Delhi assembly has passed a landmark bill in which all the private schools are required to seek government approval before increasing their fees. This is a landmark step that will ease the burden of parents hit by sudden and sharp rises in school fees and end years of uncontrolled fee increment in the entire area of private school education in the city.

What Does the New Bill Implicate?

Since the bill has been passed in August 2025 all private unaided schools in Delhi including both schools constructed on government lands and schools put on privately owned properties are now required to send their proposed fee increases to the regulatory committee of the government. No fee increase can take effect other than after the government approval has been given. Previously fee regulation only covered approximately 350 schools but the new law includes over 1,400 private schools in Delhi.

Highlights of the Delhi Fee Regulation Bill, 2025

1. Covers all private unaided schools (over 1,443 institutions).
2. Any fee increase requires government approval in advance by the schools.
3. Three tier inspection and appeals system: check of proposal after school, after district, after state, with parent representation.
4. Transparency up-front: schools need to make every part and fee processing open.
5. Stiff penalties on non compliance: fines of up to 10 lakh rupees, the threat of being de-recognized, and even the government can step in to run affairs in the extreme.

What Grounded the Bill?

During the academic year 202526, numerous Delhi private schools raised their fee by up to 3045 percent, leading to a massive surge of parent protests. Previous legislation only controlled the fees of schools on state land, so most schools were free to increase their prices without any monitoring. The new bill moves towards greater accountability, transparency and fairness to the families all around the city.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of Delhi appreciated this:

"It’s a 52-year wait that’s finally ended for the parents of Delhi. This bill is a promise to fix arbitrary fee hikes and bring justice to every household," she said during the Assembly debate.

What’s Next?

The bill has passed and awaits final approval by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena. Once passed, no fee increments will be implemented without approval and parents will have a channel to appeal the increment as they get grievances redressed. Schools that will be caught violating the rules may be fined hefty sums of money or even be de-recognized.

The law puts parent interests at the forefront as it enables thousands of families to budget education costs without the risk of an arbitrary and arbitrary increase. It sends a clear message of responsibility to school managements and sends a message of a new dawn of transparency at the private school system in Delhi

The 10th Graduation Day and 37th batch convocation ceremony of RVR & JC College of Engineering, Chowdavaram, witnessed a call of universality for innovation and upgradation by factually retired Chief Justice of India NV Ramana. The event, held on Saturday, witnessed the presence of hundreds of students and faculty members, with Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) Chairman Prof. K. Madhu Murthy being the guest of honour.

Addressing graduating students, Justice Ramana outlined the red-hot demand for skills related to industry in a world of rapidly altering technology. According to him, "Technology can do wonders and solve complex problems but only 10 per cent of India's 1.5 lakh engineering graduates are employable." Citing the declining placement rates in premier institutions like IITs, where only 60% of students had been placed in 2024, as a wake-up call.

"While being proud of your mother tongue, acquisition of English is equally important to compete globally," he stated. He urged students to achieve critical thinking, creativity, and communication.  "Engineers should not remain job seekers but job creators through innovation."

Prof. Madhu Murthy echoed the same, encouraging students to see challenges as opportunities. "The world needs problem solvers and leaders who are capable of adapting and leading in uncertainty," he said.

Convocation witnessed 1,023 B.Tech and 153 postgraduate students graduating. Skilled performers were given gold medals and certificates with applause from fellow students and kin.

The event celebrated not just scholastic success but also reminded the students that it was their job to create a future-strong, future-ready India. The contemporary global economy demands more than degrees, and the message in the orations was clear: success in the form of adjusting to innovation, lifelong learning, and alignment with real-world problems.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said that the Delhi School Education (Fee Determination and Transparency in Regulation) Bill, 2025, approved a day ago in the Assembly, will check arbitrary increases in private school fees and bring transparency.

Addressing a media conference, Gupta clarified the Bill covers all 1,733 private schools in Delhi, including close to 300 schools that were given land at concessional prices by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). According to her, the legislation is to safeguard parents from unexpected and inexplicable hikes in fees, as well as to ensure schools remain answerable in their financial dealings.

Under the new law, Director of Education will be empowered like a sub-divisional magistrate to take action against violations. Steps include freezing bank accounts and levy of property of schools that are found in violation of the norms.

Unauthorised increase in fees will attract fines of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, with double penalties if payment is tardy.

The Bill compels schools to make a case for any fee increase they propose by producing evidence in the fields of location, infrastructure, operational expenses, and the quality of teaching. 

Parents will also have the power to accept or decline these proposals, which will directly involve them in decision-making.

"This Bill is a shield for the dreams of Delhi's children," Gupta stated. "No one will be permitted to put a price on their ambitions."

Gupta informed that the draft had been drawn up following consultation with education professionals and parent organisations. She added that the intention was to strike a balance between the protection of parental interests and permitting schools to continue functioning effectively.

Alleging that AAP and Congress governments in the past 27 years did not take any concrete measures to cap school fees, Gupta criticized the earlier AAP government and previous governments. "If education was your top priority, why didn't you introduce a legal framework previously?" she asked.

The law also places schools under stricter watch irrespective of their history of land allotment. Officials will now have the authority to inspect accounts and records to ensure adherence.

The Delhi government hopes that the law will tackle long-standing grievances of parents regarding excessive annual increases, particularly in schools in prime areas. The next phase will be to draft rules for implementation of the Bill and establishing complaint redressal mechanisms for parents.

Until now, the government has asserted that the law is aimed at introducing both transparency and accountability into an industry where money matters have long been unchecked.

ISRO Chief V. Narayanan laid out a reassuring vision of India's broadening space visions on Saturday, not of rockets and satellites, but of people and dreams, and of India's new ventures into the field of human spaceflight.

At a high-level event in Thiruvananthapuram, Narayanan spoke of how India is moving beyond satellite launches to a future where Indian astronauts will soar into space. “We’re no longer just sending machines into orbit — we’re preparing to send humans,” he said, with quiet pride. Central to this mission is the upcoming spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, which he described as a “strategic leap” for ISRO.

