Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed that the caste column be removed from school admission forms from the 2027-28 academic session, saying the move is aimed at reducing caste-based discrimination and promoting equality and fraternity among students. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Board (HPSCWB) on Wednesday.

Sukhu said the state government was committed to eliminating caste-based discrimination from society and that removing caste details from school admission forms would be a step towards addressing casteism at the grassroots level. He said children should not be identified by their caste in schools.

The Chief Minister, however, clarified that the decision would not prevent eligible students from Scheduled Castes and other socially and educationally backward sections from accessing government welfare schemes. Such students would continue to be able to provide the required caste-related information through their parents or guardians wherever it is necessary to avail themselves of government benefits.

The decision was taken while Sukhu chaired the meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Board. During the meeting, issues related to the welfare and development of Scheduled Caste communities were also discussed. State Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said the government was implementing various schemes aimed at the social and economic upliftment of disadvantaged sections.

Himachal Pradesh Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar said the Education Department would formulate a detailed policy and mechanism to implement the Chief Minister's decision. He said the policy would take into account the need to ensure that no eligible child is deprived of government-sponsored welfare schemes because caste details are no longer part of the regular school admission form.

The move is expected to require changes in school admission procedures and related records. While caste details would not be sought as a routine part of school admission, the information would remain accessible through an appropriate mechanism wherever it is legally or administratively required for welfare benefits.

Sukhu said the decision was intended to promote a sense of equality among children from the beginning of their schooling. The government has framed the measure as part of its broader effort to address caste-based discrimination and strengthen social harmony in the state.

The decision comes at a time when caste-related information continues to play a role in accessing reservation and welfare benefits in India. The Himachal Pradesh government has said that removing the caste column from school admission forms will not affect the eligibility of students entitled to such benefits, with a separate mechanism to collect the necessary information where required.

A young man from Hyderabad has reportedly died by suicide in the United States after struggling to secure employment following the completion of his master's degree.

The deceased has been identified as Sai Pradeep, a resident of Srinivasa Nagar Colony in Dammaiguda, Hyderabad. He had moved to the US in 2024 to pursue higher education and recently completed his master's degree in San Antonio, Texas.

Hyderabad Student Reportedly Struggled to Find Job

According to reports, Sai Pradeep had been searching for a suitable job for nearly four months after completing his master's degree but was unable to secure employment.

Family sources said the prolonged job search reportedly placed him under considerable stress and that he had been experiencing depression.

Sai Pradeep reportedly died by suicide in his room on August 21.

The news has left his family and relatives in Hyderabad shocked and distressed.

Growing Concerns Over International Student Pressure

The incident has once again drawn attention to the challenges faced by Indian and other international students in the US after graduation.

For students who travel abroad for higher education, securing employment after completing a degree can become a significant source of pressure, particularly when they face financial obligations, uncertainty over their career and immigration-related timelines.

The transition from university to employment can also involve intense competition, repeated job applications and uncertainty about the future.

For families in India, the financial and emotional investment involved in sending children abroad can add another layer of pressure when graduates struggle to find suitable employment.

The circumstances surrounding Sai Pradeep's death are based on reports and statements attributed to family sources. Further details regarding the incident and any official investigation were not immediately available.

The tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of mental health support for international students, particularly during periods of academic and career transition. Universities, student communities and families can play an important role in ensuring that students facing prolonged job searches or other difficulties are able to access appropriate support.

If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, please seek immediate help from a trusted person, mental health professional or local emergency service.

The Rajasthan government has told the state Assembly that 611 government schools are operating without their own schools, highlighting the infrastructure shortage in the state's school education system. The revelation follows a political debate on the state of government schools and worries about the safety and basic amenities provided to students.

The government has replied to Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully's question that there are no separate buildings in 611 government schools in Rajasthan. Ten of these are girls' schools. There are 38 government schools in Jaipur that are operating without their own school buildings.

Jhalawar has the highest number of schools without buildings

The shortage is distributed in various districts and blocks. The highest number of government schools without buildings is in Aklera block (23), followed by Khanpur (16) and Jhalrapatan (11). Bap has 11 such schools and Chotisarvan in Banswara has 10.

The infrastructure gap is not limited to school buildings. The Assembly was told that out of the 64,484 government schools that have their own buildings, 2,047 schools have no toilet facilities and 1,049 schools have no drinking-water facilities.

The highest number of schools without toilets was in Banswara (188), followed by Dungarpur (124) and Udaipur (98). The highest number of schools without drinking-water facilities was recorded in Dausa (96), followed by Udaipur (70) and Alwar (65). 

The Rajasthan government announces ₹1,000 crore for school infrastructure.

The government has announced funds for construction and repair work. ₹550 crore has been allocated for the repair and renovation of schools and another ₹450 crore has been allocated for the construction of buildings for those schools which do not have their own buildings.

The government also stated that it can allocate ₹2,500 crore annually or ₹12,500 crore over five years for new construction and repair and maintenance of dilapidated primary and higher secondary school buildings.

The funds are to be sourced from various sources such as District Mineral Foundation Trust, Samagra Shiksha, state funds, corporate social responsibility and local area development funds.

Opposition flags safety concerns in Rajasthan schools

The Assembly disclosure comes at a time when there is a broader political discussion on school infrastructure in Rajasthan. Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully referred to an audit and said that 3,768 government schools were found unsafe and 83,783 school rooms were in a totally unsafe and dilapidated condition.

The condition of government schools also emerged as a flash point when a CJP team led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka tried to visit a government school in Bagru near Jaipur. The team was attacked as they were making their way to the school where it was alleged that pupils were being taught in a makeshift classroom due to the main school building being deemed unsafe.

The Assembly figures now give a more comprehensive view of the infrastructure challenge.The figures show that the infrastructure challenge extends beyond the availability of school buildings, with gaps also reported in basic facilities such as toilets and drinking water. A school that is safe, with usable toilets, drinking water and where children can learn without worrying about basic safety is also a functional school.

The government has announced a sum of ₹1,000 crore specifically for the construction and repair of schools, and now the spotlight is on the pace and effectiveness of the promised infrastructure work reaching the schools that need it.

Delhi Police has given a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a peaceful ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ that was held at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on August 21. An official statement from the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District said that the permission had been granted for an assembly of up to 500 people until 4 pm.

The police said it had “no objection” from a law-and-order point of view to the proposed gathering, subject to the conditions mentioned in the permission. The development comes after organisers had sought permission to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police has said it did not allow a demonstration at the site.

Jantar Mantar security enhanced

On Friday, the security was tightened around Jantar Mantar with more police officers and barricades deployed to stop an unauthorised gathering. Some of those who arrived in the morning were taken away by police as they were not authorised to hold a protest there, PTI reports. Police officers were also stationed at strategic locations and kept an eye on traffic to the protest location. The police have announced that there will be no assembly at Jantar Mantar without prior permission.

Reservation Hatao Andolan objects to venue change

The organisers have raised doubts over the move of the protest from Jantar Mantar to Ramlila Maidan. The Reservation Hatao Andolan had made a request for permission at Jantar Mantar some one month ago and claimed that it had been shifted to Ramlila Maidan at 12 noon on the day of the protest. The organisers also raised objections to the limit of 500 people, arguing that it would limit the effectiveness of their demonstration.

The claim is that the organisers and Delhi Police's NOC allows the event at Ramlila Maidan under its conditions. The protest follows weeks of agitation by the Cockroach Janata Party in Delhi after it was brought to a close and new protests have surfaced over issues related to India's reservation system. The new development has reignited the Reservation Hatao Andolan and its planned protest in the national capital.

The authorised venue for the demonstration is Ramlila Maidan, and any demonstration at Jantar Mantar without prior permission is still banned.

The Supreme Court has raised concerns over the manner in which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is implementing its three-language policy, particularly the availability of teachers, textbooks and other resources required for students.

The court has given the Centre and CBSE time to respond to the concerns and will hear the matter again after 10 days. The bench clarified that it was not considering cancellation or a stay on the three-language policy, but wanted the authorities to reconsider aspects of its implementation in the interest of students.

Students Raise Concerns Over Books, Teachers

Petitioners before the Supreme Court argued that the implementation has created difficulties for millions of students who are being asked to study an additional language.

They claimed that textbooks for newly introduced languages are unavailable in several places, while many schools do not have sufficient teachers. In some institutions, classes for the new languages have reportedly not even started despite examinations approaching.

The petitioners argued that requiring students to learn a language they have not previously studied could put them at a disadvantage and potentially affect their examination performance.

Centre Defends CBSE Language Policy Rollout

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, rejected the allegations and told the court that preparations for implementing the policy had been made.

The Centre assured the bench that the necessary learning materials and arrangements were available.

The Supreme Court, however, stressed that while language learning can have wider benefits, the interests and academic preparedness of students must also be taken into account.

CJI Surya Kant Links Language Learning to National Unity

During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant observed that learning two Indian languages could have positive implications for national integration.

He suggested that students from northern and southern parts of the country learning each other's languages could help promote greater understanding and national unity.

However, a lawyer appearing in the matter pointed out that Sanskrit was being offered as the second language in schools in Delhi, rather than regional languages such as Tamil, Telugu or Marathi.

Petitioners Question English as a Foreign Language

The petitioners also challenged the classification of English as a foreign language under the language framework.

They pointed out that English has official-language status in several states and argued that its classification could affect students' choices of other foreign languages such as French and German.

According to the petitioners, students who currently study two foreign languages could also face difficulties if the language structure changes suddenly.

Supreme Court Lists Issues for Centre, CBSE to Reconsider

After a hearing of around 45 minutes, the Supreme Court declined to cancel or stay the CBSE three-language policy.

Instead, the court asked the Centre and CBSE to reconsider several aspects of its implementation, including:

• Whether Class 6 students should receive a one-time exemption so they are not suddenly required to take up a new language.
• Whether the third language should be introduced from Class 6 or an earlier grade to allow students more time to adapt.
• Whether there is a clear roadmap for providing qualified language teachers, textbooks and other infrastructure.
• How students already studying two foreign languages can be helped to transition to the revised language structure.
• Whether online language classes could be introduced in schools where qualified teachers for a particular language are unavailable.

The matter will be taken up again after 10 days, giving the Centre and CBSE an opportunity to address the court's concerns.

The proceedings come amid a wider debate over the implementation of the three-language formula under India's school education framework, with questions being raised over language choice, regional diversity, teacher availability and the academic burden on students.

In a heartbreaking incident, a six-year-old LKG student died after collapsing at a private school in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, August 20. As per the family and viral video, the teacher slapped him over incomplete homework and due to some reason, the child ended up dying. The child, identified as Pranay Teja, was taken to King George Hospital, where he was declared dead. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death using CCTV footage that shows the teacher scolding and slapping the child before he collapses. 

What happened to the 6-year-old student in Visakhapatnam?

Pranay was a student at Little Garden School in the One Town area of Visakhapatnam. His family alleged that a teacher reprimanded and slapped him for not completing his homework. CCTV footage from the classroom has gone viral online.

After Pranay collapsed, the school personnel took him to King George Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police are investigating the incident, while the post-mortem examination is expected to help establish the medical cause of death.

Pranay's family said the boy was in good health when he left home for school on Thursday morning. His father reportedly said that there had been no indication of any health problem and that the child had been well the previous evening.

"He woke up around 8 am and said he wanted to go to school. Since exams were coming up, we let him go," the father told the media.

The family later received information that something had happened to him at school. The father shared how the school never called him to inform, and that local cooks working near a relative's place had to reach out to him to tell him of the dire incident. He said, "No one from the school informed me. We came to know through others".

However, the claim that the alleged assault caused Pranay's death should not be treated as an established medical finding until the investigation and post-mortem examination are complete.

Family protests after Visakhapatnam schoolboy's death

Pranay's family members and relatives protested at King George Hospital, demanding action against those responsible. The family has also raised questions about how the school handled the incident and communicated with them after the child collapsed.

The family has also alleged that physical punishment was not the first incident at the school and said that other children had also been beaten, which should not happen. These allegations have not been independently established and are expected to be examined as part of the wider inquiry.

Andhra Pradesh government forms committee to investigate student's death

The Andhra Pradesh School Education Department has described the incident as extremely serious. Following a preliminary inquiry, authorities formed a three-member committee comprising the Regional Joint Director, District Education Officer and Revenue Divisional Officer to investigate the case.

Revenue Divisional Officer Dilip Chakravarthy also visited King George Hospital and said officials were collecting information about the incident. The government has indicated that further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.

The School Education Department has also said that teacher sensitisation programmes will be conducted, with emphasis on treating students with care, responsibility and humanity.

What is the cause of death in the Visakhapatnam school case?

The exact cause of Pranay Teja's death has not yet been officially established. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his collapse and death, while the post-mortem report is expected to provide important medical evidence.

Speculation about the cause of death should not be presented as fact until the authorities release their findings. The investigation is also examining the alleged assault, CCTV footage and other available evidence. However, blaming the teacher might not be wise, considering the fact that her intention (as per the CCTV) seemed to create fear of punishment. The video shows she slapped the kid but not as hard to have him dead in her arms. This is why assumptions should be kept aside and let the police do their job. 

Why has the Visakhapatnam school death raised concerns?

This case has brought back a lot of attention about corporal punishment, teachers’ conduct, and child safety in schools. The allegations are highly concerning, mostly because it involves a very young student, and that alone changes everything.

Right now, the teacher’s alleged conduct and the family’s allegations are under investigation. What the police manage to find, what the investigation committee ends up concluding, and what comes out of the post-mortem exam will help make things clearer about what really happened, and also whether any criminal or administrative measures are needed, at all.

Several government-run nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh have come under scrutiny following allegations of faculty shortages, vacant administrative posts and submission of forged or fabricated experience certificates for recognition for the 2026-27 academic session.

The allegations were raised by National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) state vice-president Ravi Parmar at a press conference in Bhopal on Sunday. The student organisation has demanded a high-level inquiry and warned of further agitation if authorities fail to take action.

Faculty Shortage Allegations at Nursing Colleges

According to Parmar, six government nursing colleges are functioning without principals, while another 10 colleges do not have vice-principals.

NSUI has also alleged that several government nursing colleges do not have the minimum teaching staff required under the Madhya Pradesh government's 2018 recognition regulations.

The rules prescribe minimum faculty requirements based on student intake. For an intake of 30 students, the prescribed staffing structure includes a principal, vice-principal, two associate professors and other teaching staff.

The student organisation has called for a detailed verification of the actual faculty strength at the institutions and the documents submitted as part of the recognition process.

Allegations of Forged Experience Certificates

NSUI has further alleged that some colleges submitted forged or fabricated faculty experience certificates while seeking recognition for the 2026-27 academic session.

According to information presented by the organisation, 22 government nursing colleges applied for recognition, of which three were not granted recognition.

The remaining institutions have now come under scrutiny following the allegations. NSUI has called for authorities to examine the credentials and experience certificates submitted by faculty members and determine whether they comply with the applicable recognition requirements.

NSUI Approaches Madhya Pradesh High Court

The student organisation has also approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court over the alleged irregularities.

An advocate representing NSUI said a petition has been filed seeking an inquiry into the allegations and appropriate action against individuals found responsible.

NSUI has demanded that authorities investigate both the faculty vacancies and documentation submitted by nursing colleges as part of the recognition process.

However, the allegations currently remain claims made by NSUI and have not been independently established. The concerned authorities would need to verify the staffing records, recognition documents and experience certificates before determining whether any violations occurred.

The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of nursing education standards, faculty requirements and recognition norms, with NSUI warning that it could launch further agitation if the alleged irregularities are not addressed.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that banning or restricting children's access to social media is a policy matter for the Central government and not something the court can mandate through judicial directions. The court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking restrictions on children's social media use and stronger measures against Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

A bench of Justices V Kameswar Rao and Manmeet PS Arora directed the Centre to treat the PIL as a representation and consider the concerns and suggestions raised by the petitioners. The court also said the government should consult all relevant stakeholders, including social media intermediaries, before taking a decision.

The bench, however, declined to prescribe a deadline for the Centre to complete the exercise.

“Those views have to be taken and then it is in the realm of a policy. It is not for a court to give a direction that you should ban this, or that you should ban that,” the bench observed.

What Did the PIL Seek?

The petitioner sought directions to the Centre to consider framing a law or guidelines to restrict social media access for children below 13 years of age.

The PIL also sought a regulatory framework for social media content accessible to children aged 13 to 16 years, citing concerns over children's online safety and exposure to harmful content, including CSAM.

Central government counsel Nidhi Raman told the court that regulating or restricting children's access to social media is a policy issue that may require a new law. Such a decision would have wider implications and therefore requires consultation with stakeholders, she submitted.

The Centre said the petition could be treated as a representation and that the appropriate authorities could take a decision after considering the issues raised.

Digital Personal Data Protection Act Cited

During the hearing, the court asked whether any steps had been taken following an earlier Supreme Court order concerning children's online safety.

The Centre's counsel pointed to the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, which includes provisions aimed at protecting children's personal data and privacy online.

The petitioner's counsel, however, highlighted the continuing availability of Child Sexual Abuse Material on social media platforms and urged the government to take a decision on the representation within a reasonable timeframe.

The court reiterated that these matters involve broader policy considerations and declined to impose a specific timeline.

