New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed anguish at petitioners' counsel seeking adjournment on a clutch of pleas against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state.
A bench comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia said this was not acceptable to the court as earlier petitioners' wanted urgent listing but when the matter was listed, they want adjournment and this would not be allowed. Justice Gupta said, "We will not permit forum shopping..."
The bench made this observation following Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Karnataka government, submissions that the letter seeking adjournment on hearing of petitions have been circulated by petitioners.
The petitioners' counsel submitted that lawyers have to come from all over India and some are from Karnataka. Justice Gupta said, "Karnataka is only 2.5 hours away", and added that earlier petitioners wanted early hearing on the matter, but when it was listed before a bench, they want adjournment.
The petitioners' counsel sought two weeks' time. However, the bench replied that they have already asked for a hearing on the matter many times, and asked the counsel to argue the matter before the court. At this juncture, Mehta said the petitioners have sought early hearing on the matter at least six times. Justice Gupta said, "We will not permit forum shopping."
Mehta said a counter affidavit may not be necessary as only questions of law are involved. After a brief hearing on the matter, the bench issued notice on the petitions and scheduled the matter for hearing next Monday.
On August 3, the top court agreed to set up a bench to consider a clutch of pleas against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state.
A counsel mentioned the matter before a bench headed by then Chief Justice N.V. Ramana. The Chief Justice told the counsel, "I will constitute a bench. One of the judges is not well". The counsel urged the top court to fix a date in the matter, as petitions against the high court judgment were filed in March.
On July 13, advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter before a bench headed by then Chief Justice N.V. Ramana saying the petitions have not been listed for a long time. "The girls are losing out on their studies. This matter was filed long back," Bhushan said. The Chief Justice had replied that it will be listed sometime next week. Bhushan mentioned the matter on behalf of the appellants who have challenged the high court verdict in the top court.
On March 24, the Supreme Court declined to give any specific date to hear a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms.
Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat mentioned one of the cases on behalf of a petitioner, a Muslim girl student, and sought urgent listing of the matter. Kamat insisted that exams are approaching and urged the court to urgent hearing on the matter.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said this has nothing to do with exams, and told Kamat not to sensationalise the matter. Kamat contended that the girl students are not being allowed to enter the schools, and they will lose one year. However, the bench moved on to the next item. On March 16, the Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which held that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed anguish at petitioners' counsel seeking adjournment on a clutch of pleas against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state.

 'Will not permit forum shopping', SC on pleas against K'taka HC verdict on hijab

The health and wellness of students in schools have become increasingly important, especially in the post-covid era. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education emphasised that guidance and counselling can support the attainment of educational aims by contributing to creating an ethos of overall well-being and teaching individuals an ethic of care and mutual respect.

According to the NCF, physical health, and wellness are crucial needs for growing up and require careful addressing by schools. “Designing programs that contribute to good health and physical fitness for all students across the stages in their school life is a central goal.

Not just physical, there is a need to prioritise psychological health and wellness as well. With a primary focus on students, guidance and counselling work must teach strategies for emotional regulation and positive motivation. While mild to moderate challenges with mental health can receive counselling support within the school, it would be necessary to direct students and families to more qualified professionals outside the school system for clinical diagnosis and support,” the report stated.

Regarding the reasons for introducing health and wellness, the draft stated that the classroom and the school were sites for emotional learning, growth, and expression, which were probably the most occupying for teachers at this stage. “Students themselves go through unpredictable mood states and energy fluctuations, often grappling with a sense of unexplainable wellness or not-so-wellness. Middle Stage pedagogy must allow for some amount of engagement with emotional experiences through quiet discussion and reflection. Curricular areas can be used as contexts in which individual responses can be parsed. The teacher will have to find a balance in the approach to students’ emotions - an approach that is neither intrusive nor indulgent, but reasonably firm, rationally clear, and emotionally caring towards students of this stage,” the report said.

<h2>Importance of games</h2>
The NCF emphasises the importance of exercising the mind just as exercising the body is crucial to maintaining good health. Encouraging children to play games that involve strategy, logic, word puzzles, and recreational mathematics is an excellent way to spark their interest in mathematics and foster their logical thinking skills.

Spatial reasoning can be developed through activities such as solving jigsaw puzzles, playing with blocks, and solving mazes. Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills can be enhanced through playing games such as tic-tac-toe and chess.

