Chief accountant’s appointment at GU raises questions

Chief accountant’s appointment at GU raises questions 

30.09.2026

Ahmedabad: Amid ongoing debate over appointments to key administrative posts by Gujarat University’s former vice-chancellor, a fresh controversy appears to be brewing over the new chief accountant. Sources said the current VC in charge has given the post to a woman officer from Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC). The move has raised questions as the officer is reportedly not a permanent employee of GU and was appointed under a UGC scheme on a five-year contract. 

The controversy comes after GU recently removed its former chief accountant amid concerns of poor financial administration. The previous vice-chancellor had reportedly entrusted GU’s accounts department, which handles transactions involving crores of rupees, to a retired ONGC official, inviting criticism. 

Sources said the latest arrangement too has drawn flak as GU has four assistant registrars and three deputy registrars, all of whom are part of the administrative structure. Questions are therefore being raised over why the responsibility was assigned to an officer from an external department. This, they say, could kick up a new controversy amid the ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities in GU.

Jamia’s first PG dental surgery batch asked to sign nostrike undertaking

Jamia’s first PG dental surgery batch asked to sign nostrike undertaking

27.09.2026

Sugandha.Jha1@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi: Candidates allotted seats in Jamia Millia Islamia’s first batch of Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) this year are being asked to sign an undertaking that prohibits them from participating in or associating themselves with any strike or activity deemed “prejudicial to the interests, discipline, peace and functioning” of the university. The undertaking, which is part of the documents required for completing admission formalities, comes alongside a Rs 10-lakh bond that MDS students are required to furnish if they leave the course midway. 

The bond requires the student and the surety to pay Rs 10 lakh, with 15% interest till realisation, if the student withdraws from the course “for any reason whatsoever”. Jamia, however, said the undertaking “will have no bearing” on admission. The university said MDS seats were being allotted through counselling by Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on the basis of NEET-MDS merit and the undertaking was merely an admission formality. 

“In case someone does not sign the undertaking, it does not mean that admission will not be granted as seats are allotted by MCC,” chief public relations officer Saima Saeed told TOI. The bond, Saeed said, is intended to compensate for the public investment in infrastructure, faculty, manpower and clinical resources and the loss of a PG seat once the programme has commenced. It is intended to ensure that scarce MDS seats are utilised responsibly, she added. 

However, Jamia’s newly framed ordinance for the course, approved by its executive council in June, says admissions will be in accordance with the rules prescribed by National Dental Commission (NDC) and the university. The undertaking and bond are among the documents prescribed by the ordinance, but NDC doesn’t ask for them. Explaining the no-strike clause, Saeed said it was intended to maintain academic discipline in the demanding postgraduate programme. 

“As these are rigorous courses, attendance is a major requirement and indulging in protest, etc., can impact that. That clause is there to ensure general discipline and maintain a cordial and healthy environment,” she said.

Jamia claimed that no other course had a no-strike clause. Its Bachelor of Dental Surgery students, however, are required to furnish a Rs 3-lakh discontinuation bond. Such bonds are also introduced by several other institutions. Maulana Azad Dental College has a Rs 10-lakh bond, while Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University have bonds of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. 

The PG programme is a sought-after choice among candidates appearing for the highly competitive NEET-MDS examination, Jamia said.

Govt seeks 250 crore from VTU

 Govt seeks 250 crore from VTU

25.09.2026

Bengaluru: Karnataka govt reportedly sought Rs 250 crore from Visvesvaraya Technological University, after the institution got back Rs 700 crore from income tax department.

VTU recently recovered more than Rs 700 crore of its corpus fund that had been seized over “tax dues”. The university’s accounts were frozen in 2012-13 after I-T department raised a demand of Rs 250 crore, claiming VTU hadn’t secured exemption under Section 12(A) of Income Tax Act, which allows certain institutions and non-governmental organisations to claim full exemption from income tax.