Meta Reports Removal of More Than 8 Lakh CSAM Posts

During the hearing, Meta's senior counsel informed the court that the company had taken measures to detect and remove CSAM from its platforms.

According to the submission, more than six lakh CSAM posts were removed from Facebook last year, while more than two lakh such posts were removed from Instagram.

Meta also claimed a 99% proactive detection rate for CSAM on both platforms.

The company's counsel said a large number of accounts associated with such content had also been removed, while acknowledging that despite technological safeguards, some harmful material can still evade detection and subsequently circulate online.

The hearing comes amid growing global debate over children's social media use, online safety, age restrictions and platform accountability.

For now, the Delhi High Court has made it clear that any decision to impose a social media ban or age-based restrictions on children in India must come through the government's policy and legislative process, following consultation with affected stakeholders.

Fashion is entering an era where clothing is no longer simply something we wear. Smart textiles, flexible electronics and embedded sensors are transforming fabrics into interactive systems that can sense movement, respond to their surroundings, monitor health and even communicate with connected devices.

From sensor-enabled sportswear and illuminated cycling jackets to adaptive fabrics that change shape, the convergence of fashion, design, electronics and materials science is creating an entirely new category of wearable technology.

For designers, the shift is particularly significant. The fabric itself is becoming part of the technology.

What Are Smart Textiles?

Smart textiles are fabrics designed to sense, respond to or interact with their environment.

Unlike conventional textiles, they can incorporate technologies such as:

• Flexible electronic components
• Conductive fibres and yarns
• Miniaturised sensors
• LEDs
• Wireless connectivity
• Microprocessors
• Energy-harvesting components

Depending on their design, these materials can monitor body movement, track physiological signals, regulate temperature, provide visual feedback or respond to touch and environmental changes.

The terms intelligent textiles, interactive textiles, connected clothing and e-textiles are often used to describe different aspects of this emerging field.

From Thermochromic Fabric to Connected Clothing

The idea of responsive clothing is not entirely new.

Earlier innovations included thermochromic textiles, which changed colour in response to temperature, and conductive fibres that created the foundation for integrating electronic functions into fabric.

The technology has accelerated dramatically as electronics have become smaller and more flexible.

The combination of flexible electronics, Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, improved sensors and energy-harvesting technologies is now enabling designers and engineers to build functionality directly into textiles.

That means technology no longer necessarily has to be attached to clothing as a separate device. It can increasingly become part of the material itself.

Smart Textile Market Set for Rapid Growth

The commercial potential of the sector is also expanding.

According to a MarketsandMarkets report published in July 2025, the global smart textiles market was projected to grow from $2.41 billion in 2025 to $5.56 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 18.2%.

The growth is being driven by increasing demand for wearable technology, health monitoring, adaptive clothing and connected products.

The impact extends across several industries, including:

• Healthcare
• Sports and fitness
• Fashion
• Defence
• Automotive
• Personal protective equipment
• Occupational safety

The Design Challenge: Technology Without Losing Comfort

For fashion and product designers, the biggest challenge is not simply adding electronics to clothing. It is integrating technology without compromising the qualities that make textiles desirable in the first place.

A smart garment still needs to be:

Flexible. Comfortable. Washable. Lightweight. Durable. Visually appealing.

Traditional wires and rigid electronic components can interfere with these requirements. This is why researchers and materials companies are exploring conductive coatings, flexible films and electronic yarns that can behave more like conventional textiles.

Covestro Develops Flexible Conductive Textile Materials

German materials company Covestro has been working with the Freiberg Institute and OUT e.V. to develop conductive textile compounds designed to combine electrical conductivity with flexibility and stretchability.

The research uses water-based polyurethane dispersions combined with carbon nanotubes to create conductive textile materials.

The approach could allow electronic components to be incorporated more directly into fabrics rather than relying on conventional wiring.

Using laser structuring, researchers were able to modify the conductive layer and create a potential field across the textile surface. This could allow components such as LEDs and sensors to be positioned more freely.

The potential applications range from sportswear and protective equipment to automotive interiors and healthcare products.

Smart Clothing Could Transform Healthcare

One particularly interesting application is a sensor-controlled neonatal jaundice bodysuit designed for phototherapy.

Traditional phototherapy for neonatal jaundice is generally delivered using blue light in a controlled clinical environment. A flexible garment incorporating LEDs and sensors could potentially bring treatment closer to the patient's body while continuously monitoring and adjusting the therapy.

Such concepts demonstrate why smart textiles are attracting attention beyond fashion.

The garment becomes a medical interface, combining textile comfort with sensing, illumination and electronic control.

The Rise of Luminous Clothing

Smart textiles are also changing how clothing interacts with light.

German company XTRA Dynamics has worked with Covestro materials to develop an electroluminescent cycling jacket incorporating a stretchable luminous film.

The technology is designed to produce a thin, flexible light source that can be integrated into textile surfaces.

For cycling and other outdoor activities, this creates an obvious design advantage: the garment can become part of the user's visibility and safety system, rather than simply carrying a separate light.

This points towards an important direction for wearable design—technology that enhances functionality without looking like conventional electronics.

Harvard Researchers Create Shape-Shifting Fabric

One of the most striking developments comes from researchers at Harvard University's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Researchers led by Kausalya Mahadevan, working with Katia Bertoldi's laboratory, developed machine-knitted textiles capable of snapping between multiple stable shapes.

The research uses a phenomenon known as multistability.

Instead of requiring rigid mechanical structures, the researchers used commercially available weft-knitting techniques and carefully selected elastic yarns to create fabrics capable of forming different three-dimensional configurations.

This could fundamentally expand what designers can expect fabric to do.

When Fabric Becomes a Switch

The Harvard team went beyond creating shape-changing material.

Researchers incorporated conductive yarns into the knitted structures to demonstrate how physical movement could trigger electronic functions.

One prototype could switch an LED on and off as the textile moved between its stable configurations.

Another created a wearable textile switch that could be positioned over the knee or elbow. Its snapping movement could be detected by an Arduino microcontroller and used to count steps.

The team also created a reconfigurable lampshade in which different textile switches controlled different lights.

Here, the fabric isn't simply covering the electronic system.

The fabric is the interface.

What This Means for Fashion Designers

The emergence of smart textiles could fundamentally change the role of the fashion designer.

Traditionally, designers work primarily with silhouette, colour, texture, construction and material.

Smart textiles add another design dimension: behaviour.

A future designer may need to ask:

• Does the fabric respond to movement?
• Can its shape change?
• Can it sense the wearer's body?
• Can it communicate with a smartphone?
• Can it produce light?
• Can it regulate temperature?
• Can it provide tactile feedback?
• Can it generate or store energy?

This shifts fashion design from creating static objects towards creating responsive experiences.

The Biggest Obstacles Ahead

Despite the excitement surrounding smart textiles, several challenges remain.

Durability and Washability

Electronic components need to survive repeated stretching, washing and everyday use. A garment that stops working after a few washes will struggle to become commercially viable.

Power

Flexible and lightweight power sources remain a major challenge. Batteries can add weight and bulk, while energy-harvesting technologies are still developing.

Cost

Smart textile prototypes can be expensive to manufacture. Scaling these technologies from research laboratories to mass-market clothing remains a significant challenge.

Data Privacy

Health-monitoring clothing could collect highly personal information. As connected garments become more sophisticated, cybersecurity and data privacy will become essential parts of product design.

Sustainability

Smart garments can contain electronics, synthetic materials and other components that complicate recycling. Designers will increasingly need to consider the entire lifecycle of a product, including repair, reuse and end-of-life disposal.

The Future Is Not Just Wearable—It's Responsive

The most exciting development in smart textiles may not be the addition of more gadgets to clothing. It is the possibility of making technology almost invisible.

Instead of wearing a device, users could wear a fabric that senses movement, responds to temperature, communicates information or changes its physical form.

For the fashion industry, this represents a major conceptual shift.

The next generation of clothing may not simply be designed to look different. It could be designed to behave differently.

As flexible electronics, conductive materials, sensors and advanced manufacturing continue to develop, textiles are moving from passive surfaces to programmable interfaces—bringing fashion, engineering and human interaction closer together than ever before.

For students who choose Biology after Class 10, the most common career goal is often to become a doctor. While MBBS remains one of the most sought-after career paths, biology offers a much wider range of opportunities across healthcare, research, biotechnology, genetics, data science, agriculture and nutrition.

With the right degree, specialised training and relevant skills, biology students can build careers in India and overseas. Here are some promising career options after Class 12 Biology.

1. Doctor: The Most Popular Biology Career

Medicine continues to be one of the most popular choices for biology students. Students who qualify for the required entrance examination can pursue MBBS and later specialise in areas such as cardiology, oncology, paediatrics, radiology or other medical disciplines.

Medical professionals can work in hospitals, clinics, research institutions and public health organisations. Specialisation and experience can significantly influence career growth and earning potential.

2. Biotechnology: Careers in Research and Innovation

Biotechnology combines biological sciences with technology to develop products and processes used in healthcare, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other industries.

Students can pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in biotechnology and explore careers in research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms and academic institutions.

Biotechnologists can contribute to areas such as drug development, vaccine research, diagnostics and industrial biotechnology.

3. Molecular Biology and Biomedical Science

Students interested in understanding diseases at the cellular and molecular level can explore molecular biology and biomedical sciences.

Professionals in these fields contribute to medical research, disease studies, drug discovery and the development of new diagnostic techniques. Advanced qualifications can open opportunities in research institutions, universities and healthcare-related industries.

4. Bioinformatics: Where Biology Meets Data Science

Bioinformatics is an emerging field that combines biology, computer science and data analysis.

Professionals analyse biological and genetic data using computational tools. The field has applications in genomics, drug discovery, personalised medicine and biomedical research.

For biology students who also enjoy computers, mathematics or data analysis, bioinformatics can be a particularly interesting career option.

5. Genetics and Genetic Counselling

Advances in genomics and personalised healthcare have increased the importance of genetics-related careers.

Students can explore areas such as genetic research, genomic analysis and genetic counselling through relevant academic and professional pathways.

Genetics professionals can work in healthcare, research laboratories and specialised diagnostic settings, depending on their qualifications and professional requirements.

6. Forensic Science

Biology students with an interest in crime investigation can consider forensic science.

Forensic professionals use scientific techniques to examine biological evidence and assist criminal investigations. Areas can include DNA analysis, toxicology and forensic biology.

Careers are available across forensic laboratories, investigative agencies, research institutions and other organisations, subject to the required qualifications and recruitment rules.

7. Public Health and Epidemiology

Not every biology career involves treating individual patients.

Public health and epidemiology focus on preventing diseases and improving health outcomes across communities and populations. Professionals may work on disease surveillance, health programmes, research and policy.

Students interested in healthcare, research and social impact can consider relevant degrees in public health, epidemiology or related disciplines.

8. Agriculture and Food Science

Biology also opens doors to careers in agricultural science, food technology and food science.

Professionals can work on crop improvement, food safety, nutrition, agricultural research and the development of sustainable food systems.

These careers can be suitable for students interested in applying biological knowledge beyond traditional healthcare.

9. Nutrition and Dietetics

Students interested in the relationship between food, health and human wellbeing can explore nutrition and dietetics.

Depending on their qualifications and applicable regulations, professionals can work in hospitals, wellness organisations, food companies, research institutions and community health programmes.

10. Teaching and Academic Research

Students who enjoy biology and want to pursue an academic career can consider teaching and research.

Higher qualifications in biological sciences can lead to opportunities in colleges, universities and research institutions. Academic careers can combine teaching, scientific research and mentoring students.

Biology Is More Than Just MBBS

Choosing Biology after Class 12 does not mean that students have only one career option.

From medicine and biotechnology to bioinformatics, genetics, forensic science, public health, agriculture and nutrition, the biological sciences offer diverse career pathways.

Students should evaluate a course based on their interests, aptitude, academic requirements, career goals and the qualifications needed for the profession rather than choosing a career solely because it is considered popular or high-paying.

For students willing to build specialised expertise, the expanding intersection of biology, technology, healthcare and data science is creating new career opportunities both in India and globally.

Candidates seeking MBBS admission at Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Madikeri, can refer to previous-year Karnataka state counselling trends to estimate the NEET UG 2026 opening and closing ranks.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the state rank list for admission to MBBS seats based on NEET UG 2026 scores. The Karnataka state quota and category-wise ranks will play an important role in determining admission to medical colleges across the state.

KIMS NEET UG 2026 Expected Cutoff

Based on previous-year Round 1 trends, the expected NEET UG 2026 cutoff ranks for Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences are as follows:

The 2026 figures are expected ranges based on previous-year trends and should not be treated as official closing ranks.

Karnataka State Quota Reservation

Candidates applying through Karnataka state counselling should also understand the applicable reservation provisions.

The information provided for the Karnataka state quota includes:

• 15% reservation under the Government Quota for eligible rural candidates.
• 5% reservation under the Government Quota for eligible Kannada-medium candidates.
• 70% reservation for candidates belonging to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region under the specified regional quota.
• 7% reservation for Hyderabad-Karnataka region students in Karnataka state medical colleges.

Candidates should check the latest KEA counselling notification and eligibility rules before relying on any reservation figure, as the applicability of quotas can depend on the specific seat type and eligibility criteria.

What Determines KIMS NEET Cutoff 2026?

The final Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences NEET UG cutoff 2026 can vary significantly from the expected range. Some of the key factors include:

1. Number of NEET Candidates

A change in the number of candidates appearing for NEET UG can affect competition for MBBS seats and consequently influence closing ranks.

2. Category-Wise Competition

The number of candidates competing within each reservation category can influence the category-wise cutoff.

3. Quota and Seat Type

The cutoff can differ depending on whether a candidate is competing for a Karnataka state quota, government quota or another applicable seat category.

4. Previous-Year Trends

Previous-year opening and closing ranks provide a useful reference for estimating the likely cutoff, although they cannot guarantee the 2026 admission rank.

KIMS NEET UG Cutoff 2026: What Candidates Should Know

Candidates should remember that the official closing rank is determined during counselling and can change from one round to another depending on seat availability, candidate preferences and withdrawals.

Therefore, students should use the expected KIMS NEET UG 2026 cutoff only as a reference for choice filling and college selection and should check the official KEA counselling results for the final closing rank.

For Indian students aspiring to build a career in healthcare, MBBS and BDS are often considered the most obvious choices. However, the healthcare sector offers a much wider range of academic and career opportunities.

From Pharmacy and Physiotherapy to Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology and Biomedical Engineering, students can choose courses based on their interests and skills without limiting themselves to conventional medical degrees.

Exploring these alternative medical courses after Class 12 can also help students understand the diverse roles that keep the healthcare ecosystem functioning.

1. B.Pharm: Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

A Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) is an option for students interested in medicines, drug development and pharmaceutical sciences.

Pharmacy professionals play an important role in ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines. Graduates can explore opportunities in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, drug manufacturing, research, clinical trials and regulatory roles.

For students interested in both healthcare and science, pharmacy can offer several career pathways beyond clinical practice.

2. BPT: Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

The Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) focuses on rehabilitation, movement and helping patients regain physical function.

Physiotherapists work with patients recovering from injuries, surgeries, neurological conditions and lifestyle-related health problems. Career opportunities are available in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres, sports facilities and private practice.

The growing focus on rehabilitation and preventive healthcare has increased the importance of physiotherapy professionals.

3. B.Sc Nursing: A Career in Patient Care and Healthcare Services

Nursing has evolved considerably beyond its traditional perception of assisting doctors.

A B.Sc Nursing degree can lead to careers across hospitals, public healthcare, community health programmes, military healthcare and other medical settings. Nurses may also develop expertise in specialised clinical care, healthcare management, research and advanced medical procedures.

For students seeking a people-oriented healthcare profession, nursing remains an important career option.

4. Medical Laboratory Technology: A Career in Diagnostics

Students who enjoy laboratory work and diagnostic science can consider Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT).

MLT programmes train students in areas such as pathology, microbiology and laboratory testing. Medical laboratory professionals work behind the scenes but play a critical role in diagnosis and treatment because doctors rely heavily on accurate laboratory reports.

Career opportunities can be found in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, research facilities and healthcare organisations.

5. BAMS, BHMS and BUMS: Traditional Systems of Medicine

Students interested in India's traditional systems of medicine can explore courses such as:

• BAMS – Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery
• BHMS – Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery
• BUMS – Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery

These programmes offer students an opportunity to study established systems of traditional medicine and explore careers in clinical practice, hospitals, wellness settings and research, subject to the applicable professional regulations.

6. Biomedical Engineering: Combining Technology and Medicine

For students who enjoy engineering, technology and healthcare, biomedical engineering can offer an interdisciplinary career path.

Biomedical engineers apply engineering principles to healthcare technologies, including medical devices, diagnostic equipment, prosthetics and other medical technologies.

As healthcare becomes increasingly technology-driven, professionals who understand both engineering and medical applications can contribute to healthcare innovation.

7. Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy focuses on helping people regain or develop the skills required for everyday activities following illness, injury or disability.

Occupational therapists can work with patients across different age groups and healthcare settings. The profession combines rehabilitation, patient interaction and practical problem-solving.

8. Public Health

Students interested in healthcare at a population level can consider Public Health programmes.

