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The Naga Students' Federation (NSF), a prominent student organization of the northeast, has strongly opposed the recent orders issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stating that the Indian National Song, Vande Mataram, must be sung or played before the National Anthem at official functions and the same rule should be followed by schools.

"The order that sets down a strict order of precedence and, importantly, extends it to schools, is an imposition that disregards the historical, political, and cultural realities of the Naga people." While NSF is aware of the constitutional framework of the Indian State, including Article 51A(a), we categorically assert that no authority can compel cultural or ideological conformity upon the Naga homeland in a manner that disregards our unique history and identity,” the NSF said in a release issued on Friday.

The Union home ministry, in a 10-page order issued on January 28, mandated that a six-stanza-long, 3 minutes and 10 seconds version of Vande Mataram be played or sung at a raft of official occasions, including during the unfurling of the Tricolour, arrival of the President at events, before and after her speeches and addresses to the nation, and before and after the arrival and speeches of governors. The ministry note also gives a list of events and places where the song may be played, including in school assemblies.

“In all schools, the day’s work may begin with community singing of the national song. School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the national song, national anthem and promoting respect for the national flag among students,” the order said.

The NSF maintained that the Centre’s specific instruction that the day’s work in schools may begin with the community singing of Vande Mataram, coupled with directions to "popularize" the National Song and National Anthem, is concerning.

The statement said: "The NSF formally cautions against holding any such activities that compel the singing or playing of Vande Mataram before Jana Gana Mana in schools throughout the Naga homeland."

It appealed to the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) for not publishing any circulars, notifications, or instructions that enforce this protocol within the board's jurisdiction.

Also, the federation warned school managements and officials that if such instructions go up to them to be implemented, they should not do it neither in letter nor in spirit just by passing the stakeholders and without understanding the local situation.

Three motorcycle- borne assailants allegedly opened fire at a final, year undergraduate student of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Saturday night while he was with a friend at the entrance of his hostel. Subsequently, the students protested at the hostel gate and road blockade, calling for stringent action against the attackers as well as the warden and others for allegedly neglecting the safety of the campus.

The victim, Roshan Mishra, 26, who escaped uninjured, claimed that he was able to evade by running inside the Birla A Hostel, where he lives. It was after the firing incident that the other hostel inmates came out, but the attackers had already fled the spot, the police said.

“Mishra handed over four empty cartridges that were allegedly used in the firing at him. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused,” said Raj Kumar Sharma, Station House Officer of Lanka police station.

The police suspect that the incident occurred due to a clash for supremacy within the university, and believe that the attack on Mishra was a fallout of an old dispute between two groups.

On receiving information about the protest, university officers and police personnel rushed to the spot. The blockade was lifted after the authorities assured the students that appropriate action would be taken

Based on a complaint filed by Mishra, the police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Lanka police station against five people, including current and former students of the university, on charges of attempt to murder.

In his complaint, Roshan Mishra has named three students — Piyush Tiwari, Rishabh, and Tapas — along with two former students, Kshitiz Upadhyay and Abhishek Upadhyay.

During the preliminary inquiry, the police learnt that Mishra had been booked last month for allegedly attacking Piyush Tiwari — one of the accused in the present case — following a dispute. Tiwari had reportedly sustained an injury to his head in that incident.

Bihar has taken a major initiative in changing prisons into centers of rehabilitation and skill development. In 2025 the state was judged the best in the country for the provision of educational and vocational opportunities to inmates.

The home department data revealed that 1, 256 prisoners had registered for Class X and 183 for Class XII through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Besides, 1, 565 inmates were connected to different programmes operated by IGNOU.

It is seen from the data that in 2025, 1, 354 newly incarcerated individuals through IGNOU got engaged in higher education, the state's reformative strategy being one of the factors. Special emphasis was placed on “job-oriented training” to bring prisoners back into mainstream society. Altogether, 3,902 inmates were provided skill training in different trades in the year 2025-26, while 1,443 inmates became technically capable by receiving computer education.

The objective of these initiatives is to ensure that former inmates are able to secure dignified employment after their release and do not return to criminal activities.

In a move to improve the mental and physical well-being of prisoners and reduce stress within jail premises, a five-year agreement was signed with Art of Living across all 59 jails in the state. Also, 69 general physicians and nine specialists were appointed on a contractual basis, while nine clerks were appointed on compassionate grounds during the same period.

Demonstrating sensitivity towards victims of crime, assistance of more than Rs 3 crore is being provided to their families through the Crime Victim Welfare Trust.

Releasing the data in the Bihar assembly during the budget session on Feb 20, home minister Samrat Choudhary said, “Besides the reform process for the jail inmates is underway, the Bihar govt has also adopted a strict stance to rein in notorious criminals. High-security jails would be built on desolate hills for hard-core criminals. There will be no mobile network in these jails.”

