In a world where religious identity is likely to cast a long shadow over individual choice, a comment by Kerala High Court judge Justice V G Arun spoke volumes. Speaking at a felicitation function recently organized in writer Vaisakhan's name, the judge declared this straight-forward but powerful statement: "Children who study in schools with no religious identity are the hope for the future."

The event, organized by Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham — a rationalist organization — was meant to celebrate literary voices that have dared to question, challenge, and think for themselves. But Justice Arun's words prompted a larger debate. In praising parents who resist giving a religious label to their children in schools, he nudged society ever so softly towards redefining what it means to raise a free-thinking generation.

"Those children," he asserted, "will raise their fingers when others are silent. They will question society when others are confused." It was not a statement; it was a call to arms to revere questioning over conformity.

There was also a tone of underlying frustration in his statement. Justice Arun spoke about how rarely one comes across people with unflinching convictions. He instead alluded to the spread of what he has called "social media warriors" — fast to act, slow to reflect. "A portion of the cases I am handling are FIRs for social media posts. Writers are being attacked like vultures," he averred, providing a glimpse into the kind of online hostility thinkers today have to face.

The judge's words come at a time when questions of identity, secularism, and free speech are under scrutiny in India. But beneath the judge's robes and public posturing, his message was one of deep personal intimacy — about raising children free from inherited baggage, but empowered by independent thinking.

In a world more and more sundered day by day, perhaps this vision — of children educated to think, not just to conform — is the kind of hope we're looking for.

In a society where religious identity tends to cast a long shadow over individual decision-making, a statement by Kerala High Court judge Justice V G Arun resonated deeply. Addressing a felicitation function recently held in writer Vaisakhan's honor, the judge made the following simple yet forceful remark: "Children who study in schools with no religious identity are the hope for the future."

The function, organised by Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham — an organisation of rationalists — was intended to commemorate literary voices that have ventured to question, challenge, and think for themselves. Justice Arun's words, however, sparked a broader discussion. In appreciating parents who refuse to attach a religious tag to their children in schools, he gently pushed society to redefine what it takes to bring up a free-thinking generation.

"Those children," he declared, "will lift their fingers when others remain quiet. They will ask questions to society when others remain bewildered." It was not merely an observation; it was a clarion call to respect inquiry over conformity.

There was also an undertone of quiet frustration in his words. Justice Arun spoke of how seldom one encounters individuals with unshakeable convictions. Instead, he referenced the proliferation of what he terms "social media warriors" — quick to strike, slow to think. "A section of the cases I am dealing with are FIRs for social media posts. Writers are being attacked like vultures," he said, giving a glimpse into the sort of online aggression thinkers these days endure.

The judge's words arrive when issues of identity, secularism, and freedom of speech are being examined in India. But under the judge's robes and public rhetoric, his message was a profoundly intimate one — about bringing up kids unencumbered by inherited labels, but enabled by autonomous thinking.

In a world increasingly torn apart day by day, maybe this vision — of kids educated to think, not merely to obey — is the sort of hope we need.

Hyderabad students are increasingly abandoning the traditional path of US or UK STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programmes in favour of unusual courses in cheaper, non-traditional study destinations. Applications have seen a 20–30% boost, say study abroad consultants.

People are witnessing an increase in the number of Indian students looking at courses outside of the customary STEM and business streams, disciplines such as culinary arts, fashion, architecture, fine arts, and interior design. Although STEM remains popular, this is an indication of a greater mindset wherein more students are opting for what they like rather than what is safe or traditional," said Saurabh Arora, founder of University Living, an international student accommodation services provider.

STEM coursesHe further stated, "The Indian student population in Germany increased from 46,000 in 2024 to an estimated 54,000 in 2025 and may exceed 1.14 lakh by 2030. France already has more than 7,600 Indian students, and that number is likely to surpass double the present figure by the end of the decade."

Italy, while frequently underrated, is a world center for design, arts, and culinary education and is gathering pace, with nearly 10,000 Indian students already enrolled and estimates indicating more than 25,000 by 2030. "The US is still a favorite for technology and STEM courses, but the students are now considering their options.". France and Germany, for example, are providing a plethora of affordable programs that aren't purely STEM," explained Chirandeep Patnaik, Lemma One Consulting founder. "France, for one, has experienced a surge in demand for fashion, history, event management, and social sciences courses particularly after it extended its poststudy work visa for master's students from two years to five. Employability and exposure are the priority now.". And that's encouraging students and their families to think beyond the US-UK box.

Low cost of education

They are also motivated by the low cost of education. "French public universities provide courses in the Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh bracket, which is much more affordable than the Rs 25 lakh or more required for a year in the US," added Patnaik. "You are seeing quality education and international exposure at a fraction of the cost," he added. Germany, also, keeps on attracting students who are interested in engineering, but also in urban planning and industrial design nowadays.

Niche programmes

"Most of the German public universities do not have tuition fees, and the cost of living is reasonable. That's a big attraction," said Sahas Yuvaraj of Way2 Abroad Consultancy, a Hyderabad-based consultancy.

New Zealand and the Netherlands are also reporting an increase, particularly for specialized programs in creative arts and digital media. "Indian students are now realising that they are able to acquire skills that are relevant on a global platform in newer locations that are less crowded and more friendly," said Yuvaraj.

Even Southeast Asia is becoming an alternative option. Nations such as the Philippines are finding enrolments in disciplines such as healthcare and medicine increasing, mainly because of the English-speaking culture and simpler admission requirements.

"Previously, the question was 'which Ivy League or premier US university should I attend?' Today, it's 'where can I study what I'm passionate about without taking a financial hit and also gain work experience?'" said educational consultant Rajni Mankotiya. "That transformation is really welcome."

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday stated that religious institutions should not "unnecessarily interfere" in education issues, in the wake of a Sunni scholars' association protesting the shift in school hours.

The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, an organization of prominent Sunni scholars with the maximum base of support from Kerala Muslims, has decided to protest against the government's move to increase school hours by 30 minutes, according to reports.

Samastha has complained that the new schedule would disrupt madrassa education of about 12 lakh students.

Replying to a question posed by a TV channel regarding the matter, the minister stated that exams or school hours cannot be reserved for a section of society. "It cannot be done by a democratically elected government," he stated.

Sivankutty added that he believes that the calls for retraction of the new timings were "undemocratic" and that they had a tone of "intimidation", apart from being a test of the government.

"Many other organisations have also made such demands. If we agree to the demands of all such organisations, it would be hard to manage the schools," he added.

"Religious groups should not interfere unnecessarily in the education sector. Such interference cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," he further said.

The minister also stated that it was not necessary to conduct discussions over the matter as it is a decision that the government needs to make since it involves the education of 30-35 lakh students.

Sivankutty also stated that the extra 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon were introduced following court orders and stated that those who are against it should go to the judiciary.

The minister had previously also stated that the timings of the state high schools were changed to suit the convenience of students. and the government was not at fault.

The school timings have been increased by 15 minutes in both the morning and afternoon shifts, except on Fridays, for 16 days a month to achieve the required hours equivalent to 220 teaching days a requirement for fulfilling the prescribed curriculum of high schools according to the national education calendar and state education regulations, Sivankutty had stated.

Over 40 students of the district government schools, who had passed the class 10 and 12, have been admitted to some higher institutions due to the constant follow-up from the people who are working in the special career guidance control room of the district.

The state government has been running special control rooms, with call centre facility, in all of its districts since June 3 with a view to resolving student dropouts and offering career counseling and inputs. The special control room for Madurai district has been functioning from the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) office at Tallakulam. Teachers and counselors at the center monitored and kept in contact with the parents of the students who had dropped out or not applied to college, resulting in over 40 students receiving admissions at arts and science colleges, ITIs and polytechnic.