Unlike clinical courses that primarily focus on individual patients, public health focuses on areas such as disease prevention, health promotion, epidemiology, community health and healthcare policy.

It can be a suitable option for students interested in understanding and improving health outcomes at the community or population level.

9. Hospital and Healthcare Management

Healthcare also requires professionals who can manage hospitals, healthcare organisations and medical services.

Courses in Hospital Management and Healthcare Administration can prepare students for roles involving hospital operations, administration, healthcare services, quality management and related areas.

Students interested in management but wanting to remain connected to the healthcare sector can consider this pathway.

10. Explore Healthcare Careers Beyond MBBS and BDS

Choosing a healthcare career does not necessarily mean pursuing MBBS or BDS.

Pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, medical laboratory technology, traditional medicine, biomedical engineering, occupational therapy, public health and healthcare management represent some of the many pathways available to students.

The right course ultimately depends on a student's interests, academic strengths, career goals and preferred work environment.

For students preparing to enter the healthcare sector, looking beyond the most popular medical courses can open up career opportunities they may not have considered earlier. Choosing an alternative medical course is not necessarily a compromise—it can be a deliberate decision to build a career around a specific area of healthcare that matches one's skills and interests.

What if you could attempt an MBA entrance exam without worrying that every wrong answer would cost you marks? For many management aspirants, negative marking can turn even a well-prepared attempt into a calculation of risk. This is why MBA entrance exams without negative marking are attracting attention among students looking for alternative routes to management admissions. Exams such as GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test), NMAT, IBSAT and ATMA follow no-negative-marking patterns.

Choosing an exam only because it does not penalize wrong answers is not always a smart move. First, students should confirm that the marks count for the colleges they are targeting. They also need to look at the eligibility rules. After that, they should read the exam pattern closely. Students must also keep track of the application deadlines and the complete admission process. Only after these checks should they choose which exam to take.

Which MBA Entrance Exams Have No Negative Marking?

Some MBA and management entrance tests do not cut marks for incorrect replies, or they have had no-penalty rules before. For the 2026 admission cycle, these options may help students who want to take exam without fearing losing extra marks for wrong answers:

Students should therefore compare the admission opportunities associated with each examination rather than choosing an exam only because it has no negative marking.

Is NMAT an MBA entrance exam without negative marking?

Yes. NMAT by GMAC does not have any negative marking for wrong answers. According to the official website of the NMAT, there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. The 2026 testing window is November 2, 2026 - December 20, 2026 and the registration period is August 20, 2026 - October 10, 2026.

NMAT is also flexible and can prove to be beneficial for candidates who wish to give it a second chance. According to the official website, candidates may attempt up to three times in the testing cycle, preview their score and select the order of the sections they wish to attempt.

The exam tests Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical Reasoning. A variety of management institutes accept NMAT scores, such as NMIMS, K J Somaiya Institute of Management, TAPMI and other participating institutes.

NMAT is one of the better choices for those who want to prepare for an MBA entrance test without negative marking and also have access to a wide range of B-schools to pursue their education.

Is there negative marking in IBSAT 2026?

IBSAT does not have negative marking. Official IBS material describes the test as a two-hour computer-based management aptitude test with 140 multiple-choice questions. The four sections are Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, and Data Adequacy and Data Interpretation.

For the IBSAT 2026 admission cycle, the test is being used for admission to the nine IBS campuses for the MBA/PGPM 2027–29 programmes. The current IBS registration portal confirms the 2026 admission cycle and the nine-campus MBA/PGPM route.

IBSAT is particularly relevant for students who are interested in the ICFAI Business School network. Candidates should nevertheless check the latest eligibility and admission requirements before applying because the exam is primarily connected to admissions through IBS.

The no-negative-marking format means that an incorrect response does not result in a deduction, making IBSAT an option worth considering for students who prefer a less penalty-based marking system.

Is the GMAT Exam an MBA entrance exam without negative marking?

Yes, the GMAT Exam does not use conventional negative marking for incorrect answers. However, students should understand an important difference: the GMAT is a computer-adaptive examination, and its scoring is not based simply on adding marks for correct answers and deducting marks for wrong ones.

The current GMAT Exam consists of three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights, with 64 questions to be completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes, including an optional 10-minute break.

There is also an important caution for candidates. While incorrect answers do not attract conventional negative marking, unanswered questions can affect the score. GMAC states that candidates can be penalised for not completing a section within the allotted time, with the score reflecting the number of questions left unanswered.

Therefore, students should not interpret “no negative marking” on the GMAT as meaning that leaving questions unanswered is a good strategy.

What is GMCAT and does it have negative marking?

The Global Management Common Aptitude Test (GMCAT) also follows a no-negative-marking pattern. According to GMCAT's official 2026 information, the examination was conducted online for 60 minutes, with 100 questions carrying 100 marks. Candidates received one mark for each correct answer and there was no negative marking.

The GMCAT examination pattern covers Management Aptitude, Business Administration, Quantitative and Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Communication Skills, and General Management Awareness.

GMCAT's official information also states that the examination is designed for candidates seeking undergraduate and postgraduate management programmes. Its partner-university list includes institutions such as Starex University, Amity University campuses, CMR University, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and several other institutions.

For MBA aspirants, GMCAT's official eligibility information requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification, subject to the eligibility conditions specified by the examination. Candidates should check the official eligibility page before applying.

One important point for students searching for an exam right now is that the GMCAT 2026 examination cycle has already concluded. The official website lists February 27, 2026 as the last date for online registration and February 28, 2026 as the examination date.

Which MBA entrance exam without negative marking is best for you?

There is no single answer because the best examination depends on the colleges and programmes a student wants to target.

NMAT can be a strong choice for students who want a current 2026 testing window, multiple attempts and a broad set of participating B-schools.

IBSAT is worth considering for students specifically interested in the IBS MBA/PGPM route and who prefer a 140-question test without negative marking.

GMAT may suit candidates targeting business schools that accept the GMAT score, particularly those who prefer a flexible, computer-adaptive examination. However, students must understand that unanswered questions can affect the score.

GMCAT can be considered by eligible candidates for programmes and institutions accepting its score, but its 2026 examination has already been conducted.

Does no negative marking make an MBA entrance exam easier?

Not necessarily. A no-negative-marking policy only means that candidates are not penalised in the conventional way for incorrect answers. It does not automatically make the examination easy. The difficulty can depend on the syllabus, question level, time available, number of questions, competition and the admission requirements of the colleges accepting the score.

For example, GMCAT's 2026 pattern had 100 questions to be attempted in 60 minutes, while IBSAT had 140 questions to be completed in 120 minutes. The GMAT is different again because it uses computer-adaptive scoring and considers factors such as the difficulty of questions and the number of questions answered. Therefore, aspirants should treat no negative marking as a test-taking advantage, not as proof that an examination is easier.

How should you attempt an MBA entrance exam without negative marking?

A no-negative-marking exam can change the way a candidate approaches uncertain questions. When an incorrect response does not result in a conventional mark deduction, students may have more reason to attempt questions rather than leave them unanswered. However, that does not mean candidates should spend excessive time on difficult questions. Time management remains important, particularly in exams with a large number of questions.

A practical approach is to first attempt questions where the answer is clear, then return to questions that require more calculation or reasoning. Candidates can use the remaining time for unanswered questions, provided this is consistent with the specific exam's rules.

The strategy is different for the GMAT because unanswered questions can affect the score. Candidates should therefore follow the specific examination's official instructions instead of applying the same approach to every no-negative-marking test.

What should you check before choosing an MBA entrance exam?

The absence of negative marking should be only one factor in your decision. Before filling out an application form, check whether your preferred colleges accept the exam score and whether you meet their eligibility requirements.

Students should also compare the exam date, application deadline, examination fee, number of attempts, syllabus, duration, mode of examination and selection process.

It is equally important to understand whether the examination is a common route to several institutions or is primarily connected to a particular university or group of institutions. This distinction can significantly affect your admission options.

For example, IBSAT is linked to the IBS MBA/PGPM admission route, while NMAT is accepted by participating B-schools. GMCAT has its own partner-university network, and GMAT scores are used by business schools in India and internationally.

Key takeaway for MBA aspirants

If you dislike losing marks for wrong answers, you should look at GMCAT, NMAT, IBSAT, and GMAT. This no-negative marking pattern can make it less risky to try a question when you are unsure. However, it is important to not confuse no negative marking with no marks deducted. If the answer is wrong, the marks will be zero for that question. 

It is also advised to compare more details, see which colleges accept the score of your chosen MBA Entrance Exam, check eligibility rules, confirm the test dates, review how many tries you get, check the fee, go through the syllabus, and understand everything that follows. 

For MBA applications, start by making a list of exams that match the colleges you plan to target. Then, on test day, use the no-negative-marking approach to help you decide what to attempt.

Designing is one of the fields that has captivated today’s generation to pursue varied creative career paths and build a life connected to art. A student who wants fashion design often needs a plan that looks nothing like a student aiming for UX, product design, communication design, interiors, or graphic design. Also, colleges do not grade everyone in the same way.

Some schools run their own entrance tests. Others rely on national exams that are already set. There are also private colleges with their own admission steps, or they may take scores from certain tests. Because of this, a student looking for a design entrance exam in India can see many options and still be unsure which one fits their goal.

In this article, this particular dilemma is addressed. Understand how to differentiate between design entrance exams as per the career aspirants and preparation. Continue reading. 

Why are there so many design entrance exams in India?

The simplest reason is that design is not a single field. Fashion design, communication design, product design, interior design, graphic design and UX design can lead to very different academic and career paths. 

Consequently, there is no common entrance test for all design colleges in India. Some institutions conduct their own examination, others conduct a national level examination or accept scores via a specific admission process.

The most common names that students will come across are NID DAT, UCEED and NIFT Entrance Examination (NIFTEE). NID admits students to its programmes through its Design Aptitude Test, the latest of which is the B.Des process involving DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. UCEED, conducted by IIT Bombay, is used for B.Des admissions at participating institutes. In the 2026 cycle, these included IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee and IIITDM Jabalpur.

University-specific routes are also available. Some private universities have their own tests, and others may accept scores from various tests. The system is also diverse, as UCEED itself is: In addition to the institutes participating in the UCEED, the results are also shared with a larger group of institutes for their own admission processes.

So, the number of exams does not mean that students are expected to take all of them. It simply means that students have different admission routes depending on the institution and programme they choose.

What are the top design entrance exams in India?

There is no official ranking that makes one design entrance exam the best for all students. The value of an exam varies greatly depending on the institution and course you are applying for.

NID DAT

Students desiring to apply to the National Institute of Design (NID) should adhere to the admission process laid down by NID. For its B.Des programme, the current process has two stages: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. NID says the tests are designed to assess candidates' knowledge, skills and behavioural qualities.

UCEED

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) is organized by IIT Bombay. For the 2026 cycle, UCEED was used for B.Des admissions at seven participating institutes, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee and IIITDM Jabalpur. 

Hence, UCEED is especially crucial for students who have the IITs or other institutes with UCEED scores in their shortlist. The result sharing institutes also provide students with extra institutes to explore, but each institute may have its own eligibility and admission requirements.

NIFT Entrance Examination

Another big name for students who are interested in fashion and other design related fields is the NIFT Entrance Examination (NIFTEE). NIFT's admission system is applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and currently NIFT offers B.Des specialisations such as Fashion Design, Leather Design, Accessory Design, Textile Design, Knitwear Design and Fashion Communication. 

Other search result

Students can also find NATA in their search for design entrance exams. But NATA is an architecture entrance exam and should not be considered as a substitute for all the undergraduate design entrance exams. There are academic and professional routes to architecture and design.

The key point to remember is that you should not select an entrance exam simply because it is popular. Select it because it will get you to the institution and programme you desire.

What is the best design entrance exam to take?

That depends on what the end goal is, which subject is your preference and which university you seek. First design aspirants have to decide the course, then the college and only then the entrance exam. This is an order that can save students from a lot of unnecessary preparation. If a student is interested in fashion design, their college shortlist will be very different from a student interested in product design or UX. Likewise, a person preparing for NID should not prepare for an exam that is not used by NID for that year.

First, ask yourself what type of design you are interested in exploring. It's not a matter of having to make a decision at 17 or 18, but it does help to have a general direction. After that, narrow down the list of colleges that provide courses that are relevant to you and compare the curriculum, practical exposure, faculty, studios, industry interaction, fees and location. Only then, review the entrance exam needed by each college.

Is there a difference between all design entrance exams?

No. A common mistake among students is to assume that design entrance exams are mainly drawing tests. Design education involves much more than the ability to sketch. Students can be evaluated on visualisation, observation, creativity, reasoning, problem solving, communication and general awareness depending on the examination and institution.

The admission process may also be continued after the written examination. For instance, NID's current B.Des admission process includes DAT Prelims and DAT Mains for shortlisted candidates.  NIFT's current B.Des process has a Situation Test for candidates who have been shortlisted following the relevant examination stage.

That's why it's not sufficient to just practice drawing questions. A student may be good at sketching but still need to work on observation, visual thinking, reasoning and communicating an idea. So the right preparation is the one that is suitable for the actual syllabus and selection process of the examination you are going to take.

What if you wish to apply to private design universities?

This is where the admission picture differs from that of institutes like NID and IITs. AIDAT (All India Design Aptitude Test) is for the participating private universities and design institutions. However, it is worth noting that it is not a test for admission to government institutes like IITs or NID.

AIDAT is an online national-level design entrance examination through which students can apply to participating design institutions. It currently has around top 100 partner universities and 300+ courses, with options covering areas such as fashion, interior, communication, graphic, game, product, textile and UX design.

For students who are considering top private design universities rather than targeting one government institution, this can provide a more streamlined admission route. Instead of beginning with a separate test for every private university on the shortlist, students can explore the participating institutions and courses available through AIDAT.

The important point, however, is that students should always check the specific university, course, eligibility and admission conditions before applying. A common entrance route does not mean every participating institution has identical requirements.

Do you need to take more than one design entrance exam?

Not necessarily. If every college on your list requires the same exam, studying for one could be sufficient. If you have options for institutions that have different requirements, it might be worth taking more than one exam. However, ensure you have researched well about all the other entrance exams, it is not always the best idea to take every exam that is offered. The application process is time consuming and expensive, and the preparation method for each exam may vary.

Rather, check the exam dates, application fees, syllabus, selection process, and the colleges you can actually get into based on each score. This will let you know if there is another exam that provides you with a useful extra choice or if it's just another test on your schedule.

AIDAT may be especially important for students who are interested in private universities, as several of their preferred universities may be participating in AIDAT. It currently operates on a platform of multiple design institutions and courses, not one university.

What are the requirements for Class 12 students to apply?

Before registering for any design entrance exam, check five things: eligibility, course, college acceptance, examination pattern and the complete admission process. Do not stop at “Am I eligible?” If you qualify, ask what happens. Does the school have a portfolio? Do you have an interview? Are there other tests? Is the score for the course you are looking for?

Pay attention to the programme itself as well. Two colleges can have a B.Des degree but provide very different academic experiences. The specialisation, curriculum, studio facilities, practical work, internships, industry exposure and faculty can have a much greater impact on your education than the name of the entrance test.

The same applies to AIDAT applicants. Do not take the examination score as the final decision without exploring the participating private university and the exact programme.

So, which design entrance exam should you choose?

No one design exam is suitable for all design students. If you are aiming for NID, go through NID DAT. To pursue an undergraduate design course at an IIT or any other institute that accepts UCEED, prepare for UCEED. For those who are interested in fashion and related fields, NIFTEE is a crucial exam to take. These routes are linked to the admission systems.

If you are looking into private design universities, AIDAT is another option to consider. It is currently hosted on its platform, which includes all the participating private design institutions and a variety of courses, and the admission process involves the test, counselling, portfolio and interview stages.

So, rather than asking “Which design entrance exam is the best?”, ask a more useful question: “Which entrance exam will help me get to the course and college that I really want?”

After that, the long list of design entrance exams doesn't seem like a problem anymore. It turns into a list of various routes, and you just have to select the ones that go where you want to go. Still unsure where to start? Connect with us for free career consultation at 08035018542.

If you are planning to pursue computer science after Class 12, choosing the right entrance exam can be an important part of your admission plan. There are some universities with their own tests, and others with more general national-level tests. This leaves many students wondering, is there an easy online entrance exam for computer science that can help me apply to private universities?

One option students can consider is the Global Computer Science Entrance Test (GCSET). It is a national level entrance exam for computer science and technology courses and courses are listed for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, such as BCA, B.Tech, B.Sc IT, M.Tech, M.Sc and MCA. 

However, the term easy is not a good description of any entrance exam. One way to assess whether an entrance exam is suitable is to look at who is eligible to take the exam, the structure of the exam, the time allowed, how the exam is marked, and, most importantly, which universities and programmes accept the score.

What is GCSET?

Global Computer Science Entrance Test (GCSET) is a national-level online entrance test created for students who seek admission in computer science and technology courses in top private universities in India.

GCSET is designed in an ideal way to test the skills and potential of a student who wishes to pursue computer science and technology. It lists programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including BCA, B.Tech, B.Sc IT, M.Tech, M.Sc and MCA. This gives students interested in computer science and related fields an entrance route covering different stages of higher education. GCSET official website. The undergraduate eligibility route is especially relevant for a Class 12 student. Students do not need to complete graduation before applying for the UG examination.

