Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi (File photo)

NEW DELHI: A group of first-time Congress MLAs from Karnataka has written to senior party leaders — including Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi — seeking representation in the state Cabinet during the proposed reshuffle.In a joint representation addressed to the Congress high command and the state leadership — including chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister and state unit president DK Shivakumar — the legislators urged that at least five first-time MLAs be inducted as ministers.“We request you to ensure that at least five first-time MLAs are accommodated as ministers during the reshuffle,” the letter said.The legislators noted that 38 of the 135 Congress MLAs elected to the 224-member House in the 2023 assembly polls being first-time members was a “clear message” from the people, as they want to see “new young faces.”“As you are aware, the people have elected 38 Congress members to the assembly for the first time and thereby sent out a clear message that they want to see new young faces in the legislature,” the MLAs wrote.They further pointed out that when the 34-member ministry was constituted under Siddaramaiah, no debutant legislator was inducted into the Cabinet.“That being the case, it is justified that the first-timers are also accommodated. It is the need of the hour that young, dynamic, and proactive debutant MLAs are provided an opportunity to serve as ministers,” the letter stated.The signatories argued that appointing newcomers to ministerial positions would not be “unprecedented,” noting that in several states first-time MLAs had gone on to become chief ministers or ministers. A blend of youth and experience, they argued, would strike the “right balance” in governance and strengthen the party’s prospects in 2028.The letter comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle within the state Congress, with Shivakumar reiterating his claim to the top post, reportedly based on an understanding with the party high command after the 2023 victory. At the time, veteran leader Siddaramaiah was chosen to lead the government for his second term, while Shivakumar was made his deputy and reportedly assured the chief minister’s post for the latter half of the five-year tenure.The Karnataka Congress government completed its first two-and-a-half years in November 2025.(With PTI inputs)

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said it would examine whether the sharp reduction in the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025-26 would affect standards in postgraduate medical education.Justice Narasimha observed that while the Union was justified in stating that NEET-PG was not an entry-level MBBS exam and that candidates are already qualified doctors, the court would still have to consider the impact of drastically lowering the cut-off.“Adversely affecting the quality of education is what we are more concerned, more than anything. More than anything, it is about the quality. You will have to satisfy us that the reduction of the cutoff so drastically, virtually bringing it to zero and non-existence… Though you are justified in saying that this is not like entry into MBBS, this is like a post-graduation. It stands on a different footing because those who apply are already doctors. But still in the context of competition, we will have to reflect,” he said.Defending its decision, the Centre told the court that NEET-PG did not certify minimum competence. “NEET-PG is not to certify minimum competence, which stands established by the MBBS qualification itself of the candidates but to generate an inter se merit list for allocation of limited postgraduate seats,” the Union said in its affidavit. It added that NEET-PG scores reflected relative performance and exam design and “cannot be construed as determinative of clinical incompetence”.The government further said concerns about patient safety were misplaced, as all candidates admitted to postgraduate courses are already licensed MBBS doctors and are legally allowed to practise. During postgraduate studies, they work under constant supervision of senior faculty.It also said the decision to reduce the percentile was taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission due to a large number of vacant seats. Around 70,000 postgraduate seats were available for 2025-26, with over 2.24 lakh candidates appearing. After Round 2, 9,621 all-India quota seats remained vacant.A plea has challenged a January 13, 2026 notice issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences reducing the qualifying percentile for the third round of NEET-PG 2025-26 counselling.Under the revised criteria, the minimum qualifying percentile for unreserved candidates was reduced from the 50th percentile to the 7th percentile. For unreserved persons with disabilities candidates, it was reduced to the 5th percentile. For Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes candidates, the percentile was reduced to zero.

Tejas jet (file photo used for representative purposes)

