The National Testing Agency (National Testing Agency) is facing fresh criticism after candidates alleged widespread irregularities in the NIFT 2026 results, deepening concerns over the credibility of India’s national entrance examinations.

Soon after the National Institute of Fashion Technology (National Institute of Fashion Technology) declared its final results on June 3, several aspirants reported serious inconsistencies. Complaints include mismatched scores in the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT), incorrect attendance marking, and alleged lapses in biometric verification during the admission process.

Some candidates claimed they were marked absent despite appearing for exams, while others said they unexpectedly received marks even though they did not take the Stage 2 Situation Test. The absence of a publicly released answer key for the creative section has further fuelled accusations of limited transparency.

Social media platforms, including Reddit and X, have amplified the controversy, with screenshots and posts highlighting what students describe as “impossible score patterns.” The viral nature of these claims has intensified public scrutiny of the evaluation process and raised questions about the reliability of attendance tracking systems.

The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the NTA, which has already been under pressure following earlier allegations related to the NEET-UG examination cycle. Critics argue that repeated concerns across different national-level tests point to deeper systemic issues rather than isolated errors.

In response, senior NTA officials have maintained that the number of formal grievances remains limited. According to officials, only around 15 of nearly 12,000 candidates have directly approached the agency, and most issues have reportedly been resolved. However, students contest this claim, stating that many complaints sent via email and helplines remain unanswered.

Candidates and coaching experts also highlight structural gaps, including the lack of re-evaluation mechanisms and limited transparency in scoring for creative assessments. These limitations, they argue, make it difficult for aspirants to independently verify their results.

The NIFT admission process, which includes multiple stages such as GAT, CAT, and the Situation Test, concluded its Stage 2 evaluation for over 10,000 candidates before the June 3 results were released.

As allegations continue to circulate online, calls for an independent audit of the evaluation and attendance systems are growing louder, putting renewed pressure on exam authorities to restore trust in the national testing framework.

A new study in the field of empirical aesthetics has revealed that while people often agree on whether an artwork is beautiful, they may experience it in remarkably different ways. The findings shed new light on the complex relationship between aesthetic preference, emotion and personal interpretation.

Published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, the research explored a fundamental question: when two people like the same artwork, are they actually having the same experience?

Researchers invited participants in Philadelphia to view artworks from the Barnes Foundation and artefacts from the Penn Museum. After spending one minute with each object, participants rated whether they liked the piece and then described their emotional and cognitive responses using a vocabulary of 69 terms designed to capture the richness of aesthetic experiences.

The results revealed a striking pattern. Agreement was highest when participants judged whether an artwork was beautiful or likable. However, consensus declined when deeper emotional and reflective responses were considered. Positive emotions such as pleasure and calmness showed moderate agreement, while reactions involving discomfort, challenge or personal reflection varied significantly among viewers.

The greatest differences emerged in experiences linked to inspiration, enlightenment and deep absorption. Researchers found that these responses were strongly influenced by an individual's memories, knowledge, emotions and personal associations.

The findings suggest that appreciation of art operates on multiple levels. While viewers may broadly agree that a painting is aesthetically appealing, the meanings they derive from it often differ. A single artwork can evoke nostalgia in one person, intellectual curiosity in another and emotional transformation in a third.

According to the researchers, these insights help explain why aesthetic experiences can be both universal and deeply personal. The study highlights that shared judgments about beauty often mask diverse and highly individual pathways of emotional engagement and interpretation.

The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), in collaboration with TimesPro, has announced the launch of the first cohort of its Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Interaction Design and User Experience (UX). The 12-month programme has been designed to equip learners with industry-relevant skills in design thinking, user experience principles, and contemporary interaction design while providing exposure to emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), wearable interfaces, and generative artificial intelligence (AI).

The programme will be delivered by IIIT-Delhi’s faculty members and researchers through a blended learning format that combines live online classes with campus immersion. It aims to help learners develop expertise at the intersection of design, technology, and human behaviour, enabling them to create intuitive and inclusive digital experiences across products, platforms, and connected devices.

According to IIIT-Delhi, the course has been structured to support both professionals seeking career advancement and individuals looking to transition into the rapidly evolving design and innovation ecosystem. The curriculum comprises six modules covering Design Foundation, User Interface and User Experience Design, Human Factors, Evaluation Methodologies, Interaction Design, and Emerging Technologies and New Media, followed by a Capstone Project.

Over the duration of the programme, participants will engage in more than 350 hours of learning through live sessions, recorded content, assignments, projects, and practical exercises. A three-day campus immersion at IIIT-Delhi will be conducted at the end of the programme.

Learners will gain hands-on experience with industry tools and technologies, including Arduino, Unreal Engine, Android Studio, and Figma. The programme also offers exposure to cutting-edge domains such as brain-computer interfaces (BCI), wearable technology, AR/VR applications, and generative AI.

Speaking on the launch, Assistant Professors Pragma Kar and Richa Gupta said the programme has been designed to provide a contemporary and practice-oriented learning journey that integrates design, research, and emerging technologies. TimesPro’s Business Head for Executive Education, Sridhar Nagarajachar, noted that the increasing demand for professionals who can bridge design, technology, and user behaviour makes such specialised programmes highly relevant.

The programme prepares participants for careers as UI/UX Designers, Interaction Designers, Product Designers, UX Researchers, and AR/VR Experience Designers. Graduates from diverse academic backgrounds with a minimum of 50 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA are eligible to apply.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology has announced the final results for its 2026 admissions process, enabling candidates to access their scores, ranks and merit positions online through the official admission portal.

