press trust of india
CHENNAI, 28 JUNE: Two former ministers of the DMK and the PMK today joined the ruling AIADMK, boosting its Dalit portfolio.
The DMK’s Mr Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and Mr E Ponnusamy, who had quit the PMK a few months ago, protesting party founder Dr S Ramadoss’s strident stand against SC/ST communities on certain issues, joined the AIADMK in the presence of party supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Incidentally, Mr Ilamvazhuthi, a former minister and popular face in the DMK, prior to his quitting the Karunanidhi-led party after its May 2011 poll debacle, had faced a vigilance probe after the AIADMK assumed power.
He had lost the elections to the DMDK candidate from Egmore constituency.
Mr Ponnusamy is a former minister of state and had been elected from Mr Chidambaram’s Lok Sabha constituency twice.
A senior leader of the PMK, prior to his quitting the party, Mr Ponnusamy was seen as the “Dalit Face” of the party, which claims to largely represent interests of the Vanniyar community.
Recently, Mr Ramadoss had taken a strong stand against Dalits and had been even campaigning against inter-caste marriages involving the two communities. Mr Ponnusamy had walked out of the party protesting this.

New train schedule

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: To provide passengers with better services, three pairs of Express trains will run as Super-Fast trains, 10 Express trains will speed up reducing journey time and existing local trains in Howrah-Tarakeswar/Howrah-Talpur section, three Up and three Down locals will be extended up to/from Arambagh in the new time table to be effective from 1 July. Moreover, one Howrah-Talpur local will be converted to Howrah-Tarakeswar local from 1 July. Frequency of a Howrah-Tarakeswar local will be increased to daily and a Tarakeswar-Howrah local which is extended up to Arambagh will run daily instead of six days a week.
Man shot dead in freak accident

SONARPUR, 28 JUNE: Sheikh Mahasin (28), alias Bapi, a building materials supplier of Boral under Sonarpur police station area, was shot dead last night. The man’s body was found at Joykrishnapur in Sonarpur this morning.
His friend, Sheikh Wasim, was arrested in connection with the incident and a murder case has been initiated, police said.
Mr Prasenjit Banerjee, the inspector in-charge of Sonarpur police station, said after preliminary investigation they discovered that the two friends were handling a gun while intoxicated when suddenly it went off and a bullet hit Mahasin. He died on the spot, the officer said.
2 Gangasagar pilgrims run over

DIAMOND HARBOUR, 28 JUNE: Two Gangasagar pilgrims from Jaipur, Rajasthan, were run over by a speeding pick-up van near Jethighat under Diamond Harbour police station in South 24-Parganas last night. Police said there were 50 pilgrims from Rajasthan travelling by a luxury bus on their way to Gangasagar. All pilgrims got off the bus near Sagarika in Diamond Harbour for tea. Indramal Lakhela (55) and Bindramal Lakhela (60) were crossing the road when they were run over by a pick-up van going to Kakdwip.
The two were taken to Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital with serious injuries where the doctors declared them brought dead.
Three arrested for rape

DURGAPUR, 28 JUNE: Three youths were arrested in connection with the Purbasthali gang-rape case in Burdwan today. Two days ago a tribal girl was gangraped. The incident, in the wake of the recent Kamduni rape and murder, caused an outcry in the Purbasthali police station area in Kalna. The locals demanded immediate arrest of the accused. The girl&’s medical tests were done at Kalna sub-divisional hospital. Police today arrested Gupi Roy (18), Biltu Mondal (19) and Krishna Roy (20). They followed the girl, forcibly took her to a deserted place and raped her, police said. The CJM court, Burdwan, today afternoon approved a test identification parade of the accused on 3 July. The district police today assigned Mr Indrajit Sarkar, SDPO, Kalna to help in the investigation.
Youth commits suicide

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Mohammad Faiyaz (19) today committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence on Mayur Bhanj Road in Ikbalpur. Police have sent the body for post-mortem and started a probe.
No breakthrough in abduction case

