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Four Chennai-based institutions have emerged among the top five most preferred government arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu for the 2026 admission cycle, reflecting continued student demand for established campuses offering strong academics, infrastructure and placement-oriented programmes.

Among 181 government colleges across the state, Presidency College has received the highest number of applications so far, recording 32,808 applications for 2,380 seats. The institution was followed by Government Arts College, Dr Ambedkar Government Arts College and Queen Mary’s College, making Chennai the dominant hub among the state’s most sought-after government colleges.

Officials said traditional arts and science programmes continue to attract strong interest from students despite the growing popularity of professional and skill-oriented courses. Among all programmes offered in government colleges, BA Tamil has emerged as the most preferred course this year. Offered in 154 colleges, the course has received more than two lakh preferences from applicants. BSc Computer Science and BCom (General) were the next most popular choices among students. Courses such as BA English, BBA, BSc Chemistry and BA Economics have also witnessed high demand.

Speaking about the continued popularity of Presidency College, principal R Raman said the institution remains one of the preferred destinations for students pursuing core science subjects including physics, chemistry and botany. He attributed the trend to the college’s long academic legacy, laboratory infrastructure and qualified faculty members.

“Presidency College still is one of the best colleges to study basic science programmes such as physics, chemistry and botany, along with Loyola College. We have the best lab facilities since the British period. All faculty members hold PhDs,” he said.

The college also offers hostel accommodation for more than 2,000 students and provides extensive co-curricular activities, factors that continue to attract applicants from different districts.

Meanwhile, Government Arts College, Nandanam has received over 25,000 applications for 1,430 seats this year. Principal D Thangarajan said the college has witnessed increased interest after becoming a co-educational institution two years ago. He added that course diversity and central location have further contributed to its popularity.

Tamil Nadu government arts and science colleges collectively offer around 1.25 lakh seats. According to admission data, the state has recorded 2,05,485 registrations so far, while 1,52,997 students have completed fee payment. Of them, 92,848 are girls, 60,086 are boys, and 63 transgender applicants have also registered.

The last date for submission of applications is May 29, while admissions are expected to begin in the first week of June based on merit lists released by the colleges.

University of Delhi has agreed to conduct a special examination for law students unable to appear for semester exams scheduled on May 28 due to the observance of Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid), following proceedings before the Delhi High Court.

The assurance was given on Tuesday during a hearing before Justice Jasmeet Singh in response to a petition filed by a sixth-semester law student challenging the university’s decision to hold examinations on the festival day.

Representing the university, counsel informed the court that students wishing to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha and skip the examination could notify the Dean of the Faculty of Law by Wednesday through email. The university stated that a separate examination for such students would be conducted after July 4.

Recording the submission, the court disposed of the petition and directed that the rescheduled examination date must be communicated to eligible students at least one week in advance.

The petition was filed by Saif Rashid Saeed, who argued that conducting examinations on Bakrid was arbitrary and unfair, especially after the Central government had declared May 28 a public holiday for Eid-ul-Azha.

The petitioner contended that the decision deprived Muslim students and others observing the festival of their right to peacefully participate in an important religious occasion.

Counsel for the petitioner also pointed out before the court that both the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court had declared a holiday on May 28 in view of the festival.

The development comes amid ongoing discussions in educational institutions regarding balancing academic schedules with religious observances and ensuring inclusivity in examination policies.

University officials clarified that only students who formally communicate their inability to appear for the exam due to Bakrid celebrations will be eligible for the special examination arrangement.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a clarification after a 19-year-old ethical hacker alleged to have hacked the On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal of the Board, sparking concerns about the security of the system being used to mark Class 12 answer sheets. CBSE has said that the portal mentioned in the claim was not the live evaluation platform, but an internal testing platform with only sample data.

What actually happened? 

The controversy came to light when Nisarga Adhikary, a self-taught cybersecurity researcher, claimed to have found several flaws in the OSM platform. His published results showed that the system had security flaws, such as a hardcoded master password that could allow for a standard authentication to be circumvented. He said he had reported these problems to the authorities months ago and that only partial solutions had been put in place.

But CBSE has denied any claims of compromise of its actual evaluation system. The Board clarified in an official statement that the URL mentioned in the social media claims, cbse.onmarks.co.in, was only for testing and review purposes. It said the portal had only sample information and did not have any actual student records, marks or evaluation information.

The Board also stated that the portal used for the actual assessment and processing of answer sheets is not the same portal and was not compromised. CBSE has said that there is no security breach found in the live evaluation platform which was used during the examination process.

Why the issue gained attention 

The issue has attracted a lot of public attention as the OSM system is used to evaluate millions of CBSE examination answer sheets. Any hint of weaknesses in such a system naturally gives rise to concerns among students, parents and educators regarding the integrity of examination processes.

Questions about how a public testing environment could have security flaws were raised by tech bloggers and social media users, which further fueled the discussion. Others said that even test systems should adhere to strict cybersecurity measures, especially when connected to a large-scale public institution.

CBSE reassures Students and Parents.

