THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI *

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 TIMES NATION 17

India, Japan, US voice NCERT survey to NEET hurdles leave

concerns over OBOR
Trilateral Meet
On Sidelines
Of UN Summit
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Close on the heels
of the Indo-Japan summit,
which saw the two countries
calling for a rules-based order
in the Indo-Pacific, India and
Japan along with the US again
sought to address concerns
over Chinas OBOR saying
that connectivity initiatives
must not undermine sovere-
ignty and territorial integrity.
Foreign minister Sushma
Swaraj had a ministerial trila-
teral with US secretary of state
Rex Tillerson and the Japane-
se foreign minister, Taro Kono,
on the sidelines of UNGA on
Monday in which, according to
a statement by MEA, views on
maritime security, connectivi-
ty and proliferation issues we-
re exchanged.
With the US and Japan ex-
horting India to play a more
meaningful role in ensuring
full implementation of UN
sanctions on North Korea,
Swaraj reiterated Indias con-
demnation of Pyongyangs
recent actions and stated that
its proliferation linkages be
explored and those respon-
sible be held accountable.
(From left) Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, US secretary of state Rex
Tillerson and Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in New York on Monday
This is seen as another obli-
que reference to Pakistan and
China after the India-Japan
joint statement, issued after
Modi-Abe summit in Gandhi-
nagar, which had expressed
the same sentiment.
The security situation in
South China Sea too was dis-
cussed in the meeting with the
two ministers emphasising
that the need for ensuring free-
dom of navigation, respect for
international law and peaceful
resolution of disputes.
On connectivity initiati-
ves, the importance of ba-
sing them on universally re-
cognised international
norms, prudent financing
and respect for sovereignty
and territorial integrity was
underlined, said the MEA
AFP
statement, adding that the
three ministers directed the-
ir senior officials to explore
practical steps to enhance
cooperation.
The trilateral follows the
India-Japan summit which
was dedicated to efforts by
the two countries to address
the security situation in the
Indo-Pacific and to align Ja-
pans free and open Indo-Pa-
cific strategy with Indias
Act East. The India-Japan jo-
int statement pledged to en-
hance maritime security co-
operation, improve connecti-
vity in the wider Indo-Pacific
region, strengthen coopera-
tion with ASEAN and to pro-
mote discussions between
strategists and experts of the
two countries.
assess 36L students,
spot gaps in learning
NATL ACHIEVEMENT SURVEY
NAS is a representative sample of
schools across India aimed at
understanding the education
system in govt & govt-aided schools
FOR THE FIRST TIME:
NAS will be linked to learning outcomes
Students of Classes III, V & VIII will be assessed in the same
academic year on the same day (Nov 14)
Pedagogical interventions will be provided in the
same academic year
Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: An exercise to under-
stand the gaps in learning in go-
vernment and government-aided
schools could well find a place in
the Guinness records.
The National Council of Edu-
cational Research and Training
(NCERT), under the Ministry of
human resource development
(MHRD), is going to conduct Na-
tional Achievement Survey 2017
of around 3.6 million children of
classes III, V and VIII from across
1.20 lakh schools on one day (No-
vember 13, 2017).
While the students of classes
III and V will be assessed on their
language, mathematical and en-
vironmental studies abilities, the
NAS 2017 will cover
nearly 36 lakh
children from
1.2 lakh schools
assessment of class VIII students
will be done on the knowledge of
science and social science (inste-
ad of environmental studies)
apart from language and mathe-
matical skills. For the first time,
the survey will be based on lear-
ning outcomes of students
what they should have learnt till
that level of education and what
has been the actual learning
and a comparative analysis will
be done up to the district level.
The results will show the gaps in
learning and identify classrooms
interventions needed.
According to MHRD sources,
the survey is significant as the
National Education Policy draft
is under preparation and likely to
be completed by December, 2017.
1 in 3 med seats vacant
Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: Nearly one in
three sought-after super-
specialty medical seats are
lying vacant in the country
after the first-ever centrali-
sed admission process, con-
ducted by the Centre. Court
cases in two states, followed
by a stay on the admission
process for a few days, gave
the Medical Counselling
Committee (MCC), Directo-
rate General of Health Ser-
vices (DGHS), time to con-
duct only two rounds of ad-
missions before the Supre-
me Court deadline of
September 14. Doctors are
now planning to move the
SC to seek an extension for
a mop-up round to be held
at college/state level to fill
the seats. Of the 550 vacant
seats (out of 1,907), many
are vacant in renowned go-
vernment colleges too.
For admissions to su-
perspeciality courses on an
all-India basis, the Natio-
nal Eligibility-cum-Ent-
rance Test (NEET)-Super-
specialty, was conducted by
the National Board of Ex-
aminations, for the first ti-
me. Superspecialty courses
include doctor of medicine
(DM) in branches like neu-
rology, cardiology, nepha-
ralogy and also other Mas-
Court cases in two states, followed
by a stay on the admission process
for a few days, gave MCC and
DGHS time to conduct only two
rounds of admissions before the
SC deadline of September 14
ter of Surgery (MCh) cour- led to a lot of vacancies. So-
ses. The centralised coun- me of them are in govern-
selling to fill seats in ment colleges too, he said.
government, private and Dr Kailash Sharma, di-
deemed colleges was con- rector (academics), Tata
ducted by the MCC. Memorial Centre, said se-
A doctor, who managed ats are vacant due to non-
to get a seat in a civic-run availability of a third ro-
hospital, said NEET results und. He said a mop-up ro-
were out mid-July, but the und should be conducted by
process started only in the competent authorities in
second week of August. Af- different states. The NBE
ter the first round, a case in conducted NEET SS on the
the Andhra court and then basis of specialty subjects
the Kerala court stalled the rather than conducting it
process for a few days. Ad- on specific subjects like
missions were to conclude surgical oncology, cardio-
by August-end, but due to logy, medical oncology, etc.
the delays, the court exten- Sharma raised concern
ded the deadline till Sep- over this anomaly as it was
tember 14, said the doctor. observed that a particular
Assistant director gene- subject has showed domi-
ral (ADG) NEET, Dr B Srini- nance in getting the super-
vas, said the candidates se- specialty seat for which
lected options of colleges. candidates from 2-3 sub-
When seats were allotted jects were eligible to com-
in the second round, very pete. A case in Kerala had
few seats were vacant. But challenged this anomaly
students have not accepted in court, but matter was not
the seats allotted to them resolved, due to shortage
during the rounds. This has of time.