Situated near the equator, the new launch site has natural benefits to heavy payloads as well as low-earth orbit missions. But for Narayanan, there is more at stake — it is capacity building and decentralizing India's space infrastructure.

He was eloquent when discussing the Gaganyaan mission, the first human spaceflight mission of India, and compared it to a moment of destiny in the space odyssey of the nation. "Gaganyaan is not technology. It's about vision, courage, and showing the world what India can do," he declared.

Narayanan did not forget the ones at the tail end of the progress. He valued the commitment of Indian scientists, engineers, and research centers, giving to them all the credit of bringing glory to ISRO on the international stage. He also spoke of the increasing role of private industry and foreign collaborations, which are driving a rapidly growing space economy.

As India embarked on this bold journey into space, Narayanan's statements rang with conviction and authority: green environment, self-reliance, and innovation are the wave of the day.

"We have the imagination. We're constructing the infrastructure. And most importantly, we have the people," he asserted.

The news was one of savage simplicity and simultaneously gigantic power: India is not simply flying high — it's going to the stars, guided by ISRO.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has formally announced the implementation of Open-Book Assessments (OBAs) on the students of Class 9 starting the 2026-27 academic year, one of the most significant shifts within the Indian school examination system this past few years. This is a decision ratified by the CBSE Governing Body on June 25, 2025 and is directly in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 as well as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with the purpose of bringing about competency based learning and getting rid of rote learning.

What Are CBSE Open-Book Assessment?

In new system students would be allowed to use textbooks, notes taken in the classes, and recommended materials when taking tests. Such open-book tests will focus on key subjects; Language, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science. It is intended to have three pen-paper assessments per term so that OBAs are a natural part of the evaluation process within the institution.

The Reason to Change: The Insider Information

Pilot Project Data: CBSE pilot open-book exam would be run in Classes 9 and 12 in December 2023. The scores of students were between 12 and 47%, which stipulates the initial problem in resources usage and implementation of interdisciplinary concepts. In spite of these, the response of teachers was very positive and their suggestions pointed towards the importance of systematic guidance, instructions and training in tapping the potential of OBAs.

Focus of the Competency: The exams are not meant to assess the ability to memorize but rather test knowledge, problem-solving, and critical thinking. NCFSE emphasizes that open-book tests eliminate the focus on fact recall and regurgitation and focus on application and synthesis of the information-making students ready to succeed in the world.

Less Exam Stress: Preliminary research and board analysis indicate that OBAs may reduce exam-taking stress and foster a deeper sense of conceptual learning by allowing students to develop key tools to think beyond the basic questions in a textbook.

Adoption by Schools: CBSE would only implement guidelines and training and the use of this model remains voluntary and adaptable on how schools incorporate OBAs and when they do it.

Exclusive Details

CBSE is also developing systematic sample papers and teacher training courses to guarantee the quality of assessment as well as question construction that actually measures higher order thinking. The assessment model will be continually developed and improved with the input of the schools, so that the form is maintained as relevant and effective.

Comparison Table: CBSE’s New Open-Book Exams vs Old Assessment Pattern

OBA has created a revolutionary change in the school system in India, as it motivates learners, educators, and parents to embark on a paradigm shift to comprehensive-oriented and analytical learning strategies. Rightful emphasis on problem-solving and conceptual understanding are key aspects that the CBSE seeks to support to make the upcoming generation smarter and more adept to compete at a global scale

'Boss expects seriousness from his interns even though he doesn't treat them seriously…' A viral Reddit post last week stoked the discussion on unpaid internships, pathological work culture, and the increasing disconnect between professional expectations and personal crises. What happened was that an intern requested her boss for a day off to attend to her ailing parents-and was shamed and told she lacked "seriousness."

In this viral WhatsApp conversation, an intern was asking for short-notice leave sanction from her manager, saying that her parents were on bed rest and vowing that the same would "won't happen again." The manager responded: "When you are interning at some place, there is a responsibility too… Three days before a major event, you've gone missing… Anyways, your choice…. This shows seriousness towards your work."

The message left the web with three questions:

Is it possible that emergencies may have an advance schedule?

Where does compassion disappear in the guise of power relations?

Unpaid internship with full-time commitments?

Unpaid Internship and exploitation

As unpaid internship opportunities tend to come with the offer of "experience" and "exposure" issues have been raised time and again in recent days. In this instance, the internet raised even more questions about the fact that this intern worked for free — something that turned online sympathy into outright anger. Even though she was unpaid, she was expected to be treated like a full-time employee and was criticized for requesting time off mere days before a major event. One of the comments said: "If the facility is collapsing by an intern taking a day off, they really shouldn't be employing interns!

"Passive aggression in the workplace Something else fascinating about the boss's note wasn't so much the rejection as the passive aggression interpreted from the tone of the message. Others called it a textbook example of gaslighting, where the boss induced the intern to question her own choice, reality, and judgment with psychological manipulation. Having a superior position, he didn't explicitly say 'no' to the intern.

Instead, he put down: "Anyways, your choice… This shows seriousness towards your work,"-implying that attending to one's parents during an emergency with their health somehow reflects negatively on one's commitment.

Call for much-needed reset?

At its heart, the cause of the virality of this post isn't simply about a single unpaid intern or a single condescending boss. It's about the acceptance of overlooking emotional intelligence in the workplace, and the thinking that time is equal to loyalty.On LinkedIn, someone asked: "Why in India do people still feel ashamed to take their deserving leaves?"

Others saw the boss's reaction as a lesson in professionalism. One post stated:

"It's just a way of showing urgency and having a proper divided workload. Nothing else."-although it was panned for being unkind. The internet agreed on one thing: emergency circumstances must be handled sensitivity and courtesy- without making workers feel guilty for deciding to take care of their family

An incredible scientific discovery is bringing the world to its knees: a bacterium that gives the ground living in the soil, Cupriavidus metallidurans, can turn some of the deadliest metals into real gold. This natural process of excreting gold is becoming the new reality of green, environmentally-friendly mining, as traditional environmentally-destroying methods of digging may be abandoned in favor of more environmentally-conscious ones.