When the accounts were seized, VTU had about Rs 450 crore accumulated as corpus, built up through examination fees, those collected from affiliated colleges and annual reimbursements from Karnataka Examinations Authority. Along with another Rs 250 crore belonging to the university, it had more than Rs 700 crore.

The govt is learnt to have sought Rs 250 crore from this fund. “The issue was discussed at the executive council meeting and govt letter was read out. The council decided not to part with the money. It belongs to students, who took admission in affiliated colleges. It should be used for their benefit; govt has no right to it,” said a source.

However, vice-chancellor S Vidyashankar said he hasn’t received any such letter. “If we receive any letter from govt, we will discuss at the executive council and take a decision,” said the VC.

Last year, govt sought funds from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences — Rs 600 crore from its Rs 1,400-crore corpus. tnn

11 varsities to get interim VCs: Edu min

11 varsities to get interim VCs: Edu min 

V.Srivatsal@timesofindia.com 24.09.2026

Trichy: Universities under the higher education department without vice-chancellors (VCs) would soon have in-charges as an interim arrangement, higher education minister P Viswanathan said on Wednesday. He said the present govt, unlike the previous DMK govt, would adopt a “nonconfrontational” approach with governor to find a permanent solution. The minister’s statement comes after a similar arrangement recently put in place at Alagappa University in Karaikudi and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli. 

The arrangement, according to the minister, will now be extended to the other 11 universities. Speaking to reporters in Trichy after a consultation meeting with staff and students at Bharathidasan University, Viswanathan said that then Governor R N Ravi had insisted on inclusion of a UGC nominee in the VC search panels, which became a bone of contention between DMK govt and governor. Towards the end, DMK govt also initiated interview processes to appoint VCs to Bharathidasan, Bharathiar and Periyar universities. However, the matter got stalled in court.

While one group seeks accountability, another is rallying around IIT-B prof

While one group seeks accountability, another is rallying around IIT-B prof 

22.09.2026

Yogita Singh & Hemali Chhapiatnn 

Mumbai: Opinion within IIT-Bombay is sharply divided on the death of by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode on Sept 18, mirroring the debate outside its gates and on social media. “Among many of us in engineering, the feeling is that the institute authorities have largely done what they were required to do,” said a second-year student from hostel 4. “We also feel the director has handled the situation well. He heard students out and helped calm the anxiety on campus.” 

The student said the mood was different among sections of the humanities students, where demands for the director’s resignation have been far more vocal. Others cautioned against reading the protests as representative of the entire campus. “IIT-B has close to 14,000 students. Those protesting are a relatively small number compared to the total student population,” said a student. 

Those divisions are also playing out online. One section has sought accountability over allegations of caste discrimination and questioned whether institutional processes adequately protect students at moments of extreme distress. Another has rallied around professor Suryanarayana Doolla who was the invigilator at the exam where Wakode was allegedly found with a phone, arguing that faculty cannot be publicly pronounced guilty for enforcing exam rules before an inquiry establishes the facts.

Faculty voices have attempted to separate the two issues. Academic misconduct, they argued, must be dealt with firmly, but disciplinary systems must simultaneously have safeguards, counselling and sensitivity built into them. The inquiry will now have to establish what transpired before Wakode’s death, whether institutional procedures were followed, and where accountability, if any, lies — in a campus where grief and anger have produced sharply competing versions of the same events. During the initial stage of the investigation, the crime branch will collect all documents and case-related paperwork from Powai police, where the FIR was initially registered. The team will examine the case records and subsequently record statements of various people.

Wakode’s family in Yavatmal sought a CID investigation into the death, alleging foul play. IIT-B said it will constitute an independent inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the death. “We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the demise of Sahil... The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities,” it said. Students have alleged that due procedure was not followed after Wakode was found with a phone, with some also alleging that he was threatened with suspension. In its first statement, issued on Friday, IIT-B had maintained that “no disciplinary action was initiated against the student”. 

