At Vasavi Education Trust (VET) First Grade College, college students are realising that having artificial intelligence (AI) skills is not merely a matter of choice, but a must for their future careers, as brought out during a recent interaction.

Students of VET First Grade College on Thursday learned first hand how Artificial Intelligence can be used as a tool to make one more productive during a Times of India in Campus (TOIC) Partnership Talk at the school's JP Nagar campus. The session was led by Shankar G Rao, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Bosch India, who pointed out that AI is becoming more and more significant in all sectors.

Rao told students that they should have a good understanding of data and be able to analyze it since these are the skills that will be in demand in jobs where AI is used. He drew a diagram showing how AI, machine learning, and deep learning are related, thus explaining the basics of artificial intelligence. Consequently, the students could comprehend better how different technologies are integrated in real world scenarios.

Rao stressed the significance of people learning without getting in a certain time and referred to how AI is being used in various areas such as manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and services."The value you bring to the table is essentially a reflection of what AI enables you to do, rather than what you can do that AI cannot, " he told the students after he had pointed out AI as a partner tool to them and not a threat to their jobs.

He went on to encourage the students to take the initiative in gaining new skills so that they can remain relevant in the rapidly evolving digital world. He said that the future successful career individuals will be those who can adapt and solve the problems. "The factor that determines your value is not what you are capable of doing that AI cannot, but rather what AI enables you to do, " he said to the students, urging them to view AI as a tool partner instead of a threat to their jobs.

Moreover, he advised the pupils to take the initiative to gain new skills so that they can still be relevant in the rapidly changing digital world. He pointed out that the ones who will be successful in their careers in the future are those people who can adapt and solve problems.

The speaker and students had a lively discussion on various topics which was made possible by R Parvathi, Principal and Academic Advisor, VET First Grade College, through a moderated session. The participants raised issues related to career readiness, ethical usage of AI, and the key skills that employers are starting to value more and more in fresh graduates.

The conference showcased how crucial it is for the industry and academia to work hand in hand in preparing the students with the right skill set to stay relevant amidst technological changes. It also pointed out that colleges should integrate AI consciousness and skills acquisition into their main curriculum.

The Postgraduate Department of English of Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma (GGDSD) College, Sector 32, held a six day Creative Writing and Haiku Workshop as an initiative to encourage literary expression and creative skills among students. The workshop was a blend of theory and hands- on practice. It was designed to familiarize the participants with different forms of poetic and reflective writing and invite the talents of eminent academicians, poets, and writers.

College Principal Dr Ajay Sharma was the one who welcomed everyone and appreciated the Department of English for its consistent creative and academic activities.

The Opening sessions were graced by Prof Deepti Gupta, Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University, and Neena Singh, a well known poet, author and social activist.

Prof Gupta who is a Fulbright Fellow and has 36 years of teaching experience, shared her work with insights from her engagement in teaching, supervision of research, development of curriculum, and university management among others.

A banker, turned poet from Chandigarh, Neena Singh talked about the significance of haiku as a means of expression, referring to her journey as a poet and the founder of an NGO that works for the education of underprivileged children.

Afterwards, the sessions were taken over by Dr. Urvi Sharma, Assistant Professor of English, Amity University, Mohali, a renowned author and scholar, whose books are published by international presses such as Bloomsbury and Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Besides them, the workshop also got a chance to be enriched by the sessions of Harender Kumar, Dr Poorva Trikha, Dr Mandeep Sanehi, and Balpreet Singh. They worked closely with the students, sharing secrets of storytelling, writing the self, poetry, editing, and ways of getting published.

During the vivid and interactive group work, the students were able to experiment with writing in various genres, find their distinctive stylistic voices, and gain an increase of self confidence in their creative abilities.

It was Pooja Sarin, the head of the department, who finally presented the vote of thanks. The workshop was convened by Harender Kumar and Dr Poorva Trikha.

Children's education, which for a long time was seen as a surefire way for one's social mobility, is increasingly turning out to be a source of financial and emotional pressure for many urban households in India. The ever increasing school fees have gone beyond mere numbers on budget sheets, quietly changing the way parents live, plan, and make sacrifices.

This escalating worry found a strong outlet first through Dr Shraddhey Katiyar, a doctor from Noida, whose post on social media platform X has stirred a massive conversation about the real cost of schooling in India. His statement touched the hearts of parents who feel the pressure every day but hardly ever express it publicly.

“School fees don’t just test a parent’s income. They test their silence,” Katiyar wrote, capturing what many families endure year after year. According to him, fee hikes are rarely protested openly; instead, parents absorb the increases quietly—skipping holidays, postponing personal goals, and taking on extra work to keep their children enrolled.

“Every year, the number rises. And parents quietly adjust life around it. Fewer vacations. Delayed dreams. Extra shifts. No complaints. Just quiet sacrifice,” his post read.

Katiyar also questioned the justification schools often provide for repeated fee increases. Despite assurances of “quality education” and improved infrastructure, he pointed out that many classrooms remain overcrowded while teachers continue to be underpaid. “A child’s future should not feel like a monthly threat,” he wrote, arguing that education should not resemble a recurring financial warning.

Warning of the broader consequences, Katiyar said that when schooling begins to feel like a luxury rather than a basic right, it inevitably excludes deserving children. “Education was meant to uplift families, not exhaust them,” he noted, adding that children often grow up realising “their parents paid the price, silently.”

The post struck a chord online, prompting parents across cities to share similar experiences. Many spoke of cutting back on essentials to manage annual fee hikes. One user commented, “Too much unnecessary expense. The quality of teaching is low, and lavish campuses seem to be the priority.” Another wrote, “Most schools feel like factories—making money without delivering meaningful learning.”

Some highlighted the social pressure surrounding fee protests. “Parents remain silent because speaking up damages their reputation,” a user observed. Another one added, "Schools have turned into a cartel, increasing fees every year without any justification."

Now that the debate is heating up, Katiyar's post has once again brought up the unpleasant issues of affordability, accountability, and whether the schooling system in India is moving away from its original promise of equal opportunity."

The Madras High Court has instructed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to decide on requests made by 11 private law colleges in Tamil Nadu, for sanction to increase student intake and the introduction of new courses, within three weeks. A division bench of Justices R. Suresh Kumar and Shamim Ahmed delivered the order while hearing a batch of petitions by the law colleges which sought a direction to the BCI to consider their applications that were pending for the next academic year. However, seven colleges challenged the BCI’s decision to return their applications along with the fees, while two other colleges sought a direction for processing of their applications, as their fees had not been refunded.

During the course of arguments, it was also brought to the court’s notice that the applications of two additional law colleges were pending with the BCI, taking the total number of affected institutions to 11.

The bench observed that there was no legal ban or restriction on the BCI from processing the applications. Therefore, the court ordered the BCI to clear all pending applications within three weeks of receiving a copy of the order.

To ensure the timely processing of their applications, the court also ordered the law colleges whose applications had been returned to submit their applications again within three days.

