DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● POSTAL REGN. NO. JAIPUR CITY/001/2024-26 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, JULY 6, 2024, JAIPUR, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 AFFIDAVITS FILED AHEAD OF JULY 8 HEARING Metrics for reforms, easing compliance burden: PM’s plan for Secys NEW DELHI, JULY 5 FROM DEVELOPING metrics to encourage competition among states in governance reforms to identifying one impactful project that needs to be commissionedandonegroundedduring thefirst100days;fromreducing the citizen’s compliance burden and pushing women-led development to revamping Ministry websites to make them more user-friendly — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a 16point"directive"toSecretariesat theCentre,TheIndianExpresshas learnt. These directions came during the PM’s interaction with SecretariesonJune29,hisfirstin the NDA’s third term. Two days later, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba wrote to all Secretaries to “initiate immediate action” based on these. Among the directions, the Prime Minister has asked the Secretaries to provide adequate CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Absence of any large-scale breach of confidentiality: Education Ministry ANANTHAKRISHNAN G & RITIKA CHOPRA NEW DELHI, JULY 5 EXPRESSINGITSunwillingnessto conduct the NEET-UG examinationagain,theCentrehastoldthe Supreme Court that “scrapping the exam in entirety would seriouslyjeopardisethelakhsofhonest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024”. In an affidavit filed Thursday in the top court — it is set to take up on July 8 a clutch of petitions alleging exam paper leak and irregularities inthe conduct of the NEET-UG on May 5 and demands for a retest — the Education Ministry makes no mention of a paperleak, only acknowledgingthat“somealleged Change in NEET-PG: Two shifts, only at TCS centres ANONNA DUTT NEW DELHI, JULY 5 At a protest on NEET in Lucknow. PTI file instancesof irregularities/cheating/ impersonation/ malpractices during the conduct of NEET(UG) 2024 Examination have been reported”. In a separate affidavit, also filed Thursday, the National Testing Agency echoed the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE NATIONAL Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences announced Friday that NEET-PG2024,thequalifyingexamination for postgraduate medical courses which was postponed last month, will be conductedonAugust11.Thetest, the NBEMS said, will be conducted in two shifts and the scores of the candidates will be normalised. As the NBEMS announced the date of the examination, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BY UNNY LABOUR’S TASK AHEAD: JOBS, ECONOMY BOOST British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside 10, Downing Street in London on Friday. Reuters PAGE 12 Starmer is UK’s new PM Past chill, Delhi cautious as Labour sweeps polls: as it warms to Labour realism, push on FTA ‘Will deliver change’ KYLIE MACLELLAN, WILLIAM JAMES & SARAH YOUNG LONDON, JULY 5 BRITAIN'S NEW Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Friday to use his massive electoral majoritytorebuildthecountry,say- ing he wanted to take the heat out of politics after years of upheaval and strife. Standing outside his new office and residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Starmer acknowledged the scale of the challenge after his party's landslide victory in a parliamentary CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Jaipur SHUBHAJIT ROY & RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, JULY 5 E EXPLAINED HARIKISHAN SHARMA & AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA Govt, NTA oppose NEET retest, tell SC honest candidates will be hit BUSINESS AS USUAL WITHIN HOURS of the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, sweeping the polls in the United Kingdom ending 14 years of Conservative Party-ruled government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ● congratulated the newly elected leader on the “remarkable victory” and said he looked forward to “positive and constructive collaboration” to further strengthen bilateral ties. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2