Institute sources said Monday’s decisions were taken at a meeting of the board of governors. An open house, which had first been scheduled and then cancelled, was held in the evening, where students again raised their demands. Wakode’s family has filed an FIR against Doolla and “other institute officials”, accusing them of abetment and harassment over the past three months. Protesting students had demanded an apology for what they described as the “defaming” of Wakode, besides an independent inquiry committee with student representatives and external members recommended by them. No decision has yet been taken on the composition of the committee. With Doolla’s suspension among their foremost demands, a section of students said the protests will continue. The Wakode family’s lawyer, Nikhil Kamble, said they were seeking police permission to stage a hunger strike on campus.

BU paid 2L for Minto Hall, rented out own auditorium for 25k

BU paid 2L for Minto Hall, rented out own auditorium for 25k

Ramendra.Singh@timesofindia.com  22.09.2026

Bhopal: A day after TOI reported how a half-cup tea at Barkatullah University went for a princely Rs 450 and a 1-km ride to the campus cost Rs 3,000, more disturbing details tumbled out from its 2022-23 convocation event, raising further questions over alleged fiscal mismanagement. It now turns out that the varsity hosted its annual convocation at an external venue, Minto Hall, paying Rs 2 lakh as rental fee, despite having its own auditorium on campus. 

The varsity’s own auditorium was, instead, rented out to the Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (MPCST) for just 25,000, raising questions about the logic and costeffectiveness of the venue decision. The decision has drawn criticism from students, who have questioned why an outside venue was selected for the convocation.

The disclosures are gaining traction, inviting scrutiny of the varsity’s financial administration as it prepares to host the Bhopal Science Fair, organised by MPCST, from Sept 22. As the controversy unfolds, BU has decided to constitute a probe committee to examine the damning finds from the 2022-23 convocation event. The registrar, SB Singh, said the panel would look into the revelations around the convocation. 

Students have alleged that the contrasting rental amounts raise questions about the financial prudence and transparency of the university’s decision-making process, demanding an independent probe to determine if the expenses were justified. “This raises serious questions about the logic behind the decision,” a student said. Another said, “If the auditorium was available, the university should explain why it wasn’t used for its own convocation. The rental agreements and expenditure details must be made public.” 

Masters in physiotherapy & occupational therapy not general degrees: UGC

Masters in physiotherapy & occupational therapy not general degrees: UGC 

20.09.2026

Chennai: University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that MPT (Master of Physiotherapy) and MOT (Master of Occupational Therapy) degrees should not be awarded as general degrees. 

“Based on a communication from National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), the degrees MPT and MOT shall be awarded with the respective specialisations and not as generalised ones. However, for admissions made prior to the academic year 2026-27, the degrees may be awarded in accordance with the earlier UGC notification,” said the notification issued by UGC secretary Shyama Rath on Sept 16 . 

The list of specialisations for MOT includes rehabilitation, mental health, geriatrics, hand and oncological sciences, while the specialisations for MPT includes neurosciences, cardiopulmonary sciences and sports sciences. It also includes new specified degrees such as bachelor of medical laboratory science, bachelor of emergency medical technologist (paramedics), master of advance care paramedics, bachelor of anaesthesia and operation theatre technology, bachelor of psychology, and master of medical social work. Times News Network

T.N. to get six new nursing colleges, more seats in allied healthcare courses

T.N. to get six new nursing colleges, more seats in allied healthcare courses

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI. 19.09.2026

Six new government nursing colleges, with 100 B.Sc. Nursing seats each, will be established at the Government Medical College, Tirunelveli; K.A.P. Viswanathan Government Medical College, Tiruchi; Government Medical College, Dharmapuri; Vellore Government Medical College; Government Medical College, Tiruvannamalai; and Government Medical College, Namakkal, an official release said on Friday.

The entire expenditure of ₹270.26 crore for the six colleges will be met from the funds of the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University. The construction of academic buildings and hostels is in progress.

Admissions soon

Admissions to all 600 seats will be taken up during the current academic year, a press release said. The existing space available at the respective colleges will be used to conduct classes.

