Bharti Airtel Foundation and the CK-12 Foundation launched one of India's most comprehensive AI-integration initiatives for teacher empowerment on Monday.

The partnership integrates over 45 AI-enabled teaching tools into TheTeacherApp, a free digital platform currently utilised by more than 2 lakh educators across the country. This integration aims to scale the platform by providing advanced resources to teachers across the K-12 spectrum and the entire school education system.

Press release stated, AI, powered version of TheTeacherApp integrates an assistive layer in teaching workflows to facilitate teachers with real, time, classroom, aligned support. The project is targeted at meeting everyday classroom thinking and freeing the teachers time for other goods while enriching the instruction in all subjects and grades.

Open to deep meaning of National Education Policy

This collaboration is a move towards NEP (National Education Policy) 2020 that presents a vision for Viksit Bharat 2047, where the emphasis shifts from basic digital access to meaningful digital engagement.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned that the NEP 2020 concentrates on teachers and also provides them with the roadmap for school education transformation.

"The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has enlightened us with a clear plan for the transformation of education, and we are still concentrating on teachers and their support at every stage. Hence, they can equip every learner at every grade level with quality resources that address their diverse needs, and now AI is no longer a luxury but a necessity."

Pradhan also remarked that, "This technology, driven step will indeed be a milestone in the implementation of the education policy in our country." Having been part of TheTeacherApp's launch in 2024, it is inspiring to witness this next step supporting the integration of AI into the classrooms across India, " he said.

The TeacherApp was launched in 2024 and since then has gathered more than 200, 000 educators who have together logged hundreds of hours of learning experiences over the last 15 months. There are currently 2, 500 hours of training on the platform, with topics ranging from foundational literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy. It also features a collaborative Teachers' Lounge and the content is based on the insights of 20 years of Satya Bharti Schools.

Empowering Educators for a Future, Ready India

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Co, Chairman, Bharti Airtel Foundation, expressed the essential role of teachers as the most powerful change agents for the country.

Empowering Educators for a Future, Ready IndiaRakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Co, Chairman, Bharti Airtel Foundation, highlighted the significance of educators as agents of change for the nation.

"Today, through our partnership with CK, 12, we are providing teachers with more resources by embedding smart classroom materials so that teachers can spend less time preparing and more time inspiring students. When India is getting ready for Viksit Bharat@2047, this project demonstrates how AI that is well integrated can really help teachers become more effective and, thus, support the country's vision of equitable, future, ready education, " he explained.

Neeru Khosla, Co-Founder and Executive Director of CK-12, remarked that AI in education is no longer optional. "AI in education is no longer optional. Teachers today need adaptive, intelligent support tools that truly understand classroom realities. This partnership allows us to combine TheTeacherApp's scale with CK-12's technology leadership to deliver meaningful, future-ready support for every teacher," she noted.

Food is essential. It's true that our eating habits can change, but feeding the body will always require energy, and energy comes from food. At the most fundamental level, agriculture is an amazing natural biological cycle: plants take in carbon dioxide and, by photosynthesis, produce the food we need while also releasing oxygen into the air.

However, feeding a population as large as Indias cannot be solved by a simple ecological equation. It is a complex technological, economic, and governance challenge. A challenge, which in fact, now requires systemic rethinking.

Invisible cost of high input agriculture

In order to ensure food security, India has stepped up agriculture through the use of irrigation, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery. The results of these interventions have been such dramatic leaps in productivity. However, if we take a complete audit, we have to admit the costs as well. Today, in an epoch of multiple crises, food production systems are turning out to be very energy intensive, water, a limited natural resource, is extensively pumped, in many cases, from overexploited aquifers. Farming patterns are not always compatible with nature: e.g., is Punjab really the right place for water, guzzling paddy, or Maharashtra, for sugarcane?

At the same time, ensuring affordable food remains a legitimate and sensitive priority for both farmers and the Indian Government. Subsidies have played an important role in safeguarding food security. But distortions have emerged. Nearly 90 per cent of the cost of urea is subsidised. Predictably, overuse follows. The greening of crops is often mistaken for higher productivity, though that is not always the case. Excess nitrogen degrades soil health, reduces long-term efficiency and contributes to environmental pollution.

Restoring soil health

Encouragingly, initiatives such as the Soil Health Card Scheme represent an important shift. Instead of prescribing generic inputs, they focus on the specific condition of the soil and recommend appropriate amendments. Similarly, the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) incentivises States to reduce excessive chemical fertilizer use.

Soils are living systems. When crops grow, they do not merely synthesise carbohydrates; they draw minerals and micronutrients from the soil. If biomass is removed year after year without restoring balance, depletion is inevitable. Fertilizer application then becomes a compulsion rather than a calibrated intervention. Ecological security demands that we restore this balance.

Circular agriculture at the village level

Agriculture must shift from a linear to a circular model. Crop residue, instead of being burned, can be used for biogas production. The slurry from biogas plants, rich in nutrients, can be returned to the soil. If nutrient loops are closed locally, we create a circular economy at the village level, thereby generating clean energy while restoring soil fertility.Such decentralised approaches reduce waste, emissions and transportation costs. They also enhance local resilience, which is a critical requirement in an era of climate uncertainty.

Rethinking fertilizer efficiency

Next, conventional fertilizer application methods are inherently inefficient. Water-use efficiency in many systems is below 30 per cent, implying that nearly 70 per cent of applied nutrients are lost. But "loss" in this context means pollution. Nitrous oxide emissions contribute to climate change, while nutrient runoff contaminates groundwater.

Precision agriculture offers improvements, yet inefficiencies remain. Emerging solutions such as nano-fertilizers, designed for targeted delivery and higher absorption, show promise. If nutrient uptake approaches near-total efficiency, fertilizer demand declines and emissions are reduced correspondingly. Technology must now be aligned with ecological outcomes.Science must lead climate resilience

India will be significantly affected by climate change if we persist with business-as-usual crop varieties. Yet, we are not without scientific foundations. For decades, institutions such as the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources and CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) research centres worldwide - including Bioversity International, now part of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical- International Center for Tropical Agriculture) - have conserved extensive germplasm collections. Within these repositories lie genes that confer tolerance to heat, drought, flooding and other climate stresses.

Assuming that we have saved this biodiversity, the next question is what to do with it. One way is to embed stress, tolerant traits in new varieties, combining the traditional breeding methods, advanced genomic tool such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), based editing and other, if necessary, modern technologies to improve resistance, nutrient, use efficiency, and other such desirable characteristics. National programmes like National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) serve as a launching pad for such research to move forward quickly. There's no cause for anxiety here. Science indeed provides answers; it is just guidance that is lacking.

Tackling post, harvest losses

Between the time a crop is harvested and when it is consumed, as much as 35 per cent of it could be lost. If such losses were stopped, it would be the same as food availability being increased by the same proportion i.e. without the need to bring more land under cultivation.

Earlier, limited access to energy constrained on-site storage and processing. Today, renewable energy changes that equation. Decentralised cold storage systems powered by solar energy, supported by financing mechanisms such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, can operate at the village level. Refrigerated transport can reduce transit losses. Whatever we produce must be utilised efficiently.

Solar as a 'second crop'

Questions are often raised about the land availability for solar power. However, agriculture itself is a source of innovative solutions. Under schemes like PM, KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan), the farmers are being facilitated to install solar pumps and grid connected systems.

The frontier ahead is agro, photovoltaics, installing solar panels at heights that are most efficient and choosing crop varieties that will not lead to yield reduction. Food production is not necessarily a trade off. Rather, solar energy could be a dependable secondary source of income.

In bad weather, crops can fail but solar energy will not. By such diversification of income, agrarian distress can be alleviated to a great extent.

From food security to ecological security

The transition from food security to ecological security does not mean sacrificing productivity. It means producing intelligently, i.e., using resources efficiently, restoring soils, having resilient crops, lowering emissions and having diversified farmer incomes. This implies that subsidy programs must be in harmony with sustainability; also, research activities should be changed to focus only on climate adaptation; furthermore, circular bio, economies must be strengthened and additionally, renewable energy should be integrated in all stages of the value chain.

Such changes, in vision, voices and values, will be in the limelight of the debates at the next Silver Jubilee Edition of TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit. Agriculture, ecological security and climate resilience will be among the topics of the discussions along with other sustainability issues such as energy transitions, biodiversity conservation, and equitable development. It is not only imperative that we place ecological thinking at the center of our development model but also, this is the only way that we can secure our food systems and natural capital for future generations.

The Allahabad High Court has terminated the criminal case against two students who were accused of performing namaz in a place where the local administration had prohibited it.

The case was overturned by a single judge bench of Justice Saurabh Srivastava after an FIR was filed under sections 143 (member of unlawful assembly) and 188 (disobedience to municipal orders) of the IPC. The bench stated that the setting up of the two applicants "who had no criminal record" was totally uncalled for.

In Sant Kabir Nagar, the court had recognized the charges and directed the two students to appear before it in May 2019.

The attorney for the applicants argued that the two were just students without any previous record of crime and had been set up for actually performing namaz, which was their religious practice.

It was also argued that one of them was preparing for a competitive exam and continuation of trial in such a "petty offence" could adversely affect his future.

Opposing the plea, the additional government advocate admitted that the applicants had no criminal record but went on to say that certain places had been declared out of bounds for offering namaz so as to avoid any law and order problems. The state argued that the applicants deliberately defied the authorities' request not to say namaz at the site and thereby infringed on the peacekeeping measures that had been issued.The court emphasized that in a democratic and secular country, all citizens, including those of minority faiths, belong to their religious rights and practices. But, it also mentioned that in a heterogeneous society, it is most beneficial for public order and harmony that people obey the directives of the local authorities.

The bench considered it was almost unfair that the two applicants were brought to court, especially since they had no previous records of crime, and this action might severely impact their future.

 The court in its order dated February 17, had only reversed the proceedings against the two applicants.

At the same time, it warned them to strictly follow any instructions or specific restraints issued by the local administration.

UPL, an agro, chemical company, announced on Friday that it will combine its Indian and international crop protection businesses to one entity, as the company aims at creating a focused pure play platform for this business's growth worldwide, and at the same time, simplifying the group structure.

According to a regulatory filing, UPL revealed that its board has given the green light to a combined scheme of arrangement between the company itself, UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL SAS), UPL Global Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd (UPL 2), UPL Crop Protection Holdings Ltd (UPL Cayman) and their respective shareholders.

The proposed scheme plans to merge India crop protection business currently with UPL SAS and the global crop protection business currently with UPL Cayman, in one single entity, thus, the creation of a focussed, pure, play crop protection platform, UPL stated, further explaining that the scheme will simplify the group's structure and unlock shareholders' value.

As per the scheme, UPL SAS will be merged with the UPL in the first step.

Then, demerger of the demerged undertaking relating to the India Crop Protection Business from UPL to UPL 2. Lastly, there would be amalgamation of UPL Cayman with and into UPL 2.

The UPL 2 will be listed on the Indian stock exchanges. The process is expected to be completed in the next 12-18 months.

