The launch of the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) university in India, located in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, is a significant milestone in both education and technology. The campus is being set up by Chandigarh University and was inaugurated on 26 July, 2025 by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and is meant to offer specific training in AI and related technologies. This university plays a crucial role in the vision of the state to train its young people with the skills in digital advancements and ready them to work in the technologies soon.

As part of an ambitious initiative called AI Pragya, the aim is to train 1.5 lakh individuals per month in the domain of AI, data analytics, machine learning, and cybersecurity, contributing to an overall target of 10 lakh people. The initiative is aimed to reach a broad audience of students and teachers, village leaders, government staff as well as farmers. Backed by global technology giants such as Microsoft, Intel, Google, and Guvi, the mission is to train 1.5 lakh people each month.

AI initiatives in Uttar Pradesh extend beyond education. The government is applying AI in the safety of the people, in the agricultural sector, land, and prison monitoring, or the mining industry. 

To take one example, AI-enabled surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems are improving security in 17 urban jurisdictions, one initiative is scaling smart irrigation and drone-based mapping to 10 lakh farmers (UP-AGRIS). Other beneficiaries include women groups and the farmer organizations who are taking advantage of the digital markets and data-driven practices. 

Land management and mining are also experiencing digital upgrades, with satellite imaging and IoT-powered oversight tools ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. 

The AI university in Unnao is expected to be a center of multidisciplinary and contemporary learning and research. It will provide AI driven learning in areas such as engineering, management, science, liberal arts which are in line with the wider objective of India to boost innovation, employability and digital leadership. The university has smart classrooms, labs, a library, hostels as well as sporting facilities which makes it an example of future-ready education in India.

This progressive move will help in the expansion of employment and will make Uttar Pradesh a budding destination of digital and technical talent towards local and national development. 

The Tamil Nadu Directorate of General Education (DGE) on July 25 today declared the TN 12th Supplementary Exam Results 2025. The students who wrote the supplementary Class 12 examination are now entitled to view their marks on official websites — tnresults.nic.in and dge.tn.gov.in.

This result announcement is also a good opportunity for those students who have failed in one or two subjects in the normal board exam and thus can have a second chance to perform their best.

Procedure to check TN 12th Supplementary Result 2025:

Go to tnresults.nic.in or dge.tn.gov.in

Click on the link: "HSE(+2) Supplementary Examination Results 2025"

Enter your registration number and date of birth

Click on "Get Marks"

Check your result and save it for reference

Print it for record

Provisional mark sheet uploaded online is subject-wise marks, grades, and percentage. Candidates have been asked to download the original mark sheets from the respective schools, which will be used in the future for admissions and records.

Additional Class 10 results will be announced later this month on the same portals.

Students are required to double-check all the details given in the web mark sheet very carefully and report the matter of discrepancy to notice of their school or DGE office for rectification.

The extra results are required for students who want to study with continuity. For receiving all the updated TN Board Exam Results 2025 news, students have to visit official websites and keep away from rumors.

The government is drafting a bill for setting up a higher education commission of India (HECI) as a single, merged higher education regulatory body, the Lok Sabha was told on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar made the announcement while providing a written answer to a question.

"The NEP 2020 visualises a 'light but tight' regulation for ensuring the integrity, transparency and efficient use of resources in the education sector through audit and public reporting and stimulating innovation and think-out-of-the-box by providing autonomy, good governance and empowerment," Majumdar said.

"The NEP 2020 also foresees the creation of a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as one all-encompassing body with autonomous verticals to carry out autonomous functions of regulation, accreditation, funding and setting academic standards. The above vision of the NEP 2020 is being drawn up by the ministry in the form of the HECI bill," he added.

The HECI suggested by the new NEP suggests substituting the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

The UGC looks after non-technical higher education, the AICTE looks after technical education and the NCTE looks after teachers' education.

The idea of the HECI has been floated earlier in the form of a draft bill.

A first Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill, 2018 was placed in the public domain in the year for repeal of the UGC Act and made provisions for setting up the Higher Education Commission of India.

The new drive to pass the HECI came under Dharmendra Pradhan, who was administered oath as Union education minister in July 2021.

Evidencing the need for change by one regulator of higher education, the NEP 2020 report states, "the regulation system has to be revamped in its entirety so that the system of higher education gets re-energised and flourishes."

The US Department of Education has initiated civil rights probes into five universities to see if scholarship schemes targeted at illegal immigrants are discriminatorily excluding American-born students.

The probe, conducted by the Department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR), aims at University of Louisville, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Miami, University of Michigan, and Western Michigan University. In the middle of the probes are scholarships that supposedly hold spots for DACA program recipients or other unauthorized students, as per a press release.

The Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project brought the complaints resulting in the requests. The group contends that issuing scholarships based on immigration status alone — specifically, those excluding US citizens — is discriminatory against national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits national origin discrimination by programs receiving federal funding.

Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, tied the action to larger administration priorities: "On January 21, 2025, President Trump made the commitment that 'every single day of the Trump Administration, (he) will, very simply, put America first,'"

Trainor explained. "As we commemorate President Trump's record six months in the White House, we are redoubling our efforts at enforcement to safeguard American students and law-abiding residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the sort complained of here."

The OCR will also look into whether race or color was a factor in the requirement levels of other university scholarships, which might contravene other provisions of Title VI.

William A. Jacobson, creator of the Equal Protection Project, summed it up this way: "Discrimination against American-born students cannot be tolerated," he said. "Maintaining equal access to education means maintaining rights of American-born students. At the Equal Protection Project, we are heartened that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is acting on our complaints regarding scholarships discriminating against American-born students."

Research scholars and postgraduate students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati campus staged a protest on Tuesday against a sudden fee hike, a move announced by the administration this July.

A drastic increase in semester fee of the students of PhD, MTech, and BTech triggered the protest. This was the first hike in seven years. For PhD scholars, fees have increased by ₹10,900 per semester, rising from ₹34,800 in the January–May 2025 semester to ₹45,700 in the July–November semester. 

In addition, many new and augmented charges have also been introduced like the gymkhana fee has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 rupees, the medical fee is up by five-fold (100 to 500) startling increases in hostel rent and fund, and a new fest fee of 1,300 a semester is proposed. Part-time scholars are also the most affected and this is increasing by 7 times, taking it to 25,000 rupees per semester.

