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After the record results of the pandemic-hit 2021, the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) Class XII and X results were tempered this year by the return of external board examinations, with a fall in overall pass percentage.

For Class XII, fewer students scored more than 90 per cent and 95 per cent, though the same numbers rose for Class X.

Overall, 33,432 Class XII candidates — or 2.33 per cent of all candidates — scored 95 per cent and above this year. Last year, 70,004 — or 5.73 per cent of all candidates — scored in the same range. Similarly, 1,34,797 — or 9.39 per cent of all Class XII candidates — scored 90 per cent and above this year. This is down from 1,50,152 — or 11.51 per cent of candidates — last year.

After Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena denied permission for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s Singapore visit to attend the World Cities Summit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener said he differs with the former`s advice and would go ahead with the visit. In his letter to the LG, Kejriwal said the World Cities Summit is not just a mayor`s conference. It is a conference of mayors, city leaders, knowledge experts etc. and the Singapore government has chosen to invite the Chief Minister of Delhi.

The Delhi CM said it is a matter of great pride that the Delhi model of governance especially the work done in the education, health and power sector is being discussed and recognised the world over.

As India will get its 15th President on Thursday, Odisha's Rairangpur, the native place of NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, began preparations anticipating Murmu's victory in the contest against Yashwant Sinha. Sweets have been made for distribution after the results are out. The people of her village have planned a victory procession and tribal dance.

The counting will begin in Parliament at 11am and the results will be declared immediately after the counting. The voting took place on July 18.

Of the 736 electors comprising 727 MPs and nine MLAs who were permitted by the Election Commission to vote at Parliament House, 728 electors cast their votes. This includes 719 MPs and nine MLAs. The total turnout at Parliament House was 98.91 per cent.

Rishi Sunak topped another round of voting on Tuesday to edge even closer to his place as one of two candidates who will go head-to-head to be elected the new Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister, as former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch became the latest candidate to be knocked out of the very tight race.

The British Indian former Chancellor received 118 votes in the fourth round of voting by his party colleagues, just shy of the 120-mark, or one-third of Conservative Party MPs needed to confirm his place as one of the final contenders in the race to replace Boris Johnson.

The presidential polls, in which NDA’s Droupadi Murmu is pitted against the Opposition’s Yashwant Sinha, saw over 99% of the 4,796 MPs and MLAs cast their votes, with as many as 11 states and 1 UT reporting 100% turnout by their respective MLAs.

The Election Commission said while two MLAs — Anant Kumar Singh and Mahendra Hari Dalvi — were not eligible to vote in view of their disqualification under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, as per court orders, there are five vacancies in Rajya Sabha and six in the state assemblies.