Live stream to wall climbs: Bihar board exams open in chaos

Live stream to wall climbs: Bihar board exams open in chaos 

18.02.2026

Patna : Phones went live. Gates and walls were scaled. Rules were tested before the first bell. The Class X finals of Bihar School Examination Board opened under a cloud on Tuesday after a Facebook Live broadcast allegedly from inside an exam centre in Siwan district minutes before papers were to be handed out. Streamed from the handle of an official linked to Gorakh Prasad Private ITI, the footage showed students seated inside the hall at the exam centre in Daraunda block of Maharajganj subdivision. The clip spread quickly on social media, triggering questions over enforcement of a strict ban on mobile phones inside exam halls. The video was later deleted. 

TOI couldn’t independently verify its authenticity. Daraunda police station SHO Vikas Kumar said ITI principal Pankaj Kumar was arrested after a complaint. “His mobile has also been seized. The viral video was shot on his mobile by ITI director Prince Singh, who’s on the run,” he said. 

In Patna, a late student at Devipad Choudhary Shaheed Smarak Miller High School tried to scale a 10-foot boundary wall. Security stopped him. At Gardanibagh Girls Higher Secondary School, also in Patna, a girl climbed the gate bars to get inside. In Buxar district, a student scaled a boundary wall and entered. In Begusarai, three students climbed walls to gain access. At VM Inter College in Gopalganj, at least six girls allegedly entered by scaling the boundary wall.

Internet Is Getting Remade For AI. What Does It Mean For You?

Internet Is Getting Remade For AI. What Does It Mean For You?

 Chandrima.Banerjee@timesofindia.com 16.02.2026

Less than half the people on the internet are “people” — only about 44% of online traffic came from humans in 2025 — but even within the traffic driven by relentless bots “using” the internet, a small but significant share of 4% belongs to AI bots. If that share keeps growing (and it’s really likely that it will because of how much AI companies are pouring into agentic AI), most websites will eventually be built for AI and not us. Not in the conspiracy-heavy “dead internet theory” way but in the codeand-structures-tech-and-science way. 

THE WEB IS NOT BUILT TO MAKE THINGS EASY FOR AI … YET 

When an AI browser was launched a while ago, I was testing the agentic mode (in which AI takes over your browser to “do” all the work). I wanted it to find available slots for driving licence renewal. But when I checked back after a few minutes, I found that the agent was stuck. The page had a huge popup covering nearly the entire window, and the AI didn’t know what it was supposed to do. The buttons and menus it needed to access were behind the popup — but how would it get to them? To us, it seems easy enough. Shut the popup, and move on. But behind the scenes, a click is a series of tiny tasks — hover, pointer move, mouse down, mouse up, the click itself. Websites can react to any of these steps, or only if these steps happen in the right order.

An AI agent has to do all that, in the correct sequence, and with the right timing. If the page happens to shift mid-click — like when a popup appears — the click can miss or just do nothing. Also, for AI, the decision to close the popup or interact with it has to be based on some kind of logic. Does it know what’s behind the popup? What if engaging with the popup is an important step? What if the popup is the next step? This kind of logic is easier for AI to navigate if the website has an API that AI agents can use. (An API, Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules and definitions that software components use to talk to each other.)

 When an AI agent  uses an API to get your work done, it doesn’t have to bypass all the garrulous persuasion that populates most websites today. Instead of navigating pages built with visual and contextual cues meant for human eyes, it can ask the site directly what it needs — like “show me the available slots” — and get back a clean, structured answer on which it can act for you. A survey of developers in 2025 found that 24% are already designing APIs for AI agents. But every API is different, with its own little quirks. And an AI agent can’t possibly learn every one of them. So, Anthropic came up with Model Context Protocol, an open protocol for AI agents to coordinate their conversations with services and sites and apps. It’s now the frontrunner for becoming the “USB-C port for AI applications” .

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AI IS THE AUDIENCE? Deloitte estimates that AI platforms drive 6.5% of organic traffic already, and it’s expected to go up to 14.5% within a year. As this happens, AI will be “prioritizing semantic richness over keywords, author expertise over backlinks, and being cited in AI responses over page views.” In plain words, there’ll be less room for froth. More and more “research” already happens inside AI summaries and chats, and they don’t lead to clicks. Also, as Parag Agrawal, former Twitter CEO and now the founder of AI startup Parallel Web Systems, told The Economist , the web was built for humans to read at human speed — “agents face no such limits”. Which means that, over time, we will need more useful information online, certainly not less. But the way things stand now, there is a mismatch between what AI takes and what it gives back to those putting out that information. Over the past year, for every visit OpenAI sent to a website, its bots crawled about 1,100 pages. For Anthropic, the ratio was one visit for about 53,500 webpages crawled. If users don’t click on pages, the goal for anyone with a website becomes being cited, summarised, or used as a canonical source. And money will be made from each crawl instead of each view. Cloudflare has already begun a pay-per-crawl marketplace that lets site owners allow, block, or charge AI crawlers per request. So, more information-dense sites survive. Which, in a roundabout way, might just restore the internet to what it was supposed to be — a place with actual answers. The ‘click’ is fading away 

About 60% of searches end without the person ever reaching a destination site — they simply get their answers on the search page without a click, research by the consulting firm Bain & Company found. But searches at least provide a list of pages that might have the answer. AI would whittle it down even more. Bain’s survey also found that about 80% of search users rely on AI summaries at least 40% of the time. And a Pew Research Center analysis found that only 1% of users who came across AI summaries clicked on the links inside AI summaries.

