The Evening Wrap: Supreme Court pulls up NTA for ‘flip-flops’ in NEET

The Supreme Court on August 2 pronounced a scathing judgment pinpointing the “flip-flops” of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the conduct of the undergraduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test 2024 and put the government on a deadline to completely restructure the exam process. In a detailed verdict, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud directed the Centre, acting through its high-powered committee headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairperson K. Radhakrishnan, to recommend and implement top-to-bottom overhauling of the exam process, including security improvements, data protection measures, periodic audits, surprise inspections of exam centres, grievance redressal mechanisms for students and foolproof logistics while specifically highlighting how question papers were transported in e-rickshaw to some exam centres during NEET-UG 2024. Chief Justice Chandrachud, who authored the judgment, said the mishaps orchestrated by the NTA was a “luxury” students cannot afford. “The Centre has to restructure the whole process of the NEET through the high-powered committee. It has to see to it that we do not have further such examples in the future,” Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed counsel for the Centre and NTA led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court castigated the NTA for its “flip-flops”, which could have been avoided. “The NTA must avoid the flip-flops it has done in this case. These flip-flops of the NTA do not serve the interests of the students,” Chief Justice observed. The court pointed to varying versions given by the NTA about when and where the question papers were breached, including that it was taken away by people who had breached the “rear door” of an exam centre. The court pointed to how NTA initially gave 1,563 students compensatory marks on realising that they were allotted the wrong question paper. This was later changed with the agency, on the advice of a committee, deciding to hold a retest for them. The judgment then referred to the incident of NTA deciding to grant marks for two options to a Physics question in the NEET paper, reasoning that both answers were right. An Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) team, on a request from the Supreme Court, later reported that only one of the two answers were correct. “As a result of the NTA’s grace marks, an unprecedented 44 students got 720/720 in NEET-UG. The IIT(Delhi) report saw these 44 students lose marks and a revision of the rank list… There are deficiencies in the structural processes of the NTA… This Committee (Radhakrishnan panel) must rectify them,” Chief Justice Chandrachud directed. Even while refusing to scrap NEET-UG 2024 on the ground that there was no “systemic breach”, a series of directions issued by the apex court to the government’s committee in the judgment highlight and spell out every single concern raised by petitioners about the security of the exam process in over 40 separate petitions. The court expanded the ambit of the Radhakrishnan Committee to include improvement to the exam security and administration by introducing rigorous checks and balances at every stage from the setting of the question papers to the declaration of the final results. The judgment ordered the framing of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing specific timelines to be set for various aspects, including registration of candidates, changes to preferred cities, sealing of OMR sheets after handing them over to invigilators, etc. It called for a process to review allotment of exam centres after petitions complained that there were instances of students inexplicably travelling from Godhra in Gujarat to Belgaum in Karnataka. Addressing petitioners’ complaints of impersonation in NEET-UG 2024, the court called for a stricter procedure employing enhanced identity checks and technological advancements while complying with the laws of privacy. SIT probe into electoral bonds: Supreme Court says ‘quid pro quo’ through electoral bonds are now just ‘assumptions’ The Supreme Court on August 2 refused to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former apex court judge to probe allegations of “quid pro quo” among political parties, public servants, companies and even officers of law enforcement agencies revealed through data made public on electoral bonds. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud termed these allegations sheer “assumptions” at this stage and refused to embark on what it called a “roving and general inquiry”. The Bench summarised that the petitions, including one by NGOs Common Cause and Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan, Neha Rathi and Cheryl D’Souza, were based on primarily two assumptions. One, that there was prima facie quid pro quo whenever the date of purchase of electoral bonds and donation to a ruling political party was proximate to change in policy or award of contracts. Secondly, the involvement of officers of investigative agencies in the corruption and quid pro quo did not guarantee a fair probe. The petitioners had argued that officers of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department “appear to have become accessories to corruption”. They said electoral bonds data showed the purchase of bonds by