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Morning briefing: Technical assistant mastermind of NEET leak; Tejashwi Yadav's dig over 5th bridge collapse in Bihar
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
For the faculty of the College of Horticulture, Noorsarai in Bihar’s Nalanda district, 51-year-old Sanjeev Kumar was just one of the many, if a little errant, technical assistants employed with the college. Outside of work, the rest of the staff knew little about him, except that he often took unsanctioned leave, and then submitted medical certificates later. On May 5, a day when 2.4 million students sat for the NEET-UG competitive examinations, Kumar played truant again. Calls to his phone went unanswered, and nine days later, college superintendent Pranay Kumar Pankaj sent him a show-cause notice. A reply arrived on May 20—a medical certificate ostensibly from the Patna Medical College and Hospital which claimed that Kumar had a severe issue with his spinal cord and needed a month’s leave. “The letter did not say what type of leave he wanted, and it was vague. So we neither approved or denied the request. We decided we would deal with him when he returned,” Pankaj said. Dig deeper
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Friday criticised the Nitish Kumar government after the “fifth bridge in nine days” collapsed in Bihar. Yadav shared a video of the under-construction bridge collapse on his X (formerly Twitter) account that occurred on the Bhootahi River between Madhubani and Supaul, saying, “This is the 𝟓 th bridge to collapse in Bihar within 𝟗 days. A bridge under construction for years on the Bhootahi River between Madhubani-Supaul collapsed. Did you find out? If not, why? Try to find out? #Bihar #Bridge.” The video has gone viral on social media. The latest bridge collapse has been reported from the Bheja police station area in Madhubani district, located in the northernmost part of the state along the border with Nepal. Dig deeper
The Latest News
Amarnath Yatra 2024 begins today, 1st batch of pilgrims leave for holy cave Dig deeper
Hard-liner Saeed Jalili leads in early Iran presidential poll results: Report Dig deeper
India News
Delhi T-1 roof collapse: ‘Structural audit of all airports ordered; Oppn spreading fake news,’ says aviation minister Dig deeper
UDF slams LDF over KK Lathika’s Facebook post over Lok Sabha polls in Vadakara Dig deeper
Global Matters
Drafting 'comprehensive plan' to end war with Russia: Ukraine's Zelensky Dig deeper
China tightens law on handling disasters including information flows Dig deeper
Sports Goings
The T20 World Cup isn’t just for Rohit Sharma or his bunch of players to win. It’s Rahul Dravid’s too. For the head coach of the Indian team, whose term will officially be ending today with India’s final match of the World Cup, it could end in either a heartbreak or glory. Dravid has been with this set-up for almost three years and while we wish him best for his future endeavours, even The Wall knows an opportunity like this will not come again. To leave on a high, lifting the T20 World Cup trophy, seven months after coming close to being a World Champion. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
Veteran film producer Vashu Bhagnani owes over ₹65 lakh to crew members, who worked on three of his films. As reported by news agency PTI, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president BN Tiwari said it on Friday adding that the three movies are Mission Raniganj, Ganapath and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The FWICE president added that Bhagnani’s company, Pooja Entertainment, owes ₹33.13 lakh to director Tinu Desai. He had directed the 2023 film Mission Raniganj. The movie was headlined by Akshay Kumar. He also added that the production house owes ₹31.78 lakh to over 250 set workers who worked on movies including Mission Raniganj, Tiger Shroff’s Ganpath (2023), and Akshay Kumar and Tiger's Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024). Dig deeper
Lifestyle and Health
All that scratching and licking your pet is doing can be pretty annoying, but think about how your pet must feel! Skin diseases in pets are no fun for anyone, and your furry friend could be suffering from one of many different issues. The skin, being the largest organ in the body, often shows signs of problems like itchiness, sores, and inflammation. These skin issues are one of the main reasons pets are taken to the vet. Skin issues can be a chronic condition in certain dogs and cats – itchy skin, hot spots, alopecia, licking of the paws, recurring ear gunk and infections. Dig deeper
What's Trending?
Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani’s youngest son, Anant Ambani, will tie the knot with Viren Merchant and Shaila Merchant’s daughter, Radhika Merchant, on July 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai. Ahead of the much-anticipated event, the Ambanis have organised several pre-wedding celebrations for the couple. An image of an invitation shared by ANI reveals that the Indian business family is also set to organise another event - a mass wedding of the underprivileged in Palghar District, Maharashtra. Dig deeper