Playing games such as Chaupad, Snakes and Ladders, and Ludo can be a fun way to teach counting, strategy, collaboration, healthy competition, and bonding with peers.&nbsp;
—Vijay GarG / The Hawk

The health and wellness of students in schools have become increasingly important, especially in the post-covid era

Health & Wellness Belong in Classrooms

Vijay Garg 
Career Guidance is a counselling program that helps students choose the right career path based on their educational and professional choices. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the student's knowledge, skills, information, and experience identifies which career options are available.
There is a lack of awareness and information about the various career options available for students after passing out of school in India. There is no culture of visiting a career counsellor in India.
Recent surveys say that 93 per cent of the students were aware of less than ten career options, mainly the basic ones like engineering, medicine, law, finance, IT, etc. In contrast, there are more than 600 career options available today. Therefore., the awareness levels of all the available career options for a student need to be increased.
Having discussed that, why do we need Career guidance programs?
We have been taking suggestions from Elders, Peers and Parents for a long time. Everyone has a different opinion on what they should pursue and while that is not entirely wrong, the decision might not be as suitable always. To avoid that one must attend a career guidance program or set up an appointment one on one with the counsellor.
How does it work? 
Career guidance typically begins with an assessment of an individual's skills, interests, and strengths. This information is then used to identify potential career paths that may be a good fit. A career counsellor or advisor may provide information about various occupations, such as job requirements, growth potential, and earning potential. They may also help individuals explore education and training options, such as college or vocational programs, and offer advice on how to gain relevant work experience.
Benefits of Career Guidance
Career guidance can be beneficial in many ways, including:
Identifying suitable careers: Career guidance can help individuals identify careers that match their skills, interests, and personality traits. This process can help people make informed decisions about their career paths.
Making informed career choices: Career guidance can provide individuals with accurate and up-to-date information about different career options, job market trends, and educational requirements. This information can help individuals make informed decisions about their career choices. Developing career goals: Career guidance can help individuals develop clear and achievable career goals. This process can help people stay focused and motivated as they work towards their career objectives.
Enhancing employability: Career guidance can help individuals develop the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to succeed in their chosen careers. This process can involve training, education, and work experience opportunities.
Overcoming career obstacles: Career guidance can help individuals overcome career-related barriers such as unemployment, job dissatisfaction, or lack of career advancement opportunities. This process can involve identifying alternative career paths or developing strategies to overcome obstacles.
Improving job satisfaction: Career guidance can help individuals find fulfilling and meaningful careers that match their personal values and interests. This process can lead to increased job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. Now that we have looked at the benefits and elements of the Career Guidance Programs, let’s take a look at who can benefit from them.
Students: The students appearing for the 10th and 12th boards need to know how many fields they can choose from.&nbsp;
Job seekers: Individuals who have completed their education need to know more about the areas they can work in from the stream that they have selected.&nbsp;
People who need to change careers: People who are looking for a career change can refer to many different opportunities with the help of career guidance programs.
People who have lost their jobs: Career guidance programs can help people who have lost their jobs to map what to do next and assess their financial situation.&nbsp;
10 Reasons why Career Guidance is Important for Students
Educators in India are extensively working towards achieving improvements in the educational sector. Career counsellors are among those who groom younger minds in a suitable direction. When schools, institutes, or even parents lack to offer proper guidance to the students, career counsellors come into action. It is the utmost account of the counsellor to show and be aware of all the career paths available to the ones in need.
Updated on all the career paths
Counselling
Based on the research, expertise level, and knowledge, career counsellors assist students in understanding job opportunities and market scenarios. They are the right people to explore and ask for a desired new but appropriate career path.
Career counsellors let people make informed decisions with practical guidance and thorough research. They make students updated with all the leading platforms and current requirements in the market. For example, many students are unaware of ethical hacking, astrophysics, sports psychology, etc. They can seek help from them when they are in a dilemma about selecting their career fields. These counsellors can introduce students to all the effective alternatives present in the market.
Adhere broad perspective to explore career skills:
In the developing world of technology, the training sector encompasses tools that can give measurable and defined outcomes. Additionally, counsellors execute innovative technological tools like character tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, and others that have proven helpful in setting keen choices.
Career counsellors use psychometric tests to assess students' interests, personalities, aptitudes, and capacities. This helps them understand the latent abilities from an expert perspective and empowers them to filter the most relevant job according to their assessment reports.
Gives a clear career road-map:
career
Career counsellors drive students towards the right path by characterising a clear road map. A good career map helps students be on track and accomplish beneficial outcomes.
career growth
Parents often assume that they know the best for their children and subsequently make career choices depending on that. The children sometimes feel suffocated and carry on with their entire life battling at specific employment they had never wanted. These circumstances lead to clashes between parents and the child and make career planning significantly more troublesome. Career counsellors respect and comprehend the children's and parents' perspectives and, accordingly, recommend an ideal middle path. They try to be fair and deliver a balanced opinion by making both parties understand the details of career options.
Helps in growing connections with domain experts:
A career counsellor is someone whose profile causes them to associate with numerous industry specialists. In this way, they are not a solitary element but a gateway to getting to know a broader network. Along these lines, regardless of whether the students have effectively decided on their job destinations, talking with career counsellors can open up new channels and opportunities. Career counsellors are the stepping stones to an influential career. With their help, students can think about the services to find the most significant career path. They persuade the students to consider informative and available routes.
Much significant part of everyone's life today:
Career guidance is a more significant and prominent part of our lives today, and any decision taken regarding career planning must be done with utmost care and attention. With enormous certifications, courses, job opportunities, and colleges available, choosing the right career path might become chaotic for students.
Allows to embrace a respectful lifestyle:
A good career choice can land you a great career opportunity and allow students to adhere to a respectful and satisfactory lifestyle. Moreover, the desired career path engages students making them more confident, informed, and dedicated. Hence, the significance of career counselling and guidance cannot be ruled out.
Makes an informed decision regarding the career progressions:
India is a developing country, and its strengths lie in the minds of young students. They must understand the significance of career guidance to make an informed decision regarding their progressions in their career.
Career guidance lets students explore various career options:
&nbsp;professionals exploring various career options, analysing career prospects, and understanding more about the opportunities and earning potential. The method also includes an all-inclusive career assessment test that evaluates the student's strengths, interests, personality traits, aptitude, capabilities, and weaknesses.
Gives the proper knowledge and approach to the prospects and trends of different career clusters:
Career counselling is still not the preferred choice for parents and students alike. Sheer lack of understanding and awareness of the benefits and importance of career counselling is one of the main reasons career counselling is not the initial choice for both parents and students. The right career path starts with the proper knowledge and approach to different career clusters' prospects and trends. 	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;—The Hawk Features