IS suspect planning
Syria trip arrested
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Continuing its
action against Islamic State
operatives, the National In-
vestigation Agency on Mon-
day arrested Chennai-based
Shakul Hameed, who had
planned to travel to Syria to
join the terror outfit and car-
ry out attacks in Tamil Nadu.
NIA CRACKDOWN
Hameed, NIA said, had
hatched a conspiracy with
eight others in 2013, to fur-
ther activities of IS in India.
The agency had filed a
case against this module
from Tamil Nadu in January
this year.
Hameed and associates,
with the intention of fur-
thering the activities of the
proscribed terrorist organi-
sation Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria (ISIS)/Daesh, had
hatched a criminal conspir-
acy from 2013 onwards and
formed a terrorist gang
which had raised and re-
ceived funds, organised
meetings, recruited and fa-
cilitated the travel of some
persons to Syria to join the
ISIS/ Daesh, said NIA in a
statement. The probe has
found that main accused Ha-
ja Fakkurudeen, a Singapo-
rean citizen of Indian origin
and a native of the Cudda-
lore district in TN, has al-
ready joined IS in Syria in Ja-
nuary, 2014, with his family.
Fakkurudeen had visit-
ed India twice between No-
vember, 2013 and January,
2014, when he had conspir-
acy meetings along with co-
accused Khaja Moideen,
Shakul Hameed and others
at various places in Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka with
the intention of recruiting
more people into the ISIS,
NIA said.

Son was kidnapped by

med admission mafia
P.Naveen@timesgroup.com
Bhopal: A 22-year-old Mad-
hya Pradesh medical aspi-
rant, who had gone missing
from Thrissur railway sta-
tion in Kerala on Septem-
ber 10, has returned home
in a pitiful condition, alleg-
ing that he was abducted.
The parents of Akash
Rajput allege he was kid-
napped by an organised ad-
mission mafia so that the
MBBS seat allotted to him
under the government quo-
ta can be kept vacant and
sold to someone else. But
Kerala police suspect the
boy is misleading them.
Akash was found walking
around Gwalior in a semi-
conscious condition by his
neighbours on Saturday.
He was in a bad shape
with torn clothes. He says
he was driven in a vehicle
straight from Kerala and
dropped here. Akash is
stressed and cannot recall
anything, said his father,
Surendra Singh Rajput.
Akash, who cleared
NEET, had gone to Kerala
along with his father to take
admission in a private med-
MBBS SEAT
CONTROVERSY
ical college in Palakkad.
Thrissur police, howev-
er say Akash was mislead-
ing them I had sent his fa-
ther to inquire about his ad-
mission. The college au-
thorities made it clear that
no admission letter was
sent to him. There is some-
thing fishy, U Rajan, in-
charge of Thrissur GRP
told TOI.

Builders paid big

sums to Kaskar
Continued from P 1 to be picked up on Saturday it-
self but police found out he

M
any of these builders
from Thane, Ulhas-
nagar and Dombivli
had allegedly already paid
massive amounts to Kaskar.
One of the builders who had
suffered huge losses during
demonetisation and was un-
der debt filed a complaint
with the police. Police sourc-
es said Kaskar had already
taken four flats from the
builder concerned.
Police officials said Kas-
kar was not acting alone but
was being assisted in his ex-
tortion activities by two
builders one from Thane
and the other from Mumbra.
They have also been picked
up. One of them had been ar-
rested in an abetment of sui-
cide case two years ago. TOI
has learned that Kaskar was
was not at home that evening
and did not want to conduct a
raid at the residence in his ab-
sence as it would alert him.
Sources said a police team
had been keeping tabs on
Kaskar ever since his name
cropped up in the probe. Be-
side the builders complaint,
there are conversations
where Kaskar and his accom-
plice can be heard threaten-
ing builders and demanding
money. Well produce him be-
fore the court on Tuesday,
said a source.
Sources said the complai-
nant approached Thane po-
lice commissioner Parambir
Singh. After studying the
complaint and the evidence
on hand, Singh directed Shar-
ma to proceed further with
the investigation.