India

Ahmedabad, Sep 16 (IANS) In the run-up to the Assembly elections, Gujarat Congress on Friday made a host of promises to the fishing community which has dominance on 32 seats in the state.

Addressing the media, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Jagdish Thakor and former president Arjun Modhwadia promised fishermen Rs 50 lakh package for boats being apprehended by the Pakistan agency. Not only that, they promised 36,000 litres of diesel annually to boats which will be exempted from Sales Tax. Also, small fiber boats will be allowed to use petrol and annually 4000 liters petrol with sales tax exemption.

If any fisherman is arrested by the Pakistan government, his family members will be paid Rs three lakh compensation. Till the fisherman is in Pakistan jail, his family will get daily Rs 400 financial aid to meet the two ends. If a fisherman dies in Pakistan jail, the family will get Rs 10 lakh financial compensation, they said.

They said if voted to power, the Congress will restart financial assistance under the NCDC scheme for building boats on cooperative basis, they promised, adding that land will be allotted to the fishermen family to develop prawn farming.

--IANS/
har/shb/

By Ashutosh Kumar
New Delhi, Sep 16: Barely a month left for the announcement of assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is already in poll mode . Now, he awaits the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blow the election bugle at Mandi-his home district on September 24.


Modi will address the Yuva-Sankalp rally of one lakh youths -all in the age below 40 years, first of its kind event.

Yet, before Modi takes the poll command in his hand, all eyes are on Kangra - the state's largest district. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister put-up a massive show of strength at Kangra, an OBC stronghold next to Dharamshala - a landmark foothill town, which is also regarded as the state's second capital, after Shimla. Dharamshala is also popular as the abode of Tibetan Spiritual Leader, the Dalai Lama.

One of the biggest pledges Thakur made in Kangra was dedicating BJP's forthcoming victory in the upcoming assembly polls to party veteran Shanta Kumar, who turned 89 a day before Chief Minister reached out to him at Palampur.

Kangra, which has 15 assembly seats, highest literacy ratio and best connectivity of road and air, has remained the strongest fortress of the BJP dominated by Shanta Kumar - a two time Chief Minister and former union minister for half the century. He is one of the surviving old guards of the Jan Sangh and BJP in the country.

Kangra is known for having the oldest serving Royal Dynasty in the world, the Katoch. It's house of 30 per cent of OBC population having considerable impact on at least eight assembly segments.

In the state, where the Congress and BJP have been alternating power after every five years, Kangra has been holding the key to the change. But this, the BJP is talking about "Rivaaj Badaldo" (buck the trend).

This means that the BJP, in order to maintain the trend set by states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Manipur and Goa, have to win Kangra. The party had won 11 out of 15 seats in 2017 elections to make it to power, ousting Virbhadra Singh.

Earlier to this in 2012 polls, the Congress had won 11 seats in Kangra and reduced the BJP to single digit at three with two independents getting elected to the House. Virbhadra Singh romped home alternating the BJP government.

Prior to this, he had to resign from the union cabinet in UPA-II following a corruption case in Shimla. Yet, he became Chief Minister for the sixth time as Kangra and adjoining district of Chamba facilitated his return to power defying all odds, including Congress factionalism and his age. The congress won more than 10 seats in Kangra alone.

The first-time BJP (then Janata Party) swept the Congress out of power in 1977 under Shanta Kumar. The Janta Party had won 13. Shanta Kumar was first erstwhile Jan Sangh leader from Kangra region to become a non-congress Chief Minister.

Another turn around for the BJP was in 1990 when Shanta Kumar again led the party to a massive victory. This time again, the party won 12 seats and BJP's alliance partner Janata Dal wrested three seats in Kangra. Veterans like Kanwar Gurga Chand were among JD winners.

Similarly in 1998, when BJP stormed to power defeating the Congress, the party won 10 seats in Kangra and formed the government under Prem Kumar Dhumal entering into a coalition with Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC)-an outfit led by Pandit Sukh Ram.