The order is likely to be a source of relief for private law colleges in Tamil Nadu that have been waiting for regulatory clearance to increase their capacities and diversify their courses. The players involved in legal education contend that the court's ruling may avert an academic crisis and provide a smoother admission process for the next session.

On World Cancer Day, IIT Madras launched an unprecedented cancer genome database that encapsulates paediatric leukaemia, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, the diseases that have a heavy mortality burden in the country.

This effort was a response to India's chronic omission from international cancer genome research and it also hopes to facilitate better diagnosis and treatment outcomes by leveraging population, specific genomic data.

The public database (bcga.iitm.ac.in) developed under the Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA) and clinician, oriented Bharat Cancer Genome Grid (BCG2) offers anonymous whole genome sequencing data of Indian cancer patients thus granting researchers and clinicians in India and worldwide an opportunity to investigate the genetic mutations of the Indian populace.

Currently, the database contains genomic information for nearly 1, 500 cancer samples that were sequenced and the whole genome sequencing took place at IIT Madras.

Approximately 30% of the samples came from hospitals in Tamil Nadu, whereas the rest of the samples were obtained from medical institutions located in different regions of the country, including the North, East, such as Mizoram, thus capturing the genetic diversity of India.

Indian Council of Medical Research has recently reported that one out of nine people in India will develop cancer over their lifetime, and the cancer incidence rate has been increasing at a rate of almost 13 per cent annually since 2022.

In spite of this increasing problem, India does not have genomic datasets that comprehensively represent the country's genetic diversity, thus, at times, Indian doctors have to depend on treatment protocols based on data from Western populations.

Project coordinator S Mahalingam, Head of the Centre of Excellence on Cancer Genomics and Molecular Therapeutics at IIT Madras, told TNIE that with the help of the database it would be possible to identify actionable mutations which in turn will guide targeted therapies.

Identifying the mutated gene in a patient helps us to not only prevent unnecessary chemotherapy and its side effects but also to use different drugs, which are already available, if they match the gene, he said. Besides, 57% of Indian cancer patients have clinically significant mutations that are still being analysed for their treatment potential.

Depending on sequencing depth, the cost of whole genome sequencing of one patient is currently between Rs 60, 000 and Rs 1 lakh.

Mahalingam said, initially, the expense of high, throughput sequencing and panel, based tests will be high, but gradually, as more Indian, specific recurrent mutations are identified, the costs will come down.

The project team already has nearly 8, 000 patient samples, and they are planning to keep increasing the database.

Director of IIT Madras, V Kamakoti, remarked that Indian cancer patients are genetically unique in many ways and, therefore, they possibly have higher mortality rates for some cancers such as breast cancer.

"Western therapies may not always be efficacious for Indian patients since the drugs are targeted to Western genomic data only. This atlas helps to fill a major gap and will facilitate better diagnosis, treatment, and drug development, " he remarked.

Dr SG Ramanan, a senior medical oncologist at Apollo Hospitals, emphasized the importance of training doctors to utilize complex genomic data.

Isnt it obvious that education is the key? Molecular tumour boards, where experts determine which mutations are drivers and which are passengers, will undoubtedly play a critical role in seeking to agree upon clinical decisions, he added.

It got support of Rs 56 crore as principal CSR from Hyundai Motor India under its Hyundai Hope for Cancer program and an additional Rs 3 crore to be used for treatment of the children from the economically weaker sections.

Officials of IIT Madras hailed the programme as a landmark for personalized, cost effective cancer care in India.

The Delhi High Court, through a judgment on Wednesday, has put an end to the overall ban on the migration of MBBS students under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023. The court expressed that a total prohibition is a clearly arbitrary act and a violation of fundamental constitutional protections.

Besides, the Court directed the authorities to consider the case of a visually impaired medical student who is willing to relocate from a Rajasthan medical college to Delhi primarily on account of health and disability, related reasons.

A Division Bench consisting of the Chief Justice and Justice Tejas Karia, observed that Regulation 18 of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 which enforced a total ban on the migration of undergraduate medical students, isn't a provision that is legally justified.

The Court remarked that a blanket ban on a prohibition would constitute a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India even in the cases of exceptional or deserving persons and, therefore, such a ban would violate the rights of persons with disabilities.

In addition, the Bench instructed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to review petitioner's migration application without taking into account the bans on migration and to look at his case in terms of disability rights and the necessity for reasonable accommodation. Petitioner, Sahil Arsh, is a visually impaired person to the extent of 40 per cent. He qualified for the NEET, UG 2023 from the Other Backwards Class, Persons with Disabilities category. Although initially, he was not allowed to participate in the counseling under the PwD category which led him to take the matter to the Supreme Court and later the court ordered the authorities to treat him as a PwD candidate. As a result of the delay in his approval for the counseling session, only the stray vacancy round was left for Sahil and hence he had very fewer options. Eventually, he got admission at Government Medical College, Barmer, Rajasthan. Later, the petitioner requested for a migration to Delhi on the ground that his eye condition worsened due to the harsh climate of Barmer and also because he needed treatment at AIIMS Delhi.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) rejected his plea in December 2024 on the ground that the 2023 Regulations had done away with the migration provision completely.

The High Court observed that while it is certainly a correct aim to keep uniform standards in medical education a completely banning migration ignores the true, real, life situations and, therefore, most unfairly deprives the deserving students.

The Court explicitly stated that the possibility of misuse ought not to be a ground for the denial of lawful rights, particularly when it is feasible to carry out reasonable safeguards.

Besides, the Bench observed that the petitioner was largely at the mercy of the situation due to the counselling authorities' not recognising his PwD status timely which thus denying him the chance of picking the right med college earlier. So, blaming him for choosing a far, off college in such a scenario was unreasonable.

Underlining the fact that the authorities are mandated to take reasonable measures, provide accommodations and ensure equality and non, discrimination, the Court, citing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, reiterated the same. It decided that excluding a student from admission whose medical condition had deteriorated as a result of exposure to the environment is a denial of such accommodation.

The Court further underscored that regulatory measures may not disregard human dignity or constitutional protections in pursuit of administrative efficiency. 

In a bid to provide technology driven skills to medical and life science professionals, the University of Delhi (DU) on Wednesday unveiled an online certificate course titled "Application of Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences".

The course was inaugurated by the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Prof. Yogesh Singh, who stressed preparing healthcare professionals for a future where artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies would be dominant. Prof. Singh said that the medical profession is being radically altered by technological changes, and educational institutions must take the lead in adapting to these changes.

Apart from clinical knowledge, future doctors will have to be well versed with the latest technologies such as AI, data analytics, and machine learning, Prof. Singh remarked, citing the universities' role in producing future, ready, tech, savvy medical graduates.

The certificate course delivered entirely online has been developed with a strong eye on the real, life applications of AI in health sciences, which cover among others, diagnostics, disease prediction, medical imaging, and healthcare data management. The programme is expected to facilitate the upskilling of doctors, researchers, healthcare professionals, as well as life science graduates, who are interested in the sector where medicine meets technology.