He said there would be only one entry-exit route, where security forces would maintain strict surveillance to completely curb the operation of criminal networks from inside prisons. “An open jail will also be established at Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail in Bhagalpur,” he added.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has put out an official announcement informing about a correction window for those who have filled and submitted their online application forms for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026 Session 2.

The announcement, which was put up on the NTA's official website, nta.ac.in, on February 21, 2026, gives a chance to students to correct errors in their submitted application form before the exam.

As per the public notice, the correction window will be available from February 27, 2026, to 11:50 pm on February 28, 2026.

Candidates are requested to carry out all necessary changes within the given time limit, as NTA has unequivocally stated that no further changes will be considered under any circumstances after the window closes.

JEE Main 2026: Who can use the correction facility?

The correction facility is available to two categories of applicants:

Fresh Session 2 candidates — those who applied for JEE (Main) 2026 Session 2 between February 1 and February 25, 2026.

Dual-session candidates — those who had previously registered for Session 1 (between October 31 and November 27, 2025) and subsequently applied for Session 2 as well.

Both groups can log in to the official portal at jeemain.nta.nic.in using their application number and password to access the correction interface.

JEE Main 2026: What can be edited?

NTA has specified a list of fields that candidates may modify during this window. These include:

--Father's or Mother's name (only one of the two can be changed)

--Category — candidates may either change their category or re-upload their category certificate, but not both simultaneously

--Sub-category (PwD) — similarly, candidates may change their sub-category or re-upload the relevant certificate

--Exam city preferences and medium of examination

--Qualification details — including passing year for Class 10 and 12 or equivalent examinations

--Course/Paper choice — candidates may add papers they wish to appear for

--State Code of Eligibility

--Date of Birth

--Gender

--Signature

--Identity details — for candidates who did not use Aadhaar as their identity document

JEE Main 2026: What cannot be changed?

NTA has locked five key fields that cannot be modified under any circumstances. These include the candidate's Aadhaar number, mobile number, email ID, live or uploaded photograph, and certain other core identifiers. Candidates are reminded that these fields were finalised at the time of original registration and are permanently locked.

JEE Main 2026: Fee for Corrections

While the correction facility is accessible free of charge, certain modifications may attract an additional fee. For instance, if a candidate wishes to change their category from a reserved category (SC/ST/PwD/Girls) to General or OBC-NCL, an extra correction fee will be applicable. Any additional charges must be paid online through credit card, debit card, net banking, or UPI at the time of submitting corrections.

JEE Main 2026: How to make corrections

Candidates can follow these steps to use the correction window:

Step 1: Visit the official JEE Main website: jeemain.nta.nic.in

Step 2: Click on the "Correction in Application Form" link on the homepage

Step 3: Log in using your Application Number and Password

Step 4: Navigate to "Manage Form Particulars Correction"

Step 5: Make the required changes in the editable fields

Step 7: Pay any additional fee if applicable. Submit the corrected form and download the updated confirmation page

JEE Main Session 2 Exam DatesThe JEE (Main) 2026 Session 2 examination will take place between April 2 and April 9, 2026. The deadline for submitting an application for Session 2 was February 25, 2026. Candidates whose application forms are accepted after correction will be sent their examination city allotment slips and admit cards through the official portal in due time.

NTA has advised all candidates to check their application details very carefully before the correction window opens, and to double, check all the entries after making the changes because this facility is allowed only once per session. Candidates are also encouraged to keep a regular watch on the official NTA website and the JEE Main portal for any further updates or instructions.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified 32 universities as fake universities operating across the country. Being a statutory body under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, UGC has cautioned students and parents against these universities and also the Commission has stated that degrees awarded by these institutions shall be treated as invalid for both job and further studies.

Interestingly, Delhi tops the list with the highest number of fake universities (12) as per the list released in 2026, followed by Uttar Pradesh (4). After that, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, and West Bengal each had two fake universities. Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan also had one fake university each.

Check full list of fake universities:

Andhra Pradesh

• Christ New Testament Deemed University, #32-32-2003, 7th Lane, Kakumanuvarithoto, Guntur – 522002; Also at: Flat No. 301, Grace Villa Apts., 7/5, Srinagar, Guntur – 522002
• Bible Open University of India, H.No. 49-35-26, N.G.O’s Colony, Visakhapatnam – 530016

Arunachal Pradesh

• Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, 130/A, Secretariat S.O. – 791111