P Saravana Murugan, programme in-charge and assistant project officer, Samagra Shiksha, told TNIE that they ensured that 95% of the students who passed the board exams have applied for higher studies. "We are expecting results of the supplementary examination, based on which we will give counseling to the students and make them eligible for scholarship to study. The collector is the nodal officer for the scheme. Very few students come to the control room in person, but the professionals engaged, such as arts and science college teachers, polytechnic college teachers and ITI teachers, have been making every possible effort for their admission," he added.

Samagra Shiksha district coordinator M Manivannan further added that they took students' details from the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) and government school principals as well. "As per the statistics, we interact with parents regularly to ensure their children undertake studies. We have also extended help to the students in the form of sponsorship, government scholarship, and career advice so that they can opt for a good profession," he said.

M Bharathikannan, a differently abled student who studied at a government school in A Vallalapatti in Melur taluk, cleared the Class 12 examination. His father -- P Manikandan, a casual laborer in the fields -- was not financially in a position to fund his son's further studies. Manikandan also said, "A teacher in a call centre called me and gave the necessary support and guidance. My son now has got admission in a computer course in an ITI centre, and classes will begin from late July."

Another student, A Yogeswaran of Vadipatti taluk, both parents of whom died, was called by the centre teachers, for whom he expressed interest in pursuing B Com. "The teachers went to the SN college and organized admission with sponsorship," he added.

Aspirant students may call 0452-2522995 and 7200647475. Special career guidance control room will function until October 31.

A heart-wrenching incident has shook Odisha and the internet where a 20-year-old undergraduate student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore set herself on fire. She is currently battling for her in the hospital. It was a suicidal protest, in broad daylight, against months of reported sexual harassment by a faculty member and the unwillingness of the college administration to act on her repeated pleas. 

The Incident: A Call of Justice Unheard

The student, Soumyashri Bisi, a second-year integrated B.Ed student, burned herself on July 12 outside the office of the principal, the last time she visited this official. She has undergone a burn injury of more than 90% and is currently in a critical condition in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, under ventilator care. One of the other students, who attempted to rescue her, has also received severe burns and is in the hospital. 

When the principal, Dilip Ghosh, was questioned, he said, "The student had come to me and wanted action against the teacher. I counselled her as she looked tense. She had lodged a complaint on June 30 and an internal complaint committee on 30th June and an ICC inquiry was going on.”

Why did the student burn herself in odisha? 

1. Months of Harassment: The student claims to have been the subject of constant harassment of the Head of the Integrated B.Ed Department, Sameer Kumar Sahu, according to her family and friends. He supposedly expressed unwanted requests more than once and threatened with academic consequences in case of refusal.
2. Ignored Formal Complaints: The brave student filed written complaints with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the college along with the police but no strong measures were taken. According to the ICC, there was a committee to deal with the situation but it did not succeed, and the student was left lonely and under pressure.
3. Forced Withdrawal of Complaint: The student’s father claimed that the principal, Dilip Ghosh, had pressured his daughter to withdraw her complaint, to the extent of threatening to rusticate her should she fail to do so. It was this institutional indifference and bullying that drove her to the brink and she had to take such a big step in order to seek justice. 

Aftermath: Public Outcry and Actions

As soon the incident went viral, the Odisha government swiftly responded. The accused faculty member, Sameer Kumar Sahu, was arrested and the principal, Dilip Ghosh was suspended. The Higher Education Department has also constituted a high level inquiry committee consisting of senior women officers to enquire into the matter.

Additionally, to attend to the student 24X7, an expert panel has been mobilised by AIIMS Bhubaneswar comprising specialists in critical care, nephrology, surgery, pulmonology and anaesthesia. Her status is still in critical condition, where the vital organs are also harmed with the degree of the scorching.

Furthermore, student groups, women organizations as well as political parties have erupted and expressed their fury towards the incident. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee has set up a fact finding committee on this and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj have promised to take a stringent action and stand by the family of the victim.

The family of Soumyashri refers to their daughter as a strong and talented young woman who is a master trainer in self-defence, disaster management trainee, poet and social worker. Her father, devastated by the turn of events, has vowed to fight for justice, highlighting the urgent need for institutional reforms to protect students from harassment and ensure accountability.

What Did This Incident Do?

The Odisha campus tragedy has fueled the issue of campus security, appropriateness of internal complaints committees and the dire necessity of gender-sensitive change in educational institutions. Activists and learners are demanding:

• Transparent and prompt investigations on claims of harassment.
• The liability of college officials over the failure of duty of care.
• Better protection systems to the victims of harassment.

With all eyes on Odisha and the country in general keeping their fingers crossed, the fight to salvage the life of Soumyashri is going on in the ICU of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. This tragic event is a stark reminder that institutional indifference and the lack of systemic change could ever usher another student or student to this extent of desperation in the future. 

A recent Atlassian survey reveals that 88% of Gen Z workers consider emojis a vital part of workplace communication, not just a fun element that is added with the text. These emojis and the tone, punctuation, and reaction time form what is now referred to as digital body language by the experts. This new lingo is being embraced in distant and hybrid offices where it is filling the space caused by the lack of in-person communication.

The evolution of the Emoji

To a number of Indian professionals of older generations, emojis may be regarded as entertaining garnishes or simply distractions. However, Gen Z, a generation that has seen rapid change and upgrade in lifestyle, cannot live without emojis. They facilitate the translation of emotions and purposes in a place where physical gestures such as the use of hands and facial expression or a simple smile is absent.

Digital body language does not only refer to the words a person types. These punctuation choices, fast or slow pace, tone, and above all emojis say what mood one is in, how much urgency is there, or how approachable one is, the report read.

The Importance of Emojis to the Younger Workers

Employees of generation Z aka young employees have been raised on texting, chatting, and digital interactions on social sites, where nonverbal communication is substituted by digital communication. This is how emojis assist the Gen Z to connect and communicate in the work place:

1. Tone Clarification: Emojis can help convey nuances such as sarcasm, excitement, or friendliness, clarifying the intended meaning behind a message.
2. Emotional Signals: A smiley face or a thumbs up without a smile or a nod would indicate to colleagues whether a message has been positive, supportive or reassuring.
3. Connection Building: Reacting with emojis will create the feeling of belonging and comfort, making relationships in a team, especially in a remote team.
4. Speed and Productivity: You can occasionally appreciate a message or agree with it by just a simple emoji, without using the words. For eg, dropping a thumbs up to an email instead of drafting a reply mail. 

Digital Body Language is the New Business Skill

This intricate network of cues is known as the digital body language. Emoji literacy does not only mean deploying emojis more frequently, it means reading the room, virtually.

Generational Gaps at the workplace

• Comprehension: Employers and important colleagues need to be aware of the shifting norms and the ways in which they can communicate truly through the use of digital tools.
• Inclusion: Groups that have adopted digital body language with emoji will find it easier to connect with one another because in-person communication is a key component in remote or hybrid environments.
• Equilibrium: As much as emojis help in communication, use of emojis excessively and misinterpretation of a message can be a distraction. The most significant element is norms in the team about online communication.

A knowledge of, and acceptance of, digital body language will be invaluable to collaborating and connecting as Gen Z grows to become part of the workforce. Where emojis were previously dismissed as lightweight, they have become the only reliable means of conveying tone, establishing trust, and maintaining team alignment where body language is unavailable.

The real world of work used to shake hands or nod, and the world of emoji now may be telling us just as much by a simple smiley face or emoji with raised hand. To Gen Z, it is not only improved communication but a better workplace. 

The health ministry said sugar and trans fat are new tobacco. Nagpur as the pilot city is all set to put up “oil and sugar boards” across the city as a health warning. These health warning boards will educate the people about the high oil and sugar content of popular Indian snacks like samosas, vada pav, and jalebis, and highlight the health risks that come after consuming such snacks.The "Fit India" movement is the reason of this move and also to address rising obesity rates in the country. 

