THE HEADLINES:
- NEET Exam for admission to undergraduate medical education cancelled over paper leak allegations; CBI probe ordered.
- Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Chief Minister of Assam for second consecutive term.
- CBI takes over probe into murder of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s aide Chandranath Rath.
- President Droupadi Murmu confers National Florence Nightingale Awards on fifteen Nursing professionals.
- In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad this evening.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on the 3rd of this month for admission to undergraduate medical education. In a social media post, NTA informed that this decision has been taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests. The agency also stated that the government has decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation, for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of paper leak. The agency said, it will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and provide all materials, records, and assistance required for the investigation. It said, the decision was taken following inputs examined by the NTA in coordination with central agencies and investigative findings shared by law enforcement agencies.
The NTA said the examination will be reconducted on dates to be notified separately. Registration details, candidature information, and examination centres selected for the May 2026 cycle will remain unchanged and be carried forward to the re-conducted examination. The agency informed that no fresh registration will be required, and no additional examination fee will be levied.
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Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a ceremony held at the Veterinary College Ground in Khanapara, Guwahati.
Along with Dr Sarma, four MLAs were also sworn in as Cabinet Ministers. They include, Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog from the BJP, Atul Bora from Asom Gana Parishad and Charan Boro from Bodoland People’s Front.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from NDA ruled states attended the ceremony.
With this, Dr Sarma has become the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve consecutive terms as Chief Minister.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned to power for a third consecutive term in the state, securing 102 seats in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the dominant force with 82 seats, while its allies – the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front – won 10 seats each.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Acting on a recommendation from the state police, the agency officially took over the probe into the case today.
In a statement, the CBI said a Special Investigation Team will be formed under the supervision of the Joint Director of its Kolkata Zone. Meanwhile, the state police are preparing to hand over the case diary to the agency. A CBI team is likely to visit Madhyamgram police station and inspect the crime scene later today.
Meanwhile, the CBI has formed a seven-member team led by DIG Pankaj Singh to conduct the investigation.
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In West Bengal, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justices Raja Sekhar Mantha and Rai Chattopadhyay has stepped aside from hearing the RG Kar rape and murder case.
During today’s hearing, the CBI submitted a progress report in a sealed envelope. Counsel for the victim’s family alleged that no fresh investigation had been carried out by the agency. Justice Mantha observed that adequate time could not be devoted to the case due to other pending matters and directed that it be referred to the Chief Justice, suggesting that a commission could be formed if necessary.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the decisions of the first Cabinet Meeting under West Bengal’s newly-elected Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said, the welfare of people of West Bengal is the top priority. Mr Modi expressed happiness that the people of the state will have access to Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest healthcare scheme that ensures top-quality and affordable healthcare. The Prime Minister added that the double-engine Government will ensure seamless delivery of key Central schemes.
The state government announced several important decisions after the first cabinet meeting yesterday. Transfer of land to the Border Security Force within 45 days for fencing the borders with Bangladesh was among the decisions.
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Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that India has increased its domestic LPG production from nearly 36 thousand tonnes per day to 54 thousand tonnes amid West Asia conflict. The Minister said this while addressing the Annual Business Summit 2026 in New Delhi. The Minister said while many nations have faced skyrocketing prices and fuel shortages over the last few months, India has managed to keep domestic prices relatively stable. He said, country maintains a buffer stock of 60 days for crude oil and LNG, and 45 days for LPG, ensuring there is no immediate threat of a shortage. Mr Puri further urged industry leaders and it’s constituents to shift from LPG to LNG and move towards green energy.
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International Nurses Day is being celebrated today marking birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The day recognizes the essential role of nurses in patient care, community health, and economic development. The theme for International Nurses Day this year is ‘Our Nurses, Our Future, Empowered Nurses Save Lives’. It highlights the need for better support, safety, and resources for nursing professionals globally.