In addition to these, a new government nursing college will be established at the Coimbatore Government Medical College and ESI Hospital with 60 B.Sc. Nursing seats.

No new government nursing college was established in the State after 2014. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had announced in the Assembly that additional seats will be created in nursing, pharmacy and allied healthcare courses at a cost of ₹351 crore.

In February this year, then Health Minister Ma. Subramanian had announced that six new government nursing colleges would be set up.

A total of 1,925 additional seats are being created in the existing government nursing colleges and nursing schools. These include 1,290 seats in Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery, 440 seats in B.Sc. Nursing, and 75 seats in the M.Sc Nursing course.

In allied and healthcare courses, 2,778 additional seats are being created from this academic year. Nine new courses, including Bachelor of Physician Associates, Prosthetics and Orthotics, as well as Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, will have a total intake of 1,132 candidates. In addition, 735 seats are being created in pharmacy courses, the release said.

NEET-SS cut-off down; 40 seats returned to TN

NEET-SS cut-off down; 40 seats returned to TN 

19.09.2026

Chennai: A day after the Centre told the Supreme Court it had reduced the qualifying percentile for NEET-SS from 50 to 30, the TN Medical Officers’Association (TNMOA) said its sustained legal battle helped secure the return of 40 vacant super-speciality seats to the state for govt doctors. 

The Centre told the court that 1,857 super-speciality seats remained vacant across the country after the second round of counselling. This included 40 seats in TN. Candidates who become eligible after the percentile reduction will be allowed to participate in the special stray vacancy round. 

Earlier, TN had surrendered 152 vacant in-service super-speciality seats to the all-India pool following a Supreme Court order. “TNMOA filed a writ petition seeking protection of the interests of in-service doctors,” said general secretary Dr M Akilan. The association said the govt must create posts and offer incentives for super-speciality courses that do not attract enough candidates. TNN

Can MBBS student be given one grace mark? HC to medical univ chancellor

Can MBBS student be given one grace mark? HC to medical univ chancellor

14.09.2026

Bhopal/Jabalpur: MP high court has asked the chancellor of state-run MP Medical Science University based in Jabalpur to apprise the court whether he has an extraordinary power to grant one grace mark to a student according to the statute of the university. 

The student of the varsity-affiliated Gajra Raja Medical College in Gwalior had requested the court to intervene and help him get one grace mark in the MBBS first year exam so that he doesn’t have to lose a year. On Sept 8, the division bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice A K Singh asked additional advocate general Jahanvi Pandit to find out from the chancellor of the MP Medical Science University as to whether there is any provision for granting one grace mark to the petitioner “to save a year of an otherwise bright medical student“. 

The petitioner, Ramnaresh Kushwah, contended that he failed the first year MBBS exam by just one mark. He is regularly attending the second-year classes but may not be allowed to appear in the exam because of a deficiency of one mark in the first-year exam. He said the chancellor of the university has an extraordinary jurisdiction under clause 32 of the Madhya Pradesh Universities Common Ordinance No 6 to grant grace marks in cases of such extraordinary hardships. The court has placed the case among 10 top cases for hearing on Sept 15

Changes in varsities Act opposed

Changes in varsities Act opposed

The Hindu Bureau

MADURAI 13.09.2026

The members of the Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, Alagappa, Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Education and Anna University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) have objected to the recent amendments to Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2026, passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly recently.

Under the original Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act enacted in 2019, institutions were required to possess a minimum of 100 acres of land and maintain a permanent fixed deposit endowment of ₹50 crore.

According to A.T. Senthamarai Kannan, general secretary of MUTA, the State government has successfully passed the amendment in the Assembly following an earlier ordinance in October 2025 that met with an intense public backlash.

The revised legislation significantly lowers these entry barriers.

“The minimum land requirement is now slashed to 12 acres within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits, 18 acres in other corporations and municipalities, and 25 acres in rural areas. Additionally, the mandatory permanent endowment fund has been halved from ₹50 crore to ₹25 crore,” he added.