Is GCSET an online entrance exam?

Yes, GCSET 2026 is an online exam which can be taken by the candidates on their mobile, laptop or desktop, as per the guidelines provided by GCSET. There are 100 multiple choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes. One mark is awarded for each correct answer and there is no penalty for an incorrect answer.

This makes the structure relatively simple. The real challenge is time; candidates are given an average of less than a minute per question, so it is not enough to know the subject matter to prepare. The speed and the choice of questions are also important.

The examination guidelines also include that candidates are required to log in at least 15 minutes prior to the examination and that the online test will be monitored by cameras, sound and browser activity. GCSET exam guidelines

After class 12, who can apply for GCSET?

As per the current eligibility criteria of UG, the candidate should have completed 10+2 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and/or Computer Science as core subjects and should have obtained 50% aggregate marks.

Students who are appearing for their class 12 exams can also apply. The present criteria enable the candidate to take the GCSET exam up to three times. The requirements are for the current admission cycle and students applying in a future year should refer to the eligibility criteria for that year.

What courses are offered in GCSET?

GCSET is not limited to one undergraduate degree. It has official information that includes a variety of computer science and technology programmes. At undergraduate level, the listed programmes include B.Tech, BCA and B.Sc IT. At postgraduate level, the options include M.Tech, M.Sc and MCA.

This is important when comparing entrance exams. A student looking for a B.Tech admission path is different from someone who wants to do an MCA after graduation. Always check the relevant course, eligibility and participating institution before applying.

Why do students look for an easy online computer science entrance exam?

Because what is easy for one student may be challenging for another, depending on their academic background and preparation. However, when students are looking for an easy computer science entrance exam, they typically want a few things: an online exam, a clear question pattern, a reasonable time limit, and no penalty for incorrect answers.

Some of these features are incorporated into the current format of GCSET. The test is online, has 100 MCQs, is 60 minutes long and has no negative marking. It can be helpful to not have negative marking, but it should not be used as an excuse to prepare less. The exam is still a test of knowledge and aptitude and the time constraint makes preparation important.

How to apply for GCSET?

Passing the entrance exam does not guarantee admission. The ongoing GCSET process is generally: Registration, Examination, Result, Counselling and Admission. 

Candidates will be able to check their result and scorecard on the candidate portal after the examination. The counselling process is then followed by the selection of a preferred campus, provisional admission and seat booking.

This is a significant difference for students studying private university entrance exams. An entrance score is a part of the admission process; it should not automatically be read as a guarantee of admission to every institution or programme. Students are advised to verify the eligibility of the course, the participating university, seat availability and admission requirements before finalizing their decision.

Is GCSET easier than other computer science entrance exams?

There is no universal answer. The difficulty of an entrance examination depends on the candidate, the syllabus and the level of preparation. Some students may find the current GCSET format manageable because it is conducted online and has no negative marking, but those features alone do not determine the difficulty of the question paper.

For example, the current GCSET B.Tech syllabus includes Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Fundamentals, English Language, Logical Ability and Reasoning, and General Awareness. Therefore, instead of asking only, “Which computer science entrance exam is easiest?”, students should ask: “Which entrance exam is accepted for the course and institution I want to join?”

That approach is more useful because an entrance exam is only valuable if it leads to the academic option a student actually wants.

What should students check before choosing a computer science entrance exam?

• Eligibility: Confirm that your Class 12 subjects , and your marks , actually match the requirement.  
• Exam pattern: Check how many questions are there, how much time you get , and whether there is negative marking  
• Programme: See if the exam actually gives you an admission route for the B.Tech, BCA or B.Sc IT programme you want  
• Institution: Find out which participating university or institution accepts the score, and also what extra admission condition is required  

For students considering GCSET, these points feel extra important, because the test is only one piece in the larger admission process, not the whole story.

In the end, GCSET is for all the B.Tech aspirants in India who wish to pursue computer science. It is a 100% online entrance test that opens doors to top universities in India. An “easy” entrance exam is not always the best entrance exam. The better option is usually the one where your eligibility, exam format and admission path fit both the course and the institution you plan to study at.

If you are in 12th standard and already planning to pursue a career in Forensic Science, the entrance exam you opt for can be the first step in your journey. One of the options is the All India Forensic Science Entrance Test (AIFSET) for admission to undergraduate courses in forensic science at the participating universities.

But should you take AIFSET in 2027? It will depend on your eligibility, the universities you are interested in and the type of academic trajectory you are seeking. Based on the current AIFSET 2026 eligibility and examination details, here are 10 practical reasons why class 12 students should consider AIFSET for their 2027 admission planning. The actual dates, fees, participating institutions and eligibility for 2027 should be verified from the official notification of 2027.

To pursue Forensic science after Class 12.

The main advantage of AIFSET is that you don't need to wait until you graduate to get into the field. The eligibility criteria for the B.Sc. Forensic Science routes under the current AIFSET are that candidates who have completed or are appearing for 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics as the main subjects with a minimum aggregate of 50% are eligible to apply. This makes AIFSET relevant to class 12 science students who have already made up their minds to pursue forensic science.

Seamless admission to Forensic Science programmes

AIFSET is designed as a national level test for students who wish to apply to forensic science programmes in different universities. It is not a general postgraduate test of unrelated subjects. That is the path that makes it easier for a student who wants to take admission in forensic science after 12th to understand: know the universities that accept admissions for forensic science, know the requirements of each university and prepare for the entrance exam accordingly.

Both PCB and PCM students can be eligible

One of the most frequently asked questions by Class 12 students is whether Forensic Science is just for Biology students. The eligibility information for the current AIFSET states that the undergraduate route is for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics as the primary subjects. Hence, students who are studying PCB or PCM combinations may be able to satisfy the subject requirement, subject to the satisfaction of the applicable aggregate and other requirements. This is significant because forensic science is not solely based on one school subject, but rather on a number of scientific disciplines.

Exam can be taken anytime.

Students do not necessarily have to wait for their final Class 12 result before applying. As per the current eligibility criteria of AIFSET, candidates who are appearing in their 10+2 examination are eligible to apply as per the mentioned eligibility criteria. This can help a student to start preparing for entrance exams in the final year instead of waiting for the board exams.

Simple and online exam format 

AIFSET examination pattern is relatively easy to understand: The examination is conducted online, consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions of 100 marks, and lasts for 60 minutes. 

There is no negative marking.

That doesn't mean that students should just guess all the questions. It does not imply that the examination strategy is different from a test in which a wrong answer is penalized. Students may concentrate on the questions they know first, and then spend the remaining time wisely on the ones they are not as sure about.

Multiple attempts for AIFSET allowed.

A candidate is allowed to appear in the examination a maximum of three times. This is something that students should know before planning their preparation. It also implies that aspirants should read the official rules carefully and not assume about attempts, age limit or eligibility. The number of attempts allowed for AIFSET 2027 is three. 

200+ Partner universities accepting AIFSET scores

AIFSET is not a test for any one institution, there are over 200 top universities across the country accepting the scores. This may be helpful for students who have not decided on a university yet but are certain that they wish to pursue forensic science.

There is however an important difference: not all universities have the same admission requirements. Students are advised to verify the eligibility, programme information, counselling procedure, fees and seat availability of the individual university before finalizing their choice.

It can help students begin a specialised academic pathway

Forensic science is not just about crime scenes or the kind of investigations that are depicted in TV shows. Forensic science is broadly defined by AIFSET's own description as being in medical data science, field sciences and laboratory sciences. It refers to forensic pathology, psychiatry, psychology and forensic medicine, crime-scene investigation, chemistry, biology, toxicology, ballistics, fingerprints and questioned documents.

It's important to know that breadth before selecting the course. A student with an interest in forensic science might eventually be more interested in laboratory analysis, biological evidence, toxicology, crime-scene work or another specialised area.

It lets you plan your admission around the university, not just the examination

Perhaps the most practical reason to consider AIFSET is that it can become part of a broader B.Sc. Forensic Science admission strategy. Instead of asking only, “Which entrance exam should I take?”, Class 12 students should first ask: Which universities offer the programme I want? What are their eligibility requirements? Do they participate in AIFSET? What does the programme teach? What practical exposure does it provide? And what is the admission process after the entrance test? 

The AIFSET route can be useful when it matches those requirements. But an entrance score should never be treated as the only factor in choosing a university.

For Class 12 students, the biggest advantage of considering AIFSET is not simply the exam itself. It is the opportunity to plan a focused route into undergraduate forensic science while keeping participating universities in consideration. 

But the smartest approach is to reverse the usual process: shortlist the universities and B.Sc. Forensic Science programmes first, check their 2027 admission requirements, and then decide whether AIFSET should be part of your entrance-exam plan. That way, you are not preparing merely to clear an exam. You are preparing for the course and university you actually want.

We all have, at some point of our life, thought of being a reporter, a spy who publishes things. But only few are able to pursue this career. They become a  journalist, a person who has to search for information, ask awkward questions, check facts, know the context and tell the public what is important. The profession has also grown in India beyond newspapers and television to digital newsrooms, websites, social media, podcasts and multimedia reporting. Journalists engage in news collection and verification, and the digital era has expanded the scope of print, electronic and web journalism.

If you've ever wondered what skills and qualities are needed to be a journalist, the answer is not just a list of soft skills. The true test is: can you remain curious when everyone else has taken the first answer? Can you communicate with people who are different from you? Can you tell the difference between what is true and what is assumed? Can you tell a complicated story simply?

What Skills Are Required to Become a Journalist?

A successful journalist needs to be a strong communicator, writer, researcher, critical thinker and observer, while also developing interpersonal and digital skills. Communication, analytical ability, interpersonal skills, writing and related professional skills are some of the skills relevant to journalism identified, while the reporter career guide also mentions investigation, interviewing, research, multimedia, story development and SEO-related skills.

But these skills do not carry equal weight in every situation. A reporter covering a breaking news story may need quick decision-making and strong interviewing skills, while an investigative journalist may spend days or weeks researching documents before writing a single story. A digital journalist may additionally need to understand video, photography, social media and search-friendly publishing.

1. Strong Writing and Communication Skills

The journalist should be able to convey information without causing confusion. A good writer does not use complicated words, but rather knows what the reader needs to know and presents it in a way that is accurate.

Communication isn't just about writing. Journalists ask questions from others, talk to officials, talk to strangers for information, engage in conversations and, in broadcast journalism, communicate effectively on camera. Communication is one of the key skills for journalism and reporting.

A simple way for a student to cultivate this is to write regularly and read a variety of journalism. Write the same event in a 100 word news report, a 500 word feature and a short video script. The exercise helps you to learn that journalism is not a single writing style.

2. Curiosity: Asking “Why?”

Perhaps the most important difference between an information rewriter and a story finder is curiosity.

A press release could state that a new scheme has been introduced. A curious journalist asks: Who will benefit? What will be the cost? When will it begin? What is the issue it is intended to address? What are the voices of those impacted by it?

The knack for seeing beyond the obvious is at the heart of reporting. Curiosity and a desire to find stories are also among the hallmarks of journalism training resources.

3. Research and Fact-Checking

A journalist can't afford to take anything on faith. Research is the process of locating trustworthy sources, verifying documents, comparing accounts and comprehending the context of an issue. In the era of fast-moving information on social media, fact-checking is even more crucial.

This is one place where the profession is undergoing a dramatic transformation. In July 2026, the Press Information Bureau emphasized the importance of fact-checking and evidence-based reporting for journalists in the digital era, while also underscoring the need for journalists to understand evidence when reporting incidents.

It is a good practice for budding journalists to keep a source trail while researching: note the source of each important fact, verify the source of the information if possible, distinguish between information that is confirmed and information that is alleged or claimed.

4. Critical thinking and questioning ability

It is not the role of a journalist to take a statement on faith because it is from a powerful source. Critical thinking enables journalists to analyze conflicting statements, determine what information is missing, and to understand if a statistic is actually substantiating the conclusion being made. It is especially significant in the context of politics, business, public policy, science and controversial issues.

As the power of AI and social media continues to grow, making it easier to create and share information at a staggering pace, the skill becomes increasingly valuable. It's not just about being the first one to the scene. It is the knowledge of what is to be accepted and what is to be verified.

5. Interviewing and Interpersonal Skills

The best information in journalism is often gained from conversations. A journalist might have to talk to a government official in the morning, a student in the afternoon and an expert in the evening. There are different ways to approach each person.

Journalists can develop trust through good interpersonal skills while maintaining a professional distance. Listening is also an important part of interviewing. It is easy for a journalist to miss the best answer already provided when he is thinking about the next question.

6. Observation and Attention to Detail

A story can change with the smallest detail. A journalist at an event should observe who is there, what documents are on display, what the officials say, and what they don't say. In investigative or field reporting, it is possible for seemingly insignificant observations to be significant pieces of evidence.

Detail is another safeguard for journalists, as it can help prevent simple mistakes such as misspelling names, dates, figures, locations or quotes that can undermine the credibility of a well-written report.

7. Adaptability and Digital Skills

Today's journalist is expected to be multi-formatted. In a newsroom, one journalist can write an article, make a video, take photos, write a social media post or create a live digital update. Digital journalism has broadened the scope of journalism jobs beyond print and broadcast.

Students can therefore benefit from learning the fundamentals of video editing, photography, audio recording, content management systems, social media publishing and search engine optimization as well as reporting and writing. Other skills included are multimedia, photography, recording, video editing, and script writing and SEO.

Technology may change the way a story is produced, but it does not change the qualities that make someone trustworthy enough to tell that story. Tools can be learned. Professional judgement takes longer.

Qualities That Can Make a Good Journalist

Skills can be taught. Some of the professional attributes must be acquired by experience. Patience is important because sources don't always reply right away. When dealing with strangers or tough questions, confidence is a good thing to have. If the first call goes unanswered, persistence is key. 

Determination matters when a story requires repeated follow-ups, unanswered calls and more than one attempt to get the facts. Indeed's journalism career guide also lists qualities such as enthusiasm, persistence, confidence, determination, interpersonal ability, deadline management and investigation skills. There is also likely the most important quality: integrity.

Sometimes a journalist will be given the chance to publish a sensational claim before other competitors have confirmed it. It can be very tempting to be first. Journalism is, however, a business of trust. 

Do You Need a Journalism Degree to Become a Journalist?

This is a question students frequently ask, as well as what skills they need to be a journalist. There is no single educational route into journalism. Journalism and mass communication degrees are popular options, and a bachelor's degree in journalism or mass communication can offer structured training in reporting, writing, media ethics and related fields. 

Although a journalism-specific bachelor's degree isn't always required for all jobs, journalism degrees are highly recommended, and a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication is a common path for aspiring journalists, according to Indeed.

What is equally important is what a student does with the degree. A professional portfolio can be the first building blocks of college publications, campus reporting, internships, independent blogs, student magazines and freelance assignments. Internships are a crucial means for journalism students to put classroom knowledge into practice in real media settings.

How Can Students Start Building Journalism Skills After Class 12?

Students don't need to wait until graduation to begin preparing for journalism. Read a couple of reputable newspapers each day. Choose one story and discuss what information the report provides, what claims have been made by sources and what questions are not answered. Then attempt to write your own version.

Then create a mini portfolio. It could contain campus stories, interviews, explainers, opinion pieces, photographs, short videos or local-interest reports. The objective is not to have hundreds of articles. It is to show that you can responsibly locate, confirm and share information.

Internships can then introduce students to real newsroom practices, deadlines, editing and reporting. Academic learning, practical experience and a portfolio can make the move into entry-level journalism a much more fulfilling experience.

What Does it Take to Be a Journalist?

Today's journalists have to fight against the speed of social media, the amount of content on the internet and the ever more sophisticated information generated by AI. This alters the expectations of employers and audiences of journalists. 

In today’s era, speed alone is no longer a major advantage. AI can generate a paragraph in seconds. Social media can spread an unverified claim to millions before a newsroom has finished checking it. The journalist's value increasingly lies somewhere else: verification, judgement, context and accountability. It is useful to know how to publish quickly. It is even more important to know when not to publish yet.

It is here that the characteristics of the profession, curiosity, scepticism, communication, observation and ethics, are combined with the newer skills of the profession, multimedia production, digital publishing and technology skills.  

Sometimes, for a PCB student, NEET can make the entire future seem tied to one exam. If you're not planning to attend an MBBS college, or if you just want to know what other options are out there, there are a few science-based options to consider. One such option is BSc Agriculture. 

However, NEET is not the entrance examination used for undergraduate Agriculture and Allied Sciences admissions through the ICAR CUET (ICAR-UG) route. However, agriculture colleges do not all follow the same admission process, so students should check the current rules of the university and programme they want to apply for.

That distinction matters. A student who has studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology in Class 12 is not required to take agriculture as the last option after NEET. It's a distinct academic discipline, with its own subjects, entry and career paths.

Is there any way to do BSc Agriculture without NEET?

 Yes. According to the eligibility criteria for admission in the various courses offered through CUET (ICAR-UG) 2026 and AIACAT, the candidates must have passed Class 12 with at least three subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Agriculture/Inter-Agriculture as their core subjects. The bulletin does not specify NEET as the entrance exam for these courses.