In the forthcoming elections, the challenge for Jai Ram Thakur is not only to retain the fortress of Kangra, Thakur's task is clearly cut-out to prove the BJP's popularity in the state and his performance is enough to keep the Congress out of the power as the BJP did in the states like Haryana, Uttarakhand and UP. History is against him. Thus Kangra certainly will play a decisive role, apart from Thakur's home district-Mandi, where the BJP had won nine out of 10 seats in 2017 polls.

There was a setback too in 2021. The BJP lost the Mandi Parliamentary seat to Pratibha Singh, former Chief Minister Virtbhadra Singh's wife in bypoll. Three assembly seats which witnessed byelection also were won by the congress. This is what is making the Congress confident to see its chances of replacing the BJP - the trend of alternating the government will stay on, says Sukhwinder Sukhu, Congress' campaign head.

Nevertheless, BJP is hoping to do well in Kangra.

"The elections are being held under a changed scenario. We have the tallest leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It's due to his leadership, the BJP has won four states defying the 37-yr old history. We have done fairly well for the past four and half years with focus on equitable development of all regions. Kangra particularly has witnessed massive infrastructure development and welfare initiatives," says Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Thakur recalls the first global investors meeting hosted at Dharamshala which Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended. Modi ji also visited Dharamshala second time when a conference of Chief Secretaries was held. He will be touring the state this month for a rally at Mandi and thereafter will come to Bilaspur to inaugurate Rs 1400 cr AIIMS project. He has given the state Rs 1200 cr. bulk drug park-one of three proposed in the country and now tribal status to Hatee community in Sirmaur-a demand pending for 40 years.

But, this is not where the BJP has odds in Kangra. The gradual erosion of the BJP support in Kangra is attributed to weakening of the party leadership. This helped former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to capitalise in Kangra region and develop a bond with Kangra -also called as new Himachal. He is credited of setting of major government offices, Institutions and strengthening road infrastructure. He set-up a second State assembly complex at Dharamshala and also named it as "second capital."

There were also some of the strong Kangra leaders in the congress like Pt Sant Ram, Sat Mahajan, Viplove Thakur, Chander Kumar and G. S. Bali. The district is quite a mix of Rajput, Brahamin and OBC leaders.

Since Virbhadra Singh hailed from the old Himachal area, representing Rohru, Rampur and Shimla (rural) he took pains to ensure much balanced development of Kangra. Shanta Kumar being a native of Kangra and rose from positions from a panchayat panch to union minister overshadowed all leaders.

Dharamshala-based senior Journalist Naveen Sharma, (Editor, Dainik Jagran) strongly endorses the view that "road to power in Shimla passes through Kangra." This, he says, happens to be a historical fact.

It was Virbhadra Singh who understood it more than any other successor Chief Ministers and out-poured his efforts to see Kangra progressing though he could not bring the Congress back to power, after five year.

"Virbhadra tried to build an emotional relationship with Kangra. Successor BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal also made an effort though not as strong as that of Virbhadra Singh. But, Jai Ram Thakur did not make an effort to replicate Kangra sentiments," Sharma analyses.

The BJP's problems in Kangra are multiple. After Shanta Kumar decided to retire from electoral politics, the party did not groom second line Kangra leadership. Party senior Vipin Parmar, a Shanta loyalist initially inducted as cabinet minister and later made Speaker of the assembly is one seen rising to the horizon yet has a limited out-reach .

Krishan Kapoor, another senior and Shanta loyalist is a sitting Lok Sabha member but feels completely side-lined in the current dispensation of the rule though being a Gaddi leader he has a considerable base.

Looking at gains from the OBC factor, the BJP had Sraveen Chaudhary, a three-time minister. She too has no mass base. Thus, the party has to rope in Pawan Kajal, a sitting Congress MLA (Kangra) to join the party. Chief Minister shared the stage with him first-time on Tuesday when put up a show of strength as BJP leader.

Since 1998, the BJP has not been able to win the Kangra assembly seat-which returned the Congress, BSP and even independents to the House. To get its foothold in this OBC dominant belt, the BJP has got Pawan Kajal-incumbent MLA and Congress' working president join the party. Kajal has a strong connection with his constituents - overwhelmingly the OBC community.