Career Guidance is a counselling program that helps students choose the right career path based on their educational and professional choices.

Get The Right Guidance To Leap Through Your Career

New York: The counsellor for India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Pratik Mathur, addressed the 68th Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the "Use of Veto". A year has passed since the adoption of the 'veto initiative' by this August Assembly, and India's position on veto has been consistent and clear, he noted. "UNGA had unanimously agreed to vide decision 62/557 in 2008 that all five aspects of UNSC reform, including on the question of veto would be decided in a comprehensive manner and therefore no single cluster could be addressed in isolation. The veto resolution, though adopted by consensus, unfortunately, reflected a piecemeal approach to UNSC reform, thereby highlighting one aspect, ignoring the root cause of the problem," Counsellor Mathur said. Regarding the substantive aspect of the exercise of veto in the Security Council, Counsellor Mathur made several observations. All five permanent members have used the veto over the last 75 years to achieve their respective political ends, he argued. "In this regard, let me flag what our African Brothers have repeatedly stated in the IGN, 'The veto as a matter of principle should be abolished. However, as a matter of common justice, it should be extended to new permanent members so long as it continues to exist'," Counsellor Mathur said, quoting African nations. "The privilege of using the veto has been vested in only five member states. As rightly called out by our African brothers, it goes against the concept of sovereign equality of states and only perpetuates the mindset of the Second World War, to the victor belongs the spoils," he added. "Either all nations are treated equally in the context of voting rights or else the new permanent members must also be given the veto. Extension of veto to new members will have no adverse impact on the effectiveness of an enlarged Council," Counsellor Mathur said. Claiming that the "exercise of veto is driven by political considerations, not by moral obligations", he said, "As long as it exists, the member state or member states, who can exercise the veto, will do so, irrespective of the moral pressure, as we have seen in the recent past." "Therefore, we need to address all five aspects of UNSC reform, including the question of veto, in a comprehensive manner, through clearly defined timelines, in the IGN process. India has committed to supporting any initiative that genuinely furthers the objective of achieving meaningful and comprehensive reform of the key elements of the global multilateral architecture," he stated further in his address. He concluded his address by reiterating that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India, and no amount of misinformation, rhetoric and propaganda from any country can deny this fact. —ANI

The counsellor for India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Pratik Mathur, addressed the 68th Plenary Meeting

'Goes Against Sovereign Equality Of States': Counsellor Pratik Mathur Addresses UNGA Plenary On 'Question Of Veto'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of a specially-abled lawyer and judicial services aspirant who was denied by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission to use a scribe for the judicial services examination scheduled on April 30.