Section of Anna University PhD scholars excluded from convocation

Section of Anna University PhD scholars excluded from convocation

Scholars who completed their viva after this date will be awarded degrees at a separate function later in February, the date of which is yet to be announced.

Binita Jaiswal

Updated on:

03 Feb 2026, 8:31 am

CHENNAI: A section of PhD scholars from Anna University who completed their viva-voce after June 2025 have expressed strong disappointment over the university’s decision to hold a separate degree-awarding function for them in February, instead of including them in the 46th annual convocation scheduled for February 4.

According to a circular issued by the university, only scholars who successfully defended their PhD viva-voce on or before June 30, 2025, will be permitted to receive their degrees in person at the main convocation ceremony. Scholars who completed their viva after this date will be awarded degrees at a separate function later in February, the date of which is yet to be announced.

The decision has left many scholars upset, as the February event will feature a chief guest or the governor, who is traditionally the chancellor of the university. “For many of us, convocation is the most memorable day of our academic life. We worked for years with the hope of receiving the degree on stage in a grand event in front of a chief guest. A separate, low-key function takes away the emotion and recognition associated with that moment,” said a PhD scholar who completed her viva in July 2025.

University officials, however, defended the move, citing logistical constraints. A senior varsity official said the last convocation was held in 2024 and the number of eligible scholars this year has risen sharply. “We can accommodate only about 750 candidates in a single convocation ceremony. Given the large backlog and venue limitations, it is not feasible to include everyone on the same day. Hence, a separate function is being planned to ensure all scholars receive their degrees in person,” the official said.

15 varsities in Tamil Nadu remain headless, figure may touch 20 by year-end

15 varsities in Tamil Nadu remain headless, figure may touch 20 by year-end

The latest addition to the growing list of universities without heads is the Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), following the completion of V-C S Arumugam’s tenure earlier in January.

The tenure of Mother Teresa Women’s University V-C K Kala also came to an end, and the governor, who serves as the chancellor of 20 state universities, granted her a one-year extension using his powers. Photo | Facebook

Binita Jaiswal

Updated on:

03 Feb 2026, 8:10 am

CHENNAI: With 15 of the 22 state-run universities now remaining without vice-chancellors, the governance crisis in higher education in Tamil Nadu has worsened this month, owing to the prolonged tussle between Governor RN Ravi and the state government, and the matter related to powers of governors yet to be settled by courts.

The latest addition to the growing list of universities without heads is the Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), following the completion of V-C S Arumugam’s tenure earlier in January. On the same day, the tenure of Mother Teresa Women’s University V-C K Kala also came to an end, and the governor, who serves as the chancellor of 20 state universities, granted her a one-year extension using his powers. However, the Acts and Statutes of TNOU does not allow similar extension of the V-C’s tenure.

Interestingly, as higher education secretary P Shankar is the convenor of committees of several state universities — which are managing the administration in the absence of V-Cs — and is overburdened, law department secretary S George Alexander has been appointed as the convenor for the committee of TNOU.

Educationists warn that the situation could worsen dramatically by the end of the year, with up to 20 universities potentially becoming headless, if the ongoing deadlock over V-C appointments continues. For over two years now, TN’s state universities have been caught in a tussle between Lok Bhavan and the state government over the powers to constitute search committees and appoint V-Cs.

“The absence of V-Cs is not a symbolic issue, it affects every aspect of functioning of the universities,” said SP Thyagarajan, a former V-C. “From faculty recruitment and promotions to research approvals, fund utilisation and academic reforms, everything comes to a standstill when there is no empowered head,” he said, and suggested that the government should hold a meeting with retired V-Cs to find a solution.

Several officials within the varsities told TNIE that routine administrative work has slowed down significantly, as convenors’ committees are reluctant to take major policy decisions. “Convenor committee meeting happens only once in a quarter. Adding to our woes, in the last two years, the higher education department has seen seven secretaries. Every time a new secretary assumes office, he takes his own time to understand issues,” said a professor, Madras University.

Several universities have reportedly delayed faculty appointments, syllabus revisions, and infrastructure projects due to the lack of statutory authority. The leadership crisis is also affecting ranking of the state universities at national and international levels. According to data, nearly 50% of teaching posts across state universities remain vacant. “Allowing universities to function without heads for years is detrimental to students and erodes TN’s reputation as a leader in higher education,” said E Balagurusamy, former V-C of Anna University.

SC agrees to hear plea against UGC’s new equity regulations

SC agrees to hear plea against UGC’s new equity regulations 

New Delhi : 29.01.2026

Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to list for hearing a plea challenging a recently notified UGC regulation on the grounds that it had adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excluded certain categories from institutional protection. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of a lawyer seeking urgent hearing of the plea. “There is a possibility of discrimination against the general class. My case is ‘Rahul Dewan and Ors vs Union’,” a lawyer said. The CJI said: “We know what is happening. Make sure defects are cured. We will list it.” The new regulations mandating all higher education institutions to form “equity committees” to look into discrimination complaints and promote equity were notified on Jan 13. University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, mandated that these committees include members of OBC, SC and ST communities, persons with disabilities, and women. The new regulations replace UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which was largely advisory in nature. The plea assailed the regulations on the grounds that castebased discrimination was defined strictly as discrimination against SC, ST and OBC community members. It said that by limiting the scope only to these categories, UGC had effectively denied institutional protection and grievance redress to individuals belonging to the “general” or non-reserved categories, who may also face harassment based on their caste identity. Protests were held in various places, with student groups demanding rollback of the regulations. PTI

CM opposes NEET for allied and health care courses

CM opposes NEET for allied and health care courses

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin says NEET has forced students to rely on expensive coaching classes.Getty Images

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai  25.01.2026

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday said admission modalities for allied and health care courses (AHCs) fall within the jurisdiction of the State government and that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) should be kept out of these admissions.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the National Commission for Allied and Health Care Professions (NCAHP) making NEET mandatory for admission to two undergraduate degree courses — Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) — had made a “hasty and ad hoc decision” with “multiple deleterious consequences”.

Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had consistently opposed NEET for MBBS admissions and had repeatedly cautioned against the danger of its extension to other courses, Mr. Stalin said the State’s worst apprehensions had now come true. “It is evident from recent communications from the Union Health Ministry that NEET is being prescribed for these two courses as the first step in a larger plan to make it mandatory for all Allied and Health Care Courses in the future. This attempt, being made without due consultation with State Governments — who are constitutionally responsible for both the health and education sectors — is totally unacceptable to us,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said that the introduction of NEET for MBBS admissions had forced 1.4 lakh students to rely on expensive coaching classes and sit for the examination to compete for just 12,000 seats.

“This has created unnecessary costs, stress and anxiety for families, and has rendered performance in school examinations redundant. Extending this flawed model to a wider range of AHCs will only aggravate the situation,” he said. He noted that Tamil Nadu had over 50,000 seats in Allied and Health Care Courses, and lakhs of aspirants for these programmes came from far poorer socio-economic backgrounds than MBBS candidates. “Hence, forcing these families to spend money on NEET coaching would amount to a gross injustice,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said the mandate needed to be reviewed and the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) instructed to withdraw the decision immediately. “Given the urgency of the issue, I look forward to your personal intervention,” he added.

Staff crunch: Most univs operate at 50%

Staff crunch: Most univs operate at 50% 

V.Srivatsal@timesofindia.com 22.01.2026

Trichy : Data from 21 state universities received under an RTI petition shows most institutions are functioning with around 50% vacancies. A few, including Madras University, have vacancies as high as 65% of sanctioned strength across ranks of professor, associate professor and assistant professor. 

Fourteen universities fall in 40–50% vacancy range, with TN physical education and sports university at 56%, Manonmaniam Sundaranar university at 50% and Bharathidasan university at 49%. With double-digit retirements expected in 2026 and 2027, the situation could worsen. 

Bharathiar university is the only institution with relatively lower vacancies at 15%, though it is also set to see over 20 retirements by 2026–27, says the RTI data collected by an activist between Apr and various months of 2025. Sources said the last major recruitment drive across state universities was carried out in 2014. “It is not just this govt, but the previous govt as well. Steps will have to be taken to address this at the earliest, as it affects students’ education. If there are not enough qualified staff, how can quality education be delivered,” said former Madras university V-C P Duraisamy. There are 335 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 515 at the university. 

“Guest faculty are engaged to bridge the gap. While many of them are competent, they are not recognised as regular employees and therefore cannot take up several academic responsibilities. They are not permitted to guide research scholars or formally present projects and papers, affecting the research output a regular staff may have added. The shortage of regular staff also affects formation of committees with diverse representation, resulting in same individuals being repeatedly nominated to university and govt committees,” said a senior retired professor from BDU. 

Former AUT president K Pandiyan said the crisis is financial. “UGC restrictions on distance education reduced income. For years, TN withheld block grants from institutions earning higher

revenues. Grants were restored after 2019, but it didn’t help. Poor recruitment in the past affected research inflows, while corruption, administrative lapses and nepotism weakened things,” he said.

Power of Postgraduation: Stronger skills, greater edge in research and employability

Power of Postgraduation: Stronger skills, greater edge in research and employability 

A PG degree opens various avenues for students to explore 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.01.2026  TIMES EDUCATION 

Although students today are graduating with stronger practical exposure, they assess if opting for a master’s degree is a pathway to deeper expertise and enhanced professional credibility. 

Retaining Appeal 

Postgraduate engineering degrees continue to hold value at institutes offering strong specialisation and industry-oriented training. However, enrolment at MTech courses varies across institutions. UG degrees provide breadth, while MTech allows students to develop depth in a specific area. MTech courses fall into two categories: coursework-based degrees and researchoriented courses, sometimes offered as MS degrees. Coursework-based graduates typically take up specialised engineering roles such as machine learning engineers, data engineers. Those from research-based programmes often move into research engineer roles or pursue doctoral studies. Most students pursue MTech for better technical roles and higher pay, while a smaller proportion has a clear research orientation. Working professionals who are dissatisfied with their current roles also view MTech as a pathway to reskill. 

Dinesh Babu Jayagopi, HoD, Data Science and AI, IIIT-Bangalore 

Skills over Degrees 

MCom programme has seen a noticeable shift in employer expectations in recent years. This shift is no longer centred primarily on academic grades or formal qualifications, but increasingly on the skill sets and applied competencies that students bring to the workplace. At the UG level, there has been an enhancement in curriculum design, experiential learning, and skill integration. As a result, students today often graduate with stronger practical exposure and employabilityoriented skills. In the current employment landscape, UG students have access to a range of marketdriven avenues. There appears to be limited differentiation in placement outcomes or salary packages between UG and PG degree holders. While marginal differences may exist, they are not substantial as employers are prioritising demonstrable skills, adaptability, and workplace readiness over academic qualification. 