The Congress, on the other hand, is trying to encash on anti-incumbency and 'injustice' with Kangra during Jai Ram Thakur's tenure. But the party finds itself at loss due to the demise of Virbhadra Singh and veteran leader G. S. Bali in 2021 as the BJP banks on its organisational network, huge resource base in hand and Modi's magic to work in the state.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

By IANSlife
New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANSlife) A sudden seasonal flu outbreak and an increase in Covid-19 cases have surprised many just as we were beginning to get used to the normalcy of a life without many constraints before the Covid virus.



An unavoidable flu wave generally coincides with a change in season. However, this season has witnessed an unanticipated increase in such cases-nearly doubling from last year in some areas-as well as harsher, Covid-like symptoms.

The spike of Covid-19 cases, the upcoming holiday season, and all of this together create a situation that specialists warn calls for ongoing precautions.

"Masks are the first line of defence against Covid-19 as well as other respiratory infections. With a spike in the number of infections, we must adhere to wearing masks when we step out in public areas. With the festive season right here and large gatherings inevitable, wearing masks are highly effective at reducing your risk of getting Covid as well as seasonal flu. Wearing the right kind of mask, the right way, is also extremely important," says Dr SC Ajmani, General Physician.

Your masks' kind and fit have a significant impact on how effective they are. According to research conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization in Germany, FFP2 masks that fit snugly offer 75 times more protection than surgical masks. By selecting these masks over common surgical or fabric masks, you greatly boost your protection and can leave the house more confidently, especially in crowded areas.

Protection from viruses, bacteria, dust, pollutants, allergens, and pollen (>= 0.3 micron) is offered by a BIS-approved FFP2 S mask like Savlon. These masks offer 95% protection from aerosols with particles larger than 0.3 micron. In comparison to standard masks, these masks include melt blown filters that are electro statically charged to provide enhanced filtering. The comfort and suitability of these masks for different skin types are also tested. Masks made with Savlon FFP2 S are BIS Certified.

According to BIS guidelines, each batch is put through rigorous testing for quality performance and efficacy. The effects of viruses, bacteria, dust, pollution, pollen, and allergies can be significantly minimised and the wearer's general health can be improved by donning a high-quality, properly fitted mask.

The correct masks are adjusted to perfectly fit on the bridge of your nose and to properly enclose your mouth and nose. We are aware that when an infected individual sneezes or coughs in a crowded environment, the Covid-19 virus as well as the seasonal influenza can spread quickly. First-level protection is unquestionably provided by donning a N95 or FFP2 S mask, especially for those with allergies, co-morbidities, impaired immune systems, or a higher propensity for experiencing severe symptoms.

The use of masks should become a way of life. We must continue using tried-and-true health strategies, like using masks in public. Keep your hygiene and health in mind.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
ianslife/tb/

By IANSlife
New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANSlife) On October 14th, as part of the celebrations of International Chefs Day, the Indian Culinary Forum will deliver the 19th edition of the eagerly awaited annual Chef Awards.



The Annual Chef Honors celebration will take place at the Hotel Pride Plaza in Aerocity, New Delhi, where the ICF will commemorate the accomplishments of 17 exceptional culinary artists by presenting them with awards.

"The cherished Indian Chef Awards, first initiated nineteen years back in 2004 by ICF, have become Indian culinary industry's most respected and most valued testament for talent and skill recognition in addition to becoming the biggest platform for knowledge sharing amongst industry stakeholders. This year's event will further cement ICF Awards as the finest platform for knowledge sharing, talent recognition of Indian Chefs, and spreading goodwill and footprint of Indian cuisine around the world," said Chef Davinder Kumar, President of Indian Culinary Forum.

Chef Davinder Kumar added: "The Award event has three segments including Culinary Competitions, Knowledge Summit, and the Chef Awards. The ICF culinary competition will be held at Banarsidass Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Institute of Bakery & Culinary Arts, New Delhi where over 150 professional chefs will showcase their culinary skills in 11 different categories. WACS-certified noted chef Dayashankar Sharma is the chairperson of this year's jury while well-known Chef Sireesh Saxena is the organizing secretary."

