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The US Department of Education has formally revoked Biden-era guidance that allowed Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds to be used for some political activities on college campuses. With the new regulations, the money must now be earmarked for work only that offers students actual career experience.

What's different?

Students will not be compensated under FWS for jobs that are related to political or voting activities. These include jobs as poll workers, overseeing voter hotlines, helping out at polling stations, or coordinating rallies—even though the activities were once deemed to be nonpartisan.

"Federal Work Study is intended to give students the chance to gain valuable real-world experience that will help them succeed in the labor market, not as a means of subsidizing political activism on our college and university campuses," said Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent.

Why was the policy reversed?

This ruling unwinds Biden-era guidance that increased the ability of students to engage in civic action through federally funded work.

The new directive complies with Executive Order 14248, Protecting the Integrity of American Elections, and reiterates the Higher Education Act's ban on the use of federal funding for political activity.

New voter registration rules

Colleges are still required to make a "good-faith" effort to provide voter registration forms to qualified students, but no longer need to give forms to persons suspected of being ineligible, like foreign students.

The Department has also encouraged institutions to advise students on voting regulations, including:

US citizens only vote in federal elections.

It is a federal offense to vote more than once or on false pretenses.

Impact on students and colleges

Students who had counted on work-study jobs that were attached to civic activity might have to seek out other jobs or volunteer placements. Schools and universities will need to revise and restart their work-study job listings in order to meet the new standards.

Civic activity programs on campuses, like voter registration drives, will certainly persist but will need new sources of funding outside of FWS appropriations.

Why it matters

Institutions are to institute these changes at once and ensure students know which jobs are still eligible under FWS. Colleges also are being urged to seek other means of voter education and civic engagement without federal funding.

The EducationUSA Fair 2025 at Mumbai saw over 35 U.S. accredited schools in person interacting with Indian students interested in studying in the United States. The education fair was held on August 16, the fair was a gateway to pivotal information on admissions, scholarships, visa application, and school planning—enabling aspirants to make informed choices about their higher education futures.

Organized together by EducationUSA—the official US government advisory system—and the US Consulate in Mumbai, the fair had a good number of Indian students looking for undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs. Prestigious institutions like Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and University of Washington participated in the fair.

The highlight was the directness of learning students gained through verbal interaction. Most prominent issues related to prospects for scholarships, course availability, visa longevity, student housing, and long-term career prospects. Students started showing greater interest in emerging fields such as data science, psychology, and business—in addition to traditional STEM fields.

Representatives like Bradley University's Holly Bland praised the figures, noting that Indian students were becoming open to lesser-known but quality schools. "They're not merely fixated on Ivy Leagues—they're interested in value-based educational possibilities," she said.

Visa issues, though, were foremost in mind. University counselors strongly urged early application and suggested that students prepare carefully for visa interviews. Sarah Burke of Canisius University emphasized that students need to be able to show clarity regarding the programs selected, knowledge of the institution, and academic aspirations within a brief three-minute interview.

For students like Lamees Kazi, who wants to pursue a Master's in Structural Engineering, the fair was not an event—it was an experience that decided her choices. "University reps' interactions gave me real clarity on what to expect educationally as well as in terms of costs," she told The Free Press Journal.

The EducationUSA Fair reminded us that successful student engagement—founded on counseling, openness, and academic advising—can actually convert dreams into action

India's K-12 education system is being re-scripted with unprecedented policy reforms that have the potential to transform the way students are preparing for opportunities in India and across the globe, says Ganesh Kohli, founder of IC3 Movement. From NEP 2020 to Maharashtra's plan to transition most government schools into the CBSE syllabus by 2028, the reforms are bringing the level of schooling at the state level to the global level.

Kohli has referred to Maharashtra's action as a shift and not an academic shift. "It's a gateway to change the student experience," he stated in an interview with The Free Press Journal. "This is a unique opportunity to inject structured career and college counselling into the DNA of our schools." Maharashtra's CBSE switch and the gap in counselling: He cited Maharashtra's consistently high suicide rates among students as one that points to the need.

"A vast majority of students, particularly the state's underprivileged enclaves, have no means of even elementary counselling. The CBSE emphasis on wholesome development gives the best opportunity to implement career and college guidance in government schools. Through access to trained instructors, meditation and mindfulness classes, and early exposure to post-schooling opportunities, we can make sure they not only plan their life but also enjoy doing it. This goes with new CBSE directions.". The board launched a Career Guidance Dashboard and Counselling Hub and Spoke model to connect more-resourced 'hub' schools with smaller 'spoke' schools in an effort to improve counselling access. The programs have been seen as a welcome by schools since they fill an age-old gap in student support.