Anson K J, assistant registrar, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore

 Institutional Failures 

PG education is steadily losing its attractiveness due to systemic academic and institutional failures. A major deterrent is PG CUET, which rewards rote memorisation rather than conceptual understanding. This problem is compounded by the NEP-UGCF structure, which has weakened disciplinary depth by crowding UG curricula with low-rigour VACs and SECs, leaving students disengaged from their core subjects. The decline of public varsities has further accelerated student disinterest. Poor-quality course design weakened teaching standards, and political interference has eroded academic autonomy. Independent thinking is sidelined in favour of academically shallow projects. Also, a mistaken belief persists that PG degrees offer limited job prospects with many students abandoning PG pathways or choosing overseas education . 

Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate prof, Eng Dept, KMC, DU 

Career Alignment 

An LLM holds value when it offers strong specialisation and clear career alignment. Law graduates are increasingly pursuing LLM programmes to deepen their expertise in specific areas, rather than treating the degree as a general qualification. Specialisations such as Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Rights, International Law, and Human Rights Law enhance employability by aligning graduates with specific practice areas in law firms, and global organisations. An LLM is mandatory for those aspiring to enter academia and provides tangible benefits to professionals working in the prosecution or judiciary, including eligibility for additional increments. With the introduction of mandatory practice requirements before appearing for lower judiciary exams, LLM has become a preferred choice for aspirants who wish to strengthen their legal foundation without losing extra time, as the duration of the programme is counted towards judicial eligibility. 

Vageshwari Deswal, professor, Faculty of Law, DU Application-oriented Roles 

In India, design education was first introduced at the PG level, and later expanded to the UG level. One of the key reasons students opt for a master’s in design is the industry’s perception about qualifications. Recruiters often prefer candidates who bring interdisciplinary exposure; they are considered more industry-ready and mature in applying technology or engineering knowledge to realworld problems. A master’s degree in design allows engineers to move from technical roles to application-oriented positions. Pursuing a master’s provide formal entry into designcentric roles and access to corporate design studios, industrial design firms, and technology companies. It also helps Fine Arts graduates in securing positions in global firms. While research aspirations exist, pursuing a master’s adds professional value. 

Sugandh Malhotra, professor, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay

Gateway to Govt Jobs 

With PG degrees, students are better armed to pursue further studies such as PhD. Moreover, a master’s is required for all govt jobs and for writing the NET/JRF exams, which are essential for taking up academics. With diplomas in journalism, a student can only get into the industry and pursue journalism, but for higher studies, govt jobs, and getting into academics, a degree is required. For research too, a PG degree is needed for appearing in the PhD admission entrance exam or for taking JRF. Considering PG degree courses include a key component of internship with media organisations, it gives students practical experience of working in the industry. A PG degree opens more opportunities, not to mention better pay packages and promotions. Pragya Paliwal Gaur, vice-chancellor, IIMC

IIM Bangalore placement panel resigns amid recruitment clause row

IIM Bangalore placement panel resigns amid recruitment clause row

The 20-member placement committee stepped down on December 10 and in a letter addressed to the Institute's Career Development Services and students

By: PTI

New Delhi | Updated: December 14, 2025 09:32 AM IST

Career Development Services are handled by 20 student representatives from postgraduate programmes under the supervision of faculty members. (File Photo)

After the placement committee at IIM Bangalore resigned over allegations that a recruitment clause was revoked in a way that selectively benefited the committee members, the institute on Friday said the matter was “under internal review”.

The 20-member placement committee stepped down on December 10 and in a letter addressed to the Institute’s Career Development Services and students, it said the decision was taken collectively.

“As a result, support for all activities related to the Lateral and Final Placements Process 2026 from the Placement Committee stands suspended until further notice,” the letter said. Career Development Services are handled by 20 student representatives from postgraduate programmes under the supervision of faculty members.

In a statement, IIMB said the matter was currently under internal review in accordance with the Institute’s process framework. “Student well-being is paramount and central to the values which IIM Bangalore upholds,” it added, without divulging further details.

The pre-placement process for lateral and final placements usually begins from December with interviews for final placements scheduled for February every year.

Stiff penalties mark big policy shift in regulating higher education

Stiff penalties mark big policy shift in regulating higher education

Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com 16.12.2025

New Delhi : For the first time, the govt has proposed a graded penalty regime for higher education institutions, with fines ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, suspension of degree-awarding powers and closure, while illegal institutions could face a ₹2 crore penalty and immediate shutdown, with safeguards to protect enrolled students.

 The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, placed in Lok Sabha marks a decisive shift in how higher education institutions will be regulated, moving away from advisory nudges to a system driven by statutory penalties, mandatory transparency and accreditationlinked autonomy. Under the graded penalty framework — proposed with hard financial consequences for regulatory violations — institutions found violating provisions of the law or its regulations could face fines starting at ₹10 lakh, escalating to ₹30 lakh for repeat offences, and going up to ₹75 lakh for persistent violations. 

In extreme cases, regulators can recommend suspension of degree-awarding powers, withdrawal of affiliation or even closure. Every year the UGC, which will cease to exist, used to notify a list of fake universities, but beyond that no action could be initiated and they continued to function at the cost of unsuspecting students, many of whom were left with invalid degrees and financial losses. The bill introduced a ₹2 crore penalty for unauthorised institutions operating without govt approval, along with immediate closure

Docs warn against relying on AI tools for med advice

Docs warn against relying on AI tools for med advice 

Ajay.Tomar@timesofindia.com 10.11.2025

Hyderabad : Doctors in Hyderabad have cautioned people against relying solely on artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT for medical advice. They emphasised that patients, especially those with chronic or serious health conditions, must always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to medication, diet, or treatment plans. 

