Top News

A day after concerns were raised over the altered depiction of the iconic Harappan-era “Dancing Girl” figurine in a newly released Class 9 Arts Education textbook, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has decided to restore the original image of the bronze artefact.

According to sources, the correction will be implemented immediately in the digital version of the textbook available on the NCERT website. Copies yet to be printed will also feature the original image, while future hard-copy editions are expected to reflect the change from the next academic year.

The move follows questions raised by the Education Ministry after reports highlighted that the figurine’s torso had been shaded in the textbook, creating the impression that the sculpture was clothed. Sources familiar with the discussions said the ministry found the alteration difficult to justify, especially since the same artefact appears in an unaltered form in NCERT’s Class 6 Social Science textbook.

The controversy also echoes concerns raised earlier by historian Michel Danino, who revealed that objections had been raised during the preparation of new Class 6 textbooks because the figurine is nude. Danino had argued that the artefact is a widely recognised historical object displayed in the National Museum and routinely taught in schools.

NCERT is understood to have explained that the shading in the Class 9 Arts textbook was intended to encourage students’ “imagination.” However, the explanation failed to quell criticism.

The approximately four-inch bronze figurine, discovered at the ancient site of Mohenjo-daro, is considered one of the most celebrated symbols of the Harappan Civilization. Known for its confident stance and intricate craftsmanship, the artefact has long been regarded as evidence of the civilisation’s advanced metallurgical skills.

The original sculpture is housed at the National Museum and has appeared in NCERT textbooks for more than two decades without any alteration. The restored image will continue to feature in NCERT’s new Arts Education curriculum introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) to integrate arts into mainstream learning.

ABRSM to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on June 18, urging legislative relief after Supreme Court upholds mandatory TET requirement for in-service teachers.

A major teachers' organisation is set to appeal to the Central government for relief from the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement for educators appointed before 2010, arguing that the move could impact more than 25 lakh teachers across the country.

The Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) has announced that it will submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on June 18, seeking a permanent exemption for teachers recruited before August 23, 2010.

The appeal comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss review petitions challenging its 2025 judgment that made TET mandatory for in-service teachers who still have more than five years of service remaining. While the court extended the compliance deadline until August 31, 2028, teacher bodies maintain that the ruling has created uncertainty for lakhs of experienced educators.

ABRSM argues that teachers appointed before the introduction of TET were recruited under the rules prevailing at the time and should not be subjected to new eligibility conditions retrospectively. The organisation plans to seek legislative amendments to protect the service conditions, seniority and benefits of affected teachers.

According to estimates cited by teacher groups, more than 25 lakh teachers nationwide could be impacted by the directive. States such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala are expected to face the largest challenges. In Tamil Nadu alone, nearly 3.9 lakh teachers are reportedly serving without TET qualifications.

Teacher unions have expressed concern that the requirement could worsen teacher shortages, particularly in rural and underserved regions, where recruitment challenges already exist. They point to historically low TET pass percentages and argue that decades of classroom experience should be recognised alongside formal certification requirements.

The dispute traces its origins to the Supreme Court's ruling in the Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust case, which emphasised the need to maintain teaching standards under the Right to Education framework. After more than 65 review petitions were rejected, teacher organisations are now shifting their focus from the courts to Parliament, hoping the government will intervene through policy or legislative measures.

The June 18 memorandum is expected to intensify the national debate over balancing teacher quality standards with job security for long-serving educators.

Government allocates ₹900 crore for Institutions of Eminence scheme as IIT Delhi and IIT Madras climb global rankings, but India still awaits its first university in the world's top 100.

The Centre is set to expand its flagship Institutions of Eminence (IoE) scheme by bringing four additional private universities into the programme during the 2026–27 financial year, reaffirming its commitment to building globally competitive higher education institutions despite ongoing debates over the initiative's effectiveness.

According to government plans, ₹900 crore has been earmarked for the IoE programme in FY27, signalling continued investment in India's ambition to create world-class universities capable of competing with leading global institutions. The move comes nearly a decade after the scheme was launched in 2017 to elevate select universities into the ranks of internationally recognised centres of excellence.

The proposed expansion follows two earlier rounds of selections in 2018 and 2019, which designated 12 institutions—eight public and four private—as Institutions of Eminence. The scheme offers greater academic, administrative and financial autonomy, while public institutions also receive government funding to support their transformation.

The decision comes at a time when Indian universities have recorded steady progress in global rankings. In the latest QS World University Rankings 2026, IIT Delhi climbed to 123rd position from 150th, while IIT Madras improved from 227th to 180th. India now has six institutions ranked among the world's top 250 universities, reflecting growing international recognition of the country's higher education sector.

However, the programme's broader objective of creating globally dominant universities remains a work in progress. No Indian institution has yet entered the QS top 100, with IIT Bombay's 118th position in 2025 remaining the closest the country has come to achieving that milestone.

Higher education experts argue that global rankings continue to reward parameters where Indian universities face structural challenges, including international faculty recruitment, foreign student enrolment, research collaboration networks and global academic visibility. Critics also note that public IoEs received less funding than originally envisaged, while private institutions were granted autonomy without direct financial support.

Even as questions persist about the model's long-term impact, the government's latest expansion indicates that global rankings remain a key benchmark for India's higher education ambitions. With international branch campuses, deep-tech research initiatives and increased institutional autonomy reshaping the sector, the coming years will determine whether the IoE programme can help India achieve its goal of establishing truly world-class universities.

