More than 2 million students appeared for the high-stakes NEET medical entrance exam amid high security after a question paper leak fiasco.
First woman president of Malayalam actors’ body AMMA resigns
Shweta Menon, the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), resigned from the post on Sunday.
Menon has also resigned from the primary membership of AMMA and along with her, the 17-member executive committee led by her has resigned too, according to Indian news channel NDTV.
Menon announced the decision at the end of the annual general body meeting of the association held in Kochi, reportedly after heated arguments over the adoption of the annual report and the statement of accounts.
“There are attempts to take the association into the hands of people who are facing allegations. I cannot remain as a puppet,” The Indian Express reported.
The crisis within AMMA has deepened since the Justice Hema Committee report led to accusations that the actors’ body did not do enough to prevent sexual misconduct against women working in the Malayalam film industry.
Pakistan threatens war with India over Indus Water Treaty
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned of going to war with India over the Indus Water Treaty.
Asif on Sunday said that Islamabad could resort to military action if it believes India’s moves on the Indus river system threaten Pakistan’s water security.
Asif’s remarks come as Pakistan continues to grapple with a worsening water crisis after India suspended the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the India-Pakistan clashes last year over the Pahalgam attack in India-administered Kashmir.
“The moment we feel that our national security, and water is part of our national security, is being threatened, we will go to war against India. Definitely,” Asif said during an interview with Pakistani news channel ARY News.
The statement came after a video clip surfaced wherein India’s Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil indicated that the flow of Indus waters to Pakistan could be completely stopped by June 2028.
Under the treaty, brokered by the World Bank 66 years ago, Pakistan is allocated 80% of the basin’s waters, making it critical for the country’s agriculture, irrigation network and broader economy.
India rejects Pakistan’s statement on Varanasi mosque
India strongly opposed “unwarranted comments” from Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who condemned the alleged threat of demolitions of a historic mosque in the ancient Indian city of Varanasi.
“India categorically rejects the unwarranted comments made by the President of Pakistan. He has, in any case, no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India,” the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“These comments are particularly absurd given Pakistan’s own abysmal record on human rights, which is a matter of global commentary,” Jaiswal said.
In a statement posted on X, Zardari said he was deeply concerned over the threats of demolition and a legal notice served to the historic mosque Masjid Ganj Shaheeda and called on India to stop such actions.
“President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep concern over the demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India, including the 1,000-year-old Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi. He asked India to immediately stop such actions, warning that they risk leading to the disintegration and perennial chaos of India,” the statement said.
“He called for an immediate halt to such actions and urged the protection of minority rights and shared cultural heritage,” the statement added.
Indian authorities recently issued a notice to remove the mosque near the Kashi railway station by June 20; else it will be demolished. Railway authorities have maintained the mosque is built on railway land.
However, the committee managing the mosque has questioned the authenticity of the notice, due to the lack of an official stamp or signature.
The committee managing the mosque has handed over a memorandum seeking an inquiry into the documents and details placed by them and issued an order that the Railways administration not carry out the demolition, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Sabarimala temple to get AI technology for crowd control
The Sabarimala temple in the southern state of Kerala could see the use of AI-based crowd management systems during the upcoming annual pilgrimage.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the managing authority of the temple, held a meeting with an expert committee and the police on Saturday in this regard, officials said.
Representatives of three AI firms from Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai briefed the expert committee, as well as senior TDB functionaries and police officers, about the proposal, according to a report by The Indian Express.
“AI-enabled crowd management has been effectively used in the Maha Kumbh Mela and other festivals with large gatherings. Sabarimala requires tailor-made AI solutions, considering that the temple is situated within a dense forest,” Pathanamthitta district police superintendent R Anand said.
“We are planning to deploy the system in a phased manner in the coming season,” he added.
“The system will incorporate high-resolution cameras, infrared cameras and drones to analyse the crowd movement,” TDB president K Jayakumar said.
The temple attracts millions of devotees during the two-month-long pilgrimage, which starts in November.
In 2011, Sabarimala saw a stampede which killed more than 100 people. More than 30 million pilgrims had visited the temple during that year’s pilgrimage season.
US representative lands in India for trade talks
US Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, is visiting India to proceed with the US-India trade deal that was agreed to by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February.
“This week, Ambassador Greer will travel to India to meet with Union Minister Piyush Goyal and other senior Indian officials to discuss the historic U.S.–India Joint Statement and the Interim Agreement as part of the broader U.S.-India Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations: United States Trade Representative,” the US Trade Representative said in a post on social media platform X.
Last week, when Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of G7 summit, Trump reaffirmed that the deal between India the US is very close to finalization.
The meeting between Goyal and Greer also comes after negotiator-level discussions which were held between the two sides on 2-4 June in New Delhi.
Over 2 million students appear for NEET-UG exam
Sunday saw millions of medical aspirants appearing for the highly competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, which is needed to enrol in medical colleges across India.
The nationwide exam was conducted across 5,440 centres in India and 14 abroad under extensive security arrangements on June 21, after the previously conducted exam on May 3 was canceled over question paper leaks.
A total of 2,279,743 candidates registered for NEET-UG 2026 for the May 3 exam.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) did not release the exact number of candidates who downloaded admit cards or appeared for the June 21 re-examination.
“Nearly 2.1 million admit cards were downloaded and over 2 million candidates appeared for the examination today,” Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported, citing a senior NTA official.
The number of students who appeared for the re-exam was less than the number of students who appeared for the May 3 exam.
NTA director general (DG) Abhishek Singh said, “A slightly smaller number of students appeared this time, which is natural because many students take admission in other colleges in other courses.”
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-millions-of-students-turn-up-for-neet-retest/live-77652775
