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In a partial relief to 72 Class XII students of two schools in Bargarh and Padampur, whose results were withheld for having allegedly employed "unfair means" during the board exam, Orissa high court on Monday criticized the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for acting against the letter and spirit of its own rules and principles of natural justice.

Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad, who was hearing a group of petitions filed by the students, held that CBSE's action in withholding their Class XII board exam results without considering the students' side was arbitrary, stigmatic and legally untenable.

The court did not go in for any order for immediate declaration of results, but instead ordered CBSE to hold a fresh inquiry into the allegations of malpractice.

The petitioners' counsel approached the court, requesting the impugned orders to be invalidated along with the issuance of a direction to declare the results. The counsel for CBSE, on the other hand, requested the petitions to be dismissed and commanded the students to appear for the next examination, either supplementary or afresh.

But in the Sept 15 ruling, Justice Shripad decreed: "Justice of the case deserves the pendulum to halt somewhere in between. A mandate for new inquiry would achieve the golden mean between these two poles for the sake of upholding purity in examination process and justice to the students."

Pleading in court, the students' counsel argued that CBSE had acted in an arbitrary manner without providing them with any hearing or evidence of their wrongdoing. The counsel accused gross procedural impropriety, such as violation of the exam regulations and deprivation of a hearing — a fundamental principle of natural justice.

CBSE, in its defense, charged mass copying at the respective centres and stated that CCTV records — the key to the investigation — were not entirely accessible. It contended that given the "exceptional" circumstance of the case, it was within its rights to withhold results.

Justice Shripad dismissed this logic, noting: "After all, an exception to the rule does not drop from the sky. It must emanate at least by a reasonable interpretative process and in this case it has not emanated even by inference." He further noted that CBSE had not provided how it concluded culpability.

The court, while tugging at the schools' failure to retain CCTV footage after inspection in spite of explicit CBSE guidelines, noted, "There is a lot of scope for arguing that without the complicity of school officials, such lapses would not have occurred," showing distress over the fact that there has been no criminal action taken against the institutions concerned.

The 13th annual High School Benchmarks report's findings indicated that these socioeconomic disparities even appear immediately after high school graduation.

"For instance, the nonprofit research institution found 51 percent of students from high-poverty schools went to college in the fall after high school graduation compared with 74 percent of low-poverty school students.".

"Extensive differences in access to college and degree attainment mean that a lot of students are deprived of the benefits of higher education opportunity, particularly low-income students," National Student Clearinghouse Research Center executive director Doug Shapiro said in a Wednesday statement. "Even with consistent enrollment outcomes, the socioeconomic gaps remain firm."

The findings are concurrent with other studies this year that have indicated most high school students aren't ready to choose a postsecondary path after graduation. That includes a traditional four-year college degree, work or otherwise, according to a June report released by Jobs for the Future, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. Over one-third of students in high school said they've never set foot on a college campus, the same report determined.

Both middle and high school students also appear to be considering alternative postsecondary routes more seriously beyond the acquisition of a college degree. A 2024 survey published by national nonprofit American Student Assistance found just 45% of grades 7-12 students reported that they view a two- or four-year college as the most likely next step. That is a significant decline from 73% in 2018.

Meanwhile, ASA discovered that student enthusiasm for nondegree education options increased more than threefold from 12% in 2018 to 38% in 2024. These alternative options are vocational schools, apprenticeships and technical boot camps.

The cost of higher education is generally believed to be too expensive, as the majority of U.S. adults perceive that it costs more to get a college degree than it actually does, a report published in May by Strada stated. Such a misconception may also be leading some to forego higher education, the report further stated.

But the reality is that even though sticker prices for tuition have been going up at private nonprofit colleges, for instance, increasingly more students are still receiving sizable financial aid packages from them.

Punjab government has modified its education service rules, a decision that will help free the way for school principals' promotions and direct recruitment. The revisions, made through the fourth amendment to the Punjab Educational Services (School and Inspection) Group-A Service Rules, 2018, change the promotion-to-recruitment ratio and relax experience conditions.

The amendment changes the promotion quota from 50 to 75%, and direct recruitment will now take up 25% of the appointments. It also lowers the experience needed for lecturers and vocational lecturers to five years and headmasters from five to four years.

Teachers' demands

Though the changes were appreciated as a move to solve an old problem, the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) faulted the govt for retaining the compulsory departmental test for promotions. The leaders of the group, including its state president Vikramdev Singh, described the earlier rules as "undemocratic" and having led to resentment among teachers.