Student representatives said that the increase was abrupt and implemented without adequate consultation, placing a heavy financial burden on those with monthly fellowships of ₹37,000 to ₹42,000, which are insufficient to cover their academic expenses. Many claimed that the rise was without any visible changes in the campus infrastructure or amenities.

The administration however argues that the increase, 8900 a semester on continuing students, is needed to finance the welfare programs, hostel life, cultural and sports events and other activities of the students. 

IIT Guwahati also stated that this decision was made after a four-hour open-house meeting on July 17, 2025 with student representatives, promising to give financial help to needy students via Students Welfare Fund. Officials further noted that while formal complaints could be submitted, none were received after the meeting, according to the administration. 

But on July 22, which was the final day of semester registration, students who declined to pay the increased fee were denied registration and this forced many students to engage in mass protest actions such as boycotting academic activities and street demonstrations to demand that administrative decisions be reversed and that decision-making processes be displayed to them.

While the administration describes the protesters as a small group within the institute's population of over 8,400 students, the protesters argue that the fee structure remains unaffordable for many. They also claim that low participation from the wider student body is due to administrative pressure. With the standoff underway, everyone is waiting to see whether the management will listen to the calls of a rollback or additional consultations with the aggrieved scholars. 

The Afghan Taliban regime shut the university and secondary school doors for girls three years ago — the only nation on Earth to do so.

An Afghan girl learning the Koran in a madrassa or Islamic school in Kandahar. (Courtesy: AFP photo)

Six hours a day, school-to-school, Nahideh labors in a cemetery, refilling bottles at a shrine on the block and reselling it again to mourning families by the graves of deceased loved ones. She wants to be a doctor — but is smarter.

The next year's school year, she'll pass in a madrassa, an Islamic school, studying the Quran and Islam — and little else.

"I would like to go to school, but I am not allowed to, so I will go to a madrassa," she replied, dark brown eyes glinting out beneath her tightly wrapped black headscarf. "If only I could attend school the I would be able to learn and be a doctor. But I cannot." Nahideh is 13 and in the final year of primary school, the most education girls are allowed to aspire to in Afghanistan.

The Taliban government here banned girls from secondary school and university three years ago — the only country to take such a step. It is one of the many hundreds of rules imposed on girls and women, from what to wear to where to go and with whom to socialize.

Tertiary education playing no part, high numbers of girls and women are seeking instead to madrassas.

The only education allowed "Because girls' schools are closed, they see this as a chance," said Zahid-ur-Rehman Sahibi, the head of the Kabul-based Tasnim Nasrat Islamic Sciences Educational Centre. "And, thus, they come here in order to stay engaged in the study and study of religious sciences." The centre has about 400 students between the age of roughly 3 and 60 years old, and 90 percent of them are women. They learn the Quran, Islamic law, hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and Arabic, the language of the Quran.

The majority of Christians and Afghans, Sahibi says, are Muslim. "Even prior to the closure of the schools, the majority of them went to madrassas," he explained. But if the schools close down, then the interest is keen, for madrassas' doors are never shut to them." There are no recent official figures published on girls educated in madrassas, but officials say popularity of religious schools overall has grown. In September, Deputy Education Minister Karamatullah Akhundzada estimated at least 1 million madrassa students over the past year alone, pushing the total to more than 3 million.

Quran Study In the warm glow of a late-afternoon sun in a dimmed room in a basement in the Tasnim Nasrat center, Sahibi's students prayed kneeling over small plastic desks on the floor carpeting, pencils scratching arabesques of Arabic writing in their Qurans. The 10 women were all wearing black niqabs, the covering robe leaving only the eyes visible.

"It is beneficial for girls and women to learn in a madrassa, because … the Quran is Allah's word, and we are Muslims," added 25-year-old Faiza, who joined the center five months ago. "It is therefore our duty to learn what is contained in the book which Allah hath sent unto us, to translate and to interpret." She would have wished to be taught in medicine if she could. Even though she knows there is no chance of it being an option now, she would like to have it completed in case she ends up being a good student committed to her faith some time later. It is one of the last options left for women to remain in Afghanistan.

"If my family understands that I am studying Quranic sciences and am implementing all the teachings of the Quran in my life and they are certain about it, they will surely permit me to study," she said.

Her teacher told her he would like women not completely barred from the study of religion.

"I believe it is highly important for a woman or a sister to study religious sciences and other sciences because the modern science is also a part of society," Sahibi went on. "Islam itself teaches one to study modern sciences because they are religiously obligatory and religious sciences are obligatory as well." Both need to be learned at the same time. An unprecedented ban Girls' secondary and tertiary schools have been closed but challenged in Afghanistan even by the Taliban. In a defiant gesture in public that is not common for any Taliban government official, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai spoke at a public rally in January and stated that there was no necessity to keep women and girls away from school.

His words were said not to have sat with the leadership of the Taliban; Stanikzai is officially off duty and was reported to have gone into exile. But they most certainly sent a reflection that the majority of Afghans understand that denying girls education harms in the end.

More than four million girls would have been denied a chance at secondary school if the ban were to remain in place until 2030, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell testified at the start of Afghanistan's school year in March. "The price paid by those girls — and by Afghanistan — is heart-wrenching.".

The ban is damaging the country's health infrastructure, economy, and future," The worth of religious education To Islam's holy book, to most people here in this same traditional nation, can't be overstated.

"Madrassas of Holy Quran study are the foundation of all other sciences, whether medicine or engineering or other sciences," said Mullah Mohammed Jan Mukhtar, 35, who runs a boys' madrassa on the outskirts of Kabul.

And if they are initially taught the Quran, then subsequently they will pick up these other sciences with ease." Five years ago, his madrassa started out with 35 pupils. It now has 160 boys aged between 5 and 21, half of whom are boarders, as well as in addition to religious studies, it teaches a few others such as English and maths. There is also an attached girls' madrassa, he said, with 90 pupils.

"I don't think there are sufficient madrassas for women," answered Mukhtar, a 14-year-old mullah. He stressed Islamic education for women. "If they have learned Islam rules, they know more about their husband's rights, their in-laws' and family's rights."

Communication design is becoming an effective and future-proof career option, which brings together creativity, technology and connection with the human being. To those students who are interested in design and want to have a productive, successful career, communication design might be the best career option. 

What is Communication Design?