The petitioner, Dhananjay Kumar suffers from "writer's cramp (task specific dystonia, i.e., unable to write)" and is undergoing treatment at the Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Kumar, as an aspirant for judicial services, filled the form for Uttarakhand Judicial Services Examination which is conducted by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. The examination is scheduled on April 30.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha said: "Bearing in mind the principles which have been laid down in the decision of this court in Vikash Kumar Vs Union Public Service Commission &amp; Ors , we issue an ad interim direction to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission which is in-charge of conducting the examination to ensure that a scribe is provided to the petitioner for the ensuing examination".

The bench said, "This shall be without prejudice to the rights and conditions of the parties and subject to such further orders as may be passed by this court. Issue notice returnable on 12 May 2023. Liberty to serve the Standing Counsel for the State of Uttarakhand".

The petition was mentioned in the morning before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud on April 28, for urgent hearing. The top court listed the matter for hearing the same day.

Advocate Namit Saxena, representing Kumar, submitted a representation for the facility of a scribe to enable him to appear in the examination, however the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission through an email dated April 26, 2023 rejected the said request made by him.

After hearing Saxena, the top court issued notice in the matter and as an interim direction directed the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission to provide the petitioner with the facility of a scribe for the upcoming examination.

Kumar's plea said: "The Petitioner is constrained to move this Hon'ble Court by way of the present writ petition on account of unfair, unreasonable and arbitrary decision of the respondents wherein and whereby the respondents denied the representation of the petitioner requesting a scribe to attempt and write the Uttarakhand Judicial Service Civil judge (Preliminary) Examination - 2023, which is directly violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Indian Constitution and against the basis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act".

The plea said. "That the entire career of the petitioner has been jeopardised by the decision of the respondent and his performance will be compromised in the Uttarakhand Judicial Service Civil judge (Preliminary) Examination a" 2023, which is to be held on 30.04.2023, thereby directly snatching away his fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Indian Constitution". IANS

The Supreme Court intervened to the decision of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission who denied specially-abled lawyer and judicial services aspirant to appear for judicial services examination.

SC allows a scribe to specially-abled lawyer for judicial services exam

The Supreme Court intervened to the decision of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission who denied specially-abled lawyer and judicial services aspirant to appear for judicial services examination.