Cupriavidus metallidurans grows in environments contaminated with heavy metals, including copper and gold, which are lethal to the majority of living things. The bacterium detoxifies and regulates these metals by employing special enzymes within its own cells. Within the presence of gold ions, the bacterium uses a special mechanism that involves utilization of protein in neutralizing the metal and converting into non-toxic and solid particles of gold. They add up over time and the bacterium secretes tiny pieces of actual gold to the environment.

The references to recent research presented in Metallomics and other scientific media worldwide confirm that this process has a potential to transform the gold extraction industry by minimizing environment degradation, the usage of severe chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, and providing safer environments to both miners and the environment.

Scientists around the world are trying bioleaching and biomining technologies whereby, microbes are utilized such as Cupriavidus metallidurans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to leach noble metals such as gold and other valuable metals present in low-grade ores, mine wastes as well as e-waste and can recover metals effectively with very little pollution.

The conventional approach to gold mining uses poisonous chemicals and processes that consume large amounts of energy and result in the spread of pollution into the environmental soil, water and air, including those living in the immediate community and wildlife. The bacterial technique is:

• Eco-friendly: No mercury or cyanide required.
• Cost efficient: Is capable of retrieving gold even in low quality ores and electronic wastes.
• Safer: Minimizes the health hazards to the miners and surrounding inhabitants.

Indian scientists and mining firms have started to look at scalable biomining solutions to utilize the rich resources of mining waste and e-waste to recover gold production with the goal of reducing the impact of the mining industry on the environment.

The finding of bacteria that transform toxic metals into gold can be used to make mining gold greener, safer and more profitable in the future. The massive use of bacteria powered mining which safeguards people and the globe will soon come into reality as scientists hope to perfect this technique in the creation of precious metals in India and beyond in the years to come.

An online meeting of the education department of Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Monday turned shocking when one of the participants inadvertently played an obscene video during the conference on Google Meet. The video conference, which included senior officials like the District Magistrate (DM), was convened to discuss key issues regarding schools in the area and educational administration.

As per sources, the incident happened abruptly when the negotiations were ongoing on raising district education levels. The minute the DM saw the obscene content being displayed on the screen, he immediately stopped the video and showed his obvious displeasure.

Acting swiftly, the DM instructed the Superintendent of Police (SP) to conduct a proper investigation in collaboration with cyber police specialists. Instructions were given to trace:

1. Which participant was the one playing the video?.
2. How the security violation happened even after following regular online meeting procedures. 
3. Whether there was any ill will behind the act.

District education officers present in the meeting made sure that the DM has given strict directions to ensure all subsequent online sessions are safe and closely monitored. Technical security measures are also being examined to avoid similar accidents.

The police in Maharajganj have filed a first information report and cyber cell teams are pursuing the internet lead associated with the obscene video clip.

1. Impact on Administration: Such incidents disrupt important administrative activities, causing embarrassment and diverting attention from education reforms.
2. Internet Security During Official Sessions: The case highlights the necessity of more security precautions during government sessions on the internet, especially in counties handling sensitive information.

The Maharajganj authorities have promised citizens that strict action will be taken once the police investigation is conducted. The district administration also instructed all government officials to comply with digital protocols strictly and uphold decorum at official virtual gatherings.

It was a peaceful Saturday when the tempest burst forth. The National Medical Commission, following almost nine months of Court-ordered deliberation and quietude, published its interim disability guidelines for admission to MBBS — two days prior to NEET 2025 counselling's commencement on 21 July. I had hardly finished reading the paper before my phone started ringing. Answering was an experienced paediatrician, his tone bristling with ire.

One of his patients — a young student who was partially hemiparetic — had passed the NEET 2025 exam. He had worked diligently than others, living in a world that never yields to someone like him. But now, his fate was to be determined not by his merit but by a checklist. A self-declaration affidavit asked questions like:

"Can you support weight and walk on your affected leg?""Can you go up or down stairs independently?"

The doctor was angered. "What is the relevance of this to being a good physician?" he demanded. He was correct.

On asking the wrong questions

This is a classic textbook case of what occurs when policymakers pose the wrong questions — questions that confuse bodily symmetry with clinical proficiency, and physical conformity with professional ability. Questions that boil a life down to a limb, and a vocation to a staircase.

I know this firsthand — not as an outsider, but as one living it. I, too, have a mobility impairment. I am not able to stand unsupported on one leg. Stairs have never been my ally. And yet, I work in a health care institution. I have taught, practiced, published, and argued in the nation's highest court. These are not accommodations made in spite of my disability — they are the facts I live and provide, each and every day.

Last year, when the Supreme Court was listening to Om Rathod vs The Director General Of Health Services, I had presented a report that the bench subsequently deemed "pivotal." The judgment was a turning point: it rejected deficit-based models of disability, asserted the right to reasonable accommodation, and instructed the NMC to implement a functional and inclusive approach. It requested reform. It requested imagination. It requested justice.

The physicians they didn't want to see

Soon enough, NMC contacted me — unofficially, naturally. Not to implement structural change or inclusive policy, but for a list. A list of physicians with disabilities.

Considering my background in disability rights litigation, they knew that I was part of a network of professionals who had defied every stereotype the system previously held against them. So I answered — not with names, but with stories.

I gave them ten.

A transplant surgeon who ambulates with an orthosis. A wheelchair-bound urologist who performs surgery. A blind psychiatrist whose vision is greater than sight. A neurodivergent physician who reins in the madness of medicine with understated genius.

Ten physicians who did not request to be honored. They requested only to be noticed.

But none — not a single one — was offered a seat on the final committee.

However, back came the same architects of the previous exclusionary guidelines. But there was a new addition — a physician from an Institution of National Importance who had a physical disability. When I spotted his name, I prayed.

But even he signed off on the screening-out criteria: "Can you climb stairs? Can you stand on your affected leg?"

The irony was painful. He couldn’t do those things either. And yet, he had approved their use to exclude others.

I understand why.