The university representative explained that the course is a great example of how DU is moving towards interdisciplinary and skill, based education, which is one of the main features of the world's most current trends in the healthcare and biomedical research sectors. By the combination of AI and health sciences, the university intends to lessen the gap between medical knowledge and technological innovation, thus, equipping professionals to be able to handle the needs of the modern healthcare systems.

The program is timed right with how more and more AI, based solutions are being integrated in hospitals, research institutions, and public health programs both in India and worldwide.

Odisha has come to a critical juncture both in terms of higher education and industrial development. On the one hand, the State has been successful in gradually broadening its technical and professional education sectors. However, it still does not have a nationally recognized institution that could serve as a cornerstone for high, level pharmaceutical education and research.

The lack of a National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) is restricting Odishas capability to unlock the full potential of its pharmaceutical sector.

The insistence on establishing a NIPER in Odisha is neither a recent nor a trend driven idea. Since 2012, various academic circles and professional organizations, including the Odisha Pharmaceutical Industries Forum (OPIF) and the Indian Pharmaceutical Graduates Association (IPGA), have been on a continuous swing of this issue at the forefront.

The proposal was officially submitted to the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers at the time when Mr Srikant Jena was the Minister, and the argument has been taken up at the national level.

Later, the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik communicated to the Centre the States willingness along with the commitment to provide institutional support and make available the required infrastructure.

Odisha’s claim rests not merely on precedent but on proven capacity. The State has a long history of supporting pharmaceutical education, starting from the 17th century, and presently is home to a large network of pharmacy institutions that together contribute a huge number of diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate graduates annually. However, the lack of a research oriented national institution like a NIPER has resulted in a continuous flow of skilled people from the State to others for advanced education and research. This persistent leakage of human capital makes local research ecosystems weaker, hampers productive industry, academia collaboration, and limits the establishment of innovation, driven pharmaceutical enterprises in Odisha.

A NIPER in Odisha would be able to fill these structural holes. It would enhance postgraduate and doctoral education, increase pharmaceutical and translational research, and help create closer industry, academic institution partnerships. Importantly, it would also help correct regional imbalances in the distribution of national research institutions. Eastern India remains under- served in pharmaceutical education and innovation despite its growing industrial and human resource base, and Odisha is well positioned to serve as a regional anchor. There have been recent events that have given extra weight to this demand that has lasted for a long time. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested the Central Government to consider the setting up of a NIPER in Odisha, referring to the states growing educational ecosystem and the importance of the state in geopolitical terms.

The decision of the Centre to allocate funds through the budget to three new NIPERs under the Biopharma SHAKTI initiative is evidence enough of the suitability of Odisha in this context, especially considering the governments declared goal of making Eastern India a significant contributor to national growth. At the level of the State government, the present administration has on several occasions emphasized the development of Odisha as a pharmaceutical and healthcare hub through policy support and research, led growth.

The State Health Minister has communicated to the Legislative Assembly that a suitable plot of land at the State capital has been proposed for the creation of a NIPER, thus indicating the readiness of the administration. The moment for deliberation has passed; what Odisha now requires is decisive action. Through continuous efforts of advocacy, evidence of preparedness, agreement between the political parties, and clear national relevance, the case for setting up a NIPER in Odisha is both compelling and thorough.

The central government must grab this chance to turn words into action by giving the green light and fast, tracking the setting up of a NIPER in the state. Besides fulfilling the promise that has been made for a long time, it will also open the eastern region of India to the pharmaceutical market potential, keep and develop the local talent, and make India stronger in healthcare and life sciences through self, reliance.

A NIPER in Odisha would be an exemplary model of inclusive development wherein the visionary policy and purposeful execution would meet. The rest is a timely and decisive action from the centre.

With readiness of the institution, political consensus, and national relevance thoroughly established, the case for a NIPER in Odisha is hard to ignore. Green, lighting and fast, tracking the establishment of such an institution would not only be a tribute to the commitments made over the years but also a way to unlock the pharmaceutical potential of eastern India, keep and develop local talent, and make India self, reliant in healthcare and life sciences. A NIPER in Odisha would be a strong symbol of inclusive development, a place where policy vision and purposeful execution meet.

The Gujarat high court on Monday ordered the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Directorate General of Health Services to reconsider the case of MBBS Swara Kiran Bhatt and give her an opportunity to be included in the merit list of eligible candidates for NEET, PG Round 3 under the NRI quota, as she failed to upload one mandatory document the NRI sponsor's passbook at the time of application.

While instructing MCC to consider Bhatt's candidature, Justice Nirzar Desai also asked her to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the HC legal services committee because a student was the one who said that she would make the donation of the money even if she finally did not get admission in PG courses.

As per the facts of the case, Bhatt completed her MBBS on an NRI seat, which was sponsored by her maternal aunt. She appeared for NEET, PG 2025 and got an All-India Rank of 1, 80, 339, and her score was way above the cut, off marks.

When she applied for the PG courses, she failed to upload the sponsor's passbook. This resulted in rejection of her candidature, and she approached the HC seeking a direction to MCC to include her name in the NRI eligible list and permit her participation in counselling.

It was submitted that though she could not upload the sponsor's passbook, a mandatory document to be supplied for eligibility in the NRI quota, she sent the document by email to the authority on Jan 30. The omission was a minor lacuna and must not cost the student her career.

MCC's counsel Ankit Shah opposed the petition, stating that the admission process substantially progressed and the counselling window was set to close on Monday noon, when the arguments took place. He maintained that non-uploading of the sponsor's passbook justified non-consideration of her candidature. After the hearing, the high court said, "It is expected that a person who already became a doctor and aspires to become a specialist would adhere to and maintain the requisite precision and be absolutely meticulous while uploading the application form. However, such a minor mistake of failing to upload a single document ought not to result in a lifetime regret for a student like the petitioner."

The HC directed the authorities "to consider the case of the petitioner in the merit list, if the petitioner is otherwise found eligible". They were ordered not to reject her claim for a PG NEET seat solely on account of the lacuna of the failure to upload the passbook of the sponsor while filling up the PG NEET application form.

Children with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders can benefit from the integration of Ayurveda, yoga, and modern therapies, a senior official from the All India Institute of Ayurveda, Goa, said on Saturday. The institute launched in November 2025 the PRAYAS centre, a first-of-its-kind facility, which uses a combination of the three pathways to provide coordinated rehabilitation services and improve the quality of affected children's lives, the official said. Since its launch, the integrated paediatric neuro-rehabilitation centre has benefited 574 patients through the dedicated neuro-muscular and neuro-behavioural OPD, and extended integrated care to 176 children through IPD services, the institute said.

"PRAYAS is a beacon of hope for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, integrating Ayurveda's holistic principles with multidisciplinary therapies to foster remarkable improvements in their quality of life. "We are determined to take this model to more families all over India by leveraging our institute's commitment to innovative and compassionate care, "

Dr Sujata Kadam, Dean (Academic and Administration) at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) Goa, stated.