UPL has approved the “integration of the India-specific crop protection business and the international crop protection business into UPL 2 resulting in a single, unified platform for the crop protection business operating at the global level.” This integrated business will benefit from a strong manufacturing base, advanced research capabilities, a broad portfolio of registered products and brands across multiple geographies and independent management, UPL said.

After completion of the steps contemplated in the scheme, there would be two listed companies in the UPL Group.

UPL Ltd will continue to be listed and operate as a diversified platform encompassing agro and specialty chemical businesses, while also incubating and developing new businesses and verticals. The dedicated crop protection platform UPL 2 will be listed.

On the rationale of this scheme, UPL said that “this will enable clearer value discovery by providing flexibility to the investors to select investments which best suit their investment strategies and risk profile.” The scheme will allow the UPL and UPL 2 to raise capital independently, allowing each entity to optimise its capital structure and pursue business opportunities more efficiently and effectively, it added

At the NDTV AI Summit 2026, Dayananda Sagar University announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to establish what it describes as India’s first Academic AI Factory — a high-performance computing facility designed to help students build and train advanced artificial intelligence models.

Pro-Chancellor D. Premachandra Sagar said the initiative marks a shift from merely using AI tools to creating them within universities. The facility will run on 20 NVIDIA B200 Blackwell nodes delivering 160 GPUs, providing large-scale computing power typically available only in industrial research labs.

The infrastructure will allow students to train foundation models and develop a proprietary DSU GPT platform. According to the university, the aim is to enable hands-on AI research rather than limiting learners to application-level exposure.

Beyond core AI, the factory will integrate robotics, augmented and virtual reality, cybersecurity through cyber-range collaborations, and digital twin technologies. The programme will also extend across disciplines — including law, medicine, engineering and management — promoting interdisciplinary learning.

Sagar said the initiative intends to democratise access to high-end computing for nearly 40,000 students, especially those studying in tier-2 institutions. By equipping the campus with industry, grade infrastructure, the university aims to nurture talents who can create AI systems instead of relying on technologies imported from abroad.

This undertaking is a sign of a more extensive movement in India's higher education ecosystem to build homegrown AI capabilities and reshape India from being a global technology consumer to a creator.

The National Institute of Technology- Rourkela has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) for structured capacity building, technical upskilling and managerial development of professionals.

The collaboration will support joint research, innovation, digitisation and operational optimisation initiatives. The MoU was signed on Thursday by NIT-R director K Umamaheshwar Rao and OMC Director (HR) Alok Kumar Pal. It coincided with the inauguration of a three-day continuous professional development (CPD) programme for OMC professional on mineral resource management:

Technical, regulatory and strategic insights. Organised jointly by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the NIT, R's Mining Engineering department, the CPD programme was a kind of legitimate and technical training that combined mine research management's technical, regulatory and strategic aspects.

Dean (Alumni, Industry and International Relations) HB Sahu, who was coordinating the collaboration, said that the aim of the partnership is to strengthen the technical expertise and managerial capabilities of OMC professionals so that they can be able to meet the evolving demands of the mining sector.

He said that it will help promote cooperative research and innovation, knowledge, sharing on cutting edge mining technologies, sustainable and safe practices, environmental management, regulatory compliance, and the use of new digital tools to enhance overall business performance.

Pal said, “OMC plays a vital role in extracting key minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, chrome and ferrochrome, which support India’s core mineral-based industries. We are steadily transitioning from traditional mining practices to more mechanised and technology-driven operations to achieve our sustainable mining goals.

Through this knowledge partnership with NIT-R, we aim to build a high-performing and future-ready workforce, while jointly contributing to the industrial and economic development of Odisha.” Rao highlighted the state’s rich mineral base and said,

“Our region is blessed with iron ore, bauxite, coal, manganese, chromite, graphite, dolomite, rare earths and several other valuable minerals. Despite being resource-rich and contributing significantly to metal production, western Odisha region has not developed at the same pace. It is our responsibility to channelise these resources wisely for regional growth and ensure sustainable and value-added utilisation, including effective use of waste ore,” he added.

Record Budget for Sectoral Growth

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said that the state has made one of the highest budgetary arrangements for the growth and development of every sector, inlcuding the establishment of numerous medical colleges, a storng focus on social welfare scheems, and prioritisation on women development.

"Among the major states in the country, we have made the highest budgetary expenditure arrangements. Our focus has certainly been on all sectors, such as women and farmers, and we have also given great priority to the education sector. In general education, we have announced the establishment of four universities in four districts..." he stated.

New Medical Colleges and Social Security

The Chief Minister said that the state government has established a total of fifteen medical colleges, including Medical colleges for Ayurveda, Homoeopathic medicine, fisheries, and veterinary. There is also a provision of a pension for people beyond the age of 60. "In the health sector, we have also established five medical colleges, three of which are Ayurvedic and two are homoeopathic. We also established a Fisheries Medical College, a Veterinary Medical College, and two Engineering Colleges: one in Balangir and one in Paradip, where there was a great need. Based on this, we have established a total of fifteen medical colleges, a level never seen before. On this basis, we have taken every sector forward...In the social security sector, all those who complete 60 years of age will become eligible for pension..." he said.

Focus on Rayagada's Development and Women's Empowerment

On the same day, February 2, Majhi went to the district of Rayagada and was the first to open Subhadra Shakti Mela, which is an event that spotlights a district's work in the empowerment of women, and that was held at local GIACR ground from 2nd to 8th February.

The Chief Minister was also present at the occasion to speak to the crowd. Currently, they have increased the empowerment level of more than 1.52 lakh women and girls by supporting them through 12, 783 Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the district.

The CM inaugurated 109 projects worth over Rs. 600 crore, including 22 projects worth Rs. 238 crore and foundation stones for 87 projects totalling Rs. 366 crore, out of which Rs. 37 crore for the Majhighariani temple, during the inauguration of the Subhadra Shakti Mela in Rayagada district, which will provide new impetus for the district's development. The Chief Minister announced measures to construct indoor stadiums in all blocks, improve education, health, and transportation facilities, and stated that a medical college in Rayagada is awaiting government approval.

Financial Boost for Self-Help Groups

In addition, in the current financial year, loans worth approximately Rs. 200 crore have been disbursed to 4,217 self-help groups in Rayagada. This includes Rs. 14 crore in revolving funds to 9,335 self-help groups in Rayagada district, an additional Rs. 53.14 crore to 164 GPLFs, and loans totalling rs. 37.55 crore to 4,195 self-help groups. 

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said that the state has made one of the highest budgetary arrangements for the growth and development of every sector, inlcuding the establishment of numerous medical colleges, a storng focus on social welfare scheems, and prioritisation on women development.

"Among the major states in the country, we have made the highest budgetary expenditure arrangements. Our focus has certainly been on all sectors, such as women and farmers, and we have also given great priority to the education sector. In general education, we have announced the establishment of four universities in four districts..." he stated.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has established a total of fifteen medical colleges, including Medical colleges for Ayurveda, Homoeopathic medicine, fisheries, and veterinary. There is also a provision of a pension for people beyond the age of 60.

"In the health sector, we have also established five medical colleges, three of which are Ayurvedic and two are homoeopathic. We also established a Fisheries Medical College, a Veterinary Medical College, and two Engineering Colleges: one in Balangir and one in Paradip, where there was a great need. Based on this, we have established a total of fifteen medical colleges, a level never seen before. On this basis, we have taken every sector forward...In the social security sector, all those who complete 60 years of age will become eligible for pension..." he said.

Earlier, on February 2, Majhi toured the Rayagada district and after the opening of the Subhadra Shakti Mela, renewed the district's efforts in women's empowerment, which was held at the local GIACR ground from February 2 to 8.

The CM inaugurated 109 projects with a total cost of over Rs 600 crore.

Out of this, 22 projects worth Rs. 238 crore were inaugurated and foundation stones for 87 projects totalling Rs. 366 crore laid, of which Rs. 37 crore was for the Majhighariani temple. The CM launched the Subhadra Shakti Mela at Rayagada District which will open up the new avenues for the development of the district.

The Chief Minister declared the plan to construct indoor stadiums at all blocks, raise the level of education, health and transport facilities, and further, said that a medical college in Rayagada is awaiting government approval.

Besides, in the present financial year, loan facilities worth nearly Rs. 200 crore have been provided to 4, 217 self, help groups in Rayagada. This includes Rs. 14 crore in revolving funds to 9,335 self-help groups in Rayagada district, an additional Rs. 53.14 crore to 164 GPLFs, and loans totalling rs. 37.55 crore to 4,195 self-help groups.

In a major boost to digital creativity and AI learning, Adobe has announced free access to its premium creative and productivity tools for Indian students. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Government of India, will make industry-standard applications available to accredited higher education institutions nationwide.

Under the programme, students will get complimentary access to popular tools including Photoshop, Acrobat and Firefly along with more than 20 desktop, mobile and web apps from the Creative Cloud ecosystem. These include Illustrator, Premiere, Express and Lightroom — software widely used in media, design, filmmaking and marketing industries.

AI-first certifications with industry partnership

The company has also partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime to provide AI-focused certification programmes. Along with free software access, students will receive structured training to learn how to practically use generative AI tools in real-world workflows.

The scheme will initially benefit students from 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that host Content Creator Labs — a government initiative introduced in the Union Budget 2026 to promote digital skills and creative entrepreneurship.

What students will get

Eligible students will receive:

• Access to 20+ Creative Cloud applications
  
  
• Mobile and web versions of key apps
  
  
• 100 GB cloud storage
  
  
• Standard fair-use credits
  
  
• 25 premium generative AI credits per month
  

To activate the offer, students must have a Federated ID. If not available, Adobe will send a VIP enrollment invitation which must be accepted before account setup.

Not the same as paid plan

The company clarified that this “Creative Cloud Pro India for HED” package differs from its regular student subscription plan, which costs ₹400 for the first month and ₹2,714 thereafter. Some premium features available in Creative Cloud Pro Plus are not included in the free version.

The offer will be reviewed annually, and Adobe retains the right to modify or discontinue it in the future.

A storm is brewing over the rising cost of professional education in Madhya Pradesh after it was revealed that the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee fixed fees for a staggering 1, 437 institutions in just 14 meetings in 2025. In fact, fees for 370 institutions were decided in a single meeting of May 20, 2025. Then, on June 17, 293 institutions were cleared, 244 on June 15, 224 on June 9, and finally, 178 more on December 10.

These figures were handed over to the legislator Pratap Grewal by Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar in a written reply which is the reason for political as well as public debates on transparency and fairness.

Medical education, particularly MBBS, is the crux of the problem as the figures are very high. The least fee for MBBS for the year 2025, 26 has been fixed at Rs 9 lakh and the highest at Rs 12.60 lakh. Hence, the tuition alone for the five year course can be more than Rs 60 lakh, without counting hostel fees, books, equipment, and other expenses. For thousands of candidates who clear competitive exams like NEET after several years of hard work, the biggest challenge seems to be the availability of funds now.