According to Kohli, school counselling models that integrate are becoming increasingly relevant to schools. IC3 Career and College Counselling Laboratory, for instance, allows the NEP emphasis on flexibility and inter-disciplinary learning on a bigger level while supporting students from middle school through graduation. "These frameworks allow students to build self-knowledge, navigate global routes, and make informed decisions—not just at high school graduation, but along the way," he explained.

This is also facilitated by new ideas, like the IC3 school dramas. These are programs that introduce children to a healthy surrounding where they are able to exercise their creativity, socialize with each other, and develop confidence in themselves. These are all aspects which every university in the world is missing. While that, Maharashtra's introduction of new activity- and skills-based Std I textbooks—from local tales and riddles—is revolutionizing the landscape of early learning. Covering 68 foundational skills, they reflect the experience-, context-driven philosophy promoted by the NEP. Aspirations increasing, preparedness lagging: Policy shifts are inducing a change of heart, asserts Kohli. "We're noticing increasingly more and more students wishing to seek higher education internationally.". But whereas ambitions are on the increase, readiness is diverse, he stated.

Curriculum changes like CBSE's modules for skill-based from Class 6 and its recent announcement to introduce open-book exams for Class 9 from 2026-27 are aimed at instilling critical thinking and eliminating rote learning. But Kohli warns that "unless they have trained teachers and counsellors, most students will find it difficult to translate aspiration into action." He also stresses coordination between the government and schools so reform can be achieved. "Policies like the NEP 2020 and state-led reform are constructing an integrated scholastic architecture, but we must accompany them with strong support infrastructure in career guidance, language abilities, and thinking skills."

Kohli is adamant to start early. "When students begin to explore their future in Grade 6, they make room to think, to inquire, and to grow," he said. This, he feels, can level the metropolitan and rural students. CBSE teacher and school leadership capacity building workshops, he continues, is a good step in the right direction, but much needs to be done. "The NEP appeal to introduce career guidance at middle school level is timely. If students in resource-poor areas are adequately exposed and guided, then they are as driven and can pursue global opportunities."

What's next?

Kohli dreams of three straightforward trajectories of policy driving India's schools: More skills-driven education—incorporating vocational and 21st-century skills as a core element of the curriculum. Guidance and college and career guidance as a mandate—with funding and direct instructions for trained school counsellors in all schools. Mental health and wellbeing—more than hype and publicity campaigns to systematic interventions like mindfulness training, peer counselling, and trained staff to help. "These reforms, if implemented with success, will not merely make Indian students pass with the educational qualifications but with the life skills to compete on a global platform," Kohli asserted.

Symbiosis International (Deemed University) declared the opening of the application process of Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test 2025, a national level entrance test for MBA. The payment window and SNAP 2025 registration window were opened on August 1 and will be closed on November 20. Three test dates will give the Computer-Based Test (CBT), and students can try the test three times at best. The highest score will be utilized in MBA admission. Results are to be announced on January 9 on the official website--snaptest.org.

Candidates are requested to check eligibility criteria on the official website before registration. Shortlisted candidates must possess a bachelor's degree from any national importance university/institution with at least 50 per cent marks (45 per cent marks for SC/ST candidates). Certificate holders of equivalency from foreign qualifications must obtain their equivalence certificate issued by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

SNAP 2025: Test Dates

-- SNAP Test 01: December 6, 2025 (Saturday)

--SNAP Test 02: Sunday, 14th December 2025

--SNAP Test 03: Saturday, 20th December 2025

SNAP 2025: Admit Card Release

--SNAP 01: Friday, 28th November 2025

--SNAP 02: Monday, 8th December 2025

--SNAP 03: Monday, 15th December 2025

SNAP 2025 will be conducted at 79 test centers across India with four-option objective-type questions. There will be a 25% negative marking for every wrong response. The fee of registration will be Rs 2,250 per attempt with an additional fee of Rs 1,000 per programme. The final selection process (merit listing) will be based on a composite score computed as a function of:

--SNAP Score (normalized to 50 marks)

--Group Exercise (10 marks)

--Personal Interaction (40 marks)

SNAP Test is the gateway to MBA courses at: SIBM Pune, SICSR, SIMC, SIIB, SCMHRD, SIMS, SIDTM, SCIT, SIOM, SIHS, SIBM Bengaluru, SSBF, SIBM Hyderabad, SSSS, SIBM Nagpur, SIBM NOIDA, and SSCANS.

What happens after the results?

Shortlisted candidates will have to go through group exercise and personal interaction (GE-PI) after declaration of results:

– Shortlisting of a single candidate in the Symbiosis MBA admission process (GE-PI) for future admissions based on overall SNAP percentile. The candidates would need to search for respective Institute website for notices and GE-PI schedule.

The subsequent admission process is conducted separately for every MBA programme by every Institute. Shortlisting cut-off also calculates separately for each programme. Based on her/his SNAP overall percentile, one particular candidate could be shortlisted for several programmes. If that is the case, then the candidate will have to go through the GE-PI for every programme separately.