As per the statement published by TOI of president of the Cardiological Society of India, Nagpur, Amar Amale, “It’s the beginning of food labelling becoming as serious as cigarette warnings." He also said “Sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco. People deserve to know what they’re eating."  In addition, according to the letter written by health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, “India is witnessing a sharp rise in obesity among both adults and children.”

Nagpur is going to be the first city  in India to work on this model. The Union Health Ministry has directed all the government institutions in Nagpur and including AIIMS Nagpur to put up big, visible boards of oil and sugar to warn the people that fried Indian snacks they enjoy much are loaded with oil and sugar that are harming their body just like tobacco and cigarettes.  

What Is an Oil and Sugar Board?

• Educational posters or online screens at cafeterias and common spaces of state facilities.
• Prominently present quantity of oil and sugar of the commonly eaten snacks in India.
• They are intended to put people to a halt, and make them reflect on what they are eating, similarly, to the way tobacco warnings do to smokers and others. 

The reason behind the movement

The problem of obesity in India is an urban phenomenon and is getting aggravated. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5),  here is what has been found:

It is clear that in India there is an almost twofold increase in obesity over the previous 15 years.  NFHS-5 results indicate that more than one-fifth of urban Indians are obese or overweight. And what’s more concerning is that childhood obesity is on the increase due to bad eating habits and lack of physical exercises.

Prime Minister Modi inspired the Vision of the Government: FIT INDIA

This initiative fits into the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on public health. On being invited to the 38th national games held in Dehradun (Jan 2025), PM Modi proposed a lifestyle change in the country and asked the people to minimize obesity by at least 10% of their current levels and minimize oil and sugar consumption in their daily meals. During his radio talk at “Mann Ki Baat”, he said that sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco and pointed out the importance of clear labelling on food to empower the citizens.

Highlights of the Health Ministry Directive

• The use of oil and sugar boards should be exhibited on the walls of the publicly accessible eateries in all central government institutions.
• The boards will show the consumers the presence of hidden calories and dangerous ingredients in snacks. 
• The action follows anti-tobacco labelling and is aimed at ensuring that food warnings are as efficacious as cigarette warnings.

Obesity in India

The number of Indian overweight and obese people will approach 44 crores by 2050 which places India only behind the US in the world scenario. Obesity is a causative factor of most diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. The driving factors are sedentary habits, urban lifestyles and the availability of junk food.

The colorful, simple-to-read boards can be sighted at the cafeterias and all of Nagpur soon in other cities. The boards will serve as daily reminders and each person will be reminded to make healthier decisions. This initiative may in the future be spread to other high calorie foods such as burgers and pizzas.

The innovative initiative taken by Nagpur can be a pattern across the country in the near future and it would be a revolutionary change in the way India is addressing its increasing junk food and obesity issue. With these oil and sugar boards rolling out, they will certainly offer to make each bite more informed, a reminder of which all of us need; that a moment of taste should not cost a lifetime of health. 

A rising tide of alarm is sweeping Madhya Pradesh's medical community following reports that the state government is considering closure or large-scale reorganization of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University (MPMSU), whose headquarters are in Jabalpur.

According to latest news in the media, the government is set to shift the degree-awarding power of MPMSU to regional universities. This will mean students studying in colleges like Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, would get their degree from Barkatullah University and those in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, under the jurisdiction of Rani Durgavati University, among others.

MPMSU, constituted to be the sole affiliating medical university of the state, would no longer be at the center stage.

Medicos protest move

In response to the move, the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of Madhya Pradesh has written to the Medical Education Minister, Rajendra Shukla, voicing strong opposition to the move.

In a detailed memorandum tabled this week, the association has urged the government to reconsider the move that can have long-term implications for the state's medical education and health systems.

The JDA letter emphasizes MPMSU's commitment in bringing uniformity, transparency, and accountability in medical and paramedical training in Madhya Pradesh. The earlier medical schools, not yet under MPMSU, were affiliated to various regional universities, leading to uneven exam schedules, delayed results, and reported malpractices.

"Establishment of MPMSU has introduced uniformity, transparency, and quality in medical and paramedical education in the state. All the affiliated medical colleges have been holding examinations on time and declaring results within a fixed duration ever since its establishment. This has not only led to greater discipline among students but also reduced corruption and malpractices that were prevailing earlier under the control of regional universities," the letter added.

The group also charged that the experience and knowledge that regional universities lack should be utilized in managing medical education, as it is much more complicated and dynamic than university programmes. 

Shifting allegiance back to such institutions, they argue, might result in academic variances, delay of internships and residencies, and disruption of critical training protocols.

The letter also stated that the university has been at the forefront of enforcing the standards and guidelines set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), an initiative that would be undermined by the lack of a centralised medical university.

No indication from the government yet

Speaking to EdexLive, President Junior Doctors Association Dr Kuldeep Gupta reaffirmed these concerns and urged the government to clarify its intentions.

We came to know from the media reports that the state government is considering closing MPMSU. It's sad, as Madhya Pradesh has just one single medical science university that has a supervisory role on all the medical colleges of the state. It would be a big injustice to the medical students if it is closed down," he said.

We wrote to the Department of Medical Education, and though we haven't received a word officially, department sources have unofficially informed us that the university will not be shut down. Instead, they will introduce new professional courses," he added.

"Such a move to end MPMSU would, however, severely affect the standards of medical education, Academic uniformity will be disrupted, and inconsistency in examination timings and training between institutions," he added.

With the anxiety continuing, students, teachers, and medical organizations across the state are now awaiting an official announcement from the government. Meanwhile, Junior Doctors Association threatened that another step could be initiated if their concerns are not addressed at once.

MPMSU, established in 2011, now has the membership of over 300 Madhya Pradesh-based medical, dental, nursing, paramedical, and AYUSH colleges. Restructuring on such a large scale would affect thousands of students and several streams of medical education.

An old video shot in Murshidabad, West Bengal, had captured the imagination of the internet in which a man is seen riding a bed-car. This 27-year-old man named Nawab Sheikh sold his wife jewellery and built a bed-car but was caught by traffic police for ‘creating nuisance.’ 

This design is literally a bed on wheels with steering, brakes, and mirrors which has become an Internet celebrity as soon as it appeared online. Netizens were longing to have such a design, so when it finally became a reality, the internet broke into laughter and amazement making the photos and video viral in the month of April, 2025. However, due to traffic concerns and traffic rules  the bed vehicle was confiscated by the police and Nawab lost his invention as well as the ornaments of his wife. This sarcastic case is like a textbook example of how design is more than just a viral possibility and creativity.

Difference between Good Design or Bad Design

Design is not all about being different or standing out. It involves problem solving, safety and legal and ethical standards.

A design is a good design when it: 

1. Meets a real need: Good design will not only make your timeline better, but you will also tend to lead a better life.
2. Functions and is safe: A product should be effective in fulfilling its intended objective without any danger to users and others.
3. Adhere to rules: Public spaces do not allow breaking the law.
4. Weighs innovation and accountability: Creativity can never be used at the expense of those in society.

A design is a Bad Design when it:

1. Doesn't consider context and consequences. Sometimes just because one has the power to turn something on, it does not mean one should. Considering the content and the consequences of a design is highly important. 
2. Ignore safety and legality: In the event that the police impound your creation, then it is time to relook your strategy.
3. Focus on gimmicks rather than substance: Substance is what has the enduring effect as opposed to momentary internet popularity.

The story of Nawab is a lesson to all future designers. His creativity is top-notch, but the absence of any formal training meant that he did not pay much attention to such crucial factors as safety, legality, and social responsibility. That is exactly why it is necessary to become a student of a distinguished design college. Such institutions do not only teach creativity, but also the principles and structures on which successful, responsible design is based.