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Police are yet to make any breakthrough in the abduction case of a businessman who was kidnapped yesterday from M G Road in the Jorasanko police station area. A senior officer of the city police said they have come to know the victim, Mr Paradip Khandelwal, had taken a loan from the market and was often being threatened by his creditors. Police are interrogating his friends and family.
Body recovered from river Hooghly

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Police found the decomposed body of a 30-year-old youth from river Hooghly near Ratan Babu Ghat this afternoon.
Metro services disrupted

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Metro services were disrupted from 9.21 p.m in both up and down lines today as an AC Metro came to a halt at Girish Park metro station. The train was going to Dum Dum. Engineers rushed to the spot to look into the technical glitch.
7 held for running gambling den

KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Seven youths were arrested from a house at BG block in Salt Lake on charges of running a gambling den inside the house. Bidhannagar (East) police today raided the house in the evening and recovered Rs 30,000 from the place. Local residents had complained about suspicious activities in the house. Based on their complaint, police conducted a raid today.

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 28 JUNE: The Cooch Behar district Trinamul Congress set a deadline of 30 June and asked over 200 dissidents, who are contesting in rural polls against official candidates, to circulate leaflets among voters declaring that they are out of fray and vote for party candidates.
Party sources said district leadership would terminate them from party if they (dissidents) do not follow the party whip.
The Cooch Behar district Trinamul Congress president, Mr Rabindranath Ghosh, said: “Initially several party workers wanted to contest the rural polls. More than 1,000 such workers filed nominations but finally the party had not allotted tickets to all of them. We had issued letters asking them to withdraw their nomination papers on time. Though 80 per cent workers had withdrawn their nominations, nearly 250 candidates are still contesting against official candidates.”
“We do not have any problem in the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti level. But in the gram panchayat level, more than 200 workers are in the fray. We have set 30 June as deadline and asked them to declare that they are not contesting the rural polls. If they do not do obey, we would terminate them from the party,” Mr Ghosh said.
Mr Ghosh said that uncertainty over conducting rural polls had already started affecting services to the people since the self government local bodies are not functioning here.
"The present situation has an effect on the rhythm of rural polls campaigning," Mr Ghosh said, adding, “We have changed the style of campaigning after the state election commission went to the Apex court. During rural poll campaigning, the Trinamul Congress leaders are arguing the fact that Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee wanted to hold rural polls in winter but the Opposition prevented her from conducting polls before monsoon.”
“The people of north Bengal as well as Cooch Behar depend on agriculture. It is high time for agriculture because monsoon has already started in this region and they have engaged in cultivation jobs. Despite the fact, people in Cooch Behar want vote as per scheduled announced earlier,” said Mr Ghosh.

statesman news service
RAIGANJ, 28 JUNE: In protest against the anti-social activities in the locality, a section of women of Nawapara in Raiganj staged an agitation in the premises of Raiganj police station in North Dinajpur district last night. They met Mr Dinesh Pramanik, IC Raiganj police station, with an urge to take measures to stop the sale of hooch and gambling in the locality. Otherwise, they threatened to start a movement against police.
Ms Sufala Barman of Nowapara said: "Most of the male members of Nowapara are daily wage labourers. In our village there are some hooch sellers and some houses are conducting gambling. Every day in the evening anti-socials from different places assemble in our village to consume hooch and gamble. The men of our village are trapped by them and girls and women are teased. The occurance of theft and snatching have also increased. In spite of informing police, they failed to take action against them, forcing us to stage the agitation. If they do not take measures against them, the women of our village will destroy the hooch selling units for the sake of our safety."
The IC, Raiganj police station, Mr Dinesh Pramanik, said: "We have heard the crisis of the village from the women. In order to stop gambling and selling of hooch we have already started raids in the villages."