accused persons had coincided with the sudden fading away of hotly pursued criminal prosecutions. “But these are only assumptions at the present stage,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said. Besides, the court pointed out that the electoral bonds scheme was embodied within several enactments or amendments made by the Parliament until it was found unconstitutional by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in March 2024. “Donations were made to political parties through electoral bonds on the basis of laws enacted by the Parliament” Chief Justice Chandrachud reasoned. The court said if the petitioners suspected an “element of criminality” in any individual instance of proximity between the purchase of bonds and government largesse, they should first invoke the normal remedies available under the law of criminal procedure. The petitioners could file writ petitions with the State High Court concerned under Article 226 of the Constitution if agencies refused to investigate or file a seemingly unfounded closure report. The Bench said any writ petition filed under Article 32 in the Supreme Court must be preceded by the invocation of normal remedies. The court found it both “premature” and “inappropriate” to constitute an SIT. It would be premature as there were other remedies available in law. The petitioners had to test them first, and approach the apex court only when they had failed. Again, it would be inappropriate to order an apex court-monitored probe by an SIT now as this would postulate that the normal criminal remedies were not efficacious. The Constitution Bench had intervened to strike down the electoral bonds scheme after examining their constitutional validity. This exercise was distinct from entertaining mere allegations of criminal wrongdoing, the CJI distinguished. “Recourse to Article 32 of the Constitution should not be taken as a matter of recourse when other remedies are available,” the court held. The court further dismissed pleas to direct authorities to make recoveries of amounts received by political parties through electoral bonds on the basis that the money was proceeds of crime. The court declined to order Income Tax authorities to reopen the assessments of political parties, saying it was “inappropriate”. It said such a direction would amount to an infringement on the statutory functions of the department under the Income Tax Act of 1961. In its March 2024 judgment, a Constitution Bench had held that the electoral bonds scheme violated the public’s right to know about political funding and freedom of speech and expression. It gave large contributors, giant corporations a high seat at the banquet table by promoting a culture of quid pro quo. The scheme had revealed the deep nexus between political parties and lobbies with deep pockets. Delhi IAS coaching centre deaths: Four institutes offer ₹10 lakh each to kin of victims, free classes to others At least four UPSC coaching institutes — Vajiram and Ravi Institute, Drishti IAS, NEXT IAS, and SRIRAM’s IAS — have offered ₹10 lakh each to the families of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalvin, the three IAS aspirants who died after rainwater gushed inside of the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27. Drishti IAS and SRIRAM’s IAS have also offered a compensation of ₹10 lakh to Nilesh Rai, another UPSC aspirant, who was electrocuted in Patel Nagar on July 22. Scores of civil services aspirants, who have been protesting over the deaths of the three students, called the compensation a gimmick and a strategy to dilute the issue. The three aspirants’ deaths has prompted the MCD to seal basements of several coaching centres in the area. According to officials, using basements for commercial purposes is a violation of building bye-laws. In a statement on X, Vajiram and Ravi said it is “volunteering to admit free of cost, students, who are currently enrolled with Rau’s IAS Study Circle” preparing for the Main Exam 2024 and Prelims-cum-Mains Exam 2025, including general studies classes for the 2025 Prelims and Main Exam, CSAT course and optional subjects. “As a sign of solidarity with the families of the departed souls, Vajiram and Ravi comes forward to make a financial contribution of ₹10 Lakh to each of the three aspirants who lost their lives recently,” it said. Sriram’s IAS offered students of Rau’s IAS Study Circle to use their “classrooms and libraries whenever they need.” NEXT IAS offered compensation to the aggrieved families of the students. The faculty members of Rau’s IAS Study Circle said they will be commencing online classes from August 5. The coaching hub of Old Rajinder Nagar has become the epicentre of protests in the aftermath of the death the three students. The protest of the students entered their sixth day on August 2. “The coaching mafia had a meeting yesterday, and in that meeting, this new gimmick of free classes and compensation must have been thought to divert from the main issues,” a protestor said. He said the announcement of compensation or free classes is not out of sympathy for the students but a strategy to “save their businesses”. Harish, a civil services aspirant accused the centres of trying to divert the issue by giving “the so-called compensation.” Karan, an IAS aspirant, though, welcomed the step. “It will help the students of Rau’s IAS institute, but the bigger problem for the majority of