Communication design is both an art and a science of creating messages that reach people visually, digitally, and in person, via media. It is about thinking beyond appearance to make things pretty, and it concerns the effects of design on understanding, engagement and emotional response. Communication design manifests in everything, this could be through the use of a website, a mobile application, branding, or social media and how the messages or information are communicated effectively and with impact on the platforms.

How does it work?

Communication design works by making meaningful, appealing, and clear messages through the use of visual communication, text, and sometimes sound or movement so as to reach out to the people. It means knowing the audience you, what you need to say, what is the message you need to get through and how do you get the message through, so that it can be seen and understood and remembered.

One prominent example illustrating the power of communication design is Spotify Wrapped, an innovative campaign that transforms user data into an emotional narrative. This is not a pile of dry numbers. To make the data an emotional experience, designed to be shared, communication designers use catchy colours,subversive layouts, oversized fonts and storytelling approach. When your “top songs” or minutes are listened to, that is exhilarating and special, since a person can relate data to a personal feeling. The design is functional since it appeals directly to the emotions of the user, is aesthetically confusing and simple. It is an ideal combination of creativity, psychology, and technology at work. 

On a larger scale communication design frequently includes:

1. Analysing the target audience and what is important to them. 
2. Planning how to capture attention and communicate. 
3. Presenting a hierarchy of messages by using tools such as typography (the font, the text style), color, pictures and layouts so that the eyes of viewers are guided by it. 
4. Integrating various media such as websites, apps, posters, advertisements, videos or animations to present a story or disseminate information. 
5. They keep testing and improving their designs with the aim of making them efficient in conveying the message and appealing to the audience.

So, basically Communication design works by effectively translating concepts and knowledge into visual and interactive means that will be easy for people to understand within a short period of time and resonate to them emotionally so that the approach is memorable and highly effective. Remember a brand, an app, a campaign that had your full attention as soon as you saw it, it was most likely communication design that did its job in the background.

Why is Communication Design The Future? 

1. The Demand is Driven by Digital Explosion: The online economy continues to expand, and no one can afford to communicate with customers without using direct, interesting design that will attract their attention. The related jobs, such as UX/UI design and digital product design, are also expected to grow rapidly. This expansion indicates the high level of importance of communication design skills as the key to successful user-friendly experiences and visual storytelling.
2. The Blend of Creativity and Technology: The advanced communication designers utilize the state-of-the-art tools, such as AI-related processes, interactive digital platforms, and design software, to develop innovative solutions. This combination of a creative plus technical field explores various work opportunities as digital strategist, content designer, and user experience (UX) designer. This is because a technology driven design exists not as a choice but as a necessity and therefore communication design remains a future proof skill.
3. Good Employment Prospects and High-Paying Salaries: The communication design graduates get employed in advertising agencies, tech companies, media houses, and startups. Competitive employment opportunities that are secured by the fact that there is a need internationally of a designer who has an appreciation of the value of the design coupled with understanding the mind of the user.  
4. Versatile Work That Reaches People: Communication design is not only about being beautiful, it is about being kind and understanding. Designers are creating experiences fulfilling user requirements, creating brand loyalty and even creating social change of any kind. Whether it is about health campaigns, learning portals, or enriched communication products, communication designers are also important to make information useful, less ambiguous and compelling.

What is covered in a Communication Design Degree?  

The UG/PG degree in communication design can provide the students with a versatile skill set as follows:

• The principles of visual communication: layout, color theory and typography. 
• The digital tools to be used are motion graphics, prototyping, and AI-assisted design. 
• User interface (UI) design methods and user experience (UX). 
• Strategic communication and brand development. 
• Design thinking and storytelling as problem-solving. 

It is this fusion that equips the students not just to design work that is appealing to the eye but to consider critically the influence of design on behavior and decisions.

How does the communication design course align with students?  

Currently, students are interested in careers that are future-oriented, flexible as well as meaningful. It relates to the functional requirements, including the following: 

1. Creativity was coupled with problem solving in the real world. 
2. Collaborative and interdisciplinary roles, which retain work interesting. 
3. Entrepreneurial, global and freelance working opportunities. 
4. The opportunity of turning a social difference by means of accessible design. 

Communication design is a profession that is long term and has the scope of growth because it blends innovation, technology and human-centered approach. With the world growing digital, no skill is more valuable as creating messages that will resonate, engage and inspire.

In case of design aspirants, communication design is actually the field of work giving them an opportunity to be part of the creative, living industry and have the thrilling career options along with good employment opportunities and the possibilities of making individuals experience the world in a certain way.

Are you one of the thousands of NEET PG 2025 admit cardholders waiting impatiently for yours? Here's a piece of good news for you — National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) will put out the NEET PG 2025 admit cards on July 31, a week in advance of the scheduled date of the exam on August 3, 2025.

If you are looking for "NEET PG 2025 admit card release date" or "how to download NEET PG hall ticket," we've got you covered.

NBEMS already released the exam city slips on 21st July, and thus the candidates would already be aware of where they are going to conduct the exam. The link to download the NEET PG admit card will shortly be enabled on the official website — natboard.edu.in.

???? Downloading Steps for NEET PG 2025 Admit Card:

Go to the official website of NBEMS: natboard.edu.in

Click on the "NEET PG 2025 Admit Card" link

Put in your registration number, date of birth, etc.

Your NEET PG admit card will be displayed on the screen

Save a copy for future use

Admit card will have all the information such as test date, candidate name, roll no, test center, and other relevant instructions. The candidates have respectfully verified all the information and in case of any error, NBEMS can be reached at 91-7996165333 (9:30 AM to 6:00 PM working hours).

Wait for NEET PG official website for news updates and never forget downloading your hall ticket one day before exam rush day.

For those who want to be doctors, this is the last thing to be done before D-day—ready and documents in hand! Put the correct words like NEET PG admit card 2025 download link and natboard hall ticket and look for news on Google at the same time.

Are you a young Indian student with a vision of a career that is exciting, where what you say is heard and you get to unravel stories that transform lives? There is no better time now than ever to pursue journalism and mass communication, and APG Shimla University may be the university where you pursue it to turn your passion into a profession.

Why Do Journalism Aspirants Find APG Shimla University Special?

