The Evening Wrap: SC stays Uttarakhand HC directions on removal of encroachments in Haldwani

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a December 20 direction of the Uttarakhand High Court to the Indian Railways and the district administration to use paramilitary forces to evict thousands of poor families occupying railway land in Haldwani district within a week. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and A.S. Oka remarked that some of these people have been living on the land for 50 to 70 years and could not be evicted within a week. The court said the issue has a “human angle”. Many proceedings under the Public Premises Act were instituted ex parte against the families during the COVID-19 pandemic. A balance had to be struck between Railways’ need to develop the land and the families’ right to live with dignity. The rights of the families on the land had to be examined. Even those who have no rights, but have been living there for years, need to be rehabilitated. “They cannot be uprooted overnight from the land... Somebody has to go into the need for rehabilitation while recognising the need of the Railways,” Justice Kaul said. “And it was not right to order bringing in paramilitary forces,” Justice Oka remarked. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Railways, said the land around the Kathgodam Railway Station could not be developed and there is a need to open the State to more rail traffic, with Haldwani the nearest location. The land belonged to the Indian Railways. Bhati said the people had never claimed their right to rehabilitation. Instead, they had claimed right over the land itself. Senior advocates Colin Gonsalves, Siddharth Luthra and Salman Khurshid, and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the various affected families, said over 5,000 families were affected. Proceedings against them pertaining to the Public Premises Act were still on. The High Court order had come out of the blue and was ex parte. They had not been given a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Children, women and elderly persons among them now faced the prospect of being evicted from their homes in the dead of winter in the biting cold. Their petition said: “Ours is a welfare state where government authorities need to work towards the well-being and prosperity of the citizens. In the present case, they have proceeded without following due process to issue ex-parte orders against the petitioners and produce arbitrary demarcation report… Such an approach shows an absolute disregard to procedure of law and is in complete violation of basic humanitarian and fundamental rights.” “These people are not just encroachers... There are multiple issues involved here. They cannot be evicted within the week,” Justice Kaul remarked. The court issued notice to the Uttarakhand Government while putting a complete stop to the eviction. It listed the case on February 7. The case was listed urgently on January 5 after Bhushan, on Wednesday, urged Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud during an oral mentioning that the High Court order had left families in the areas of Banbhulpura and Mohalla Nai Basti in dire straits. Foreign varsities can now set up campuses in India after UGC’s nod; decide admission process, fee structure For the first time, foreign universities will be able to set up their campuses in India with the UGC on January 5 unveiling draft norms for their establishment and operations in the country, under which these varsities can also decide admission process, fee structure and repatriate its funds back home. Noting that foreign universities with campuses in the country can only offer full-time programmes in offline mode and not online or distance learning, UGC chairperson M. Jagadesh Kumar said the foreign universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will need a nod from the UGC to set up their campuses in India. The initial approval will be for 10 years and will be renewed in the ninth year subject to the meeting of certain conditions, he added, and clarified that these institutions shall not offer any such study programme which jeopardises the national interest of India or the standards of higher education in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India’ and the final norms will be notified by the end of the month after considering feedback from all stakeholders. While these universities will have the freedom to decide their admission criteria and fee structure, the commission has advised keeping the fees “reasonable and transparent”. “The new National Education Policy [NEP], 2020, had envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. For this, a legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India,” Kumar said. The regulatory framework allowing the entry of higher-ranked foreign varsities will provide an international dimension to higher education, enable Indian students to obtain foreign qualifications at affordable cost, and make India an attractive global study destination, he added. On matters related to funds and funding, he said that the cross-border movement of funds will be according to the Foreign Exchange Management Act. “Cross-border movement of funds and maintenance of Foreign Currency Accounts, mode of payments, remittance, repatriation, and sale of proceeds, if any, shall be as per FEMA, 1999. An audit report shall be submitted annually to the commission certifying that the operations of the FHEIs in India are in compliance with the Act and related rules,” he said. “The operation of foreign HEIs shall not be contrary to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency, or morality,” he added. There will be two categories of foreign institutions eligible to apply for setting up their campuses in India — the universities that have secured a position within the top 500 of overall or subject-wise global ranking or a reputed institution in its home jurisdiction. “The Commission shall constitute a standing committee to examine matters related to the setting up and operation of campuses of foreign HEIs in India. This panel shall assess each application on merits, including the credibility of the educational institutions, the programmes to be offered, their potential to strengthen educational opportunities in India, and the proposed academic infrastructure, and make recommendations thereof,” Kumar said. The foreign institution shall have the autonomy to