“We want to express solidarity with the larger women&’s movement with regard to the violence, or rather the campaign against violence, which is taking place at the moment in various parts of the country.”

statesman news service 
KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: Sexual violence across India also affects Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities and it is an issue they’ll try to highlight at this year&’s Kolkata Pride Walk, organisers said today at a Press conference at the American Center. 
“We want to express solidarity with the larger women&’s movement with regard to the violence, or rather the campaign against violence, which is taking place at the moment in various parts of the country,” said Mr Pawan Dhall from health NGO Saathi and Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk, a collective of which organises pride activities throughout the year. The Kolkata Pride Walk will take place this year on 7 July. 
The American Center has been running a series of events, including discussions and film screenings, to celebrate Pride Month and promote LGBT rights. 
Award-winning film-maker Onir, who took part in an interactive session at the center yesterday and was at a workshop today, said he thinks there needs to be more education about sexuality and gender at schools. 
“I think it&’s extremely important that colleges and educational institutes, schools, have this move to get people talking about gender. And telling children that it&’s ok, you need to accept and respect everybody,” he said. 
Onir said he doesn’t understand those who say that sex education is not acceptable to Indian culture. “So you mean it&’s ok for children to get abused but it&’s not good to educate them, to arm them to protect themselves?” 
At the workshop today, LGBT community members and activists were busy making colourful posters and sparkly masks for the Pride Walk.  
The walk, though, is not just for those part of the LGBT community, but for anybody interested in standing up for human rights, said Raina, also known as Dhiman Roy, an activist at the workshop who has experienced serious violence in the past. “If you walk with us, then it will look like it is not an issue of ours only, it is the issue of all people.”

At the current market price of Rs 34.55, disinvestment of 3.74 crore shares would fetch Rs 129.21 crore to     the exchequer

statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 28 JUNE: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday approved the proposal to divest 7.64 per cent paid-up equity capital of its stake in National Fertilisers Limited, which is expected to fetch nearly Rs 130 crore to the exchequer, finance minister P Chidambaram said today. The company has nearly 3.74 crore shares.
The government currently controls 97.64 per cent stake in the ‘Mini Ratna’ company engaged in manufacturing and marketing of urea and other fertilisers.
Addressing the media, Mr Chidambaram said the government has decided to divest its stake in the company in order to comply with the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) norms.
As per Sebi regulations, the government’s shareholding in listed public sector undertakings must come below 90 per cent by 8 August 2013.
At the current market price of Rs 34.55, disinvestment of 3.74 crore shares would fetch Rs 129.21 crore to the exchequer.
National Fertilisers Limited is engaged in manufacturing and marketing of urea, 16 industrial products and three types of bio-fertilisers from its five operating units located one each at Nangal and Bhatinda in Punjab, Panipat in Haryana and two units at Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh.

statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 28 JUNE: Privately owned Yes Bank has been allowed to increase foreign holdings in the company to 60 per cent with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approving the bank’s request in this regard. The approval is likely to result in the bank’s overseas equity inflow of Rs 2,650 crore.
The CCEA chaired by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the proposal at a meeting last evening. The Cabinet has given its approval based on the recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
The FIPB had sent the proposal to the Cabinet as the amount involved was more than Rs 1,200 crore, the limit beyond which the board cannot take a final decision.

MUMBAI, 28 JUNE: Bajaj Auto management and its union today came to the negotiating table in a bid to end the four-day old strike by over 1,500 workers at the Chakan plant demanding wage revision and better working conditions apart from a hefty paring of the companies shares with employees. The preliminary round of talks, however, failed to bring any tangible solution, union sources said.
Over 1,500 workers of Bajaj’s Chakan facility are on strike since Tuesday, bringing production to a complete halt. pti

Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla at an interactive session in Kolkata on Friday. sns

statesman news service
KOLKATA, 28 JUNE: India needs to ensure an investor-friendly environment so that more investments flow into the country. Indian industrialists invest abroad because of the enabling business environment there, Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, said here today.
Speaking at an interactive session organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, Mr Birla, who took up the mantle at an age of 28 in 1995 from his father Aditya Birla after his untimely demise, said that Indian industrialists are not investing abroad at the cost of the domestic economy. India’s business environment needs to improve so that these industrialists can invest at home.
However, things are changing for the better now, he said. Giving an example of one of his projects in Brazil, Mr Birla said that the authorities there apologised for a day’s delay in the commissioning of the project. But here the environment is different.
Commenting on the present political scenario, he said coalition governments do not necessarily be averse to a business-friendly environment. Once the group finalises a decision on a particular policy it should stick to it till the end to give confidence to the investor, added.
Coalition governments cannot be blamed for stagnation in economy. Because, the country has seen coalition governments for quite some time. What is needed is political alignment, he said.
Asked why industry was critical about liberalisation when it was the greatest beneficiary of such policy, he said industry was within its rights to speak against the government for uncertainty in policy-making.
Mr Birla said indian industrialists are not making all their investments abroad. They are investing in the domestic sector also. But if the environment here was improved there would have been greater flow of investment.