1. Practical Journalism Courses

APG Shimla University has: 

• BA (Hons) in Journalism & Mass Communication (BAJMC): A hands-on four-year course which does not only focus on news writing but on digital media, photography, radio and TV production, promotions, PR and advertising. In your first semester you have an opportunity to work with real equipment and to deliver real stories. 
• MA in Journalism & Mass Communication (MAJMC): It is also a two-year course that refines storytelling, digital tools, and investigative journalism skills in those students who wish to specialize. 
• PhD in Journalism: In case you are interested in making some contribution to the media by doing research and generating new ideas, it is the program you need.
• Certificate Courses: Fast-track specializations in areas such as radio, video editing, content creation, and ad-making that are ideal if you want to enter the industry quickly. 

2. No Dry classes with ONLY theories! 

At APG, one gets the following:

• Full-scale media labs, radio studios and digital editing labs.
• Field reporting, on-site putting on workshops with journalists, being in real newsrooms.
• Internships in large media brand names- get the exposure that makes your resume shine.

3. Expert faculty 

The teachers at APG are experts who have all the valuable knowledge one needs to be at the top of the journalism field. They outline realities in the newsroom, approaches to social media, and the right way to create a great portfolio.

4. Self- Development & Support

Journalism is about confidence and communication. Campus life at APG is vibrant with debates, festivals and media clubs being run by students, you will not feel out of the loop. Have a question? You always have mentors and peers willing to help you. 

5. Value-for-Money to Students

The journalism studies at APG University is of world standards and affordable to Indian families. It would not cost you your dreams in exchange of money because of scholarships and the possibility of paying in terms of installment.

Why is APG Shimla University the popular destination of successful young journalists?

• Practical learning not just theoretical . 
• By the time you graduate, you have networked within the industry.
• You develop the competence to work at any location: in the newspaper, television, YouTube, digital media, social campaigns, or PR.
• The beautiful and safe campus of Shimla will mean you can concentrate on studies and creativity.

APG Shimla University knows the aspirations, needs, and queries of the Indian students. In this case, you are not another number in a roll, but a future journalist whose voice can change something. The practical and mentoring-based training ensures you grow both as a media professional and as an individual, ready to take on the rapidly evolving media field.

All the people who are forensic scientists have obtained a bachelor degree or a master degree in Forensic science or in a subject related to the forensic field such as biology, or chemistry. However,  there are individuals who have gotten into the field by means of different paths other than formal education, like thorough training programs, certifications, volunteer work, or employment in criminal justice positions allied to this one.

Steps to Become a Forensic Scientist without a Degree 

1. Certifications and Courses Accreditation

Although it is common to have a college degree, there are organizations, as well as, other independent institutes which provide certification courses in specialised areas of forensic science such as International Forensic Science (IFS) India, NFSU, etc

Crime scene investigation courses, fingerprint analysis courses, digital forensics courses or laboratory courses (online and offline) can enhance your basic knowledge and improve your resume when applying to an entry-level or assistant position.

2. Enter via Related Criminal Justice Work Other jobs 

Most criminal justice careers, like security guard, or police dispatcher, or a loss prevention specialist, are entrant-level jobs and do not usually require a degree and can expose you to investigations and handling evidence.

There are some police employers that accept people who have not had a degree to take up work in the force and after they are employed they are taken through on-the-job training where they are exposed to a little of forensics. With time, one can be appointed to specialized evidence technician or CSI assistant jobs.

3. Intern, Work as an Assistant or Volunteer

It is essential to obtain working experience. See opportunities to do internships, volunteer projects or become a junior in a forensic lab, police evidence room or similar. Part-time or no-pay jobs as well can assist you to create a network and a vocational base that will be sought by recruiters.

4. Networking and Professional associations

Take forensic science workshops, conferences, webinars, and seminars -even as a non-degree student.

Becoming a member of a professional association or online communities also would enable you to find mentors, get updated about job opportunities, and what is happening to the field.

5. Acquisition of Technical Skills

In forensic work, expertise in evidence processing, chemistry, analytical equipment is essential, especially when based in a lab. Employers will respect hands-on technical training and you can have that experience even outside of formal academia as long as you prove you are skilled and responsible.

In the case of digital forensics, learning on your own and certification by the industry (e.g. CompTIA Security+, EnCase Certified Examiner, etc.) may at times provide an entry-level employment opportunity.

Why have Realistic Expectations?

The work of a forensic scientist is highly technical and responsible and as such most metaphysical forensic scientist jobs in India and in other countries demand at least a bachelor level degree. Nonetheless, exceptions are possible, at least in support, in house laboratories, or in innovative development of new kinds of forensic technologies (e.g. in digital forensics). 

Other successful forensics professionals begin with a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice or policing and proceed to become specialized through special training, promotions within the agency, and brief studies.

The Key Steps to Start Your Journey

• Take as many online or short-term forensic science programs as possible.
• Pay attention to mastering practical work in a field of interest (crime scene investigation, lab analysis, digital forensics, and others).
• Find part-time employment or volunteer internships to get practical experience.
• Look to obtain industry certifications and make sure you continue your knowledge with trends and technologies. 
• Build a network by associating in related forums, industry events, and through contacting the professionals.

Without regular college education, one can become a forensic science expert if they have the skills. Practical experience, certification, and abilities are all vital in the field, and it places great importance upon them. Even without a degree, one can make a way in forensic science provided they are passionate, determined, and active in their learning and networking.

Note: Do the research on the ins and outs of the minimum qualifications of the desired jobs: some employers and some regions have different requirements

Following the arrest of an assistant professor on a charge of sexually exploiting a girl student, Gangadhar Meher University put out an announcement asking students to desist from spreading false information or identifying people on social media or group sites.

In a formal advisory on Friday evening, the university requested students not to speculate or post unwarranted content on the case. "Since the case has been directly reported to the police, we do not have details of names of individuals except for the prime accused. Naming any individual, speculating and posting unverified information could cause harm to individuals and also to the institution," the notice read.

The students were instructed to stay clear of rumours and internet speculation and concentrate on studies and the developmental activities of the university.

The latest advisory of the university seems intended to check misinformation as administrative and legal proceedings take their course. This is exactly a day after the university's internal complaints committee (ICC) called for an emergency meeting to discuss campus safety following the arrest.

The meeting resulted in a series of institutional actions including advisories to faculty members regarding professional behavior, hostel awareness campaigns, issuance of informational leaflets and periodic monitoring of ICC activities. Contact information of ICC members was also released by the university so that students with difficulties could find access easily.