The escalation does not end with MBBS. Ayurvedic medical education has also moved into the "lakhs bracket." MD (Ayurvedic) non clinical courses are running with a minimum fee of a yearly Rs 1.91 lakh. The upper limit can be as high as Rs 6 lakh. BAMS cursuses have an annual fee problem rate between Rs 2.20 lakh to Rs 6 lakh. The situation in Dentistry is pretty much similar, with BDS fees varying from Rs 2.60 lakh to Rs 6 lakh yearly. Effectively, the choice of profession as a doctor either in modern or traditional medicine is a capital requirement equivalent to some cities' urban real estate.

In fact, the jump is so high that its significance is hardly lost if looked at over time. While the lowest course fees had gone up by 8% to 13% between 2017, 18 and 2025, 26, the highest ones had shot up by 80% to 120%. The maximum fee in 2025, 26 for some courses, notably MBA and BE, is more than 20% higher compared with the fee in 2024, 25.

With MBA courses, a minimum fee of Rs 40, 000 and a highest point of Rs 1.90 lakh are recorded. In case of BE and other technical courses, the lowest figure is about Rs 42, 000 while the highest has attained Rs 1.44 lakh. Law courses also reveal similar disparities: LLB programmes can be found at Rs 23, 000 but the topside can be Rs 98, 000, on the other hand, LLM courses are between Rs 25, 000 and Rs 82, 500.

Teacher education has also seen a steady rise. BEd fees, which stood at Rs 82,000 in 2017-18, rose to over Rs 1.09 lakh in 2020-21 and crossed Rs 1.19 lakh in 2024-25. Physiotherapy courses such as MPT and BPT range from Rs 42,000 to Rs 1.44 lakh and Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.90 lakh, respectively. Across sectors, medicine, management, engineering, law, and teacher education, professional education now firmly sits in the lakhs bracket.

Minister Parmar defended the variation in fees, stating that each institution's income and expenditure statement forms the basis for calculation. According to him, salary expenditure, including faculty and staff payments, is a significant component and can naturally result in higher fee structures in certain institutions. However, the explanation has not silenced critics.

MLA Pratap Grewal questioned how fees for the same course can vary four to five times between institutions when faculty qualifications, pay norms, and course standards are regulated by central and state authorities. He pointed out that the committee's meeting minutes list only institution names and final approved fees, without detailing expenditure components or whether any physical verification was conducted.

Grewal further alleged that the committee's framework clearly states students should not be charged for development costs, building construction, capital investments, or loan interest unrelated to education. He claimed that before approving any hike, the committee or its representatives are required to physically verify institutional expenditures. However, according to him, there is no mention of such verification in the meeting records.

Adding to the controversy, a note reportedly recorded during the May 20, 2025 meeting suggested obtaining proof of TDS deducted by the Income Tax Department to verify faculty salaries, a safeguard against inflated salary claims. Grewal alleged that this measure was not implemented in subsequent approvals covering more than 1,000 institutions.

In a strong charge, Grewal claimed that the committee's functioning is enabling fee escalations amounting to Rs 400-500 crore annually.

For students and families across Madhya Pradesh, the debate is no longer abstract. Clearing competitive exams may open academic doors, but stepping inside increasingly demands financial capacity. As one medical aspirant said, "We fight for rank, but the real battle is with the fee receipt."

With MBBS crossing Rs 12.60 lakh per year and professional course fees steadily rising, higher education in the state stands at a crossroads between opportunity and affordability - between aspiration and exclusion. The numbers are out. The questions continue to grow.

For decades, Biology students in India were largely limited to medicine as a career path. Today, biomedical engineering is among the rapidly developing fields which essentially combine healthcare with technology and innovation. The BTech programme that spans four years blends engineering principles with biological sciences to come up with and upgrade medical equipment and healthcare delivery systems.

Students are exposed to various subjects including human physiology, biomaterials, medical electronics and medical imaging, and technologies such as MRI scanners, CT scan systems, pacemakers, ventilators and prosthetic devices are the focus of their projects.

Top Colleges Offering Biomedical Engineering

Some leading institutions offering this course include:

• IIT Hyderabad
• IIT Bombay
• IIT Madras
• IIT Kanpur
• IIT (BHU) Varanasi
• NIT Rourkela
• NIT Raipur
• SRM Institute of Science and Technology
• BIT Mesra
• Manipal Institute of Technology

Admission usually happens through JEE Main and JEE Advanced followed by counselling via Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) or institute-level selection.

Career Options After Biomedical Engineering

Graduates can work in hospitals, research labs and medical technology companies. Popular roles include:

• Medical Device Engineer
• Clinical / Hospital Engineer
• Research Scientist or R&D Engineer
• Medical Device Product Manager
• Bioinformatics or Health Data Analyst

Placement Trends

NIT Rourkela provides BTech, MTech and PhD courses in the field of Biomedical Engineering. The latest placement data (2024, 25) indicates that approx 50, 60% of the students get placed in this branch. Students receive job offers from medical device companies, healthcare startups and research organizations, and a good number also continue with their studies or research.

Reasons for the Sector's Expansion

Biomedical engineers are wanted because of India's rapidly developing healthcare industry, the growing number of medical technology startups and the need for locally produced medical equipment. This area of study allows students who like biology but are not into medicine to enter healthcare innovation, thereby making it one of the most future, ready engineering careers in the country.

What we feed the present is what we sow in the future. When we involve young minds to

interpret, analyse and educate, we are setting a strong foundation for the future. The young

minds bring pragmatism, progressiveness and passion into the debates; something that the media today is lacking behind.

When journalistic scholars and schools collaborate, news stops being passive consumption

and becomes civic education. The fragmented, informal exposure students receive through

headlines and feeds can be transformed into a structured understanding. Instead of reacting to

events, students can learn to analyse them — to question sources, interpret data, and

understand institutional processes.

Such partnerships are not optional add-ons. In a digital age saturated with information, they

are necessary safeguards for informed citizenship.

Collaboration between newsrooms and schools must move beyond token workshops. It

requires structured, intentional models.

First, modular lesson kits. Newsrooms can co-create concise, topical modules that integrate

directly into civics or social studies classrooms. These should not be passive explainers, but

interactive frameworks — short briefings, guided discussions, source-tracing exercises, and

verification tasks. Students must learn not just what happened, but how information is

constructed.

Second, sustained classroom partnerships. Journalists can work with a class over a term —

not as guest speakers, but as mentors. Weekly discussions, feedback on student reporting, and

exposure to real editorial constraints can demystify journalism. It teaches accountability,

deadlines, and ethics — not as theory, but as practice.

Third, student bureaus. Schools can host student-run news desks under the guidance of

professional editors. When students report on local issues, they move from consumers to

contributors. Media literacy deepens when responsibility is shared.

Finally, teacher training in media literacy. News organisations must invest in equipping

educators with tools to teach fact-checking, bias recognition, and verification methods. If

Teachers are empowered, the classroom becomes the first newsroom of democratic thinking.

These models are not innovations. They are necessities in an age where information is

abundant, but understanding is fragile.

Design courses are gaining the attention they always deserved and people are now actually looking at it as a creative job that pays for being creatively human. This is why aspiring designers across India are turning to the AIDAT entrance test as the top choice for design entrance exams 2026. The All India Design Aptitude Test (AIDAT) stands out among BDes entrance exams because it is more inclined towards skill-oriented students, who are good at creativity, visualising and solving problems than at rote learning.

Why is AIDAT Becoming a Popular Design Entrance Test?

AIDAT 2026 focuses on those students who are interested in courses like fashion design, interior design, product design, graphics design, and more. AIDAT has a distinct online format unlike traditional exams that focus on practical design aptitude. The test evaluates actual capabilities required in the booming design sector of India, which is currently worth 10,000 crore and is expanding by 20% a year.

The exam opens the door to 300+ design course programmes offered in 100+ best institutes that are offering admission via AIDAT scores in 2026. Since the diploma to postgraduate levels, the AIDAT participating colleges provide specialised training in accordance to the industry needs.

AIDAT Exam Pattern 2026: Ideal Skills-based Prep.

The pattern of AIDAT entrance exam makes it easy but all-inclusive:

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Format: 100 MCQs (online proctored)
• Parts: Design aptitude, drawing/sketching, 2D/3D visualisation, colour theory, logical reasoning.
• Marking: +1 on correct answer, no negative marking.
• Attempts: 3 opportunities- maximum score counts.

Part 2 will involve portfolio review + personal interview, actual creativity. This skill based style assists students to demonstrate a practical style of talent outside the exams.

AIDAT Eligibility: No Streams Restricted.

Class 12 students in any stream are welcome to AIDAT eligibility criteria 2026:

• Passed OR appearing for 10+2
• Minimum 50% marks (Open category)
• Age limit: Typically 17-25 years

Application Form AIDAT is available on aidat.com and the registration is usually open till one day before the exam. 

WHY SKill-oriented students prefer Aidat to any other design exams.  

In contrast to to other design entrance tests, AIDAT has the following obvious advantages:  

• More than one attempt, only the best count was counted.  
• Low fees (₹1 500–2 000 per attempt)  
• 300+ colleges, compared to few seats in other exams.  
• Online proctored mode gets rid of travel ordeal.  
• Portfolio-based evaluation is a source of rewarding talent.  

AIDAT preparation tips:  

• Draw every day to practise your hand.  
• Learn colour theory to enhance visual communication.  
• Practise exams Solve previous AIDAT papers.  
• Assemble an online portfolio of your best work (10 pages).  

Is AIDAT The Most Desirable Entrance Test in Privates?  

AIDAT (All India Design Aptitude Test) would be the best option among the students who want to study in private design colleges in India in 2026. Instead of having to apply to numerous university-specific exams, one AIDAT score will provide entry to more than 100 participating private institutes that offer BDes, MDes and diploma programmes in the field of fashion, interior and product design. This one test system eliminates the confusion of several applications and exam timetables and allows the students to devote their time to creativity rather than test marathons.  

The actual benefit is the saving on costs. You save money on different entrance exams’ registrations, and the travelling cost.  This online proctored format of AIDAT implies that you can do the exam at the comfort of your home and save thousands in flights, hotels, and local transportation. This is efficient to the private universities: the AIDAT score is readily accepted as a merit list, review of a portfolio, and even interviews.  

Busy Class 12 students or working professionals will be the most appropriate, as it does not involve any of that juggling associated with NIFT/NID-style schedules. Being rewarded with three attempts (maximum number of attempts) and no negative marking, it is an incentive to design aptitude. To aspiring private university students, AIDAT is indeed the best, a single test, a single fee, a test that is accessible in the whole country. Register and guarantee your future of creativity without emptying your wallet.  

Design careers with AIDAT will result in high ROI.  

Students with AIDAT qualifications are initially paid between 5-12 LPA in top MNCs like Tata Elxsi, Wipro and design studios. The leading colleges of AIDAT have more than 90 percent placement in UI/UX, animation, and product design, which is experiencing growth of 30 percent each year.  

To creative students who are interested in taking design courses beyond 12 th, the 2026 AIDAT entrance test presents them with the most reasonable chance of scoring a creative job. Visit AIDAT official website for more details.