CBSE has reiterated that the evaluation system of actual answer-sheets is safe and there are ample safeguards to protect the data related to the examination. The On-Screen Marking system was implemented to enhance transparency and efficiency in the assessment process, and remains in use with several security measures, the Board said.

The debate has brought to the fore the need for cyber security in educational technology platforms, but CBSE's clarification suggests that there is no evidence of any compromise of student marks, answer sheets or live evaluation records. The incident is nonetheless a reminder that digital security is being increasingly called into question in public institutions, as the examination and assessment processes become more technology-based.

Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Indian Institute of Science have achieved a major breakthrough in chemistry by creating a completely carbon-free molecule that mimics the famous “sandwich” structure of ferrocene, solving a scientific puzzle that had remained unanswered for more than 70 years.

The newly developed molecule places osmium at its centre, sandwiched between two boron-based rings, closely resembling the structure of ferrocene — a landmark compound discovered in the 1950s that contains an iron atom trapped between two carbon rings.

Ferrocene has long fascinated scientists because of its unusual geometry and stability. The compound is widely used in medicines, batteries, electronics and advanced materials. However, for decades, chemists worldwide struggled to recreate a similar structure without using carbon, raising a fundamental question about whether carbon alone possessed the unique capability to form such stable sandwich compounds.

The breakthrough research, led by scientists Sundargopal Ghosh and Stutee Mohapatra from IIT Madras in collaboration with Eluvathingal Jemmis from IISc Bengaluru, has now demonstrated that carbon is not essential for creating these structures.

Their findings were published in Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals.

According to the researchers, the discovery represents a major milestone in inorganic and organometallic chemistry. The newly synthesized molecule is structurally stable and exhibits strong bonding between osmium and the boron rings, which could potentially make it even more robust than ferrocene itself.

Speaking about the significance of the work, Ghosh said the breakthrough answers a long-standing scientific question while opening new possibilities for designing novel materials with unique chemical and physical properties.

Scientists believe the discovery could eventually contribute to the development of advanced functional materials, catalysts and electronic systems, though practical applications are still being explored.

The achievement also highlights India’s growing contribution to frontier scientific research, particularly in fundamental chemistry, where breakthroughs often lay the groundwork for future technological innovation.

In a high-level review meeting of the Education Department, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s education system, supporting teachers, and promoting women’s empowerment.

The NDA government, during the meeting, outlined its focus on improving the quality of education in Bihar through large-scale teacher recruitment, transparent transfer policies, and community-based welfare initiatives.

One of the key announcements made during the review meeting was the recruitment of one lakh teachers over the next five years. According to the proposed plan, nearly 20,000 teachers will be appointed annually.

To ensure transparency and regularity in the hiring process, the state government has decided that advertisements for teacher recruitment will be issued every year in July. Officials believe the move will help address the shortage of teachers in government schools and improve educational standards across Bihar.

The government also discussed reforms in the teacher transfer process to make it more transparent and convenient. The Education Department has been directed to formulate a policy that gives importance to teachers’ family and social circumstances.

Under the proposed framework, female teachers may be transferred to panchayats closer to their home panchayat within the same district, while male teachers may be posted to neighbouring blocks near their home block. The initiative is expected to improve teacher satisfaction and workplace efficiency.

In another major decision, the Bihar government announced that school uniforms for students will be distributed through Jeevika self-help groups. The move is aimed at ensuring timely distribution of uniforms while simultaneously strengthening women’s economic empowerment and self-reliance.

By involving women-led self-help groups in the process, the government hopes to generate employment opportunities and expand grassroots participation in welfare schemes.

According to officials, the measures reflect the state government’s long-term vision of improving educational infrastructure, ensuring better opportunities for students, and building a more inclusive education ecosystem in Bihar.

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee will release the provisional answer key for JEE Advanced 2026 today, May 25, 2026. Candidates who appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) can access and download the answer key through the official website, JEE Advanced Official Website.

The provisional answer key will allow candidates to evaluate their responses and estimate their probable scores before the declaration of results.

According to the official schedule, candidates can raise objections against the provisional answer key until May 26, 2026. The objection submission window will remain active till 5 PM tomorrow.

JEE Advanced Answer Key 2026: Steps To Download

Candidates can follow these steps to download the provisional answer key:

1. Visit the official website of JEE Advanced at jeeadv.ac.in.
2. Click on the “JEE Advanced Answer Key 2026” link available on the homepage.
3. A new login page will appear.
4. Enter the required login credentials.
5. Click on the submit button.
6. The provisional answer key will appear on the screen.
7. Download and save the answer key for future reference.

The final answer key, along with the JEE Advanced 2026 results, will be announced on June 1, 2026.

The entrance examination was conducted on May 17, 2026, in two shifts. Paper 1 was held from 9 AM to 12 noon, while Paper 2 took place from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

The examination consisted of two compulsory papers covering Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Both papers were available in English and Hindi.

JEE Advanced is conducted annually by the seven zonal coordinating IITs under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB). Performance in the examination forms the basis for admission to undergraduate, integrated master’s, and dual degree programmes offered by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the 2026–27 academic session.

Officials stated that all decisions related to JEE Advanced 2026 and IIT admissions will be governed by the rules and guidelines issued by JAB 2026.