On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026 on fifteen Nursing professionals at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In her message, President Murmu stated that this occasion is a fitting tribute to the invaluable contribution of nursing personnel and healthcare professionals who serve the nation with compassion and unwavering dedication. She said, nursing personnel exemplify the highest standards of service and play a crucial role in delivering quality healthcare, often in the most challenging circumstances. The President commended all the awardees for their inspiring devotion to duty and their tireless efforts in upholding the highest standards of patient care.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda, Ministers of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav and other senior officials were present on the occasion. The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to society.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a five nation tour to the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from Friday. Our Correspondent gives us the details of the Prime Minister’s visit:
“On the first leg of his five nation visit, Mr Modi will reach UAE on Friday, where he will meet the President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders will exchange views on bilateral issues, in particular energy cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. Then the Prime Minister will reach Netherlands on Friday and call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. He will also hold talks with Prime Minister Rob Jetten. For the third leg of the visit, Mr Modi will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday and hold bilateral talks with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson. As part of the final leg of his visit, the Prime Minister will undertake an official visit to Italy on Tuesday. With Anupam and Rishu, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) retail liquor shops located near schools, colleges, places of worship, and bus stands. In a statement, the state government said, the 4,675 retail liquor shops are operating under it. It said, out of these, 717 shops functioning within 500 metres of schools, colleges, places of worship, and bus terminals have been ordered to be closed within two weeks.
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TVK legislator JCD Prabhakar has been unanimously elected as Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker. Pro-Tem Speaker M V Karuppaiah announced Mr Prabhakar’s election after Chief Minister Joseph Vijay proposed his name, which was seconded by party’s floor leader, K.A. Sengottaiyan. TVK MLA RaviShankar from Thoraiyur constituency was also unanimously elected Deputy Speaker.
The Speaker also allowed AIADMK breakaway faction leader S. P. Velumani to speak in the Assembly. Thirty AIADMK MLAs have elected him as the leader of the legislature party, while former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has reportedly secured the support of 17 MLAs. The TVK government is scheduled to prove its majority in the Assembly during the floor test tomorrow.
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A US-based media has reported that Pakistan quietly permitted Iranian military aircraft to be stationed at its airbases during the recent conflict between Iran and the United States, despite publicly portraying itself as a mediator to end the war between Tehran and Washington. The reports said, some Iranian aircraft were parked at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Force Base near Rawalpindi, a key military facility to safeguard its aviation and military assets from possible American strikes during the conflict. Reacting to this Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for a complete re-evaluation of Pakistan’s role as a mediator to end the US-Iran war that broke out on 28th of February and has been put on pause since the 8th of April.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from within his own Labour Party. More than 60 Labour MPs are reportedly urging him to set a timetable for stepping down. The demand follows the party’s poor performance in recent local elections across England and Wales.
According to the media reports, several Labour lawmakers have privately and publicly called for a change in leadership, amid fears that Prime Minister Starmer’s leadership could hurt the party’s prospects ahead of the next general election.
Responding to the calls to quit, the UK Prime Minister pledged that he would prove his doubters wrong. Mr Starmer said this while giving a speech in London.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices declined around 1.4 per cent in the afternoon session today. The Sensex plunged 1 thousand 48 points to 74 thousand 967, while the Nifty shed 305 points to 23 thousand 511 when reports last came in. The broader market at the National Stock Exchange also declined.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast Heat Wave conditions at isolated places over Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh till tomorrow. The Met Department has issued an orange coloured warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya and also predicted heavy rainfall conditions over Arunachal Pradesh, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim tomorrow. Bihar and Uttarakhand are also likely to witness thundersquall with wind speed reaching upto 60 Kilometres per hour tomorrow.
Meanwhile, warm Night Conditions are expected to prevail at isolated places over Rajasthan throughout this week.
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In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad today. The match will begin at 07.30 PM Indian time.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :
- NEET Exam for admission to undergraduate medical education cancelled over paper leak allegations; CBI probe ordered.
- Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Chief Minister of Assam for second consecutive term.
- CBI takes over probe into murder of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s aide Chandranath Rath.
- President Droupadi Murmu confers National Florence Nightingale Awards on fifteen Nursing professionals.
- In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad this evening.