In medical college, I, too, once believed that my body was the problem. The curriculum, rooted in the medical model of disability, framed people like me as patients, not peers. My impairment wasn’t a variation — it was a flaw to be fixed.

It took years — and reading the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) — to unlearn this. The social model of disability shifted everything. It didn’t ask what is wrong with you? It asked, what is wrong with the environment that excludes you? That question was radical. And healing.

It's why when senior Supreme Court judge and former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud made a ruling in the Om Rathod case, he didn't just call for doctors with disabilities on expert panels. He insisted on experts in disability justice.

Because lived experience on its own isn't sufficient. Without critical consciousness, it threatens to mirror the very oppression it aims to flee from. This was also the reason behind the Supreme Court mandating training of all 16 medical boards with disabled doctors.

The guidelines we received

What we were given on 19 July is not reform. It's a specter of things past.

The temporary guidelines still query whether a student can ascend a stair, but not if the college possesses a ramp. They query whether a student can tolerate weight, but not if the system can tolerate the weight of its own bias.

Delayed rights — or coded as gatekeeping mechanisms — are denied rights.

The NMC had an opportunity to do better. It could have asked more pointed questions. It could have invited the right individuals. It could have heard from the doctors who redefined medicine by refusing to be erased.

It didn't. And that silence is louder than any statement.

Ultimately, it is not only disabled students being filtered out, but the potential for a more compassionate, equitable, and compassionate medical education system.

And that is a diagnosis the country can no longer refuse to see. Dr Satendra Singh is a physician and Director-Professor at University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, New Delhi. He tweets @drsitu. Views are personal.

A reel of a woman dancing to a Bollywood song at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) campus in Jaspura, Banda district, Uttar Pradesh has gone viral on social media, prompting a formal investigation by education authorities.

The viral clip features a teacher dancing to the song "Sanchi Kaho" on the school campus. Early accusations are that the reel was filmed at school hours by one of the teachers and uploaded on Instagram and Facebook afterwards. The school, which was a girls' school from Class 1 to Class 12, was said to be running when the clip was taken.

Once the KGBV teacher viral video gained thousands of views, the teacher was criticized by the users and some members of the local community, saying that the material was inappropriate for a school environment. KGBV administration, as per reports, had already cautioned the teacher against recording and posting such videos on campus.

The concerned teacher has responded that the video was for her family and posted on social media in private mode. She has asserted never to have created viral reels intentionally and has shown her dedication towards teaching and students.

Avyaktaram Tiwari, District Banda District Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), confirmed that the complaint regarding the teacher's video had been received. The Block Education Officer (BEO), Abha Agarwal, has been directed to investigate the case and a formal notice has been served to the teacher to put forward her explanation. The inquiry has been made to ascertain whether school rules regarding behavior and the use of mobile phones were breached and whether the teacher's act had any influence on the student community.

Additionally, the students and staff have also raised concern regarding the fact that such reels can tarnish the image of the school and divert students from studies.

KGBV institutions under the Samagra Shiksha scheme provide education to girls belonging to the disadvantaged group, from primary to higher secondary levels. Class as well as hostel facilities are available at the Jaspura campus in Banda where this accident took place.

This KGBV teacher viral video incident is a reminder of ongoing issues for teachers: how to balance personal expression with professional norms in India's increasingly online, social-media-conscious culture. Such incidents prompt debate about proper staff behavior, the place of social media in school environments, and preserving the learning environment. Authorities are actively looking into the incident, and the case is a reminder of the need for reasonable guidelines for online behavior within schools. As the official inquiry continues, the final decision would be made on the basis of the inquiry findings and the response of the teacher. Banda KGBV serves as a cautionary reminder to employees in every Indian school to exercise caution while creating content, especially within school premises, as online activity easily goes viral and comes under the lens.

As classical medicine receives increased attention, Gujarat is becoming a national model for Ayurvedic healthcare. Backed by strong government initiative and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Government Ayurved Hospital in Gandhinagar is showing the way in which ancient medicine can become modern—and successful—in today's medical mainstream.

Patients such as Sarojben of Jamnagar, who have been suffering from insomnia for years, have shown real improvement in merely a few days of treatment. Others with long-standing diseases such as incontinence of urine and migraine are improving phenomenally, indicating the therapeutic potential of Ayurvedic treatment when backed by rational science and institutional support.

The Gujarat state government's strategy is holistic—curing patients as much as establishing a robust institutional base. There are attempts at upgrading the current Ayurvedic hospitals and wellness centers and taking the services to the rural and underprivileged areas. Aiming to build a pipeline of trained specialists and encouraging evidence-based treatment practices, plans for new Ayurvedic colleges and research initiatives are already underway.

This Gujarat Ayurveda renaissance is a component of wider national objectives under the Ayush mission, yet the state is pressing on with unprecedented tempo and intent. By combining ancient indigenous wisdom with modern mechanisms of healthcare delivery, Gujarat is creating a model for the rest of the states to emulate.

What sets this effort apart is not merely the magnitude of investment but real effects on patient care and popular sentiment. Ayurveda, until now considered ancillary or slow-effect, is increasingly being hailed for its prevention and cure potential, especially where the allopath has only symptomatic relief to provide in chronic lifestyle disorders.

With so much of the healthcare world schooled to be controlled by expensive interventions, Gujarat's Ayurvedic initiative is making treatment more accessible, affordable, and culture-focused—reinstating faith in India's ancient ethos while conjoining modern standards of care.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has made a significant announcement for all NEET UG 2025 candidates. The option filling and locking option for round 1 counselling has been extended up to August 11, 2025, 11:59 PM. This provides students with additional time to choose and lock their desired medical and dental colleges carefully prior to the first round of seat allocation.

What is Choice Filling and Locking?

Choice filling is when the candidates prioritize their desired colleges and courses in order of preference on the MCC official counselling portal. Locking is when the choices are confirmed so that the system can take them into consideration when giving out seats. Choices cannot be altered once they are locked except when the deadline arrives and they can be unlocked.

Why was the Deadline Extended?

