claimed.

Deoni police are conducting further probe.

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In Jolt To Congress, Haryana MLA And Daughter To Join BJP Tomorrow

In a jolt to the Congress in Haryana where assembly polls are due in October, the party's senior leader Kiran Choudhary and her daughter Shruti Choudhary will join the ruling BJP on Wednesday.

Confirming the development, Kiran Choudhary, who is also a sitting MLA, told PTI she is quitting the Congress and joining the BJP on Wednesday.

Her daughter Shruti Choudhary, a former MP, is a working president of the Haryana Congress.

Kiran Choudhary, daughter-in-law of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, is considered the bete noire of senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and is learnt to be upset with the denial of ticket to Shruti Choudhary from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress had given the ticket from the seat to sitting MLA and Hooda loyalist Rao Dan Singh, who lost to BJP's sitting MP Dharambir Singh.

"Shruti and I will be joining the BJP in Delhi on Wednesday," Kiran Choudhary said.

Taking a veiled dig at Mr Hooda, Ms Choudhary said, "They have pushed me into a corner. There is a limit to humiliation one can suffer." 

Ms Choudhary said both she and her daughter will resign from the primary membership of the Congress to join the BJP. Ms Shruti will quit as working president of Haryana Congress, she said.

In the recently held Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and the BJP won five seats each. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rahul Gandhi Resigns From Wayanad Seat, Retains Raebareli

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has resigned from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat of Kerala and retained the Raebareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Tuesday.

A Lok Sabha bulletin said his resignation has been accepted with effect from June 18.

Ending speculation on the issue, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Monday the decision on the two seats after the party's top brass held discussions at his residence in the national capital.

Rahul Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut by contesting the Wayanad bypoll.

Following Rahul Gandhi's resignation from one of the two seats he had won, the Congress' tally in the Lower House now stands at 98.

This is the first vacancy to be created in the just-formed 18th Lok Sabha.

"Shri Rahul Gandhi, an elected member of Lok Sabha from two constituencies viz Wayanad and Rae Bareli parliamentary constituencies of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, has resigned his seat in Lok Sabha from Wayanad parliamentary constituency of Kerala and his resignation has been accepted by the speaker with effect from June 18," a Lok Sabha bulletin said.

If Priyanka Gandhi is elected from Wayanad, it will be the first time that all three Gandhi family members -- Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi -- will be in Parliament together.

Sonia Gandhi is now a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Before a 1996 amendment in the electoral laws, there was no bar on the number of seats a person could contest.

If a candidate wins from two seats, he or she has to quit one within 14 days of the election or faces the possibility of losing both the seats.

The winning candidates will take oath as Lok Sabha members on June 24 and 25.

The first session of the new Lok Sabha commences on June 24.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Oh, You Defeated Me": Naveen Patnaik To BJP MLA In Odisha Assembly

BJD president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday greeted newly elected first-time BJP MLA Laxman Bag, who defeated him in the recently concluded Assembly polls from Kantabanji seat in Bolangir district.

Mr Patnaik, known for his composed demeanour, was making his way through the House after taking the oath as a member of the Assembly when he came face-to-face with Mr Bag, who stood up from his seat.

"How are you?" Mr Bag inquired with folded hands.

As Mr Bag introduced himself, Patnaik responded, "Oh, you defeated me." Accompanied by Aul MLA and former minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Mr Patnaik congratulated Bag.

The entire house including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his deputies - KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida - also stood up from their seats to greet Mr Patnaik in the Assembly, where he was an undisputed leader for 24 years.

The narrative of Me Patnaik's defeat was twofold. Not only had he lost his chief minister's chair, held firmly since 2000, but he also faced an unexpected defeat in Kantabanji, which he contested alongside his traditional Hinjili assembly seat.

In Hinjili, Mr Patnaik clung to victory by a slender margin of 4,636 votes.

BJP's Bag amassed 90,876 votes against Mr Patnaik's 74,532, securing the seat by 16,334 votes.

Mr Bag, 48, confessed his initial doubts about toppling a political titan like Mr Patnaik. "The voters were silent throughout the campaign, but they voted for me," he recounted, still grappling with the magnitude of his victory.

