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After over 4-year delay, UPPSC clears CBI probe in APS-2010

After over 4-year delay, UPPSC clears CBI probe in APS-2010

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to accelerate its probe into irregularities in the 2010 additional private secretary (APS) recruitment after the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) granted permission to investigate its officers allegedly involved in the case. The decision comes four-and-a-half years after the CBI first sought cooperation from the Commission. The state government had recommended a CBI probe on September 4, 2018. (Sourced)
Notably, CBI director Praveen Sood wrote to the state chief secretary on May 26, warning that in the absence of concrete progress within 30 days, the agency might close investigations prematurely for lack of cooperation. The commission responded on June 25 by forwarding formal approval to the CBI.
The commission had kept the approval confidential. The action emerged in a counter-affidavit filed in Allahabad high court on July 22, 2025, on behalf of several officers named in the probe. The affidavit records an office order dated June 25, 2025, that authorises an enquiry under section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against three officials, including the petitioner.
Deputy Secretary Vinod Kumar Singh filed the counter affidavit; it lists respondents as the commission chairman, the secretary acting as enquiry officer, the deputy secretary (establishment), and the controller of examinations. Advocate Sanjay Kumar Om confirmed the filing of the document in Civil Misc. Writ Petition No 1571 of 2025.
Prashant Pandey, media in-charge of the Pratiyogi Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti, demanded a named case against the accused persons, followed by arrests to expose all those allegedly involved in the corruption.
The state government had recommended a CBI probe on September 4, 2018, after preliminary inquiries uncovered strong evidence of irregularities. On December 30, 2020, the CBI sought permission from the appointment department to investigate the then controller of examinations, IAS officer Prabhunath, plus three commission officers under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The appointment department cleared action against the then controller. The commission withheld permission to probe its officers; consequently, the FIR filed by the CBI on August 4, 2021, named only the then controller of examinations. The CBI repeatedly requested permission from the commission to advance the probe while seeking government intervention.
APS 2010 among UPPSC's most controversial recruitments
The APS 2010 recruitment is among the commission's most contentious processes. Conducted for 250 posts, the exercise involved alleged rule changes in the Hindi stenographer examination that allowed some candidates to enter a third phase of testing. Computer certificates submitted for selected candidates included documents described as forged. Evaluation of Hindi stenographer answer sheets, along with the Hindi type test, reportedly lacked proper scrutiny; marks were altered in some instances to favour specific candidates. As a result, deserving candidates missed out on the merit list while ineligible persons gained selection.
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Widow At 25 After Just 9 Days Of Marriage: Tragic Story Of Expelled Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal
Widow At 25 After Just 9 Days Of Marriage: Tragic Story Of Expelled Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal

News18

time14 minutes ago

  • News18

Widow At 25 After Just 9 Days Of Marriage: Tragic Story Of Expelled Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal

Last Updated: Pal was expelled for 'anti-party activities and indiscipline' after praising CM Yogi Adityanath for ensuring justice for her and her slain husband The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled its MLA Pooja Pal for 'anti-party activities and indiscipline", just a day after she publicly praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his zero-tolerance policy on crime. The move, announced in a statement signed by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, accused Pal of repeatedly indulging in actions that 'caused great damage to the party" despite prior warnings. Pal's expulsion comes in the wake of a dramatic moment in the ongoing Monsoon Session, when during its 18th hour of debate she stunned the Assembly by thanking the chief minister for 'burying her husband's killer into the ground"—a reference to mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed, accused of masterminding the 2005 murder of her husband, BSP legislator Raju Pal. 'Everyone knows how my husband was killed and who did it," she told the House. 'I want to thank the chief minister, who listened to me when no one else did. He gave justice to many women like me in Prayagraj and punished the criminals. Today, the entire state looks at the chief minister with confidence." Switching briefly to Hindi, she added: 'Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko mukhya mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya." The rare praise came as part of the marathon discussion on the state's 'Vision Document 2047." Pooja Pal credited the CM's 'zero-tolerance" policy against organised crime for delivering justice in the murder case of her husband who was gunned down in broad daylight in 2005, allegedly by the gang of mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed. Who is Pooja Pal? Pooja Pal's journey to this moment began in the modest Katghar locality of Prayagraj. Born into a poor family, her father earned a living repairing punctured tyres. To help support the household, Pooja took on small jobs alongside her studies—working in offices, hospitals, and even cleaning homes. It was while working at a hospital that she met Raju Pal, a rising figure in the Bahujan Samaj Party. Their friendship grew into love, and on January 16, 2005, the couple married. A Marriage Cut Short by Violence Just nine days later, tragedy struck. On January 25, 2005, gunmen linked to Atiq Ahmed ambushed Raju Pal's convoy in broad daylight, killing him and two associates. The killing was widely seen as political retribution for Raju's recent electoral victory over Ashraf Ahmed, Atiq's brother, in the Allahabad West Assembly constituency. At just 25, Pooja was widowed and her life turned into a battle for justice. She refused to bow to intimidation from the Ahmed gang and vowed to carry forward her husband's political legacy. Pooja's Entry into Politics When the by-election to Raju's seat was announced, BSP chief and then CM Mayawati personally handed Pooja the party ticket. She lost the bypoll, but her political journey had begun. In the 2007 assembly elections, Pooja again contested from Allahabad West and won, repeating her victory in 2012. However, she lost the 2017 contest to BJP's Siddharth Nath Singh. Soon after, Pooja left the BSP and joined the Samajwadi Party, where Akhilesh Yadav offered her a ticket from Chail in Kaushambi district. She won the seat in 2022, marking her return to the Assembly. Pooja's 20-Year-Old Fight With Atiq Ahmed Through her political career, Pooja's fight against Atiq Ahmed remained central to her identity. Ahmed—a five-time MLA and former Lok Sabha MP—had over 100 criminal cases to his name, ranging from murder to extortion. For years, Pooja accused successive governments of shielding him. That changed under Yogi Adityanath's tenure, as the UP government launched a high-profile crackdown on organised crime. Properties linked to mafia figures were demolished, assets seized, and key gang members arrested or neutralised. The End of the Ahmed Brothers The most dramatic chapter came in April 2023. On April 13, Atiq's son Asad, wanted in the murder of advocate Umesh Pal, was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi. Two days later, Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj while under police escort for a medical check-up at Colvin Hospital. At 10.36pm on April 15, as the brothers spoke to the media, three assailants posing as journalists opened fire at point-blank range. One attacker pulled off Atiq's turban before shooting him in the head. About 20 bullets were fired, killing both on the spot. The shooters—Lavlesh Tiwari (22), Mohit alias Sunny (23), and Arun Maurya (18)—were overpowered and arrested immediately. For Pooja, the killings marked a symbolic end to her two-decade fight. Political Ripples Her warm praise for Yogi Adityanath in the Assembly—a rare gesture across the bitter SP–BJP divide—immediately triggered speculation about her political future. While Pooja has insisted her gratitude was personal and born out of justice served, party insiders viewed it as a breach of discipline. With her expulsion now official, political observers are watching closely for her next move, especially in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where her story still carries emotional weight among voters. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Atiq Ahmed BJP BSP Pooja Pal Raju Pal samajwadi party Yogi Adityanath view comments Location : Lucknow, India, India First Published: August 14, 2025, 16:45 IST News politics Widow At 25 After Just 9 Days Of Marriage: Tragic Story Of Expelled Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Rajasthan to make Sanskrit compulsory at pre-primary level, 1st state to do so
Rajasthan to make Sanskrit compulsory at pre-primary level, 1st state to do so