recruit faculty and staff from India and abroad as per its recruitment norms. “It shall ensure that the foreign faculty appointed to teach at the Indian campus shall stay at the campus in India for a reasonable period. Foreign varsities will also have to ensure the quality of education imparted at their Indian campuses is on par with their main campus,” Kumar said. Parliamentary panel ‘surprised’ that govt, SC failed to arrive at consensus on MoP despite lapse of nearly 7 years A parliamentary panel has expressed surprise that the government and the Supreme Court Collegium have failed to arrive at a consensus on the memorandum of procedure (MoP), guiding the appointment, elevation and transfer of apex court and high court judges, even after almost seven years. In a recent report, the Department-related Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel said it expects the government and the judiciary to finalise the revised MoP, “which is more efficient and transparent”, in terms of a Supreme Court observation. “The committee is surprised to note that the Supreme Court and the government have failed to reach a consensus on revision of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for appointment of judges to the constitutional courts (SC and the 25 HCs), though the same is under consideration of both for about seven years now,” the panel headed by veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi said. Seeking to overturn the collegium system of appointing Supreme Court and high court judges, the government had brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and a related constitutional amendment. The two were passed by Parliament with near unanimity. Later, the government brought the NJAC Act and the Constitution Amendment Act into force with effect from April 13, 2015. The two laws were challenged in the apex court, which eventually struck them down, thus reviving the collegium system. Subsequently, in December 2015, the Supreme Court directed the government to finalise the existing MoP by supplementing it in consultation with the apex court collegium, taking into consideration the eligibility criteria, transparency, the establishment of a secretariat and a mechanism to deal with complaints. Citing details shared by the Department of Justice in the law ministry, the parliamentary panel noted that the government and the Supreme Court Collegium have on multiple occasions exchanged views on the proposed revised MoP. Referring to the vacancies in various high courts, the committee report cited the details provided by the Department of Justice and pointed out that in 2021, 251 recommendations were made by the High Court Collegium. As on May 26, 2022, of these 251 recommendations, 148 appointments were made in various high courts, 74 names were not recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and accordingly, remitted to the high courts concerned. “This amounts to 30% rejection at the level of Supreme Court Collegium,” the panel noted, quoting the law ministry. The remaining 29 proposals are at various stages of processing between the government and the Supreme Court Collegium. According to the existing MoP for the appointment of high court judges, the chief justice of the high court concerned is required to initiate a proposal to fill up vacancies of judges, six months prior to the occurrence of vacancies. The government appoints only those as high court judges who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium. Man urinating on co-passenger: DGCA issues show cause notice over Air India’s ‘unprofessional conduct’; Delhi police says it will arrest him soon The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) serves a show cause notice to Air India for the airline’s unprofessional conduct in responding to an incident where a passenger urinated over a co-traveller on November 26. Earlier in the day, Tata Group-owned Air India on January 5 told aviation sector regulator DGCA that its staff had not complained to law enforcement about the Mumbai businessman who allegedly urinated on a female passenger on a New York-Delhi flight in November as the aggrieved lady had “rescinded” an initial request for action after the two “appeared” to have sorted out the issue. Sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Air India on Thursday sent a reply to DGCA’s January 4 notice, detailing the incident that happened on board AI 102 flight of November 26, 2022. It stated that the unnamed business class offender has been banned from flying on Air India for 30 days, pending a report of its Internal Committee. The Committee has obtained the necessary documentation and held its first hearing, sources said, quoting from Air India’s reply. The alleged perpetrator has requested for additional documents prior to a second hearing scheduled for January 10, they said. While the Palam Police Station in Delhi has registered a case, the aggrieved passenger has been refunded the flight fare. Detailing the incident, Air India told DGCA that its cabin crew received a complaint from a female passenger on board AI 102 on November 26, 2022 that a male co-passenger had soiled her clothes and bags by relieving himself near the seat she was in. The crew assisted the female passenger to a different seat in the same class and provided a set of dry clothes and slippers. The female passenger initially requested that action be taken against the offender upon arrival. However subsequently, she rescinded her request after the two parties appeared to have sorted the matter out between them, Air India told DGCA. Sources said the airline in its reply stated that the cabin crew reported the incident to the Commander and logged it in the Voyage Report. As there was no further flare-up or confrontation, and respecting the perceived wishes of the female passenger, the crew elected not to summon law enforcement upon landing, it added. The matter has been reported to the Internal Committee in accordance with the rules for declaring a passenger ‘unruly’. The airline stated that it has been in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger and her family during the investigation and reporting process. In addition, Air India is reviewing its standing instructions to crew on the reporting of such incidents to authorities on arrival, including in scenarios where the alleged victim does not wish such a report to be made. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on January 5 said that the man will be arrested at the earliest. “The accused is a resident of Mumbai, but his possible location is in some other State and the police team has reached there. We will arrest the accused at the earliest,” said Delhi Police. On Wednesday, Delhi Police said that it has formed teams to nab the man. The police on January 4 filed an FIR in the matter under Sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi. Kanjhawala hit-and-run case: Court sends 5 accused to police custody A court here on Thursday remanded in police custody for four days the five men accused of causing the death of the woman who was hit by a car and dragged a long distance in the national capital. Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal allowed the Delhi police to have the accused in their custody for four days more for interrogation instead of their prayer for a five-day remand. During the hearing, the investigating officer said their further custody was required as police needed to establish the nearly 13-km-long route the accused had taken to traverse in two hours on the fateful night when the victim woman had got entangled under the vehicle after being hit. The IO also said one of the accused was “planted” as the driver of the vehicle. He said all of them were subjected to sustained interrogation over the last three days in custody. The victim Anjali Singh (20) was killed in the early hours of the New Year after her scooter was hit by a car, which dragged her for about 12 kilometres. Her bruised and battered body was found on the road in Kanjhawala. The Sultanpuri police station has registered an FIR against Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun (26) and Manoj Mittal for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and rash driving on public way. In Brief: Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: U.S. The United States is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for visa interview appointments in India as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. “Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. The U.S. issued more student visas in the fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016, he said, adding that its embassy and consulates in India in particular broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year. NEET-PG 2023 to be conducted on March 5 The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NMEMS) will conduct the 2023 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) on March 5, 2023. Later in the day, the NBEMS clarified that the notification for inviting online applications for NEET-PG 2023 will be published in the coming days. Candidates can access the information bulletin at , for details pertaining to eligibility criteria, free structure, scheme of examination and other details. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 05 JANUARY 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Supreme Court stays Uttarakhand HC directions on removal of encroachments of railway land in Haldwani The [Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a December 20 direction of the Uttarakhand High Court]( to the Indian Railways and the district administration to use paramilitary forces to evict thousands of poor families occupying railway land in Haldwani district within a week. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and A.S. Oka remarked that some of these people have been living on the land for 50 to 70 years and could not be evicted within a week. [Local people from Haldwani flash victory sign after the Supreme Court’s order on Haldwani eviction case. The apex court in its order stayed the directions of Uttarakhand High Court on the removal of encroachments from 29 acres of railway land in Banbhoolpura in Haldwani.] The court said the issue has a “human angle”. Many proceedings under the Public Premises Act were instituted ex parte against the families during the COVID-19 pandemic. A balance had to be struck between Railways’ need to develop the land and the families’ right to live with dignity. The rights of the families on the land had to be examined. Even those who have no rights, but have been living there for years, need to be rehabilitated. “They cannot be uprooted overnight from the land... Somebody has to go into the need for rehabilitation while recognising the need of the Railways,” Justice Kaul said. “And it was not right to order bringing in paramilitary forces,” Justice Oka remarked. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Railways, said the land around the Kathgodam Railway Station could not be developed and there is a need to open the State to more rail traffic, with Haldwani the nearest location. The land belonged to the Indian Railways. Bhati said the people had never claimed their right to rehabilitation. Instead, they had claimed right over the land itself. Senior advocates Colin Gonsalves, Siddharth Luthra and Salman Khurshid, and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the various affected families, said over 5,000 families were affected. Proceedings against them pertaining to the Public Premises Act were still on. The High Court order had come out of the blue and was ex parte. They had not been given a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Children, women and elderly persons among them now faced the prospect of being evicted from their homes in the dead of winter in the biting cold. Their petition said: “Ours is a welfare state where government authorities need to work towards the well-being and prosperity of the citizens. In the present case, they have proceeded without following due process to issue ex-parte orders against the petitioners and produce arbitrary demarcation report… Such an approach shows an absolute disregard to procedure of law and is in complete violation of basic humanitarian and fundamental rights.” “These people are not just encroachers... There are multiple issues involved here. They cannot be evicted within the week,” Justice Kaul remarked. The court issued notice to the Uttarakhand Government while putting a complete stop to the eviction. It listed the case on February 7. The case was listed urgently on January 5 after Bhushan, on Wednesday, urged Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud during an oral mentioning that the High Court order had left families in the areas of Banbhulpura and Mohalla Nai Basti in dire straits. Foreign varsities can now set