27072026-TTC-01.qxd 7/27/2026 12:23 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 206 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 WILL NOT CONTEST 2028 ASSEMBLY POLL: SIDDARAMAIAH NATION /thetribunechd JAMMU-SRINAGAR HIGHWAY REMAINS SHUT AFTER LANDSLIDE J&K 1 DEAD AS VEHICLE MOWS MIRABAI CHANU SECURES DOWN CROWD AT BERLIN INDIA’S FIRST GOLD AT PRIDE FESTIVAL WORLD GLASGOW CWG SPORTS monday | 27 july 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Amid NEET storm, Modi forms Nilekani-led task force for exam reforms Says tech must help restore trust in competitive tests Aksheev Thakur OTHERS ON THE TEAM Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 26 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani the task of reforming education in the wake of the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. A similar role was offered to the former IT whiz by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2009. In a video message, Modi on Sunday announced that the government had set up a highpowered task force on examination reforms under Nilekani. In 2009, Nilekani was offered the post of Human Resource Development Minister by Rahul. Nilekani had agreed to the proposal and is believed to have packed his bags and hired a chartered plane to come to Delhi for the swearing-in. However, the offer was withdrawn under pressure from other factions in the UPA. Instead, the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, asked him to undertake a nationwide exercise following continued on page 8 edit: well done, GenZ ■ S SOMANATH, ISRO ex-Chairman ■ TAPAN DEKA, IB ex-Director ■ V KAMAKOTI, IIT-Madras Director ■ ANITA KARWAL, ex-Edu Secy ■ AMRIT LAL MEENA,logistics expert << PM Narendra Modi announces the high-powered task force on exam reforms in a video message on X. UPA to NDA, Infy co-founder emerges as the go-to strategist As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the New Delhi, July 26 constitution of a national task Seventeen years after he was force on examination reforms hand-picked by then Prime under Nilekani, memories Minister Manmohan jogged back to 2009, Singh to create Aadwhen Manmohan haar, India’s first digital Singh invited him to set public infrastructure up the Unique Identifiplatform, Infosys cocation Authority of founder Nandan India (UIDAI) and alloNilekani is back to the cate Aadhaar numbers task of national probto all citizens. Singh lem-solving. Only this Nandan Nilekani assigned the task of time, the government, engaging Nilekani on the Prime Minister and the the offer to his confidant and continued on page 9 problem, all are different. Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service Oppn set to corner govt on ‘pellet gun use’ as Parl braces for showdown today Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 26 The brutal crackdown by police and paramilitary personnel, including the alleged use of pellet guns, on students during the NEET paper leak protest on July 20 is set to snowball into a major stand-off between the Opposition and government in Parliament on Monday. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, asking whether it was he who had authorised the use of “lethal force”. The Trinamool Congress, too, plans to raise the issue of police and paramilitary personnel using “excessive force” against students in Parliament. TMC’s Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghosh has submitted a notice under Rule 267 to discuss the “use of excessive force on student protesters”. She said the right to peaceful protest was a constitutional right and that students participating in peaceful protests against irregularities in examination papers were “targeted with lethal and semi-lethal force” by security agencies. Ghosh has also sought suspension of the TMC submits notice, seeks debate in Rajya Sabha Who approved use offorceonstudents, Rahul asks Shah Rinku Behera Tribune News Service Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi meets officials after taking additional charge of the Ministry of Education in New Delhi. ANI NOT A SINGLE PAPER LEAK UNDER AAP GOVT: MANN Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has claimed that there has not been a single case of paper leak of a competitive examination during the AAP rule in the state. His remarks came in the wake of the Opposition targeting the government and alleging “paper leaks” in the state. INSIDE ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’: DIPKE THANKS SUPPORTERS A day after the Cockroach Janta Party called off its agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, its founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday posted a video on X, thanking the supporters and describing the end of the sit-in as the “beginning” of a much longer journey. INSIDE day’s business and an immediate discussion on the issue. When asked if the Opposition would disrupt Parliament proceedings, the LoP said the strategy would be decided at the meeting of Opposition leaders on Monday. The Con- gress has described Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for students, but asserted that the Prime Minister must also apologise to them. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said it continued on page 8 Saini pushes for rail link to end Nuh’s ‘isolation’ KATHMANDU: Nepal has allowed Indian and Nepalese nationals to bring into or take out of the country Indian currency notes of ~200 and ~500 denominations up to a limit of ~25,000 per person. The move ends a nearly decade-long restriction under which only notes of up to ~100 denomination were permitted following India’s 2016 demonetisation. BACK PAGE NSGchiefwholedOp BlackThunder-I dies NEW DELHI: RT Nagrani, who led Operation Black Thunder-I in 1986 as the first head of the elite National Security Guard to flush out armed militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, died here on Sunday. He was 98. The first NSG director general was not keeping well and died at his home in south Delhi, INSIDE Appalled that Nirav still in UK: Priti Patel LONDON: Priti Patel, the British Indian minister who signed off on Nirav Modi’s extradition order to India as home secretary in April 2021 after a prima facie case was established in court, has said she is “appalled and horrified” that he is still in the UK. She said India was “hugely angry” over Britain’s failure to extradite him. BACK PAGE FILE Anothervesselwith 4 Indian sailors hit off Ukraine, 2 safe Sumedha Sharma New Delhi, July 26 Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has attacked Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the Centre of unleashing “barbaric” force on students during the July 20 protests in New Delhi. In a letter to Shah, Rahul demanded accountability over the alleged use of pellet guns, tear gas and police violence, saying the crackdown on peaceful protesters had “outraged the country” and raised serious questions about the government’s commitment to democratic rights. In the letter, dated July 25, Rahul said students had taken to the streets to demand a “fair and accountable education system”, but were met with excessive force by security personnel. He alleged that hundreds of protesters sustained serious injuries, while women students were physically assaulted by policemen, including deliberate attacks on their private parts. “Instead of being heard, security forces continued on page 8 Nepal lifts curbs on ~200 & ~500 notes Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Nuh July 26 For a district that has waited since Independence for a rail line of its own, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s announcement on Saturday at the Mewat Vikas Sankalp Rally in Punhana carried unusual significance. Saini said the state would write to the Centre for an extension of the Delhi-Agra Namo Bharat rail corridor through Nuh and Punhana up to Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The proposal, if materialises, will give Nuh its first meaningful rail connectivity and, planners say, its first real claim to being part of the National Capital Region (NCR) in more than name. Nuh remains among the most backward districts in the country on several national indices. The absence of a rail network despite repeated assurances from successive governments has long been cited as a key reason for its isolation from the growth corridors of Gurugram and Delhi. A direct rail link to Delhi is expected to change that equa- Says will help connect to NCR growth corridor; unveils ~270-cr projects tion. For a workforce that has historically depended on slow, indirect bus routes to reach job markets in Gurugram, Faridabad and Delhi, a Namo Bharat connection would drastically cut travel time, opening up daily wage and salaried employment opportunities in the NCR core to residents who currently find such commutes unviable. Officials say the corridor could also attract warehousing, logistics and small manufacturing investments to Nuh and Punhana, much like similar rail-led connectivity projects have done elsewhere in the region, potentially creating the biggest new source of economic activity the district has seen in decades. “Nuh is our top priority. Bringing it at par with other NCR districts is our goal. We will send the proposal to the Centre,” Saini said. The announcement also has political significance beyond continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 26 One more merchant vessel has been hit by a projectile in the Black Sea port of Odessa in Ukraine. Two Indian seafarers on board are confirmed to be safe, while information is awaited on the fate of two other Indian nationals on the ship. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lays a wreath at war memorial to mark the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas in Dras. ANI Terror Pak’s state policy, no talks with it except on PoK: Rajnath Arjun Sharma Jammu, July 26 Launching an attack on Pakistan for making terror a part of its state policy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said there would be no talks with the neighbouring country except on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which he described as an integral part of India. “The success of Operation Sindoor is proof that India Pays tributes to Kargil War heroes possesses the capability to respond to Pakistan’s every misadventure with a severity far beyond its imagination,” said Rajnath, adding that “there will be no talks with Pakistan, and any dialogue will focus solely on the PoK.” Addressing the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations at Dras in Kargil, the minister said every nefarious act against India’s sovereignty “will be met with the same resolute response that the Indian defence forces delivered to terrorists and their patrons through Operation Sindoor with unmatched bravery”. Rajnath said, “In Pakistan, the distinction between the military and militants has vanished, with the country making terrorism a part of its state policy. Pakistan’s military not continued on page 8 Assess security risks before taking up jobs in Black Sea: MEA advisory In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory, listing out a set of “precautions” for Indian merchant seafarers asking them to “carefully assess” the prevailing security risks before accepting assignments in the Black Sea. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said: “MV AGN RAGNAR was struck at the Port of Odessa on July 25. Four Indian nationals were on board the vessel.” Two had been confirmed safe, and information was awaited regarding the other two nationals. Search and rescue operations were under way, said the embassy adding continued on page 8 As stir din ends, Delhi’s ground zero gets clean-up, cheers up traders Manikant Mishra Tribune News Service Workers erase graffiti on the walls of Jantar Mantar, a day after the Cockroach Janta Party called off its agitation in New Delhi. ANI New Delhi, July 26 On Sunday morning, central Delhi began returning to normal after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) ended its over a month-long protest at Jantar Mantar, bringing relief to thousands of commuters, traders and residents who had faced days of traffic diversions, Metro station closures, Internet suspension and heavy security arrangements around the national capital’s administrative centre. As the crowds dispersed by late night on Saturday, the authorities started removing barricades from roads surrounding the protest venue. Traffic resumed in phases on Sansad Marg, Janpath, Tolstoy Marg, Ashoka Road and other adjoining stretches that had remained heavily restricted during the protest. A week after the July 20 police crackdown, the authorities repainted the “Wall of Shame” — a stretch of road at Jantar Mantar that protesters had transformed into a public memorial of the violent confrontation. A large stretch between the protest site and the Metro station was covered with graffiti, posters, handwritten mes- c m y b sages and political satire reflecting the mood of the agitation. At the centre stood a striking red installation carrying the words “Wall of Shame”, with each letter printed separately on A4 sheets pasted across the surface. The display was dominated by photographs capturing moments from the July 20 police action. One image showed a police officer firing a tear gas shell. Another depicted an officer swinging a baton at a woman protester. Other photographs showed men in plain clothes carrying sticks and a protester surrounded by police personnel receiving blows from multiple directions. Alongside, there were photographs and images of senior police officers placed next to references comparing them to Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Beneath every photograph appeared the same message in bold red letters against a yellow background: “Sab yaad rakha jayega”. The wall was surrounded by anti-government slogans and memes. After the protest ended, it was among the first things to be cleaned. Not just the “Wall of continued on page 9 Reservoir capacity loss 38%, not 47%: IIT-Ropar counters BBMB silt claim Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Ropar, July 26 A study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, has countered the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) estimates on the extent of silt accumulation and storage loss in the Gobind Sagar reservoir of Bhakra Dam. The study says the reservoir has retained significantly more of its storage capacity than claimed in BBMB studies. The study, conducted by a team of scientists led by Dr Reet Tiwari of the IIT, has found that the overall loss of storage capacity in the Bhakra reservoir is substantially lower than the estimates prepared by the BBMB’s Lake Survey Department. The findings assume significance as the BBMB has initiated the process for the first-ever largescale desilting of the Gobind Sagar reservoir since the dam became operational in 1959. According to the report accessed by The Tribune, the IIT team has estimated the overall capacity loss of the reservoir at 38 per cent, compared to 47 per cent estimated by the BBMB. The study has also reported that the loss of live storage stands at 13 per cent, considerably lower than the 19 per cent assessed by the BBMB. Similarly, the IIT study has pegged the loss of gross storage Board set for 1st major desilting of Gobind Sagar Lake since 1959 at 19 per cent, against the 26 per cent estimated by the BBMB. The research has also contradicted the BBMB’s assessment of annual silt inflows into the reservoir. While the board has estimated that the Bhakra reservoir receives around 39 million cubic metres (MCM) of silt annually, the IIT-Ropar scientists have assessed the inflow at 31 MCM, which is even lower than the reservoir’s original design estimate of 33.61 MCM per year. Senior BBMB officials attributed the variation in findings to the advanced survey techniques adopted by the IIT team. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, they said the institute had used modern bathymetric surveys, drone-based mapping and much denser crosssectional measurements to assess sediment deposits. According to the officials, the IIT scientists conducted surveys at intervals of about 30 metres, enabling them to capture finer variations in the reservoir bed, whereas the BBMB’s conventional surveys relied on cross-sections spaced about 610 metres apart. continued on page 8