What can design aspirants learn? 

Design aspirants who have the creativity, skills, and potential to design something good, and something demanding, still can’t be great designers. Here is what they must consider: 

1. Study from the right institute: A systematised education will allow you to make your creativity aim at the realisation of practical and sustainable solutions.
2. learn the rules before breaking them: Know the basic principles of design and safety regulations on the road and only then go to break the rules.
3. Act to have a significant difference: Do not aim at pursuing temporary attention on the Internet, but for designs to last and be useful to society.

This bed car viral video case is an example of how a design can be a solution or a disaster since in the world of design the line between innovation and irresponsibility may be as slim as the mattress on the infamous bed-car that Nawab used. So, learn about the difference between a good and a bad design, get the right qualification from a top design institute and build something efficient, functional, and appreciated. 

Knife crime is a growing concern in many countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Talking about India, specific types of knife-related crimes and offenses are seeing a rise, especially among juveniles and in specific cities. Knives have indeed become the most common weapons used in murders, especially in Australia, and their use in violent crimes is on the rise around the globe. But despite the unfortunate commonality of knife attacks, they still are difficult to investigate. 

Why Are Knife Crimes So Hard to Investigate?

A stabbing is not just an act of violence; the very nature of it is personal, often involving a face-to-face confrontation. Each case is unique, with many factors influencing what happens during an attack:

1. Characteristics of the attacker: these can include factors such as height; strength; right or left-handedness; and indeed whether the attacker is skilled in the use of knives. 
2. Characteristics of the victim: body build and posture may have a bearing; so may the number of layers of clothing interposed between blade and flesh.
3. Details of the weapon: the very blade of the knife may make all the difference-a kitchen knife with a small cutting blade may produce entirely different wounds than would a machete.
4. Environmental factors: Depending upon lighting, location, and even weather, the details of the attack and the evidence left may vary.

Because of these things, remaking the crime scene to understand stabbing turns into a very complicated puzzle. The investigators need to combine witness statements, physical evidence (such as blood stains or fibers), and trace materials that are sometimes less obvious but include DNA or soil into a coherent story. 

Role of forensic science in knife crime investigations 

Forensic analysts combine scientific analysis with investigative forensic techniques to figure out what actually happened during a stabbing. Their objectives include:

• Characterize the weapon used.
• Work out if the act was intentional or accidental.
• Work out the force applied and the angle of attack.

All these make the process complicated. The witnesses might have been in shock as it occurred, or might have had poor visibility of the event; whereas physical evidence can possibly be contaminated or degraded in many ways. That is when simulations take over. 

Simulations of Stabbings

To properly understand how a stabbing took place, investigators have to recreate the incident. Three main ways exist. 

1. Manual-Type Simulations

What are they? Human experts physically replicate stabbing motions in order to study wound profiles and test materials, such as clothing.

Pros: Valuable knowledge about biomechanics and real-life scenarios can be obtained.

Cons: The results may be subjective as different people tend to produce forces and use techniques in diverse ways.

2. Mechanical Simulations

What are they? Machines carry out controlled, repeatable stabbing motions. 

Pros: Human error is eliminated and consistency achieved.

Cons: They can only imitate a limited range of human movement and force, and there are no standard protocols for doing so.

3. Robotic Simulations 

What are they? Sophisticated robots imitate with an almost-human elasticity but machine-like precision.

Pros: Interpolates the advantages of missiles accuracy-repeatability adaptability.

Cons: It is still under development, expensive to acquire, operates with professional assistance, and needs a lot more validation in real-life situations before being accepted for common use.

Why Is Clothing So Significant in Stabbing Cases?

The clothing will literally change the course of a stab. A heavy coat may decelerate or even blunt a knife, whereas light material won't provide much defense. That's why simulations have to account for:

1. Pre-impact factors: Garment type, weapon, and attacker's and victim's physical features.
2. Impact factors: Method of stabbing, force, and angle.
3. Post-impact factors: How the body breaks down, whether the scene has been disturbed, and environmental factors such as rain or heat.

Adding variables makes simulations more realistic but harder to do. Planning is required to prevent errors.

Blending Methods for Improved Results

Recent studies indicate that the best method is to blend manual, mechanical, and robotic simulations. Here's how it's done:

• Manual simulations are used to train robotic systems to more closely replicate human movements.
• Robots subsequently carry out accurate, repeatable tests, which provide consistent measurements.
• Mechanical tools plug the gaps, providing controlled experiments where required.

This approach closes gaps in existing forensic science, bringing crime scene reconstructions closer to being accurate and reliable. It ultimately brings justice to victims and provides reassurance that investigations are based on robust, scientific evidence.

Knife crime is a serious problem, yet emerging technologies in robotics and forensic science are increasingly making it simple to investigate and crack the cases. Adopting the combination of old expertise and forensic technology, investigators can solve even the most intricate crimes. With this technology becoming more available and proven, we can look forward to even improved outcomes in the quest for justice.

In a long-awaited move towards strengthening the health cadre of the state, the Himachal Pradesh government has sanctioned a significant increase in paramedical training seats in two of its premier medical colleges—Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Tanda. It is the first significant increase in over two decades.

The action is against the background of growing need for trained technical staff in hospitals and health centers across the state, particularly inasmuch as newer healthcare equipment are being put into commission but where no trained hands exist to handle them. A government official explained that the action is part of measures to increase the numbers of trained technical staff, which has been a universal deficiency in the delivery of quality healthcare services within the state.

In IGMC Shimla, the seats for concerned paramedical courses—BSc Medical Laboratory Technology, BSc Radiography and Imaging, and BSc Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology—have been upgraded from a mere 10 to 50 seats per course. Similarly, in RPGMC Tanda, the seats in BSc Medical Laboratory Technology, Radiology, and Anaesthesia courses have been upgraded from 18 to 50 each.

The hike is expected to significantly ease the burden of workload on the existing healthcare staff and also narrow the manpower shortage in government hospitals, especially in underserved and rural regions.

The move was greeted by health professionals as a much-needed initiative towards delivering the state's healthcare facilities with qualified professionals who can operate advanced diagnostic and treatment machinery. The increase will also create new career avenues in allied health science students.

With this initiative, the Himachal Pradesh government shows that it is not only interested in making investments in infrastructure but also in manpower to successfully operate it.

AICLET, or the All India Common Law Entrance Test, is a national-level law entrance exam in India, powered by Edinbox. This exam can be taken anytime of the year for both UG and PG law courses. 

If you want to do a law course like LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB or LLM course, and are in search of the best path to the best private law colleges in Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal, Mumbai or any other place in India, then All India Common Law Entrance Test (AICLET) is the door to the prestigious Law colleges. 

Short description about AICLET 2025: At a Glance

1. AICLET is the All India Common Law Entrance Test.
2. It provides access to quite a number of undergraduate and postgraduate law courses in over 50 partner routes and recognized law institutes in India.
3. The major courses one can pursue after this exam are BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB, LLB and LLM.
4. The whole process through AICLET is online, including registration, the exam, and even the counseling, meaning that anyone can go through such a process without having to travel, making it very convenient when it comes to the students in all states.
5. Edinbox, a market leader in education and technology solutions, provides the exam, and a secure and efficient process of the test will be ensured.

Why is AICLET a better Law Exam?

AICLET is India's first law entrance exam in which the candidates have an option of taking the exam in the comfort of their home or any other comfortable place using either a laptop, mobile or a desktop. The test site has high-level monitoring through the camera, sound and browser trackings and maintains integrity and fairness during the examination time. This approach means even students from remote areas can participate on a level playing field, making the law admission process both inclusive and accessible.