He argued that while State-run universities—which uphold social justice and reservation policies while providing affordable education—struggle with chronic underfunding, the government is rolling out the red carpet for private players.

He warned that proliferating private campuses without robust regulatory guardrails could lead to exploitative labour conditions and job market vulnerabilities for graduates.

Mr. Senthamarai Kannan urged the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider the legislative amendment.

MUTA demanded that the State instead focus its resources on strengthening State-funded institutions to safeguard educational equity and the reservation system.

NMC adds over 13K MBBS seats, total intake tops 1.4 lakh

NMC adds over 13K MBBS seats, total intake tops 1.4 lakh

 Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 12.09.2026

New Delhi: National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 13,186 additional MBBS seats for the 2026-27 academic year, taking the total approved undergraduate medical intake to 1,40,214 seats across 836 medical colleges, excluding seats in Institutes of National Importance (INIs). 

The updated seat matrix, as on Sept 1, incorporates permissions for new medical colleges and increases in the annual intake of existing colleges. The expansion comes as NEET-UG counselling for the 2026-27 MBBS batch is underway, with the counselling schedule pushing back the start of the academic session and subsequent rounds, including the stray vacancy round, expected to continue into Oct. 

The increase is heavily driven by the private sector, which accounts for 10,400 of the 13,186 additional seats, or nearly 79%, while govt medical colleges have added 2,786 seats. The total intake has risen from 1,27,028 renewed seats to 1,40,214, an increase of about 10.4%. 

Karnataka has recorded the highest increase with 1,650 additional seats; followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,250; Bihar with 1,240; UP with 1,200 and Rajasthan with 1,100. Telangana has added 1,010 seats and West Bengal 975. 

Karnataka’s total MBBS intake now stands at 15,745 seats, including 4,600 in govt colleges and 11,145 in private colleges. Tamil Nadu has 14,299 seats, Uttar Pradesh 14,400 and Maharashtra 13,249. The addition of 13,186 seats will widen the pool of MBBS seats available during the 2026-27 admission cycle, although the actual allocation of these seats will depend on the ongoing counselling process. Among other major increases, Andhra Pradesh has added 525 seats, MP and Jharkhand 520 each, Maharashtra 550, Haryana 350, Kerala 300, Gujarat 250, Puducherry and Uttarakhand 200 each, and Jammu & Kashmir 175. 

The NMC matrix shows zero increase in Delhi, while Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have also recorded no additional seats. The NMC has made it clear that admissions must be restricted to the number of seats approved in the matrix

Karnataka salutes teachers with prefix of their own, ‘Tr’

Karnataka salutes teachers with prefix of their own, ‘Tr’

Bengaluru/Vijayanagar: 06.09.2026

Move over, ‘Dr’ and ‘Prof’. Karnataka’s educators are soon going to get their own official upgrade. In a likely first for the country, state govt is all set to introduce ‘Tr’ as an exclusive title prefix, giving the teaching profession a distinct identity. Announcing the decision on Teachers’ Day while launching Prajaseva programme in Kudligi, Vijayanagar, Saturday, chief minister D K Shivakumar said: 

“A society that honours its teachers honours its future.” “To every teacher who has guided us, corrected us, encouraged our dreams and believed in us before we believed in ourselves, Karnataka salutes you.” The move puts teachers alongside professions that use prefixes such as ‘Dr’ for doctors and doctorate holders and ‘Prof’ for professors. Prefixes such as ‘Er’ or ‘Engr’ for engineers and ‘Ar’ for architects are also used, though less commonly. 

Explaining the decision’s significance, the CM said ‘Tr’ was society’s recognition of those who dedicate their lives to shaping others. In a post on X earlier in the day, he said a teacher helps build the individual who goes on to build the nation and therefore deserves an honorary prefix. He said India has over 1 crore teachers, including nearly 4.5 lakh in Karnataka. 