Mumbai: The National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) on Tuesday said the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Court has directed the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police to probe the involvement of former Forward Markets Commission (FMC) Chairman Ramesh Abhishek in the Rs 5,600 crore NSEL crisis and submit its report within 40 days.
An application was filed by NSEL on a backdrop that the Mumbai EOW filed its final charge sheet in December 2022, but had not investigated the role of FMC and its then chairman Ramesh Abhishek in the NSEL payment default case.
In its recent order, the MPID Court asked the investigating officer to carry out a free and impartial investigation into the role of Ramesh Abhishek, the then Chairman of FMC during the period of offence.
Further, the investigating officer has been directed by the Special Court to submit its report as early as possible, preferably within 40 days from the order date without fail.
In its representation to the EOW in 2020, NSEL had highlighted several instances of negligence and failures on the part of Abhishek, which the agency did not investigate. "We are hopeful that the investigation into the role of Ex-FMC Chairman Ramesh Abhishek will be fair and impartial, and will unearth the motive behind the inactions," said NSEL Managing Director and CEO Neeraj Sharma.
The crisis was engineered by the ill-advice of FMC chairman to the Department of Consumer affairs (DCA) that NSEL had violated certain conditions of exemption granted to it under FCRA. This resulted in the DCA issuing Show Cause Notice (SCN) to the exchange in April 2012. Despite a detailed reply to the SCN and a subsequent follow up, there was no decision on the SCN until July 2013, when the exchange was abruptly told to stop functioning, resulting in the payment default crisis, the NSEL pointed out.
"Till date, the SCN remains unadjudicated. This goes to show that Abhishek's actions were fraudulent, mala fide, motivated and resulted in deliberately creating the crisis," it alleged.
According to the NSEL, "if the understanding of Abhishek on the tenure of contracts being in violation of exemption is considered as gospel truth, why there were no actions recommended to the DCA against N-Spot (subsidiary of NSE and competitor of NSEL) which had contracts beyond a period of 11 days. Favouritism to N-Spot and in turn NSE depicts nefarious intentions of Abhishek."
The NSEL noted that the August 4, 2013, meeting was an important event wherein the defaulters before the FMC, the Brokers, NSEL Board and some traders admitted their entire liability and committed to pay. This fact was further fortified by various media interviews given by Abhishek post the meeting. However, the minutes of the said meeting are stolen or intentionally misplaced/destroyed. This finding also forms part of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in their report. On August 6, 2013, reiterating its stand, the government gave omnibus power to FMC and in turn Abhishek by way of Gazette Notification to solve and settle the crisis. However, none of the actions taken by Abhishek were towards resolving the crisis. In fact, his laidback attitude towards recovery resulted in siphoning off the monies by defaulters, making the recoveries from them difficult to repay the genuine claimants who are still awaiting for their legitimate dues even after nearly a decade. He failed to solve the crisis while it was solvable in 10 days back in 2013, the company said.
Despite the EOW-Mumbai report on wrong doings of brokers, NSEL said, Ramesh Abhishek chose not to act against brokers, whose role is now getting clear. The investigation into his role will now reveal what motivation or quid pro quo compelled the former IAS officer to refrain from taking any action against the accused brokers and to sit idle on recommendations of the EOW Mumbai against the brokers.
The NSEL alleged that Abhishek acted on the wishes of the brokers and recommended a forced merger of two private companies in so-called public interest to the government. The decision of merging two companies was overturned by the Supreme Court as there was "no public interest". In fact, the recommendation to merge two companies was termed as "non application of mind" by the apex court.
The NSEL stated that Ramesh Abhishek created, fuelled, and aggravated the NSEL crisis and did not solve it when it was solvable, thereby abdicating his regulatory duty leading to omissions of criminal nature on his part that caused wrongful loss to the investors and wrongful gains to the defaulters.
Notably, Abhishek, who retired as the Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in 2019, will now have to face the investigation and cannot take shelter of the merger of FMC with SEBI and his inability to attend the investigation which he had taken before SFIO. It is a trite law that no government servant is above law and cannot seek protection of "actions taken in good faith", until those actions are investigated under the lens of the investigation agency.
Earlier in 2019, 63 moons technologies limited had filed a criminal complaint with the CBI against bureaucrats Ramesh Abhishek and KP. Krishnan and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, alleging conspiracy against the FT Group.—IANS

The National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) on Tuesday said the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Court 

MPID Court Orders Eow To Probe Ex-fmc Chief Ramesh Abhishek’s Role In Nsel Crisis

MPID Court Orders EOW To Probe Ex-FMC Chief Ramesh Abhishek’s Role In NSEL Crisis

New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court New NEET PG Counselling Scheme 2023 saying that it deprives the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates from their valid right of reservation.
It said that for academic year 2023-24, so far the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and National Medical Commission (NMC) have not lowered the minimum qualifying percentile criteria in any of the category for PwD candidates.
This decision of the MoHFW and NMC is also a clear departure from their last six years trend.
“Since 2017 from the start of NEET PG Exam to the last year NEET PG Exam 2022, MoHFW and NMC while invoking the proviso of Regulation 9 (3) of PG Medical Exam Regulation 2000 have always lowered the cut-off criteria every year in second round of PG Counselling in order to fill the vacant PG Seats,” stated the plea filed through advocates Rohit Singh and Ritu Reniwal.
It said that a lot of seats are still lying vacant in the current academic 2023-24, as per the website of the Medical Counselling Committee, MoHFW and NMC have not taken any decision to reduce the minimum percentile criteria in any of the category.
The plea anticipated that there is every likelihood that MoHFW and NMC will reduce the minimum percentile criteria before the start of the stray vacancy round because a lot of PG Seats are still lying vacant in the third round of PG Counselling.
“In the New NEET PG Counselling Scheme 2023, a seat Conversion Algorithm is provided in Chapter-3. According to this Algorithm all the PwD seats including PwD SC/ST/OBC will be transferred to their higher Non-PwD Category in third round of Counselling. Therefore, at the end of third round of counselling there will be no seats available in the category of PwD,” claimed the petition.
It said that this Conversion Algorithm is taking all the fundamental rights of petitioners herein to claim a seat in PwD category as the same was given to them in the reservation policy of NEET PG 2023 Exam.
“The persons with body disability form the weakest section of the society. It is the responsibility of the State to protect the Constitutional and Fundamental Rights of the disabled persons in every aspect of life as per the mandate of Article 21 &amp; 14 of Constitution of India,” the petition said, adding that reservation in education and Public Employment to person with the body disability gives them an opportunity to live a dignified normal Life like their general counterparts.
The matter is likely to be mentioned for urgent listing on September 18 and 19.
—IANS