Exam Structure of AICLET 2025 

1. Time: 1 hour (60 minutes)
2. Type Of Question: Multiple choice questions: 100 questions
3. Marking Scheme: 1 mark for all correct answers, no negative marking for incorrect answers
4. Exam Type: Online; can be done on any computer that has an internet connection

Eligibility Criteria

• For UG Courses: You must have completed class 12 (10+2) with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized board.
• For PG Courses: You should hold a law degree (LLB or equivalent) with at least 50% aggregate marks.

Admission to Top Private Law Colleges

Clearing AICLET gives you a chance to apply to India’s leading private law colleges and universities that are partners in the AICLET consortium. After results are declared, qualified students can select their preferred college, fill in the counseling form, and book their admission seat online. This streamlined process not only saves time but also provides direct access to top law institutes without multiple entrance exams.

Simple Admission Process

• Register Online: Sign up through the AICLET portal.
• Appear for the Online Exam: Take the test on the scheduled date from your location.
• Check Results and Counseling: Download your score, select your university, and fill out the counseling and seat booking forms online.
• Begin Your Law Career: Join your chosen college for LLB, BA LLB, or other law programs, starting your journey toward a successful legal career.

Why Choose AICLET?

1. 100% online, safe and accessible across India
2. No negative marking—reduces pressure and gives every aspirant a fair chance
3. Accepted by 50+ top private law institutes nationwide 
4. Transparent, efficient, and tech-driven application and admission process

For law aspirants seeking LLB entrance exam, BA LLB entrance, or a head start toward a career in law, AICLET is your smart choice for 2025. Visit the official AICLET portal for detailed guidelines, important dates, and direct registration

As demand for healthcare professionals particularly in allied health sciences increases, Indian students are no longer relying on conventional entry points in healthcare services such as NEET. Global Allied Healthcare Entrance Test (GAHET 2025) has become the first country-wide entrance exam of India in the field of allied health courses. But what is the comparison between GAHET and NEET and which one is better and preferable to Gen Z medical aspirants? 

What is the NEET entrance exam?

NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is the most popular entrance exam for undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS), and some allied health courses in India. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The subjects covered in this exam are Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. To be eligible for taking NEET, students must have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English. Usually this medical entrance exam is conducted in May every year and the application is through the NTA NEET portal, 

What is GAHET?

GAHET (Global Allied Healthcare Entrance Test) is a pioneering entrance exam designed specifically for students aspiring to build careers in allied health sciences. Unlike NEET, which is primarily for MBBS and BDS admissions, GAHET opens doors to a variety of paramedical and allied health courses. The subjects covered in this exam are Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English. To be eligible for taking this paramedical entrance exam, the candidates must meet criteria set by the conducting authority (details on gahet.org ). The exam can be given any month, as per one's convenience. 

Difference between GAHET and NEET

Why GAHET is best for GenZ paramedical aspirants?

Global Allied Healthcare Entrance Exam is a 100% online exam with no negative marking. It is suitable for all the genZ who have a different view of exams. Through this paramedical entrance exam students get easy admission in the top Private paramedical  colleges. All the aspirants who wish to pursue a career in healthcare but do not wish to be a doctor or a nurse,  there are many other opportunities in healthcare that pay much better and hold similar significance as that of a doctor and a nurse. To pursue such a career, students don’t need to take NEET, they can simply opt for a decent entrance test like GAHET if they believe they have all the skills/ potential and NEET didn’t go well for them or NEET is not something they are willing to take.  

Reasons to Give GAHET over NEET

1. Contemporary, Student-Centered Practice: 

GAHET has been developed with a view of the current students. The exam pattern is not as rote as before, but tests all round aptitude, ability and English language proficient-abilities which are so important in any global healthcare career.

1. Broader Career Choices:

NEET is a gateway to MBBS and BDS but GAHET is a goldmine of opportunities to explore in the world of allied health sciences such as doors of physiotherapy, medical lab technology, radiology and so on. The demand for these careers in India and abroad is high.

1. Adaptable and open Procedure: 

GAHET application and examination is straightforward and clear, and all the information is posted on the gahet.org. The exam is done through several centres and it is easily reached by students around the country.

1. Employability-focus: 

The skills required to work in the contemporary healthcare sector are reflected in GAHET syllabus and evaluation style. This has made the students qualified in GAHET more industrial-ready and employable.

1. National First Allied Health Exam: 

The first of its kind is a national-level entrance in the allied health field called GAHET set in India, specialised and focused; thus, it should be preferred by a student who knows their career choice.

There is also a paramedical entrance test in AIIMS which is very competitive and is restricted to AIIMS campuses. The date of examination AIIMS Paramedical 2025 will be posted on the official site of AIIMS. But GAHET has a wider selection of allied health colleges which offer a wider variety of colleges in which students can select.

So Which Entrance Exam to take?

1. If you dream of becoming a doctor (MBBS/BDS): NEET is mandatory.
2. If you want a rewarding career in allied health sciences: GAHET is the best route, offering flexibility, modern assessment, and a Gen Z-friendly approach.
3. If you want to keep all options open: You can appear for both exams, as their schedules usually don’t clash

The medical field is advanced and the entrance tests are too. GAHET 2025 is nothing short of an alternative method to NEET and a movement towards the more accessible and appealing allied health careers among the young population of India. Are you a Gen Z professional who wants to have a dynamic and skill-based healthcare career that is future-ready? There could not be a better option other than GAHET.

To get further information and latest updates, refer to the official GAHET site.  

With artificial intelligence developing at an ever-increasing pace the world is being presented with a new problem of how to safeguard people against the abuse of their identity in deepfake manipulation that has been presented by artificial intelligence. As a result, Denmark is about to become the first nation in Europe, and among the first worldwide, legally to grant individuals the copyright over their own face, voice and body. This major step is intended to provide citizens with ownership over the use of their faces and voices in the digital era and in a time when deepfake technology is increasingly composed and easy to create. 

What Is Denmark’s Deepfake Law?

In June 2025, the government of Denmark proposed an initiative that will fundamentally change the copyright legislation in the country, which was backed by virtually every major political group. The proposed new law would grant a person his physical appearance, voice, and his body as his intellectual asset. It implies that when an individual uses your image (your face, voice or physical appearance) in a fake video, audio recording or image without consent, you could sue him or her to remove it and be rewarded with monetary compensation.

Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt of Denmark reported that the law aims to put “a loud message” that each person has the rights over their own face and voice. He underlined the urgency as people could be cloned or copied nowadays with the help of digital devices and these people could be misused in a way people never could imagine before. The legislation should be adopted by fall in 2025, and it will be implemented by the end of the year.

Why Is This Law Important for Digital Rights? 

Deep fakes, hyper-realistic AI-generated images, videos, or audio that resemble real people, have become an international issue. A study by Deeptrace Labs estimated that there were more than 500,000 deepfake videos on the Internet by early 2025 as the amount of deepfake videos online doubled every six months in 2024. These deepfakes are also utilized in malicious activities, research, and misinformation, fraud, non-consensual explicit content creation.

How Will the Law Work? 

1. Copyright over Likeness: People will be having a copyright of face, voice and body.
2. Removal and Compensation: It permits the targets to seek the removal of unauthorized posting and compensation.
3. Platform Accountability: The social media and technology platforms should be swift in order to delete the flagged content, or they should be penalized severely.
4. Exemptions: Satire and its parody are allowed to guarantee freedom of speech.

The Danish government also plans to advocate for similar protections throughout the European Union when it assumes the EU presidency in 2025, signaling a potential shift in digital rights across the continent.

Implications and Opinion around the world

Digital rights and AI ethics experts have applauded the move by Denmark. Dr. Carissa Vllez is a professor of AI ethics at the University of Oxford, and he believes that this legislation can become the first paradigm of global digital personal rights, which will empower ordinary people against AI abuse. European Digital Rights (EDRi) agrees with the move as well, because the current legal regulations have not kept pace with the AI advancement.

