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‘Betrayal’: Young victims of India exam leak scandal

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Rema Begum grew up in a rural Indian village with a mother who had a chronic illness. Her dream of becoming a doctor was dashed by her own untimely demise.

The 20-year-old thought she had finally done enough to secure a desired spot at a government medical school after years of study and expensive coaching classes.

A retest was then mandated after it was discovered that the medical entrance exam question paper she had taken had been compromised.

Begum passed away a few days later.

According to local media and activists, she was one of at least 20 students who reportedly committed suicide following the incident.

Along with a number of other anomalies, the exam paper leak has spurred rallies around the country and public outrage over an educational system that many students claim is biased against them.

Begum’s father, Rajaul Islam, is still having difficulty comprehending how his “gem” of a daughter lost hope a month after her passing.

However, he feels that everything changed when the retest news was made.

“After the exam, she was absolutely confident that she would clear it,” Islam told AFP over the phone from the family’s Assamese village in the northeast.

“But after a retest was announced because the paper had leaked, she became a different person and withdrew into a shell.”

He said she couldn’t be reassured by anything the family said.

Islam, a fish dealer, had spent a lot of money on his daughter’s training, sending her for two years to coaching facilities in bigger cities.

“I had spent a lot of money on her studies, so she was worried it would all go to waste,” he said.

“Happy life”

Begum was discovered dead a few days before to the revised exam date.

In India, where admission to a government-run medical institution continues to be one of the most sought-after routes to financial security, her death serves as a stark reminder of the tremendous demands placed on students.

Millions of young people continue to endure a lack of well-paying jobs and intense competition for professional vocations despite the world’s most populous nation experiencing fast growth.

According to literary scholar and former professor G.N., passing the NEET exam thus ensures a happy and comfortable life for many families. Devy, in reference to the NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test).

“But the number of students who want these places is completely out of proportion to the number of institutions available.”

This year, over two million applicants took the test, vying for over 137,000 medical seats across the country.

Due to the odds, a vast coaching industry has grown, with students spending years preparing—often at great financial cost to their families.

Rajesh Kumar, a farmer in Rajasthan, borrowed 1.1 million rupees ($11,400) and sold family land to pay for his son Pradeep Meena’s three-year coaching program.

“I toiled for up to 16 hours a day on the farm so that he could take coaching classes,” Kumar told AFP.

“Because I thought if he becomes a doctor it would all be worth it, and I could lead a comfortable life in my old age.”

Meena seemed confident that he had passed the test.

Kumar remembered his son telling him that “even God cannot stop me from becoming a doctor now” while giving him a hug.

The 22-year-old committed suicide a day after authorities announced the retest.

“Betrayed”

Another family in Uttar Pradesh experienced a similar tragedy following the passing of Ritik Mishra, their 21-year-old son.

His father, Anup Kumar Mishra, remarked, “It was his third attempt, and he said he had done well this time,” in reference to the test.

A day after the exam leak was made public, his son committed suicide.

It was a taxing process for pupils who eventually retook the test.

“It is very demoralising mentally,” stated Chaitanya Aggarwal, 19.

“You give your best and then you are forced to take it again.”

The emotional cost should not be undervalued, according to educators.

According to Abhijit Patra, a teacher at a coaching center in the eastern city of Kolkata, “it’s a highly stressful experience to prepare for and take the exam, and having to do it all over again is not easy.”

“Paper leaks make an already hectic experience even worse.”

According to Devy, the former professor, many families saw the scandal as a “betrayal” following years of sacrifice.

He claimed that preparing for admission exams was frequently socially and financially taxing, especially for lower-income family that couldn’t afford expensive private colleges or schooling overseas.

“They begin this journey of preparation with hope, so when they discover the paper has leaked or been sold, they feel betrayed,” Devy added.

Begum’s family is still looking for answers thousands of kilometres away from the protest scene in the nation’s capital, New Delhi.

“I request the government to take irregularities in examinations seriously,” her father stated.

“They should understand that it is not easy for a child from a poor family to dream of a better life and work towards it.”

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Sindh rules out MQM rally on Shahrah-e-Faisal, says Sharjeel Memon

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— Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will not be allowed to hold a rally at Shahrah-e-Faisal.

Memon told reporters after the Sindh Cabinet meeting that political parties should get permission from the relevant authorities and hold rallies peacefully and in accordance with the law. He said that no political party is allowed to hold rallies on King Faisal Day.

Memon said that the government will not allow an incident like May 12 to recur. He added that all political parties are free to conduct political activities within the scope of the constitution and law, but no political party can impose its decisions on the government. He said the government would not allow confrontation or riots. The senior minister said that the Pakistan People’s Party and the Sindh government have made their position clear on provincial autonomy and provincial rights. He said that no law or decision could supersede the Sindh Assembly, which had already taken a decision on the matter, stressing that the constitution and laws should prevail.