Winners of Indian Culinary Forum 18th Annual Chef Awards
The Knowledge Summit, which this year celebrates its tenth year, will offer a forum for debate and discussion on topics affecting the Industry. This year's Knowledge Summit will put a specific emphasis on discussing strategies to promote Indian cuisine internationally and laying out the future directions for the food and beverage industry. The top names in the hospitality industry, educators, food reviewers, and connoisseurs will all be present at the Knowledge Summit, which aims to raise awareness of the profession among the general public.

"ICF's aim is not merely recognition of talents but also empowering talents with latest culinary knowledge and skills which not only helps in career development but also helps the country by spreading the footprint of Indian cuisine around the world," said Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary of Indian Culinary Forum.

Talking about the program Chef Vivek Saggar added: "There are six special award categories which include Lifetime Achievement Award, Golden Hat, Silver Hat, Academic Silver Hat, Pastry Chef of the Year, Lady Chef of the Year, The Culinary Competitions (Trade Test) category includes Master Chef of the Year, Master Chef Kebabs, Master Chef Indian Pattissarie, Master Chef Indian Sweets, Master Chef International Cuisine, Master Chef North Indian Cuisine, Master Chef Oriental Cuisine Award, Master Chef Baker Award, Master Chef South East & West, Student Chef of the Year Female, Student Chef of the Year Male."

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
ianslife/tb/

By Nishant Arora
New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) After six stressful and tough learning months, Byju Raveendran is back in the game, consolidating the loss-making acquisitions like WhiteHat Jr and optimising the rest, while doubling down on opening more physical tuition centres. According to him, "the worst is finally over" and there is only "growth ahead" as seen in the company's FY22 financial results.



The edtech company with nearly $22 billion valuation went through an ordeal as it delayed the audited FY21 financial reports for nearly 18 months, inviting government scrutiny and serious questions from the public.

The FY21 report is out, with massive losses to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore, while BYJU's needs to pay the rest of the acquisition amount (about Rs 2,000 crore) to global VC firm Blackstore in the $950 million Aakash acquisition by September 23.

Raveendran told IANS that he is not worried at all about paying the rest of the acquisition money as the core education business is doing excellent and the company has a healthy cash reserve of more than $1 billion.

"The losses that you see in FY21 is because 40 per cent of the revenue got deferred on account of two things: revenue recognition change because of streaming revenue getting recognised over the period of consumption of the product," Raveendran explained in a free-wheeling interview.

He said that the other reason for the audit delay was that EMI or credit sales were getting recognised after the complete significant collection was done.

"There are the main reasons for audit delay, apart from the initial reasons like Covid and then the complexity of our business moving from a single product, single geography offering to multi-product, multi subsidiary offering across the world," emphasised Raveendran, adding that while the revenue got pushed out, the cost expenses during the financial year did not.

In 2007, he founded the test preparation business Byju's Classes, and in 2011 Raveendran founded BYJU's with his wife, Divya Gokulnath.

Last year, he went on an acquisition spree. The edtech unicorn made at least 10 acquisitions for a cumulative transaction value of about $2.5 billion -- including Delhi-based offline test preparatory services provider Aakash for $950 million.

Raveendran said that loss-making acquisitions like WhiteHat Jr, the beleaguered coding platform BYJU's acquired for $300 million, are now being consolidated.

"WhiteHat Jr is underperforming as it has a very high marketing cost attached to it. This is one of the businesses where we are seeing Covid pull-back. We have the structural challenges as it has an inefficient cost structure," he told IANS.

Raveendran said that they don't have the product challenge with WhiteHat Jr as they added Maths with coding on the platform.

The edtech major clocked gross revenues of nearly Rs 10,000 crore in FY22, leaving its investors happy and Raveendran, a relieved man.

"From here on, we will double down on growth as our core business is booming. Both Aakash Institute and Great Learning are doing excellent and have doubled their revenues," Raveendran stressed.

In June, BYJU cut at least 600 jobs -- asking 300 employees at its Toppr learning platform and another 300 at coding platform WhiteHat Jr to go.

On any future job cuts, Raveendran said that apart from getting rid of few redundant roles and some functions becoming optimised, BYJU's is actually hiring more people while absorbing the right mix of workers into other products.