NEW DELHI: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday dismissed reports of any ‘major damage’ to a Tejas jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF), calling it a “minor technical incident on ground”.Refuting the earlier reports it said, “HAL acknowledges the recent media reports on the LCA Tejas incident and wishes to provide factual clarification. There has been no reported crash of the LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on ground.”Further assuring the safety record of Tejas jets, it added, “LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft. As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution.”The statement comes after earlier media reports claimed that a Tejas light combat aircraft of IAF’s sustained major damage to its airframe after it overshot the runway at a frontline airbase following a suspected brake failure on February 7. According to earlier reports, the pilot of the aircraft had ejected safely.Tejas has been involved in two incidents in the past. The first incident occurred in March 2024, when a Tejas jet crashed near Jaisalmer. The second took place in November 2025, when another Tejas jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow.In February 2021, the ministry of defence signed a Rs 48,000 crore contract with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for IAF. Deliveries have since faced delays, largely due to GE Aerospace missing multiple deadlines for supplying the aero engines that power the aircraft.In September last year, the defence ministry finalised another Rs 62,370 crore deal with HAL to procure 97 additional Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.The Tejas is a single-engine, multi-role fighter designed to operate in high-threat environments, capable of performing air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and strike missions.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wrote a letter to the voters of West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, saying he was “heartbroken” about what he described as the state’s present condition.In his letter, the Prime Minister accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of “extreme non-cooperation” and said the state’s destiny would be decided in a few months.Beginning the letter with “Joy Maa Kali,” PM Modi wrote: “Just a few months remain, after which the destiny of West Bengal will be decided. The responsibility of determining the path of the next generation’s future rests upon your thoughtful decision. The people of my dream ‘Sonar Bangla,’ young and old alike, are today victims of deep deprivation. My heart is heavy with their suffering. Therefore, from the depths of my being, I have taken one resolve — the resolve to make West Bengal developed and prosperous.”“Just a few months remain, after which the destiny of West Bengal will be decided. The responsibility of determining the path of the next generation’s future rests upon your thoughtful decision. The people of my dream, “Sonar Bangla,” young and old alike, are today victims of deep deprivation. My heart is heavy with their suffering. Therefore, from the depths of my being, I have taken one resolve — the resolve to make West Bengal developed and prosperous,” he added.“Despite the state government’s extreme non-cooperation and hostility, today 50 million people in West Bengal have been brought into the banking system through the Jan-Dhan Yojana. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, we have enabled the construction of 8.5 million toilets in the state. While the ruling party deprives the poor of their basic sustenance, we have extended a helping hand to small traders and entrepreneurs through loans worth Rs 2.82 lakh crore. Through the Atal Pension Yojana, we have helped 5.6 million senior citizens achieve financial security in old age. Under the Ujjwala Yojana, we have delivered cooking gas connections to more than 10 million families, freeing mothers and sisters from the hardships of smoke-filled kitchens. At a time when the very providers of food struggle for survival, we consider ourselves fortunate to have supported more than 5.2 million farmers directly through the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme,” the letter further read.If the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in West Bengal, PM Modi claimed it would build a state where women feel secure, where young people need not leave home for work, and where Bengali culture regains its glory.“My humble appeal to the people of West Bengal: join this journey of development. I eagerly await an opportunity to serve you — an opportunity to build a state where, in Gurudev’s words, ‘the mind is without fear and the head is held high.’ A West Bengal free from corruption and misrule,” the letter said.“A West Bengal where women feel secure, where young people need not leave home for work, where Bengali culture regains its glory. Our refugee brothers and sisters, victims of religious persecution, will gain citizenship through the CAA, and a governance free from illegal infiltration will be established,” he added.

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered a political uproar after he said that the DMK “neither fears the Prime Minister nor his father.”While addressing a DMK Youth Wing event in Coimbatore, Udhayanidhi said, “Whenever Modi appears on television, people get frightened about what he is going to announce. Demonetisation and the Corona (lockdown) announcements by Modi made people fearful. But if Stalin appears on TV, people are happy about the new announcement schemes. We’ll never leave our rights for the welfare of Tamil Nadu. We’ll not fear PM Modi, not even if the father of PM Modi comes.”The remarks attracted a strong reaction from Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing its leaders of repeatedly making personal attacks against the Prime Minister and his family.BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Udhayanidhi Stalin had previously made controversial remarks against the Hindu community and was now targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father.“Congress went shirtless, topless, and characterless in the way it protested at the AI Summit. Actually, it was not a protest; it was a disruption. And now the DMK, its ally, has gone senseless, ethicless, and moralless. Udhayanidhi Stalin, who has given death threats to Hindus and called for the genocide of Hindus, is now targeting the Prime Minister’s late father,” Poonawalla said.“Imagine, during the Bihar elections, the INDIA Alliance targeted and abused his mother. They have used more than 150 abusive words, especially against his mother and father, particularly because he comes from the OBC community,” he added.“They have abused his family and his background. They have mocked him for being a chaiwala. They have said, “Modi, teri kabar khudegi,” and threatened that he would die or be killed, using violent language like “lathi dande.” Now, Udhayanidhi Stalin, who has said that he wants to exterminate Hindus and eradicate Sanatan, and for which the High Court has come down heavily on him, has delivered such hate speech. And now he is abusing the Prime Minister’s late father. This shows the journey from shirtless to shameless, from characterless to senseless. This is the directionless INDIA Alliance. They talk about the Constitution, but they are nothing more than an ‘abuse ki dukaan’,” Poonawalla added.Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the ‘Dravidian Model 2.0’ for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest. In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 assembly polls.Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others, including independents, won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Monday arrested Jitendra Yadav from Gwalior in connection with the Youth Congress protest at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit.This is the fifth arrest made by Delhi Police in connection with the incident.Earlier, police had detained another Youth Congress protester while tracing the remaining protesters.According to Delhi Police, officials recovered T-shirts and posters used in the Indian Youth Congress protest at the AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam from the car of Indian Youth Congress leader Krishna Hari.On Saturday, a Patiala court sent four accused — Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, and Narasimha Yadav — to five-day police custody under provisions including BNS Sections 121 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), offences carrying punishment exceeding three years.While hearing the matter, the court described the ‘shirtless’ protest as a “blatant assault on public order” that endangered India’s diplomatic image.“Such conduct palpably transcends the ambit of legitimate dissent, metamorphosing into a blatant assault on public order. It imperils not merely the event’s sanctity but also the Republic’s diplomatic image before foreign stakeholders, rendering it wholly unprotected by constitutional safeguards,” the magistrate said.‘Gandi aur nangi rajneeti’Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined the chorus of criticism against the Congress party over its “shirtless” protest, accusing the grand old party of turning a global event into an arena for its “gandi aur nangi” politics.In his address after flagging off the Namo Bharat train, the Prime Minister said, “Congress turned a global event into an arena for its ‘gandi aur nangi’ (dirty and shameless) politics.”Further intensifying his attack on the largest opposition party, he added, “I ask Congress leaders — the nation already knows your true form. What was the need to strip further?”Following the incident, the Congress faced widespread backlash, including criticism from some of its allies and other opposition leaders, who termed the act “inappropriate,” in addition to sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.One of Congress’s key allies, Akhilesh Yadav, also denounced the protest, saying, “They should have refrained from doing something that brings shame to our country in front of foreign delegates and world representatives.”Youth Congress’s topless protestOn Friday, a group of Youth Congress activists staged a high‑profile protest at the Bharat Mandapam venue. The accused displayed T-shirts featuring images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, alongside slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal, and were involved in a scuffle with security personnel.The protest took place on the final day of the five‑day summit, which has drawn global leaders and technology experts to discuss developments and the future of artificial intelligence.

