A shocking case of alleged school corporal punishment has emerged from Gujarat's Aravalli district, where a 13-year-old Class 8 student was allegedly assaulted by the principal and a school trustee of a residential school after they accused him of looking at an internal examination paper. The incident has sparked concern over student safety and disciplinary practices in educational institutions.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the student was allegedly slapped repeatedly and beaten with a plastic pipe by the principal and trustee after they claimed he had viewed an internal examination question paper before the test. The child remains hospitalized with multiple injuries.

Child Allegedly Confined and Assaulted for Over Two Hours

The student's father alleged that his son was confined inside a room for nearly two-and-a-half hours, during which he was physically assaulted and denied drinking water.

"My son was confined to a room and tortured for nearly two and a half hours. He was not allowed to drink water," the father said. He added that the child is suffering from severe body pain and swelling in his ears and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

The family also expressed concern over mounting medical expenses, stating that financial constraints may force them to shift the child to a government hospital for continued treatment.

Parents Allege Threats From School Authorities

According to the complaint, the incident came to light on July 18, when the school trustee called the student's father, a resident of Mahisagar district, informing him that disciplinary action would be taken against his son for allegedly viewing the examination paper.

When the parents reached the residential school, they reportedly found their son outside the trustee's office. The child allegedly broke down and told them that he had been beaten by the principal and trustee.

The parents sought an explanation from the school authorities but claimed they did not receive a satisfactory response. Instead, they alleged that the officials asked them to take the child away and threatened to expel him from the school.

Shortly afterward, the boy complained of dizziness, prompting his parents to contact emergency medical services. He was initially taken to Modasa Civil Hospital, where doctors reportedly classified the matter as a medico-legal case before he was later shifted to a private hospital for further treatment.

FIR Registered Under Juvenile Justice Act

Following the father's complaint, Modasa Rural Police registered an FIR against the principal and trustee.

Police have invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to voluntarily causing hurt, along with relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act, considering the alleged assault on a minor.

The student's family has alleged that police have not acted promptly and claimed that neither of the accused had been arrested at the time of filing the complaint.

Growing Concerns Over Student Safety

The incident has once again raised questions about the use of physical punishment in schools and the need for stronger safeguards to protect children from abuse within educational institutions.

Police are continuing their investigation into the allegations, while the child's medical condition remains under observation. Authorities are expected to record statements from the student, his parents, and school staff as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The political fallout from the NEET paper leak controversy is set to intensify as Opposition parties prepare to target Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the ongoing Parliament session, demanding his resignation over the police action against students protesting the examination scandal. The demand comes days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister following a 36-day agitation over the NEET paper leak.

Speaking ahead of Parliament's proceedings, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas alleged that Amit Shah, as the minister overseeing law and order, must be held accountable for the police crackdown on students during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march in New Delhi.

Referring to Shah's recent statement that the government respected the students who led the protests, Brittas questioned why that respect was absent when protesters were allegedly subjected to police action over the past several weeks.

"If there is even a grain of sincerity in those words, Amit Shah too should resign. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. The home minister, who is responsible for this brutal assault on innocent students, must also step down," Brittas said.

Opposition to Raise Police Action in Parliament

The INDIA bloc is expected to seek an urgent discussion in Parliament on the alleged use of force against students protesting the NEET 2026 paper leak. Opposition parties are likely to question the reported deployment of plainclothes personnel during the protest, allegations regarding the use of pellet guns, and the injuries sustained by student demonstrators.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking accountability for the police action, while Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose has submitted a notice requesting suspension of business to discuss the issue.

The protests, which began on June 20, concluded after the government accepted several demands of the protesters and Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister. However, the police action during the July 20 march towards Parliament has emerged as a major political flashpoint.

Debate Over Anti-Paper Leak Law

Alongside the political confrontation, Parliament is scheduled to consider the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening India's anti-paper leak framework.

The proposed amendments introduce significantly stricter punishments for examination fraud. Individuals found guilty of leaking question papers could face up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines of up to ₹50 lakh, while organised examination fraud syndicates could attract penalties reaching ₹10 crore.

While supporting stronger legal measures against examination fraud, Brittas argued that India already enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and questioned why effective implementation had not prevented recurring paper leak incidents.

According to the Opposition, the issue lies not in the absence of legislation but in inadequate enforcement and alleged administrative failures.

Questions Over Higher Education Secretary Appointment

The Opposition is also expected to question the appointment of Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education. Brittas alleged that Gangwar had previously faced accusations relating to irregularities in the disbursal of government subsidies and argued that transparency in public examinations required appointments beyond reproach.

Government Rejects Allegations

Separately, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also blamed Amit Shah for the police action, alleging that students were assaulted and women protesters were harassed during the demonstrations.

The BJP rejected the allegations, with party spokesperson Navnath Ban dismissing the Opposition's criticism as politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has denied allegations that pellet guns were used during the July 20 protest, while the CRPF has not publicly responded to claims involving its Rapid Action Force.