A three, year, old boy with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy was treated at the PRAYAS centre. The mother of the child said, "Initially, my son couldn't even stand or walk by himself. After his treatment at PRAYAS, there has been a remarkable change and my child is now able to walk without any support."

Encouraging clinical outcomes have been observed in this case, Dr Rahul Ghuse, Assistant Professor, Department of Kaumarbhritya (Ayurved Pediatrics), AIIA Goa, said.

The institute is now looking towards tying up with special schools in the western coastal state to provide specialised services to children in community settings.

"We are looking forward to establishing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with special schools across Goa."By joining forces, we'll be able to bring our specialized services right to the doors of the less fortunate children. This way, integrative neuro, rehabilitation can be made available to the community members who need it the most, " Dr Ghuse elaborated.

The PRAYAS at AIIA Goa, has been functioning as a multidisciplinary facility, delivering integrated, child, centred care to children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention, deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), global developmental delay and other neuromuscular and neurobehavioral disorders.

The centre incorporates Ayurveda, based treatments with physiotherapy, yoga, speech therapy, occupational therapy and modern paediatric care, thus allowing for comprehensive assessment, individualised care planning, caregiver counselling and structured follow, up, Dr Ghuse added.

PRAYAS, through a well, defined, evidence, based integrative care pathway, is aiming at achieving functional changes that can be quantified as well as an improved quality of life for children with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. They are also backed by standardized documentation and outcome tracking, " the institute stated.

Underscoring the next phase of strengthening and scale-up, Dr Sumeet Goel, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Kaumarbhritya (Ayurved Paediatrics), AIIA Goa, said, "Our future efforts will focus on developing standardised treatment guidelines and generating evidence to support replication of the PRAYAS model at larger public health levels, enabling wider access to integrative paediatric neuro-rehabilitation services." The move towards integrative approaches is even getting a boost from the state level.

During a recent interaction with Ayush and wellness stakeholders in Panaji, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of Goa pointed out the increasing capability of the state in the holistic wellness area and requested a set of rules that would help integrated wellness to be more robust. He also reiterated the vision of Goa to become a global hub for wellness and medical value travel.

The National Health Policy 2017 aims at an integrative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative healthcare system. It also emphasizes the continuity of care through strengthened service delivery, which this initiative is in line with.

Globally, such service models resonate with international frameworks that emphasise people-centred integration of safe and effective traditional medicine into health systems, including focus on clinical practice guidelines, workforce development and standardised data systems, Dr Ghuse said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget 2026 has a five-pronged approach for the growth of the textile sector of the country. One key element of the proposed budget is placing design education and creative skills at the centre of the government’s education and employment strategy, outlining measures to align learning with jobs, enterprise and services-led growth.

“The Indian design industry is expanding rapidly, and yet there is a shortage of Indian designers. I propose to establish, through a challenge route, a new National Institute of Design (NID) to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India,” the finance minister said.

Samarth 2.0, one of the proposed measures, will modernise and upgrade the textile skilling ecosystem through collaboration with industry and academic institutions. 

“ It is a welcome announcement because when I was trying to apply to fashion institutes from Assam, the entrance exams clashed with state board exams. Now we have an NID in my hometown, Jorhat and the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Shillong. Study of Muga silk is also introduced in the syllabus, which is a good push,” said Sushmita Choudhury, a fashion designer and former student of the International Institute of Fashion Design, Hyderabad.

7 NIDs and 16 NIFTs

The NID is a group of autonomous public design institutes in India, the first of which was established in 1961 in Ahmedabad. Currently, there are seven NIDs in India and 16 NIFTs that focus on textile designing.

The latest NID was set up in Jorhat in 2019, while NIFT Srinagar was the last one to be set up in 2016.

“An increasing number of institutes can also dilute the quality of education, because they need highly trained faculty and well-equipped design labs,” said stylist Neha Sinha, a former student of NIFT, Chennai.

The Indian fashion design industry had a market value of approximately ₹15.1 lakh crore in 2023 and is expected to reach around Rs 45.3 lakh crore by 2032.

Indian luxury labels are also transitioning from niche offerings to becoming established institutions.

A majority of Indian consumers now prefer shopping from homegrown and small businesses, as per a 2025 report. The survey, conducted with YouGov across 18 states with 5,000 respondents, found that  58 per cent of Indians choose local brands.

“ While new institutes are being set up, the curriculum needs to change because students are not taught how to set up a brand, or even taught about GST. They are taught to make a cost sheet, but not how to price the final garment. That’s why students end up working for other designers, instead of learning how to set up their label,” said Choudhury.

VIT Bhopal University in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (JHU), USA, is calling for registrations for Health Hack 2026: Improving Health Access for All. An international hackathon, Health Hack 2026, has a plan set for February 10, 12, 2026. The project aims at encouraging practical, tech, driven healthcare access solutions with a focus on rural and ignored areas. Health Hack 2026 launch is the direct result of the successful influence of Health Hack 2025 last February. Bringing together a diverse mix of participants, including researchers, clinicians, technologists, and students, the event effectively solved real, world healthcare problems through data, driven and AI enabled solutions.

Under the guidance of VIT Bhopal management team, including Hon'ble Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan, Vice President Mr. Sankar Viswanathan, Assistant Vice President Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, and Trustee Ms. Ramani Balasundaram, the program comprise keynote addresses, technical sessions, workshops, and problem, solving competitive tracks that led to a number of novel healthcare prototypes. The success stories solidified VIT Bhopal's position as a leading center for healthcare research and strong partnership between industry and academia. The 2026 edition builds on this impact made possible through collaborative research-led efforts.

After securing participation from such top, name institutions as IITs, NITs, IIITs, government medical colleges and even international universities in the last edition, Health Hack 2026 intends to extend its reach significantly by allowing data scientists, engineers, healthcare professionals, innovators and students from both India and abroad to come on board.

In teams cross, disciplinary and comprising up to six members, the participants will find the following areas as their main points of focus: telemedicine as a tool for health equity, predictive analytics as a means of preventing illness, AI, powered management of chronic diseases, accessibility of mental health services, and the health, tech sector in general.

Waiting to be more than just another hackathon, Health Hack 2026 will put heavy stress on the development of scaled, up real, world prototypes. Participants will be provided not only with high quality datasets, but also APIs and guidance through mentors coming from industry and research partners, such as Intelehealth and the Gupta, Klinsky India Institute.

Throughout the series of advanced events hosted on VIT Bhopal's over 300, acre campus, one of the most cutting, edge facilities in the country, attendees will be encouraged to come up with solutions ranging from early diagnosis of diseases, tailored medication, safe management of health records, and implementation of AI, in, ethics frameworks to a direct and conscious consideration of people living in a situation of exclusion from healthcare.

