The Big Fight NDTV 24x7

It's an elite exam and is in the eye of a massive storm. This week NEET hogged headlines for all the wrong reasons - from allegations of paper leaks to malpractices. It's just one exam and 24 lakhs appeared for it. There are over 60 toppers - a bunch of them from just one centre scoring 720 out of 720 marks, which was unimaginable to date. Hundreds scored 719 and 718 marks, which is impossible in the NEET marking scheme. The National Testing Agency has said that these scores were due to grace marks given to some students at some centres where there were glitches and students lost time. The Supreme Court ordered a retest for the 1,563 students who got the grace marks. However, the larger aspirant community wants the exam scrapped and is demanding a retest for all. The issue has also become political with the Opposition, especially the DMK, upping the ante and demanding that the NEET be scrapped totally. They are also threatening to raise the issue in the upcoming session of the Parliament. The Education Minister met a group of students and their parents and assured them. In an exclusive interview, Dharmendra Pradhan ruled out the scrapping of NEET and insisted that the exam was clean. The larger question is: IS NEET actually clean? Who is playing with the lives of lakhs of aspirants and what is the way forward?

The era of alliance is back in India. With a message that a majority is needed to run the government, but consensus is needed to run the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelt out his vision for the coalition partners, as he emphasized he will pursue consensus. The new NDA government will be sworn in on Sunday. In this week's Big Fight with Marya Shakil, we look at the return of the coalition era. Watch the full show on NDTV.

As the battle for 2024 enters the slog overs, there are 5 states this Lok Sabha election that could decide if the NDA will really go 400 paar - UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka. In this edition of 'The Big Fight' with Marya Shakil we decode, 'The 2024 deciders - 5 states that hold the key in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls'.

Arvind Kejriwal was released from Delhi's Tihar Jail Friday evening - 50 days after he was jailed on corruption charges linked to the alleged liquor policy scam and hours after the Supreme Court granted bail till June 1. The Aam Aadmi Party's leader's release means he can now campaign for the AAP, and the INDIA bloc, in the ongoing election, in which Delhi's seven seats will vote on May 25. He is to surrender by June 2. What will be its implications? Watch Big Fight

 

The Gandhis have given up the Amethi seat and fielded a party loyalist from the seat. With this, for the first time in years, a non-Gandhi is contesting from Congress in Amethi. On the Big Fight, we debate, whether bastions have become the Achilles heel for politicians in the evolving political landscape of India.

A recent survey by Lokniti-CSDS delves into the political preferences of first-time voters. It was done in January. The data suggests that BJP has a substantial lead with 70 % support indicating a widespread belief among the first-time voters that the BJP is best suited for national governance. Are first-timers leaning towards PM Modi? Watch Big Fight.