Memon said the cabinet had approved reducing the release price of government wheat from Rs5,000 to Rs4,500 per 40 kilograms. He said the new price had begun lowering flour prices by Rs17 per kilogram. The Cabinet also approved the registration of Lady Dufferin Hospital Trust under the Sindh Trusts Act, 2020.

It approved additional funds of Rs 50,240,000 for five development projects in Jamshoro district and Rs 299,300,000 for improvement of water supply and drainage scheme in Nawabshah city Shaheed Benazirabad district. Memon said a Cabinet committee has been constituted to resolve the issues related to Kutch abadis and formulate laws and proposals for single window operations.

He added that strict measures are being taken to ensure the enforcement of traffic rules. To improve the traffic system of the city, a traffic management authority would be established and a smart traffic management system would be implemented in Karachi.

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Iran war played a role in Republicans’ losses in midterm elections, admits Trump

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President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war in Iran played a role in Republican losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections, as Democrats prepare to take control of both the US House and Senate and challenge his legislative agenda.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Democrats would send legislation to his desk that he considered “insane” and he would veto it. “They’re going to send some crazy stuff and I’m going to veto them,” he said. “After months of vetoes, they’ll call and say, ‘How do we get this done?’ We will work together.”

Trump said the Iran war has put pressure on Republican candidates, even as voters support his handling of the war. “I think part of it is Iran, but also people understand the importance of what I’m doing with Iran,” he said.

Protesters gather outside the White House to cheer the results of the midterm elections on November 4, 2026 in Washington, USA. – Reuters
Protesters gather outside the White House to cheer midterm election results in Washington, DC, the United States, on November 4, 2026. — Reuters
His remarks came as Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, sweeping victories that cut into Republican strongholds as tens of thousands of voters lashed out at Trump. The size and breadth of the Democratic wave remains a focus, but the party has been winning in states long considered out of reach, including conservative strongholds like South Carolina, Texas and Iowa.

The Democratic surge reflects voters’ deep disillusionment with Trump’s economy and his February decision to go to war with Iran, which has sent natural gas prices soaring. In poll after poll, voters express dismay at the cost of living and anger at Trump’s handling of the issue.

In Kansas, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat since the Great Depression nearly a century ago.

In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown claimed a seat that belonged to Vice President JD Vance two years ago, while Texas Democratic state Representative James Talarico withstood a barrage of outside spending to defeat scandal-plagued Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both Ohio and Texas voted for Trump by a double-digit margin in 2024. In South Carolina, which Trump won by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024, pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darlene Graham, who was appointed to the state after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Despite their clearly defined responsibilities, Trump promoted Paxton and Graham as better candidates. Paxton has been at the center of many controversies, including his 2023 impeachment and securities fraud charges, while Graham’s admitted lack of experience has drawn negative headlines.

Trump campaigned heavily for Paxton, Graham and Ohio Rep. John Husted in a late-election rally that included more than two dozen rallies, with the president repeatedly urging supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” in an effort to fire up his base. On Tuesday night, as it became clear that Republicans were in danger of losing their majority in Congress, Trump wrote on social media: “I was not at the polls, if I had been we would have won by a landslide! Thanks for the attention.”

Democrats picked up six GOP Senate seats and won a majority, though they failed to hold on to the hotly contested states of Michigan and Minnesota.

Democrats are also poised to take control of the US House of Representatives after picking up at least eight Republican seats in states including Kentucky, New Jersey and North Carolina, flexing their muscles even in deeply conservative districts. The party’s dominance extends to other ethnic groups as well. Three-term Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lost to Democrat Gina Hinojos, who also won governorships in conservative Iowa and Ohio. Winner says it’s a condemnation of Trump
“In a broad and decisive victory, the American people condemned the depravity, corruption and incompetence of President Donald Trump,” Georgia’s eventual winner, Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, told supporters at a victory party. In Florida, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon, but only by about 3 points in a state where Trump leads by 13 points in 2024, according to data compiled by Reuters and USA Today, showing that even staunchly Republican states are shifting rapidly to Democrats.

Democrats held on to three Florida House districts that were redrawn by Republican lawmakers earlier this year, all of which gave Trump support of at least 9 percentage points. Half of voters nationwide said they saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to reprimand the president, and three-quarters said they were “angry” or “disappointed” with the way the country is headed, according to polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of U.S. media outlets including major television networks and the Associated Press.

Additionally, 70% of voters said they want Congress to give the president more checks and balances.

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Joint meeting of opposition parties to be held in Islamabad today 

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A joint meeting of the opposition parties will be held in Islamabad at 5 pm today,

The meeting will be held at the residence of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar, PTI leader Asad Qaisar, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai will also attend the meeting.

The participants of the meeting will review the current political situation of the country and other important matters.

They will also discuss the opposition’s activities inside the parliament and the resolution of internal differences. The meeting will discuss future courses of action to reduce political tension.

The release of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan will also be discussed during the meeting.

Sources said that invitations had been sent to all opposition leaders.

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