In Andhra Pradesh panchayati raj institutions are being run with special officers as elections could not be held for the past two years.
Bengal could follow the same path if elections are not held

anindita chowdhury
HYDERABAD, 27 JUNE: Bengal can hope to learn a lesson or two from the state of affairs in the Panchayati Raj Institutions in Andhra Pradesh which are being run with special officers as elections could not be held for the past two years.
The lack of public representatives in more than 21,000 Gram Panchayats, often described as democracy at the very grassroots, has adversely affected their running and development work. Bengal might tread on the same path if the elections are not held on time. The West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) has moved the Supreme Court to ensure adequate security forces even as the first phase of elections is due on 2 July. Elections to local bodies, both rural and urban, have not been held in Andhra Pradesh for the past two years. Apart from losing about Rs 2000 crore of Central assistance fund in the rural areas for the past two years the absence of public representatives is also affecting services to the people. “The officials are out of reach of the common people.
The government has just appointed any officer, say agricultural officer as a special officer and they are carrying out the task in addition to their existing duties. They are often away on tours. Moreover, often they are not well versed with the Panchayat Act,” said Mr M Padmanabha Reddy, secretary of the Forum of Good Governance who had filed a petition in the High Court seeking early elections. However, the government had wanted to use the census data of 2011 to work out the reservation of Backward Classes which it had raised to over 60 per cent.
Though the Andhra Pradesh High Court had said the reservation quota should not exceed 50 per cent on the basis of Supreme Court guidelines, the apex court had given clearance to the government&’s proposal earlier this year.
“Still they are dillydallying over the issue. Politicians want to hold elections only when it suits them,” said Mr Reddy. According to political observers, the ruling Congress had not been very keen to hold local body elections because of apprehensions that the newly formed YSR Congress may sweep the elections if they were held on time.
    The elections were due in July 2011 and since then the Panchayati Raj Institutions have been run with special officers, a model which the Opposition in Bengal claims that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is keen to follow. “It is not a model but compulsion”, Mr Reddy said while alleging that cases of corruption have increased. “Earlier if the people felt that the work was not progressing according to plan they could gherao the Mukhiya and call for an explanation. This is no longer happening now,” he added.  A senior official from West Godavari district agreed. “There are some pro-active officials and in those cases the Panchayats are run smoothly. But there are problems of reaching out to the people because officials can never take the place of public representatives,” the official said.  But now the polls to the Panchayati Raj institutions are finally going to be held in July. The Andhra State Election Commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy said the poll notification would be issued next week and the three-phase poll process would be conducted within the next 2-3 weeks. The entire exercise would be concluded by August first week.       
 