The question that comes up in the mind of aspiring forensic scientists in India is: Is forensic science hard to study? The answer is, no. It solely depends on your caliber and the willingness to adapt new skills. 

Forensic science blends biology, chemistry, and criminology with the practical laboratory work such as DNA profiling and evidence analysis. Yet to the lovers of science it is thrilling and honestly a viable option after proper preparation and proper point of entry. In this article, you'll find the answer to your question as to whether forensic science is the right fit for you or not as per its difficulty and entrance path. 

Is Forensic Science the Right Choice? How to Pursue it?

When you are looking at forensic science, the question that comes to mind is: is forensic science difficult to study? Good news, it can be difficult but is not impossible. 

To be eligible, one must have cleared 12 PCB scores of at least 50. Forensic science courses such as BSc or MSc Forensic science combine 60% theory in books and 40% in practicals in crime mock-ups. It can be difficult for many students because of the intense scenes that trigger emotional aspects, and can have long working hours. The fix? Develop analysis proficiency at an early age, participate in coaching and be inquisitive. The subject itself is not hard but the emotion handling part is the actual challenge. .

The Reason to Select an Entrance Test to Forensic Science Admission.

As a means of entry to the best programmes, entrance tests are used. Having the NFAT as an option no longer, the attention is shifted to the trusted alternatives that have an open door in the country.

Which Forensic Science Entrance Exam Should You Take?

AIFSET (All India Forensic Science Entrance Test) is your access to the best forensic courses. It is a national-level entrance exam that can be taken from home via phone, laptop or  It is designed to UG/PG level, PCB, reasoning, and GK, online and easy to understand.

Why pick AIFSET?

• Broad access: Applicants to 100 or more colleges such as those that provide BSc Forensic Science and good placements.
• Student-friendly: Cheap prices, recurring times (MarchApril 2026 projected), medium level of difficulty, ideal in case you are balancing between school/work.
• Holistic preparation Tests actual abilities on forensics, course-fit counselling.
• Proven advantage: Thousands of individuals served in labs, CBI, and privately owned companies every year.
• No commuting, immediate gratification: AIFSET makes your commute to classes full of crime scenes hands-on .

Additional Powerful Entrance Alternatives.

CUET UG/PG is effective when it comes to central unis. BHU UET would be suitable to Banaras aspirants, whereas the state tests such as MP PAT would be suitable to locals. They each have their strengths which is why it is recommended to select the college/university as per your need.

Tips to Crack Your Forensic Entrance Test

Study 3 months: Focus on NCERT science, practice mocks AIFSET's pattern favors quick thinkers, ideal for Indore/MP who are eyeing quick starts.

Forensic Science Careers Are Worth The Effort or Not?

The answer to the question is yes, pursuing a career in Forensic Science is most definitely worth it, particularly to individuals who are inquisitive, analytical, and justice-seeking. Forensic science is at the potent crossroads of science and law, and the expertise in it can have a direct influence on the actual investigations and trials. Since the examination of DNA samples and fingerprints to cyber forensics and toxicology, experts have an instrumental role in resolving crimes and averting wrong convictions.

As crime rates increase, digital fraud cases, as well as the overall development of cybercrime, the need to hire trained forensics specialists, increases. The governmental forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies, detective agencies, data security firms, and even law firms are proactive in employing talented graduates. In India, there are prospects in the state forensic laboratories, central organisations and research centres.

It is a profession of patience, accuracy, and constant learning, but good work, employment security, and mental stimulation. Forensic science can be a meaningful and satisfying profession in case you are excited about the science field and wish that your job could change the real world.

In conclusion, graduates get a salary of Rs. 4-8 LPA in FSL, police or corporates. And with  rising Crimes (NCRB: 45L+ cases) Job galore. AIFSET prepares you perfectly. So, is forensic science hard? No, it is not if you choose the right path. Register for AIFSET today and build your career as a detective, expert or scientist. 

Lost in the management entrance exams in India? There is JEE, CAT and numerous others and it is hard to know how to select the right exam. This is where GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test) comes in, an excellent student-focused test that is gaining momentum among BBA and MBA applicants. This article will help you understand what GMCAT is, what courses it opens and why it is the most suitable to your management career.

What is GMCAT?

GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test) is a national-level online entrance test of undergraduate level (BBA) and postgraduate (MBA/ PGDM) level management courses. GMCAT is introduced to simplify the admission process and evaluate the simple skills needed for pursuing a course in management, like:

• Mathematical Ability: Elementary math, statistics.
• Verbal Skill: reading, grammar, reading comprehension.
• Rational thinking: Puzzles, analytical ability.
• General knowledge: Business news, current affairs.

Important Details:

• An hour, 100 multiple-choice questions (no negative marks)
• 100% online entrance test
• 3 Attempts permissible (highest score will be counted)
• Admission into top management universities 

Management Courses You Can Pursue After GMCAT

Undergraduate courses:

Postgraduate courses:

In comparison to CAT, GMCAT is not competitive enough, and working students have a chance to retake it. Registration is done in Dec-Jan and exams are done on a monthly basis.

Fast-Track 3-Month Prep Plan

• Pattern: 25 percent weightage to every section.
• Books: RS Aggarwal (Quant), Norman Lewis (Verbal).
• Practice: Free practice at gmcat.org.
• Requirements: 90 or above percentile to enter the best colleges.

Which Path is Right for You?

• Select BBA if you have completed Class 12th 
• Select MBA when you possess 1-3 years working experience or right after completing BBA

Pro Hack: Crack GMCAT and gain easy admissions to 600+ colleges in BBA/MBA.

The Best BBA/MBA Specialization to Pursue a Career.

The following is a 3-step trick that all students can try to find their specialization: 

1. Ask: "What work excites me?"

• Love numbers and money? Go for Finance (Investment Banking, 8-15lpa).
• Enjoy creativity and people? Select Marketing (Brand Manager, 6-12lpa).
• Passionate about startups? Entrepreneurship is ideal.
• Good with people? Leadership careers are developed by HR.

2. Check Job Demand & Salary

At this point (2026) Business Analytics + Digital Marketing = most demanded. Finance stays evergreen. Check Naukri.com trends to find out what is hot in your city?

3. Match Your Background

• Fresh Class 12 pass-out? BBA General (general foundation).
• 2+ years work experience? MBA Finance/Marketing provides the highest ROI.

Quick Test: Visualise your dream-job in 5 years. Will it require a number, imagination, interpersonal, or world travel? Your best choice is that specialisation!

Is GMCAT a Good Choice?

YES, when you are interested in a management career but are not ready to waste your energy in a highly competitive and traditional exam, GMCAT proves to be a saviour.  

Enroll in gmcat.org now and be eligible for admission into top 100+ management universities in India. However, if you are unsure and need guidance, connect with us for free career counselling at  8071296497. 

Ever wondered how Spotify knows which type of songs you might listen to today or how Netflix picks shows just for you? That's computer science; that’s AI making computers smart to solve everyday puzzles. It's not just coding; it's creating the future, from AI chatbots to secure online shopping, everything is powered by computer science. In India, where tech jobs are exploding, CS is a golden ticket for lakhs of students like you.

In this article, we will understand what this field has in store and how Indian students can top careers in this field in 2026. Continue reading. 

What is Computer Science?

Computer Science is the study of computers and the way they can be used to address real-world problems with the help of code, algorithms, and data. It’s like raising a baby;  you teach machines to think by creating apps, protecting data, or running AI tools such as ChatGPT. The industry is expanding in India, and tech giants, startups, and banks are offering a considerable number of jobs.

Why Study Computer Science in India?  

India is experiencing rapid technological growth. We forecast that the number of technology occupations will increase by 12-15 percent by 2026. Such fields as AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing will require over 100,000 new employees annually. The employment rate of graduates in computer science is approximately 80 percent and the median starting salary is 5-10 lakh per year that may proceed to 20-30 lakh in 3 to 5 years. Be it in Bengaluru that you are coding or crunching data in Mumbai, a career in tech will provide a sure line to families with simple means with big dreams.

Major Areas of Computer Science. 

• App & Web Dev: Build Instagram clones or e-shops.
• AI/ML: Train bots for self-driving cars or health predictions.
• Data Science: Dig gold from numbers for Netflix recs.
• Cybersecurity: Be the hero stopping hackers.
• Cloud & DevOps: Keep Netflix streaming without crashes
• These competencies facilitate the possibilities in IT, finance, health and e-commerce.

How to Study Computer Science? Best Entrance Test

1. Build Basics (Class 11-12): Learn Maths, Physics, and Python (free on YouTube).  
2. Crack Entrances: tough IITs (1% success rate) JEE; state exams are less tough. New tests such as GCSET open up to quality private CS programmes with industry connections.  
3. Colleges: Best are IITs, BITS Pilani, VIT; for affordable yet quality university, take admission via  GCSET (Global Computer Science Entrance Test).  
4. Skill Up: Develop AI/ML with Coursera, and create projects on GitHub.  
5. Intern and Place: TCS, Infosys campus drives; seek real experience in startups.  
6. Advanced: Take into consideration MCA/MTech or employment, and then an MS in foreign countries.  

Code today, it is easy with tools such as Replit.

Problems and Tips to Success

The competition is fierce, yet regular 6-8 hours study time, as well as real-time projects are the key. Girls can make use of WISE schemes for aiding their career. Furthermore, online preparation can be done by rural students through Unacademy. Don’t fall for scams and fake exams, choose the right entrance test of national level like GATE, CAT, GCSET, JEE &CUET. 

Computer Science in India is a stable career with international opportunities and the possibility of innovations. Start your journey by clearing entrance exams and pave your way towards a brighter future. If you are confused about your career or want support, connect with us via call or whatsapp at 9124573196 for free career counselling. 

National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) admissions for 2026-27 are entrance-based through CUET UG/PG, JEE Main, and CLAT after NFAT cancellation. Class 12 PCB students searching "NFSU exam date 2026", "NFSU BSc Forensic Science admission", or "forensic science entrance exam 2026" get the accurate process, eligibility, and timelines here. Apply now at nfsuadm.samarth.edu.in before deadlines. Take the AIFSET entrance test for admission into top universities other than NFSU. 

NFAT 2026 Cancelled: NFSU Admissions Via National Exams Only

NFSU discontinued NFAT for 2026-27 admissions. BSc Forensic Science, MSc Forensic Science, BTech Forensic Engineering, and other programs now accept CUET UG/PG, JEE Main, CLAT scores exclusively.

Official Admission Matrix [NFSU Notice]:

• BSc Forensic Science: CUET UG (PCB domain)
• BTech Forensic: JEE Main 2026  
• MSc Forensic: CUET PG (Forensic domain)
• Integrated MSc: CUET UG
• LLB Forensic: CLAT 2026

CUET UG 2026: Key Exam for NFSU BSc Forensic Science

CUET UG 2026 registration opens February 2026 for NFSU BSc Forensic Science (Class 12 PCB eligibility):

Expected Timeline:

• Registration: February 1 - March 15, 2026
• Exam: May 8-25, 2026 (3 shifts daily)
• Domain: Physics + Chemistry + Biology
• Result: June 2026
• Eligibility: Class 12 PCB 60% aggregate (55% reserved categories).