Delhi

• World Peace of United Nations University (WPUNU), No. 201, 2nd Floor, Best Business Park, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, New Delhi – 110034
• Institute of Management and Engineering, 1810/4, 1st Floor, Kotla Mubarakpur
• All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS), Office Kh. No. 608-609, 1st Floor, Sant Kripal Singh Public Trust Building, Near BDO Office, Alipur – 110036
• Commercial University Ltd., Daryaganj
• United Nations University, Delhi
• Vocational University, Delhi
• ADR-Centric Juridical University, ADR House, 8J, Gopala Tower, 25 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
• Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi
• Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, Rozgar Sewasadan, 672, Sanjay Enclave, Opp. GTK Depot – 110033
• Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University), 351-352, Phase-I, Block-A, Vijay Vihar, Rithala, Rohini – 110085
• National Institute of Management Solution, B-1/1, Janakpuri, New Delhi
• Mountain Institute of Management & Technology, 109, Madhuban Building, 55, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110019

Haryana

• Magic & Art University, 308A, Dashmesh Plaza, Mathura Road, Faridabad

Jharkhand

• Daksha University (Vocational and Life Skill Education), Bhaskar Path, New Pundag, Masibari, Ranchi – 834007

Karnataka

• Sarva Bharatiya Shiksha Peeth, Near S.K. Choultry, Devanur Main Road, Vijaya Nagara, Tumkur – 572102
• Global Human Peace University, #1035, 4th Block, Near Golden Heights, Dr. Rajkumar Road, Rajaji Nagar, Bengaluru – 560010

Kerala

• International Islamic University of Prophetic Medicine (IIUPM), Kunnamangalam, Kozhikode – 673571
• St. John’s University, Kishanattam

Maharashtra

• Raja Arabic University, Nagpur
• National Backward Krushi Vidyapeeth, Tadwal, Tal. Akkalkot, District Solapur

Puducherry

• Usha Latchumanan College of Education, T.V. Malai Road, Vazhapadiyar Nagar, Thirukkanur
• Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, No. 186, Thilaspet, Vazhuthavoor Road – 605009

Rajasthan

• Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management, Mansa Chowk, Bhiwadi, District Alwar

Uttar Pradesh

• Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag (Allahabad)
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Achaltal, Aligarh
• Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Bharat Bhawan, Matiyari Chinhat, Faizabad Road, Lucknow – 227105
• Mahamaya Technical University, P.O. Maharishi Nagar, District Gautam Buddha Nagar, Opp. Sector 110, Noida – 201304

West Bengal

• Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata
• Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, 8-A, Diamond Harbour Road, Builtech Inn, 2nd Floor, Thakurpukur, Kolkata – 700063

The Commission stated that these institutions do not hold recognition from either the Central Government or any State Government. Citing Sections 2(f) and 3 of the UGC Act, the notice emphasised that degrees issued by these entities have no legal validity.

Education minister Sunil Kumar said the appointment of teachers is at present the govt’s priority but peons and clerical staffers will also be appointed in schools in the next financial year. He was replying to a question of Goriakothi MLA Deveshkant Singh during the Question Hour in the legislative assembly on Tuesday. Kumar admitted that the posts of principal in schools have also been vacant for a long time.

He said the recruitment for the posts of peon and clerk will be done through the Bihar Staff Selection Commission and a list of vacant posts has been requested from all districts of the state. Kumar said the govt’s priority is to strengthen the administrative system in schools, thereby improving the education system.

Earlier, an opposition MLA said educational and administrative tasks are being affected due to the shortage of clerks in schools as teachers are engaged in maintaining records and other office work.

The minister also announced that an assistant education development officer will be appointed for every 10 panchayats in the state and 935 posts have been created for this purpose. A requisition has been sent to the Bihar Public Service Commission. He was answering the highlighted question by Gayatri Devi.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Pramod Kumar, while replying to Alok Mehta of RJD, said that Bihar is one of the very few states whose air quality, according to the reports, has dramatically improved today compared to five years back.

This happened as a result of the State Government's continuous efforts. The levels of pollutant gases such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon oxide, and ozone have been found to be within permissible air quality standards, whereas particulate matter like respirable dust (PM10) and fine dust (PM2.5) remain above the standards.

He also said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) over the last few years has shown a slow but sure improvement. As soon as the House assembled for the day’s proceedings, RJD MLA Bhai Virendra asked why cabinet expansion was not being done. This led to a heated argument with minister Ashok Choudhary. The opposition members stood up from their seats and started raising slogans.

The LJP(RV) MLAs led by Raju Tiwari again demanded public apology from RJD for using the word “Bechara” by its MLA Kumar Sarvajeet in the House. It created uproar in the House.

LJP(RV) member Raju Tiwari embarrassed the govt by demanding the construction of electric crematoriums in rural areas of the state. He argued that burning bodies with wood causes pollution. This angered members of the other NDA partners. Panchayati raj minister Deepak Prakash and BJP MLA Jibesh Kumar among others objected to the pollution logic.

However, deputy CM and urban development and housing minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the govt would seriously consider the matter. He explained that electric crematoriums and ‘moksha dhams’ are to be constructed in all cities and on important river banks of the state.