DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA No compromise on communal harmony: Nitish at NDA meet SANTOSH SINGH PATNA, OCTOBER 29 NEARLY NINE months after he switched and returned to the NDA camp, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held his first-ever meeting of the alliance Monday. Thetiming,aheadof bypollsand coinciding with the countdown for next year’s Assembly polls, wasasimportantasthemessage. As all NDA allies resolved to fight the 2025 Assembly polls under Nitish, the CM stressed CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AYUSHMAN BHARAT PRADHAN MANTRI JAN AROGYA YOJANA EXPANDED Govt rolls out health cover for all aged 70 years and above, 6 crore to benefit PM prod to Bengal, Delhi comes as key Opp states among top beneficiaries No income limit, annual cover of Rs 5 lakh per family; Rs 5 lakh top-up for poor ANONNA DUTT KAUNAIN SHERIFF M & ANONNA DUTT PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the expanded Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their income — a decision which is expected to LAUNCHING AYUSHMAN Bharat Pradhan MantriJanArogyaYojana (AB PM-JAY) for every citizen over the age of 70 years, regardless of income level, Prime Minister NarendraModiflaggedhowtwo Opposition-ruled states, West NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 29 NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 29 PM Narendra Modi hands over the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card to a beneficiary at an event in Delhi on Tuesday. ANI benefit about 6 crore people from 4.5 crore families. As announced earlier, Rs 5 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, OCTOBER 29 103 131 162 75 lakh annual coverage per family will be provided to all citizens in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Bengal and Delhi, would not benefit as they had opted to stay out of the scheme. The PM’s message that politics had come in the way of welfare resonates with data from the ground. Indeed, a clear trend six years into the ● scheme’s rollout is that a substantialshareof theallocated funds has been utilised by Opposition-ruled states. E CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Last day of nominations: Sowing on, Haryana farmers panic Mahayuti, MVA finalise over DAP shortage; police roped in seat talks among allies SUKHBIR SIWACH BJP to contest from 152, Congress 102 30/10/2024 `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 EXPLAINED BY UNNY REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2024, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL ● AFTER DAYS of intense negotiations, both the ruling Mahayuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have finalised the seat-sharing arrangements among their respective allies on Tuesday, the last day for filing nominationsfortheMaharashtra Assembly elections. A few seats are likely to see further deliberations till the date of withdrawing nominations on DECISION November 4. 2024 Among the MAHARASHTRA Mahayuti allies — BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-ledShivSenaandDeputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP,theBJPwillcontestfromthe CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CHANDIGARH, OCTOBER 29 WITH SOWING of mustard underwayandthatof wheattopick up after Diwali, a nationwide shortageof di-ammoniumphosphate (DAP) has led to panic amongfarmersinHaryana,with police stepping in to handle crowds during the distribution of the key fertiliser. DAP is required at the early stage of root establishment and development,andfarmersapply it along with the seeds. Outside Bhiwani’s Tosham police station where slips for DAP were distributed Sunday. Express At Gohana in Haryana’s Sonipat district and Narnaul in Mahendragarh, DAP bags were sold in the presence of police personnel. In Uchana in Jind on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 REPORT AFTER NEET PAPER LEAK Send paper digitally, answers on OMR sheet, suggests panel RITIKA CHOPRA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 29 HOLDINGENTRANCEexamsonline wherever possible and using a hybrid model, where question papers are transmitted digitally but answered on paper, if needed; conducting a multistage exam for medical aspirants; rationalising the choice of subjects under the Central UniversityEntranceTest(CUET); and staffing the National Testing Agency(NTA)withmorepermanent personnel to manage these changes effectively. Theseareamongthekeyrecommendations made by the seven-member committee, headed by former ISRO head Dr KRadhakrishnan,setupafterthe recent National Eligibility cum KEY PROPOSALS ■ All exams online but where not feasible, question papers sent digitally, answers on OMR sheet ■ Fewer subjects in CUET ■ More full-time NTA staff ■ Less outsourcing to private centres Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak that set off nationwide furore. The committee was tasked with suggesting reforms to strengthen data security protocols, improve the examination process,andreviewthestructure CONTINUED ON PAGE 2