Conversely, in the backdrop of the ongoing probe into the behavior of the accused assistant professor, there is a growing need to probe his background and validity of his appointment at the university. After the accused teacher was appointed at GMU in 2020, he had been challenged by one Sambhu Sankar Deep of Balangir in the high court. Deep accused that while he possessed a PhD and the accused was only NET-qualified, the latter had been appointed as assistant professor - indicating a procedural fault.

The arrest of the assistant professor has also fomented a political spat on the campus, with the ABVP accusing Suna of having connections to the BCJD. The student group pointed to his earlier social media posts containing BJD leaders and BCJD members as proof.

Accused Gopikant Suna (32), assistant professor of the department of Education, was arrested on July 17 on the complaint of a 20-year-old second-year BA BEd student who accused the teacher of repeatedly exploiting her on the pretext of marrying her. Suna has also been suspended pending further proceedings.

A 19 year old teen in Bangalore was arrested for uploading secretly filmed, objectionable videos of women to instagram. This is a concerning case that has raised serious discussions of social media impact, privacy issues, and seeking popularity online.  

What Actually Happened?

The accused, Dilavar Hussain MD, was an Instagram user and ran a page called Dilbar Jaani-67.  He recorded women without their permission in open places such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, Koramangala and Indiranagar. The uploaded videos were posted with the hashtag, ‘Bangalore Night Life', which was reportedly meant to grab the attention and the curiosity of the users of social media.

Hussain, a food delivery agent born in Manipur, has posted over 14 of such videos within three months. The information came to the notice of the police through routine surveillance and within record time a complaint was booked against the pernicious trend under the Information Technology Act, Section 67 that punishes the publication or transmission of obscene material through computer resources.

Social media and the cult of followers

The era of the digital age experienced a generation of content creators overstepping ethical lines to gain Internet notoriety:

1. Popularity and Peer pressure: Attaining followers has now become a show of status, which encourages people to go to very extreme measures in the name of sharing something trending.
2. Algorithm Rewards: The algorithms of any social media are inclined to reward the sensational or controversial post with more access and visibility, in case the post is inappropriate.
3. Anonymity and Easy Access: The convenience of anyone to record and share the contents of their mobile devices combined with the perception of anonymity encourages individuals to violate privacy regulations.
4. Attention Economy: Likes, share, and follow are now considered a sort of digital money, which in most cases can be above legal or moral issues.

Real-World Consequences

Legal action is swift, as seen in this case, with the police acting on their own without waiting for a victim's complaint. Arrests and FIRs disrupt the lives of the accused but also creates a powerful deterrent signal to potential criminals. Victims may feel distress and lose trust in public spaces.

Increasing trend: Street Life Content / Night Life Content

This sharing of videos that shows the city night life also referred to as street life is usually done at the cost of one person and this has caught pace on social sites. Hashtags and tendencies, such as #NightLifeBangalore is meant to feed the curiosity of the digital audiences, yet, there are certain cases when it crosses a line between amusement and invasion.

Bengaluru Police Response 

• The Ashok Nagar Police are keeping vigil on social media and acting against these online crimes.
• During this case, law enforcement officials immediately asked Instagram to delete the offensive profile.
• These are similar arrests that have been conducted in the recent past showing effective law enforcement.

Social Media responsibility is important

The case is a lesson that seeking online fame should never trump the concern of privacy and legality. What happened in Bengaluru is not an isolated event, but it is a turning point when the online community needs to take a hard look at the content that is regarded and promoted. Saving face of the people and the community is still more significant than popular hashtags or a viral status. 

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) has issued a much-awaited  notification of Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, sparking preparations in the nation to appear in this most popular MBA entrance examination. Find here all the information about CAT 2025- its important dates, eligibility, the process of registration and required documents, and of course, the latest updates.

CAT 2025 Important Dates

• Release Date of Notification: July 27, 2025
• Registration Start Date: 01 August 2025
• Deadline: September 13, 2025
• Availability of Admit Card: November 5, 2025
• Exam Date: November 30, 2025
• Expected result: January 2026, first week

Registration Fee

Eligibility Criteria 

• Education qualification: a bachelors degree in any field from a recognised university.
• Minimum Marks: 50% (General), 45% (SC/ST/PwD).
• Final Year Students: Need to prove they are eligible at time of admission.
• Professional Degrees: The holders of CA, CS, ICWA degrees can apply.
• No Age Bar: There is no age bar or maximum limit of attempts of CAT exam. 

The Registration Process of CAT 2025

• Visit iimcat.ac.in 
• Click on New Registration
• Enter your email, phone number, personal information, check contact info
• Fill out application form by putting in academic and personal info, attach files
• Complete fees payment through either crediit/debit card, net banking or UPI
• Click on Submit Form and download the completed form.

Required Documents

• Marksheet of Class 10 and Class 12 in Scanned copies
• Graduation Marksheet or the latest results (in case of final year students)
• Photo ID 
• Passport-size photograph
• Category certificate (SC/ST/PwD/OBC as the case may be)
• Work experience (if applicable)
• Certificate of institution (final year candidates)

Exam Day and Admit Card

1. The admit card will be available on the official portal for downloading between November 5 and November 30, 2025.
2. Get the admit card printed and bring it to the exam hall. 
3. CAT 2025 will be held in 3 shifts at 170+ test centers across India. 
4. The test comprises multiple-choice questions and non-MCQ within 3 sections that are VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Ability.

Why take CAT 2025? 

A good CAT score is the key to 21 IIMs and more than 1,300 B-schools in India. CAT is the most important test in the country since it is used by the institutes such as FMS, MDI, SPJIMR and IMT in the admissions of MBA programs. 

Quick Tips

• Register as early as you can so you do not run into technical problems at the last minute.
• Post legible and precise files. 
• Final submission of details should be verified twice. 
• Study the sample papers and mock tests on the latest pattern to prepare the exam.

In conclusion, CAT 2025 has emerged as the primary gateway of any aspirant in India wishing to earn an MBA degree at one of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and more than 1,300 business schools located in the country. Quality management education, good faculty members and high salaries in job placements present themselves as opportunities which can be availed by enrolling in CAT 2025.

An effective CAT score will change your career and help you grab a space in the high-end institutes which will sketch a great future ahead in business and leadership. To every graduate who wants to grow, be recognized, and with a good career orientation, then CAT 2025 is the beginning of your management dreams. This is the time to pursue MBA and bag a better salary. 

