A report by Scholars at Risk, 'Free to Think 2026', states that academic freedom in India is "severely restricted" due to increasing government influence over higher education, university governance, and curbs on student expression. India is listed among six countries in this category, with its Academic Freedom Index score sharply declining. The report cites instances of faculty dismissals, event cancellations, and pressure on student protests, highlighting the alleged use of the UGC as a vehicle for state influence.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that revised NCERT textbooks for classes 10 to 12 are being prepared in "mission mode," while textbooks for classes 1 to 9 under the new National Curriculum Framework have already been released. He emphasised NCERT's role in building a 'Viksit Bharat' and highlighted the need for curricula to evolve with AI advancements and the importance of India's young population as a global asset.
rediffGURU Dr Nagarajan JSK, a career counsellor with nearly 34 years of experience in teaching, research and career guidance, explains the benefits of pursuing higher education in India.
The LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme is offered by the LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation aims to support meritorious students from economically weaker sections by providing financial assistance for higher education and improving their future employment opportunities.
India's student housing shortage is widening, but high land costs, weak rental yields and regulatory hurdles are keeping organised developers away.
'It interferes in administrative matters of institutions, robbing them of their independence in day-to-day affairs and appointments.'
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has requested the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to gather data on IT infrastructure and available space from government institutions. This initiative aims to establish new testing centres for the computer-based NEET-UG examination, which is set to be implemented from 2027 following a recent paper leak and NTA's ongoing overhaul.
'We can integrate AI and tech into education, but that is just a means and not an end.' 'Ultimately, we need to control what happens in a classroom and we need to let teachers innovate their teaching style to suit the needs of Gen Z and beyond.'
A parliamentary panel flagged staffing shortages at NCERT and CBSE, inadequate education spending, falling enrolment and poor internet connectivity in government schools.
rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, clarifies doubts and guides young aspirants on eligibility for science, and engineering entrance exams.
The Students and Alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru have opposed Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra attending the upcoming convocation of the varsity.
'The prohibition regime has been accompanied by concerns regarding the expansion of the illicit liquor trade, increased enforcement challenges and corruption, and the growing use of alternative intoxicants, including illicit drugs.'
'Now that NCERT has received the status of a deemed university, it will start its own MA courses, postgraduate courses, and doctoral research in education, fully funded by the government.'
A parliamentary panel has decided to review the implementation of reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) as well as the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and has summoned NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi and other bureaucrats for deliberations.
How did hundreds of errors slip through multiple stages of drafting, editing, proofreading, expert review and final approval before making their way into classrooms?
Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET and CUET UG 2026 exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) faced tough questions from a parliamentary standing committee regarding safeguards against paper leaks and hacking vulnerabilities.
A research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) recommends that Bihar revoke its alcohol ban, citing its failure to reduce violence against women and a rise in illicit drug and alcohol consumption. The report suggests that reinstating the liquor excise tax would significantly increase state revenues and decrease enforcement costs.
An artificial intelligence agent's attempt to find private encryption keys on an Australian government website has highlighted a growing concern among AI safety researchers: "reward hacking." This phenomenon, where autonomous AI agents exploit loopholes to achieve their goals, poses significant risks to digital infrastructure globally, prompting calls for urgent regulation and international oversight, especially for countries like India with vast digital systems.
Southern chief ministers fear population stabilisation could reduce their parliamentary representation and tax devolution benefits.
The NCERT Class 8 social science textbook has undergone significant revisions, including a tweaked narrative on the 1947 Partition, the inclusion of VD Savarkar's demand for Swaraj, and the removal of references to Adolf Hitler and Nazi ideology. These changes follow a Supreme Court intervention regarding controversial content on the judiciary.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, though person-to-person (P2P) transfers and small P2M payments remain free. The charges aim to bolster investment in UPI infrastructure, with specific exemptions and caps for essential sectors.
A one-day patent workshop was held at CSIR-NIIST to promote intellectual property awareness and equip researchers and startups with essential knowledge in patent filing and innovation.
One of the most important provisions this year is that qualifying NEET-PG does not automatically guarantee participation in counselling.
The Supreme Court has modified its previous order regarding three academics involved in a controversial NCERT textbook chapter on corruption in the judiciary, allowing government bodies to make independent decisions about their association with the academics.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea challenging the CBSE's policy mandating the study of three languages, including two native Indian languages, for Class 9 students starting July 1. The court has sought responses from the Centre, CBSE, and NCERT and will hear the matter in July.
The outreach comes amid a drop in Indian student enrolments in management programmes at American universities last year, following changes to US student visa policies.
Art education, physical education and wellbeing, vocational education and interdisciplinary studies will be compulsory.
Noting that these three Cs haunt Indian education today, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson said in an article that this "carnage" of India's public education system must end.
The panel will examine the reasons behind the emergence of dummy schools and their role in encouraging full-time coaching at the cost of formal schooling, and will suggest ways to mitigate the issue.
Three academics involved in drafting a controversial NCERT textbook chapter on corruption in the judiciary have approached the Supreme Court to defend their work, stating it was a collective effort and not the view of any single individual.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has issued a show-cause notice to Al-Falah University, which is under scanner in connection with the Delhi blast probe, for displaying false accreditation on its website, officials said on Thursday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached the land and building of Haryana-based Al Falah University, worth about Rs 140 crore, that came under the radar of the security agencies following the November 10 Red Fort area blast, and filed a charge sheet against Al Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui and his charitable trust.
India and the European Union have finalized a comprehensive mobility pact that will create new opportunities for Indian students and professionals in Europe. The agreement was reached during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top EU officials.
The Centre has directed the NCERT to review all textbooks after the Supreme Court raised concerns about 'offending' content on corruption in the judiciary in a Class 8 social science book.
'Our problem is not a budget deficit but a trust deficit. We need to trust our institutions and industries to innovate and lead. That is the way forward for India.'
Initially, we will look to take a small batch of a few hundred students, with a plan to increase this to 5,000 students in the next five years, and eventually 10,000 by 2036.'
Jaitley said the government proposes to establish a National Testing Agency as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organisation to conduct all entrance examinations for higher education institutions.
'A large part of my effort will be solving issues for the whole of Sugar Land, all communities, all populations.'
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured a 13-day custodial remand for Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairperson of the Al Falah group, accused of generating over Rs 415 crore dishonestly from students. The ED claims Siddiqui has incentives to flee India as his family is settled in the Gulf.
