The recipe for Indian higher education institutions to succeed in the global markets is excellence in academics, promoting contemporary socially relevant material, and enabling individuals (learners) to realise their full potential, suggests N Ravichandran.
Researchers at BRIC-RGCB in Thiruvananthapuram have developed a novel nanopore-based sensing technology. This innovation allows for the early and highly sensitive detection of biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and ALS, addressing a critical challenge in current diagnostic methods. The technology, published in Nature Nanotechnology, uses self-assembling dual-diameter nanopore sensors to identify disease-specific biomarkers even at low concentrations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new investment platform, based on the New Development Bank (NDB), to fund projects in trade, infrastructure, logistics, and technology across BRICS nations, emphasising that the grouping's expanding economic cooperation is not 'against anyone' but aims to advance members' national interests.
HCL Group, a USD 14.8 billion conglomerate, has announced a new partnership with the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). This collaboration aims to leverage technology and innovation to strengthen India's professional golf ecosystem, broaden the sport's reach, and enhance experiences for players, fans, and partners.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed strong solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating an exam where a student was found using a smartphone, an incident preceding the student's death by alleged suicide.
Researchers at IIT Delhi have successfully designed India's first working indigenous micro Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). This significant development aims to reduce the country's reliance on imported GPUs, which are crucial for AI, Machine Learning, and various embedded applications, and could help bridge the digital divide.
IIT Bhubaneswar and IIT (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance research collaboration and academic interactions, particularly in semiconductor and basic sciences. The agreement facilitates joint research projects, doctoral student supervision, faculty and student exchanges, and shared experimental resources, aiming to advance knowledge and create lasting impact.
Researchers at IIT-ISM Dhanbad have been granted an Indian patent for an electrochemical reactor designed to recover copper from industrial wastewater. This innovative technology offers an environmentally sustainable solution for resource recovery and wastewater treatment, particularly benefiting the mining and metallurgical sectors.
Veteran physicist Professor Umesh V Waghmare has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology. Currently a professor at JNCASR, Bengaluru, his appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. He succeeds Professor Abhay Karandikar and brings a distinguished academic background from IIT-Bombay, Yale, and Harvard to the role.
The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly died by suicide, have begun a hunger strike demanding action against those they accuse of tormenting their son due to caste discrimination. The institute has deferred mid-semester examinations and reissued an apology for an earlier statement regarding the circumstances of his death.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval shared a pivotal moment from his early IPS career at IIT Roorkee's convocation. He recounted how a border surveillance team he dispatched was captured by the Chinese army, leading him to believe his career was over. Despite being cleared by an inquiry, the incident deeply distressed him, ultimately teaching him valuable life lessons from a Tibetan Sherpa.
IIT Bombay has begun replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans in its hostels following the recent death by suicide of a second-year B Tech student, Sahil Wakode. This move, which has drawn criticism from an NCP (SP) spokesperson, comes after a previous student suicide in July and aims to address the broader issue of student mental health and suicide prevention on campus.
A national study of top 75 Indian B-schools reveals a significant competency gap in AI skills among management graduates, with industry expectations far exceeding current MBA capabilities. A new framework by AIMS, EPSI, and IMC highlights the urgent need for management education to adapt to an AI-led workplace, emphasizing behavioural competencies alongside data fluency.
Robotic surgery is poised to transform healthcare in Delhi, expanding access to specialised expertise through the Indian-developed SSI Mantra system. Delhi is emerging as a hub for advanced surgical care, with successful implementations at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, including pioneering telesurgery. This technology aims to make robotic surgery more accessible and sustainable, fostering an ecosystem for training and innovation.
Researchers from IIT Guwahati and BHU have devised an eco-friendly biological method to treat textile wastewater, specifically targeting toxic azo dyes. Their novel bacterium, 'Brevundimonas sp. AJZ05', effectively degrades 98.50 per cent of Direct Blue-6 dye, producing non-toxic byproducts, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical treatments.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an end-to-end sovereign AI stack for Indian enterprises and public institutions. He emphasised that new technologies, including AI, will enhance ease of work and create more jobs, drawing parallels with the IT industry's growth. The initiative, backed by the India AI Mission, aims for self-reliance and includes the Gnani Evon v3.3 language model and Gnani Plexus AI platform, offering cost-effective Indic language capabilities.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an end-to-end sovereign AI stack for Indian enterprises and public institutions. He emphasised that new technologies, including AI, will enhance ease of work and create more jobs, drawing parallels with the IT industry's growth. The initiative, backed by the India AI Mission, aims for self-reliance and includes the Gnani Evon v3.3 language model and Gnani Plexus AI platform, offering cost-effective Indic language capabilities.
rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, clarifies doubts and guides young aspirants on eligibility for science, and engineering entrance exams.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced a significant downturn, with Sensex tanking 778 points and Nifty closing at a five-month low, driven by surging crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and fears of further interest rate hikes by major central banks.
The Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the alleged suicide of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode. Wakode was found dead after being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during an exam. His parents have filed a complaint alleging institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination, leading to a protest by students. A professor has been named as an accused, and the Crime Branch is expected to summon them for questioning. This marks the third suicide at IIT Bombay in seven months.
IIT Bombay has established a 10-member high-level committee to investigate the alleged suicide of B Tech student Sahil Wakode, who was found dead after being caught using a mobile phone during an exam. Faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla, named in an FIR alleging abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination, has been sent on leave.
A college student from Hamirpur has received a Rs 3.5-crore grant from the Ministry of Defence for developing an advanced drone capable of evading enemy radar and resisting jamming, aimed at enhancing border surveillance for the Indian Army.
An Indian-origin engineer couple, Anuradha and Vikas Sinha, have donated $20 million to the University of North Texas (UNT) to establish the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. This significant gift aims to create new opportunities for students and faculty, focusing on building and deploying intelligent systems and understanding their operation within human contexts. The donation underscores the couple's belief in education and immigrant contributions to the American dream, supporting leadership, scholarships, professorships, research, and entrepreneurship.
The Mumbai Police has transferred the alleged suicide case of a second-year IIT Bombay BTech student to the Crime Branch after his father filed a complaint alleging casteist slurs and harassment by Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was also named in an FIR.
Students at IIT Bombay are demanding 'meaningful institutional reforms' and greater accountability following the death of Sahil Wakode, a second-year B Tech student. While condemning academic misconduct, students highlight systemic issues and have submitted a comprehensive set of demands to the Director, who has agreed to implement them. The protest also addresses the removal of Dean Suryanarayana Doolla during an investigation into alleged abetment to suicide and caste discrimination, emphasising the need for an independent probe.
Students who want to gain hands-on research experience at the IIT Bombay can apply for the IITB Research Internship Award 2026.
While no Indian institute features in the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2027, IIT-Delhi improved its global standing by climbing from 123rd to 118th place to remain India's highest-ranked institution.
171 IIT student deaths by suicide or other unnatural causes have been recorded between January 2006 and September 2026. Of these, 120 were recorded between 2016 and September 2026, compared with 51 in the preceding decade.
The mother of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student found dead in his hostel room, has alleged her son was "tortured" and "killed," demanding justice, while the institute stated no disciplinary action was initiated against him after he was found using a mobile phone during an exam.
The father of an IIT Bombay student who died by suicide has alleged that his son faced relentless caste-based mocking and torture from a professor and the administration. A police complaint has been filed, and an FIR registered against a professor for abetment of suicide and under the SC/ST Act. IIT Bombay has removed a Dean from his post following the allegations.
Foreign institutional investors have withdrawn nearly $40 billion from Indian equities in the last two years and, according to Bernstein analysts, have 'little reason' to invest for the long-term, though they may 'return to trade'. The brokerage highlights challenges such as struggling large-caps, disruption from new technologies, and difficulties accessing small- and mid-caps (SMIDs) at an institutional scale.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called upon Indian industry to prioritise not just scale but also resilience, better governance, and deeper technological capabilities to achieve the 'Viksit Bharat' goal by 2047.
The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee has signed two technology transfer agreements with Cathion Energy Private Limited for the commercialisation of advanced lithium-ion battery electrode technologies.
The ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) has secured an Indian patent for a novel technology designed to make live fish and aquatic animal transport safer and more efficient without the use of chemicals. This innovative system employs controlled hypothermic anaesthetisation, gradually cooling aquatic animals to prevent shock and improve survival rates during transit, offering a practical and affordable solution for the seafood industry.
IIT Guwahati researchers have developed SH²RFSSM, a model inspired by how biological neurons communicate.
As many as 171 students of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) died by suicide or unnatural death over the last two decades, with around 70 percent of the deaths recorded in the last 10 years, according to an IIT alumni group.
West Bengal has launched an Emerging Quantum and Semiconductor Technologies (EQST) section at CSIR-CGCRI to attract investments and position the state as a hub for next-generation technology. Minister Kalyan Chakraborti highlighted India's need to invest in these crucial sectors and outlined the state's plans to collaborate with institutions and leverage budget initiatives to foster research and start-ups.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for enhanced accountability and safeguards for artificial intelligence, particularly as it integrates into critical sectors like finance. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest, she highlighted the dual nature of AI, capable of accelerating transactions but also amplifying fraud and cyberattacks. Sitharaman stressed the need for human and institutional responsibility in AI-driven decisions, urging regulators and companies to scrutinise high-risk AI applications. She also proposed a federated industry platform for Indian tech companies to navigate international regulations and ensure tax compliance globally.
Indian benchmark equity indices extended their losing streak for a fourth consecutive day, with the Sensex tumbling 417 points due to rising crude oil prices and a significant sell-off in IT stocks, impacting overall investor sentiment.
Their message is blunt: Public scientific wealth should not be transferred at what they describe as 'throwaway prices'.capability, recruitment, promotional avenues and the voice of its employees.