The warning comes after at least two alarming incidents were recently reported in the city. In the first case, a 30-year old woman who had undergone a kidney transplant under the Jeevandan programme at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) lost her transplanted kidney after discontinuing her prescribed antibiotics based on ChatGPT’s suggestion.

 “The woman, who had been on dialysis for seven years before the transplant, reportedly stopped all her medication after ChatGPT told her that since her creatinine levels were normal, she no longer needed the drugs,” said Dr Sree Bhushan Raju, senior nephrologist, NIMS. 

Within weeks, her condition deteriorated, and her creatinine levels spiked again. She eventually required surgery and had to be put back on dialysis before being discharged recently. “We are seeing a worrying trend where even educated patients are relying on AI-generated advice instead of consulting doctors,” said Dr Mohd Taif, another senior nephrologist. 

Similar patterns Doctors said similar patterns are being noticed among the elderly as well, with many seeking advice on medicines or dosage changes from ChatGPT despite being advised otherwise by their doctors. “This over-reliance on AI is becoming a dangerous habit,” said Dr Taif. In another incident, a 62year-old diabetic man from the city suffered sudden weight loss and dangerously low sodium levels after following a diet plan suggested by ChatGPT. 

The AI tool had advised him to completely reduce salt intake, which proved harmful given his pre-existing condition. “These incidents show that while AI can provide general information, it lacks the clinical judgment and contextual understanding that a trained doctor brings,” said Dr K Rakesh, a senior govt nephrologist. 

In Aug this year, a 60-year-old man from New York was reportedly hospitalised after following a ChatGPTgenerated diet plan that advised him to replace all table salt (sodium chloride) with sodium bromide, a toxic substance. “People are starting to believe that ChatGPT is superior to doctors, but no AI can match the intellect, intuition, and experience of a medical professional,” said Dr Raju.

TN opens e-portal for compassionate grounds jobs

TN opens e-portal for compassionate grounds jobs 

06.11.2025

The state govt has launched a new online portal to make it easier and faster for families of govt employees who die in service, retire on medical grounds, or go missing to apply for jobs under the Compassionate Grounds Appointment scheme. The human resources management department announced the operation of the website tncgap.tn.gov.in. The move follows a Madras HC case where the govt was criticised for delays in compassionate appointments.

Leopard found dead on NH near Vikravandi 

A leopard was found dead with head injuries on the national highway near Vikravandi toll plaza in Villupuram district on Tuesday night. Forest officials suspect that the animal might have strayed into the residential hamlet in search of water and food. It might have attempted to cross the highway when a speeding vehicle hit the animal, killing it on the spot. The officials have recovered the carcass and begun a detailed investigation. The carcass was sent to a govt veterinary hospital for a postmortem examination, and the exact cause of death will be ascertained after examination results, said the officials.

‘Dead’ man walks to get his pension back 

Neha.Lalchandani@timesofindia.com 

Lucknow : A man declared dead in official records in 2024 has been “revived" by the department of social welfare in Uttar Pradesh, but only after the intervention by the minister concerned. Ram Swaroop, a resident of Nigohan village in Mohanlalganj, stopped getting his old age pension in 2024. About a year later, when he tried to find out what happened, he was informed that during physical verification, someone had declared him dead. 

“The social welfare department has a process of verification under which all pensioners are declared alive or dead for each year. When Ram Swaroop’s verification was being done, he was declared dead by somebody and the official never bothered checking. “When Ram Swaroop realised, he approached the Mohanlalganj SDM during Tehsil Diwas. The matter was brought to the attention of social welfare minister Asim Arun, who ordered an inquiry,” said an official.

32k paramedical seats vacant after Round 5 

Ahmedabad : 06.11.2025

Admission to 10 major paramedical courses, including nursing and physiotherapy, progressed further as the Gujarat Professional Nursing and Allied Medical Educational Courses (GPNAMEC) announced the fifth round of seat allotment for 2025-26. A total of 7,155 candidates filled out choices in this round. Based on their preferences, 2,833 students received new allotments, while 310 students received upgraded seats from earlier rounds. In all, 3,143 candidates secured admissions in Round 5. According to the committee, 20,920 of the 51,790 seats have been filled so far, while 31,870 seats remain vacant after five rounds.

Repeated delays in NEET PG counselling disrupt academic cycle, burdening resident docs

Repeated delays in NEET PG counselling disrupt academic cycle, burdening resident docs 

Experts warn that unless the schedule is streamlined and accountability is fixed, the ripple effects will continue to affect the postgraduate training cycle year after year

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com  27.10.2025  TIMES EDUCATION 

In 2025, the delay in NEET PG counselling and admissions has affected the academic cycle and is causing significant stress among PG aspirants and resident doctors due to uncertainty and increased workload. The NEET PG exam was held on August 3, 2025, and the results were declared on August 19, 2025. However, more than 60 days have passed since the exam, and admissions are still pending. 

In 2024, too, the NEET PG counselling was delayed, and the round 1 admissions were conducted in October. The PG counselling has been struggling with a steady schedule for the last five years; only in 2020 and 2023 did the counselling schedule start on time, giving PG students enough time to settle into their first-year routine. A delayed academic cycle creates a vicious loop and has a domino effect on the entire PG course. The authorities must ensure the academic cycle returns to track in 2026 to ensure a smooth admission process.