They will get the chance to work together in a hands, on interdisciplinary collaboration setting. Besides that, they can also enhance their AI and data analytics skills, deepen their knowledge of healthcare engineering, and expand their network with world experts from VIT Bhopal and JHUs Whiting School of Engineering, a school that houses the world's top ranked biomedical engineering program.

Winning teams will be rewarded with cash prizes of 1, 00, 000, 50, 000, and 25, 000 for first, second, and third places, respectively. Besides, they will be given a chance to work with mentors to take their ideas to the next level. Above all, the hackathon is a brilliant way of giving back to society by coming up with solutions that make a positive social impact.

Registration and Key Dates

Final Phase: 1012 February 2026, VIT Bhopal

For more details, visit: https://vitbhopal.ac.in/health-hackathon/; or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About VIT Bhopal University:

VIT Bhopal University, a multidisciplinary university located in Madhya Pradesh, was established in 2017 and is part of the legacy of the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) group of institutions. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in engineering, management, sciences, and allied disciplines on a 300 acre green campus.

The campus houses a 100 percent doctoral faculty, and the university runs the CALTECH initiative, a unique technological approach to the teaching, learning process that combines industry practices, research exposure, and experiential learning. Through the STARS programme (Support the Advancement of Rural Students), VIT Bhopal is also offering completely free education, lodging and boarding to meritorious students from rural backgrounds.

Strong industry collaborations and an emphasis on outcome based education are hallmarks of the university which makes it a great place to prepare future, ready graduates for the rapidly changing world.

If you are planning to go for an MBA, this phase of your journey is very important. Every year, thousands of students look for the upcoming MBA entrance exams in order to know which entrance exams they need to appear for, when the exams are conducted, and how they should strategically prepare for the exams. The right information, at the right time, does make all the difference.

MBA entrance exams are not merely testing your knowledge. They evaluate your decision-making skills, logical thinking, communication skills and the preparation for a career in management. Understanding the exams that are coming enables you to plan better, avoid stress and increase your chances of getting into a good business school.

Why MBA Entrance Exams are so Important

Top management institutes of India and abroad use entrance examinations to select the candidates for the MBA course. These exams ensure that students coming into the classroom are strong in their analytical skills and ability to perform under pressure.

Each MBA entrance exam has a different set of colleges. Some exams are accepted by the IIMs, some by the private universities and some exams are compulsory for studying MBA abroad. This is why it is extremely important to know which exams are coming up in advance before you start filling application forms.

Upcoming MBA Entrance Exams (February 2026 Onwards)

CMAT 2026

• Registration: November-December 2025 (open now)
• Exam: Late January 2026
• Key Colleges: Great Lakes, Welingkar, KJ Somaiya

MAT February 2026

• Registration: December 2025-January 2026
• Exam: Last week February 2026 (PBT/CBT)
• Key Colleges: 600+ AICTE institutes

GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test)

• Registration: open 
• Exam: once every month (3 attempts)
• Key Colleges: VGU, LPU, IILM, Chandigarh University

TS ICET 2026

• Registration: February-March 2026
• Exam: May 2026
• Key Colleges: Telangana universities

AP ICET 2026

• Registration: March 2026
• Exam: May 2026
• Key Colleges: Andhra Pradesh universities

ATMA March 2026

• Registration: January-February 2026
• Exam: Early March 2026
• Key Colleges: Mid-tier B-schools nationwide

When Are MBA Entrance Exams Conducted?

MBA entrance exams do follow an annual predictable cycle. Exams such as CAT and XAT are typically conducted at the end of the year and exams such as CMAT, MAT, GMCAT, and GMAT are conducted throughout the year. This means that you do not need to prepare separately for each exam, if you plan well. Starting early means that you can comfortably cover the basics and then you can focus on mock tests and exam-specific strategies closer to the exam date.

How to Choose the Best MBA Entrance Exam for You?

Many students become confused as there are so many entrance exams for MBA. The specific exam you should take can depend on your career aspirations, your academic background, and the type of college you are looking to attend.

If you are targeted to crack top government or highly ranked institutes, competitive national-level exams should be a priority for you. If flexibility is important to you and if you want multiple attempts in a year, exams with frequent sessions can be a good option. It is more important to understand this alignment rather than blindly applying to every exam.

Preparation Strategy for Recent MBA Entrance Test

Preparing for the MBA entrance exams does not mean to study all day but it must be consistent. A proper concept understanding, regular practice and analysing mock tests are the three pillars of success.

Instead of trying to memorise shortcuts, try to strengthen your basics. Most exams are not meant to assess how much you remember but how you think. Regular reading, solving assorted questions, and time management practice will naturally increase your performance in different exams.

What Happens After the Entrance Exam?

Clearing an MBA entrance exam is only the first step. After the examination, the shortlisted candidates typically undergo group discussions, written ability tests and personal interviews. This is where your communication skills, clarity of goals and personality play a major role. That is why, it is better to work on your overall profile during your preparation for the upcoming MBA entrance exams as it is not only the score of your test.

If you are serious about doing an MBA, start keeping track of the upcoming MBA entrance exams now. Do not wait for last minute announcements. Early planning helps you to be confident, have more time to prepare, and have more options to choose from.

Remember, an MBA is not only a degree, it is an investment in your future. Choosing the right entrance exam and preparing with clarity can put you on a path to a successful career in management.

If you remain focused, consistent and informed, cracking an MBA Entrance Exam is definitely possible. So, start preparing and pave your way towards a future you envisioned. Feel free to connect with us at 8071296497 for free career consultation. 

The All India Common Law Entrance Test (AICLET) 2026 is set to be held in online mode, thus presenting candidates with a highly flexible and geographically unrestricted examination format. Candidates will be able to use their mobile phone, laptop, or desktop to take the exam. Thus, it will be one of the most technological, empowered law entrance tests in the country.

According to the exam pattern released for AICLET 2026, candidates will have to answer only one question paper within 60 minutes. The question paper will only be in English, which is the language that has been used in most of the editions of the exam so far.

The AICLET 2026 question paper is going to be of 100 marks and each correct answer will carry 1 mark. Apart from that, the exam will follow a no negative marking policy which means that no marks will be taken away for incorrect answers. The students are likely to be encouraged to attempt all the questions without the fear of any penalty, thus possibly leading to a better overall performance.

Education experts argue that the absence of negative marking makes speed, accuracy, and effective time management more significant as candidates can raise their scores by answering the entire paper.

Only one hour is allowed for the exam, so candidates need to prepare with mock tests and get used to the online exam environment.

While the breakdown of marks for each subject is expected to be announced later, AICLET traditionally evaluates the candidates on legal aptitude, logical reasoning, general awareness, and basic comprehension skills, which are meant to test the candidates' fitness for undergraduate and postgraduate law courses.

The move to online AICLET 2026 is being viewed as a student friendly measure, especially for those candidates from far flung areas who may have a hard time going to physical test centres.

Permitting the candidates to take the test on their own devices, the examination authority intends to make the test more accessible and thus the admission process simpler.