Teachers to help identify and document rare manuscripts across the capital as part of a nationwide effort to preserve over one crore historical records.

In a significant step towards preserving India's rich literary and cultural heritage, the Delhi government has deployed 300 Urdu and Sanskrit teachers to support the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a nationwide initiative aimed at identifying, documenting and preserving historical manuscripts.

The deployment has been approved by the Directorate of Education in collaboration with the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The teachers will assist in locating and cataloguing manuscripts housed in libraries, museums, academic institutions and private collections across the city.

According to an official communication issued by the Education Department, district education authorities have been directed to ensure that all selected teachers are informed about their responsibilities and report for duty whenever called upon by the competent authority. The directive follows reports that some teachers and Heads of Schools had not received information regarding their assignment under the project.

The department has also clarified that teachers engaged in the mission during the summer vacation period will be treated as “On Duty.” They will be entitled to Earned Leave benefits in accordance with the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules. The official order, signed by the Deputy Director of Education (Schools), was circulated to schools on June 5 along with the list of teachers selected for the assignment.

The Gyan Bharatam Mission seeks to preserve more than one crore manuscripts across India, many of which are written in classical and traditional languages and remain undocumented. These manuscripts are considered valuable repositories of knowledge spanning fields such as literature, philosophy, science, medicine, history and culture.

Officials believe the involvement of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers will be crucial in identifying, interpreting and cataloguing manuscripts that may otherwise remain inaccessible due to language barriers. Their expertise is expected to strengthen efforts to create a comprehensive inventory of historical texts and support long-term preservation initiatives.

The mission forms part of broader efforts to safeguard India's intellectual heritage and make historically significant manuscripts available for future research, scholarship and public access. By involving educators with linguistic expertise, authorities hope to accelerate the documentation process and ensure that rare knowledge resources are preserved for future generations.

Three-year project will explore how chemical modulators can alter DNA and RNA structures to combat cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, with potential patentable outcomes.

In a significant boost to scientific research in Bihar, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has awarded a research grant of ₹64 lakh to a faculty member of the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) for a project aimed at developing therapeutic strategies against genetic diseases.

The grant has been awarded to Saptarshi Ghosh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, who will lead a three-year research project titled “Structural Alteration of Nucleic Acids Using Chemical Modulators.” The study will be conducted in collaboration with researchers from the university’s biotechnology and life sciences departments.

According to Ghosh, the research seeks to address genetic disorders, including cancer and several neurodegenerative diseases, which are often linked to structural abnormalities in DNA and RNA. The project will investigate how chemical modulators such as small molecules and ligands can be used to regulate and correct disease-related changes in nucleic acid structures.

Explaining the scientific significance of the work, Ghosh said that modifying nucleic acid structures can help counter cancer by correcting abnormal epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation patterns, which play a key role in tumour development. Such interventions may also inhibit cancer cell proliferation, block the production of oncogenic proteins and enhance the immune system’s ability to identify and attack tumour cells.

“Many cancers depend on the excessive production of proteins that drive tumour growth. Chemical modulators can structurally modify or mimic functional nucleic acids to disrupt these processes,” he explained.

Beyond its potential therapeutic applications, the project is expected to contribute to the creation of an indigenous knowledge base in advanced molecular and biophysical research. The findings generated through the study are likely to be protected through patents, paving the way for future innovations and technology transfer.

University officials believe the grant will strengthen CUSB’s research ecosystem and enhance its visibility in the fields of nucleic acid biology and biophysical sciences. The project is also expected to contribute to India's growing efforts to advance homegrown biomedical research and innovation in disease therapeutics.

In a significant move to expand access to education, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced free education in all government institutions from kindergarten to postgraduate level. The announcement was made as the BJP government completed two years in office, with the chief minister describing the initiative as a landmark step towards making education truly universal and accessible.

Addressing the occasion, Majhi said the comprehensive free education policy would benefit students across the state, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who often face financial barriers in pursuing higher studies.

“Our government has taken historic steps towards making education truly free and universal. Through a comprehensive free education system from KG to PG, every student in the state, especially those from economically disadvantaged sections, will benefit,” the chief minister said.

The announcement coincided with the observance of the World Day Against Child Labour, underscoring the government's emphasis on keeping children in classrooms rather than entering the workforce prematurely. Stressing the importance of safeguarding children's rights, Majhi said every child deserves access to education, protection and growth opportunities.

“Every child deserves a book in hand, not a burden on their shoulders,” he said, reiterating the state's commitment to preventing child labour and promoting education. He highlighted welfare initiatives such as the Shahid Madho Singh Haata Kharcha Yojana, which supports children from vulnerable communities in continuing their education.

The chief minister also used the occasion to reflect on the BJP government's two-year tenure in Odisha. In a message shared on social media, he said the state had entered a new phase of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He cited progress in key sectors including education, healthcare, women's empowerment, farmers' welfare, agriculture, industry and infrastructure development.

Majhi said transparency, accountability and public participation remain the guiding principles of his administration. Thanking the people of Odisha for their support, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to building a developed and prosperous state through inclusive growth and good governance.

The newly announced KG-to-PG free education initiative is expected to become one of the state's most ambitious education reforms, potentially expanding educational opportunities for thousands of students across Odisha.