BJD’s sweep of Odisha rural polls, winning 90 per cent of Zilla Parishad seats, is testimony to CM Naveen Patnaik’s unwavering popularity. BJP’s tally sinking to 42 seats, from 297 in 2017, shows it has lost momentum. BJP’s rout in Bengal civic polls also underlines its limitations vis-a-vis regional players.
Minister’s claim about medical students is tasteless and wrong. Systemic failure is why Indians go abroad
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s claim that 90% of Indians studying medicine abroad had failed NEET was tasteless — and wrong. NEET is a pre-requisite to study in many countries, although cut-offs are lower than in India. Students go abroad because India has historically failed to meet the demand for medical education.