The competition is getting fiercer for law admissions and therefore the aspirants are commonly recommended to do a thorough analysis of the AICLET 2026 exam pattern, marking scheme, and other technical requirements well in advance. Along with that, candidates need to have a stable internet connection and use the devices which are supported for the exam so as to avoid any kind of interruptions during the exam.

The AICLET 2026 exam pattern reveals a trend of increase in the usage of digitally conducted entrance tests, hence, it is not surprising that these changes parallel the ones in the higher education assessment systems in India. More information on the exam timetable, syllabus, and admission procedure is likely to be made available in the next few months.

For students aspiring to make a career in business administration and management, choosing the right entrance exam is a key decision. As there are multiple tests and complex admission procedures, many candidates nowadays prefer GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test) as an easy and student- friendly way to gain admission to MBA, BBA, and other management courses.

GMCAT has become a common management entrance exam that is recognized by top management universities and colleges in India. The test, which is based on the general management aptitude, measures the candidates analytical skills, logical reasoning as well as problem solving; all competencies which are very much in line with the industry requirements of the real world and not with mere rote memorizing.

One major benefit of GMCAT is that it acts as one entrance exam for several BBA and MBA courses, thus eliminating the necessity for students to take several tests. Besides saving time and money, this also makes it easier for students from different educational backgrounds to get admitted.

GMCAT is highly suitable for those going for MBA in HR, Finance, Marketing, IT, and General Management and also for BBA and other undergraduate management programmes students. Since the test concentrates on the fundamental aptitude and not on the existing specialised knowledge of candidates, it becomes fair for all the candidates.

In a nutshell, GMCAT reduces the hassle of management admissions and at the same time provides students with equal opportunity, flexibility, and wide institutional acceptance, thus becoming one of the most preferred choices of the quality management education seekers in India.

AIFSET 2026 is a golden opportunity for forensic science aspirants for a career of great adventure, unraveling real-world mysteries using science. This national-level exam helps one pursue B.Sc. and M.Sc. forensic science courses from 150+ universities across India. However, knowing the right time to take this forensic science entrance exam can make all the difference in your preparation journey. 

What is AIFSET 2026?

The All India Forensic Science Entrance Test (AIFSET) is your direct ticket to the premier forensic courses, designed especially for students dreaming of cracking cases in crime labs/courtrooms. Unlike one-time exams, which are a big source of pressure, AIFSET conducts multiple rounds across the year, which gives you the freedom to choose the best slot as per your pace and schedule of studies. You can easily take the test from home on your laptop or phone with no hassle of travelling, just sit for 60 minutes and answer 100 MCQs worth 100 marks. There is no negative marking to worry about which ensures you don’t lose extra marks. This flexibility is indeed the need of the hour for busy aspirants who are juggling school, coaching, or part-time jobs. 

AIFSET Exam Schedule: Monthly Opportunities

AIFSET 2026 is conducted every month in multiple phases to help forensic enthusiasts decide the right time as per one's readiness. It doesn’t matter if you're aiming for early admissions or one needs more months to polish his/her skills. Registrations usually open a few weeks before each round just like for this month the registrations are closing on 20th feb. 

Additionally, results are quick (usually within 2-3 days) followed by counselling which is a must to enroll for getting seats in any of the 150+ partner institutes without any delay. Decide when you want to take the exam, prepare and start your career in the field of forensic science. .

Why Like to Attempt your AIFSET in the Right Month

With up to three attempts, the rhythm of AIFSET monthly helps you to strategize smartly, take it early to secure scholarships or retake it in the next cycle, if necessary, gaining confidence with each attempt. Early birds get the best seats in eminent universities, such as the ones Parul university, SMRU, Silver Oak, APG Shimla, and more, while later slots are for the weak students to brush up on weak areas, such as physics or general knowledge. This setup reduces stress to a great extent, as you have the control of the timeline in the midst of the competitive entrance scenario in India. Thousands have aced it remotely, you can too and make forensic passion a high demanding job paying lakhs after graduation itself. 

Eligibility and Easy Steps for Registration

For BSc Forensic Science (3 years) Class 12 with 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology or Maths opens the gate MSc requires relevant BSc with 50% marks, even if you're in the final year. Head to aifset.com, fill up an online form with basic info such as email, marks, pay the fee and book your slot. It's that simple and admit cards come out 2 days before the exam date. No age bar, just pure merit, and it is open for all the aspirants from J&K to Kanyakumari.

Preparation Tips to Help You Succeed

Focus on NCERT basics for science, practice MCQs on crime scene topic, mock test to nail time management syllabus resembles your school strength. Monthly exams implies targeted prep: one month for revision, next for full simulations. Other than this, you can download free resources from the official AIFSET portal and prepare.

Remember, your future is in your hands. Your AIFSET score will be your forensic future decision-maker, take it seriously and build a future you'll be happy & proud to have. Register now for the AIFSET and become a forensic expert in India. 

Confused about design entrance exams? AIDAT (All India Design Aptitude Test) is the national level online exam to enter 300+ UG Course, PG Courses and Design Diploma courses across the top colleges in India. In this article, you will learn about the best online design entrance test in India.

What is AIDAT?

All India Design Aptitude Test is a national level entrance test designed for creative individuals who despise rote learning and traditional entrance tests. Conducted by Edinbox, AIDAT 2026 stands as one of the best stepping stones for starting a graphic design career in India. Students taking NIFT 2026 on 8th feb must consider this exam if they miss their chance of securing a seat via NIFT. 

AIDAT Exam Overview

AIDAT has the two-stage format which is ideal for learning actual design skills:

Stage 1: 60-minute multiple-choice questions (MCQ) test (100 questions) consisting of design aptitude, sketching, 2D/3D visualization, colors, logical reasoning, and knowledge of current affairs (GK) AI adjusts difficulty. 3 attempts permitted (best score counts).

Stage 2: Portfolio interview - Upload 10 page PDF of your work + chatbot discussion with experts.

This design entrance test is very convenient because of its online exam format that allows you to take the exam from anywhere using a phone, laptop or pc with stable internet connection. The registration fee is only 2000 rupees. Through this exam, design aspirants can pursue a graphic design career path as well as other specializations like UI/UX, product design, transportation design, and more. 

Why Graphic Designers Are Preferring AIDAT

Aspiring graphic designers choose AIDAT for smart reasons:

1. Wide College Access: Single test makes way to top  Design institutes.
2. ​Portfolio Power: Stage 2 values the sketches/graphics over rote marks, great for self taught Behance/Instagram creators.
3. Consecutive attempts allowed: 3 attempts take the stress out of an exam and let a student score higher if he/she doesn’t clear the cut-off in one attempt..
4. Job-Ready Focus: Tests practical skills (textures, proportions, creative thinking) that equate to Adobe Suite/Figma agency jobs.

With India's design market hitting the mark of 10,000 crores (NASSCOM), AIDAT graduates land jobs with Ogilvy, Infosys Design or Startups earning 6-12 LPA jobs faster.