In a poignant scene, many newly elected MLAs were seen prostrating themselves before entering the Assembly building, underscoring the gravity and solemnity of the political shift that had just unfolded. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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3 Injured In Clash Between 2 Groups In Odisha, Prohibitory Orders In Place

Three people were injured and several motorcycles damaged in a clash between two groups in Odisha's Balasore town on Monday, following which prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC were imposed, officials said.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi spoke to Balasore's Collector Ashish Thakare, and asked him to take immediate measures to bring the situation under control, they said.

Maintaining that he would not allow any disturbance to the law and order situation of the state, Majhi urged people to maintain peace.

Protesting the blood of animal sacrifice on the road, a group of people sat on dharna in the Bhujakhia Pir area of the town. The other group allegedly hurled stones at them, following which the clash broke out, police said.

Both sides hurled stones at the other, injuring three people and damaging over half a dozen motorcycles, they said.

Police had to baton charge the mob to bring the situation under control, following which the prohibitory orders were imposed, they added.

The injured persons were admitted to the Balasore district hospital, officials said.

At least 150 police personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent any further flare-up, they said.

Night patrolling would also be held in some sensitive areas, they said.

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Won't Do Any Work Of Muslims, Yadavs: Nitish Kumar's Party MP Sparks Row

A newly elected MP of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Monday found himself at the centre of a controversy for laments about "Muslims and Yadavs" not voting for the BJP-led NDA.

In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, Sitamarhi MP Devesh Chandra Thakur can also be heard ruing that "NDA's own voters" gravitated towards the opposition RJD.

Mr Thakur, 71, a former chairman of the state legislative council, made his parliamentary debut in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, winning the seat by a modest margin of less than 55,000 votes.

"I did not get votes of Suris (a fishing community) and Kalwars. Even the Kushwahas deserted me. Just because respected Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo) gave tickets to many Kushwahas. Could a Kushwaha elected from elsewhere be of any help to members of the community in my constituency?" Mr Thakur could be heard asking in the video, which was not independently verified by PTI.

Later, he said, "I have made it clear that Yadavs and Muslims must not expect me to be of any help to them. They will be treated with due respect, even offered tea and snacks, when they call on me. But I will not take up any of their problems." The JD(U) MP added that he had expressed the sentiment before a "Muslim" who visited him after the elections.

"I asked the Muslim brother how can you expect me to work for you when you did not vote for me just because my party is aligned with the BJP," said Mr Thakur, claiming that the visitor agreed with the contention and went back feeling regret for his electoral choice.

Often called "Ajaatshatru" in political circles because of his friendly disposition, Mr Thakur retained the seat for his party which chose to drop sitting MP Sunil Kumar Pintu.

Mr Thakur defeated his nearest RJD rival Arjun Roy, who is a former MP from the Lok Sabha seat.

The JD(U) leader's outbursts met with disapproval from the RJD as well as ally BJP, leaving the party to fend for itself.

"The remarks made by Mr Thakur are objectionable. An MP is the representative of all sections of society in his constituency," said Bhai Virendra, the RJD's chief spokesperson and an MLA.

BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand also came out with a strongly worded statement, but without mentioning Mr Thakur by name.

"Giving vent to frustration in a manner that smacks of caste prejudice is shameful and deplorable in politics. The BJP takes all social segments along. In Bihar, no political party can succeed if it tries to marginalise Yadavs, who are 14 per cent of the total population," said Mr Anand.

The BJP leader underscored "27 OBCs, four of them Yadavs" in the Union Council of Ministers and claimed that it was proof of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to "social harmony".

JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar responded to the criticisms, saying, "It is unthinkable that Thakur will discriminate against any section of society. He was just expressing his pain at not getting votes of even those whom he may have helped him personally but who got swayed by other considerations."

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Yogi Adityanath Meets With Kuwait Fire Victim's Families From Gorakhpur

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday met with the family members of two people killed in a fire in southern Kuwait's Mangaf as well as some devotees injured in a terrorist attack in Jammu's Shiv Khori.

He spoke to them at the Gorakhnath temple and provided them financial assistance.

The fire in a multi-storey building in Kuwait resulted in the death of 49 people, including Angad Gupta from Jatepur in Sadar tehsil and Jayaram Gupta from Bharmour in Campierganj tehsil, both in Gorakhpur.

According to a statement, the chief minister met with Angad Gupta's wife Rita Devi and Jayaram Gupta's wife Sunita, conveyed his condolences and handed them cheques of Rs 5 lakh each.

Yogi Adityanath also provided Rs 1 lakh each to those injured in the recent terrorist attack in Shiv Khori.