Hindustan Times

time34 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Rajasthan to make Sanskrit compulsory at pre-primary level, 1st state to do so

Jaipur: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Rajasthan government is all set to implement Sanskrit as a compulsory subject at the pre-primary level in all schools, officials said. A proposal has been sent to the cabinet in this regard earlier this year. (Representative photo) 'Rajasthan will be the first state in India to teach Sanskrit at the pre-primary level. A proposal has been sent to the cabinet in this regard earlier this year. We have prepared the curriculum framework and also launched the books. We will start the classes once the cabinet gives the final nod,' commissioner of Rajasthan's Sanskrit education department Priyanka Jodhawat said. According to government officials, the project will be implemented in three phases. 'In the first phase, we will start at the pre-primary schools only under the Sanskrit education department. There is no pre-primary school running in the Sanskrit schools in Rajasthan. However, at least 757 pre-primary Sanskrit schools are proposed, which will be starting in a month. Sanskrit will be a must subject in all those schools from the start,' an official from the education minister's office said. Pre-primary level facility is also available in 962 Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools (MGEMS) and 660 PM-Shree Schools in Rajasthan, where Sanskrit is proposed to be implemented in the second and third phases accordingly next year, the officials said. Also read: Rajasthan govt identified crumbling schools, sat on repair funds 'The books are prepared by the RSCERT and approved by both the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the state government. They are written in very simple language and designed like a comic book to attract children. These three books for the three classes of pre-primary are only to introduce the students to the subject and give them an idea about basic vocabulary and grammar of Sanskrit,' the officer said. The books are named Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Pratham Vaag for pre-primary first standard, Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Dwitiya Vaag for pre-primary second standard, and Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Tritya Vaag for pre-primary third standard. These three books for the three classes of pre-primary are only to introduce the students to the subject and give them an idea about basic vocabulary and grammar of Sanskrit: Officer No Hindi medium school in the state yet has any pre-primary level. Currently, Sanskrit is compulsory in all the classes in Sanskrit schools, while it is available as an optional third language from Class 9 to Class 12 in MGEMS schools, and in Class 6 to Class 8 in Hindi medium and PM-Shree schools, said officials. Also read: Govt school building caves in, 7 students killed in Rajasthan Aiming to start the subject at the pre-primary level soon, education minister Madan Dilawar and chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, during the state-level Bhamashah Felicitation Ceremony on June 28, also launched the three books prepared by the Rajasthan State Council for Educational Research and Training (RSCERT) for these classes.

Akhilesh Yadav sacks SP MLA Pooja Pal after she praised Yogi Adityanath for justice in husband's murder case
Akhilesh Yadav sacks SP MLA Pooja Pal after she praised Yogi Adityanath for justice in husband's murder case

New Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • New Indian Express

Akhilesh Yadav sacks SP MLA Pooja Pal after she praised Yogi Adityanath for justice in husband's murder case

The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled MLA Pooja Pal for anti-party activities and indiscipline, days after she praised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for his zero-tolerance policy against crime and the resulting improvement in the state's law and order. The development came hours after Pooja thanked the Chief Minister for "listening to her when no one else did" over her husband's murder. Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by Atiq Ahmed and his associate, had thanked Yogi Adityanath for zero-tolerance policy against crime that improved law and order in the state. The expulsion sparked a political uproar, with the ruling BJP accusing the opposition of being 'anti-Dalit.' In a statement in Hindi, Mr. Yadav said Pooja Pal 'is no longer allowed to attend any party programmes and will not be invited to them in the future.' The SP MLA had said that the UP CM gave her justice by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Speaking at the UP Assembly during the 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047,' Pooja Pal said, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she said.

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