An Assamese girl from Assam, 21-year-old Arani S Hazarika, has become the first Assamese to graduate in Sanskrit and Classical Hindi from Oxford University. She graduated on August 9 with a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford's ceremonial auditorium.Hazarika studied at Balliol College under the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

Arani's program combined Sanskrit with Classical Hindi, with touches on language structure, literature, and historical texts. University records, according to her family, also indicate she is the first Assamese student to graduate from Oxford with a BA in Sanskrit. Her father, Partha Pratim Hazarika, an old journalist from Guwahati, confirmed the distinction. "As per available records, this is for the first time an Assamese has graduated in Sanskrit from Oxford," he said.

Arani reached Oxford soon after her Class 12 board exams.

She was awarded a place on the university's BA Sanskrit course and received the Simon and June Li Undergraduate Scholarship for high-achieving students from underrepresented groups. She began the course in October 2022.

For her PhD, Hazarika focused her thesis on the standardization of a 15th-century Sanchi manuscript of the Dakshinpat Satra in Majuli, which is one of the main Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam.

The assignment involved rigorous examination of the language features, writing style, and problems of preservation of the manuscript.

Her own academic success has earned her an invitation to remain at Oxford for a Master's degree in the same field. She has decided to enroll for her MA from Balliol College under the same department at the end of 2025. 

Arani's achievement is an exception of global recognition for regional origin. Sanskrit, though an ancient language, continues to be taught at foreign universities as part of general courses in linguistics, philosophy, and ancient literature.

The Oxford Sanskrit programme has trained scholars from around the world, but Hazarika's admission and graduation position Assam among them.

For the scholarly sphere of Assam, the milestone will surely encourage more students to turn to specialized subjects and pursue them at the world's best institutes. It also points a finger towards the possibility of Assamese literary and cultural history research in international forums.

Hazarika's transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies at Oxford is another part of the story. Until now, her graduation provides a benchmark for other state and Northeast students aspiring to combine indigenous scholarship with global platforms.

Few tales move quicker in Silicon Valley than the one about a billionaire offer and someone who is silly enough to say no. Such is what went down when Andrew Tulloch, a humble but highly rated Australian computer scientist, rejected an offer from Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company, an offer of as much as $1.5 billion over six years, reports the Wall Street Journal.

But Tulloch's choice was not surprising. It was bolstered by a career of intellectual scholarship, globally leading research, and an education that is the model for AI supremacy. From charting Australia's best school marks to leading the leaderboards at Cambridge, Tulloch's career is one of sustained excellence and deliberate decision. 

By this point, Tulloch had established himself as one of Australia's finest young minds.

Making maths master at Cambridge

Incentivized by a thirst for greater theoretical learning, Tulloch traveled around the world to attend Cambridge University, applying to the extremely competitive Part III of the Mathematical Tripos, commonly accepted as the toughest global postgraduate mathematics course.

At Trinity College, Tulloch received his Master of Mathematical Statistics in statistics and machine learning. 

This blend of natural intelligence, mathematical accuracy, and global training were the precursors to his next AI contribution.

Beyond the written word: Goldman Sachs to OpenAI

Tulloch's career followed as neatly as his studies: driven, goal-focused, and aimed. After a brief stint as a strategist at Goldman Sachs, where he employed quantitative modelling to simulate financial markets, he joined employee ranks at Meta (then Facebook) in 2012.

There, over a period of more than a decade, Tulloch helped build the AI foundations that support Meta's products with key contributions to PyTorch, now one of the most widely used machine learning frameworks globally.

In 2023, Tulloch joined OpenAI, where he contributed to the creation of GPT‑4, GPT‑4o, and other forward-looking reason systems. A year or so down the line, in 2025, he co-founded Thinking Machines Lab with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati: a firm that aims to create transparent, customisable, and secure AI at scale.

When $1.5 billion isn't enough

It wasn't long before Thinking Machines Lab opened that Meta came knocking—in this case, in the form of a aggressive effort to hire Tulloch and his team. WSJ reports that Tulloch was offered an incentive package worth potentially as much as $1.5 billion over six years. That included stock options, bonuses, and long-term incentives.

But Tulloch did not accept. In fact, none of his team members agreed to work at Meta.

Why? To Tulloch, it was always about more than money. The opportunity to create something with meaning, something that he believed would help him achieve his vision of responsible AI, was more important than a billion-dollar check.

Lessons from a billion-dollar rejection

Andrew Tulloch's academic life, ranging from a flawless TER score to leading Cambridge's most rigorous program of mathematics, is not one of prodigal genius. It is one of discipline, curiosity, and looking to the long term.

In a time that is so cut-obsessed, Tulloch's story teaches us that solid foundations in education still count more than ever before. He reminds us that sometimes it is not the largest thing that determines your destiny, but the largest purpose.