The entrance exams are for several undergraduate programmes including BSc (Hons) Agriculture, BSc (Hons) Horticulture, BSc (Hons) Forestry, BSc (Hons) Natural Farming, BSc (Hons) Sericulture, BSc (Hons) Agribusiness Management and programmes like Agricultural Engineering, Dairy Technology, Food Technology and Biotechnology for 2026 cycle.

If you have PCB and don't want to appear for NEET, then you can certainly do agriculture, as per the eligibility criteria of the programme and university you are applying to.

Which Entrance Exam is required for BSc Agriculture?

Each agriculture college in India has its own admission procedure; some accept all top entrance exams, some only AIACAT, and some offer direct admission.  CUET (ICAR-UG) is the entrance exam for students who are looking for eligible undergraduate Agriculture and Allied Sciences programmes for ICAR All India admission route. The latest information bulletin provides the subject requirements and the admission framework for the participating institutions.

This is not the case in all agriculture colleges of India. AIACAT (All India Agriculture Common Aptitude Test) partner universities have their own admission criteria  with a slightly different admission process to cut the hassle students in India face during college admission.

The mistake that students make is looking for one “BSc Agriculture entrance exam” and picking the very first entrance exam without doing any research. Aspirants must select the programme and university first and then review the current admission notification of the programme.

Currently, ICAR has published counselling updates for undergraduate courses for the 2026-27 admission cycle on its website and students applying this year should follow the above-mentioned counselling updates, which are official, instead of the previous admission calendar that is circulating on the internet.

Can students with PCB go for BSc Agriculture?

PCB students may be eligible for admission in Agriculture and allied programmes; however the eligibility may differ from programme to programme and from university to university.

As per the ICAR-UG rules of 2026, the candidates are required to have Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Agriculture/Inter-Agriculture as three subjects in Class 12. The bulletin also contains information on the fact that the individual universities may have other requirements, e.g. programme-specific subject requirements or other eligibility requirements.

Another aspect that students should not ignore is that ICAR has mentioned that the candidates have to choose and write the subjects in the examination as per the options given in the application form. Trying out various subjects may result in disqualification from counselling or admission.

Therefore, do not take the word of a coaching site that says “PCB eligible for BSc Agriculture”. Look at the programme that you are going to apply for.

PCB vs PCM vs PCMB for ICAR Agriculture Admissions 

Important: For CUET (ICAR-UG) 2026, candidates must have passed Class 12 with at least three subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Agriculture/Inter-Agriculture as core subjects. ICAR also states that candidates must attempt the subjects selected in their application and warns that appearing in different subjects can lead to rejection from counselling/admission. Individual universities may have additional conditions.

What are the other subjects a PCB student can pursue after 12th?

Eligible students from the PCB stream can pursue various specializations like Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Natural Farming, Sericulture, Fisheries, Food-related programmes and Agribusiness Management depending on the university. Some of these areas are included in the current ICAR-UG 2026 list. It should be based on your preference.

BSc Agriculture is the most general degree for anyone interested in crops, soil and agricultural production. If you're more interested in plants and fruits, vegetables or ornamental crops, Horticulture is more of a specialized path. Forestry is the path towards forest ecosystems and management. Agribusiness steps closer to the commercial aspect of agriculture. This is why the term “agriculture” shouldn't be considered as a single job or even a single degree.

Interest leads to different career paths

It is worth noting that a student who dislikes plant science may not enjoy BSc Agriculture simply because the degree has a broad career scope, while someone interested in food technology or agribusiness may be better served by a more specialised programme. 

What do you actually study in BSc Agriculture?

BSc Agriculture is a UG course in which students are exposed to scientific and applied fields that involve soil, crops, plant health, agricultural production, economics and extension, the exact curriculum depending on the university. Laboratory work and practical exercises, field exposure and agricultural experiments can be included in addition to classroom learning.

That combination might be ideal for a student who enjoys biology but would prefer to work in a setting other than a hospital. If a person is not interested in plants, fieldwork or agricultural systems, then he/she will find out pretty soon that it is not a course for him/her.

Can BSc Agriculture be a second choice for NEET students?

It can be an alternative but it's not a “backup”. The end of the career is not the same. MBBS is a clinical healthcare degree. Graduates can be directed in agriculture towards agricultural research, extension, agribusiness, food systems, farm management, agricultural technology and further study.

The difference should be taken into account prior to admission, not after graduation. If you are opting for BSc Agriculture because you didn't get the MBBS seat, spend some time to understand the subjects and jobs. You might find out that you really like farming or you might find out that you don't like farming. Both are valuable finds.

What should a PCB student do, whether to go for BSc Agriculture or MBBS?

Start with the work, not the reputation of the degree. When it comes to making diagnoses, treating diseases, and working in clinical healthcare and medicine, it's a no-brainer. If you're more interested in plants, crops, food production, soil, agricultural research, rural systems, agribusiness or agricultural technology, agriculture is a serious consideration. There is no need to use the words “better” or “worse” when describing either of these courses. They train students for various types of jobs. 

What should you check before pursuing an agriculture course?

Before applying, please verify four points: the specific course, the requirements, the way of access to the course, and, if applicable, the recognition or accreditation of the programme/institution. ICAR provides regular updates on the list of recognized agricultural universities, colleges and programmes that can be helpful in narrowing down your choices.

The 2026 bulletin is the main source of information for students following the ICAR route for eligibility and programme-level requirements. Universities may have other requirements and ICAR will specifically remind candidates to verify these requirements with their university of interest.

Avoid selecting a college just because an advertisement states that it has a “100% placement” or because it is on a list of “top agriculture colleges”. Review the programme, hands-on experience, cost, equipment and career path it provides.

Is BSc Agriculture a good course to pursue without NEET?

Yes, for a PCB student who wants to pursue a career other than clinical medicine that is science-based. The best argument for taking up BSc Agriculture is that NEET didn't work out. It is that agriculture provides a pathway to a discipline where science and food, plants, natural resources, technology and business converge. You don't have to make your whole career choice based on one entrance exam!

For the 2026 admissions, students who wish to pursue their education through ICAR should refer to the latest CUET (ICAR-UG) notification and the eligibility and admission details of the respective universities. ICAR's official website now has updates for the upcoming 2026 Undergraduate counselling cycle.

Before power could command the world, knowledge had already begun to shape it; education became the vessel through which that knowledge travelled from one generation to another. Education is often presented as the road to a better career, a higher income and a secure future. Its most remarkable strength, however, lies far beyond employment. Education changes how people understand the world. It gives them the ability to read laws, understand history, question information, recognise manipulation and demand accountability. Hence, the idea of education as power has remained relevant across generations.

A person with knowledge is not necessarily powerful. However, an individual who knows how to think, question and apply knowledge can be much more difficult to control. This is where education goes beyond a degree or certificate. It turns into a way of freedom, and allows people to make choices instead of taking things on faith. This is why unaccountable power fears an educated population because education gives people the tools to question authority.

How can education be a source of power?

Knowledge alters the options that are available to a person. When a child learns to read, he or she can gain access to ideas that are beyond the immediate context. A student with an understanding of technology can find opportunities that other generations may not have found. A citizen who knows his/her rights will know when they are being violated. This is what education does to a society — makes it powerful.

Education also provides people with the capacity to analyze information rather than taking everything they read at face value. A learned individual can ask: What is the evidence? Who is making this argument? What is not stated? What are the advantages of this decision? These questions might seem straightforward, but they are the building blocks of thinking and responsible citizenship.

Why is it that the powerful do not like an educated society?

It would be unkind to claim that all rulers and governments are afraid of educated people. Institutions must be strong and accountable, and they should be open to an informed population, as they can be made more transparent and effective through scrutiny. What is it that the power which is insecure and unaccountable fears? Education itself? No, it is people who know and are confident enough to question it.

An educated population is harder to control with misinformation, fear or empty promises. People who understand history are better equipped to recognise patterns that have appeared before. Those who know the law have the right to challenge decisions that are made without justification. Individuals who are able to assess evidence are less likely to believe a claim just because it is made by an authority figure. Education does not teach people to rebel against authority, it teaches them how to comprehend and assess authority.

The best lesson is to ask why

The best classroom is not the one that teaches students the most. It is the one in which students learn to ask better questions. Why is this true? What is the evidence for it? Is there another reason? What if this decision is incorrect?

These questions lie at the heart of science, journalism, law and democracy. The advancement of science requires challenging accepted theories. Journalism requires tough questions. Examination of evidence is the basis of law. Citizens need to evaluate conflicting claims in order to ensure democracy. A student who learns to question respectfully is not being disobedient, they are learning one of the most important skills that education can give them: critical thinking.

Education is a key component of a healthy democracy

Democracy requires more than just voters. It requires informed citizens who can comprehend information, identify misinformation and make informed decisions. This is especially significant in the context of today's world where information can spread around the globe in seconds.

Fake news can be spread through social media, and AI can create convincing text, images and videos. In this context, it is not enough to have access to information. Students should be taught to check sources, identify bias, to distinguish between fact and opinion, and to assess evidence. Education is thus emerging as one of the best lines of defence against misinformation.

Education does not necessarily equal a degree

In modern society, education is often judged by marks, degrees, rankings and placements. While these accomplishments are important, especially in a competitive job market, they don't necessarily tell the whole story. A student can get very good grades without being confident enough to challenge an idea. A graduate can enter a prestigious profession and still remain vulnerable to misinformation. A person may be technically very knowledgeable but not be aware of the ethical implications.

The success of education should therefore not be judged by what a student remembers. It should also be judged on their ability to comprehend, ask questions, analyse and create. Knowledge is truly empowering when it transforms the way that a person views the world and equips them with the power to make informed decisions.

Can education become a tool of control?

The connection between education and power is complex, as education can free people, but it can also shape their beliefs. What students learn is important, but what they don't learn can be important. A classroom may challenge youth to think differently or may give them one interpretation of an issue.

This is why it is important to foster curiosity and intellectual freedom in education. When students are taught only what to believe, education runs the risk of becoming conditioning. When they learn to evaluate ideas, to compare evidence and to draw their own conclusions, education becomes a liberating force. Education is not about teaching students to think for you, it's about teaching students how to think for themselves.

Why universities must protect the freedom to disagree

A good university is not a place where everyone agrees with each other. It should be a place where ideas are challenged by evidence, reasoning and respectful debate. Students should be able to ask questions of their teachers, researchers should be able to challenge accepted ideas, and alternative perspectives should be explored and not simply rejected.

It is not a failure of education when there is disagreement. At times, it's proof that learning is taking place. The seeds of intellectual development can be sown when a person is confronted with an idea that contradicts his or her own beliefs. The aim of higher education should not be to get all students to the same conclusion, but to enable students to make conclusions based on reasoning and evidence.

Education empowers people to change their future

The most intimate form of educational power is the capacity to envision an alternative future. A child from a disadvantaged background can find opportunities that might not have been apparent to them that he or she could discover through education. It can provide communities with knowledge and skills that generate economic and social opportunities. It can also assist people to realize that their current situation does not have to be their future.

Education doesn't just affect one student. Knowledge is transferred from students to families, from families to communities and from one generation to the next. A teacher can impact hundreds of young minds, and one educated person can impact the decisions and aspirations of a whole family. This is the way education slowly starts to become a tool for social change.

The future is for those who can THINK

The world is changing at a rapid pace thanks to artificial intelligence, automation and digital media. Information is now more easily available, but determining what is true is increasingly difficult. Students therefore need more than the ability to memorise information.They must be curious, analytical, adaptable and capable of evaluating the information they encounter.

Students who know all the answers will not necessarily be the ones best equipped for the future. They will be the ones who can ask the right questions, look at evidence, change when necessary and think for themselves. With technology increasingly able to answer questions, perhaps the most important skill will be knowing which questions to ask.

Education is power that creates independent minds

Education can open a mind, a degree can open a career. Knowledge can enable a person to identify injustice, grasp opportunity and challenge misinformation. A falsehood can be challenged by critical thinking and intellectual freedom can help a society not accept authority without question.

So, education is the power, not because education makes people rebellious or against those who govern, but because it makes them independent thinkers. That's why unaccountable power has always been uneasy with an educated society.

Apparently, the best education system is not one that produces citizens who agree with everything they hear. It is one that produces citizens who can ask difficult questions, demand evidence, tolerate disagreement and imagine something better. 

Thus, a society that teaches its people to think produces citizens capable of shaping their own future, and this is indeed intimidating to those in power who wish to rule and not serve. So, the question is whether we wish to hone education as power or be honed by those in power.

History remembers civilizations not by how rich people were, but by what they thought, learnt, invented, and discovered. 

The Library of Alexandria still feels heavy as one of history’s biggest tragedies, not because the building got burned, but because humanity lost whole bodies of knowledge that we couldn’t just recover later. Wars wrecked manuscripts, dictators put a chokehold on books, and time itself erased countless stories, bit by bit, until they were gone. Each generation looks back at those disappearances with this regret, wondering how history might have moved in a different direction if those volumes had survived.

But here we are, in one of the most technologically advanced eras humans have ever lived through, and it seems we’re making a similar mistake again, not with fire, but with scanners this time. And who is to be blamed? Human greed. 

Videos of rare books being cut are circulating online. Fresh reports say AI companies have been buying massive quantities of physical books, even rare copies and out-of-print editions, then cutting off their spines and scanning every page just to train artificial intelligence models. Afterward, the original books get destroyed, because it’s supposedly cheaper and quicker than preserving them intact. Court papers and legal hearings indicate that this kind of destructive scanning is now baked into the AI industry’s competitive push for high-quality, human-written data.

Legally, a lot of this might be allowed. Morally, though, it leaves behind questions no courtroom can really settle , at least not in any satisfying way. Because a book isn’t only information written on papers. A book is memory , culture, and history you can actually hold in your hands.

Destroying Books Was a Choice, Not a Necessity

The most uncomfortable aspect of this story is that the destruction of books was never an unavoidable consequence of digitisation. And that's where this approach becomes ethically and morally wrong.  Libraries, museums and universities have spent decades preserving fragile manuscripts while simultaneously making them available digitally. Many institutions, including Harvard University, have shown that we can scan and digitalise books without actually destroying the original!

However special equipment, trained archivists, careful handling and much more time is needed for preservation of books, and this is the economical factor that is being avoided. The same operation of cutting the spine off a book and putting it through an industrial scanner is a dramatic improvement in both speed and cost. The financial reward for the industry that's racing to develop the next generation of AI models is clear.

This is where the discussion goes beyond the technical and into the philosophical realm. But whether books can be preserved is no longer the question. They can. The problem is that these big AI Companies who can easily pay for preserving these books are okay with destroying them.

No AI company has publicly claimed that history is expendable, nor is there evidence that they intend to erase literary heritage. But, every industry shows its priorities in the decisions it takes. With the continuing triumph of speed over preservation, when it's done for efficiency and cost-saving, a question arises: Are the commercial considerations starting to undermine cultural responsibility?

Throughout the history of technology, new innovations have always promised to make life simpler. It should never lead to us being lax in what we inherit. 

A Book Is More Than Just The Words Inside It Is

There are people who believe in destructive scanning who say that nothing is being destroyed since everything is kept in a digital format. If the information persists, why should the material object? The answer is no big surprise for those who have a deep passion for books.

A book is not a piece of information. If it were just information, printed books would have been eliminated on the day the Internet came along. After all, almost all classic novels, scientific papers and historical texts are on the internet and available within a few seconds. But bookstores are still thriving, libraries are never empty and millions of readers opt to read books instead of e-books.

This decision does not have much to do with convenience. Books are experiences. They smell of old paper, feel like worn paper and have the feel of a product designed to last generations. The second hand book will most likely be marked in some way with underlined passages, missing bookmarks or handwritten notes that were written by an owner who the reader will never see. Those little flaws become the unspoken dialogue in time.

The words narrate one story while the book tells another. This is something that people who don't read novels very often do know unconsciously. Often students will print out key notes rather than read the notes on screen. Even if you've a laptop and a tablet, writers still carry notebooks around. Individuals write letters rather than scan them into folders. Childhood diaries, family recipe books and old journals are kept as they have emotional value in themselves.

Humans aren't just focused on consuming information, we establish connections with it. What might be preserved here is the text, but all the things that made books part of our common literary culture are lost.

Profit Is Starting To Decide What We Preserve

Books are necessary for AI companies because they require humanity. But guess the irony is greater.  Technology has been offering a vision of a future where machines would produce unlimited knowledge for years. Rather, the AI craze has exposed something new. Human creativity is used in machines. They need authentic writing produced by authors, researchers, journalists and thinkers long before artificial intelligence became part of everyday life. 

That reliance has made books one of the most valuable commodities in the AI economy. The use of AI to learn from human knowledge isn't inherently bad. All generations have brought learning from others. What concerns them now is that centuries of human creativity are becoming seen as just a source for commercial products.

A rare book that used to be cultural heritage gets turned into training data, a cultural heritage book becomes a training data set, a book that was exclusively written, becomes a mere data, and the books that survived invasions, world wars and natural calamities are all now a mere set of data.  The transformation is subtle, but its implications are profound. History stops being something to preserve and gradually becomes something to process.