CUET PG 2026 Schedule for NFSU MSc Forensic Science

CUET PG 2026 covers NFSU postgraduate forensic programs:

Eligibility: Bachelor's degree 55% (50% reserved).

JEE Main 2026 Session 2: BTech Forensic Engineering Route

NFSU BTech Forensic Biotechnology/Engineering accepts JEE Main 2026:

• Session 2 Registration: Open till Feb 25, 2026
• Exam: April 2-9, 2026
• Eligibility: Class 12 PCM 60%

NFSU BSc Forensic Science 2026: Eligibility & Seats

Flagship Program: BSc Forensic Science (3 years, 10 campuses)

Admission Process:

1. Qualify CUET UG 2026 (PCB domain)
2. Register on nfsuadm.samarth.edu.in (May 2026)
3. Merit list + counseling (July 2026)

Alternative Forensic Science Entrance Exams 2026

Backup options for Class 12 PCB students:

AIFSET provides direct BSc Forensic entry across 180+ institutes with PCB + GK syllabus (simpler than CUET).

NFSU Forensic Science Career Scope (₹6-12 LPA Starting)

Top Recruiters: CFSL, SFSL, Cybercrime Police, Deloitte Forensics

• Crime Scene Officer: ₹8 LPA
• Digital Forensics: ₹10 LPA
• Toxicology: ₹7 LPA

Placement Rate: 85% (NFSU data)

Action Timeline: NFSU 2026 Admissions

Feb 25: JEE Main Session 2 registration

Feb-Mar: CUET UG/PG registration 

Apr-May: CUET UG exams

Jun-Jul: NFSU counseling

Alternative: AIFSET backup

Class 12 PCB students: CUET UG registration starts February. JEE Main Session 2 closes Feb 25. National forensic entrance tests remain open for backup pathways. Apply at nfsuadm.samarth.edu.in. Bookmark for counseling updates! 

Note: students who wish to pursue forensic science course from top universities (not NFSU) should take AIFSET 2026. 

The 2026 Union Budget of India has provided a new avenue to the Class-12 students who are keen on the healthcare field and wish to pursue paramedical courses. The government will train 1 lakh allied health professionals over 5 years and will establish new paramedical institutions in every state, without NEET qualifications. In government hospitals, AIIMS or in private chains like Apollo, graduates earn between 40,000-75,000 per month. Failing NEET is no longer a dead end because allied healthcare stands as a Plan B in the top ten paramedical courses, which include realistic salaries, fees, course duration, and the job paths in 2026.  

What is Paramedical? 

Paramedical refers to allied healthcare services provided by trained professionals who support doctors and nurses in diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Paramedical professionals are not medical doctors, but they play a critical role in hospitals, laboratories, emergency services, and rehabilitation centers.

In simple terms, paramedical staff handle the technical and supportive aspects of healthcare such as operating medical equipment, conducting diagnostic tests, assisting in surgeries, and managing critical care support systems.

Why Paramedical Courses Are in Demand in 2026?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received ₹1,05,530 crore, according to budget 2026 documents, of which Allied health was allocated 1,000 crore in the 2026 budget. It will generate 100,000 new employment opportunities in the field of radiology, operating theatre, dialysis, and other areas. These are positions that do not need NEET and just a 2-year diploma and have hospital placements nationwide. The salary of Freshers is 25,000-35,000 per month; after two years of experience the salary increases to 40,000-60,000 per month. At AIIMS or in the Railways, it is possible to earn more than 50 000 starting with the salary.  

Top 10 Paramedical Jobs (Salary Potential ₹40K+)  

1. MRI/CT Scan Technologist - 60000 to 75000 per month.  

Job Description: use MRI and CT scanners, place patients, and monitor the quality of images.  

Course duration: 3 years B.Sc. in Radiology or 2 years diploma.  

Total fees: ₹2 to 4 lakh.  

Best institutes: AIIMS Delhi, JIPMER, CMC Vellore.  

Government employment: Railways ( 44,900 basic) ESIC ( 47,600).  

Growth potential: It can be increased by 3 lakh every month by learning advanced 3-D imaging.  

2. Operation Theatre (OT) Technician- 35,000 to 55,000 per month.  

Job  description: Sterilise equipment, assist surgeon, and control OT.  

Course duration: 2-year Diploma in OT Technology.  

Fees: ₹1.5 to 2.5 lakh.  

Demand: Apollo and Fortis employ approximately 500 technicians annually.  

Bonus: The night shifts may add approximately 15,000 per month to the total earnings.  

3. Cath Lab Technician- 40000-65000 per month.  

Job description: Provide support to cardiac operations and run angioplasty machines.  

Course duration: 3 year B.Sc. in Cath Lab Technology.  

Why hot: Cases of heart diseases are increasing by 30 percent annually.  

Government jobs: Railways ( 35,400 basic allowances ).  

4. Dialysis Technician 30,000 to 45,000 per month.  

Job description: Drive dialysis machines of renal patients.  

Course duration: 2-year Diploma in Dialysis Technology.  

Fees: ₹1 to 2 lakh.  

Trend: The increasing rates of diabetes imply over 10,000 jobs required.  

5. Respiratory Therapist- 35,000 to 60, 000 a month.  

Job description: Oxygen, ventilator, and asthma/COPD treatment.  

Course duration: 3-year B.Sc. in Respiratory Therapy.  

Post‑COVID: Salaries up 25 %.  

Employers: Manipal and other privatised hospitals are aggressive recruiters.  

6. Critical Care/ICU Technician - 40000 to 70000 per month.  

Job description: Keep track of ventilators, defibrillators and emergency response.  

Normal education: 1.5 years Diploma in Critical Care.  

Certifications: ACLS/BLS has the potential to increase salary by 10K immediately.  

Employers: Max Healthcare has 45K and above basic salaries.  

7. Perfusionist – ₹50,000 to ₹80,000 per month  

Job description: Work with heart-lung machines in the case of bypass surgeries.  

Common education: 4 year B.Sc. in Perfusion Technology.  

Rarity: There are not many professionals in India, which is approximately 2,000, and the demand is high.  

8. Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) 25,000- 45,000/month.  

Job description: Conduct blood tests, report writing and sample analysis.  

Course Duration : 2‑year DMLT.  

Fees: ₹80,000 to 1.5 lakh.  

Stability: Government laboratories and diagnostic chains are safe posts.  

9. Physiotherapist- 30000 to 50000 per month.  

Job description: Post-injury rehabilitation, post-surgery rehabilitation, and sports therapy.  

Typical education: 4.5‑year BPT.  

Government employment: Railways (35,400 basic).  

10. ECG/Echo Technician 30,000-45,000 per month.  

Job description: Conduct heart scans, stress tests, and check-ups.  

Education: 2-year Diploma in Cardiac Technology.  

Ease of entry: This is an easy way in because of high demand and low competition.

Salary Comparison: Paramedical vs Other Science Careers

Who is Eligible to attend Paramedical Courses?  

Any student who passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology is eligible. General candidates will have to pass a 50% aggregate, but SC/ST candidates will have to pass a 45% aggregate. The age bracket is between 17 and 35 years old and this bracket comprises dropouts and career-changers. NEET is not mandatory. Admission is done on merit lists, a simple multiple-choice exam, or college interviews. The certificate courses may begin after the 10 th standard, diploma after 12 th PCB and a B.Sc. in Paramedical with 50-55% marks. The government has PM-JAY scholarships which pay 80 percent of the fees of qualified families.

Top Government Job Routes  

RRB Paramedical 2026 has ~434 vacancies that follow 7th Pay Commission salaries, announced the Railways, showing that NEET is not the only path to a government job. The radiographers can begin with a simple salary of 29,200 and then increase to a little more than 50,000 with allowances. AIIMS provides Paramedical exams up to 9LPA. ESIC hospitals pay cath -lab technicians a basic salary of 47600. The BSF opened 1,200+ paramedical posts last week. NHM state quotas reserve 100,000 places in district hospitals. All these jobs need a two-year diploma and certification of skills.

Why Should Paramedical Training Be Introduced at this time?  

New government paramedical institutes open admissions in November-December. Free PM-JAY training waives 80% fees. Job quotas in NHM hospitals guarantee postings. Age relaxation to 35 years welcomes second-career adults. Class 12 PCB students: Don't wait for NEET results, paramedical offers faster entry to ₹40K+ stability.

Budget 2026 ended the "NEET or nothing" myth. Government hospitals have one lakh paramedical vacancies, and the demand for allied healthcare professionals is increasing that are waiting to be filled by trained young people. You can be the ONE! Pursue allied healthcare and paramedical courses for the same. 

FAQS

Is it possible to do paramedical without NEET?

Yes. In India, NEET is not required in most paramedical courses. Students are accepted in the Diploma and B.Sc. programmes in such areas as Radiology, OT Technology, Dialysis, and Medical Lab Technology with the help of Class-12 PCB marks or institute level entrance exams.

Which paramedical course is the most paid?

B.Sc. in Radiology and Imaging Technology or in Perfusion Technology is considered as one of the most well-paid paramedical courses available in India. Skilled specialists may receive 50000-80000 a month in government hospitals and private hospitals.

RRB paramedical salary?

RRB paramedical wages are based on the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix. The initial basic salary is between 29200 to 44900 per month (Level 4-7), according to the post with an extra DA, HRA, and other government allowances.

Will paramedical be a good career in 2026?

Yes. The reason why paramedical is a stable and growing health-care career in 2026 is due to the increasing number of hospitals, a growing demand in diagnosis, and more government recruitment. It provides faster access to jobs as compared to MBBS, moderate cost, and stable growth of salary with experience.

Union Budget 2026 has made it very clear that no country can afford to ignore the education sector anymore. Increasing the education budget from 1.28 lakh crore to 1.39 lakh crore is more than just a change in figures; it symbolizes a new perspective that views education as the basis of a nation's strength. The immediate increase of nearly 11, 000 crore shows that the government is aware that if India wants to be at par with the world, it has to start with education.

The government is making a move beyond just the focus on rote learning, which is a good sign. School reforms, along with higher education, are being discussed as well, including digital classrooms, skill development, research, and National Education Policy implementation. The focus on skills, artificial intelligence, technology, and job- ready students indicate a deliberate effort to make education a means of employability. This is also a time driven shift as today's economy prioritizes skills more than just degrees.

However, when India’s education budget is viewed in a global context, the picture becomes more complex. The United States spends nearly $82.4 billion on education, or roughly 7.5 lakh crore, which is many times more than India's current expenditure. The US puts a lot of money into education, research, teacher training, and advanced technologies. This has led to it having some of the world's top universities such as MIT, Harvard, and Stanford. There is no doubt that increased investment brings higher quality.

China is another interesting case for comparison. For one thing, its education budget is said to be on a par with Indians. However, the main difference lies in the fact that China is focused more on skill and vocational education and is very systematic in how it spends its budget. The country has thus grown to be a global leader in manufacturing and technical skills. Russia also invests more in education per student than India as it has a smaller population. This has enabled it to continue excelling in the fields of science and technology.