The chief minister enquired about their health and assured them that the government would cover all medical expenses.

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Elon Musk's X Bans Over 2 Lakh Indian Accounts Over Policy Violations

Elon Musk-run X Corp has banned 2,29,925 accounts in India between April 26 and May 25, mostly for promoting child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity.

The microblogging platform, going through churning under Elon Musk, also took down 967 accounts for promoting terrorism on its platform in the country.

In total, X banned 230,892 accounts in the reporting period.

The microblogging platform, in its monthly report in compliance with the new IT Rules, 2021, said that it received 17,580 complaints from users in India in the same time frame through its grievance redressal mechanisms.

In addition, the company processed 76 grievances which were appealing account suspensions.

"We overturned 0 of these account suspensions after reviewing the specifics of the situation. The remaining reported accounts remain suspended," said the company.

"We received 31 requests related to general questions about accounts during this reporting period," it added.

Most complaints from India were about ban evasion (6,881), followed by hateful conduct (3,763), sensitive adult content (3,205), and abuse/harassment (2,815).

Between March 26 and April 25, X banned 1,84,241 accounts in the country.

The microblogging platform also took down 1,303 accounts for promoting terrorism on its platform.

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BJP Central Team Reaches Kolkata Amid Allegations Of Post-Poll Violence

A four-member central team of the BJP, including senior leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Biplab Kumar Deb, arrived in Kolkata this evening for a two-day visit to take stock of the situation amid allegations of violence against party workers in the state after the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Prasad claimed that the people of the state along with the party workers were afraid and apprehensive over the alleged post-poll violence.

"Elections were held across the country, but violence happened only in Bengal," he told reporters at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

"If Mamata ji believes in democracy, she has to reply to this," Mr Prasad, a former Union minister, said.

Biplab Deb, former Chief Minister of Tripura, claimed there has not been any political violence in the northeastern state since BJP came to power there.

"We will speak to the victims and take stock of the situation during our two-day stay in Bengal," he said.

The BJP alleged that its workers and supporters were being subjected to violence and intimidation in different parts of Bengal by supporters of the Trinamool Congress after the Lok Sabha elections ended.

The BJP won 12 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal, while the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC emerged victorious in 29 seats and the Congress bagged one.

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Uttarakhand Officials Bat For "Hill Endorsement" Licences Amid Accidents

A day after 15 tourists died in a road accident in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, officials said there is a need for greater focus on the "hill endorsement" in drivers' licences accompanied by a physical test.

Joint Transport Commissioner Sanat Singh said this check was required for all tourist vehicles, including those that are a part of the Char Dham Yatra and the Hemkund Sahib Yatra, to reduce road accidents in the hilly regions.

Many tourist vehicles come to Uttarakhand, but due to the greater volume of cars of Char Dham Yatra, checking of other vehicles is ignored, Mr Singh said.

"Now we will need to focus on tourism apart from Chardham Yatra. We will now focus on hill endorsement of driving license," the official said.

'Hill endorsement' of a driver's license is necessary for driving on mountainous roads, he said.

Earlier the state did not have the facility for physical "hill endorsement" tests. So they were offered online, Mr Singh said. Now, driving tracks for such tests have been built with one in Dehradun already operational, he said.

In online tests, the driver is shown a video, and questions are asked based on it. Applicants pass the test even though their practical knowledge or skills are not checked, Mr Singh said.

Now such tracks for physical tests have been built in Haridwar and Rishikesh as well which will be operational in a month or two, the official said.

A tempo traveller carrying tourists skidded off the Badrinath national highway in Rudraprayag district and fell into the Alaknanda river on Saturday, killing 15 and injuring 11.

Earlier on June 11, a bus fell into a ditch in Gangani in Uttarkashi district, killing three female devotees and injuring several others.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the officials to strictly follow all prescribed protocols to reduce road accidents in the hills. He has asked the police and transport department officials to check the mechanical condition of vehicles, and strictly test the drivers before issuing licenses.

Mr Dhami also asked them to be careful in issuing green cards and take strict action against those driving at high speed, carrying more passengers than allowed, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to Uttarakhand government data, 1,674 accidents were reported in the state in 2022, in which 1,042 people died and 1,613 were injured. The country reported 4,61,312 road accidents with 1,68,491 deaths and 4,43,366 injuries the same year.

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