"We today have 50,000-plus employees, that's up from 20,000-plus 18 months back. The total number of employees in the ecosystem is growing. Several new functions and initiatives have been created where we are hiring a lot of teachers, because of the hybrid learning centres like Akash which are really growing well," the BYJU's CEO told IANS.

He said BYJU's is hiring at least 1,000 employees on a month-to-month basis, even more.

Raveendran is confident that the remaining amount in the Aakash deal will reach Blackstone soon, as he charts a new course for BYJU's in months to come, as the next big funding raise is in the offing.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

--IANS
na/dpb

Chennai, Sep 16 (IANS) Ousted interim general secretary of the AIADMK, V.K. Sasikala said that she was on a comeback path and will lead the party at an appropriate time. She also said that she and O. Panneerselvam were together and that she would soon visit the party headquarters in Chennai.

Sasikala in a statement on Friday said that the AIADMK would win all the Lok Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu in the 2024 general elections. The estranged leader said that the majority of the party cadres are with her and O. Panneerselvam and that she would soon be at the helm of affairs in the party.

The former aide of late Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa who was one of the most powerful figures in the AIADMK, said that the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin does not have any time for governance and was busy in photo shoots.

The former interim general secretary of the AIADMK said that the party cadres are for a change in the AIADMK and said that several leaders and cadres have approached her.

The powerful Thevar community, which has been a traditional support base for the AIADMK in South India, has been trying to bridge the gap between Sasikala and O. Panneerselvam who both are from the community. With O. Panneerselvam being targeted in the AIADMK, the Thevar community has been taking initiatives for an alliance between the two powerful Thevar leaders.

--IANS
aal/dpb

Jaipur, Sep 16 (IANS) In a last-minute change of plan, it was decided that the special cargo plane carrying eight cheetahs from Namibia will land in Gwalior instead of Jaipur on Saturday (September 17).

After landing at Gwalior, the animals will be taken to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur, said officials.

The eight cheetahs -- five females and three males -- are being brought from Namibia's capital Windhoek to Gwalior airport in a customised Boeing 747-400 aircraft, officials said.

Earlier, it was decided that the Boeing carrying the cheetahs will land at Jaipur and from Jaipur, they will be flown to the Kuno National Park. However, the plan was changed.

As per the plan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release these cheetahs in the national park amid much fanfare as these will be the first cheetahs in the country after they went extinct 70 years ago.

--IANS
arc/dpb

Samarkand, Sep 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is the first in-person summit being held in two years in the historic Uzbek city here.

Before the deliberations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posed for a photograph with the SCO leaders -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders.

Modi also met Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan.

The Prime Minister's Office on Friday tweeted the pictures, "PM @narendramodi at the SCO Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan."

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagch tweeted: "Together for the region! PM @narendramodi joins the leaders of SCO Member States for discussions on topical, regional and international issues, including regional peace and security, trade and connectivity, culture and tourism."

The Prime Minister is participating in the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and will hold bilateral meetings with some other leaders attending the Summit.

The regional multilateral organisation was set up in 2001 with Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as members, while India and Pakistan became full members in 2017.

The Council of the SCO Heads of State is the highest decision-making body of the organisation and meets for an annual summit that is hosted by a member state of the SCO.

Prime Minister Modi has been leading the Indian delegation to the SCO Summit every year, since India became its full member in 2017. During the last two summits in 2020 and 2021, he participated in the virtual format.

--IANS
miz/dpb

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe
New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANSlife) A train journey is perfect for anyone looking for a fascinating way to experience southern India. Such trips make a wonderful way to get closer to the rich culture and heritage. Although trains are usually associated with cities, Sripad Vaidya, Co-founder & COO, Confirmtkt handpicked five destinations with wide-reaching scenic beauty that one can marvel at when travelling by train.



Kollam - Sengottai

The train journey from Kollam to Sengottai will be a fulfilling experience for travellers who like to explore offbeat places. The railway line connects the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu through these two junction points. Passengers witness several lush green forests, clean & swiftly flowing rivers, and hills throughout the ride. Along the way, they pass a heritage bridge and a national highway built above and below the tracks. Train journey ensures travellers get to see Kerala's natural beauty, making it the most picturesque trip ever.