With the NEET paper leak continuing to dominate the national political agenda, the issue is expected to trigger another heated confrontation in Parliament as the government defends its handling of both the protests and proposed examination reforms.

Candidates who qualified in NEET UG 2026 are eagerly awaiting the release of the MCC NEET UG 2026 counselling schedule, with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) expected to announce the admission timeline on its official website in the coming days. Following the declaration of the Re-NEET UG 2026 results on July 16, the counselling notification is likely to be issued during the last week of July or early August.

The NEET UG 2026 counselling process will facilitate admissions to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical programmes offered by government, private, deemed universities and central institutions participating in MCC counselling. Aspirants are advised to rely only on the official MCC portal for registration, choice filling, seat allotment and counselling updates.

Expected MCC NEET UG 2026 Counselling Timeline

Although the official counselling calendar is yet to be released, the tentative schedule indicates that Round 1 registration and choice filling may begin in the first week of August 2026.

The Round 1 seat allotment result is expected to be announced in mid-August, followed by candidate reporting to allotted colleges between mid and late August.

The Round 2 counselling is likely to be conducted from late August to mid-September, while the Mop-Up Round is expected during mid to late September. The final Stray Vacancy Round is tentatively scheduled for October 2026 to fill remaining vacant seats.

MBBS Seat Matrix Expands for 2026 Admissions

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved a major expansion in medical education for the 2026 admission cycle by adding 9,911 new MBBS seats across the country.

With the latest approvals, India now has 1,36,939 MBBS seats across 823 medical colleges, excluding Institutes of National Importance (INIs). The current admission cycle also includes 25 newly approved medical colleges, providing more opportunities for NEET-qualified candidates.

Among the total intake:

• 63,296 MBBS seats are available in government medical colleges.
• 73,643 seats are offered by private and deemed medical colleges.

State-wise, Karnataka continues to lead the country with 15,395 MBBS seats, including 10,995 seats in private medical colleges, making it the largest private medical education hub in India. Maharashtra has the highest number of government MBBS seats, offering 6,000 seats.

NEET UG 2026 Examination Statistics

The NEET UG 2026 examination witnessed strong participation despite the re-examination process.

According to official figures:

• 22,79,155 candidates registered for NEET UG 2026.
• Approximately 19,99,000 candidates appeared for the examination.
• 11,21,170 candidates qualified, resulting in a 56.08% national qualifying rate.

The highest score in NEET UG 2026 was 715 out of 720, jointly secured by AIR 1 Aryan Gupta from Punjab and AIR 2 Panshul Bansal from Haryana.

How to Check the MCC NEET UG 2026 Counselling Schedule

Once released, candidates can access the MCC NEET UG 2026 counselling schedule by visiting the official MCC website and navigating to the UG Medical Counselling section. The complete counselling calendar, including registration dates, choice filling, seat allotment results, reporting deadlines and subsequent counselling rounds, will be available under the Current Events or E-Services/Schedule section.

With over 1.36 lakh MBBS seats available and counselling expected to begin shortly, qualified candidates should keep all required documents ready and regularly monitor the official MCC portal to avoid missing important deadlines during the NEET UG 2026 admission process.

In a major achievement for Tamil Nadu's government school education system, 12 students trained at the State Centre for Medical/Science Education at Government Model School, Thuvakudi, Tiruchy, have secured seats in the first round of IISER admissions 2026. The success highlights the growing opportunities available to Biology stream students beyond NEET and underscores the effectiveness of the state's specialised residential coaching programme.

According to officials from the School Education Department, the State Centre for Medical/Science Education operates under the Tamil Nadu Government Model School Society and provides free residential coaching to students aspiring to pursue careers in science and research. The centre currently trains 76 Biology with Computer Science (Bio-CS) students from Government Model Schools across Tamil Nadu.

Of the 18 Government Model School students from the state who secured admission through the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026 in the first round, 12 received coaching at the Thuvakudi centre, demonstrating the programme's strong success rate.

Opening New Pathways Beyond NEET

Education officials said the initiative was launched to challenge the common perception that Biology students without Mathematics have limited higher education opportunities outside medicine.

The coaching programme encourages students to explore careers in pure sciences, scientific research, and allied disciplines by preparing them for national-level entrance examinations such as the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT).

Officials explained that students admitted to IISERs receive foundation courses in Mathematics after joining the institutes, enabling Biology students to successfully pursue interdisciplinary science programmes even if they did not study advanced Mathematics in higher secondary school.

Students Join Prestigious IISER Campuses

The selected candidates have been allotted seats in the Bachelor of Science–Master of Science (BS-MS) dual degree programme at several premier Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) across the country.

Students will pursue their five-year integrated programmes at IISER campuses in:

• IISER Pune
• IISER Kolkata
• IISER Thiruvananthapuram
• IISER Tirupati
• IISER Berhampur

The BS-MS programme is designed to prepare students for careers in scientific research, higher education, innovation, biotechnology, environmental sciences, and other emerging scientific fields.