This may be the natural consequence of a competitive industry. All firms wish for bigger data sets, improved models, and quicker product releases. Growth is expected by investors and timing is all about money and efficiency in the markets. In such an environment, it's logical for a company to select the less expensive choice. However, economically sound is not necessarily ethically sound, isn’t it?

Civilisations have been able to thrive because previous generations saved far more than they immediately needed. . They preserved monuments for their own sake, defended languages known by only a few, and preserved libraries containing books which many never read. They knew that culture does not necessarily have to be quantified monetarily.

Today It Is Rare Books. Where Does the Line Move?

At present, reports largely involve rare and out-of-print books rather than unique historical manuscripts. It would be inaccurate to suggest otherwise. But technological history teaches us that practices rarely remain confined to their original boundaries.

The original social media were never designed to affect elections. Smartphones weren't meant to be a constant presence in every human moment. Streaming services had no idea that they would come along and dramatically change entire film industries. Technology grows where it is encouraged to grow. The same applies with this also.

With the growing diversity and realness of the sources that AI models depend on for human writing, society will have more challenging questions to answer. What happens when there is very little regional literature and it becomes very profitable? Where do endangered-language books go? If there are only a few physical copies remaining, what then?

These are not forecasts or estimates, but questions that deserve to be asked before circumstances force us to answer them. Once destroyed, there is no second chance for reconsidering a rare book. A copy in digital form can retain all words but can it maintain authenticity?

In Trying to Make AI More Human, Are We Making Humans More Like Machines?

It might be the strangest irony of this technological revolution that it has nothing to do with artificial intelligence. It is all about us!

Over the past few decades, researchers have been making efforts to equip machines with human-like thinking capabilities. They have taught them to recognise emotions and communicate naturally, imitate creativity, and understand language. Each advancement has led to machines being closer and closer to human actions. But, as machines grow increasingly human, human beings appear to be going in the other direction.

We are becoming more and more about celebrating speed over patience, summaries over understanding and efficiency over experience. AI composes our messages, condenses our books, creates our reports and spawns our concepts. We skim, rather than read. Rather than reflect, we encourage. Rather than make, we automate.

The threat is not one of total replacement of the human race by AI. The greatest risk is that man slowly starts to imbibe the values of machines.  When every choice is made on the basis of speed, cost and optimisation, we may end up being a civilization of output over understanding. One day we might know that we have the most intelligent machines ever created and forget to remember why books, art and history were important other than for the information they contained.

The Future Should Not Make Us Forget The Past

AI is definitely one of the greatest technological accomplishments of humankind. It could change medicine, education, scientific discovery and many other things. It should keep on going. 

True progress never came when cultural responsibility was given up. It is not a debate on scanning books or training AI Models. It's about the values that will define the future that we are creating. When it comes to preserving our literary heritage, if we're only looking at reducing expenses, we might end up with a world that's been digitised, but with far fewer books remaining.

Inventions are not the only things by which a civilisation is judged in history but also the treasures it chooses to preserve. Maybe someday AI will have the ability to recall all the books people have ever written. But what’s a bigger issue is whether humans will still be able to recall why those books even existed. The problem is trivial right now but in the long run it’ll change the world, and that, perhaps, won’t be for good. 

The resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan marks more than the political fallout of a controversial examination. It represents a defining moment in the relationship between India's youth and the state. Whether viewed as an act of accountability, a strategic political concession, or a response to sustained public pressure, the episode underscores a larger truth: India's education system has reached a point where public trust can no longer be taken for granted.

The NEET-UG 2026 controversy was never merely about a paper leak. It evolved into a national conversation about fairness, institutional credibility, unemployment, and the aspirations of millions of young Indians. For students who had invested years of preparation, family savings, and emotional resilience into one examination, the cancellation of the test represented more than administrative failure—it felt like a breach of the social contract. The examination system had failed those who had done everything society had asked of them.

What transformed this grievance into a nationwide movement was the ability of Generation Z to redefine political participation. Often dismissed as distracted, screen-obsessed, or disengaged, young Indians demonstrated that social media can be the starting point—not the endpoint—of civic action. Memes evolved into mobilisation, online campaigns became street demonstrations, and digital communities translated into disciplined negotiations with the government. The movement challenged long-held assumptions that internet activism lacks endurance or organisational depth.

The emergence of the Cockroach Janta Party as a symbolic platform reflected this shift. By reclaiming a term perceived as derogatory and transforming it into an emblem of resilience, young protesters created a language that resonated with millions facing educational uncertainty and limited employment opportunities. Yet the movement was never confined to one organisation or personality. Independent students, social media creators, established student organisations, educators, and public intellectuals all contributed to a broad coalition that transcended ideological boundaries.

Among the movement's most influential voices was Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike gave the agitation moral legitimacy beyond conventional politics. His insistence on non-violence, dialogue, and constitutional methods shifted public attention from partisan debate to ethical responsibility. Even when his deteriorating health became a matter of national concern, the focus remained on institutional reform rather than individual heroism. His eventual decision to end the fast after receiving written assurances reflected a belief that democratic negotiation remains preferable to permanent confrontation.

Equally significant was the turning point created by the July 20 march towards Parliament. While isolated incidents of violence require impartial investigation, the widespread images of police action altered public perception. The debate expanded beyond examination irregularities to include broader questions about the state's response to peaceful dissent. History repeatedly demonstrates that excessive force often strengthens rather than weakens public movements. According to the source document, attendance at protest sites increased after the crackdown, suggesting that coercion amplified public sympathy instead of discouraging participation.

The political opposition undoubtedly amplified the issue by raising it inside Parliament and demanding ministerial accountability. However, the movement's strength lay in the fact that it could not easily be dismissed as a partisan campaign. Students from diverse ideological, social, and regional backgrounds participated because examination integrity affects every aspirant regardless of political preference. The document further argues that attempts to communalise the protests failed because paper leaks and educational uncertainty cut across religious and party identities. Merit, anxiety, and career aspirations proved stronger unifying forces than identity politics.

The movement also exposed the evolving nature of information warfare. Competing narratives, manipulated visuals, and unverified allegations circulated on all sides. Yet misinformation struggled to overwhelm lived experience. Students did not require political narratives to convince them that an examination had been cancelled or that months of preparation had been disrupted. Their personal experience remained the movement's most persuasive evidence. This highlights an important lesson in the digital age: while misinformation can shape narratives, it cannot easily erase realities experienced by millions.

The government's eventual acceptance of the minister's resignation appears, in the document's analysis, to have been driven by converging pressures—continued protests, parliamentary disruption, expanding public support, and concern that a single examination controversy could evolve into a broader youth movement centred on unemployment, institutional credibility, and governance. The resignation thus served both as an acknowledgment of accountability and as an attempt to contain an escalating crisis.

Yet resignations alone do not repair broken institutions. Restoring confidence in India's examination system demands transparent investigations, stronger safeguards against paper leaks, faster prosecution of offenders, protection for whistle-blowers, and meaningful reforms to testing agencies. Most importantly, students must regain confidence that merit—not manipulation—determines opportunity.

The lasting significance of this episode therefore lies beyond one minister or one examination. It demonstrated that India's youth possess both the organisational capacity and democratic maturity to shape public discourse through constitutional means. They showed that digital mobilisation can coexist with peaceful protest, negotiation, and institutional engagement. Whether governments of the future choose confrontation or dialogue, one message is unmistakable: young citizens expect accountability, transparency, and respect.

India's demographic dividend will remain its greatest strength only if its institutions command the confidence of those who depend on them. The NEET crisis should therefore be remembered not simply as a political controversy, but as a reminder that the future of education rests as much on public trust as on policy itself.

Prof. Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury

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

CJP Protests made genZ mature. Take a moment to think, no child grows up dreaming of standing behind a police barricade or leading a students’ protest; they dream of standing on a college campus, seeing their parents smile after years of sacrifices, opening an exam result that changes their family's life forever. That is how millions of young Indians are raised.

“Study, work harder, believe that merit will reward you.” For years, that promise kept an entire generation going. Then something changed… When allegations of repeated examination paper leaks and irregularities began shaking the country's biggest competitive exams, students did not just feel cheated.

Many felt that the one thing they had always trusted, i.e. the idea that dedication is enough, was slowly slipping away. That is why what happened at Delhi's Jantar Mantar isn’t a random protest. It became something far bigger; it became a generation asking one question that nobody in power could ignore anymore. It proved the system was gravely defective and that the most unserious generation had to come down to streets for one of the most serious protests while the government only focused on saving its throne!

Neither Education Nor Government Stood For its Youth

What started as a protest over exam irregularities and NEET paper leak turned into one of the country’s biggest youth-led movements in recent years. Thousands of students, job aspirants, parents and supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar with this simple message: if examinations decide a young person’s future then those examinations must be fair, transparent and accountable.

The movement was led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth organisation that pushed for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and also demanded broader reforms in India’s examination system. Over the next few days, the protest went way beyond one political demand. It became, somehow, a conversation about trust, and the biggest yet basic demand – accountability! 

The youth demanded answers from the same government who is pushing to make India vishwaguru. However, with all the paperleaks, youths’ potential going to waste, a corrupted system and monarchy disguised as democracy, the protest that erupted in 2026 was NEEDED. Because it’s better to fight today than let our children fight later. 

Also Read: The Rise of the ‘Cockroach Generation’: Young Indians Are Tired of Pretending Everything Is Fine 

Vishwaguru? Let the Gurus be Educated First!

The matter might look trivial on papers reading as ‘yet another paper leak that caused distress and a few suicides’, but the ground reality is  far beyond mere words inked down; it’s about the basic need from our education system. 

From 2021, the government aggressively started to promote and persuade people to help India become Vishwaguru again. The students took it positively, genZ really set their minds into studying, which was clearly visible as instagram started flooding with memes that could only be understood by educated people. Yes, brainrot trended and cringe content still peaked but memes, phrases, and references that surfaced somewhere reflected how a generation was also focusing on studying.  

However, in the 2026 NEET paper, one of India’s biggest exams, leaked, and when the students demanded answers, when they demanded the system to be fixed permanently so that such an incident never happens, the government ignored, AVOIDED its own youth. Students only yearned for fair exams, better systems, and unbiased education opportunities because corruption only leads to most undeserving people climbing the ladder and decaying the whole civilisation in the long-run. 

Also Read: Cockroach Janta Party Founder Abhijeet Dipke To Protest in Delhi, Demands Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation 

NEET Paper Leak 2026

The initial cause for the protest was said to be irregularities in the competitive exams, but the discussion at Jantar Mantar soon shifted from a single examination or recruitment process. Students talked about years of preparation.

Parents shared their experiences of money spent on coaching. Repeated claims of paper leaks and examination failures had led to uncertainty about merit, many protesters said. It wasn't just about one result for them. It was a question of whether hard work still brought opportunity. This fear was not just felt in Delhi, but throughout young India. 

Also read: Why NEET Is No Longer an Entrance Exam Students Can Trust Blindly 

A Protest that Refused to Just Fade Away

The movement picked up speed as students from different states travelled to Delhi. Some had spent years preparing for competitive examinations. Others had watched the same kind of paper-leak allegations keep showing up on headlines. Many arrived with the sense that they had already tried everything else , so this was the last option.

The protest then leaned into something more moral when climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the movement and started an indefinite hunger strike, in solidarity with the students.  His presence changed what had looked like yet another student demonstration into a wider national discussion about the future of education.

After 21 days of fasting, Wangchuk was removed from the protest site by Delhi Police and moved to Safdarjung Hospital. Police said the decision came after medical advice and instructions connected to matters before the Delhi High Court, once his health deteriorated. Protest organisers, however, described the removal as forcible , and the videos from the incident spread quickly across social media, sparking a lot of debate.

With Wangchuk hospitalized, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that he would continue the hunger strike, declaring that the movement would not stop and the Parliament March on 20th July;2026 was still on.

Also read: Indian Students Are Exhausted: How NEET 2026 Exposed a Growing Trust Crisis in Education 

The turning point was the march of "Sansad Chalo"

Despite Delhi Police declaring the march unauthorised and tightening security across central Delhi, thousands gathered with the intention of marching (peacefully) towards Parliament.

What ensued was the most controversial period in the movement. Police deployed barricades, lathi-charge and tear gas when protesters tried to march towards Parliament. As per ground videos, the tear bombs used were expired (the most concerning part). Expired tear gas can become more unstable and potentially more harmful, causing intensified irritation, chemical burns, and unpredictable reactions.

Meanwhile, protest organisers and many participants alleged that police used excessive force against peaceful protesters and falsely accused the protestors of being violent. The internet was flooded with videos showing protestors trying to save themselves from police who started hitting in an attempt to provoke protestors to be violent, until the government decided to cut the internet. 

In all of this, genz and gen alpha clearly saw one basic question arise: what’s something that the government is trying to save or hide?  Because it was a peaceful protest for mere accountability. Moreover, if Dharmendra Pradhan took action or wholeheartedly claimed responsibility, things could have been very different. 

The Images Of The Day Tell Two Stories Now

Some displayed injured police officers, broken barricades and roads strewn with stones. Others were seen carrying injured young protesters to safety, students sitting on roads with handwritten placards, and volunteers carrying the injured to safety while tear gas filled the streets around Parliament. The events were soon the topic of public discussion.

During the protest week, things took a turn as people from different communities started to join. However, because of massive headcounts it became difficult to differentiate between true students and goons disguised as protestors. There were fights, violence that started happening from the protestors’ end. This triggered speculations about conspiracies and ill intentions of an unknown group or party. Despite this, students kept flocking at Jantar Mantar and other districts for peaceful protest while the police allegedly continued provoking them and detaining them. 

Public Voices Join In The Movement

The protests continued and public figures started to react. Actor Alia Bhatt applauded the bravery of the protesters. “Examination paper leaks are a serious matter,” Salman Khan said, adding his condolences to the students who were injured during the protests. He also said, "Sonam, it's done bro," that went viral. 

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who peacefully went to Jantar Mantar to support the students’ protest, shared a video later questioning why other members of the film industry had not spoken up. 

Singer Arijit Singh condemned the violence witnessed during the protests and later clarified that he was not in favour of the violent protesters or the CJP. He said that students' concerns should have been addressed before it got to this level.

Social activist Anna Hazare appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the students' concerns and said that accountability makes the government stronger, not weaker. The movement was now a part of the public discourse.

Dhurandhar actress Ayesha Khan who participated in CJP Protest in Mumbai was detained. She shared a video claiming how police detained her and her friend, forced them into the police van and stopped them for joining the protest. 

There were many other influencers who came forward to do what mainstream media refused to do. Big influencers did ground-reporting showing exactly what is happening while other micro influencers who had good followings contributed by choosing to be truthful despite knowing they could be detained or fined for speaking the truth against the government. 

Few of them shared reels and claimed the government emailed them asking to make reels criticizing the movement while appreciating the government efforts, and to get compensation of 40-60 thousand rupees per reel. They also clarified that doing so could make them get arrested or liable to legal actions but are still doing it. They also urged the viewers to remember this as the videos could be taken down very soon. These claims aren’t independently verified, however, the screenshots they attached felt non-ai. Apparently, the credibility remains vague. 

Politics, Accountability And Irony

The political debate on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was one of the most talked about issues of the protest. The movement's supporters often cited reports from 1997, when Pradhan was allegedly involved in protests against a paper leak as a student leader.

Critics argued that students demanding accountability today deserved the same hearing that earlier generations had sought. But those who supported the government argued that the current movement had political elements and should not be directly compared with the previous student agitations. The debate was indicative of the extent to which the issue had become a part of the political discourse in India.

The Government's First Response

On 22nd July, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the ongoing CJP protest and the issues raised by the students should be discussed in Parliament so that a solution can be found.

Speaking amid the continuing agitation over the NEET paper leak, Nadda said it is the responsibility of both the government and the Opposition to discuss the matter in Parliament and work towards resolving it in the interest of students. His remarks came as the protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar continued to draw nationwide attention and political reactions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the government would set up fast-track courts to probe examination paper leak cases as pressure mounted. The Prime Minister said that the future of the youth of the country would not be jeopardised by those who would try to do so and added that the protection of students was a national priority.

The announcement was seen by many as a sign that the integrity of exams had become a national issue. But the announcement also left a bigger question unanswered. Does the swiftness of punishment alone restore public confidence?

Also read: PM Modi Announces Fast-Track Courts for Paper Leak Cases, Says Those 'Playing With Students' Future Will Not Be Spared' 

Inside The Movement

As with any large-scale public protest, the demonstrations had their own internal issues. Online criticism was raised after videos were released of a CJP spokesperson visiting fast food restaurants during the protests. The organisation later dismissed him from his official role, stating that his actions were not in line with the values of the movement.

The decision was welcomed by some supporters as evidence that the organisation was willing to hold its own members accountable.

In the interim, the CJP broadened its demands to include the dropping of cases against protesters and action against police officers accused by the organisation of using excessive force. Despite detentions, police presence and repeated clashes, the protests persisted.