Quick Prep Tips

Practice memory drawing, color wheels, and logic puzzles on a daily basis. Build a strong portfolio of 10 pages by compiling all your graphic projects. 

In summary, AIDAT makes it easy to gain admittance to design while highlighting real talent. Graphic designers prefer it to avoid crowded exams and accelerate their creative careers. Enroll for the exam now and become a successful graphic designer. 

Note: Register at aidatexam.com or connect over call @08035018542 for free career consultation.

Wish to solve crimes like in web series? Forensic science transforms science into justice whereby evidence such as DNA and prints are used to solve cases. This is a promising sector with stable careers in police laboratories, CBI, and cybercrime departments, ideal to science students after Class 12.

What is Forensic Science?

Forensic science uses biology, chemistry, physics and technology to study crimes. Scientists examine blood, computer data, ballistics, and papers to assist the courts. It has crime scene work, lab testing and courtroom testimony in India. DNA forensics, toxicology, cyber forensics, and question documents are some of the specialties that are in high demand because of the increasing crimes and the need for proof in courts.

Demand and Scope in India

The demand of forensic science increases rapidly alongside the number of crimes, cyber frauds and new laboratories. The government establishes district forensic centres, establishing positions in CBI, IB, state FSLs and police. Cybersecurity and corporate fraud experts are required in private firms.

Career Opportunities and Average Salary

1. Forensic scientist

National average salary: ₹13,41,000 per year

2. 11. Forensic specialist

National average salary: ₹14,80,000 per year

3. Pathologist

National average salary: ₹48,000 per month

4. Private investigator

National average salary: ₹2,69,000 per year

5. Criminal lawyer

National average salary: ₹ 3,91,000 per year

6. Forensic analyst

National average salary: ₹ 6,56,000 per year

7. Police officer

National average salary: ₹ 4,29,000 per year

8. Forensic science professor

National average salary: ₹ 2,40,000 per year

9. Forensics manager

National average salary: ₹8,50,000 per year

10. Forensic science technician

National average salary: ₹ 2,43,000 per year

11. Cyber Forensic Expert

National average salary: 3,45,000 per year

12. DNA Specialist

National average salary: 80,000 per month

13. Forensic Toxicologist

National average salary: 17, 55,000 per year

India currently has a shortage of 10,000+ professionals, which guarantees employment. In foreign countries, the wages amount to 2-5 lakh/month.

Salary Expectations

Freshers earn ₹25,000-₹40,000/month (₹3-5 LPA). It increases to 40,000-70,000/month (5-8 LPA) with 2-5 years experience. Government/private seniors hit ₹80,000- 1.2 lakh+/month ( 10-15+ LPA). 

Step-by-Step Career Path

Here are simple steps to follow to build a career in Forensic Science : 

• Complete schooling in Science stream (PCB/PCM) with 50-60% minimum marks
• Do some research about the field 
• Understand different job roles, significance, future scope and salary range
• Choose the right entrance test after 12th
• Take the entrance test and be eligible for admission
• Pick the university as per your requirements
• Learn skills, participate in conferences and workshops 
• Make complete use of your college life

forensic science

• UG: BSc Forensic science (3 years), BSc Hons (4 years).
• PG: MSc Forensic Science (2 years)
• Diploma/Certificates: To enter fast (6-12 months)
• Specialised courses: Cyber forensics, criminology, and cyber security. 

Best Entrance Exams in Forensic Sciences.

These national/state tests are mandatory in most top colleges in India. Candidates interested in forensic science courses must choose one of the following exams or two for backup: 

Eligibility: 50% in Class12 Science. Exams held May-July annually.

Top Colleges in Forensic Science

• NFSU Gujarat (top-ranked)
• Amity University
• LPU Punjab
• GGSIPU Delhi
• Osmania University
• Gujarat Forensic Sciences University.

Fees: ₹1-2 lakh/year for BSc.

Candidates must note that field work means working long hours and dealing with emotional cases that might leave you traumatised. Keep up with technology such as AI forensics, network through internships in state FSLs, and ensure to keep your head straight because your career depends on your skills. 

Forensic science is a purpose-driven profession that has an increasing demand. Choose CUET/AIFSET, enter one of the best colleges, and be an expert helping the society solve mysteries, and earn a good package to live happily. 

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.

When scientists first saw a Platypus in 1799, they named it a hoax. Duck bill on a beaver body with venomous spurs? Absurd. Yet this evolutionary odd ball has survived 110 million years - through asteroid strikes and ice ages that killed giants. Secret? Perfect niche mastery. It preys when it's blind, by just using electroreceptors, swims where predators can't follow and combines reptile-mammal characteristics no one else has. That’s exactly what a small university dominating global rankings is– a Platypus.

Your small university or tier-2/tier-3 college in Lucknow, Coimbatore or Jaipur has similar skepticism. Less funding than IITs. Smaller faculty pools. No global brand. But the Platypus Effect is the proof of small wins through ruthless specialisation.

Global Rankings Don't Reward Size, They Reward These 5 Metrics

QS World University Rankings 2025 (1,500+ institutions): 40% academic reputation 20% citations per faculty 20% faculty-student ratio. Times Higher Education 2025: Teaching quality 29.5%, weight heavily on research impact. NIRF India 2025: Teaching resources (30 points), Research Productivity (30 points), Graduate outcomes (20 points).

So, how do small universities climb the rankings in the world? The truth is that all three measure current output and not historical prestige or what your university has achieved earlier. NIRF 2025 data shocked everyone because 42 Universities crashed India's top 100, mostly from ranks 51-200. A jump in score of 3.99 = 40 rank position gained. Small universities are faster when they work on focusing exactly like a platypus would usually do.

Small Universities Must Become a Platypus

We all know about Phineas and Ferbs, and you are surely aware of how their pet platypus kept being their lucky charm, right? Perry was a detective in the show who was thought to be a quiet animal but did things no one expected. That’s exactly what these creatures did in the real world! 

Have you ever thought how could this species defy the law of nature and survive? Experts believed these creatures couldn’t last longer in this evolving world but Platypus Perry is a dopey looking pet that somehow outsmarts supervillains every day. Tier-2/3 colleges have Perry's agility advantage. You teach 80% of India's graduates in cities building real infrastructure and resources in defense, agriculture, manufacturing, not just Bengaluru’s IT unicorns.

UPES has climbed 250 QS positions owning energy engineering. Graphic Era University specialized in niches of hill states of tech. Madan Mohan Malaviya University (Gorakhpur) leaped NIRF bands by focused research. These aren't flukes, they're Platypus Effect Execution. 

How Can a University Improve its Ranking: 5-Steps to Take

Instead of accepting your fate of being an autonomous or local university and googling things like “how small can a university be,” start acting like a platypus and gradually become Perry the Platyus defying all the perceptions of growth, and achieve global recognition.  It is not an impossible task; you need to take just 5 fundamental steps:

1.  Pick Your Driver (Niche Dominance That Crushes Giants)

Forget about copying IIT curriculums. Search "university niche specialization success" - same story everywhere. Rural university? Own agri-biotech where there is no elite to bother? Industrial city? Rule advanced manufacturing. Tier-2 tech hub? Fintech, drones, cyber security.