students is that of the library, which is yet to be solved,” he said. The MCD has since the incident sealed the libraries of coaching centres that were found operating from basements in violation of norms. “Most of us have very small rooms where we do not even have space to place a table and chair. So we used to spend 10-12 hours daily in the library, which were mostly in the basements and are closed now. Since the access to the library is not available, it’s very tough for us to study at such a crucial moment,” Karan said. Wayanad landslides: Kerala launches massive search operation to retrieve bodies of those washed downstream in Chaliyar The Kerala government has ordered eight police stations abutting the Chaliyar river in Malappuram district to muster teams of local scouts and divers to recover the bodies of Wayanad landslide victims washed downstream by the swollen Iruvanjipuzha river abutting the disaster zone. Until August 1, rescue workers and local volunteers had retrieved 58 bodies and 95 body parts swept into the Chaliyar river after multiple landslides levelled Mundakkai, Attamala, and Chooralmala settlements in Wayanad early on July 30. The massive earthfall bulldozed the villages and swept them into the Iruvanjipuzha, which joins the Chaliyar several kilometres downstream. The sludge and debris from the landslides bifurcated the Iruvanjipuzha river into two separate streams. They destroyed the key bridge linking Chooramala to Mundakkai, one of the worst-hit localities. Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who heads the Cabinet subcommittee monitoring search and rescue operations in Wayanad, said Navy and Coast Guard helicopters had helped locate at least 12 bodies that floated someway downstream from the disaster zone. He said more could have washed up on the shores of the Chaliyar. Forest department officials, Navy and Coast Guard personnel, and local guides are set to join the search for bodies on August 2. The teams will scour the banks on foot. The Chaliyar follows a winding course, and local people found scores of bodies washed up on the shores where the river bends. Mr. Rajan did not rule out the possibility of more bodies remaining entangled in reeds, uprooted trees and boulders. The Army installed a Bailey bridge on August 1 to transport rescue workers, heavy earth-moving equipment, and ambulances to Mundakkai on August 2. The groups are equipped with GPS maps pinpointing the locations of houses in the disaster zone. The 20-member squads also carried body bags, cutting machines, and stretchers. Army and police dog squads are assisting in the search. The dog squad handlers had marked 15 points that might hold buried bodies. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said the Congress would construct 100 houses for the survivors of the catastrophic landslide in Wayanad in Kerala. Speaking to reporters after visiting survivors and the next of kin of the dead in Wayanad on August 2, Mr. Gandhi told reporters that most of the victims of the natural disaster wished to be resettled on safer grounds and away from disaster-prone zones. Mr. Gandhi was accompanied by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders. India stun Australia, register first win in 52 years in Olympics The Indian men’s hockey team beat Australia at the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972, outsmarting the formidable rivals 3-2 to finish second in Pool B, in Paris on August 2. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace as India registered the famous win over Tokyo Games silver medallist and nemesis Australia in its final pool match. Already assured of a quarterfinal berth before Friday’s encounter, the Indians played valiantly and dominated the proceedings for major part of the match to stun the Kookaburras, against whom they last won in Olympics in the 1972 Munich edition. It seemed India had saved their best for their last pool match, as it delivered a power-packed performance, playing attacking hockey from the beginning, and defending well throughout. Abhishek (12th) and Harmanpreet (13th, 33rd) scored for India while Tom Craig (25th) and Blake Govers (55) found the net for Australia. With this win, India most likely will finish their pool engagements in the second position with nine points, finishing behind table toppers Belgium (12), who are yet to play a match. The pole position will not change even if Belgium loses its match against Argentina. The goal difference after that match will determine the final placing. In Brief: A new record of over 7.28 crore income tax returns were filed by the July 31 deadline, the income tax department said on August 2. The income tax returns (ITRs) filed for the assessment year 2024-25 compares to 6.77 crore filed last year, it added. “Out of the total ITRs of 7.28 crore filed for AY 2024-25, 5.27 crore have been filed in the new tax regime compared to 2.01 crore ITRs filed in the Old Tax Regime,” the tax department said in a statement. The filing of ITRs peaked on July 31, 2024 (the due date for salaried taxpayers and other non-tax audit cases), with over 69.92 lakh ITRs being filed on a single day. The department also received 58.57 lakh ITRs from first-time filers, a fair indication of the widening of the tax base. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 02 August 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Supreme Court pulls up NTA for ‘flip-flops’ in NEET; orders Centre for complete restructuring of the exam process The Supreme Court on August 2 [pronounced a scathing judgment pinpointing the “flip-flops” of the National Testing Agency (NTA)]( in the conduct of the undergraduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test 2024 and put the government on a deadline to completely restructure the exam process. In a detailed verdict, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud directed the Centre, acting through its high-powered committee headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairperson K. Radhakrishnan, to recommend and implement top-to-bottom overhauling of the exam process, including security improvements, data protection measures, periodic audits, surprise inspections of exam centres, grievance redressal mechanisms for students and foolproof logistics while specifically highlighting how question papers were transported in e-rickshaw to some exam centres during NEET-UG 2024. Chief Justice Chandrachud, who authored the judgment, said the mishaps orchestrated by the NTA was a “luxury” students cannot afford. “The Centre has to restructure the whole process of the NEET through the high-powered committee. It has to see to it that we do not have further such examples in the future,” Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed counsel for the Centre and NTA led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court castigated the NTA for its “flip-flops”, which could have been avoided. “The NTA must avoid the flip-flops it has done in this case. These flip-flops of the NTA do not serve the interests of the students,” Chief Justice observed. The court pointed to varying versions given by the NTA about when and where the question papers were breached, including that it was taken away by people who had breached the “rear door” of an exam centre. The court pointed to how NTA initially gave 1,563 students compensatory marks on realising that they were allotted the wrong question paper. This was later changed with the agency, on the advice of a committee, deciding to hold a retest for them. The judgment then referred to the incident of NTA deciding to grant marks for two options to a Physics question in the NEET paper, reasoning that both answers were right. An Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) team, on a request from the Supreme Court, later reported that only one of the two answers were correct. “As a result of the NTA’s grace marks, an unprecedented 44 students got 720/720 in NEET-UG. The IIT(Delhi) report saw these 44 students lose marks and a revision of the rank list… There are deficiencies in the structural processes of the NTA… This Committee (Radhakrishnan panel) must rectify them,” Chief Justice Chandrachud directed. Even while refusing to scrap NEET-UG 2024 on the ground that there was no “systemic breach”, a series of directions issued by the apex court to the government’s committee in the judgment highlight and spell out every single concern raised by petitioners about the security of the exam process in over 40 separate petitions. The court expanded the ambit of the Radhakrishnan Committee to include improvement to the exam security and administration by introducing rigorous checks and balances at every stage from the setting of the question papers to the declaration of the final results. The judgment ordered the framing of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing specific timelines to be set for various aspects, including registration of candidates, changes to preferred cities, sealing of OMR sheets after handing them over to invigilators, etc. It called for a process to review allotment of exam centres after petitions complained that there were instances of students inexplicably travelling from Godhra in Gujarat to Belgaum in Karnataka. Addressing petitioners’ complaints of impersonation in NEET-UG 2024, the court called for a stricter procedure employing enhanced identity checks and technological advancements while complying with the laws of privacy. SIT probe into electoral bonds: Supreme Court says ‘quid pro quo’ through electoral bonds are now just ‘assumptions’ The Supreme Court on August 2 [refused to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT)]( headed by a former apex court judge to probe allegations of “quid pro quo” among political parties, public servants, companies and even officers of law enforcement agencies revealed through data made public on electoral bonds. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud termed these allegations sheer “assumptions” at this stage and refused to embark on what it called a “roving and general inquiry”. The Bench summarised that the petitions, including one by NGOs Common Cause and Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan, Neha Rathi and Cheryl D’Souza, were based on primarily two assumptions. One, that there was prima facie quid pro quo whenever the date of purchase of electoral bonds and donation to a ruling political party was proximate to change in policy or award of contracts. Secondly, the involvement of officers of investigative agencies in the corruption and quid pro quo did not guarantee a fair probe. The petitioners had argued that officers of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department “appear to have become accessories to corruption”. They said electoral bonds data showed the