Denmark is in the spotlight of other countries. The European Union already adopted the AI Act that establishes the regulation on high-risk AI applications but the Danish legislation would be even more detailed, shedding light on matters of individual rights and protection against deepfakes. The United States is also debating it, with states such as California and Texas enacting laws against deepfake election interference but so far no state currently has comprehensive copyright of personal likeness.

Why is it Important to the World?

Since the AI content is becoming increasingly advanced, identity theft, fraud, and reputational damage risks are increasing. Copyrighting of faces and voices is a preemptive move to enable the citizenry, keep predators at bay, and bring tech corporations to justice.

This action by Denmark is not only related to the protection of their own country as it might trigger an influx of similar legislation at an international scale, placing a new standard of how digital rights should be accommodated in the age of AI. Legal systems (such as the one in Denmark) will play an important role in preserving personal identity and integrity in online correspondences as deepfake technology develops.

The revolutionary idea by Denmark to confer copyright on faces, voices, and bodies is the answer to deepfangs that has come at the right time. Having a clear vision on digital rights and high political support, Denmark is establishing the example of how individuals can be safeguarded against the abuses introduced by AI. This law is capable of becoming an example to other countries all over the world, as the world observes and hopes that in the era of AI applications, only the owner would own his/her identity.

If you are seeking to  pursue an MBA in India or any Management course, and want a convenient exam that helps you secure admission in the best of the private management colleges in India as a student, then the Global Management Common Aptitude Test (GMCAT) might just be the best management entrance test for you. GMCAT, powered by Edinbox, is specifically designed to help the highly driven students of today get admission at the top management college in India to pursue MBA or BBA degree in Human Resource Management, Finance, etc.

In this article, you will come to know about the GMCAT entrance test, its syllabus, exam pattern, important dates and everything else. 

What is GMCAT?

GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test) is a new age national-level entrance test which is accepted by top management institutes in India (for the time being). GMCAT2025 opens up the opportunity to pursue a variety of management programs whether it is undergraduate (such as BBA) or postgraduate (such as MBA, PG in HR, Finance, Marketing) program.

Key Highlights:

1. Recognized in leading private management institutes in India and throughout the world
2. 100% online application and examination process
3. Maximum three attempts (the highest score counts)
4. Availability of scholarships and financial aid
5. Admissions & post-admissions career counselling and support

Why Take GMCAT?

1. Online and easy: Take the exam online and at a place of your choice any time you prefer. No requirement of going to a test centre.
2. Multiple Attempts: There are up to three attempts that a student gets to raise his or her score, where only the highest score is used to determine the admissions. 
3. Wide Acceptance: The GMCAT scores are recognized by the top most private management colleges in India. 
4. Guidance and Guidance Scholarships:  Scholarships according to merit and according to need are provided and career counselling, which guides you as to what you want to do in life is also given. 
5. Speed and Openness: Quick availability of scores help simplify the admission process.

GMCAT Exam Pattern

GMCAT is designed for maximum convenience and accessibility. Here’s how the exam works:

Steps to Admission via GMCAT:

1. Go to GMCAT official portal: GMCAT.org 
2. Register by filling your details. 
3. Make the Payment of 2000rs to complete your enrollment 
4. Take the test on the scheduled date
5. Access results through the candidate portal.
6. Participate in counselling and finalise your admission.
7. Choose the college you wish  to take admission at.
8. Complete provisional admission at your chosen college

GMCAT Syllabus

The GMCAT syllabus is developed using the best minds in education and real life industry leaders and aims to evaluate functional management ability and proficiency. It discusses the basics that are required in business and management studies.

Core Sections:

• Quantitative Aptitude: Simple arithmetic, interpretation, logic and troubleshooting.
• Verbal Ability: Reading comprehension, Grammar and Vocabulary, Sentence Correction and critical reasoning.
• General Awareness: Current news of business, current affairs, a review of any general economic trend and general knowledge in context to management.
• Analytical and logical Reasoning: Puzzle, series, data analysis and logical reasoning.

It is a balanced syllabus that will make sure that you are assessed on the necessary skills when it comes to being a management profession in the future and that is without testing you on just unimportant fluff, or testing you on old fashioned topics.

Dates and Registration on Exams

• Registration start Date: January 1, 2025
• Last Date to Register: 18th July, 2025
• Exam Date: 19th July, 2025
• Result Date: 21st July 2025
• Counselling: Starts right after the declaration of the result

Complete your application within this period to ensure your eligibility for GMCAT 2025.

Important Tips for Candidates

• Set Reminders: mark all important dates and set reminders to ensure a smooth process.
• Document Verification: Keep all necessary documents ready for smooth application, exam, and counseling processes.
• Regular Updates: keep yourself in loop with the official GMCAT notification. 

GMCAT vs. Other Management Entrance Exams

Courses you can Pursue with GMCAT

• BBA
• MBA

With GMCAT 2025, management entrance tests are being re-designed to ensure they are less strenuous, less rigid and more focus oriented on the student. As far as smooth admission into the management colleges of your choice is concerned, GMCAT is an intelligent and contemporary choice whether the course would be MBA, BBA, HR, or even Finance.

Become a MBA aspirant/ Management course graduate by enrolling for GMCAT entrance exam from this portal: gmcat.org 

For more information, feel free to connect with us at 8071296497.

A new industrial revolution is taking shape in China with dark factories where fully automated manufacturing facilities operate without human workers or the need for lights. The factories are called dark factories because they are dark in literal sense as machines can work efficiently without lights. 

What are Dark Factories? 

Dark factories in China are driven by advanced technology of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and sensors and will be a significant change in the manufacturing environment across the world. Everything in this dark factory is done by machines, instead of humans, where there is no need to turn on the lights, fans, heaters, or to take breaks. This not only reduces energy consumption and operational costs but also allows for 24/7 production, maximizing efficiency and output. 

The push towards dark factories is a core part of China’s ambitious “Made in China 2025” initiative, which aims to make the country a global leader in high-tech manufacturing. The government of China has put a lot of money into automation and has installed more than 290, 000 industrial robots in 2022, which is more than 50 % of all the robots installed in the world, way ahead of other countries. 

Leading Companies and Examples 

Major corporations like Foxconn and BYD are leading this transformation. Foxconn has replaced tens of thousands of workers with robots and plans to automate 1/3rd of its operations by 2025. Xiaomi’s Changping facility exemplifies this trend, producing one smartphone every second through AI-powered systems.

Benefits and Challenges

Dark factories are not just for efficiency but for the need of the era where fast commerce is increasing and people don’t possess patience to wait for a thing. Also, As labor costs in China rise, automation offers a way to maintain competitiveness and avoid issues like strikes or labor shortages. Robots are also more accurate that minimize product defects and enhance the quality of the products being manufactured. 

However, challenges surround this revolution. The transition brings fear of job displacement to millions of factory employees and creates new demand for highly skilled engineers and technicians to design, maintain and upgrade these sophisticated systems. 

The Future of Manufacturing 

The trend is gaining momentum despite these misgivings. By early 2025, Chinese companies had built thousands of smart and hundreds of fully automated dark factories, primarily in high-tech industries electronics and electric vehicles. These plants are the results of the collaboration of AI, big data, and 5G technologies that redefine the industry and the quality control and productivity levels.

In conclusion, China is changing and revolutionizing production with its dark factories and its push towards modern technology and efficiency. On the one hand, the dark factory of China is offering the future of greater productivity and reduction of costs; on the other hand, it vividly demonstrates the necessity of discussing the social and economic consequences of automation on the working population. 

In a significant move, the Delhi government has decided to install smart boards in government schools. This digital initiative will change the way lakhs of children gain education on a daily basis. This is one of the largest investments in the world, the Delhi Cabinet has sanctioned, 900 crores, to have nearly 21000 smart boards replace the blackboards in classrooms in government schools by 2029-30, and a smart board, is not just about technology, it makes a difference in bridging it in the opportunity gap, and it also makes a difference to the minds of young people.