 “To regularise the academic cycle, some adjustments need to be made. This year, the seat metrics (seat data) were shared on October 15, and counselling registrations could begin only after the NMC shared the seat matrix. There’s only one way to make the process smoother: conduct inspections and release results on time,” says a Health Ministry official on condition of anonymity. Often, students are partly responsible for delays; they file petitions and delay the process further. If exams and metrics are completed on time, counselling will automatically begin on time.

 “NMC is facing staffing issues — it has 33 members, of whom just two are active. If exams and metrics are delayed, the entire timeline shifts. Ideally, exams should take place by March, and the counselling process should start by May or June. But when the initial flow breaks, the delay compounds. 

This year, the session should start around November, after the first round of counselling,” adds the official. The NEET PG course spans three years. In the first year, students must submit their thesis protocol; in the second year, they write the thesis; and in the third year, they take their final exam followed by the district residency programme.

 “If metrics come as late as October-November, everything shifts,” says the official. The PG course runs year-wise, and students must take one final exam after three years. “Postgraduates become eligible for taking superspeciality exams. Hence, when PG courses end late, super-speciality exams get delayed too. The delay starts from the very first year. The NMC conducts inspections regularly. Usually, they should start around September and ideally finish by March. It was delayed this year due to a lack of staff and court cases,” says the official. 

Resident doctors say that the NMC keeps updating the seat matrix long after the results have been announced and the counselling schedule released, and this lack of accountability and the inability to adhere to fixed timelines have become a pattern over the past three to four years. “Every year, counselling gets delayed and batches overlap; there’s no strict timeline for when postgraduate residency starts. There are two sets of students — those who’ve just finished their internship and are appearing for the PG exam for the first time, and those who’ve taken a drop of one or two years to secure their preferred branch. Those who’ve taken a drop spend heavily on rent and coaching fees, amounting to Rs 50,000 60,000 a month.

 It’s stressful for both the students and their parents,” says Dr Devaunshi Kaul, senior resident, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Safdarjung Hospital, and national president, FORDA. FAIMA executive, Dr Aman Kaushik, a NEET PG aspirant, says, “When the INI CET exam can be conducted on schedule, then it should not be untenable to conduct the NEET PG exam on schedule. AIIMS releases the schedule much in advance. It is important that NBEMS releases its exam schedule on time for the 2026-27 cycle.”

Withdraw T.N. Private Universities (Amendment) Bill: former V-C

Withdraw T.N. Private Universities (Amendment) Bill: former V-C

E. Balagurusamy

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai 27.10.2025

Former Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of Anna University E. Balagurusamy has urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to withdraw the recently introduced Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

In a letter to the Chief Minister on Sunday, a copy of which was shared with the media, he highlighted that the conversion of government-aided colleges to private universities would lead to the dilution of public control, uncertainty for faculty and staff, and possible withdrawal of government support. “The private university status can lead to a steep increase in fees, reducing access for students from economically and socially weaker sections who rely on affordable aided-college education,” he contended.

The State government on Saturday decided to review what Higher Education Minister Govi. Chezhiaan called the “Draft” Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, in response to pushback from teachers’ bodies and a section of MLAs. The Bill was passed by the Assembly on October 18. “The dilution of reservation policies and social justice measures threatens equitable access to higher education and undermines decades of progress in inclusive education,” Mr. Balagurusamy added, and 

urged the State to hold consultations with all stake-holders before introducing any amendments to the Act.

Universities call for complete revamp in Education Ministry’s NIRF rankings

Universities call for complete revamp in Education Ministry’s NIRF rankings 

There was a controversy over the National Rankings 2025 due to the ups and downs of some universities.

S. Lalitha Updated on: 18 Oct 2025, 10:14 am 2 min read

NEW DELHI: A collective call was given by multiple universities across the country on the need to bring in dynamic reforms in the Education Ministry’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) that is released annually. The criteria used for ranking remains the same since its inception a decade ago and hence the demand for changes in it, said multiple people who took part.

A meet was held at the IISc Habitat in Delhi on Friday evening in connection with the reforms required in these National Rankings. They are decided by the National Board of Accreditation, constituted by the Ministry.

Education Secretary Vineet Joshi chaired the meet in which Chairman of the Executive Council of the National Assessement and Acrcediation Council Anil Sahasrabudhi and representatives of the IITs of Roorkee, Mumbai, Madras, Delhi and Bhubaneshwar took part along with those from many National Institute of Technologies and universities from across the country including from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir.

There was a controversy over the National Rankings 2025 due to the ups and downs of some universities. This forced NBA to go in for a third party vetting for the first time by the firm Ernst and Young before they were made public after much delay in September 2025.

A senior educationist told this reporter, on the condition of anonymity, that a key recommendation was the emphasis given to the `Perception’ factor. “Perception is a relative term. By giving ten marks out of 100 in the rankings to this aspect, it was not a fair assessment was the opinion expressed by multiple heads of institutions. Though the ranking committee said they spoke to peers, professors and the general public before assessing the perception factor, representatives of universities expressed their unhappiness over it and recommended that this criterion be dropped,” he said.

Another recommendation was that the 20 marks given to the Graduation Outcome (GO) takes into account the number of graduates who get employed after passing out. “There are hundreds of students who take over their family business or run their own start-ups. This is not given any weightage. Hence, there should be value attached to these aspects too and not just for those who go into traditional forms of employment,” he added.

Many educationists also pointed out that institutes not recognised by the National Medical Commision, the Dental Council of India, the Bar Council of India or the All India Council of Technical Education find place in the rankings. “Such educational institutions need to be dropped,” they felt.