Highlighting influence teac-hers have across professions, he said: “Every doctor who heals, engineer who builds, farmer who feeds, officer who serves, entrepreneur who creates and leader who guides us has a teacher behind them — someone who first recognised their potential and showed them what was possible.” 

National Dental Commission directs institutes to ensure 80 percent mandatory attendance for MDS students appearing for final exams

National Dental Commission directs institutes to ensure 80 percent mandatory attendance for MDS students appearing for final exams 

Medical dialogues

Written By : Divyani PaulPublished On 3 Sept 2026 4:30 PM | Updated On 3 Sept 2026 6:59 PM

New Delhi: The National Dental Commission (NDC) has directed all dental colleges and institutions conducting the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) programmes to strictly enforce a minimum 80 percent attendance requirement for postgraduate dental students seeking to appear in the final examination.

In a circular, the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board said the prescribed attendance threshold is an essential eligibility condition for appearing in the final MDS examination.

"All Dental Colleges/Institutions conducting MDS programmes are hereby directed to strictly ensure compliance with the prescribed minimum attendance requirement of 80% for all MDS students as an essential eligibility condition for appearing in the final examination," the notice stated.

As per the ND, the Head of the Institution/Dean/Principal shall be responsible for ensuring the following-

1 No MDS student having less than the prescribed 80% attendance shall be permitted, recommended or certified as eligible to appear in the final examination.

2 Attendance records of all MDS students shall be properly maintained, verified and authenticated by the concerned Department and the Head of the Institution.

3 Accurate and duly verified attendance certificates/statements shall be issued by the Institution for the purpose of determining examination eligibility.

"Any Dental College/Institution found permitting or certifying an MDS student who does not fulfil the prescribed minimum 80% attendance requirement to appear in the final examination shall be liable for appropriate regulatory action under the provisions of the National Dental Commission Act, applicable regulations and rules," it said.

The Institutions are advised to exercise due diligence in verifying attendance and examination eligibility before forwarding the examination forms or issuing eligibility certification.

Further, the examination conducting authority of the affiliating University is cautioned not to accept examination forms of students with less than 80% attendance in the MDS Course.

All concerned institutions and universities have been directed to strictly comply with these instructions.

Can’t recover excess salary from retd Class III, IV staff: HC Bhopal/Jabalpur:

Can’t recover excess salary from retd Class III, IV staff: HC Bhopal/Jabalpur:

02.09.2026

Recovery of excess salary payments from retired Class III and Class IV govt employees is illegal, Madhya Pradesh HC has held while dismissing a revision petition filed by the state govt against a 2025 order. The case relates to Ramrao Bhimte, who joined the police force as a constable in 1991 and retired as a sub-inspector after 36 years of service. 

In 2024, seven years after his retirement, the Bhopal DIG ordered the recovery of Rs 10,87,192 from his pension on the grounds of “erroneous payment of ad hoc increase in the salary during his service period”. The division bench of acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal, in its Aug 25 order, referred to a 2015 SC judgement in which the apex court had held that there should be no recovery from Grade C and Grade D employees after retirement. tnn

Don’t collect excess fees, RGUHS warns its colleges

Don’t collect excess fees, RGUHS warns its colleges 

01.09.2026 TIMES BENGALURU

Bengaluru: Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has warned affiliated nursing, allied health sciences (AHS) and physiotherapy colleges against collecting fees in excess of govt-prescribed amounts during admission. In a circular, the university said admissions must be made strictly through Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) counselling process and colleges cannot impose additional or hidden charges on students. 