Free Residential Coaching Driving Success

The Government Model School, Thuvakudi coaching centre offers free residential training for selected Bio-CS students from different districts of Tamil Nadu. Besides preparing students for the IISER Aptitude Test, the centre provides academic guidance, mentoring, and focused preparation for various national-level science entrance examinations.

Education department officials said the initiative aims to broaden career awareness among government school students and create more opportunities in research, academia, and advanced scientific studies, especially for those who may not pursue medicine through NEET.

The achievement of 12 IISER selections in the first admission round reflects the growing impact of targeted coaching programmes in helping government school students secure admission to India's premier science institutions.

As IISER admissions 2026 continue, the success of the Thuvakudi coaching centre serves as an encouraging example of how focused academic support can open diverse career pathways for Biology students beyond conventional medical education.

In a major push to strengthen bilingual education in government schools, the Directorate of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT), in collaboration with the Regional Institute of English, South India (RIESI), has launched a year-long teacher development programme that will train around 65,000 teachers across Karnataka between July 2026 and March 2027.

The initiative began with a state-level workshop aimed at equipping District Resource Team (DRT) members with the pedagogical knowledge and practical skills needed to support bilingual teaching in classrooms.

Multi-tier teacher training model

The programme follows a cascading training approach to ensure statewide implementation.

After completing the state-level training, the District Resource Teams (DRTs) will organise district-level workshops for Master Resource Persons (MRPs). The MRPs will then conduct cluster-level training sessions for teachers, expanding the programme's reach across government schools.

According to the Department of School Education and Literacy, this model will enable continuous professional support for nearly 65,000 teachers throughout the academic year.

Focus on bilingual teaching practices

The workshops are designed to strengthen teachers' classroom practices by focusing on:

• Bilingual teaching strategies
• English language instruction through textbook-based pedagogy
• Effective classroom language and teacher talk
• Baseline assessment techniques
• Classroom experience sharing and problem-solving
• Identifying difficult learning concepts and appropriate teaching strategies

Special attention is being given to English, Environmental Studies (EVS), Mathematics, and Kannada textbooks to improve learning outcomes in multilingual classrooms.

Continuous mentoring and academic support

Unlike one-time training programmes, the initiative includes a comprehensive academic support framework comprising:

• Face-to-face workshops
• Regular online follow-up sessions
• Classroom mentoring
• Continuous academic guidance

The programme aims to provide sustained professional development, enabling teachers to effectively implement bilingual teaching-learning practices throughout the school year.

Nearly 400 resource persons trained

As part of the launch phase, 389 District Resource Team members underwent training during workshops held from July 21 to 23, 2026.

The year-long initiative marks one of Karnataka's largest teacher capacity-building programmes in bilingual education and is expected to strengthen multilingual learning environments while improving classroom instruction in government schools across the state.

Karnataka teacher training, bilingual education, DSERT, RIESI, bilingual classrooms, government schools, teacher professional development, Karnataka education

Physics Wallah co-founder and CEO Alakh Pandey joined the ongoing student protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday, calling on the government to engage directly with students protesting over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and broader concerns about India's examination and recruitment systems.

His appearance comes days after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the demonstrations, criticised Pandey for not publicly supporting the movement and appealed to students to boycott educators who remained silent.

'This is bigger than NEET,' says Alakh Pandey

In a video shared from the protest site, Pandey said the demonstrations reflected students' frustration with the wider education system rather than a single examination.

"On July 20, the students of India held a historic protest. This was the anger of students against the entire education system. This isn't just about NEET."

He stressed that the issues being raised extend beyond medical entrance examinations.

"It's not just about NEET. It's about IIT, CBSE, SSC, education and recruitment. It is about everything that is being discussed here."

According to Pandey, the protests represent broader concerns over examination integrity, educational reforms, and recruitment processes across the country.

Appeals to government for dialogue

Pandey urged the government to open a dialogue with the protesting students instead of allowing tensions to escalate.

"Why doesn't the government talk to these children? These are our country's children. Please come and speak to them at least once. Listen to their problems. They have come onto the streets out of helplessness."

He also criticised the reported use of force against peaceful demonstrators during recent protests, saying students deserve to have their grievances heard through democratic engagement.

Physics Wallah pledges support to affected families

During his address, Pandey announced that Physics Wallah would extend educational support to families of students who allegedly died by suicide in the aftermath of the NEET controversy.

"I will fully support the families of all those students who committed suicide. I will provide complete education to all the children in their families."

The announcement was made alongside his appeal for authorities to address students' concerns through discussion and reforms.

Protests continue over alleged NEET paper leak

The demonstrations at Jantar Mantar have continued for several days, with students demanding greater transparency in the examination system and accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak.

Among the key demands raised by protesters are:

• A transparent investigation into the alleged paper leak.
• Reforms to strengthen examination security.
• Accountability for those responsible for irregularities.
• Resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protests intensified following the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march, during which clashes were reported between a section of protesters and police. Despite the confrontation, students have continued their demonstrations, maintaining that they will persist until their concerns are addressed.