The Head of an institute also pointed out that technical universities in the country, numbering around 20 are left out of the rankings. “They need to be included. Such a competiton will help them improve their professional standings and make them competitive,” he said.

Bill passed to let TNPSC handle university staff hiring

Bill passed to let TNPSC handle university staff hiring

The Bill stated that the move would establish a more uniform, efficient, professional and transparent system for recruiting non-teaching staff at the universities.

Chief Minister M K Stalin speaking during the state Assembly session on Thursday.

Express News Service

Updated on:

17 Oct 2025, 8:51 am

3 min read

CHENNAI: The state Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill allowing the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) to manage the recruitment of non-teaching staff for 22 state universities. The Bill amends the TN Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Act, 2022, which empowers the TNPSC to conduct recruitment for various government departments and undertakings. Until now, the recruitment for non-teaching positions in these state-run universities was managed by the respective university administrations.

The Bill stated that the move would establish a more uniform, efficient, professional and transparent system for recruiting non-teaching staff at the universities. It would also make it easier for job seekers from rural areas to apply for such positions, while relieving universities of the cumbersome task of conducting their own recruitment drives

Bill passed to extend tenure of SOs in rural local bodies

The Assembly also passed a Bill to amend the TN Panchayats Act, 1994, to extend the term of office of special officers (SOs) appointed to administer village panchayats, panchayat union councils and district panchayats till January 5, 2026, or until the first meeting of the local bodies after the general elections. While the rural development department had issued an order in this regard in July, the Bill was now passed in the Assembly.

According to the Bill, the government is finalising proposals to expand municipal corporations, municipal councils and town panchayats by including certain adjoining village panchayats in 28 districts. Only after the delimitation and reservation processes are completed after this amalgamation, elections for these rural local bodies can be notified. A total of 9,581 village panchayats, 314 panchayat union councils and 28 district panchayats are being run by the SOs.

The tenure of elected representatives of panchayats in these 28 districts expired on January 5 this year. As elections could not be conducted before that date, the government amended the TN Panchayats Act, 1994, to appoint SOs to administer these bodies until July 5. The Act was now amended to extend the tenure of SOs till January 2026 or until the elections are held.

Tender exemption clause of 1998 Act scrapped

The state government has moved to tighten its tendering system by scrapping the exemption clause in the TN Transparency in Tenders Act, 1998, that allowed select procurements to bypass the standard open tender process. An amendment passed on Thursday removes Section 16 of the law, which previously permitted direct procurement in limited circumstances such as emergencies, ensuring compatibility, or sourcing from state-owned or non-commercial entities. The provision also allowed purchases through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform without adhering to sections 9 and 10 governing open tendering procedures.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, Section 16 explicitly exempted procurements made through the GeM special purpose vehicle from the application of sections 9 and 10 of the Act. This exemption covered purchases through mechanisms such as rate contracts, online bidding, online reverse auctions and any other method notified by the government. The government said the exemption had become redundant as TN already operates its own e-procurement portal (tntenders.gov.in).

This apart, the Assembly on Thursday also introduced a Bill to amend the TN Dr Ambedkar Law University Act, 1996, which sought to amend relevant rules that disqualified the deaf-mute from holding authority positions in the university. The proposed changes also seek to update a penal reference in the Act to align with the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

How to dodge an exam: Two students fake principal’s death

How to dodge an exam: Two students fake principal’s death 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 17.10.2025

Indore : What do you do when you are not prepared for an exam? Two students at a science college in Indore, MP, spread the word that their principal had passed away. It took a series of calls—made to “condole” her “death”—for the hapless principal to wake up to the situation and take steps. 

Two BCA students of Govt Holkar Science College were booked on Thursday for spreading the false message about principal Anamika Jain. The FIR was registered on Wednesday following a written complaint by Jain. A case was registered under Section 336 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for forgery, intending that the document forged shall harm the reputation of any party, police said. 

“The thirdsemester students circulated the fake notice on the college letterhead claiming the college would remain closed on Oct 15 and 16 following the demise of the principal,” Bhanwarkuan police station incharge Rajkumar Yadav said. The letter was circulated on WhatsApp on Oct 14. The entire campus was abuzz with the misinformation. Jain said, “The students have been suspended for 60 days. 

Further action will depend on the outcome of the police investigation and court proceedings. As soon as the matter came to our notice, the administration clarified through the official website and class groups. The students admitted they had circulated the notice to delay the online test conducted every three months

UGC draft Maths LOCF risks diluting academic rigour

UGC draft Maths LOCF risks diluting academic rigour 

Students pursuing a programme need to learn its core elements, but the preponderance of IKS, VAC, SEC may leave them exhausted 

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 13.10.2025

To transform undergraduate Mathematics education by integrating the classical traditions with modern courses, the UGC recently launched the draft Maths Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

Aimed at offering a robust mathematical foundation emphasising value-based education, interdisciplinary relevance, and integration with the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), the draft has evoked strong opposition from the mathematics educators, as over 900 academics have demanded its withdrawal, saying it is regressive and risks students’ futures globally. 

The Centre has constituted acommittee of experts to review the UGC draft curriculum for various subjects in the wake of allegations regarding factual inaccuracies and inclusion of outdated topics. Discussing what is perceived as grave defects in the draft Maths syllabus, Nandita Narain, associate professor (Retd), Department of Mathematics, St Stephen's College, University of Delhi (DU), says, “The proposed syllabus pushes higher Mathematics in India back by about 56 years. In 1969, modern pure Mathematics was introduced in UG syllabi for the first time and constituted roughly 65-75 % of the syllabus. 