The directions follow complaints that some RGUHS-affiliated nursing colleges were charging exorbitant fees. According to the Aug 8 order issued by medical education department, the prescribed annual fee for nursing admissions is Rs 10,000 for students admitted under govt quota, Rs 1 lakh (management quota for Karnatakadomicile students) and Rs 1.4 lakh (non-Karnataka students). RGUHS directed colleges to maintain a uniform fee structure throughout the course. Colleges cannot charge a higher amount in the first year and adjust or reduce fee in subsequent years. The university has prohibited colleges from making hostel stay compulsory as a condition for admission. tnn

Foreign universities find their feet in India

Foreign universities find their feet in India

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 31.08.2026

Bengaluru: Foreign universities that have set up campuses in India are reporting a positive response, with several institutions already operational and conducting classes, while others are preparing to begin their inaugural programmes. The University of South Wales (UNSW), for instance, began classes in Bengaluru in Aug with 100 students across four programmes, after receiving more than 700 applications. Its inaugural offering includes bachelor’s degrees in business, data analytics, and computer science, and a master’s in cybersecurity. 

The campus at Embassy Manyata Business Park in north Bengaluru spans approximately 70,000sqm. About one-third of the inaugural cohort is from Karnataka. “We’re particularly pleased with the geographic diversity of the cohort, which reflects the strong national appeal of the programmes. UNSW’s approach to its operations in India is deliberately starting small, ensuring an excellent student experience, with a progressive expansion plan. Our goal is to increase the student body to about 5,000 students in five years,” said professor Payyazhi Jayashree, rector, UNSW Bengaluru. At the University of York Mumbai, Prof Lindsay Oades, president and academic provost, said the university is seeing interest from graduates who had completed UG education overseas and were considering further studies closer to home. There is also interest among students with entrepreneurial ambitions, particularly in postgraduate programmes in management, finance and artificial intelligence. “For parents, the lower tuition cost compared with the UK, coupled with the elimination of overseas accommodation and living expenses, is a key consideration.” 

The Mumbai campus offers five UG programmes, including business and management, computer science, computer science with AI, and computer science with cybersecurity, as well as one-year PG programmes in AI, management and finance. Illinois Institute of Technology has received close to 10,000 inquiries from across India, along with interest from students in the Middle East and Indian-origin students overseas considering returning to India for education, said Mallik Sundharam, vice-president for enrollment management and student affairs. 

The Mumbai campus in Vikhroli’s Godrej   Business District is operational. Orientation is scheduled from Aug 31 to Sept 3, with regular classes beginning Sept 7. The University of Liverpool said its BSc Biomedical Sciences and BSc Accounting and Finance programmes have attracted particularly strong interest. Biomedical sciences has appealed to students seeking careers in healthcare, life sciences and research, while accounting and finance has drawn those seeking internationally recognised qualifications and pathways into global business and financial services. 

“The admissions cycle is progressing positively, and we are on track to meet targets for our initial intake,” said professor Richard Grose, provost, University of Liverpool Bengaluru. The university plans to grow its Bengaluru campus to 10,000 students over the next 10 years. Classes will begin on Sept 28, 2026, with induction on Sept 21. The Whitefield campus has been ready since March 2026.

‘T.N. government actively pursuing V-C appointment issue in courts’

‘T.N. government actively pursuing V-C appointment issue in courts’

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai 27.08.2026

The State government has been taking all necessary steps to find a solution to the impasse over appointment of Vice-Chancellors to State-run universities, Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan told the Assembly recently.

Taking part in the debate on the demand for grants for the Higher Education Department, he said the issue had been caught up in litigation at the Madras High Court, and the government was taking steps, legally and administratively, to find a solution.

Twelve out of 13 universities in the State, with the exception of Mother Teresa Women’s University, have been functioning without Vice-Chancellors for several years, with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and Alagappa University being the latest to be added to the list.

Mr. Viswanathan also announced that the government would implement a Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for teachers of government-aided arts and science colleges, government and government-aided engineering colleges, and polytechnic colleges from September 1, with prospective effect. This has been a long-standing issue for the department, with teachers of government-aided colleges staging multiple agitations over the years, demanding the implementation of CAS.