India and Pakistan are the biggest contrast in South Asia if we compare them. Education is one of the areas where the difference is visible. India's education infrastructure is mostly funded by the government and the spending is over one lakh crore rupees, whereas Pakistan's education budget is just a few thousand crore rupees. Such a comparison certainly indicates that India is way ahead of its neighbors in the race of progress, but it is not enough simply being ahead.

The real question is how the increased budget will be utilised. If the additional funds are confined to infrastructure, announcements, and paperwork, the impact on the ground will remain limited. What is needed is tangible improvement in school quality, better teacher training, genuine support for research, and skill development that truly enhances students’ employability.

Budget 2026 has clearly sent a favourable signal to the education sector. The real test now is to make sure that these higher allocations are backed up by the right priorities and that the implementation is done efficiently. It will only be through this that education can really be the main pillar of a stronger nation instead of merely being a catchy part of budget speeches.

India’s economic story is often told through two extremes. At one end stand the large corporations, the unicorns, the glittering towers of finance and technology. At the other end exists a vast, restless universe of nano and micro businesses—tea sellers, women running papad units from their kitchens, handloom weavers, street repairers, waste pickers,

small farmers, village processors, home bakers, informal tutors. This is not a fringe economy. This is the real India. It is messy, human, informal, resilient—and chronically underestimated.

For decades, grassroots enterprises have been seen as survival mechanisms, not growth engines. Policy treated them as welfare cases, not as businesses with ambition. Banks saw them as risky. Markets saw them as unreliable. Yet quietly, across villages, bastis, and small towns, something has begun to change. A new generation of nano entrepreneurs is no longer satisfied with mere survival. They want dignity, scale, stability, and aspiration. They want their businesses to outlive them. This shift demands a new way of thinking. Not academic theory. Not

MBA jargon. But a grounded, practical framework that speaks the language of the street, the field, the workshop, and the kitchen. This is where the idea of the 12Ps of nano and micro business becomes powerful. It is not about marketing alone. It is about reimagining the

entire life cycle of grassroots enterprise—from the first spark of intent to long-term sustainability and even exit.

What follows is a story of how these 12Ps can help India rethink its grassroots economy, not as a burden to be managed, but as a force waiting to be unleashed, drawing conceptually from the framework detailed in the uploaded document

The First Shift: From Earning a Living to Building a Future (Plan)

Every nano business begins with a plan, even if it is unspoken. Traditionally, that plan has been painfully short-term. Earn today, eat today, survive this month. The kirana store owner worries about tomorrow’s cash flow, not next year’s expansion. The woman making pickles at home focuses on the next order, not on brand or scale.

The first and most radical change is mental. Planning at the grassroots must move from survival thinking to future thinking. This does not mean five-year projections or spreadsheets. It means clarity. Why am I doing this business? What problem am I solving? Who will still need this five

years from now? Consider a vegetable vendor who realises that her real asset is not vegetables but trust. Or a village carpenter who understands that his skill is not labour but design knowledge passed down generations. When the plan shifts from “how do I earn today?” to “how do I grow tomorrow?”, the entire business begins to change shape.

At the nano level, planning must be phased. First, stabilise income so the family does not consume business capital. Then consolidate one strong product or service. Only then think of expansion. This phased planning is what allows a small enterprise to breathe before it dreams.

Solving Real Problems, Not Chasing Fancy Ideas (Product) 

Grassroots India does not need clever products. It needs useful ones. The most successful nano businesses are born not from trends but from friction. They emerge where daily life is hard, inefficient, or unfair.

A woman in a village who makes compostable sanitary pads is not innovating for applause. She is solving a problem of health, dignity, cost, and waste. A farmer who builds a low-cost storage solution is not chasing technology. He is fighting distress sale. These products succeed because

they are rooted in lived reality. At the nano level, a product is rarely just an object. It is often a bundled solution. A spice mix is not only taste; it is trust, purity, memory, and convenience. A handwoven bag is not just fabric; it is labour, culture, and story. Crucially, grassroots products gain strength when they move from raw to refined. Selling turmeric roots keeps a farmer poor. Turning that turmeric into cleaned, processed, branded powder begins to create value. The leap from commodity to product is one of the most powerful transformations in the nano economy.

Geography Is No Longer a Prison (Place)

For generations, place limited possibility. If your business was in a village, your market was the village. If your town was remote, growth was impossible. Today, that wall is cracking. Physical presence still matters. Trust is built face to face. The local haat, the neighbourhood lane, the weekly market remain foundational. But now, digital bridges allow nano businesses to travel far without leaving home.

A home-based oil maker in Maharashtra can sell to a customer in Delhi. A bamboo artisan in the Northeast can find buyers in Bengaluru. Place has become layered—local for trust, digital for scale. This shift is not just about e-commerce. It is about confidence. When a small producer realises that geography no longer defines destiny, ambition awakens. The village is no longer the end of the road. It is the starting point.

Pricing with Self-Respect, Not Fear (Price)

One of the most damaging habits in the grassroots economy is under- pricing. Nano entrepreneurs often charge less than their worth out of fear—fear of losing customers, fear of seeming expensive, fear of rejection. But price is not just a number. It is a signal. It tells the market how you value yourself. The poorest businesses often pay the highest hidden costs. Long hours, unpaid family labour, health damage, environmental harm. When prices ignore these realities, the business bleeds invisibly.

Smart grassroots pricing begins with honesty. What does it truly cost to make this product or deliver this service with dignity? Then comes creativity. Smaller pack sizes, flexible units, subscription models, community pricing. This is how affordability and sustainability meet.

Over time, as trust grows, pricing power grows too. The journey from cheap to fair to premium is not arrogance. It is maturation. 

Owning a Clear Identity in a Crowded World (Positioning)

In a market flooded with sameness, clarity becomes power. Nano businesses cannot compete by copying big brands. They win by being unmistakably themselves. Positioning at the grassroots is often cultural. Local taste. Local language. Local memory. A beverage that tastes like childhood. A fabric that carries regional motifs. A food item that reminds migrants of home.

When a product knows who it is for and what it stands for, it stops shouting and starts attracting. Positioning is not about being everything to everyone. It is about being deeply meaningful to someone.

For grassroots enterprises, identity is often their greatest asset. It cannot be imported. It cannot be replicated easily. It must be honoured, not diluted. 

Reaching the Customer Without Losing Control (Placement)

Distribution has historically been where nano businesses lose power. Middlemen control access, squeeze margins, delay payments. The producer works hard while someone else controls the shelf. New models are changing this balance. Direct selling, digital networks, community aggregators, producer collectives. These do not eliminate

intermediaries but rebalance relationships. Smart placement is about choice. Selling some volume locally for cash flow. Some digitally for growth. Some in bulk for stability. A single channel is fragile. Multiple pathways create resilience. When a nano business controls even part of its placement, it regains dignity. It stops begging for market access and starts negotiating.

When the Wrapper Speaks Louder Than Words (Packaging)

Packaging was once an afterthought for grassroots businesses. Whatever was cheap. Whatever was available. But today, packaging tells a story before the product is even touched. Good packaging at the nano level does not mean expensive boxes. It means clean, safe, thoughtful, and honest. It means protecting the product. It means respecting the buyer.

Increasingly, packaging also reflects values. Eco-friendly materials. Minimal waste. Reusable containers. For many consumers, packaging is now a moral signal. A small label, a simple design, and a short story can transform perception. Packaging becomes the silent salesman, especially when the maker is not present.

Businesses Are Built by Humans, Not Models (People)

At the heart of every nano enterprise are people—families, neighbours, communities. The success of a grassroots business often depends less on strategy and more on relationships.

Leadership at this level is intimate. The entrepreneur is manager, worker, mentor, negotiator, and caregiver. Emotional intelligence matters as much as skill. As businesses grow, people systems must grow too. Training, trust, delegation. Moving from “I do everything” to “we build together” is a difficult but necessary shift.

The most transformative grassroots businesses are those where workers become stakeholders, where women gain voice, where confidence grows alongside income. People are not a cost. They are the core.

Sustainability as Survival, Not Luxury (Planet)

For nano businesses, sustainability is not a trend. It is instinct. When resources are scarce, waste is unaffordable. Many grassroots enterprises are naturally circular. Reusing materials.

Repairing instead of replacing. Extracting multiple uses from one resource. This is not ideology; it is wisdom.

As markets become more environmentally conscious, this traditional frugality becomes a competitive advantage. What was once seen as backward is now seen as responsible.

When nano businesses consciously align with the planet, they future- proof themselves. They reduce dependency on volatile inputs. They build moral credibility. They sleep better.

How You Work Matters as Much as What You Sell (Process)

The informal economy often runs on invisible processes—long hours, child labour, unsafe practices, delayed payments. These hidden costs keep businesses small and vulnerable.

As nano enterprises formalise, process becomes power. Clear workflows. Fair wages. Consistent quality. Transparent sourcing. These are not bureaucratic burdens; they are growth enablers. Good processes build trust—with customers, partners, lenders. They turn

a hustle into a system. They allow replication without collapse.

For grassroots businesses, improving process is often the bridge between being tolerated and being respected.

Infrastructure That Protects Value (Physicality)

A farmer without storage loses value overnight. A baker without refrigeration wastes effort. A craftsperson without safe transport risks breakage. Physical infrastructure—however small—multiplies income. A cold box. A shared workspace. A drying unit. A transport crate. These humble assets protect months of labour. When physical constraints ease, confidence rises. The entrepreneur can wait, negotiate, plan. Physicality gives bargaining power. Investing in the right physical assets at the right time often marks the turning point from struggle to stability.

Telling Your Story in the Digital Gali (Promotion)

Grassroots promotion no longer needs hoardings or television. It happens in chats, videos, voice notes, reels. It is conversational, not corporate. When a maker speaks directly to a buyer—showing how something is made, why it matters—trust forms quickly. This human promotion is difficult for large brands to fake. Language matters. Local stories matter. Familiar faces matter. Promotion at the nano level works best when it feels like a recommendation, not an advertisement. In the digital gali, authenticity travels faster than polish.

From Livelihood to Legacy: Progress

The final and most important factor is progress. Not just income growth,

but confidence growth. Agency growth. The belief that tomorrow can be

better than today. When nano businesses think in terms of progress, new possibilities open.

Expansion. Collaboration. Succession. Even exit.

A business that can be sold, inherited, franchised, or partnered has

crossed a historic threshold. It has moved from hand-to-mouth existence

to asset creation. This is the quiet revolution unfolding across India’s grassroots economy.

A New Imagination for India’s Smallest Businesses

The 12Ps are not a formula. They are a lens. A way to see nano and micro enterprises not as problems to be fixed but as systems to be strengthened. When planning replaces panic, when products solve real pain, when pricing carries self-respect, when people grow alongside profit, the grassroots economy transforms.

India does not need to wait for the next big startup to create jobs. Millions of nano businesses are already here. With the right thinking, they can become engines of dignity, resilience, and inclusive growth. The future of India’s economy will not be built only in boardrooms. It is

being shaped right now—in kitchens, lanes, fields, workshops—by entrepreneurs who are small in size, but vast in potential.