statesman news service
MUMBAI, 27 JUNE: The BJP’s campaign strategy for next year’s general election would be to oust “the corrupt” UPA government led by the Congress with a promise of good governance. Explaining how a frontal attack on the “vulnerable” Congress may brighten the NDA’s poll prospects, the BJP’s chief national campaigner and Gujarat chief minister Mr Narendra Modi today asked the functionaries of the party’s Maharashtra unit, to reach out to all districts of the state with the message.
On his first visit to Mumbai as a national leader, Mr Modi (afp photo) discussed the campaign strategy at the state BJP’s core committee meeting which was attended by all top leaders, except former national president, Mr Nitin Gadkari, who was away in New Delhi to attend an event at a foreign consulate.
The discussion covered several Parliament seats which the BJP lost by slender margins in 2009. The party would identify these constituencies in Marathwada and Vidarbha before putting in extra-efforts to win them back. Counting on his personal experience, the Gujarat Chief Minister told the Maharashtra leaders that anti-graft campaign and promise of good governance should win votes for the BJP.
From the core committee meeting venue at Rang Sharda in Bandra (east), Mr Modi drove to meet Shiv Sena president Mr Udhav Thackeray at his Matoshree bungalow a kilometre away. It is understood that the Maharashtra BJP highlighted the need to reinforce the Hindutva alliance with the Shiv Sena, its oldest partner of 24 years. The state BJP was disturbed by some write ups in Saamna, criticising Mr Modi.
Apparently, the Gujarat chief minister played it down and took the straight road to Matoshree. Mr Thackeray appeared satisfied with the talks as he, with a smile, walked with Mr Modi to his vehicle and saw him off.
The only unanswered question is how to convince Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Mr Raj Thackeray to cooperate with the BJP-SS combine and avoid division of votes.
The MNS’ rise since its inception nine years ago has been phenomenal, mostly at the cost of the Shiv Sena’s popularity. So far, the MNS president has frowned at “needless overtures” asking both Hindutva allies to mind their business. State BJP sources say the outcome depends on Mr Modi who is closer to Mr Raj Thackeray. However, on his recent visit to the city, BJP national president Mr Rajnath Singh had Mr Udhav Thackeray that the alliance between the two partners was unbreakable and the BJP could not even think of accommodating a “third partner”.  
Apart from the BJP general secretary for the state, Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, those who briefed Mr Modi were BJP Maharashtra president Mr Devendra Phadnavis and deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Mr Gopinath Munde, who were present at the core committee
meeting.

statesman news service
LUCKNOW, 27 JUNE: In the run up to the Lok Sabha polls 2014, BJP national president Rajnath Singh has taken the Congress head on. He said the Congress was trying to change its agenda by diverting the attention of the people from its failures to a debate between secularism and communalism.
He said the divide and rule policy of the Britishers practiced by the Congress over the past five decades had strengthened sectarian tensions. This was in stark contrast to the BJPs ‘justice to all, appeasement to none’ stance and its agenda of ensuring that India remains undivided, supreme and turns into an economic super power .
Addressing a press conference today, the president appealed to all political parties to unite and make the country “Congress mukt***”(free of the Congress rule). He specifically mentioned the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party which on account of their own compulsions were supporting the Congress led UPA government at the Centre. Slamming the Congress for its vote bank politics based on appeasement, Mr Rajnath Singh said in its 51 years of rule, the party could not ensure communal harmony. Mahatma Gandhi was aware of this failure of the Congress and had therefore suggested that the Congress should be dissolved after the country had attained independence, he added.
Continuing with his tirade against the Congress, the BJP president said too many corruption ‘gates’ had been opened by the party. Included in them were the Coalgate, the spectrum gate and many more. The parameters of morality had nose dived to the extent that even officials of the PMO were being interrogated, he said.
Holding the Congress responsible for the present state of affairs in India, he said the UPA government, during its past nine years of rule, had failed miserably on all counts.  The Rupee had never hit such a low ever. What is more surprising is that despite the fall in the value of the rupee, export had not registered an increase. People with black money stashed abroad would be in a hurry to withdraw the same. The GOI had to be alert on the count and keep a tab on how much  money had come to the country from foreign banks, he said.
Mr Rajnath Singh (file photo) said the GDP growth rate of 8.4 per cent of the NDA regime had now plummeted to less than 5 per cent and there was no hope of its registering an increase as there was neither domestic nor foreign investment. The economy was staggering and the credibility of India as a market for investment had taken a severe beating, he said.
The BJP president also spoke about the discouraging fall in the job market, the rising rate of unemployment, the diplomatic failures of the UPA  government and the rise of Maoist activities in the country. He said the BJP will be with the government in its fight against any kind of terror activities.
Expressing confidence that the BJP will get at least 40 seats in Uttar Pradesh, he prevaricated all questions on the Gujarat riots by saying they were unprovoked as against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said the Gujarat riots should be probed into. With regards the BJP’s new vision document for the Muslims, the president said his party always stood for ‘justice to all, appeasement to none’.