To verify the eligibility, important dates and application instructions, refer to the official CAT web site: iimcat.ac.in. If you are taking CAT 2025, begin your CAT preparation with the apt information and attention! 

With increasing use of technology in the financial world, management students are at crossroads, remaining in the old recipe of finance or exploding into the new world of financial engineering. The solution lies obvious- B.Tech in Finance will be your ticket to a secure tomorrow. To succeed in the competitive job market of 2026, this is your ideal degree. Here are the 5 reasons why B.Tech aspirants should opt for this degree. 

1. Future-proof Career

The financial industry is not as it once was. Fintech through blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital payments is changing the rules. Experts in the industry predict that by 2026, the fintech landscape in India is set to explode exponentially, and those well versed in both finance and technology are in high demand. This B.Tech in Finance provides you with that very kind of hybrid expertise, making you stand out in working in digital banking, investment technology, and blockchain projects.

2. Open the Door to High-Wage High-Value Employment

The days when finance was merely number crunching are gone. Finance professionals today are strategists, wizards of data, and innovators. As quantitative analysts, fintech product managers, or risk assessors, who use AI insights, B.Tech Finance graduates earn enviable pay packages beginning at 4 lakhs per year, or more, and scale fast. These positions present more fulfilling careers and more responsibility to the aspirants possessing management skills.

3. A Curriculum that Prepares for the Future 

The best B.Tech Finance courses include practical experience with live financial cases, internships in major banks and fintech companies as well as practical projects on the latest advanced analytics platforms. This will guarantee that you are graduating not only with theory but in a package of skills employers are looking to hire including financial modeling, risk analytics, and fintech innovation. Such practical preparation is all one needs to have a better career in an AI-driven era. 

4. Global Passport for career across the globe

Finance is universally disbursed and so are the B.Tech graduate opportunities. Multinational corporations are shelling out at financial technology and sustainable finance, as well, so your expertise can take you as far as Mumbai to New York, London to Singapore. This is your passport in case you have had international exposure aspirations and cross-border projects in mind. On top of that, you have the flexibility to transition to more things such as blockchain consulting or ESG finance management, and your life in the field of finance is limitless.

5. Forefront of Business Innovation

Those who know how to blend technology know-how with management expertise stand a chance of better things in the future. The B.Tech in Finance graduates are well-positioned to spearhead automation, AI-based regulatory compliance, and new-age banking models such as embedded finance. In the new world where ESG factors and digital currencies will no longer be an option but a necessity, your capacity to be a force behind innovation will render you indispensable.

In short, choosing a B.Tech in Finance in 2026 means stepping into a role where technology empowers finance, and innovation drives growth. This degree can also provide clarity of purpose to management students who would like to see relevance, profits, and influence in their lives.  So, stop being skeptical about pursuing a course in finance, and take the first  step  towards a fulfilling career with GMCAT (Global Management Common Aptitude Test). 

India is experiencing a dramatic change in education and it is being driven by a new generation of students who want more than mere academic achievement; they want to follow professionally meaningful career pathways that can lead them to the new business world. The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) is proving to be an important contemporary learning pathway that best narrows the interval between school-based learning and purposeful readiness into the vocational arena especially among students studying in 11th and 12th standards in India.

The IBCP is a post-16 program that is designed for students aged 16-19 years old. Contrary to the traditional academic streams based on textbook learning, the IBCP is based on the combination of core academic subjects with practical, career future-oriented courses and practical experience. This alternative structure empowers students to transform their school years into a strong springboard for their future, rather than a mere stepping stone.

The central philosophy of IBCP focuses on the needs of students within the dynamic environment based on a flexible approach to learning. They take electives in career-relevant subjects, such as Sports Management and Data Science and design, and artificial intelligence, among others, combined with IB diploma subjects that give them solid theoretical knowledge. With this combination, there is a balance between a high level of academic knowledge and the acquisition of critical skills like teamwork, creativity, and communication; something required by employers today.

One of the significant events that made IBCP more popular in India is its acceptance by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The IBCP diploma issued by AIU has also been equated to the Indian boards such as CBSE and ICSE qualifications at 12 th grade. This recognition facilitates IBCP graduates with barrier-free entry to Indian Universities and professional programmes in engineering, commerce, law and others and allows entry to the top Indian higher academic establishments of the land.

Living in a time of blistering technological advancement and a constantly shifting professional environment, IBCP students begin their university education not just with ready subject-specific knowledge, but also a variety of internship and project-based experiences. These experiences ingrain research skills, ethical decision-making, and problem-solving through teamwork, and allows them to enter into and contribute to academia and work life at once. The Indian universities are now appreciating the IBCP graduates as being career smart individuals- who are intellectually and practically ready for the future problems.

Most importantly, the IBCP values and develops individuality of the students. The programme promotes curiosity, resilience, and self-confidence, enabling its graduates to transform their diverse dreams into concrete realities. Whatever their ambitions, whether they want to run a 21st-century startup, perform in creative sectors, or specialize in emerging technology, an IBCP qualification will equip them to succeed in business and markets both at home and abroad. 

The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme is a great option to consider by aspirants who seek education to be more than preparation; they wish that there is a cohesive, concrete, direction that would carry them, assuredly through the earned educational life and into promising professions. It is an assurance that the transition between school and career development should not be a blind jump into the void but a well calculated move into the future.

 Every student planning a career in design faces an imperative decision when it comes to selecting the right institute.  As the design industry in India is transforming in ways unimagined and has high demands of skilled professionals in areas such as fashion, product, interior, graphic and animation design, it is worth noting that private design institutes are offering better curriculum that are industry as well as future-relevant. 

Growth and Diversity in Private Design Education

India has more than 1,200 private design colleges all over the country which propose various different courses starting with a diploma up to PhD and includes all the specialisations possible, fashion, interior, visual communication, product, UX/UI etc. The best ranking design institutes are the Unitedworld Institute of Design (UID) at Karnavati University, Woxsen School of Arts and Designs, Pearl Academy, Amity School of Fashion Technology and Apeejay Institute of Design, Avantika University among others. A large number of these institutes are known to be teaching quality, good industry contact and possessed current infrastructure.