The DTF stated that they expected the govt to honor its commitment to carrying out all major promotions by Sept 30. They also demanded notification for the 25% direct recruitment quota, which would assist in filling over 900 principal posts lying vacant in the state. They also pressed for the abolition of the departmental examination requirement.

Government school teachers from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka were in the spotlight in Mumbai on Sunday as CEQUE (Centre for Equity and Quality in Universal Education) celebrated the first-ever Voices of Change festival. The one-day celebration at Sachivalaya Gymkhana celebrated teachers not only as teachers, but as innovators, leaders, and changemakers who are changing India's classrooms.

 Visitors met teachers individually, hearing accounts of innovation, grit, and leadership.

In her welcome address, CEQUE Founder Director Dr. Anju Saigal had referred to teachers as "dream makers."

Addressing gaps in education

Speaking with The Free Press Journal on the sidelines of the event, CEQUE CEO Uma Kogekar narrated what motivated the formation of Voices of Change.

"Each child should be able to learn happily and with confidence, and studies confirm that teachers are the most influential single factor in determining student learning. And too frequently in India, teachers lack the support they require to ensure children progress," she stated.

The issue is stark in the figures. The ASER 2025 report revealed that 76% of Class 3, 55% of Class 5, and 33% of Class 8 students are unable to read a basic Class 2 text. In mathematics, over two-thirds of Class 3 and 5 children cannot do simple arithmetic. Teacher training is also an issue in 2024, as only 3.38% of the 3.5 lakh aspirants who appeared for the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test passed.

"Even highly qualified teachers are hit by systemic roadblocks: isolation, administrative tasks, multi-grade classrooms, and paucity of resources," Kogekar opined. "Upskilling opportunities are limited, and innovation motivation is often dampened."

CEQUE's Teacher Innovator Program was created to fill this void. The program helps teachers build foundational literacy and numeracy, build leadership, and develop creativity through contextualized training, mentoring, and peer learning environments. More than 4,000 teachers are now a part of this movement, generating ripples for tens of thousands of children.

It was that success that led us to start Voices of Change," Kogekar explained.

When asked about the impact hoped for by the festival, Kogekar was firm: "When students hear from the teachers themselves, something happens. Policymakers, donors, and the public seldom get to see the daily struggles and solutions of government schools. Not everyone can visit rural areas but Voices of Change brings those realities into the city."

She remembered how visitors were brought to tears when listening to teacher narratives. "It reminded them that teachers are not merely struggling with a shortage of infrastructure such as the teacher who organised finances to construct a school building, but are also designing cheerful, child-focused classrooms," she added. "We hope policymakers recognise that backing teachers is the most direct levers to enhance student learning." 

Teachers as change leaders

For CEQUE, the festival is also about redefining the teacher's role. "The future of public education hangs on teachers not merely as teachers, but as leaders," Kogekar emphasized. "Top-down reforms have had difficulty closing learning gaps but when we enable teachers to lead, we observe change."

She indicated CEQUE's Communities of Practice, through which the teachers mentor one another, co-design lesson approaches, and resolve issues. "We work with 2,430 educators in three states, and more than 80% have enhanced a minimum of one level of ability in mathematics or language. Division skills in Grade V in CEQUE schools improved from 41% to 76%, and reading skills from 36% to 65%," she reported.

A short film based on children's voices for their teachers made the event's message come alive. As opposed to that, a moderated discussion between teachers and guests enabled the public to hear the realities of government schools more clearly.

Recognition, community, and connection

Although challenges for teachers in government schools persist; excess load in classrooms, non-teaching responsibilities, multi-grade settings Kogekar feels sites like Voices of Change can bring about real change.

"Recognition gives back dignity and motivation. Community, through our Teacher Leadership Circles, shatters isolation and establishes peer support. And connection, by taking teachers' stories to donors and policymakers, unlocks resources," she explained.

Her final remarks at the conference reiterated this vision: "Agar sikshak seekhe, to bachhe seekhe, agar bachhe seekhe, to India seekhe." (If teachers learn, children learn; if children learn, India learns.)

At day's end, what was evident was not only the struggles of India's educational system, but the creative strength and determination of its teachers. From constructing schools to devising new learning tools, these educators showed why CEQUE has dubbed them "dream makers."

By highlighting their stories, Voices of Change 2025 delivered a clear message: when teachers take charge, change ensues.

The government of Karnataka has planned to cover 27 education districts under the Marusinchana scheme to improve learning outcomes. The scheme is aimed at students from class 6 to class 10 who fall behind in school to fill learning gaps and improve general academic performance.

Students of government schools who are around 18,000 will be covered under this scheme.