I had an opportunity to interact with Sir Mark Tully, and each conversation reinforced why he remained one of the most morally anchored voices in journalism. During one such interaction in Goa in 2019, Tully spoke candidly about India’s declining position on the global press freedom index and what he saw as the troubling silence of the Prime Minister when atrocities are committed in the country. 

He argued that when such incidents occur, the Prime Minister must speak out decisively, adding that silence distorts political debate and shifts public attention from governance failures to manufactured sensations. Tully was particularly critical of the lack of serious discussion on administrative reforms, noting that there is little public accountability for how government programmes are implemented on the ground. He stressed that governments must be prepared to face journalistic scrutiny, describing criticism by the press as invaluable to democracy, and warned that attempts to control the media are dangerous, calling the steady decline in India’s press freedom ranking deeply alarming.

Reflecting on governance, Tully observed that despite visible policy initiatives, administrative functioning remains pervaded by a lingering colonial mindset. He cited examples from rural India, where welfare schemes are often misdirected, such as Below Poverty Line cards being issued to those who least need them, while genuine beneficiaries are ignored, and complaints to block-level officials are routinely dismissed or met with hostility. For Tully, rural India remained central to understanding the country’s real governance challenges, as corruption, nepotism, and systemic failures are most visible at the grassroots. He repeatedly emphasised that journalism must venture beyond urban narratives to document these realities.

Recounting the personal risks he faced as a reporter, Tully shared an incident from his early career while covering riots in Faisalabad, where he returned to a burning site to file his story, was briefly detained, and overheard Indian journalists discussing his situation before they helped secure his release, allowing him to complete the report. The episode, like much of his career, underscored his belief that truthful reporting often demands courage, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to bearing witness.

Early Life

Mark Tully, the legendary BBC journalist often described as the “voice of India”, has passed away, leaving behind a body of work that shaped how the world listened to, argued with, and understood India for more than four decades. For generations of listeners, his measured baritone on the BBC World Service was not merely reporting India—it was interpreting its contradictions with empathy, scepticism, and rare moral clarity.

Born in Kolkata in 1935, the same year the Government of India Act set in motion the final phase of British withdrawal, Tully’s life mirrored the arc of the country he would one day chronicle. Son of a senior colonial-era business executive, he grew up insulated by the privileges and prejudices of the fading Raj. A childhood incident—being slapped by his nanny for learning to count in Hindi—became emblematic of the distance colonial society enforced between itself and India. Tully later referred to himself, half-ironically, as a “relic of the Raj,” fully aware of the contradiction he embodied.

Yet history has a way of reclaiming its own. When Tully returned to India in the early 1960s as Assistant Representative at the BBC’s New Delhi bureau, he encountered a nation that no longer belonged to the empire but to uncertainty, ambition, and democratic churn. Carving a space for the BBC in an airwave landscape dominated by Akashvani and Radio Ceylon was no small task. What distinguished Tully was not speed or sensationalism, but patience—listening longer, asking harder questions, and refusing to simplify India for foreign consumption.

Under his stewardship, the BBC reported on India’s most defining moments: the 1965 and 1971 wars, the birth of Bangladesh, the Emergency of 1975, Punjab’s insurgency, and Operation Blue Star. His journalism was not detached; it was deeply contextual, often uncomfortable, and fiercely independent. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, when most agencies fled, Tully and colleague Satish Jacob reconstructed the conflict from Delhi airport interviews—an exercise in journalistic ingenuity that later revealed the shadowy movements of Murtaza Bhutto.

Legends followed him. During the Emergency, an alleged broadcast nearly landed him in jail on Indira Gandhi’s orders—until I K Gujral discovered the report was fiction. For 22 years as BBC’s India Bureau Chief, Tully became an institution unto himself. After radio, he turned to documentaries and books, most notably India’s Unending Journey, continuing his lifelong interrogation of power, faith, and democracy.

Knighted in 2002 and awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005, Sir Mark Tully remained a familiar presence at the Press Club of India—curious, accessible, and always listening. He arrived as an outsider. He stayed long enough to become indispensable. And in doing so, Mark Tully did what few correspondents ever manage: he stopped reporting India from a distance and began speaking with it.

India’s higher education has carried a quiet contradiction for decades.We promised mass access and global competitiveness in the same breath, but we continued to run universities on a timetable-and-classroom logic designed for a smaller, more uniform learner population.

The UGC (Minimum Standards of Instruction for the Grant of Undergraduate Degree and Postgraduate Degree) Regulations, 2025 effectively updates that operating system—without shouting—by shifting the sector from rigid, single-track journeys to stackable, flexible,credit-based learning lives.Placed alongside the National Credit Framework ecosystem and theemerging practice of blended learning and multi-assessment, the 2025 direction is not incremental reform. It is a new design philosophy: higher education as a portfolio of capabilities, not a single linear credential. The young learner today does not want only “a degree”; they want a credible pathway to a job, a career pivot, an enterprise, a second skill stack,and—most importantly—a sense that learning can keep pace with life.What follows is a pro-student, pro-placements, pro-entrepreneurship reading of the five major “game changers” now made possible at scale: two admissions a year; open choice of discipline; dual degrees including online pathways; up to 50% credits as skills/vocation/apprenticeship; and a decisive movement toward continuous, authentic assessment beyond written exams. These are not five separate reforms. They are five parts of one larger shift: the university becoming a platform where learning, work, and capability development meet.

The Second Intake Revolution: Ending the “Lost Year” Penalty Two admissions a year—July/August and January/February—may look like a calendar adjustment, but it is, in reality, an equity reform. India has a large pool of “near entrants”: students who are qualified and motivated, yet miss admission windows because of a medical crisis at home, a financial disruption, a delayed result, a migration, or a caregiving obligation. In the old system, missing one deadline often meant losing one full year, and the “lost year” frequently became a lost Learner.Biannual admissions convert that leakage into enrolment. They also change the psychology of aspiration. A student who misses an intake no longer feels “I failed” but “I will enter in the next cycle.” In several contexts, universities have already begun aligning processes with this logic; Gujarat University’s reported second-phase admissions and the idea of direct entry into the second semester signal how institutions can operationalise the principle.The deeper opportunity is even more consequential. Two intakes normalize work-integrated entry. A learner can spend six months in an apprenticeship, a skilling term, or a structured internship, and still enter the degree pathway in January without losing academic rhythm. When the university begins to recognise that learning happens in seasons—sometimes in classrooms, sometimes in workplaces—it becomes far more attractive to first-generation learners and working learners who cannot afford “education without earnings.”Discipline Is No Longer Destiny: Freedom to Choose, with Bridge-to-Choice UGC 2025 takes a bold position that Indian education has needed for a long time: the subjects you studied in Class 12 should not imprison your future. If a learner clears the relevant entrance examination, they can enter an undergraduate discipline irrespective of their school subject combination, with the institution empowered to provide bridge courses to address gaps. The same spirit extends to postgraduate entry as well: learners can move across domains, provided they meet entrance requirements and complete any necessary foundational support.This is pro-student, but it is also pro-economy. The job market is reorganising around skill clusters, not traditional departments. It is increasingly normal for careers to sit at intersections: data plus domain knowledge; design plus business; psychology plus HR analytics; law plus technology; sustainability plus finance; communication plus digital strategy. In such a world, forcing learners to stay “within lane” is not academic purity; it is employability sabotage.
There is also a deeply Indian reason this matters. Many learners discover their real interests late, often after exposure to the world of work or after encountering the right mentor. A student who chose science in school under family pressure may genuinely belong to media and communication; a commerce student may find their calling in product design or public policy. The new flexibility makes the university a place where such discovery is possible without social penalty.The institution-level implementation cue is clear: build a flexible major–minor architecture and a meaningful common core. A learner should be able to hold a primary identity—say, engineering or commerce—while building a formal secondary identity through a minor,a certificate, or a cross-faculty sequence. A common core that includes design thinking, financial literacy, and AI ethics is no longer “nice to have”; it is baseline competence for citizenship and work.The bridge-course mindset will decide whether this reform becomes liberating or merely procedural. If bridge courses become remedial and stigmatizing, the reform will underperform. If bridge courses are designed as launchpads—short, studio-like foundational modules that build confidence through applied learning—discipline mobility will become a genuine democratizer.

Dual Degrees: The Portfolio Learner Becomes Legitimate UGC 2025 formally recognises the possibility of pursuing two UG programmes simultaneously and two PG programmes simultaneously,within the flexibility frameworks notified by the Commission. This sits comfortably with the earlier logic that allowed two programmes across modes—one physical and one ODL/online, or even two ODL/online—subject to recognition, overlap rules, and compliance.At its best, dual-degree design solves a real market problem. Graduates frequently emerge with either domain knowledge without contemporary skills, or skills without domain anchoring. Dual learning allows breadth without abandoning depth. It also legitimises the “hybrid professional,” increasingly the most employable person in the room: the BA/BCom learner with data foundations; the BSc learner with UI/UX and product thinking; the engineer with entrepreneurship and management; the humanities learner with digital media and analytics.

Consider a realistic student in Kolkata or Raipur: enrolled in a conventional undergraduate programme, but also pursuing an online pathway in data analysis, digital marketing, or product design from a recognised provider. In three years, that learner’s transcript becomes a portfolio: one part disciplinary training, one part employability stack,and one part demonstrated work. The university stops producing “graduates,” and starts producing “profiles.” The foreign online degree possibility adds a further layer of opportunity: global exposure, benchmarking, and network effects. But it must be handled with adult caution. Recognition and regulatory alignment matter, and learners must be protected from non-recognised or non-transferable traps. The safest, most student-friendly pathway is not to discourage international online learning, but to build advising and due diligence so students choose credible, recognised options and understand how these credentials will be valued by employers and Institutions.

In other words, dual degrees can democratise global learning, but only if the university becomes a guide, not a bystander.

When 50% Credits Can Be Skills: The Degree Learns to Work One of the most transformative possibilities in UGC 2025 is the explicit permission to structure learning such that while a learner secures a minimum 50% of total credits in the discipline to earn a major, the remaining 50% may come from skill courses, apprenticeships, and multidisciplinary subjects. The regulations also emphasise integrating vocational education, training and skilling, and internships within UG/PG structures. This is not cosmetic. It dismantles an old hierarchy where skills were treated as “extra,” and signals a new reality: a degree is not only knowledge; it is capability. Once skills and work-based learning carry real credit weight, higher education becomes attractive to those who were previously ambivalent about universities—working learners who need flexibility, first-generation learners who demand employability value, and families who cannot afford years of education without visible Outcomes. This is precisely where the National Credit Framework logic becomes operational. If up to half the learning can be creditised across academic,vocational, skills, and experiential domains—recorded through appropriate credit banks and mapped to outcomes—then education and training stop competing. They begin to blend. The employability engine is simple but often missed: skills must be embedded inside the curriculum, not treated as a weekend add-on. When skills training, interdisciplinarity, organic learning, and multi-assessment work together, graduates become demonstrable problem-solvers rather than transcript-holders. A student who has completed a credit-bearing apprenticeship in a local industry cluster, a stackable micro-credential aligned to hiring needs, and a capstone that solves a real problem is not merely “qualified.” They are employable with evidence.