purchase of bonds by accused persons had coincided with the sudden fading away of hotly pursued criminal prosecutions. “But these are only assumptions at the present stage,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said. Besides, the court pointed out that the electoral bonds scheme was embodied within several enactments or amendments made by the Parliament until it was found unconstitutional by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in March 2024. “Donations were made to political parties through electoral bonds on the basis of laws enacted by the Parliament” Chief Justice Chandrachud reasoned. The court said if the petitioners suspected an “element of criminality” in any individual instance of proximity between the purchase of bonds and government largesse, they should first invoke the normal remedies available under the law of criminal procedure. The petitioners could file writ petitions with the State High Court concerned under Article 226 of the Constitution if agencies refused to investigate or file a seemingly unfounded closure report. The Bench said any writ petition filed under Article 32 in the Supreme Court must be preceded by the invocation of normal remedies. The court found it both “premature” and “inappropriate” to constitute an SIT. It would be premature as there were other remedies available in law. The petitioners had to test them first, and approach the apex court only when they had failed. Again, it would be inappropriate to order an apex court-monitored probe by an SIT now as this would postulate that the normal criminal remedies were not efficacious. The Constitution Bench had intervened to strike down the electoral bonds scheme after examining their constitutional validity. This exercise was distinct from entertaining mere allegations of criminal wrongdoing, the CJI distinguished. “Recourse to Article 32 of the Constitution should not be taken as a matter of recourse when other remedies are available,” the court held. The court further dismissed pleas to direct authorities to make recoveries of amounts received by political parties through electoral bonds on the basis that the money was proceeds of crime. The court declined to order Income Tax authorities to reopen the assessments of political parties, saying it was “inappropriate”. It said such a direction would amount to an infringement on the statutory functions of the department under the Income Tax Act of 1961. In its March 2024 judgment, a Constitution Bench had held that the electoral bonds scheme violated the public’s right to know about political funding and freedom of speech and expression. It gave large contributors, giant corporations a high seat at the banquet table by promoting a culture of quid pro quo. The scheme had revealed the deep nexus between political parties and lobbies with deep pockets. Delhi IAS coaching centre deaths: Four institutes offer ₹10 lakh each to kin of victims, free classes to others At least four UPSC coaching institutes — Vajiram and Ravi Institute, Drishti IAS, NEXT IAS, and SRIRAM’s IAS — have [offered ₹10 lakh each to the families of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalvin]( the three IAS aspirants who died after rainwater gushed inside of the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27. Drishti IAS and SRIRAM’s IAS have also offered a compensation of ₹10 lakh to Nilesh Rai, another UPSC aspirant, who was electrocuted in Patel Nagar on July 22. Scores of civil services aspirants, who have been protesting over the deaths of the three students, called the compensation a gimmick and a strategy to dilute the issue. The three aspirants’ deaths has prompted the MCD to seal basements of several coaching centres in the area. According to officials, using basements for commercial purposes is a violation of building bye-laws. In a statement on X, Vajiram and Ravi said it is “volunteering to admit free of cost, students, who are currently enrolled with Rau’s IAS Study Circle” preparing for the Main Exam 2024 and Prelims-cum-Mains Exam 2025, including general studies classes for the 2025 Prelims and Main Exam, CSAT course and optional subjects. “As a sign of solidarity with the families of the departed souls, Vajiram and Ravi comes forward to make a financial contribution of ₹10 Lakh to each of the three aspirants who lost their lives recently,” it said. Sriram’s IAS offered students of Rau’s IAS Study Circle to use their “classrooms and libraries whenever they need.” NEXT IAS offered compensation to the aggrieved families of the students. The faculty members of Rau’s IAS Study Circle said they will be commencing online classes from August 5. The coaching hub of Old Rajinder Nagar has become the epicentre of protests in the aftermath of the death the three students. The protest of the students entered their sixth day on August 2. “The coaching mafia had a meeting yesterday, and in that meeting, this new gimmick of free classes and compensation must have been thought to divert from the main issues,” a protestor said. He said the announcement of compensation or free classes is not out of sympathy for the students but a strategy to “save their businesses”. Harish, a civil services aspirant accused the centres of trying to divert the issue by giving “the so-called compensation.” Karan, an IAS aspirant, though, welcomed the step. “It will help the students of Rau’s IAS institute, but the bigger