Also Read: Sonam Wangchuk Shifted to Hospital, CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Begins Hunger Strike; Alleges Police Detention 

Sonam Wangchuk Ends Hunger Strike after 26 Days

On July 23, 2026, Sonam Wangchuk concluded his 26-day hunger strike after he met Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He broke his fast in the presence of the ministers and senior leaders of Apex Body of Leh Ladakh. Wangchuk's choice was made after a long negotiation and fear of potential violence in the country. He thanked the Members of Parliament for their support, and called for caution against violence, which has been 65 in number. The government pledged to take no action against the protesters who were demonstrating peacefully and said it was discussing paper leaks and educational reforms.

PM Modi On NEET Paper Leak Released a Midnight Video

Later on 23rd July, PM Modi released a video at midnight addressing the heated topic of NEET Paper leak calling the issue "very painful" and acknowledging the concerns of students and parents. He assured that strict actions would be taken. 

The Prime Minister said several accused in paper leak cases had been identified and arrested over the past two and a half months, and promised strict action against those responsible. He also said that re-examinations were held for almost 22 lakh students and results were declared on July 19 to ensure that their admissions were not delayed.

Modi also said the Union Cabinet would hold a discussion on a proposed anti-paper leak law that will be introduced in Parliament next week. The draft bill would also introduce tougher penalties for those involved in the examination malpractices and fast-track courts to speed up paper leak cases.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the address by the Prime Minister for not responding to the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Gandhi restated the demands which included the removal of Pradhan, action against those who allegedly assaulted protesting students and an apology from the government.

The Prime Minister's message came before the nationwide protests against the alleged examination irregularities and just after the activist Sonam Wangchuk called off his 26-day hunger strike. The Centre said more legal and administrative changes may be implemented in the future to build trust in the competitive examination system in India.

On the 24th night again PM Modi shared a video to keep Genz engaged. In the reel he thanked them for their feedback on his earlier video and said that it was “good to interact”. In the caption of the reel said, “Thanks to the youngsters who watched my video yesterday and sent insightful suggestions.” GenZ apparently commented funny things but between the lines it reflected how frustrated they felt about the “illogical-reel” that had nothing to do with the trivial demand of students. 

Also Read: PM Modi Releases Midnight Video on NEET Paper Leak as Sonam Wangchuk Ends Hunger Strike on day 26 

Protest That Went Beyond Delhi

What happened in Parliament Street or Jantar Mantar was perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the movement. It was the same in households all over India. Parents who had never protested found themselves talking about examination reforms.

Teachers debated accountability. Students who were preparing for future exams were asking themselves if the system they believed in could ensure fairness. The protest wasn't about ideology for many of the young people. It was a question of certainty. The confidence that years of study should not be jeopardized by alleged corruption or administrative failures.

Dharmendra Pradhan Resigned 

On 25th July, 2026, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reportedly sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests (students protest) in Jantar Mantar demanding his removal over NEET paper leak irregularities.

The development comes hours before the scheduled talks between the Centre and CJP representatives. The two-page letter, addressed to the country's youth and shared on social media, marks one of the biggest political fallouts yet from this year's NEET paper leak controversy.. 

Pradhan in the letter said, “I do not want any student’s future entangled in legal complications. I want our children to focus on studies and career building”.

He also mentioned that the last 10 days had been disturbing to him and that his choice was not based on his image but his conscience. He noted the rising discontent over the issue, including protests at Jantar Mantar, and said that people in power had deceived students during the crisis and that the situation was being politicized.

Also read: CJP Forces Historic Resignation: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns  

A Generation Pleading To Be HEARD

Each generation has one question that it will leave behind. This is what it might look like for this generation: Can a nation be a global knowledge power (vishwaguru) if its students don't believe in the exams that define their future?

The CJP protest will be evaluated in a multitude of ways, from the number of people who participated, the debates it provoked, the political debates it created, and the changes it brought and did not bring.

However, its biggest legacy might be something much simpler. It brought India to the realization that every roll number has a name, every result has a family and every allegation of paper leak has the potential of ruining years of hard work.

Some may have agreed with all the memes, slogans, all the demands, all the methods, but the protest put the issue on the agenda that could no longer be ignored. For thousands of young Indians who stood in Delhi for not just an examination but the concept of accountability itself, that conversation could turn out to be the movement's greatest legacy.

In the words of Abhijeet Dipke: Jhukti hai duniya, jhukane wala cahiye

Every examination paper that leaks steals more than a question booklet. It steals years of hard work, family sacrifices, and the belief that merit still matters.

India's latest examination controversy has once again exposed a deeper institutional crisis. The debate is no longer confined to a single paper leak or the resignation of an Education Minister. It has evolved into a larger question: Can young Indians still trust the system that promises opportunity through merit?

The July 20 march to Parliament was born from this question. Tens of thousands of students travelled to Delhi not merely to protest an examination, but to demand accountability from institutions that determine their futures. Their message was simple: when an examination fails, it is not only a test that collapses—it is public faith in governance itself.

A GENERATION THAT DID EVERYTHING RIGHT - AND WAS STILL CHEATED

A generation that was told to study harder has discovered that hard work is no protection against a stolen question paper. It was told to trust merit, only to watch merit become negotiable. It was told that competitive examinations were the republic's great equaliser, only to learn that a leak can turn years of preparation, family debt and private sacrifice into waste overnight.

That is the moral centre of the students' movement now spreading across India. It is not a mystery manufactured in Beijing, Washington or a clandestine ideological cell. It is a public response to a documented institutional crisis. The immediate trigger was the cancellation and re-examination of NEET-UG 2026 after the paper-leak scandal. The National Testing Agency itself recorded 22.79 lakh candidates for the original examination and later notified a nationwide re-test on June 21.[1][2] The wider backdrop is even more damning: repeated leaks in recruitment, entrance and board examinations across states governed by different parties, enormous delays, weak prosecutions and vanishing accountability.

Yet, instead of beginning with the evidence, an influential section of partisan media and social-media propaganda has tried to change the question. Who leaked the paper? becomes Who funds the protesters? Why were safeguards breached? becomes Why was a Faiz song sung? Why are convictions so rare? becomes Which embassy issued a travel alert? The scandal is moved from the examination room to the protest site. Students become suspects; institutions escape the dock.

THE NUMBERS THAT PROPAGANDA CANNOT EXPLAIN AWAY

Before evaluating rumours about the movement, consider the proven scale of the problem. An Indian Express investigation in 2024 documented 41 recruitment-examination leaks in 15 states over five years. Those disruptions affected 1.4 crore applicants competing for just over 1.04 lakh posts.[3] That is not a campus quarrel. It is a mass injury to economic mobility.

A larger 2026 investigation examined 45 major paper-leak cases from 2002 to 2025, each involving at least one lakh applicants. It found that 3.86 crore aspirants had enrolled for the affected examinations. Re-tests were scheduled after an average delay of 183 days; in some cases the disruption stretched to four years. Among 1,658 people arrested, 925 were charge-sheeted, but only 18 were convicted - in merely two cases. Thirty-two were acquitted in two cases and 43 remained in judicial custody when the investigation was published.[4]

The evidence also defeats partisan simplification. Of the 45 major leaks studied by The Indian Express, 23 involved examinations under BJP-ruled governments at the Centre or in states, 14 under Congress-ruled bodies, and the remainder under other parties.[4] Uttar Pradesh topped the list, followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat. The honest conclusion is not that one party invented paper leaks. It is that a nationwide governance failure has persisted across political regimes - and that the Union government carries special responsibility when a national examination administered through a central agency collapses.

NEET-UG magnifies every weakness because the stakes are brutal. More than 2.27 million candidates appeared across 551 cities before the 2026 examination was scrapped, according to a later account compiling official and police information.[6] The NTA had publicly advertised a vast security architecture: over two lakh personnel, more than 6,000 observers, GPS-tracked transport, CCTV feeds, biometric authentication and central monitoring. It also said more than 65 Telegram channels had been blocked for circulating fake papers or fraudulent claims.[7] Yet the exam still had to be cancelled and held again. The gap between promised security and actual failure is exactly why public anger is rational.

This is the factual foundation of the movement. Any theory that claims the agitation is fundamentally foreign-made must explain why millions of affected Indian candidates, repeated cancellations, years of delay and microscopic conviction rates are somehow irrelevant. It cannot.

WHEN AN EXAM FAILURE BECOMES A HUMAN EMERGENCY

The most painful dimension cannot be reduced to statistics. Hindustan Times reported that at least 11 NEET aspirants died by suicide in the 46 days between cancellation and the scheduled re-test, based on police records, family accounts and media reports.[6] The report was careful: in several cases, a direct causal link had not been officially established. That caution must be preserved. Suicide is complex; no responsible account should convert every death into a single-cause political slogan.

But caution is not an excuse for indifference. Families and police accounts repeatedly pointed to examination pressure, uncertainty and the collapse of carefully constructed plans. In one family account reported by Al Jazeera, years of coaching, land sales and household expenditure had been invested in a child's medical ambition. The father's anguished question captured the national grievance: “Can't they protect one paper that decides the future of millions?”[8]

The question is not whether a paper leak mechanically causes every tragedy. The question is whether an already punishing examination culture becomes intolerable when the state itself destroys predictability. Students face a scarce-seat lottery, coaching pressure, family expectations, age limits, financial strain and social comparison. A cancellation forces them to repeat travel, accommodation, preparation and emotional labour. It may collide with other examinations and admissions. It tells an exhausted young person that even perfect compliance cannot guarantee a fair chance.

This is why compensation cannot be discussed only as reimbursement of an examination fee. A credible response must include travel and logistical costs for the re-test, counselling and mental-health support, a transparent grievance mechanism, protection against academic disadvantage, and compassionate assistance to bereaved families without turning grief into political theatre. It must also include media guidelines that avoid sensational details, romanticisation or intrusive coverage of families.

The movement's moral legitimacy grows from this lived reality. Students did not first assemble around a geopolitical doctrine. They assembled around a broken promise: that the same paper, the same rules and the same chance would apply to everyone.

THE COUNTER-NARRATIVE FACTORY: CHANGE THE SUBJECT, CRIMINALISE THE QUESTIONER

Modern propaganda rarely tries to prove that no leak occurred. That would collapse under official notices and the re-test itself. Its more effective strategy is diversion. It accepts the grievance only long enough to declare that the grievance has been “hijacked.” The vocabulary then escalates rapidly: foreign-funded, Deep State, Islamist, communist, urban Naxal, anti-national, opposition-sponsored.

This technique performs three political functions. First, it fractures solidarity by making Hindu participants fear Muslim participants, nationalists fear leftists, and non-party citizens fear opposition parties. Second, it changes the burden of proof. Instead of the examination authority explaining how the paper escaped, each student must prove that no distant activist, political worker or embassy employee has ever interacted with anyone in the crowd. Third, it prepares moral permission for coercion. Once a protest is described as a foreign operation, a baton appears defensive rather than punitive.

The correct evidentiary rule is simple: an allegation of foreign funding requires financial evidence - bank transfers, donor records, contracts, FCRA violations, traced logistics or an official investigation with disclosed findings. An allegation of conspiracy requires coordination evidence - instructions, command structures, communications, material support or operational planning. A photograph, ideological overlap, a song, a diplomatic safety alert or an opposition leader's visit is not a substitute.

The following claims fail that test.

RUMOUR ONE: ‘CHINA FUNDED THE MOVEMENT’

The China narrative has been built through insinuation: some activists associated with left student organisations reportedly attended or interacted with an event linked to the Chinese embassy; therefore the entire CJP mobilisation was controlled or financed by Beijing. A highly polemical Organiser article called the protest a “Red-infested anti-India operation” and asked who paid for tents, logistics and media work.[9]

But the article's own language reveals the absence of proof. It says an inquiry “would need to establish” whether an embassy interaction had any connection to the protest, and that conclusions about gifts or support would depend on an official investigation.[9] In other words, the central connection had not been established. The piece then leaps from unanswered questions to certainty: Beijing must be directing chaos. That is not investigation. It is a presumption wrapped around a hypothetical.

Three distinctions matter.

1. Participation by SFI, AISF, AISA, AIDSO or any other lawful student organisation does not convert a broad protest into a foreign operation. Indian political movements often contain people from parties, unions, independent collectives and unaffiliated citizens. Their ideological identities may be debated; their presence does not prove external command.
2. Attendance at an embassy event is not evidence of funding. Embassies routinely hold cultural, academic, political and outreach events. A financing allegation needs a money trail. No publicly verified bank record, grant document, reimbursement ledger, transfer instruction or official finding has been produced in the reports that pushed the allegation.
3. The movement's expenses are not mysterious merely because they are visible. Public agitations are often sustained through small donations, volunteer kitchens, sympathetic associations, local transport pools, digital creators and in-kind support. Those arrangements should be transparently disclosed by organisers, especially at scale. Transparency is good democratic hygiene. But “we do not yet know every donor” does not logically become “China paid.”

The appropriate verdict is therefore: unsubstantiated. If a competent agency has evidence of unlawful foreign finance, it should publish legally admissible findings and prosecute the offence. Until then, naming China functions as a political fog machine designed to obscure Indian administrative failure.

RUMOUR TWO: ‘THE US DEEP STATE KNEW - SO IT MUST HAVE PLANNED IT’

The second narrative treats a US Embassy demonstration alert as proof of advance conspiracy. The embassy advised American citizens on July 17 to avoid expected crowds and disruptions around central Delhi on July 20 and 21. A television report framed this as suspicious “foreknowledge.”[10]

The chronology dismantles the mystery. The march was not secret. Sonam Wangchuk and CJP figures had publicly spoken about the July 20 Parliament march days earlier; Reuters reported the plan on July 14.[11] The Monsoon Session of Parliament was opening. Farmer organisations had separately announced a July 21 mobilisation. Police deployment, traffic restrictions and public calls were visible. An embassy that failed to warn its citizens about such announced events would be neglecting its routine consular function.

Even the report that raised the conspiracy question conceded that demonstration alerts are standard diplomatic practice and are commonly based on open-source intelligence, local news, police announcements and public schedules.[10] No evidence in the alert shows funding, tactical guidance, communication with CJP or direction of the protest. It advised avoidance, not participation.

This is a classic conspiracy fallacy: because an institution anticipated an event, it must have caused it. By that logic, every traffic advisory would prove the traffic police organised the rally. Prediction is not authorship. Public knowledge is not clandestine control.

The appropriate verdict is false inference. A genuine “Deep State” allegation would require evidence of covert material support or command. A public safety notice about a publicly announced march proves neither.

RUMOUR THREE: ‘AN ALLAH SONG PROVES AN ISLAMIST CONSPIRACY’

A clipped video of a woman singing words associated with Faiz Ahmed Faiz's “Hum Dekhenge” was used to portray the movement as communal or Islamist. The line most often isolated refers to Allah. Removed from literary and historical context, it is made to sound like a sectarian declaration.

The history points in the opposite direction. “Hum Dekhenge” was written in 1979 as a political challenge to General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship in Pakistan - a regime that used religious authority to justify repression. The poem uses Islamic metaphor against authoritarian power; it became a South Asian protest anthem precisely because it turned the ruler's sacred vocabulary back toward justice and popular sovereignty.

One may like or dislike the poem. Organisers may reasonably choose songs that are less vulnerable to communal clipping. But a cultural performance by one participant cannot establish the religious character of a nationwide movement whose stated demands concern examination integrity, accountability, compensation and ministerial responsibility. To call Muslim vocabulary automatically anti-national is itself a communal act: it tells Indian Muslims that their language, poetry and devotional references are presumptively foreign.

The appropriate verdict is twofold. The song claim is decontextualised guilt by association. The Jamaat letter is fabricated content. Neither proves communal control of the movement.

RUMOUR FOUR: ‘URBAN NAXALS AND EXTREME COMMUNISTS ARE USING STUDENTS’

“Urban Naxal” is now less a precise security description than an expandable political label. It can be applied to a lawyer demanding arrest memos, a professor questioning policy, a student union carrying a red flag, an environmentalist fasting, or a citizen asking for independent investigation. Its utility lies in vagueness: the accusation is emotionally grave but evidentially elastic.

There is a legitimate distinction between democratic left politics and proscribed armed Maoist activity. SFI, AISF, AIDSO and AISA are public student organisations operating in universities and elections. Their slogans and politics are open to criticism. But their presence at a rally does not establish an armed-insurgency conspiracy. Proof would require links to a banned organisation, violent operational planning, weapons, illegal finance or command instructions - not ideological adjectives.

The movement's principal methods have been sit-ins, hunger strikes, public speeches, marches, social-media satire and demands addressed to constitutional institutions. Sonam Wangchuk's intervention reinforced a Gandhian frame: bodily sacrifice, non-violence and moral pressure. He was moved to hospital against his wishes on the twenty-first day of his fast after doctors warned of serious health risk.[15] To redescribe that method as Maoist strategy is not merely inaccurate; it erases the obvious difference between civil disobedience and armed rebellion.

The charge also ignores the social composition of the anger. CJP's online rise drew students, job-seekers, families, professionals and politically unaffiliated youth. Reuters linked its expansion to youth unemployment and recurring exam failures; the official unemployment rate for people aged 15-29 was nearly 10 per cent in 2025 and 13.6 per cent in urban India. Those material anxieties do not need a secret ideology to become explosive.

The appropriate verdict is categorical inflation: the use of an extremist label without extremist evidence.