The Minister announced that the government would take steps to fill the 6,000-plus vacancies in government arts and science and technical institutions through the Teachers’ Recruitment Board in three phases. Besides, the ongoing process of recruitment of 2,708 assistant professors to government arts and science colleges will be completed soon. The honorarium of guest lecturers in government arts and science and technology institutions has been raised from ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 with immediate effect, while guest lecturers in polytechnic colleges will get ₹30,000, up from ₹25,000.

Mr. Viswanathan also announced the setting up of the Periyar Institute of Emerging Technologies (PIET) on the Anna University campus. The government will also enact a law to set up a School of Excellence for education and research in basic sciences.

Colleges pitch MBBS seats before counselling

Colleges pitch MBBS seats before counselling 

27.08.2026

Chennai: “Round 2 is your next chance. Pre-book your MBBS seat,” flashes a social media advertisement, replete with a phone number—a pitch that aims to circumvent the regulated medical-admissions process. Several private medical institutions hold discreet on-campus consultations, offering scholarships, fee discounts and other incentives, parents say. 

Candidates are asked to enter their names in a register and lock choices only for medical colleges affiliated with the university in the upcoming counselling round. “We were told we can try other colleges in the third or subsequent rounds if we don’t make it this time,” said R Elangovan, whose nephew is seeking admission this year. 

Now, institutions like Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Research and Technology have made the practice public through social media advertisements. When TOI called the number on their Instagram ad, someone from the “admissions department” of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital said admission could be secured in one of two medical colleges under the university—at Perambalur or Samayapuram. “Bring your NEET admit card and scorecard to the college for further discussion,” he said. 

Medical college dean Dr V Visvanathan, however, said the advertisements had been issued by consultants hired by the management. “You can’t pre-book seats. Admissions to our colleges are done by the central counselling committee,” he said. National Medical Commission chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth earlier told TOI that it was illegal for any institution to solicit or admit students directly. 

Under NMC rules, UG admissions must be conducted through central or state counselling authorities in a singlewindow online process. Admissions done outside this process would be cancelled with action initiated against the institution, he said. Experts demanded action against misleading advertisements. “They could create the impression that seats can be secured outside the merit-based system,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Desperate parents and first-time applicants may not know the rules.” Times News Network

Professor used an endoscopic camera to leak question paper in Chhattisgarh, say police

 

Professor used an endoscopic camera to leak question paper in Chhattisgarh, say police

Shubhomoy Sikdar

RAIPUR  23.08.2026

A professor at a private college in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district and five students from the same institution were arrested for their alleged roles in the leak of an Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) entomology question paper, police said on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smruthik Rajanala told The Hindu that 38-year-old Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at Bharti Agriculture College in Durg, had allegedly used an endoscopic camera to capture images of the question papers that he received in a sealed envelope and then shared them with his fellow accused before the exam, which was scheduled to be held on August 20.

The officer alleged that the accused were also involved in leaking the question paper of another examination that was scheduled for August 7.

On August 20, an agricultural entomology exam — AENT 221 [Pest Management in crops and stored grains-I(Rabi Crops)] — for second-year students of B.Sc. (Agriculture), was cancelled after it was alleged that the question paper had been leaked. The exam was written by 1,500 students enrolled in different colleges affiliated with IGKV, a government-run university here.

The Deputy Commissioner said Mr. Sonkesariya had received the set of question papers in a sealed envelope on August 17.

“He then inserted an endoscopic camera into the envelope through a tiny hole and captured the contents… The question paper was a one-page document with all the content printed on the same side. He then used glue to cover the opening through which the camera was inserted,” said Mr Rajanala.

After the examination was cancelled, the university administration filed a police complaint, saying that the Agriculture College and Research Centre at Kawardha received an email at 8.41 a.m., in which it was claimed that the paper had leaked. Other officials received the email at 8.54 a.m.

The complaint added that students and their representatives also informed the university through WhatsApp that some purported questions from the paper were circulating.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008, and Section 316 (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

A team of more than 100 police personnel, including members of the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit as well as personnel from the Telibandha police station, was formed to probe the paper leak.