abhijeet anand
NEW DELHI, 27 JUNE: The issue of universal health coverage (UHC) will be discussed for the first time by the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) tomorrow.
The UHC has been the agenda of the Union government and was part of the suggestions for the 12th five-year-plan. Tomorrow’s meeting comes two months after the working group of NAC on universal health care presented its final recommendations. All 12 members of the NAC, including tribal expert and sociologist Virginius Xaxa, who has replaced Aruna Roy after her exit, will be present.
The suggestions of the working group of NAC on universal health care, which consisted of Dr A K ShivKumar, Dr Mirai Chatterjee and Dr Mihir Shah, member of the Planning Commission, will be discussed at the meeting.  Dr Chatterjee is currently associated with the Self Employed Women&’s Association (SEWA) as director of social security. Dr ShivKumar, an economist, is working as a consultant with the UNICEF. Both of them are also part of the governing body of the Public Health Foundation of India.
They would make a presentation to Mrs Gandhi and other NAC members on the modalities of implementing UHC. Dr Chatterjee said the government is committed to bringing reforms in the health care system.
“The recommendations which the working group has given are already being looked into by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Planning Commission. We are committed to providing healthcare for the common man. The first and foremost thing is that we must increase the public expenditure on health. Primary health services and  secondary health services must be strengthened,” said Dr Chatterjee.
The recommendations of the working group cover financing for universal health coverage, urban health, piloting universal health coverage, community action among others. It suggested that a system of UHC should “absolve  individuals of having to pay for medicines and diagnostics as well.”
On increasing public expenditure, the working group has  recommended that the states should match the expenditure made by the Centre. “If this is achieved the expenditure of the Centre and the states on health would rise to 1.87 per cent of GDP at the end of the 12th five year plan,” it said.
Dr Chatterjee said the private sector should be involved in providing healthcare. “We have not ruled out the private sector in providing healthcare. If there are gaps in the public healthcare system, the private sector can be involved through contracting-in,” she said.
Emphasis has been laid in the recommendations on primary health care, immunisation and filling up vacancies at the primary health care centres. This according to the group will reduce infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and reduce anaemia.
The working group has also recommended creation  of a public health cadre by states which at present is not there. It recommends providing free generic medicines to all in hospitals.
For regulation of health care, the committee has recommended establishment of National Health Regulatory and Development Authority, an autonomous and statutory body to oversee the quality of healthcare provided by both public and private personnel and organisations.
The recommendations say the universal health coverage schemes of the states should also include the middle class. “Strong emphasis should be on universality so that the vulnerable middle class is not left out,” said the recommendations.
Also it suggests setting up of Healthcare Social Enterprises. “Healthcare Social Enterprises would be an integrated network of primary, secondary and tertiary care which would be paid on capitation basis,” said the recommendations. 
On the issue of insurance schemes, the group has suggested a hybrid model that will integrate the insurance system with the health system. The group has expressed confidence that it is possible to offer universal health insurance. “It is possible to offer almost universal health insurance for secondary and tertiary care with existing funding,” said the recommendations. Dr Chatterjee said the need to have universal health insurance can be done away with if the primary and secondary health care services are provided free. 

pradip chatterjee
KOLKATA, 27 JUNE: An age-old system of admitting candidates to medical courses through donors’ quota without clearing the entrance examination which has been in practice at various medical colleges for many years is to be abolished from this year as the Medical Council of India (MCI) in its gazette notification has stated that candidates willing to pursue the course must secure a place in the merit list of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET). NEET is a national-level medical entrance examination introduced in this academic year.
However, the college authorities are confused as they are yet to receive any instruction from the state health department regarding this. A senior official from one of the medical colleges in the city said that they still don’t know what they will do with the seats under donors quota. Till last year candidates were admitted through this quota. But this year MCI in the gazette notification  clearly mentioned that in order to be eligible for admission to MBBS/BDS courses for a particular academic year, it will be necessary for a candidate to obtain minimum marks in NEET for the said academic year besides obtaining minimum prescribed marks in the qualifying examination. No candidate who has failed to obtain the minimum eligibility marks as prescribed by the MCI and the Dental Council of India shall be admitted to MBBS/BDS courses in the said academic year. The notification also said the candidates who want to go abroad for medical studies have to clear NEET.
The practice which was started in some of the city’s medical colleges during the British rule continued even after Independence as the state government failed to abolish the quota system in prestigious medical courses. Some unworthy candidates, without the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) ranks used to find a place in some top state-run medical colleges in the city. Last year a Cabinet minister’s daughter got admitted to one of the medical colleges in the city through this quota after she failed to secure a rank in JEE.
Professor Tapan Kumar Lahiri, principal, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, said: “The state health department has not yet given any instruction so far regarding the admission of candidates. We will follow the department’s instruction and admit those candidates after counseling. We have already written to the heath department seeking its instruction.”
Dr Susanta Banerjee, Director of Medical Education, said: “The notification issued by the MCI does not hamper the quota seats in the state.” 
Dr AK Maity, an expert in the field who was formerly attached to SSKM hospital, said: “All the candidates even under the quota seats must obtain the minimum marks in NEET and find a place in the merit list. Otherwise, nobody will get admission in undergraduate medical courses, as per the instructions of MCI."