BACKGROUND AND PILOT SUCCESS

First experimented in the form of a pilot scheme, Marusinchana programme was meant to enhance SSLC performance. It was later rolled out to all government high schools and composite colleges of Kannada medium in 69 taluks of 17 Karnataka districts during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.

In 2024-25, the scheme touched 8,821 schools and recorded satisfactory outputs. Inspired by the success, the state government has now planned to extend the scheme to other districts, with the implementation process to be initiated after Dasara holidays.

The major objective of the Marusinchana scheme is to enhance the level of learning for backword students by remedial teaching done throughout the academic year. Priority will be accorded to teacher training, with practice material being provided to students and in-depth modules of teaching being provided to teachers.

PROGRAMME STRUCTUR

The Marusinchana plan is developed as a 50-hour package of learning per class, dispersed over five years of academic stay. The plan aims at enhancing foundational and precursor competencies so that learners are able to achieve class-level competency levels.

IMPLEMENTATION AND TEACHER TRAINING

A circular making the extension was released on Tuesday by the Department of School Education and Literacy. The program will be implemented this year by the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT).

The teachers will be given special training, and the students will be given practice books for topics like Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Kannada, and English. Interestingly, Hindi is not covered in the program.

The Marusinchana scheme's expansion is one aspect of Karnataka's dedication to ensuring that each student has the chance to attain his or her maximum learning potential. With its emphasis on remedial education, offering structured learning content, and offering teachers specialist training, the project hopes to bridge the knowledge gap and build a more solid foundation on which students can improve and grow from in future studies.

In a surprise that has left thousands of hopefuls reeling, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has cancelled the provision for private candidates to write an extra subject in the 2026 board examination. The sudden decision has ignited fury among students who had risked their academic careers on this concession, especially those who had availed gap years to re-direct their profession. For them, the "additional subject" was not an academic indulgence but a key door to professional qualification, from engineering entrances such as JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) to other higher education routes.

When the CBSE quietly dropped this choice from its private candidate form, it didn't merely change paperwork. It upended roadmaps, disrupted long-term planning, and left students scrambling for answers in online forums.

"With no prior info they removed this option"

On Reddit, frustration spilled into words. “With no prior info they removed this option. I’m from PCB background and was thinking of taking maths as an additional subject and was keeping B.Tech as backup if NEET doesn’t work out,” wrote one student.

The same student also indicated: "The private candidate form was released today and there is no mention of extra subject options. Even in their registration form, there's no section for extra subjects but sections of improvement, failures etc. are provided." For most people, the shock was not so much about documents but that a door was suddenly closed. "So is choosing additional subjects from CBSE removed and no longer available?"

The drop-year conundrum becomes a dead-end situation

For those students who had bet their drop years on the versatility of this exact same choice, the shift has proven ruinous. "Me too, I have similar issues. I took a drop for NEET, and this is my second drop. I was fed up with NEET so I thought about giving JEE and taking Maths but they took off the additional subject exam… I'm so apprehensive.". I left NEET prep also and now this too. I’m really very worried,” confessed another user.

That anxiety isn’t isolated, it reflects a wider reality. In a system where one subject can redraw entire futures, the removal of a single option isn’t just a technical tweak; it rewrites life plans mid-course. Each comment became a mirror of the same fear: Futures now left hanging.

Helpline, but no help

Students did what they are instructed to do when institutions become opaque — they called the board. "Yes I called them, said to wait but you too should call them. When many students will call then they will listen," posted a user, holding on to hope that pressure in numbers could revive the option.

But reality struck harder as more attempted. "They told you to wait??? I called both numbers of the CBSE helpline and they are not answering," another recalled, echoing the frustration of a whole community striking the same dead end.

And lastly, the shutdown: "Hey I called that number again and they said this year it won't come." It was not just affirmation, but the fall of months of contingency planning.

A silent change with thundering implications

The second subject option has traditionally been used as a corrective measure and a means of students returning to professional standards, be it the addition of Mathematics for engineering or an additional subject for purposes of eligibility. Its abrupt removal, without the existence of proxy mechanisms, belies the very spirit of second chances that private candidacy embodies.

The government timeline puts added pressure on the anxiety: September 30, 2025 is the deadline for filing the form, and late filling is permitted until October 11, 2025. For the thousands still waiting for certainty, the clock is running out.

What this actually signals

This choice cannot be interpreted as a simple administrative tweak. It is a sign of a deeper institutional blindness: A lack of understanding about how policy shifts, no matter how nitty-gritty, echo through the tenuous ecologies of hope and doubt. Reddit students aren't just complaining; they're describing the lived effects of a board's silence.