This shift also energises entrepreneurship. A skill minor in product Management or digital commerce can feed directly into venture building.

A vocational-credit sequence in sustainability auditing can become a service enterprise. A design-and-business blend can produce founders

who understand both creation and markets. When credits legitimise skill-building, the university begins to generate not only job seekers but

job creators.

Exams Make Way for Evidence: Continuous, Authentic, and Not Only Written

UGC 2025 decisively broadens evaluation beyond written examinations.It expands the units of evaluation to include seminars, presentations,class performance, fieldwork, and similar demonstrations, with weightage determined transparently by academic bodies. It mandates continuous evaluation alongside semester or year-end examinations and asks institutions to prioritise formative assessment.

The most important implication is cultural: assessment begins to shift from testing memory to validating capability. Many people fear that continuous and non-written assessment “lowers standards.” In reality, it often raises standards because it makes learning harder to fake. A written exam can be gamed; a portfolio of work, a live project, a lab demonstration, a reflective log of problem-solving, and a capstone cannot be replicated without real engagement. Multi-assessment, as an institutional practice, reduces the high-stakes pressure of single-shot exams and makes evaluation more inclusive for diverse learners. It also creates richer employability signals. Employers do not hire marks; they hire evidence of capability. When assessment includes performance-based tasks, inquiry-driven assignments,collaborative work, and reflective documentation, the transcript becomes a story of what the learner can actually do. Indian universities already offer hints of how this can work. Delhi University’s UGCF entrepreneurship track, for instance, speaks the language of venture building—idea validation, market research, prototype or MVP development—essentially treating entrepreneurship as assessable learning rather than as extracurricular theatre. That is exactly the shift India needs: assessment as proof of creation, not proof of recall.

A well-designed system will make e-portfolios and capstones mainstream. The e-portfolio becomes the learner’s public ledger: curated projects, fieldwork, presentations, prototypes, writing samples, and reflections. It is simultaneously an assessment tool and a placement asset. Done properly, it becomes the learner’s most powerful negotiation instrument in the job market.

The Missing Link: Blended Learning and a Project Ecology that Protects Equity

None of these reforms scale unless universities can deliver learning through a blended, flexible architecture. Blended learning is not a superficial “tech addition.” It is the cohesive integration of face-to-face and online modes through curriculum redesign—moving passive content delivery into flexible spaces and using in-person time for active,participative learning.

But India’s equity constraint is real. The digital divide is not a slogan; it is a structural barrier. If blended learning is designed around data-heavy, synchronous video models suited to high-resource environments,it will exclude precisely those learners higher education must include.This is why an “asynchronous-first” design philosophy matters. When content is accessible on low bandwidth, mobile-first platforms; when learning resources can be downloaded and revisited; when engagement is designed through thoughtful discussion prompts and periodic high-impact in-person sessions—then blended learning becomes a tool of inclusion rather than exclusion.

A strong blended model also builds a project ecology. It frees campus time for studios, collaboration, fieldwork, and project-based learning. It encourages interdisciplinarity because real projects rarely respect departmental boundaries. It makes room for apprenticeships and internships because learning can be planned around work cycles. In short, blended learning is not merely a delivery mode; it is the infrastructure of flexibility.

The New Campus Engine: When Placements and Entrepreneurship Share One Wheel

UGC 2025 gives the policy space, but universities must build the institutional machinery. A key shift is to stop treating placement as a seasonal activity and begin treating it as a year-round academic engine. That means building a robust Collaboration and Placement Centre with a dual mandate: placements and entrepreneurship. In a developing economy, employability and enterprise creation are not separate missions; they are two sides of the same economic development coin. This is where industry engagement becomes more than MoUs and guest lectures. Partnerships must mature into structured pipelines: internship quotas, live projects, co-developed modules, mentorship, and recruitment alignment. When industry advisory boards inform curricula, when projects are sourced from real industry pain points, and when evaluation is built around authentic outcomes, placements stop being a last-semester scramble. They become the natural consequence of the learning model. India has already seen how institutional ecosystems can shape entrepreneurial outcomes. Incubation and innovation models associated with leading institutions—such as structured entrepreneurship and incubation ecosystems—show that when mentorship, networks, and real problem solving are institutionalised, venture creation rises. UGC 2025, through credit flexibility and authentic assessment, makes it possible to embed those ecosystems into mainstream degrees, not only into elite Islands. A More Humane, More Useful University UGC 2025 should be understood as a shift from degree delivery to capability development—multiple entry points, multiple pacing options, and multiple ways to prove competence. It is pro-student because it respects life realities. It is pro-placements because it legitimises skills, portfolios, apprenticeships, and industry-facing outcomes. It is pro- entrepreneurship because it makes projects and venture-building assessable within formal education.

The true “game changer” is not any single clause. It is the combined effect: a university that can admit more learners, let them build hybrid identities, let them earn skill credits meaningfully, and let them prove learning through authentic work. Done well, this is how India increases participation, reduces dropouts, improves graduate outcomes, and creates a generation that is not only educated, but employable, entrepreneurial, and future-ready.

An astounding feature of India's higher education is that it ranks among the biggest in the world, with a plethora of colleges, a few hundred universities, and an annual output of millions of graduates. Nevertheless, such a vast setup is confronted with a critical issue: why is it that not even one Indian university, despite its magnitude, finds a regular place among the worlds top, ranked institutions?

That question is, in fact, more poignant if we actually recall that this same land was a world centre of learning some two millennia ago. Universities like Nalanda and Takshashila were not only India’s pride but part of the world’s shared intellectual heritage. Today, it seems the roles have been reversed since Indian students have been going abroad for studies in increasing numbers, Indian universities have been continuously falling behind in global rankings.

At the heart of the problem, there is a university system in India that is not strong in research culture, that is not well funded, that lacks academic freedom and that is not globally oriented. It is quite true that India is a major contributor to the world's research papers, but their citation impact of these papers is much lower than that of leading countries. The main reasons are: very limited spreading of funds, no high tech facilities, very few opportunities, and overburdening of the teaching faculty. If researchers are not given sufficient time and resources, production of high, quality work is very unlikely.

Institutions such as the IITs churn out brilliant engineers, but if they fail to massively integrate disciplines like medicine, law, social sciences, and public policy, they won't be able to meet the global standards. At the same time, the top universities in the world are dependent on interdisciplinary ecosystems that incubate creativity and innovation. India's system, however, remains confined to silos.

Governance and autonomy issues are also major impediments. A large number of Indian universities are so deeply caught up in bureaucratic controls and policy limitations that they almost cannot make quick, autonomous decisions. Meanwhile, leading global universities attract top talent because of their flexibility and freedom.

Equally concerning is the near absence of foreign faculty on Indian campuses. Visa rules, salary caps, and the red tape of the bureaucracy are some of the things that prevent talented people from all over the world from coming to India. Consequently, Indian higher education institutions do not have the international mix that is one of the factors directly affecting the global rankings of universities.

Yet, there is still some small hope at the end of the tunnel. The rise of a handful of private universities, such as Ashoka, O.P. Jindal, and Amrita, show that Indian universities can really compete at the global level if they are given proper autonomy and the right facilities. A major aspect of their fast progression has been their freedom to form partnerships abroad.

In essence, the main question should not be why India is losing ground but what great leap it can take by 2047. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has set broad directions by focusing on multidisciplinary education, research, and granting more autonomy to institutions. However, policies by themselves do not suffice. India should take bold steps in making research a high priority, training professors, forming partnerships abroad, and structurally upgrading its universities.

If India successfully tackles the above challenge, then it will not only be an economic giant but also a world intellectual leader by 2047. On the other hand, if the slow pace continues, the rest of the world will advance, and India will keep questioning: why are our universities not among the best?st global academic legacy.

The long-running debate over India’s entrance examination system appears to be reaching a decisive turning point. The central government’s proposed SAT-based admission model is not just a move towards phasing out major national-level exams like NEET, JEE, and CUET—it is an attempt to reshape the entire education ecosystem under a new framework. If implemented, this could be considered the biggest reform in Indian higher education in decades.

The goal of this new system is pretty straightforward: to lessen student stress, limit the coaching culture dependency, and bring school education back to the main focus. This method is in line with the essence of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which has always highlighted school- based assessment and conceptual learning.

Will This Model Alleviate Student Burden?

Scheduling the SAT twice in the Class 11 proposal seems like a fair compromise. Besides one more chance to better their scores, students, when their Class 12 board results are combined, could see the admission process gradually becoming more integrated, transparent, and school centric.

In the past, the whole pressure of competitive examinations has been on after Class 12. By distributing this burden over two years, the new system could significantly reduce mental stress among students.

Can the Coaching Culture Really Be Curbed?

India's coaching industry has practically evolved into an education system parallel to the formal one. Kota and Hyderabad, Delhi, and Patna are cities that draw hundreds of thousands of students every year.

Higher stress, financial issues, and the steady stream of news about student suicides have regularly exposed the flaws of this system

Measures in the new framework like cutting down coaching hours, not allowing students under 16 years to attend, and school related exams can reduce the influence of coaching centres. Such a change would be welcomed by society and parents alike.

A Transformative Step for Rural and Marginalised Students

The biggest challenge in Indian education has always been equal opportunity. When coaching is expensive and access to big cities is limited, rural and economically weaker students are naturally left behind.

The new system could significantly narrow this gap. NCERT-based assessments, in-school preparation, and fair percentile-based allocation could make the admission process more inclusive.

Is Uniformity Across State Boards Possible?

This is perhaps the most critical challenge. India's state boards vary greatly in their syllabi, assessment patterns, and difficulty standards. In case the SAT syllabus is based on NCERT, state boards will need to overhaul their curricula to keep the students at the same level.

The change will be possible only if the states are empowered with a major role and given sufficient time to execute the plan.

What Do Experts Say?Many experts are of the opinion that this model can lighten the students' stress load, however, they also regard syllabus alignment as the biggest problem. They see it as a great chance for students from rural areas and tell teachers to start preparing for the change now.

Some educators feel the system could help end rote learning, but they also stress the importance of uniformity across state boards. In their view, this reform could improve mental health, offer financial relief, and enhance teaching quality.However, they also suggest pilot projects first to full, scale implementation.

Educators' optimistic responses notwithstanding, they also show that they are cautious about the challenges of execution.

The Bigger Picture

The main purpose of the new admission system is fundamentally good and it can bring about a number of benefits, such as student stress reduction, school education getting its due, and decreasing reliance on coaching institutes.

However, this change is far more than simply a matter of an examination, it demands a fundamental re-thinking of the way students are taught, how the teachers will be prepared, and the whole administrative machinery of education. The model will only be viable and sustainable if the government opts for the phased implementation, first through pilot projects, and later in partnership with the states.

The choice of 2027 as the deadline is certainly a bold move, however, it could very well be the beginning of a new era for the Indian education system.