The AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu staged a hunger strike in Chennai, demanding a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed 63 lives. They also called for the dismissal of the DMK government and accused them of supporting illicit liquor trade. The strike saw participation from senior leaders including Edappadi Palaniswami and D Jayakumar. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Assembly suspended AIADMK members for disrupting the proceedings.
The UGC-NET exam, conducted for assistant professor appointments and PhD admissions, was cancelled due to concerns over compromised integrity. The Ministry of Education has ordered a CBI probe and announced fresh exams will be held. The cancellation has sparked political controversy, with the Congress accusing the government of incompetence.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the West Bengal government’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court’s order to initiate a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali. The state government contends that the High Court’s directive infringes upon the state police’s authority to investigate cognizable offenses, even those unrelated to the allegations raised by the petitioners.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) to investigate allegations of extortion, land grab, and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, following an order from the Calcutta High Court. The FIR names five accused individuals, while others remain unknown at this time. The allegations stem from protests led by women against local politician Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates, who have been accused of sexual misconduct and land-grabbing. Shahjahan was arrested in February and remains in custody.
The West Bengal Government has appealed to the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court order which invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the state’s School Service Commission. The high court had declared the selection process “null and void” and ordered a CBI probe, finding that appointments were made beyond the available vacancies and after the official recruitment date.
The Calcutta High Court has declared the 2016 recruitment process for West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools null and void, impacting 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff. The court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the appointment process and has asked the affected individuals to return their salaries along with 12% interest. The selection process involved a state-level selection test (SLST) panel that recommended candidates based on their performance in the teacher eligibility test (TET), academic marks, interview, and personality test. However, controversies arose when some TET candidates complained that several individuals not included in the SLST panel received appointment letters. An inquiry committee found that a five-member panel overseeing school appointments had allegedly manipulated candidate rankings and issued appointment letters after the panel’s expiry date. The CBI’s subsequent investigation revealed unauthorized identification of teaching vacancies and fictitious recommendations by scanning signatures of regional service commission chairpersons. The court has ordered the CBI to continue its investigation to determine the number of illegal appointments and identify those involved in manipulating the process.
