NEWS TODAY 21.04.2026

After CU, VB profs move HC over EC’s election duty order 

Dipawali Mitra, Subrata Chattoraj & Srishti Lakhotia 

TNN 21.04.2026

Kolkata : After the assistant professors of Calcutta University got relief from the role of presiding officers, several Visva-Bharati faculty members approached Calcutta High Court on Monday after around 50 of them were show-caused by the EC for skipping poll-related work training. 

The EC, too, approached the Calcutta High Court division bench on Monday, challenging the order passed by Justice Krishna Rao that quahed the deployment order of assistant professors in the role of presiding officers of polling stations. 

A brief hearing took place before Justice Rao. While the Visva-Bharati faculty members’ counsel relied on the CU professors’ order, the EC informed that the same was challenged on Monday. It was argued that the apex court has consistently held that high courts should not entertain petitions under Article 226 questioning the election process once a notification is issued. 

To this, senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya interjected: “That’s in a different context.” The EC counsel further submitted a notification of 2023. Justice Rao told the EC counsel: “I gave you three opportunities and now you are bringing this?” According to the VB facul-ty members, 104 of them were appointed as micro-observers on March 19 and they attended their first phase of training. However, by April 11 notice, they were “abruptly” redesignated as presiding officers, without notice or hearing. 

“The redesignation mechanically covers the entire academic hierarchy, demonstrating total absence of rank-sensitive consideration,” the faculty members claimed in their petition. It was stated that after having been first treated as officers suitable for supervisory and confidence-based micro-observer duties through the March 19 order, the EC could not have, without disclosing fresh material, downgrade 104 petitioners en masse to polling station operational assignments as presiding officers. 

“Such self-contradictory administrative conduct amounts to approbation and reprobation in the same election process, and independently 21/04/2026, 08:08 Times of India ePaper kolkata - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-kolkata.cms 1/2 demonstrates manifest non-application of mind,” the petition reads. After they refused to join as presiding officers, a show-cause was served to them on April 17. 

A professor said: “I received training for micro-observer duty but suddenly I was assigned presiding officer duty. It is difficult to suddenly switch from micro-observer to presiding officer duty without two rounds of training. It seems like there was no proper planning.”

NEWS TODAY 21.04.2026

How to prevent future unemployment of doctors? Here are parliamentary panel's recommendations

How to prevent future unemployment of doctors? Here are parliamentary panel's recommendations 

Written By : Barsha MisraP ublished On 20 Apr 2026 2:00 PM | Updated On 20 Apr 2026 2:00 PM

New Delhi: In its 172nd report, a Department-related Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended measures to prevent future unemployment of doctors.

The panel has recommended that, along with the rapid expansion of MBBS and postgraduate medical seats under the oversight of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Department must also ensure robust quality assurance mechanisms to safeguard training standards.

According to the panel, in parallel to setting up new medical colleges, expanding the medical seats, and recognising DNB qualifications, the Department must also strengthen faculty development, clinical exposure, and skill-based training modules across institutes.

Other recommendations by the Parliamentary Committee include periodic accreditation, competency-based assessment, and structured career planning.

Regarding the Government's strategy to ensure quality training and avoid future unemployment or under-skilled surgical specialists, the panel noted that as India rapidly increases MBBS and PG seats under the oversight of the National Medical Commission, the Government of India is systematically expanding medical education to keep pace.

Over the past 11 years, the Government of India has made gains in making quality medical education more accessible. There are now 23 publicly funded and leading All India Institute of Medical Sciences institutes, including the first-ever AIIMS in the northeastern area in Assam. 

There are 2,086 medical colleges, including 818 allopathy, 323 dental and 942 AYUSH institutions. Medical education seats for the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) increased by 151% (from 51,348 to 128976), and postgraduate seats grew by 173% (from 31,185 to 85020). DNB qualification has been recognized for appointment as teaching faculty to take care of shortage of faculty, noted the panel.

To prevent future unemployment of doctors, the panel recommended, "The Committee strongly recommends that the Department must ensure that the rapid expansion of MBBS and PG seats under the oversight of the National Medical Commission is matched with robust quality assurance mechanisms to safeguard training standards and prevent future unemployment or under-skilled specialists. In parallel to the establishment of new medical colleges, seat expansion, and recognition of DNB qualifications, the Committee urges the Department to strengthen faculty development, clinical exposure, and skill-based training modules across institutions."

"Further, the Committee recommends instituting periodic accreditation, competency-based assessments, and structured career planning to align medical education output with national health system needs. By balancing expansion with quality and workforce planning, the Department can ensure that the growing pool of medical graduates and specialists are well-trained, employable, and capable of delivering high-quality healthcare services nationwide," it added.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has recommended ensuring uniformity in faculty-student and patient-student ratios across all medical institutes, irrespective of ownership.

The committee opined that such uniformity across the medical institutes would help promote equitable clinical exposure, adequate academic mentorship, and consistent training opportunities for the postgraduate medical students across the country.

Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom operator, has a Rs 500 prepaid plan for the customers which comes with YouTube Premium.

Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom operator, has a Rs 500 prepaid plan for the customers which comes with YouTube Premium. 