Candidates who appeared for the Stage 2 selection process, including the Situation Test, Studio Test and Personal Interview rounds, can now download their final scorecards. The results include cumulative scores, Common Merit Rank (CMR), category rank and All India Rank for various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered by NIFT.

The final merit list has been prepared by combining performance across different stages of the entrance examination. For Bachelor of Design (B.Des) candidates, scores from the Creative Ability Test (CAT), General Ability Test (GAT) and Situation Test have been considered. For Master of Design (M.Des) and other postgraduate programmes, performance in the Personal Interview has also been factored into the final ranking process.

With the declaration of results, the admission process now moves to the next crucial phase—centralized counselling and seat allocation. Qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the counselling process for admission to various NIFT campuses across India. Seat allotment will be based on candidates' ranks, category, programme preferences and seat availability.

NIFT conducts its entrance examination annually to select students for design, fashion technology and management programmes. The multi-stage selection process is designed to evaluate candidates on creativity, design aptitude, problem-solving skills and general awareness, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of their suitability for the institute's academic programmes.

Steps to Download NIFT Result 2026

Candidates can follow these steps to access their scorecards:

1. Visit the official NIFT admission portal.
2. Click on the "NIFT 2026 Final Scorecard" link available on the homepage.
3. Enter your Application Number and Date of Birth or password.
4. Complete the security captcha verification.
5. Click on Submit to view the result.
6. Check your scorecard, Common Merit Rank (CMR), category rank and other details.
7. Download and save the scorecard for future reference.

Candidates are advised to keep a copy of their scorecard ready for the upcoming counselling and seat allotment process. For further updates regarding counselling schedules and admission procedures, applicants should regularly visit the official NIFT admission portal.

A striking Met Gala ensemble turned attention toward Bengal’s fading shola craft, blending traditional artisan techniques with contemporary fashion innovation on one of the world’s biggest style stages.

In an exclusive interaction with The Juggernaut, designer Mayyur Girotra and entrepreneur DM Jatia discussed how the outfit was created in collaboration with artisans from Kolkata to highlight the intricate but endangered art form of shola work.

Shola art is crafted from the soft pith of an aquatic plant, traditionally carved into delicate decorative motifs widely associated with Bengali rituals, headgear, idols, and ceremonial ornamentation. Known for its lightweight texture and intricate detailing, the craft has long been part of Bengal’s cultural identity but faces decline due to shrinking artisan communities and limited commercial demand.

For the Met Gala design, artisans recreated the signature aesthetic of shola using recycled rubber waste after determining that original shola material would be too fragile for the high-profile red carpet event. The recreated motifs were then layered onto a gold-and-silver Kanjeevaram sari, combining South Indian textile heritage with Bengali craftsmanship.

The collaboration reflects a growing trend in Indian fashion where designers are reviving regional crafts by adapting them for global luxury and couture platforms. By incorporating artisan-made textures into contemporary fashion narratives, designers hope to generate renewed interest and economic opportunities for traditional craft communities.

Fashion observers noted that the ensemble stood out not only for its visual impact but also for its emphasis on sustainability and cultural storytelling. The use of recycled rubber to mimic the fragile organic material introduced an innovative dimension to the craft while making it durable enough for international presentation.

The project also highlighted the role of artisans in shaping global fashion conversations, particularly as heritage crafts increasingly become part of discussions around sustainability, slow fashion, and cultural preservation.

For Bengal’s shola artisans, the Met Gala appearance represents rare international visibility for a craft often confined to local ceremonial use. Designers involved in the project said the objective was not merely aesthetic, but also to centre the craftsmanship and labour of artisans whose work risks disappearing without sustained recognition and support.

In a significant move towards interdisciplinary education, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi has launched a nationwide AI minor degree programme in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation and Imarticus Learning, with a strong emphasis on design-oriented and human-centric technology learning.

The 24-credit programme, integrated into existing undergraduate degrees, is designed not only to teach artificial intelligence tools but also to encourage students to think creatively about how technology can solve real-world problems through innovation, interface design and user-focused systems.

Structured across seven semesters, the AI minor blends technical foundations with applied learning areas such as generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, data visualisation and responsible AI design. The curriculum aims to help students understand how intelligent systems are conceptualised, designed and deployed across industries.

Education experts note that the programme reflects a growing shift in higher education, where AI is increasingly intersecting with design, communication and user experience. Rather than limiting AI education to coding and algorithms, the IIT Mandi initiative introduces students to problem-solving frameworks that combine technology with creativity and usability.

The programme also incorporates project-based learning, allowing students to build practical solutions and interactive systems using tools such as Python, SQL and large language models. Faculty from IIT Mandi will conduct online sessions and campus immersion modules to provide hands-on exposure and interdisciplinary mentorship.

Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and UGC guidelines, the structure offers flexible exit pathways, including certificates, diplomas and full degree completion, encouraging accessible and modular learning.

Institutions such as IIMT Group of Colleges and Joy University have already joined the initiative, signalling rising institutional interest in combining technology education with innovation-driven design thinking.

Experts believe the programme could help create a new generation of AI-literate graduates capable of designing ethical, intuitive and socially relevant digital systems across industries including healthcare, education, media, retail and smart infrastructure.

As AI increasingly shapes everyday experiences, the initiative highlights how future education models may move beyond traditional engineering silos to integrate technology, creativity and design into a unified learning ecosystem.