problem for the majority of students is that of the library, which is yet to be solved,” he said. The MCD has since the incident sealed the libraries of coaching centres that were found operating from basements in violation of norms. “Most of us have very small rooms where we do not even have space to place a table and chair. So we used to spend 10-12 hours daily in the library, which were mostly in the basements and are closed now. Since the access to the library is not available, it’s very tough for us to study at such a crucial moment,” Karan said. Wayanad landslides: Kerala launches massive search operation to retrieve bodies of those washed downstream in Chaliyar The Kerala government has ordered eight police stations abutting the Chaliyar river in Malappuram district to muster teams of local scouts and divers [to recover the bodies of Wayanad landslide victims washed downstream]( by the swollen Iruvanjipuzha river abutting the disaster zone. Until August 1, rescue workers and local volunteers had retrieved 58 bodies and 95 body parts swept into the Chaliyar river after multiple landslides levelled Mundakkai, Attamala, and Chooralmala settlements in Wayanad early on July 30. The massive earthfall bulldozed the villages and swept them into the Iruvanjipuzha, which joins the Chaliyar several kilometres downstream. The sludge and debris from the landslides bifurcated the Iruvanjipuzha river into two separate streams. They destroyed the key bridge linking Chooramala to Mundakkai, one of the worst-hit localities. Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who heads the Cabinet subcommittee monitoring search and rescue operations in Wayanad, said Navy and Coast Guard helicopters had helped locate at least 12 bodies that floated someway downstream from the disaster zone. He said more could have washed up on the shores of the Chaliyar. Forest department officials, Navy and Coast Guard personnel, and local guides are set to join the search for bodies on August 2. The teams will scour the banks on foot. The Chaliyar follows a winding course, and local people found scores of bodies washed up on the shores where the river bends. Mr. Rajan did not rule out the possibility of more bodies remaining entangled in reeds, uprooted trees and boulders. The Army installed a Bailey bridge on August 1 to transport rescue workers, heavy earth-moving equipment, and ambulances to Mundakkai on August 2. The groups are equipped with GPS maps pinpointing the locations of houses in the disaster zone. The 20-member squads also carried body bags, cutting machines, and stretchers. Army and police dog squads are assisting in the search. The dog squad handlers had marked 15 points that might hold buried bodies. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said the [Congress would construct 100 houses for the survivors]( of the catastrophic landslide in Wayanad in Kerala. Speaking to reporters after visiting survivors and the next of kin of the dead in Wayanad on August 2, Mr. Gandhi told reporters that most of the victims of the natural disaster wished to be resettled on safer grounds and away from disaster-prone zones. Mr. Gandhi was accompanied by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders. India stun Australia, register first win in 52 years in Olympics The [Indian men’s hockey team beat Australia]( at the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972, outsmarting the formidable rivals 3-2 to finish second in Pool B, in Paris on August 2. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace as India registered the famous win over Tokyo Games silver medallist and nemesis Australia in its final pool match. Already assured of a quarterfinal berth before Friday’s encounter, the Indians played valiantly and dominated the proceedings for major part of the match to stun the Kookaburras, against whom they last won in Olympics in the 1972 Munich edition. It seemed India had saved their best for their last pool match, as it delivered a power-packed performance, playing attacking hockey from the beginning, and defending well throughout. Abhishek (12th) and Harmanpreet (13th, 33rd) scored for India while Tom Craig (25th) and Blake Govers (55) found the net for Australia. With this win, India most likely will finish their pool engagements in the second position with nine points, finishing behind table toppers Belgium (12), who are yet to play a match. The pole position will not change even if Belgium loses its match against Argentina. The goal difference after that match will determine the final placing. In Brief: A [new record of over 7.28 crore income tax returns were filed]( by the July 31 deadline, the income tax department said on August 2. The income tax returns (ITRs) filed for the assessment year 2024-25 compares to 6.77 crore filed last year, it added. “Out of the total ITRs of 7.28 crore filed for AY 2024-25, 5.27 crore have been filed in the new tax regime compared to 2.01 crore ITRs filed in the Old Tax Regime,” the tax department said in a statement. The filing of ITRs peaked on July 31, 2024 (the due date for salaried taxpayers and other non-tax audit cases), with over 69.92 lakh ITRs being filed on a single day. The department also received 58.57 lakh ITRs from first-time filers, a fair indication of the widening of the tax base. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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