up campuses in India after UGC’s nod; decide admission process, fee structure For the first time, [foreign universities will be able to set up their campuses in India]( with the UGC on January 5 unveiling draft norms for their establishment and operations in the country, under which these varsities can also decide admission process, fee structure and repatriate its funds back home. Noting that foreign universities with campuses in the country can only offer full-time programmes in offline mode and not online or distance learning, UGC chairperson M. Jagadesh Kumar said the foreign universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will need a nod from the UGC to set up their campuses in India. The initial approval will be for 10 years and will be renewed in the ninth year subject to the meeting of certain conditions, he added, and clarified that these institutions shall not offer any such study programme which jeopardises the national interest of India or the standards of higher education in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India’ and the final norms will be notified by the end of the month after considering feedback from all stakeholders. While these universities will have the freedom to decide their admission criteria and fee structure, the commission has advised keeping the fees “reasonable and transparent”. “The new National Education Policy [NEP], 2020, had envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. For this, a legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India,” Kumar said. The regulatory framework allowing the entry of higher-ranked foreign varsities will provide an international dimension to higher education, enable Indian students to obtain foreign qualifications at affordable cost, and make India an attractive global study destination, he added. On matters related to funds and funding, he said that the cross-border movement of funds will be according to the Foreign Exchange Management Act. “Cross-border movement of funds and maintenance of Foreign Currency Accounts, mode of payments, remittance, repatriation, and sale of proceeds, if any, shall be as per FEMA, 1999. An audit report shall be submitted annually to the commission certifying that the operations of the FHEIs in India are in compliance with the Act and related rules,” he said. “The operation of foreign HEIs shall not be contrary to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency, or morality,” he added. There will be two categories of foreign institutions eligible to apply for setting up their campuses in India — the universities that have secured a position within the top 500 of overall or subject-wise global ranking or a reputed institution in its home jurisdiction. “The Commission shall constitute a standing committee to examine matters related to the setting up and operation of campuses of foreign HEIs in India. This panel shall assess each application on merits, including the credibility of the educational institutions, the programmes to be offered, their potential to strengthen educational opportunities in India, and the proposed academic infrastructure, and make recommendations thereof,” Kumar said. The foreign institution shall have the autonomy to recruit faculty and staff from India and abroad as per its recruitment norms. “It shall ensure that the foreign faculty appointed to teach at the Indian campus shall stay at the campus in India for a reasonable period. Foreign varsities will also have to ensure the quality of education imparted at their Indian campuses is on par with their main campus,” Kumar said. Parliamentary panel ‘surprised’ that govt, SC failed to arrive at consensus on MoP despite lapse of nearly 7 years A parliamentary panel has expressed surprise that the [government and the Supreme Court Collegium have failed to arrive at a consensus on the memorandum of procedure]( (MoP), guiding the appointment, elevation and transfer of apex court and high court judges, even after almost seven years. In a recent report, the Department-related Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel said it expects the government and the judiciary to finalise the revised MoP, “which is more efficient and transparent”, in terms of a Supreme Court observation. “The committee is surprised to note that the Supreme Court and the government have failed to reach a consensus on revision of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for appointment of judges to the constitutional courts (SC and the 25 HCs), though the same is under consideration of both for about seven years now,” the panel headed by veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi said. Seeking to overturn the collegium system of appointing Supreme Court and high court judges, the government had brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and a related constitutional amendment. The two were passed by Parliament with near unanimity. Later, the government brought the NJAC Act and the Constitution Amendment Act into force with effect from April 13, 2015. The two laws were challenged in the apex court, which eventually struck them down, thus reviving the collegium system. Subsequently, in December 2015, the Supreme Court directed the government to finalise the existing MoP by supplementing it in consultation with the apex court collegium, taking into consideration the eligibility criteria, transparency, the establishment of a secretariat and a mechanism to deal with complaints. Citing details shared by the Department of Justice in the law ministry, the parliamentary panel noted that the government and the Supreme Court Collegium have on multiple occasions exchanged views on the proposed revised MoP. Referring to the vacancies in various high courts, the committee report cited the details provided by the Department of Justice and pointed out that in 2021, 251 recommendations were made by the High Court Collegium. As on May 26, 2022, of these 251 recommendations, 148 appointments were made in various high courts, 74 names were not recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and accordingly, remitted to the high courts concerned. “This amounts to 30% rejection at the level of Supreme Court Collegium,” the panel noted, quoting the law ministry. The remaining 29 proposals are at various stages of processing between the government and the Supreme Court Collegium. According to the existing MoP for the appointment of high court judges, the chief