21062026-TTC-01.qxd 6/21/2026 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b CJP SEEKS PRADHAN’S RESIGNATION NATION /thetribunechd 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 170 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 sunday | 21 june 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Nabin vows Pb of Ranjit Singh’s dreams On first visit to poll-bound state, BJP chief meets core committee members Neha Saini VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service From right: BJP MP Tarun Chugh, party president Nitin Nabin, state unit chief Kewal Dhillon and Union Minister Ravneet Bittu at Golden Temple. Amritsar, June 20 BJP president Nitin Nabin on Saturday commenced his three-day maiden visit to Punjab by paying obeisance at the Golden Temple even as he vowed to “create a state of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s dreams”. Sporting a saffron turban and performing ‘bartan sewa’ (washing utensils) at the shrine, Nabin was accompanied by the Punjab BJP’s top leadership, including state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rajya Sabha MPs Tarun Chugh and Vikramjit Singh Sawhney, and HS Phoolka. Addressing the media, Nabin said, “I experienced immense peace while praying at Harmandar Sahib. Just as Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave a unique governance identity to Punjab, we all want to create a state of his dreams.” During his visit to Jallianwala Bagh, Nabin was presented a portrait of Maharaja continued on page 6 ASI unearths 8 Harappan-era skeletons, pottery offerings at Rakhigarhi; DNAtesting underway Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, June 20 The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has made a significant discovery during excavations at Rakhigarhi, believed to be the largest site of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), with the recovery of eight skeletons from a mature Harappan burial site at Mound No. 7. Manoj Saxena, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, told The Tribuneover the phone that five skeletons had been retrieved from the burial site so far. Three of these had been sent to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) in Kolkata for examination and analysis, while samples from one skeleton had been sent to the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, for DNA extraction and analysis, he said. Saxena said the AnSI collected the skeletons yesterday and was expected to prepare its continued on page 6 7 BULLET TRAIN ROUTES APPROVED BACK PAGE A skeleton and pottery offerings discovered at the Rakhigarhi site. NewBilltoraiseedu costs,reconsiderit, ManntellsPradhan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 20 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly opposed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhiniyam Bill-2025, warning that the legislation could make higher education more expensive, weaken opportunities for students from ordinary families and diminish the ability of states to address local educational needs. In a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mann urged the Centre to reconsider the Bill and hold wider consultations before implementing reforms that could “significantly alter the higher education landscape”. The CM said higher education must remain a pathway of opportunity for the child of continued on page 6 Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including six-page Spectrum. c m y b Test for govt as 22L retake NEET amid tight security today Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 20 Under fire over the cancellation of the NEET-UG over a month ago following a paper leak, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has geared up to conduct the retest on Sunday. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will, for the first time, deliver question papers to 18 zones across the country. Centre deploys 2 lakh personnel, conducts nationwide mock drill The government has deployed over two lakh personnel for the smooth conduct of the examination, which will be taken by 22.79 lakh candidates. As part of preventive measures ahead of the examination, a nationwide mock drill was conducted on the eve of the test to verify all systems, including jammers, CCTV continued on page 6 Nagpur aspirant gets centre in Abu Dhabi, NTA denies it’s at fault Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 20 A student from Nagpur appearing for the June 21 NEET-UG re-examination was allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi, triggering a political row and RAHUL ATTACKS GOVT, SAYS NTA TESTING COUNTRY’S PATIENCE prompting criticism from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. However, the NTA clarified that the overseas centre was selected by the candidate, Abdullah Mohammad Talib, himself through the official correction window. The NTA also said following a request from the student’s family, the centre was immediately continued on page 6 Dropper’s NEET Batch Starting Soon Harpal’s Biology Classes WHAT YOU WILL GET HARPAL SIR YEARS OF 30+EXPERIENCE Regular Tests & Assessments Personalized Mentorship Comprehensive Study Material Doubt Solving Sessions Performance Tracking FACULTY FOR PHYSICS & CHEMISTRY ALSO AVAILABLE 97811 24215, 98774-60797 SCO 126-127 (2nd Floor) SCO 223 (2nd Floor) Sector 34-A, Chandigarh Sector 37-C, Chandigarh Iran shuts Hormuz again over Israeli strikes in Lebanon New Delhi, June 20 As the Israeli strikes in Lebanon continue despite the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran, Iran on Saturday announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As per news reports, Iran called Israeli action as a “relentless and continuous violation of the ceasefire”. Calling this the first response, Iran said it would take “subsequent steps” if the MoU’s terms were breached further. Earlier, Israel said strikes in Lebanon were made in retaliation of Hezbollah’s “repeated violations of the truce”. INSIDE