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court New NEET PG Counselling Scheme 2023 saying that it deprives the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates

Plea filed in SC against New NEET PG Counselling Scheme 2023 adversely affecting PwD quota

New Delhi: Days after reduction of the qualifying percentile for postgraduate courses in the NEET-PG 2023 examination to 'zero,' a petition before the Delhi High Court has been filed by several doctor candidates protesting against the notification.  Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has issued a notice in response to the petition by three MBBS doctors who took the NEET-PG exam on March 5 and were engaged in the counselling process.  They have challenged a notification issued by the Centre on September 20 that lowered the qualifying percentile for the examination to 'zero,' which equates to minus 40 marks across all categories.
The judge has sought responses from the Union government through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Board of Examination, and the Medical Counselling Committee.  The plea argues that by reducing the eligibility criteria to zero percentile, i.e., minus 40 marks, the very purpose of conducting the NEET PG exam stands defeated.  It also fades away the entire purpose of a 'National Eligibility cum Entrance test' if the quotient of eligibility itself is diluted, the plea says.  The petitioners claim that they submitted a representation to the Union Ministry seeking clarification on the impugned order and requesting its withdrawal, but they received no response.  The plea further states that "the Impugned Order is prejudicial to the candidates who had opted out of the second round of the counselling process as it seeks to operate in retrospect. Candidates had opted out of the Second Round hoping for a better seat in the Mop-Up round that used to be held each year. However, the conversion of seats in the proposed Third round is different and substantially less than the erstwhile Mop-Up Round. As such, the Impugned Order has vitiated the calculated approach of candidates in hindsight."  On Monday, even the Supreme Court had dismissed a PIL by a lawyer challenging the Centre's decision.  A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Manoj Misra and Justice J.B. Pardiwala said:"What can a lawyer know about the cut-off for NEET-PG?, "You are not an aspirant. How are you affected?"  To which, the lawyer said that the decision will affect the quality of medical services.  The bench, however, refused to entertain the matter observing that the petitioner has no locus standi to challenge the decision. The PIL was then dismissed.
—IANS

Days after reduction of the qualifying percentile for postgraduate courses in the NEET-PG 2023 examination to 'zero,' a petition before the Delhi High Court

Delhi HC issues notice on plea against reduction of qualifying percentile to 0 in NEET-PG '23

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for its lackadaisical attitude for not providing counselling to the Muslim student who was slapped by classmates on the instruction of a teacher in Muzaffarnagar for not doing his homework. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that there has been a complete breach of its directions by the Uttar Pradesh government.Irked with the State government for non-compliance of its direction, the apex court noted that its directions to provide counselling to all the children who were made perpetrators of the offence has not been complied with. "See the State's affidavit. There has been a complete breach of our directions. None of the kids have been given counselling. We had even given names of organisations. This has to be done in letter and spirit," said the bench. It directed the counsel appearing for the government to counsel the children who witnessed the incident and file a compliance affidavit in two weeks. "We have perused the latest TISS report which calls for counselling of all the students who had taken part in corporal punishment as participants and witnesses. Nothing has been done by the State, it is too late in the day. We direct the State to immediately implement the directions, especially for the witness children," the bench stated in its order. It asked the State government to file an affidavit by February 28 and posted the matter for hearing on March 1.
Earlier, while noting that no counselling had been conducted for any of the children involved in the incident, it had asked Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai to suggest the mode and manner of counselling. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking a speedy investigation in the case. A case was registered against a teacher in Muzaffarnagar who allegedly encouraged her students to slap a classmate. The purported video of the incident created an outrage on social media. The teacher, Tripta Tyagi, was booked after a video showed her asking her students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. The teacher was accused of making communal comments and ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The State Education Department had also served notice to the private school. The FIR was registered against the school teacher under Section 323 (punishment for causing voluntarily hurt), and Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). The petition sought direction for a time-bound and independent investigation by the Police, and prescription of preventive and remedial measures within the school systems in relation to violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities.&nbsp;
—ANI

Supreme Court criticizes Uttar Pradesh government for failing to provide counselling to a Muslim student slapped by classmates in Muzaffarnagar, directing immediate compliance with its directions.