This was to equip students to compete at the international level, where modern abstract Algebra and Analysis were widely accepted as the two pillars on which all of higher mathematics stands. The overall Maths content in the course is severely diluted with only 14 core Maths papers out of a total of 36. This does not look like a syllabus forMathematics Hons. In fact, it is woefully inadequate even for the Mathematics in the BA/ BSc general course and will leave students handicapped at the international level. The preponderance of IKS, Valued added Courses (VAC), and Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) will  leave them exhausted, confused and ignorant about their core subject.” Mix and Match Pointing at the increasing confusion, Amber Habib, professor, Department of Mathematics, Shiv Nadar University, says, “This is a hodgepodge of all multiple things which lacks a vision. Interdisciplinary relevance and the use of historical context have a place in a Mathematics curriculum, provided they are used to enrich the mathematical experience and not replace it.” 

The focus is on the IKS and its applications. Prof Habib adds, “Students would be led to believe that the contributions of ancient India can serve as a substitute for modern knowledge. Key areas such as Analysis and Algebra would be taught to them in a hurried manner. They would be illequipped for master’s and PhD in India or abroad.” Including IKS IKS occupies a staggering 12 out of 28 in Discipline Specific Electives (DSE) and 12 out of 14 in the VAC. “Even the remaining 16 DSE are mostly computer languages (4) or Applied Maths (10) with only two pure Maths courses that do not cover the essential missing content in Algebra and Analysis. Advanced abstract pure mathematics has almost disappeared from the syllabus,” Narain says. “Since IKS courses are non-mathematical, the content would not last for even 20 hours, let alone the intended 60. Often the content is just a list of items to be memorised, the last thing you want to see in a modern Maths course,” says Prof Habib. 

Though the core component for Maths students is free of IKS, the electives have 12 portion of IKS. “This is an issue because the core component is basic (for eg, only one course each on modern Algebra and Real Analysis), which needs to be compensated by elective. The electives should provide an opportunity for a student to take up advanced courses in Maths, whether pure or applied. Instead, the focus is clearly on ancient Maths. If a Maths student wishing to move towards ML or AI needs options such as Advanced Linear Algebra, Functional Analysis and Convex Optimisation. 

The extra year of a 4-year UG programme ought to provide such courses. Instead, one finds courses such as Sutra-based Arithmetic, Geometry in Shulvasutras and Bhartiya Innovations: World-wide Accepted,” Prof Habib says. He adds, “While it is heart-warming to see our ancestors’ love of numbers and patterns, and this can lead to a more positive attitude to Math, yet the appropriate place for this is school rather than university. A university student needs to learn advanced Maths and itsapplications.”

University of Western Australia launch Mumbai campus

University of Western Australia launch Mumbai campus 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 13.10.2025

The UGC has approved the University of Western Australia’s (UWA)application to establish campuses in Mumbai and Chennai. The campuses will offer undergraduate and master’s degree programmes in STEM, as well as in Business and Commerce. 

A high-level delegation from the university is in India to engage with the government and state agencies and create an ecosystem of partnerships with Indian institutions. According to the university’s official portal, by establishing a physical presence in India, UWA aims to deepen educational and economic ties, create new research and industry partnerships, and foster collaborative opportunities that benefit both countries. The UWA, one of the world’s top 100 universities, will become the first Ivy Leagueequivalent institution and the first from Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities to set up campuses in India.

Over 20 autonomous colleges in Odisha function without valid autonomy

Over 20 autonomous colleges in Odisha function without valid autonomy

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) data, the state has 53 autonomous colleges, including degree and engineering/management colleges.

Berhampur University.(File photo | Express)

Diana Sahu

Updated on:

08 Oct 2025, 9:36 am

BHUBANESWAR: Over 20 autonomous degree colleges in the state, including government and non-government institutions, are functioning without valid autonomy and continue to conduct their own examinations.

Odisha has 1,058 degree colleges and only three per cent of them enjoy autonomous status, which gives them the administrative and academic independence to design their own syllabus, introduce new courses and assess students’ performance.

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) data, the state has 53 autonomous colleges, including degree and engineering/management colleges. Out of the 53 colleges, 28 degree and two engineering/management colleges have lost their autonomy, but have not reapplied for it for several years. Earlier, the UGC granted autonomous status to a higher educational institution for a period of five years.

Of the degree colleges, the highest 18, are under Utkal University, six under Sambalpur University, four colleges under Berhampur University, one each under Fakir Mohan and Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University (MSCB University). Despite this, the parent universities continue to allow these colleges to conduct examinations in violation of the UGC (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023.

Notably, a college should apply to the UGC for extension of autonomous status at least three months before the completion of the autonomy period. As per the new UGC Regulations, 2023, the grant of autonomy is now based on assessment and accreditation of the colleges. Autonomous status is granted initially for 10 years on the condition that the institution is accredited either by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum of ‘A’ grade.

“Expiry of autonomous status does not just deprive colleges of designing their own syllabus, preparing their own admission rules but also prevents them from conducting their own exams. A majority of the autonomous colleges are without valid autonomy now. On expiry of the autonomy, the government should change their status to ‘colleges that are affiliated to the parent universities’. However, in these cases, there has been no action from the Higher Education department which is why these colleges continue to hold their own examination, which is illegal,” said a senior academician in a public university.

Officials in the Higher Education department said while all the colleges had lost their autonomy till two years back, some of them opted for NAAC and renewed their grades, like BJB and SB Women’s College, and subsequently, their autonomy was restored. The others are preparing to undergo NAAC assessment for the purpose first.