UPES proves the math: Target 5 publications per department annually in your niche. Launch 1-2 research centers. Citations are on balloons within 18 months, pulling all the ranking metrics up. Giants spread thin across 50 disciplines. You go deep in 3-5 where you can actually win. This isn't theory, it's how small universities actually beat others in world rankings.

1. Smart Global Moves (International Clout Without Millions)

QS/THE international outlook = 10% of score. You beat lumbering giants here.

How? 

1. Email 10 professors worldwide doing adjacent niche work
2. Propose co-authored papers (they want Indian collaborators too)
3. Host 2-3 funded international PhDs in your research center
4. Your deal closes in 3 months. IITs take 2 years.

Result: International co-authorship metrics skyrocket across all systems

3. Faculty = Your Rocket Fuel (Research Productivity Blueprint)

NIRF data: Phd faculty share jumped 28% (2017) to 48% (2025) in climbing universities. Small unis make rockstars faster than tier 1 inherits them.

Execute:

• Biweekly journal clubs (acquaint students with research talk)
• Conference travel grants ($1K/each moves metrics)
• Writing groups + editing support (most papers die here)
• Publication bonuses (25K/paper works)
• HODs: Start by your top 3 researchers. One department's progress drives the institution.

4. Graduate Outcomes: Your Invisible Weapon

All rankings obsess over placements. Recruiters ask "Can they deliver Day 1?" not "IIT or tier-3?" Your local advantage dominates here. Map district-level hiring needs. Secure 5-10 employer pipelines for live projects and internships. Track alumni 3 years out, publish their success stories aggressively. Tier-2 placement rates hit 60-70% through relationships, boosting NIRF graduation outcomes (20 points) dramatically. 

5. Data Dashboard or Die

Assign two staff to track monthly NIRF score calculators, QS citation trajectories, 3-year alumni employment rates, and international paper pipelines. Calculate your exact NIRF/QS/THE scores today. Set department targets. Conduct quarterly reviews. Cambridge University of Kashmir's 2025 plan proves this math works.

Will Local Universities Get Rankings Even If Gen Z Skips Daily College?

Ranking disregards the number of students in the classroom - they are pursuing what students attain after getting their degrees. The 20 point graduation outcomes section of NIRF addresses median salary, PHD admissions, and employer response 3 years later. The QS employer reputation surveys also place one question to the hiring managers, which is whether they would re-hire their graduates again. Halls of lectures that are empty do not enroll.

Years ago physical attendance as a measure was killed. The Choice-Based Credit System created by NAAC already includes the exposure hours in the industry, online modules, and capstone projects as equals to the classroom time. Your student of mechanical engineering in Coimbatore who spends his mornings at a local plant of TVS and afternoons writing automation systems That is all academic credit according to the 2023 rules.

There is a latent advantage to the tier-3 colleges. Students are local residents who have to commute over short distances and are employed on part-time basis by local employers. The B.Tech final-year student who was working night shifts with the district pharma unit as he studied theory online? NAAC gives those hours of practice 3 times the credits on outcome-based learning.

Reorganize Gen Z reality

Introduction of "Work-Learn Degrees" that will have students attending partner companies 60 percent of the time, and campus 40 percent of the time. Local steel mills, garment factories, automobile parts, they must have good juniors at once. One semester of actual productive line work is equal to three years of textbook knowledge on the scores of employer perception.

District-level hiring maps beat national placement cells.. The graduate of your local civil engineering school doing the bridges on the state PWD has exponentially more NIRF weight on him than an attendee at a daily meeting. VCs: recruit one placement officer that will be familiar with all the owners of the factories within 50km. Publicize alumni wages on a per company basis, rather than percentage basis. Earnings information is more reputable than attendance certificates.

Gen Z skipping routine classes hands you outcome-based ranking dominance. Everyday college was no longer possible because employers began recruiting through GitHub profiles and LinkedIn projects. Construct the system that rewards them on what they actually accomplish. Rankings are after graduate success stories and not roll call sheets. 

What Deans, HODs, VCs of Local Universities Need To Do For Dominating Rankings?

HODs begin with the department meeting at 9 AM. Assign clear paper quotas by discipline - Computer Science gets five Scopus papers this year, Biotech wants to have four Q1 journals. Schedule weekly biweekly research huddles in which faculty share paper drafts and receive immediate feedback. Before lunch: One targeted email to a professor overseas who is working on related research. One department doing so generates institutional momentum. NIRF research scores jump 15-20 points if faculty are serious about it.

Deans declare money for research seed funding Monday afternoon. Launch dashboards for citations, international work and alumni placements by department. Faculty growth trumps new buildings for QS, THE and NIRF rankings. Recruiters hire graduates that deliver rather than campus architecture.

VCs dedicate 5% of the operating budget to research operations immediately. Personal one international partnership calls your position an opening door. Celebrate first publications through public assemblies and press releases. Visible ranking improvements come in 24 months through execution, not aspiration. NIRF 2025 showed 42 universities got into the top 100 through focused action.

Rankings are for doers, not dreamers. HODs create momentum. Deans are engine builders of research. VCs deliver results. Small universities move upward by acting Monday morning.

How to Apply for World Rankings (As Small/Local University) (Do This NOW)

Stop waiting for "prestige." Rankings reward action. Download QS Stars rating system (perfect for small universities) - they rate niche excellence even if you're unranked. Submit THE Impact Rankings (1,500+ small universities qualify)—your agri-tech center scores high. NIRF registration opens up in March - upload teaching metrics, research output, even starting from zero. ARWU (Shanghai Rankings) accepts research-focused submissions using publication records only.

Week 1 action: Assign two staff to calculate some existing NIRF/QS scores using the public methodology documents. 

Week 2: Sign up for QS Stars + THE Impact. 

Week 3: Launch niche research center 5 paper target 

Small universities witness between 20 - 40 jumps in positions Year 2 when they treat rankings as operations not dreams. And universities searching "how small universities apply QS rankings," same steps are to be followed everywhere.

Your River Is Waiting, Dive-in Or Let Others Rule It

Gladwell proved that underdogs win 64% with adapted strategy. NIRF 2025's fastest climbers? Tier-2/3 universities. Nazarbayev University gained World Recognition from the same focus. 2025 saw small universities jump when they were focused. 2026 is execution time.

The Platypus Effect isn't theory. It's biology. It's rankings math. It's UPES jumping 250 QS positions. It's 42 NIRF universities are in the top 100.

Leaders googling “how small universities dominate global rankings” are seeking for hope and you are now holding the playbook. So, stop apologizing for being small or local. Rule your river. Execute without mercy. Rankings will follow! 

Rankings ke piche mt bhago, kabil bano aur rankings apke piche bhagengi! (Rancho, 3 idiots)