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Medical students across India may soon receive greater flexibility in completing their undergraduate training, as the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed extending the maximum duration for finishing the MBBS programme from nine years to ten years.

The proposal has been outlined in a draft amendment to the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER), 2023. Under the revised provision, students will be allowed to remain enrolled in the MBBS programme for up to ten years from the date of admission, including the mandatory Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI). At present, students must complete the entire course within nine years.

The move is expected to provide relief to students whose academic journey may be disrupted by health issues, personal emergencies, family responsibilities, or other unforeseen circumstances. By allowing an additional year, the medical regulator aims to accommodate genuine cases of delay while ensuring that students have a fair opportunity to complete their professional education.

Notably, the NMC has not proposed any changes to the existing rule governing the First Professional MBBS examination. Students will continue to be restricted to a maximum of four attempts to clear the examination conducted at the end of the first academic year. Medical education experts believe that retaining this provision safeguards academic rigor and ensures that educational standards are not diluted despite the proposed extension.

The draft amendment has been published in the Gazette of India and placed in the public domain for consultation. The Nhttps://edinbox.com/index.php/council/allied-healthcare-gahc/6046-national-medical-commission-approves-6-850-new-mbbs-seats-for-2025-26MC has invited comments and suggestions from medical colleges, faculty members, students, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders. Objections and recommendations submitted within 30 days of the notification will be reviewed before a final decision is taken.

The proposed revision comes nearly three years after the implementation of the competency-based Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which introduced the nine-year cap on MBBS completion.

Experts view the amendment as a balanced approach that recognizes the challenges faced by a small section of students while preserving the integrity of medical education. If approved, the revised regulation could offer much-needed flexibility without compromising the quality of training required for future doctors.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has launched one of its largest specialist recruitment drives of 2026, announcing 194 vacancies for Group A and Group B posts across multiple central government ministries and departments. The recruitment notification, released under Advertisement No. 05/2026, invites applications for a wide range of technical, scientific, academic and administrative positions, with the online application process open until June 12, 2026.

The recruitment drive covers 32 different job roles in departments linked to civil aviation, defence, culture, meteorology and scientific research. Among the key positions announced are Airworthiness Officer, Deputy Controller of Explosives, Scientist-B, Assistant Director, Training Officer and Associate Professor. The vacancies are aimed at strengthening technical expertise and specialist manpower within government institutions.

According to the notification, educational qualifications vary depending on the post. Some positions require bachelor’s degrees in engineering, science or related disciplines, while others demand master’s degrees, professional certifications or specialised academic backgrounds. Several posts also require prior work experience in relevant fields. Age limits for applicants range between 30 and 48 years, with relaxations applicable for candidates belonging to reserved categories as per government norms.

The salary structure differs across positions, ranging from Pay Level-6 to Academic Level-13A1 under the central government pay matrix. UPSC has stated that applicants must submit all documents online, including educational certificates, proof of date of birth, work experience certificates, passport-size photographs and signatures. Candidates will also be required to upload a live photograph while completing the application process.

The selection process will primarily involve shortlisting based on qualifications and experience, followed by interviews. For certain posts, UPSC may also conduct recruitment tests if the number of applications is high. The commission has prescribed minimum interview suitability marks of 50 for unreserved candidates, 45 for OBC candidates and 40 for SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities categories.

Reservation policies for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities will apply in accordance with central government rules.

Recruitment experts believe the scale and diversity of this year’s UPSC specialist recruitment drive reflect the government’s increasing focus on strengthening technical and scientific capacity in critical sectors. The appointments are expected to support areas such as aviation safety, scientific research, meteorological services and heritage management.

At the same time, experts suggest competition for the posts is likely to remain intense due to the limited number of vacancies and the growing interest in stable, high-level government jobs among skilled professionals. Some analysts also note that future recruitment cycles may further evolve to attract niche talent in emerging technical fields if vacancies remain difficult to fill.

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.