The MCC also extended the deadline following several requests from applicants, with some experiencing technical issues while making choices on the MCC's official portal mcc.nic.in. The authorities did not want any student to miss the opportunity to choose their desired seats securely in a timely manner because of last-minute technical issues or delays.

Key highlights

• Choice filling and locking till: August 11, 2025 (11:59 PM)
• Round 1 seat allotment result on: August 11 or shortly thereafter
• Candidates should visit the MCC website periodically for updates.

How to Fill and Lock Choices?

1. Go to the MCC official website at mcc.nic.in.
2. Login via your NEET 2025 roll number and password or application number.
3. Scroll through the list of available colleges and courses.
4. Choose preferred colleges in choice order.
5. Lock your choices prior to the deadline to ensure confirmation.
6. Save and download the confirmation slip for future use.

After declaring the round 1 seat allotment results, the candidates who have been allotted a seat have to report for admission formalities to the respective college within the provided timelines. Candidates who do not receive a seat or who are not content with the seat allotted can opt to attend later counselling rounds.

MCC has also implemented priority groups for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and their family members for All India Quota seats. Candidates are recommended to enter preferences judiciously since seat allotment relies upon rank, preference, reservation criteria, and available seats. Check the official MCC website regularly for updates and notifications in real-time.

Extension of choice filling deadline to August 11 assists candidates in making definite final career decisions confidently and prevents anxiety due to last-minute mistakes or site problems. It also demonstrates MCC's concern for a transparent and just counselling process for India's next generation doctors and dentists.

The researchers of food crops are facilitating the future of food by ensuring food security and making food available to the global population that is increasing in numbers. A career in food crop research may be what you need to pursue in case you are interested in science, agriculture, and real-life solutions to food security related issues. This paper shall, therefore, describe who food crop researchers are, how to become one, and why a career in food crop research can deliver a futureproof as well as sustainable profession.

What Do Food Crop Scientists Do?

Food crop scientists aim to seek improved methods of growing food crops to ensure they produce more or better in terms of nutrients, and they are resistant to pests and diseases as well as changes in the climate conditions. They work:

1. Holding field experiments and laboratories analyzing growth of a crop, soil quality, water consumption, pests and diseases.
2. Breeding new high-yielding superior nutritional value, drought- and pest-resistant crop varieties.
3. The ability to maximize farming methodologies so as to make farming more sustainable and efficient in terms of costs by limiting the application of detrimental pesticides and fertilizers.
4. Interpreting data, writing research reports to communicate results to farmers, policymakers, and the scientific community.
5. Through working together with farmers, agronomists and industry professionals, sharing scientific findings with farmers in a practical way.

Depending on the area and foods required, they could be engaged in a variety of crops such as wheat, rice, maize, pulses, fruits, and vegetables.

Why are food researchers important? 

As the world population grows to more than 9 billion by 2050, food crop researchers will help to play a pivotal role in:

• Food security, particularly in such countries as India where crop-based agriculture is the predominant source of livelihood to the huge population.
• Seek a solution to the challenge of climate change through breeding crops that grow well under drought, flood, or altering temperatures.
• Caring about the environment by sustainable farming which involves moderate use of chemicals and conserves water and soil.
• Development of the following farmer incomes through raising crop productivity and cutting down on the cost of inputs and losses to the farmer caused by pests or diseases.

Their activities correspond to the national agricultural objectives and global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations on its end of hunger and sustainable agriculture.

How to Become a Food Crop Researcher?

The following are the steps of education you should take in order to become an expert in food crop research:

1.Sciences Complete Higher Secondary Education (Class 12) with specialization in subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.
2.Obtain a Bachelor of Arts in pursuing disciplines like:

• Agricultural Science
• Agronomy
• Plant Science
• Crop Science
• Horticulture

3.Do postgraduate studies (Master and PHD) related to specialization in the field of plant breeding, plant pathology, crop genetics, or sustainable agriculture- in order to conduct research work at an advanced level.

4.Practical Experiences by working and internships with agricultural research institutions, universities or government agencies and field work.

5.Learn data analysis, research methods, scientific writing and laboratory/ field equipment.

Skills required by Food Crop Researchers

1. Scientific Curiosity and Analytical Thinking: Willingness to formulate experiments and be able to interpret experimental outcomes.
2. Plant Biology and Soil Science: Learn the growth of plants and the interaction with the environmental conditions.
3. Problem-Solving: Develop new ways of enhancing crop yield and sustainability.
4. Communication Skills: Write and present research results in understandable language with various audiences.
5. Partnership: Operate in partnership with farmers, researchers, and policy-makers.

Job Perspectives and Working Environments

Food crop researchers work at:

• Universities and government agricultural research institutions (e.g. Indian Council of Agricultural Research - ICAR)
• Seed industries and visits to private agricultural companies
• Global bodies dealing with food security and sustainability
• NGOs in the field of rural development and assistance to farmers

The occupation can be both a laboratory-based job and a significant amount of work in the fields working on farms.

Food Crop Researcher Career Path

Why Food Crop Research Is a Secure Career?

• Increasing Demand of Food Innovation: As climate changes, population expands, and resources become scarce, the need to innovate crops will continue to rise.
• Technology Integration: Food crop research involves using modern tech tools such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence powered data analysis, drone patrols and remote sensing thus modern food crop research is a trendsetting and technology-savvy field.
• International and Governmental Funding: International organizations and governments have kept 'flooding in' their investments into agricultural research and crop improvement programs.
• Social Impact: You have a chance to impact the lives of the farmers, small economies of the countryside, and national food policies. 

As a future-proof career, food crop research is interesting and fulfilling because it involves the combination of science and technology and practical field activities aimed at addressing authentic challenges of agriculture. It provides the students that are interested in agriculture and science, with a chance of impacting the world in a way that helps it to feed the world on a sustainable basis. As India continues its agricultural innovation and environmental protection, food crop researchers will continue to be major agents of change over the next few decades.

Food crop research could be the right career if you are ready to immerse yourself in the world of plants, become one with innovation, and work with food security on a global scale.