justice of the high court concerned is required to initiate a proposal to fill up vacancies of judges, six months prior to the occurrence of vacancies. The government appoints only those as high court judges who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium. Man urinating on co-passenger: DGCA issues show cause notice over Air India’s ‘unprofessional conduct’; Delhi police says it will arrest him soon The [Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) serves a show cause notice to Air India]( for the airline’s unprofessional conduct in responding to an incident where a passenger urinated over a co-traveller on November 26. Earlier in the day, Tata Group-owned Air India on January 5 told aviation sector regulator DGCA that its staff had not complained to law enforcement about the Mumbai businessman who allegedly urinated on a female passenger on a New York-Delhi flight in November as the aggrieved lady had “rescinded” an initial request for action after the two “appeared” to have sorted out the issue. Sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Air India on Thursday sent a reply to DGCA’s January 4 notice, detailing the incident that happened on board AI 102 flight of November 26, 2022. It stated that the unnamed business class offender has been banned from flying on Air India for 30 days, pending a report of its Internal Committee. The Committee has obtained the necessary documentation and held its first hearing, sources said, quoting from Air India’s reply. The alleged perpetrator has requested for additional documents prior to a second hearing scheduled for January 10, they said. While the Palam Police Station in Delhi has registered a case, the aggrieved passenger has been refunded the flight fare. Detailing the incident, Air India told DGCA that its cabin crew received a complaint from a female passenger on board AI 102 on November 26, 2022 that a male co-passenger had soiled her clothes and bags by relieving himself near the seat she was in. The crew assisted the female passenger to a different seat in the same class and provided a set of dry clothes and slippers. The female passenger initially requested that action be taken against the offender upon arrival. However subsequently, she rescinded her request after the two parties appeared to have sorted the matter out between them, Air India told DGCA. Sources said the airline in its reply stated that the cabin crew reported the incident to the Commander and logged it in the Voyage Report. As there was no further flare-up or confrontation, and respecting the perceived wishes of the female passenger, the crew elected not to summon law enforcement upon landing, it added. The matter has been reported to the Internal Committee in accordance with the rules for declaring a passenger ‘unruly’. The airline stated that it has been in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger and her family during the investigation and reporting process. In addition, Air India is reviewing its standing instructions to crew on the reporting of such incidents to authorities on arrival, including in scenarios where the alleged victim does not wish such a report to be made. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on January 5 said that the man will be arrested at the earliest. “The accused is a resident of Mumbai, but his possible location is in some other State and the police team has reached there. We will arrest the accused at the earliest,” said Delhi Police. On Wednesday, Delhi Police said that it has formed teams to nab the man. The police on January 4 filed an FIR in the matter under Sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi. Kanjhawala hit-and-run case: Court sends 5 accused to police custody A court here on Thursday remanded in [police custody for four days the five men accused of causing the death of the woman who was hit by a car and dragged a long distance]( in the national capital. Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal allowed the Delhi police to have the accused in their custody for four days more for interrogation instead of their prayer for a five-day remand. During the hearing, the investigating officer said their further custody was required as police needed to establish the nearly 13-km-long route the accused had taken to traverse in two hours on the fateful night when the victim woman had got entangled under the vehicle after being hit. The IO also said one of the accused was “planted” as the driver of the vehicle. He said all of them were subjected to sustained interrogation over the last three days in custody. The victim Anjali Singh (20) was killed in the early hours of the New Year after her scooter was hit by a car, which dragged her for about 12 kilometres. Her bruised and battered body was found on the road in Kanjhawala. The Sultanpuri police station has registered an FIR against Deepak Khanna (26), Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun (26) and Manoj Mittal for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and rash driving on public way. In Brief: Making every effort to reduce visa interview appointment time in India: U.S. The[United States is making every effort to reduce the waiting time for visa interview appointments in India]( as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. “Visa processing is recovering faster than projected and over the coming year, we expect to reach pre-pandemic processing levels,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. The U.S. issued more student visas in the fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016, he said, adding that its embassy and consulates in India in particular broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year. NEET-PG 2023 to be conducted on March 5 The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NMEMS) will conduct the [2023 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) on March 5]( 2023. Later in the day, the NBEMS clarified that the notification for inviting online applications for NEET-PG 2023 will be published in the coming days. Candidates can access the information bulletin at , for details pertaining to eligibility criteria, free structure, scheme of examination and other details. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.  Interested in Science? Our "Science For All" weekly newsletter takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! 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