21.04.2026

The Rs 500 plan is made for people who are looking for entertainment benefits with their prepaid plan. The plan also bundles 5G data for the consumers. There's Google Gemini benefit worth Rs 35,100 bundled too. Jio offers this plan to everyone in the country. Let's take a look at the benefits of this plan.

Reliance Jio Rs 500 YouTube Premium Plan Reliance Jio comes with unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS/day, and 2GB of daily data. The plan comes with unlimited 5G data as well. There are no caps to using 5G data here. The service validity bundled with this plan is of 28 days.

The additional benefits of this plan include JioAICloud (50GB) storage, and Rs 35,100 worth Google Gemini subscription which bundles 5000GB of cloud storage, Nano Banana, and more. The OTT subscriptions will include access to YouTube Premium, Prime Video Mobile Edition, and JioHostar Mobile.

Then there is access to a lot more OTT platforms which includes SonyLIV, ZEE5, Lionsgate Play, Discovery+, SunNXT, Kanchha Lannka, Planet Marathi, Chaupal, FanCode, and Hoichoi via JioTV app.

Note that for the users to continue getting the Google Gemini AI Pro subscription access, they should keep recharging with the Rs 349 plan or more for a period of 18 months. Jio is the number one telecom player in the country with more than 500 million subscribers. The telco is also the largest FWA (Fixed-Wireless Access) service provider in the country. Jio's Rs 500 plan is one of the select offerings in the industry which offers access to YouTube Premium in the industry. You can get this plan right now from the Jio app and the website.

T.N. varsities to hold tests for Ph.D. admission despite UGC emphasis on NET

T.N. varsities to hold tests for Ph.D. admission despite UGC emphasis on NET

University of Madras and Bharathidasan University have already held their Ph.D. admissions; Bharathiar University initiates process for its common entrance test to be conducted in May

Bharathiar University has specified a minimum score of 15 out of 50 marks in the common eligibility test to be eligible for admission to its Ph.D. programmes. File photo

The Hindu Bureau. 21.04.2026

COIMBATORE

State universities have chosen to conduct their own exams for Ph.D. admissions 2026, for the second consecutive year despite the emphasis by University Grants Commission on UGC-NET (National Eligibility Test) as the sole national entrance test.

Ph.D. admissions have already been conducted by the University of Madras, Bharathidasan University and a few other State universities, and Bharathiar University (BU) has initiated the process for its common entrance test to be conducted in May.

Universities adopt different methods for admissions. The entrance exam by the University of Madras was based on entrance exam for 50 marks split into written (35 marks) and oral (15). Bharathidasan University had split the assessment of interview portion that was assigned 30 marks into three parts: subject knowledge expertise (15 marks), research aptitude (10 marks) and communication skills (five marks).

BU has specified a minimum score of 15 out of 50 marks in the Common Eligibility Test to be eligible for admission to Ph.D. programme.

In March 2024, the UGC requested vice-chancellors of Central, State, deemed and private universities to utilise the NET score conducted by National Testing Agency for admission to Ph.D. programmes instead of conducting their entrance tests from the 2024-25 academic session.

However, State universities in Tamil Nadu, it is learnt, have been instructed to desist from falling in line since the policy of one national entrance test for admission to Ph.D., according to the UGC, constituted implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020.

The public notice by the UGC stated that NET candidates will be declared eligible in three categories: category 1 - eligible for admission to Ph.D. with JRF and appointment as assistant professor; category 2- eligible for admission to Ph.D. without JRF and appointment as assistant professor; and category 3 - eligible for admission to Ph.D. programme only and not for award of JRF or appointment as assistant professor.

The State universities have, however, made sure that the UGC stipulation is also fulfilled by exempting those with UGC-NET qualification from their entrance tests.

BU Registrar R. Rajavel said the pattern of CET (Common Eligibility Test) would be based on National Eligibility Test (NET).

The BU has specified that candidates who have qualified UGC-NET, awardees of DST-INSPIRE fellowship, scientists working in the DRDO, faculty of Air Force Administrative College, candidates possessing M.Phil degree with a minimum score of 55%, holders of teacher fellowships (like Faculty Induction Programme and Faculty Development Programme) and candidates of foreign origin possessing prescribed qualifications shall be exempted from appearing for CET.

Six global universities to launch international campuses in India

Six global universities to launch international campuses in India 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  20.04.2026

 TIMES OF INDIA LUCKNOW

As India steps up efforts to position itself as a global education hub, six international universities – the University of Aberdeen, the University of Bristol, the Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Liverpool, Victoria University and the University of York – have collectively committed a scholarship pool worth Rs 1,000 crore to improve access to global education within India thro ugh programmes offered at their upcoming India campuses.

 The initiative aims to expand seat capacity and programme offerings across high demand disciplines, particularly in AI and STEM, while also improving affordability for Indian students through a mix of meritand need-based financial support. All six universities are set to begin campus intake in India from August–September this year. The scholarship framework will support both undergraduate and postgraduate students, with tuition fee waivers ranging from 10% to 100% for selected candidates. 

The scholarship framework is designed to widen access across multiple segments. Merit-bas ed support will enable highperforming students, who might otherwise pursue education abroad, to access globally aligned degrees within India through partial tuition waivers. At the same time, need-based scholarships aim to extend opportunities to students from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, including first-generation learners.

NEWS TODAY 20.04.2026