The big question that all job seekers, employees, and HR aspirants are asking now is “Will the HR job still exist in the coming years?”  The answer is simple: Indian HR jobs are evolving but they are not going anywhere. Indeed, as the workplace progressively turns out to be multifaceted, digital, and staff-centred, HR turns out to be more important.

Top Trends Shaping the HR World

1. AI and Automation: Technology Instead of HR?

In large organizations such as IBM, AI currently attends to up to 94 percent of regular HR requests, and it can automate routine activities such as resume evaluation, payroll, onboarding, and schedules, thereby also speeding up and improving accuracy in performing the task.

Nevertheless, there is nothing like the human touch. The HR field is transforming into work that requires empathy, strategic vision, and problem-solving skills, such as employee relations, leadership development, inclusiveness and wellbeing.

AI is not a substitute. They require intelligent HR to deploy, utilize and optimize those technology tools so that there is fairness, and there are ethical practices.

2. Expanding Industries Require HR More than Before

Areas such as IT, start-ups, healthcare, financial, ecommerce, and retail are hot markets and they all require robust HR departments to oversee the process of hiring, engagement, compliance, and culture development.

The job market in India is on track with an estimated growth of 9 % in the year 2025 in HR roles, especially in the tier 2/ 3 cities.

3. Emerging New HR Career Opportunities

Some of the next-gen HR roles are People Scientist, Diversity Manager, HR Data Analyst, Employee Experience Specialist, Chief AI Officer- which demonstrates the evolution of niche and tech-focused career paths in HR.

Required skills: Data analytics, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), people management, digital transformation, and crisis management.

4. Status and Salaries of HR 

The average salary of HR managers in India has risen to between 7 lakh to 14 lakh in a year and the number is much higher in cases involving leadership positions. Indeed, CHRO (Chief HR Officer) compensation has risen five times as quickly as CEO compensation in the last twenty years.

The role of human resource management has become a strategic activity: Whether it is recruiting talent or advancing employee well-being, human resource management is core to the success of businesses and more Indian companies are turning to employee retention, skills, and building diverse teams.

Quick Facts: Future of HR Jobs

Future HR workforce will be required to change: According to experts, within the next three years, approximately 40 per cent of the workforce will ask something new because of AI but the role of HR will be to assist and advise the transition.

As routine HR tasks become automated, there will only be an increase in the need of skilled, creative human resource professionals and new HR positions. HR will always be critical in defining the workplace of the future as long as businesses recognize the importance of their people.

OpenAI backed off its plan to entirely phase out GPT-4o with the new GPT-5 rollout, reinstating GPT-4o as a ChatGPT Plus member option after mass user outcry and dissatisfaction. This came only a few days after OpenAI had made GPT-5 the default AI model for all, deleting the model selection dropdown which was used to toggle between GPT-4o, GPT-5, and other models.

In early August 2025, OpenAI replaced ChatGPT with GPT-5 as its new default AI experience, which possessed improved reasoning, writing, and coding ability compared to previous versions like GPT-4o and o3. However, some of the Plus users, who were accustomed to the individual style and behavior of GPT-4o, were disappointed. Some of them complained that GPT-5, though capable, was less conversational and lacked some stylistic features users enjoyed in GPT-4o.

To solve these problems, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on social media platform X that GPT-4o will be kept available for paying customers so that users will have their go-to model to work with. OpenAI will monitor usage patterns to decide how long to support legacy models.

Released in May 2025, GPT-4o was one of the top choices from the outset for speed, expressiveness, and multimodality tuned for chat and for voice. People enjoyed GPT-4o's rich output and sense of familiarity. It also had features such as long-term storage, where continuous personalized conversation was possible, and this was something that appealed to some people very strongly.

Model Options Available to Plus Users

1. GPT-5: The latest, smartest, and quickest AI with expert-level thinking and enterprise-level functionality.
2. GPT-4o: Currently kept alive by user request, wanted for more expressive, conversational applications.
3. The other versions such as o3 and 4.1 mini: Used still for niche developer and basic tasks.

The return of GPT-4o indicates that OpenAI is dedicated to innovation and to user satisfaction. The Plus members can now select between GPT-5 or GPT-4o based on their requirements, whether they require the latest AI or a friendly-to- conversational tone. The menu of choices was temporarily suspended but is now being brought back because of backlash.

OpenAI's reversal in removing GPT-4o highlights the need to listen to users, particularly paying customers who depend on certain model characteristics. Because AI models are changing so quickly, model adaptability ensures users can achieve the appropriate power, pace, and personality in their interactions.

The GPT-4o return restores the power of the user and shows OpenAI's responsive strategy to developing AI products, a determining factor for the millions of consumers across the globe, including India's increasing AI-aware population.

A career in forensic science is a possibility if you wish to pursue it in India. The All India Forensic Science Entrance Test (AIFSET) is your gateway to B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs at top universities in India. So, if you are someone preparing for AIFSET 2026, here is everything you need to know.

What is AIFSET?

AIFSET (All India Forensic Science Entrance Test) is a national-level online exam for students aspiring to join B.Sc. and M.Sc. Forensic Science programs across various participating Indian universities. The exam is conducted online; you can take it from a mobile, laptop, or desktop at home. The test duration is 60 minutes and has 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs). There is no negative marking. 

AIFSET 2025: Key Facts

• Eligibility: Passed (or appearing for) 10+2 in Science for B.Sc., and graduation in relevant field for M.Sc.
• Exam Date: Conducted in multiple phases; confirm latest dates and schedule on the official website ([aifset.com]).
• Exam Pattern: 100 MCQs, 1 mark each, 60 minutes, online mode, English language, no negative marking.
• Application Fee: ₹2,000 (non-refundable), to be paid online.

What’s on the AIFSET Syllabus?

For B.Sc. Forensic Science aspirants, the syllabus focuses on:

• Biology: Diversity in Living World, Plant/Animal Kingdom, Cell Structure.
• Chemistry: Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding, States of Matter.
• Physics: Electrostatics, Magnetism, Motion, Thermodynamics.
• Mathematics: Relations and Functions, Trigonometry (basic).
• Forensic Science: Definition, History, Types of Crime, Police Organization, Crime Scene, Ballistics, Questioned Documents.
• Psychometric & Aptitude: Reasoning, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, Memory & Learning.