KOLKATA, 27 JUNE: Higher Secondary Council received 70,000 applications for online emergency scrutiny and review this year. Due to the large volume of the applications, the HS council could not publish the result within the stipulated time. The results will be published on 29 June. This is the first time the HS Council has arranged for online and emergency provision  for candidates who are to take admission to national level institutes. The provision to apply through schools was also there. "But, we received so many applications for emergency review that it took time," said Professor Muktinath Chatterjee, president of West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education.
In general, the council receives almost 80,000 applications but this year it received 70,000 only online. Candidates will get their changed marksheets from their schools from Wednesday.
This year, around seven lakh candidates appeared for the higher secondary examination, out of which around five lakh passed the examination. sns

statesman news service
KOLKATA, 27 JUNE: Government school teachers will appeal to the chief minister as well as the education minister protesting the arrest of the headmaster of Bankura zilla school. 
The association of state government school teachers has already written to the chief secretary and the education secretary alleging proper procedure was not followed while arresting the Bankura zilla school headmaster.
“Since he is a government employee, the education secretary should have been informed beforehand. There was no proper arrest warrant. The headmaster was arrested when he went to the police station for some other reasons.
In the absence of a headmaster everything is going haywire
in the school and the School Education Department is in
the dark regarding the issue,” said Mr Dipen Ghosh, general secretary of the association. 
Allegations of admitting more students than what
is permitted in a state government school were raised against the Bankura zilla school headmaster. Charges of misappropriation of mid-day meal funds were also made against him.
“We will not support the headmaster if he was
really involved in those alleged activities. But there
should have been a proper inquiry. But since his arrest
last month, there has been no such progress,” said Mr Ghosh. 
The association claimed a headmaster cannot take decisions without the support of the managing committee. Hence, the role of the managing committee needs to be probed.

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 27 JUNE: The small tea growers today sought intervention of the Tea Board for implementing a price sharing formula to maintain a stable price of tea leaves after the sudden fall in its price.
The small tea growers today took such a decision after bought leaf tea factory owners announced the rate of tea leaves Rs 6 to Rs 7 per kg only, though the price of the leaves was Rs 20 per kg two weeks ago.
The North Bengal Tea Producers’ Association, mainly the bought leaf factory owners, yesterday claimed that they were facing acute crisis of green leaves over the past three to four months.
The NBTPA chairman, Mr Prabir Seal, also alleged that they were facing shortage of green leaves because the Tea Board had issued more licences for setting up bought leaf tea factories in this region.
To counter the NBTPA&’s state, small tea growers today addressed the Press and claimed that the Tea Board should set up at least 100 more bought leaf factories to maintain demand and supply ratio in this region.
According to a senior leader of the small tea growers, Mr BG Chakraborty, said: “Small growers are facing huge losses after the sudden fall in the price of green leaves. We have informed the deputy director of the Tea Board about our problem and sought his intervention. If the Tea Board fails to resolve the present crisis we would start an agitation after Monday.”
Small growers mainly in North Dinajpur and Terai regions are facing problems after the sudden drop in the price of green leaves.