Admission, Eligibility and Flexibility

Most of the design colleges in different cities privately have lenient admission courses. Competitive tests such as the NID DAT, AIDAT, UCEED or CEED are par the course with government run institutions, yet entrance tests by other institutions, or acceptance of portfolios exist in many non-government colleges, and are thus available to a broader range of creative students. Students upon completion of class 12 have the option to go-ahead with UG diplomas, BDes, and even short term certification courses and Master to DPH levels are simplified. It is a great advantage since students who study a specific direction or stream of study are rather flexible.

Industry Linkages and Course Offerings

The best private institutes often have strong ties with the industry to make sure that programs taught are up to date and relevant. The students are exposed to live projects, internships, and guest sessions with the best designers. As an example, Pearl Academy offers industry-specific-training and offers placement packages of 17 LPA to 20.2 LPA, and has a database of recruiters of top design, technology and fashion companies. Another leading top player with a different specialisation, Strate School of Design, has placement averages of INR 10 LPA, with specialisations in subjects such as Product, Transportation, and Interaction Design.

International Exposure, Teaching and Infrastructure

Among the features of the private design colleges that one can note is a fact that the campuses are modern and well-equipped. The recent lab structure, studios and digital equipment give students the advantage and in most instances, international partnerships and exchange programs, and experience among faculty. World University of Design, Pearl Academy or Srishti Manipal are some of the design schools, which are associated with top global design schools, thus providing their students a larger exposure and opportunities.

Fees, Affordability and Scholarships.

One of the major issues would be fee structure. Tuition fee is usually higher in private designing institutes than in government colleges. A four-year degree course under the field of BDes may cost between INR 12 lakhs (World University of Design) and more than INR 26 lakhs (Strate School of Design). Nevertheless, such institutes do offer merit based and other financial help to meritorious candidates, which many times lend the much needed affordability to such prospective students.

Position of Records and Career Perspectives

Top private design colleges have placement up their sleeves. Most of them claim very good placement percentages, with alliances in top organizations within the worlds of fashion, e- commerce, IT, and creative industries. Institutes such as Pearl Academy, UID also have placement cells and students get placed in well-established national and international brands. 

Drawbacks to consider of Private Design Institute in India

Although the private design colleges do have great appeal due to their large scale, infrastructure, and flexibility, doing homework on a particular institute is important. Not every institution is as good at what it does; the accreditation, credentials of the faculty, placement, and alumni results are to be verified personally for correct info. Moreover, the students need to pay a hefty fee as compared to that of a government college. 

To students with a creative mind, those who want flexibility in the admission procedure, and those students who want exposure to the industry, it can be ideal to attend the private institutes of design in India, on the condition that they are thorough in their research. By qualifying AIDAT, aspirants can be eligible to get admission at Top design colleges. In addition, top private colleges provide contemporary education, sound placement, as well as good industry affiliations, making them ideal for design aspirants in India. Be wise, and choose as per your needs.

The paramedical profession is a highly popular profession particularly in India. Students are opting-in to an amazing future proof career in the field of medicine and health that rewards them both financially and career-wise, without the need of MBBS and sometimes NEET. As the population of the country is growing and the latest studies reveal that in the coming future old people will be more than youths, the health sector will play a big role and more professionals will be needed on a regular basis. 

Paramedical careers are also expected to guarantee employment stability and competitive remuneration during the next few years. As a student, if you have thought of joining the realm of paramedicals but don’t want to put in years into MBBS or pursuing a dream of being a doctor or nurse, here is a list of the six best jobs that you can make a bright and stable career out of.

The Reason to Select a Paramedical Career?

There are many healthcare paramedical courses that one can pursue if he/she has a keen interest in the healthcare field. Here are some of the reasons why paramedical career can be a better choice in 2025 and beyond in India: 

1. Large Requirement: The Indian healthcare sector is growing and there are lakhs of jobs in this industry through the public and private sector so there is a huge requirement of skilled paramedics.
2. Shorter term programs: Most of the paramedical programs are of 1-3 years which means one can join the workforce faster as compared to the MBBS or BDS degree.
3. Variety of opportunities: Paramedical careers go to the hospitals, laboratories, rehabilitation centres, emergency, and even research and global health.
4. Competitive salary packages: Entry salaries are competitive and potentials exist to be promoted either with experience and source of knowledge.

1. Medical Laboratory Technician (MTL)

Role & Scope

As people in diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, medical laboratory technicians are critical. They have primarily the work to take and analyse a sample of blood, urine or other body fluids by means of modern devices.

• Reason of Demand: The high rate of increase in presence of diagnostic, hospitals and knowledge of preventive care has enhanced the demand of the laboratory technicians.
• Places of work: Diagnostics, pathology centres, research laboratories, government and privately owned hospitals.

Eligibility & Course

• Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT)
• Bachelor of Science in MLT.

Salary Range: 

• Entry-level: 2.5-3.5 lakh per annum (LPA)
• Experienced: 4-7 LPA

2. Physiotherapist

Role & Scope

Physiotherapists assist patients who need physical recovery, alleviation of pain, and increase of mobility following the injury, operation, or chronic illness. They are mostly required at hospitals, sports centres, and rehab centres.

• Reason of demand: Rise in sports injuries as well as orthopedic counter parts and lifestyle related ailments such as arthritis and paralysis.
• Work location: Hospitals, sports, personal clinics and local health centres.

Eligibility & Course

certificate in Physiotherapy or Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT).

Salary

1. Entry-level: 2.5-3LPA
2. Experience: 5-10 LPA
3. Radiology and Imaging Technician

Role & Scope

Radiology & Imaging Technologists work with an imaging machine like an X-ray, CT scanner and MRI, to diagnose diseases and injuries. They collaborate with physicians to project and identify the health issues of the patient correctly.

Reason  of Demand: Increasing number of diagnostic centres, emerging number of hospitals, improvement in medical imaging technology and more disease detection by use of scans.

Work location: Hospitals, diagnostic centres and radiology labs.

Eligibility & Course

B.Sc. radiology and Imaging technology or Diploma Radiology.

Salary

1. Entry-level 3-4.5 LPA
2. Experienced: 6-8 LPA

4. Operation Theatre (OT) Technician

Role & Scope

OT Technicians have a duty of helping surgeons during, after, and before the surgical procedures. They are involved in preparing operation theatre, sterilization of equipment and assisting with giving anesthesia.