ANI file photo

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel during a Cabinet meeting on Monday.He described the relationship between the two countries as “an axis of nations committed to stability and progress,” emphasizing their partnership in innovation, security, and shared strategic goals.

“This morning, at the opening of our Cabinet meeting, I spoke about the historic visit of my dear friend, Prime Minister @narendramodi, to Israel this coming Wednesday. 🇮🇱🤝🇮🇳. The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance between two global leaders. We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision. Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress,” Netanyahu said through a post on X.Netanyahu also emphasised that the partnership between Israel and India is expanding, spanning areas from AI to regional cooperation.Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister praised India’s rising global influence ahead of PM Modi’s visit. Speaking about the close ties between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, Netanyahu tweeted that the visit would “express the special relationship” forged over recent years between Israel and India, and between himself and PM Modi.On the diplomatic front, Netanyahu shared his vision of building a regional network of alliances, describing it as a “hexagon” encompassing India, Arab and African nations, Mediterranean countries like Greece and Cyprus, and select Asian nations. He said he plans to present the framework in a more detailed and organized manner in the future.This will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to Israel, following his landmark 2017 trip that made him the first Indian prime minister to travel to the country.The visit comes amid developments linked to the Board of Peace meeting held on February 19, an initiative that emerged from former US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council.The initiative has since broadened in scope, with officials saying around 35 countries have committed to join and about 60 invited. Trump has suggested the body could eventually assume some functions currently carried out by the United Nations.

NEW DELHI: In a bid to tighten the noose on regulatory compliance in medical education, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed making a dedicated corpus fund mandatory for new and recently operational medical colleges, while warning that incomplete applications will be rejected outright.Under draft amendments issued this week to the 2023 regulations governing establishment and expansion of medical institutions, any entity seeking to open a new medical college will have to submit an undertaking confirming that it will maintain a dedicated corpus fund exclusively for the functioning of the institution. The amount will be determined later by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) and may be revised from time to time. The provision also refers to already operational colleges.Dr MK Ramesh, president of the MARB told TOI that the earlier regulation had mentioned a corpus fund but did not specify any amount, making it difficult to enforce. Instead of deleting the clause, the Commission chose to retain it by seeking an undertaking from colleges, with the exact amount to be fixed after due deliberation. While the wording includes existing institutions, the intent is largely to ensure financial safeguards for new and recently opened colleges. Once decided, the corpus amount will be uniform.The draft also marks a clear shift toward stricter scrutiny of applications. It clarifies that under the NMC Act, a “scheme” is valid only when an application is complete with all mandatory documents. In the past, some applicants submitted incomplete proposals and later sought additional time — or court intervention — to furnish missing documents. The amendment aims to end that practice by stating that incomplete applications will be rejected at the outset, without further opportunity.Mandatory documents include a valid Essentiality Certificate from the concerned state or Union Territory government, a valid Consent of Affiliation from a recognised university, and a solvency certificate issued by a chartered accountant within 90 days prior to the application deadline.The regulator has also empowered itself to withhold processing or reject applications for new schemes or seat increases for specific academic years. In a strong compliance warning, the draft states that any attempt to pressurize MARB or the NMC through individuals or agencies could lead to immediate halt or rejection of the application.India has witnessed rapid expansion in medical colleges and seats over the past decade. While the growth has improved access to medical education, concerns about infrastructure gaps, faculty shortages and financial sustainability have persisted. By mandating a corpus fund and eliminating room for incomplete proposals, the NMC appears to be signalling that future expansion must be backed by financial preparedness and full regulatory compliance.The draft amendments have been opened for public consultation for 30 days, after which the Commission will decide on finalising the revised rules.