For decades, the blackboard has been used in Indian classrooms, but in Delhi  that has over 37,000 government school classrooms, only 799 had smart boards until now and that too have largely been equipped out of donations, not the government. That’s less than 2.1%! 

The new initiative will transform this story so much so that 18,996 smart boards will be deployed in five phases, and another 2,466 will be already in pipe-line in 75 CM Shri schools.

Here’s what makes smart board important in today’s classroom: 

1. Interactive Learning: Videos, animations, and interactive quizzes can be used with the help of these boards making the lessons much more interesting, and simple to comprehend.
2. Personalised Education: Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the smart boards will support experiential and personalised learning, catering to different learning styles.
3. AI and Robotics Ready: Delhi even has plans to continue the tradition of Gujarat with the introduction of AI-enabled smart boards and robotics labs and provide students with practical skills with new technologies of the future.

The most notable thing is the fact that the government is taking education very seriously through focusing on schools in localities like Najafgarh, Narela, Seemapuri, Mahavir Enclave and Kirari; areas which tend to be untouched when it comes to major reforms. It is a deliberate move to make sure that digital learning can no longer be a preserve of the elite but it is available in far corners of Delhi.

What the government is doing is more than placing hardware, a smart board in a class. It is about investing in the youth. The use of the new tools by teachers will be facilitated by a special teacher training module where they will find it possible to maximize the potential of the technology, whereby technology will indeed be promoting personalized teaching and learning. 

This e-drive is an extension of a larger vision. Delhi aims to install 7,000 smart classrooms, 175 digital libraries, 100 APJ Abdul Kalam Language Labs teaching foreign languages proficiency in English, French, and German, by the year end. It implies greater resources, greater opportunities, and a more internationalist look ahead for the young people of Delhi.

The education leaders of Delhi have turned to other cities to be inspired. Take the example of Gujarat that has already installed more than 1.1 lakh smart classes even in the flood-prone districts. Through such success stories, Delhi is ready to jump forward to the future.

To parents and students, this is not merely a technological update but a commitment  that the government schools will surely provide high-quality education, with a high degree of equity and digital freedom that students deserve to have in the 21st century. In the case of India, it is an example that may spawn other progressive changes in other states to grant all children a level playing field in the digital era, irrespective of their backgrounds.

Education Minister Ashish Sood of Delhi said “We are committed to taking quality education to every corner of Delhi, from Najafgarh to Kirari. This is the first major step towards making Delhi’s government schools better than private schools, not just in infrastructure, but in pedagogy and learning outcomes as well” 

This shows the government of Delhi is looking forward to a future where students get quality education indifferent to the type of institute they are in. This is giving the students of Delhi government schools an assurance that their dreams matter and they can be future ready with the help of advanced classrooms.

As a society, we often prioritise academic achievement over the emotional well-being of our children. The stress of shifting schools and cities can have a profound impact on young minds, leading to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and isolation.

Reminiscing 2020’s global house-arrest and with campuses being closed and online learning being pursued, edtech push by COVID is now stronger than the fintech push by demonetization. The teacher-student model has ceased to exist for ever now, and we are moving to a qualitatively different mentor-learner model not just in the current digital learning phase, but also in the post pandemic times ahead. Beyond this complete campus lockdown phase, during which time mentoring-learning-assessing has gone online globally, we shall be moving towards blended phygital education ahead, which will be the new normal ahead, and will make the new model of mentor-learner firmly entrenched.

Learning or academics or education broadly has three functions: creation of learning content through research, writing, packaging with visuals; dissemination of learning through classes, lectures, notes, self-study, discussions; & assessment and evaluation of the education of the learner by various methods. All these three have been majorly impacted by the self-isolation imposed to ensure social distancing so that the learners and the mentors may first be protected from the spread of the infection of COVID19. The lockdown across the world is simultaneously a boon and a bane for the teaching-learning community today.

Teacher to Mentor:

The teacher was a sage on the stage, introducing every new topic, speaking the last word on it, sticking to a structured syllabus as prescribed, interpreting it as s/he deems right, finishing the syllabus and focusing on examination and evaluation to complete the cycle of delivery of education. He often demands respect, and relies on the power to punish to set things right (not always, though). Teacher teaches and often sermonizes.

Each premise noted above is changing now.

Mentor today is a co-learner, may be the first stimulus for a topic but never the last word, starts from a structured syllabus but is expected to move towards organic learning depending upon the variegated interest areas of groups of learners, aggregates learning resources from multiple sources and shares with the learners, is more a guide, second parent and agony shelter of sorts for the learners. Examination also is diverse and evaluation is just one more function and not the ultimate yardstick of learning and brilliance of the learner. Mentor may often be less informed about an issue, but with a better perspective to guide. Mentor engages and inspires.

Learning Resources Aggregation & Delivery:

To begin with being the new age mentor, a massive train the trainer and capacity building is needed today. For this, first the mentor has to be a digital personality with smartphone and net connection, and with laptop and wifi connection. Next, one has to learn how to create, deliver and engage in content across multiple online platforms, and how to take matter learnt online to matter practiced offline face to face. Third, one has to now learn assessment with open book through analysis and application, through quiz, through applied projects, through phygital presentation and actual work in labs and studios after using virtual labs and studios.

Creating the learning resources was quite easy earlier. There were the books, often called text and reference books, then the power-point presentation of the teacher, and then chalk and talk. And the topic was first introduced in a class, post which notes were given, books were mentioned, and later examination was conducted to check memory and a bit of understanding.

The game is changed now. And totally so.

The concept of proprietary content (the mentor’s own videos, audio or podcast content, power-points, cases, info-graphics etc), aggregated content (books, monographs, videos, podcasts, URLs, pdfs, cases, etc taken from the internet, YouTube and Vimeo, etc), and also massive open/closed online learning resources (free ones like Swayam or NAPTEL, paid ones like those of Coursera or LinkedIn, and the university’s own online courses): these three are the learning resources today.

The mentor is expected to make a mix of proprietary, aggregated and online learning resources, suitably arranging them from the easies one to the toughest one and offer to the learners digitally (using Google Class, emails, or better, Learning Management Systems like Canvas or TCSion, Blackboard or Collaborate, etc,) at least a week or more before they meet digitally or physically to discuss the content. This is called Flipped Classroom where the learners get learning content much in advance, read, watch or listen to the same asynchronously at their own time, place or pace, note down things they have not understood or have questions on, and come to the digital/physical classroom synchronously, to clarify doubts, discuss cases, debate on conclusions drawn and participate in quiz or analytical or applied assignments. Delivery of the online session can be on any platform: MS Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet and can move from the synchronous digital classroom to asynchronous digital chatroom debates and discussions for further clarification.

This makes the task for Content Creation and Content Delivery for the mentors much more diverse, tech-savvy, and tougher than the traditional teacher’s job.

Learners’ Engagement & Evaluation:

Further, education will now move from a system imposed disciplined endeavour to voluntarily participated and internalized process. It will be truly a learner-centric education now in the new normal, and shall be far more participative than the past. The learner in the digital or blended mode is learning voluntarily and not on the basis of an imposed discipline on campus through a web of rules and power dynamics. While voluntary learning will throw many non-interested or apathetic learners out of the learning circle, it will also make many focused learners internalize education better and apply it in a more focused manner at his or her individual level.

Also, with Artificial Intelligence, robotics, automation, Machine Learning and internet of things being the other emerging realities, the skills for mass production or education to do the same work repeatedly will be totally irrelevant ahead when machines will take over almost all such work (more than three fourths of all human work today). Hence, new age skills, apart from technology use, have to be in areas like creativity, innovation, incubation, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, design thinking, empathy, emotional intelligence and risk management. Each of these can be qualitatively and quantitatively mentored to any youth from an early age of say 15 years till 25 years of age, and will become his or her second nature.