• Reason of Demand: Increasing cases of surgeries, rising number of hospitals, Shortage of skilled staff in critical care settings.
• Places of work: Households, hospitals, surgery centres, specialty clinics.

Eligibility & Course

• Diploma in operation theatre technologies or
• B.Sc. in OT technologies.

Salary Range 

1. Entry-level: 1-3LPA
2. Experienced: 3-5.5 LPA

5. Emergency Medical Technician ( EMT )

Role & Scope

EMTs offer first respondent medical attention during an emergency, including accidents and heart attacks. They are found working in ambulances, trauma centres, and hospitals so that the necessary and speedy care is provided to the patient prior to them getting to the hospital.

Reason of Demand: Increase in need of ambulance services, 24x 7 emergency medical care and government concern about improving the trauma care, particularly after the pandemic.

Work places: Ambulances services, emergency departments, relief teams in case of disaster.

Eligibility & Course

Certificate or diploma in Emergency medical technician course.

Salary Range 

1. Freshers level: 2-3.5 LPA
2. Experience: No more than 5 LPA with fast career expansion opportunities.

6. Optometrist

Role & Scope

Optometrists test and analyze the issues connected with the eyes and prescribe corrective tools. They deal with vision, health care and prevention practice.

• Reason of Demand: The growth of eye disorders caused by the use of the screen, an aging population, and the creation of awareness on vision care.
• Work location: Eye hospitals and clinics, optical stores, non government organizations, eye care chains.

Eligibility & Course

B.Sc Optometry

Salary Range

• Entry-level: 3 LPA-4 LPA
• Experience: 5-8 LPA

Bright Career ahead of Paramedical Students in 2025 and Beyond

In India, the demand of paramedical professionals will exceed 2.5 million by 2030, and thus they are one of the safest and vital divisions of the healthcare sector. Under the current drive by the government to increase the healthcare infrastructure, the list of career choices will grow, not only in major cities; market opportunities will come right here to you in tier-2 and rural zones as well. Furthermore, paramedical professions are not only lucrative, but also rewarding as they make the individuals more respected people and think they are making a contribution to society.

To conclude, the career as a paramedical professional is a stable, growing career with good earning potential and an opportunity to change the lives of the patients. So,students seeking practical jobs that involve stable income with societal importance, and one who is empathetic and cares about job security, any of the 6 options will allow you to create a stable and satisfying career for yourself. You can always pursue a subject in which you are interested and have an ability in but you can be assured that all these will be highly demanded and relevant in the years to come.

Social media platforms have transformed the process of connection, communication, and information consumption among people. In this era of more than 5.2 billion people around the world being active on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and other newer platforms, the argument is leaning towards its constructive aspect and reaching to its alarming level. New studies such as: The Impact of Social Media on Society: A Systematic Literature Review, are shining their light on the two sides of this digital disruption.

The Main Objectives and the Approach of the Review

The review is systematic and examines hundreds of the peer-reviewed studies that have been published in the past ten years. Following the PRISMA guide (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), the authors narrowed down and combined the strongest aspects of evidence regarding the online activities and the implications of social media sites. The main areas of focus are psychological well-being and social relationships, ethical considerations and digital literacy.

Key Findings: Psychological, Social, and Behavioral effects

1. Community Building and Social Connectivity

The research confirms the fact that social media promotes connectivity since it destroys geographical boundaries and assists in the formation of global communities. Social media networks such as X (previously Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook have enabled individuals to sustain long distance relationships, connect with people with identical ideas and even organize themselves around social issues. The social interaction and community engagement have changed as well, and a lot of users note that they became more aware of social problems and got involved in an activist or disaster relief initiative.

2. Psychological Effects: 

One of the key topics is a complicated psychological effect, positive as well as negative.

Numerous publications raised the alarm about the increase in such problems as anxiety, depression, social comparison, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and young users to a greater extent and adolescents. Nevertheless, there are also the contrary results: substantial numbers of socially isolated older adults say that they feel less lonely and that their emotional support increased due to online communities. Also, features like the likes, shares, and followers can be also the cause of addictive behaviors and influence self-esteem and regulation of time. 

3. Variation in the patterns of communication and privacy.

In the paper, significant changes in communication patterns are recorded and the way that an instant digital dialogue rather than traditional encounters is becoming a trend.

The issues of privacy have reached bubble proportions: over 80 percent of participants of a recent study are concerned with the misuse of personal data and exposure to cyberbullying, as well as the difficulty of digital consent.

The new modes of self-representation and identity production are being established, yet it usually comes at the expense of being online-troubled and cyberbullied.

4. Ethical and Security Problems

The growth of social media has induced new ethical dilemmas. The findings of the research are:

• The massive circulation of fake news, hate speech, privacy infringement, and the absence of identically applicable digital ethics generate cynicism as well as perplexity among users. 
• The security concerns have been steadily increasing including hacking and doxxing and demand of tough legal construct and technical solutions to protect the users.

5. Demographics and Platform Diversity

The most serious psychological and behavioral impact of social media is demonstrated by young adults (18-30). This relationship means the more you use the more prone it is to adverse effects but the more susceptible to improving positive gains, that is, agility in the digital world.

Platform differences count. Image-based networks such as Instagram and TikTok are more influential at an effect on body image and rivalry among their peers, whereas the preference among older generations is to interact using WhatsApp and Facebook to achieve social contact.

As per recent meta-analyses, gender or level of education does not contribute a great deal to overturn the overall positive or negative effects  of social media.  

2025 Real-Time Trends

1. India is first in the number of new sign-ups and total minutes spent by a user with regional language being a key driver of usage.
2. Personalized feeds timed by an algorithm strengthen the trend of echo chambers that further compound the confirmation bias and end up speeding up the process of fake news propagation.
3. Policy in different parts of the world are reflecting digital literacy education, digital protection control, and enhanced media verification features. 

The study concludes prescribing healthy digital future habits. It emphasizes digital literacy and critical thinking at schools and work places, and asks to increase the force of protection against cyber bullying and misuse of data. It also promotes a strategy of screen time balance either during a digital detox or in offline social life it will foster mental health. Lastly it suggests encouraging platforms to come up with better filters, fact-checking and moral user policies.  

All in all, as social media in the 21st century continues to evolve and shape our day to day lives, having digital literacy, ethical use knowledge, and mindful engagement impulse remains vital to reap its benefits while mitigating its challenges for a healthier and more connected society.

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.