New Delhi: As security concerns mount amid ongoing student protests in the national capital, 18 Delhi Metro stations will remain closed to the public from 7.30 am on Saturday until further orders, authorities announced.
The stations to remain closed are Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium, Jhandewalan and New Delhi.
However, interchange facilities at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat will continue to operate.
Security has also been intensified around Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) continues to lead protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak. Delhi Police has installed additional barricades reinforced with heavy-duty chains and welding around the protest site.
Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has advertised senior General Manager-level positions and invited applications for 16 Young Professional posts through the UPSC’s Pratibha Setu portal. According to an official statement, the recruitment drive marks the first major institutional reform based on the recommendations of the high-level expert committee headed by Prof. K. Radhakrishnan.
Amid the nationwide protests, the Union Cabinet has also approved amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aimed at strengthening measures against examination paper leaks.
The proposed amendment Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament on July 27, as the parliamentary standoff over the NEET-UG controversy entered its fifth day.
The developments follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late-night video message, in which he pledged stringent action against examination paper leaks and announced that the Cabinet would consider a draft Bill to further strengthen the legal framework against examination fraud.