For M.Sc., the focus is deeper into all core forensic branches, police science, forensic biology/toxicology, crime scene management, and advanced instrumentation.

Always check the detailed syllabus PDF linked on the official site for updates and exact topics relevant to your session.

Prep Hints/Tips: Cracking AIFSET

1. Familiarize with Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Get the syllabus at the official site ([aifset.com]) and divide it into everyday goals.

Learn about the format of the exam MCQ and the time limit given- prepare accordingly.

2. Develop Robust Science Concepts

NCERT books revision (Class 11 & 12) Biology, Physics, Chemistry and simple Mathematics.

Engage in concept mastery particularly when it comes to fundamentals in genetics, cell structure, chemical reactions, and fundamentals of criminal law.

3. Pay Special Attention to Forensics

Read introductory textbooks on forensic science or credible online materials.

Get acquainted with typical forensic procedures (such as chain of custody, crime scene investigation, basics of toxicology).

4. Mock tests & Previous Year Papers

Take some online mock tests on the official site and education websites. Set a time of 60 minutes.

Sample papers enhance velocity and precision, as a sample paper helps to identify both strengths and so-called areas of weakness.

5. Revise Smartly

Write short notes, flash cards and formulas lists of important scientific terms and forensic facts.

Give precedence to those questions commonly requested (DNA profiling, toxicology, ballistics, crime scene procedures).

6. Take the No Negative Marking Advantage

Try each and every question; when in doubt, educated guess rather than leaving blanks.

7. Stay Exam-Ready

Make sure the internet connection is stable and test your device prior to exams.

Enter log using registered credentials in time. Always have your admit card and stationery where you can do rough work.

8. Mindset can be improved.

Do not cram at the last minute, revise and learn to relax.

Have a good night of sleep, keep your foods light and have faith in your prep.

Quick Checklist

1.  Download syllabus from official site
2.  Make a schedule: cover all units, with more time for weak areas
3.  Revise NCERTs and forensic basics
4.  Practice at least 5 mock papers
5.  Prepare login details and tech setup for online mode
6.  Stay confident and attempt all questions

Pro-Tip: Visit the official AIFSET portal regularly for notices, exam guidelines, and mock tests. Connect with successful seniors or forums for extra insights. 

So, start your AIFSET preparation with the right strategy and you’ll give yourself the best shot at success in the AIFSET exam.

Mark the calendars if you want to take GATE 2026! The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026, which is to be conducted in February 2026, is organized by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. This is everything you need to know about the registration, exam dates, requirements, eligibility, and advantages of clearing the GATE exam.

GATE 2026 Registration Schedule

• Online registration starts: August 25, 2025 (Monday)
• Deadline of regular registration: September 25, 2025 (Thursday)
• Late registration period (late fee): October 6, 2025 (Monday)
• The dates of the GATE 2026 exam are February 7, 8, 14, 15, 2026
• Announcement of results: March 19, 2026

The applicants must enroll through the official portal: gate2026.iitg.ac.in 

What is GATE?

GATE is a national-level entrance exam that tests a candidate’s understanding of undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering and other allied fields. The GATE scores are used at many places: 

• Admission to postgraduate (Master’s/Doctoral) programs in leading institutes for Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Commerce, Arts, and Humanities.
• Recruitment by leading Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) listed on the official GATE 2026 website. 
• Financial assistance from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and other government bodies.

Who Can Apply for GATE 2026?

The following are the requirements in which you are allowed to make applications:

• In the third year or above of an undergraduate degree program.
• Has qualified with a degree relevant Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities degree at a recognized institution.
• Be of official certifications awarded by MoE, AICTE, UGC, or UPSC as being equivalent to BE/BTech/BArch/BPlanning.
• Individuals with the respective equivalent degree obtained or in progress in foreign Universities also qualify to be candidates.

How do GATE Qualifiers Benefit?

Clearing GATE makes one eligible for attractive stipends like M.Tech students can get ₹12,400 per month for up to 22 months, and direct PhD (after BE/BTech/MSc) aspirants can get ₹37,000 per month for the first two years, increasing to ₹42,000 per month from the third to fifth year.

Application Fee Details

To all the GATE aspirants, keep an eye on the developments through gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Collect all the required documents and make sure you meet the eligibility requirements prior to the registration. Ensure you are timely because the earlier you register, the more fees you save and the less of a rush you have to go through.

To have a detailed guideline and up-to-date information, access the official GATE 2026 site regularly and continue preparing for the test. 

After more than 50 years of service, the Indian Postal Department has bid farewell to one of its most cherished traditional mail delivery services. As of now, only the Speed Post will remain functional, which will be a crucial change in Indian post history. Such transformation is a reflection of how technology, the internet and computerization transformed communication as the communication modes ( postcards and handwritten letters) were transformed to faster and instant mode (SMS, Whatsapp, email). The article is a nostalgic and insightful overview of how the mail delivery system in India changed and why the days of the classic mail are drawing to a close.

The Traditional Mail Delivery Service as a Legacy of India

For decades, the Indian Postal Service was the backbone of communication for people across cities, towns, and rural India. Millions were united by the service that delivered letters, postcards, and parcels serving as one of the only connections between families that were far apart. The postal system had been introduced in the British colonial age and extended to post-independent India and became a source of daily Indian life. Sending a handwritten letter or postcard was more than a task; it was a personal and emotional experience.

The arrival of letters with the postman brought excitement and joy to households. It was a school subject to be able to write letters, and stamps were treasured. The postcards, often beautifully illustrated with images of Indian heritage, were souvenirs and greetings wrapped in emotions. The postal service was affordable, dependable and a very trusted social cultural fabric of the country. 

Communication transformation of Technology in India

The advent of computers, the internet, and mobility technology brought a systemic revolution to the way the Indians communicate. Due to the increased number of emails, instant messaging apps and social media, soon the usage of traditional postal letters and postcards started fading. The speed of doing anything online changed as instant communication now became the new normal because one could connect to the other across distances via a few clicks or taps.