To deliver such a learning, the learners’ engagement techniques have to be more tech-savvy (google forms, polls, surveys, quiz, virtual lab and studio, AI tools, etc) and also with higher emotional quotient (use of humour, videos, info-graphics, empathy in the class, allowing diversity of opinion, wellness conscious, etc).

Even the evaluation or assessment has to be diverse. Assessment refers to learner performance; it helps us decide if students are learning and where improvement in that learning is needed. Evaluation refers to a systematic process of determining the merit value or worth of the instruction or programme; it helps us determine if a course is effective (course goals) and informs our design efforts. Assessment and evaluation can be both formative (carried out during the course) and summative (carried out following the course). There can be many ways for the same. Mentors can make learners aware of expectations in advance (e.g. one week for feedback from deadline) and keep them posted (announcement: all projects have been marked). For example, one can create tests that are multiple choice, true/false, or short answer essays and one can set the assessments to automatically provide feedback.

When online, evaluation can be on the basis of proctored digital examination or open-book analytical and applied evaluation with non-google-able questions. And this is surely not an easy task for the mentors as teachers of the past were used to repeat past questions, had set patterns of questions, examinations were ‘suggestions’ and memory based, and not application based in general. Online quiz, open book examination with time-managed and proctored question paper delivered online, applied questions not based on memory but comprehension, telephonic interview etc have been the usual ways of digital assessment and evaluation of learning.

There will be offline evaluation also. Here, the assessment can be based on offline written examinations, field-survey based presentation or report writing, debates, lab/studio-based practical, or a peer-group work, or a submission of a long-term real life or live project.

Digital Learning Tools Today:

The pandemic requires universities to rapidly offer online learning to their students. Fortunately, technology and content are available to help universities transition online quickly and with high quality, especially on the digital plank, though at a cost and with the risk of several teachers and administrators being forced to go out of the system.

Digital learning on the go or from distance calls for tech-led holistic solutions. It requires several content pieces to be transmitted digitally. These content pieces can be in the form of pdfs, ppts, URLs, YouTube links, podcast links, case-studies, etc. There can also be e-books, audio-books, kindle based content, magzter sourced magazines, etc. Then this can involve learning without being face to face through boxes, as in Google Class, or learning face to face as in Zoom live audio-visual discussions. People may also use GoToMeetings or MicrosoftMeet sessions also. Attendance can be taken on Google Spreadsheet and through WhatsApp Group chat of a batch of students too.

Then there are MOOCs, collaborative distance learning, wikis, blogs etc. Individual resource-rich institutes develop their customized secured and IPR protected Learning Management Systems, through the use of BlackBoard or TCSion LMS. Other LMS options like Kaltura or Impartus allowing video recording of talks also ar in use in many places. There are CourseEra courses, Swayam online lessons from UGC and similar other avenues to learn online.

Learning digitally can be further assisted with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) which can take the viewer to an enhanced experience even integrating scenarios which are yet to happen creatively bringing them within the learning experience. These are immersive and contextual experiences, and artificial intelligence driven chatbots can further enhance the digital interface of the learner and the mentor.

Digital Learning Value-adds:

Incorporating big data analytics and content management, educators can develop an individualized curriculum that enhances how each student learns (e.g. playlist of learning content in WiseWire changing for each student). Many in the West have started the use of the millennials' language and style: Khan Academy video lessons, YouTube use, distinct style and language for young learners. Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, Imessage, Instagram, Facebook & Whatsapp are being creatively integrated with school education. There is a case of a management school in India, where the professor sends a 3 minutes interesting video on the subject he is taking up next through group whatsapp to increase interest in the batch towards the topic being taught.

In the US, the smart-phone applications like Socrative and Plickers are helping teachers interact and assess students’ progress, collaborate via cloud-based applications to work and solve a common goal. Teachers can publish real-time quizzes and polls for students via mobile devices to keep them engaged.

Further, using anything from iMovie to WeVideo, learners can create video as a learning resource. YouTube (with privacy settings) and SeeSaw or Flipgrid are also alternatives learners can make use of. The benefits of SeeSaw and Flipgrid are that students can add voice recordings or text sharing feedback with peers. Students became the co-creators of content and as a result, more engaged, including their parents. Useful apps like Book Creator, Explain Everything and EduCreations can be utilised towards this end. 

There are various software used to create digital content, like Camtasia, Raptivity, Captivate, Articulate Online, etc.

Yes alongside, social media use extensively will support learning online. Facebook Page can broadcast updates and alerts. Facebook Group or Google Hangout with advanced features in G-suite can stream live lectures and host discussions. Twitter can act as a class message board. The 256 characters help to keep messages succinct. Instagram can be used for photo essays. One can create a class blog for discussions. There are many different platforms available, such as WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix, Blogger for that. And, one can create a class-specific Pinterest board as well.

Students to Learners:

With mentors replacing teachers, the students cannot be the pre COVID typical students any more going ahead.

Students study in classroom, are taught by teachers, limited to given syllabus, and study for marks, grades, degrees. Students give exams in written and on the basis of suggestions or set patters of evaluation.

Learners study within and beyond the classroom, from mentors, peers, personal experience, books, digitally aggregated content, through projects and through assignments. Learners learn for lifetime application, and hence learn to learn further as things learnt today are obsolete soon. Self-learning or learning to learn is hence a major cultivated skill for the present day learners, especially in higher education, as techniques and technologies are changing in the work-place in less than five years now. Learners also learn organically. While structured syllabus must be completed for foundation and examination, organic learning is about self-driven learning in few chosen areas out of interest, assisted by the mentors.

Yes, for this, doubling public education expenditure, digital access to the hinterland, considering digital connectivity as a human right, digital literacy as a fundamental pre-requisite in any work, providing cell phones and laptops or tabs en masse, announcing cheaper data packages for students, CSR in the field of domain of digital connectivity by corporate houses, etc and more would be needed soonest to bridge the yawning digital divide in the otherwise class divided society. It must be noted that even UNESCO has noted that only 48% of Indian learners’ community of 283 million is receiving some sort of online education today, the rest 52% going bereft of any form of formal learning whatsoever for more than a year now! And among these 48%, the girl-students are having a worse fate in the poorer families due to limited digital devices to which the sons have a higher access than the daughters.

Conclusion:

India has been speaking of digital education for long but it has stayed on as a possibility and not a reality for more than a decade now. Even IITs and IIMs have used digital platforms on the side for sharing of content and debating on issues sporadically. The larger mass of 1300 plus universities and some 44,000 colleges have actually not digitized their content, not made access to online learning mainstay of their teaching-learning process, except the distance learning universities. In fact, the old school educationists looked at online and distance education with some disdain all across South Asia. They are in for a major shock now. The digital divide needs fast bridging through the promise of 6% of the GDP for public education, through 2% of profits for CSR given here, and through civil society initiatives like getting smart-phones, laptops and tabs for the less privileged.

It is clear that going ahead digital access will be a human right, and those in governance must wake up to the reality that youngsters need in expensive tablets and easy data access. A nation that spends less than 3% of national budget for public education (lower than Tanzania, Angola and Ghana, et al), with the states putting in 2.5 (Bihar) to 26% (Delhi), with Delhi being the only state in double digits, cannot ensure digital education for the masses, unless allocation of funds and their transparent spending happen.

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Prof. Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury

The author is Vice President, Washington University of Science and Technology and Editorial Mentor, edInbox.com

The last two years have clearly shown that technology-aided remote schooling is neither fully possible nor completely desirable. 

Lest we forget that India is a nation of more than one-third of the population in the 15 to 25 years age-bracket, the most promising period of life when one decides career path, subjects for learning, types of work to do, and becomes self-dependent in the process.