RUMOUR FIVE: ‘ALL ANTI-MODI FORCES ARE BAKING THEIR BREAD’

Opposition parties have supported the agitation. Rahul Gandhi and other leaders backed the demand for the Education Minister's resignation; Parliament was repeatedly disrupted after the July 20 events, and protests spread to multiple cities.[16] Political parties will naturally seek advantage from a government failure. That is not a revelation. It is electoral politics.

But opportunistic support does not invalidate an underlying grievance. A bridge does not become sound because the opposition photographed its collapse. Nor does a leaked exam become fair because a rival party joins the march. The correct test is whether the evidence preceded the political embrace. Here it plainly did: cancellation, re-test, affected candidates, suicides, investigation records and low conviction rates were public facts before the opposition's full-scale intervention.

The cross-party history of leaks is especially important. Congress governments have presided over serious examination failures; regional parties have too.[4] Student organisers should therefore resist becoming an appendage of any one party and demand a national reform compact binding all governments. Yet the ruling party cannot use the opposition's presence to escape its present responsibility for a national examination administered under the Union education system.

The appropriate verdict is diversion. Opposition participation may alter the movement's optics and strategy; it does not erase the documented case for accountability.

THE FAKE-CONTENT ASSEMBLY LINE

The propaganda war has not remained at the level of opinion. It has produced forged documents, AI images and recycled videos.

BOOM identified AI-generated images carrying fabricated testimony from a supposed police inspector who allegedly claimed Wangchuk himself had sought removal to hospital. No credible record supported the named officer's quotation, and image-detection analysis indicated synthetic generation.[17] BOOM also found that two videos circulated to construct a pro-police narrative were old and unrelated: one showed a “We Support Delhi Police” event from November 2025; another showed an officer and a Palestinian flag in footage dating to 2023.[18]

India Today found that a clip presented as a CJP protester attempting to burn a car was actually from Gaya, Bihar, after a road accident on July 16, before the Parliament march.[19] Alt News's investigation of the forged Jamaat letter exposed how a badly constructed document crossed the boundary from partisan accounts into television coverage.[14]

Accuracy, however, cannot be partisan. Newschecker found that a video used by some accounts to accuse Delhi Police of vandalising vehicles during the July 20 march was actually from a July 13 BJP protest in Datia, Madhya Pradesh.[20] Delhi Police also denied viral claims that a woman protester had died during the lathi-charge; at the time of writing, no verified death had been established.[21] These corrections matter. A movement demanding truth from the state must apply the same standard to its own information ecosystem.

The lesson is not “believe the police” or “believe the protesters.” It is: verify the specific claim. Check date, location, original uploader, shadows and hands in AI images, signage, uniforms, weather, vehicle plates, reverse-image results, medical records and named witnesses. Do not let emotional alignment replace evidence.

This discipline strengthens the movement rather than weakening it. False stories are gifts to those who wish to discredit real abuse. Every organiser should maintain a rapid-verification desk, publish corrections prominently, preserve original files and metadata, and discourage anonymous sensational claims. Credibility is a strategic asset.

JULY 20: WHEN A MARCH TOWARD PARLIAMENT MET THE BATON

The Sansad March on July 20 was publicly called in the name of examination accountability and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Wangchuk had urged preparation for it before being removed to hospital. Tens of thousands of young people gathered in New Delhi as the Monsoon Session opened. Reuters reported police using tear gas and batons to push protesters back; the Associated Press likewise described force used against marchers moving toward Parliament.[16][22]

The state had not granted permission for the march to proceed to Parliament. Police erected barricades and treated attempts to cross them as a security breach. Delhi Police later alleged that protesters became “unruly, aggressive and violent,” attacked personnel, damaged public property and attempted to break barriers despite warnings. Police said 70 protesters were detained. Their reported injury count was 118 police personnel and roughly 60 protesters; they also alleged damage to government vehicles.[23]

Those claims cannot simply be discarded. Video cited in contemporaneous reporting showed some protesters attacking police. Anyone who assaulted an officer or deliberately destroyed property should face a fair, individualised investigation. A democratic movement has no licence to turn collective anger into indiscriminate violence.

But police accountability is not cancelled by protester misconduct. Other videos showed personnel in plain clothes wielding batons and striking protesters as barricades were breached.[24] Participants alleged male officers hit women, and viral images showed serious injuries. Protesters also alleged the use of pellet guns; Delhi Police denied that allegation. Because the claim is contested, it should not be presented as settled fact. It requires medical records, forensic examination of injuries, weapon logs, CCTV footage and an independent inquiry.

The central human-rights question is proportionality. Were clear dispersal warnings given and audible? Were safe exit routes available? Were non-violent participants separated from those committing offences? Were women handled by women personnel? Were journalists, medics and legal observers protected? Was force targeted at an immediate threat, or applied broadly after the line broke? Were plainclothes personnel identifiable and accountable? Were detainees informed of grounds and documented?

India's Constitution protects freedom of speech and the right to assemble peaceably and without arms under Article 19, subject to reasonable restrictions. Article 21 protects life and personal liberty, while Article 22 establishes safeguards concerning arrest and detention.[25] In Anuradha Bhasin, the Supreme Court emphasised that restrictions on fundamental rights must satisfy proportionality and that the state should use the least restrictive measure available; it also directed publication of orders restricting telecom services so affected people can challenge them.[26]

These standards do not guarantee a march to any route at any time. Parliament and central Delhi require security. But “no permission” is not a magic phrase that legalises every subsequent blow. The police duty is dual: prevent violence and protect citizens, including citizens with whom the government strongly disagrees.

THE CURTAIN AROUND SONAM WANGCHUK

Two days before the march, Wangchuk was moved from the protest site to hospital against his stated wishes. Reuters reported that he was on the twenty-first day of his hunger strike and that doctors were concerned about hypokalaemia, a potentially dangerous fall in blood potassium.[15] The Delhi High Court had asked authorities to monitor his health and intervene if necessary.

The state therefore faced a genuine duty-of-care dilemma. It could not ignore a life-threatening medical decline. But the visual and procedural choices mattered. Footage showed personnel surrounding the site while large white sheets were held up as a screen during his removal.[15] Supporters interpreted the operation as abduction and silencing. Authorities described it as medically necessary.

A rights-respecting response should have maximised transparency: independent doctors acceptable to the patient and family, written medical findings, access to counsel, a recorded explanation of legal authority, and continuing ability to communicate unless a specific lawful restriction applied. The stronger the state claims benevolent necessity, the stronger its obligation to show that coercion was narrowly tailored to saving life rather than suppressing speech.

Wangchuk's role also undermines the attempt to caricature the movement as nihilistic. His public life is associated with alternative education, ecological protection and non-violent advocacy. One may disagree with his demand for a minister's resignation or criticise the ethics of a prolonged hunger strike. But his participation placed the crisis within a recognisably Indian tradition: the citizen's body used as a moral appeal to power. A government confident in its democratic legitimacy should answer that appeal with dialogue, not opacity.

MUMBAI: FROM STREET CONTROL TO DIGITAL CONTROL

After the Delhi confrontation, the pressure shifted from visible barricades to the less visible domain of phones, locations, notices and fear. Students in Mumbai told The Times of India that they were directed to share live locations, received notices through messaging platforms at around 3 a.m., spent hours in police stations, surrendered phones that were returned with signs they interpreted as surveillance, were denied copies of “zero FIRs,” and received calls from multiple security agencies.[27] One student described being held for nearly seven hours; organisers alleged that prolonged detention was intended to exhaust participants and deter them from returning.

These are allegations, not yet judicial findings. Technical claims that a phone was compromised require forensic examination. Police may lawfully seek information or seize a device under defined legal powers in an investigation. But informal demands, unexplained access, location tracking without disclosed authority and pressure applied to peaceful participants raise grave concerns under the constitutional right to privacy recognised by the Supreme Court in K.S. Puttaswamy.[28]

The most alarming reported episode was not merely alleged by protesters and left there. A viral video appeared to show a Mumbai Police driver threatening students that drugs could be planted on them and narcotics cases filed if they protested again. Mumbai Police ordered an inquiry, identified the driver and removed him from his current posting pending completion of the probe.[29] That institutional response is significant: it shows the allegation was serious enough to demand immediate administrative action.

A threat to fabricate a narcotics case is not ordinary rough language. It invokes one of the state's most coercive legal regimes, where arrest, stigma and prolonged litigation can destroy a young person's education and employment. Even if uttered by one individual without institutional instruction, it creates a chilling message: participation can be converted into criminal identity.

Reports also indicated that more than 150 people were detained and cases registered during protest-related action in Mumbai.[30] In one widely reported incident, a young woman blocked a police vehicle and demanded arrest memos for those being taken away. Whatever one thinks of her tactic, the legal instinct was correct: detention cannot become an undocumented disappearance into procedure. Grounds, records, station location, access to counsel and information to family are not favours; they are safeguards against abuse.

Digital intimidation is particularly corrosive because it follows the student home. A lathi-charge ends physically; the suspicion that one's location is being tracked, contacts mapped and future career flagged can produce long-term self-censorship. It turns the smartphone - the movement's organising tool - into a source of anxiety.

Mumbai Police should therefore publish clear answers. Under what law were live locations requested? Which devices were accessed, imaged or retained, and with whose authorisation? Were seizure memos issued? What data was copied? Were notices validly served? How many people were detained, arrested or released? Which FIRs were registered, and why were copies allegedly unavailable? What safeguards prevent use of protest participation as a basis for unrelated surveillance?

A DEMOCRACY DOES NOT FEAR THE RECEIPT

The movement's immediate demands are often summarised as a ministerial resignation. But resignation alone would be symbolic unless accompanied by structural reform. India needs a public examination integrity architecture that makes failure traceable rather than endlessly deniable.

First, every major examination should have an auditable chain of custody from question creation to printing, encryption, transport, storage, opening and digital transmission. Responsibility must be assigned by name and function. Independent red-team testing should attempt to breach the system before candidates are exposed to it.

Second, vendors and subcontractors must be transparent. Security cannot disappear into a maze of private printers, logistics companies and software providers. Contracts should specify cybersecurity standards, background checks, data minimisation, breach reporting, financial liability and debarment.

Third, an automatic candidate-compensation protocol should activate upon cancellation. It should cover fees, travel and reasonable documented expenses; offer schedule protection; and provide counselling. Families should not have to protest separately for basic relief.

Fourth, investigations should be time-bound and publicly reported without compromising trials. The 2026 record - 45 major cases, 1,658 arrests and convictions in only two cases - demonstrates why arrest statistics cannot be sold as accountability.[4] The public needs to know whether organisers, insiders, officials and beneficiaries are actually prosecuted.

Fifth, responsibility must travel upward. Junior invigilators and middlemen cannot be the only visible accused while senior administrators treat a nationwide re-test as a weather event. Parliamentary oversight, an independent technical audit and published findings are essential.

Sixth, protest policing needs transparent protocols. Body-camera and CCTV footage should be preserved; force reports should specify units, weapons, timing and authorisation; medical data should be independently compiled; and allegations against both protesters and police should be investigated by a body not directly implicated in the confrontation.

Seventh, the movement itself must institutionalise non-violence and verification. Volunteer marshals, legal observers, first-aid teams, women-safety teams, clear route discipline and a public correction desk can prevent provocateurs, panic and fake media from hijacking the cause. Organisers should publish audited accounts of donations and expenses. Transparency is the strongest answer to foreign-funding rumours.

Eighth, dialogue must have a timetable and minutes. Meetings without written commitments become instruments of delay. A negotiation should specify which demands are accepted, rejected or under examination, by whom, and by what date.

THE REAL ANTI-NATIONAL ACT IS TO DESTROY FAITH IN MERIT

National strength is not measured by how effectively a government can silence embarrassment. It is measured by whether institutions correct themselves before citizens lose faith in them.

A paper leak is not a minor administrative mishap. It is theft from the honest. It transfers advantage from the disciplined to the connected, from the poor family that sells land to the network that buys access. It corrodes recruitment, public services, medicine, education and the legitimacy of the state. When millions conclude that effort is less powerful than influence, the republic loses human capital and moral authority.

The students on the street are therefore not weakening India by exposing the failure. They are demanding that India become worthy of their effort. Their patriotism lies in refusing to normalise fraud. Their constitutionalism lies in addressing Parliament, courts, ministries and the public. Their anger is not a foreign import; it is the domestic product of unanswered evidence.

The state has the right to ask protesters to remain peaceful. Protesters have the right to demand the same discipline from the state. The media has the right to investigate ideological participation, finance and violence. It has no right to forge, recycle or insinuate its way around facts. Opposition parties may support the movement. They should not capture it. Ruling parties may defend their record. They cannot communalise or criminalise every critic.

The most powerful response to misinformation is not another slogan. It is a public ledger of truth: how many examinations failed, how they failed, who profited, who was charged, who was convicted, what candidates lost, what compensation was paid, what force was used, who authorised it, what phones were searched, and under which law.

This movement will ultimately be judged not by its most viral meme or its angriest moment, but by whether it converts pain into reform. It must remain inclusive, secular, non-violent, transparent and fiercely factual. It must refuse both the state's conspiracy theatre and its own temptation to circulate unverified outrage. It must keep the focus where power wants it removed: on the stolen paper, the delayed future and the missing accountability.

India's students are not asking for privilege. They are asking for the examination they paid for, prepared for and were promised. They are asking that a mark reflect knowledge, not access to a leak. They are asking that peaceful dissent not become a police dossier. They are asking that the Constitution be visible not only in textbooks, but at barricades and inside police stations.

That demand is not anti-India. It is India insisting on itself. For accountability. For governance. For transparency. For democracy.

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

When a Builder of Ice Becomes a Voice for Justice

Sonam Wangchuk has spent his life solving problems that seemed impossible. He built artificial glaciers in one of the world’s coldest and driest regions. He challenged conventional education models by creating learning spaces where children once labelled as failures could rediscover confidence. He demonstrated that innovation does not always require complexity—sometimes it requires understanding nature, people, and timing.

Today, Wangchuk’s public campaigns and advocacy have placed him at the centre of a larger national conversation: How does a democracy respond when citizens feel unheard?

His story is no longer only about ice stupas, sustainable architecture, or alternative education. It is about the relationship between citizens and institutions, between public concern and political response, and between the moral voice of an individual and the machinery of the state.

The Crisis of Trust Behind the Protest

Across India, concerns over examination systems, recruitment processes, and opportunities for young people have created anxiety among students and families. Whenever allegations of irregularities emerge in competitive examinations, the damage extends beyond individual results—it affects confidence in fairness itself.

For millions of young Indians, education is the pathway to dignity, employment, and social mobility. When that pathway appears uncertain, frustration grows. The demand from citizens is often not for dramatic change overnight, but for transparency, accountability, and systems that can regain public trust.

Wangchuk’s interventions have repeatedly focused on this question: How can institutions become more responsive to the people they serve?

The Innovator Who Turned Challenges into Solutions

Born in Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk’s journey reflects the power of practical problem-solving. After studying engineering, he returned his attention to the challenges faced by Himalayan communities—limited resources, harsh climate conditions, and educational difficulties.

His most celebrated innovation, the Ice Stupa, transformed the way communities think about water conservation. By storing winter water as ice structures that melt gradually during warmer months, the project addressed a crucial agricultural challenge: the mismatch between water availability and farming needs.

The idea was simple but revolutionary. Instead of fighting nature, Wangchuk worked with natural cycles.

Education Beyond the Classroom

Wangchuk’s contribution to education has been equally influential. Through the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), he promoted an alternative approach where students learn through responsibility, practical skills, and real-world experience.

The campus became an example of sustainable living, using renewable energy, local resources, and student participation as tools of education. Its philosophy challenged the idea that examination scores alone define intelligence or potential.

The larger lesson was powerful: education should discover talent, not merely measure memory.

From Innovation to Public Advocacy

In recent years, Wangchuk has emerged as a prominent voice on environmental protection, local rights, and sustainable development in Ladakh. His campaigns have highlighted concerns about preserving fragile Himalayan ecosystems while ensuring that local communities have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their future.

His style of activism has remained closely connected to his engineering philosophy—peaceful, creative, and focused on solutions.

The Real Question Before India

The importance of Sonam Wangchuk’s journey lies not only in one individual but in what his example represents.

A nation’s strength is not measured only by its infrastructure, technology, or economic growth. It is also measured by how it responds to voices of concern, especially those raised by people who have spent their lives contributing to society.

A democracy does not become weaker when citizens question systems. It becomes stronger when institutions have the capacity to listen, engage, and improve.

Beyond the Hero Narrative

India often celebrates innovators after their ideas succeed. But the deeper challenge is creating a society where innovators, educators, scientists, and social reformers are heard while they are still working—not only remembered after they are gone.

Sonam Wangchuk’s life offers an important reminder: solutions do not always come from powerful offices. Sometimes they emerge from classrooms, mountains, villages, and communities.

The man who built ice in the desert has spent decades teaching India a simple lesson—human creativity can overcome scarcity when knowledge is combined with compassion.

The question now is whether India’s institutions can demonstrate the same spirit of problem-solving that Wangchuk has shown throughout his life.

Because the greatest innovation any democracy can create is not a machine or a structure. It is trust.

Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury is the Pro Vice Chancellor of Techno India University, and a regular writer on education,media and world affairs.