Muzaffarnagar child slap case: SC irks with UP govt for not counselling student

Supreme Court criticizes Uttar Pradesh government for failing to provide counselling to a Muslim student slapped by classmates in Muzaffarnagar, directing immediate compliance with its directions.


New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for its lackadaisical attitude for not providing counselling to the Muslim student who was slapped by classmates on the instruction of a teacher in Muzaffarnagar for not doing his homework. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that there has been a complete breach of its directions by the Uttar Pradesh government. Irked with the State government for non-compliance of its direction, the apex court noted that its directions to provide counselling to all the children who were made perpetrators of the offence has not been complied with. "See the State's affidavit. There has been a complete breach of our directions. None of the kids have been given counselling. We had even given names of organisations. This has to be done in letter and spirit," said the bench. It directed the counsel appearing for the government to counsel the children who witnessed the incident and file a compliance affidavit in two weeks. "We have perused the latest TISS report which calls for counselling of all the students who had taken part in corporal punishment as participants and witnesses. Nothing has been done by the State, it is too late in the day. We direct the State to immediately implement the directions, especially for the witness children," the bench stated in its order. It asked the State government to file an affidavit by February 28 and posted the matter for hearing on March 1. Earlier, while noting that no counselling had been conducted for any of the children involved in the incident, it had asked Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai to suggest the mode and manner of counselling. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking a speedy investigation in the case. A case was registered against a teacher in Muzaffarnagar who allegedly encouraged her students to slap a classmate. The purported video of the incident created an outrage on social media. The teacher, Tripta Tyagi, was booked after a video showed her asking her students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. The teacher was accused of making communal comments and ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The State Education Department had also served notice to the private school. The FIR was registered against the school teacher under Section 323 (punishment for causing voluntarily hurt), and Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). The petition sought direction for a time-bound and independent investigation by the Police, and prescription of preventive and remedial measures within the school systems in relation to violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities. —ANI

SC on Friday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for its lackadaisical attitude for not providing counselling to the Muslim student 

Muzaffarnagar Child Slap Case: SC Irks With UP Govt For Not Counselling Student

Washington [US]: Actors Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell have been cast as the leads in the 'Game of Thrones' prequel series 'Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight', as per The Hollywood Reporter. The description of the project reads,"A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros ... a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Claffey), and his diminutive squire, Egg (Ansell). Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends."
The project is written by George R.R. Martin and Ira Parker. They are also the executive producers including Ryan Condal, Vince Gerardis, Owen Harris and Sarah Bradshaw.
Earlier, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav gave an update on the next 'Game of Thrones' spinoff series, 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight'. "Creator and executive producer George R.R. Martin is in preproduction for the new spinoff, 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms', which will premiere in late 2025 on Max," Zaslav said.
'The Hedge Knight' is based on Martin's popular trilogy of Dunk and Egg novellas, which tell the story of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and "Egg" (the future king Aegon V Targaryen) as they wander Westeros, having adventures roughly 100 years before the events of the novels. 'The Hedge Knight' is expected to air sometime in 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
—ANI

The Hedge Knight', the 'Game of Thrones' prequel featuring Peter Claffey & Dexter Sol Ansell. Premiering in 2025, explore Westeros in a new era.

Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell to play lead roles in 'Game of Thrones' spinoff "Hedge Knight"

New York: Jonathan Majors, a fast-rising Hollywood star before domestic violence charges derailed his career, avoided jail and was sentenced to one year of domestic violence counseling on Monday after being found guilty of attacking his girlfriend.
The sentence was imposed by Justice Michael Gaffey of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, where Majors was convicted on December 18 of one count each of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment against Grace Jabbari, now his former girlfriend.
—Reuters

Hollywood's Jonathan Majors faces a critical career turn as he's sentenced to domestic violence counseling, avoiding jail after his conviction on assault charges.

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