Ooty to Coonoor

People who want to enjoy train travelling near the hilly areas of the south must not miss Ooty to Coonoor train journey. Both of these destinations are popular among visitors for their picture-perfect scenic beauty.


These two hill stations are located in Tamil Nadu and are connected via a special toy train. The tracks connecting Ooty to Coonoor are part of Nilgiri Mountain railways, which have been honoured by UNESCO due to their impeccable uniqueness and raw beauty. The best part of the train journey is it takes passengers through the tea plantations of Ooty and mountains covered with greenery.

Chennai to Rameshwaram

This train journey is one-of-a-kind in its own way. Aside from giving a nature trip, it also takes people through a mythological journey. The railway connecting Chennai to Rameshwaram runs over Pamban Bridge, famous as India's first bridge. Natives believe that Pamban Bridge was built by Lord Rama while searching for Goddess Sita, who Ravana abducted. The bridge links the Mandapam region in India with Rameswaram and Pamban Island. Though the rail ride is only 2.2 Km long, its surroundings and religious background make it one of the best life experiences.

Kanyakumari to Trivandrum

The train ride between these two destinations in south India is like a slideshow of the rich plantation practices of the country. In this two-hour-long train journey, travellers pass through many luxuriant plantations of green tea, coconut groves and farms of a variety of spices. Take the train ride via Island Express; it covers the natural splendours of the path and gives the opportunity to experience the local life of the south up close.

Best train services for South Indian trips

Aside from regular railway expresses, one can sweeten their journey to the south by booking a ride with some renowned train services. These are:

. Golden Chariot
. Golden Chariot Southern Splendour
. Maharajas' Express Southern Jewels
. Maharajas' Express Southern Sojourn
. Deccan Odyssey Jewels of Deccan.

These trains put the luxury of the passenger as their top priority. The trip package offers private and comfortable accommodation, porterage services, an onboard butler, meals, drinks and snacks free of cost. Travellers also enjoy off-train excursions, WiFi, and even a lounge and bar are part of these luxurious trains' facilities. On some routes, guests can smell the spicy aromas of India and see the mystical waterfalls, lush plantations, and wildlife. Once on the journey, one will truly feel like they have discovered an entirely new continent. Hence, it's time to experience the splendour of south India's train journeys yourself rather than searching for them on the internet.

(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)

--IANS
lh/tb/

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday released the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) results.

About 20,000 students have scored 100 percentile in 30 subjects in these examinations taken for admission to undergraduate courses.

According to NTA, the highest number of 100 percentilers were in English at 8,236, followed by Political Science (2,065), Business Studies (1,669), Biology (1,324) and 1,188 Economics.

As many as 2,92,589 students appeared in these examinations from Uttar Pradesh, 1,86,405 from Delhi, while only 583 students from Meghalaya took the exams.

The result has been released on NTA's official website where the students can view and download their marks from. The result of the examination will be available on the website for 90 days.

Notably, the examinations were conducted for admission in 91 universities, including all the central universities of the city. Now that the results are out, the universities and colleges will prepare their cut-off list.

While the series of tests began on July 15, the sixth and final phase was completed on August 30. A total of 14.90 lakh students had registered themselves and around 60 per cent attempted it.

Besides, CUET-UG exams were also conducted in foreign cities like Muscat, Riyadh, Dubai, Manama, Doha, Kathmandu, Sharjah, Singapore and Kuwait.

In India, the tests were conducted in 444 centres spread across 239 cities.

This time, admissions in all central universities, including Delhi University, are based on the CUET scores only. Delhi University is the largest central university in India with about 80 departments under its umbrella. These include postgraduate degree, PhD, certificate courses, degree courses etc.

It has about 79 colleges offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Every year, more than 70,000 students take admissions in these colleges and departments for graduation in science, commerce and humanities.

Among the minority educational institutions, Jamia Millia Islamia has also decided to implement CUET for admission to several undergraduate courses from the current academic session 2022-23.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has ordered St. Stephen's College, Delhi to adopt the admission process on the basis of CUET.

--IANS
gcb/shb/