Digitization came along with some set of advantages:

• Messages were received immediately, or in days or weeks as compared to postal mails.
• Exchange of photos, videos, and voice messages enhanced communication to its richest proportions. 
• This was enabled by the comfort of smartphones and internet linkages, which was simply impossible in the postal era, one that required real-time connection. 

Consequently, the everyday use of postal letters and postcards in India diminished drastically. Smartphones allow mail to be viewed as an archaic form of communication by many young Indians. Those with this view grew up with smartphones and associate these gadgets with official accounts or special moments.

The Indian Postal Department’s Shift to Speed Post

In the observation of these dynamic changes, the postal department did launch the Speed Post, a service that offered fast and assured delivery services with a tracking capability. Speed Post guarantees next-day or two day delivery in large parts of India and serves the business and e-commerce markets widely. It is a symbol of the Indian Postal Service trying to keep up with the times by modernizing the postal service.

Now, with the discontinuation of traditional mail delivery, Speed Post will be the primary option for sending parcels and letters nationwide. While it leverages technology for speed and security, this move also reflects broader shifts in the country’s communication.

Emotional Connection but The End of An Era 

The end of mail service is the end of an era, the end of an emotional age. Letters were reality to millions of Indians as they were the way to express love, hope, and memories sent at a distance. This involved writing, selecting stamps, waiting anxiously to receive an in-coming reply, which was part of the certain magic of communication.

Many people on social media are recalling  the joy of receiving postcards from relatives visiting other states, or letters filled with the dreams of young couples separated by circumstances. The postal system was patient and personal, values often lost in today’s instant messaging world. As India advances technologically, some parts of this warmth are fading away.

Why does this change matter?

1. The shift supports India’s digital ambitions under initiatives like Digital India, focusing on speed, efficiency, and transparency.
2. It enhances e-commerce delivery capacities, crucial in a booming online shopping economy.
3. It aligns with global trends where countries streamline postal systems to focus on modern logistics and parcel delivery.

Irrespective of these benefits, there is still a nostalgia of having handwritten letters and postcards particularly among the older generations and individuals who embrace personal touches in the way people communicate. 

The Past and the Future

The postal system of India which was once considered the largest and most reliable in the world defined relationships amongst people over the centuries. The switch between the regular mail and Speed Post makes us recall the process of evolution between the slow and considered communication, and the speedy and digital one.

The Indian Postal Department’s decision to phase out traditional mail delivery after 50 years is a milestone. It shows the impact of technology and changing lifestyles on the manner in which India remains connected. As Speed Post takes center stage, prioritizing speed and digital communication, the gentle nostalgia of letters and postcards lingers, reminding us of a more patient and heartfelt era of communication that is now gracefully preserved in the pages of history.

India's rise to third position in the world in terms of research paper retractions, after only the United States and China, should stir the country to introspection, not despair. Alarming as the increasing number of retractions may be, is the institutional lethargy that has permitted scholarly malpractice to simmer undetected for years.

So far, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has favored quantity over quality, where institutions have rewarded paper numbers and not academic integrity. That policy is now changing. From 2025, NIRF will start penalizing institutions for retracted papers. It is a good decision, but belatedly so.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is in the news after retired professor Rajeev Kumar blamed his former PhD student Om Prakash for pilfering and publishing his work in an IEEE journal without permission. The questionable paper, Detection of Fake Accounts on Social Media Using Multimodal Data With Deep Learning, was released on August 7, 2023, with seven co-authors from other institutions. The question is: why are professors at esteemed institutions being unethical — or are they being forced to be?

Some of the high-profile examples are like Prof. Zillur Rahman's case from IIT Roorkee who is representative of this broader malaise. Even though five of his papers were retracted between 2004 and 2020 for plagiarism, duplication, and dubious data, he continued to serve as dean up to May 2025. When whistleblower Achal Agarwal from India Research Watchdog brought the matter to the attention of the institute, he was ignored. Neither the professor nor the institute gave any response.

Figures from post-pub indicate that the retraction rate for India rose from 1.5 per 1,000 articles in 2012 to 3.5 in 2022. Pressure to publish—particularly on aspiring PhDs and young teaching faculty—is real. However, the underlying issue is the lack of legal protection. Whereas nations like Denmark and the UK have an independent agency to probe research misconduct, India lacks one. Rather than addressing complaints, they are shuffled between regulatory bodies such as the UGC and Department of Science and Technology—typically with no follow-up.

Even among public universities, the rot does not stop. Private colleges, influenced by the NIRF's measurements, tend to pressure professors to produce research without proper funding. It is no surprise that this creates hasty, subpar publications—many in predatory journals that bypass quality checks altogether.

A few institutions like BITS Pilani are already leading the way by establishing Research Integrity Offices and making ethics training investments reducing AInxiety in students and professors.. Isolated interventions, however, cannot repair a damaged system. It’s a game of quality vs. quantity — which one wins?

The forthcoming Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) can provide more regulatory bite. But with or without participation by state governments, it is questionable whether it will be effective.

If India wants to be a world center for research, integrity cannot be a choice. Academic dishonesty must have actual, career-changing penalties. Otherwise, the harm to India's reputation as scholars will go on—beneath the radar, but never-ending.

Bio: Nibedita is an independent journalist honoured by the Government of India for her contributions to defence journalism. With over 15 years of experience in print and digital media, she has extensively covered rural India, healthcare, education, and women’s issues. Her in-depth reporting has earned her an award from the Government of Goa back to back in 2018 and 2019. Nibedita’s work has been featured in leading national and international publications such as The Jerusalem Post, Down To Earth, Alt News, Sakal Times, and others.

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

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

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

Teacher to Mentor:

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

Each premise noted above is changing now.

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

Learning Resources Aggregation & Delivery:

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

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

The game is changed now. And totally so.

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

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

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

Learners’ Engagement & Evaluation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digital Learning Tools Today:

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

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

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

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

Digital Learning Value-adds:

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

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

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

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

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

Students to Learners:

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

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Prof. Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury

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

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

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