Management

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme application process is open till February 15. Candidates can fill the IGNOU MBA admission 2026 application form through the official website, ignou.ac.in.

The IGNOU 2026 MBA admission application fee is Rs 300. As per the IGNOU MBA admission eligibility criteria, candidates must have completed a three-years bachelor's degree with at least 50 per cent marks. The pass percentage for the reserved category candidates is 45 per cent.

IGNOU MBA Admission 2026: Steps to apply online

To apply for IGNOU MBA admission 2026, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps-

Step 1: First of all, go to the IGNOU official website, ignou.ac.in

Step 2: Click on the ‘IGNOU MBA Application Form 2026’ application link available on the homepage.

Step 3: Complete the registration process using a valid email ID and mobile number.

Step 4: Log in and proceed to fill in the form with the personal and educational details.

Step 5: Upload recent photos and documents in a prescribed format.

Step 6: Make payment of the IGNOU MBA application fee 2026.

Step 7: Once done, submit the application form, download the confirmation page and save it for record.

IGNOU MBA programme specialisation

IGNOU MBA programmes provide specialisations in various fields such as business administration, agribusiness management, construction management, financial management, health care and hospital management, human resource management, logistics and supply chain management, marketing management and operations management.

Via the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) method, the MBA programme is available in English, Hindi and Odia language for the selected courses by IGNOUs School of Management Studies (SOMS).

This course lasts for a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 48 months. The total cost of IGNOU MBA fee is Rs 66, 000. The students are required to pay Rs 16, 000 each for the first, second and fourth semesters and Rs 18, 000 for the third semester.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has been criticised heavily after the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) pointed out no faculty from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) categories at all, even though a lot of the sanctioned posts are still vacant. The data reveals that only 109 faculty members out of 150 positions are presently filled, thus 41 posts are still vacant. Even more worrying is the fact that none of the existing faculty members belong to the SC, ST, or PwD communities, thus giving rise to the issue of reservation norms at one of the top management colleges in India.

RTI Data Highlights Skewed Representation

The RTI reply also indicated that, out of the regular 106 faculty members at IIM Indore, there are two assistant professors from the OBC category, and one faculty member from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). There are no members from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and PwD categories.

Reacting to the data, AIOBCSA President Kiran Kumar Gowd described the situation as “deeply alarming,” stating that such skewed representation undermines the constitutional mandate of social justice and inclusivity in publicly funded institutions.

‘A Systemic Pattern Across IIMs’

AIOBCSA has also pointed out that the issue is not isolated to IIM Indore. The organisation cited similar concerns at IIM Tiruchirappalli, where more than 83 per cent of reserved faculty positions remain vacant, while posts in the general category are reportedly fully occupied.

The student body said it has been filing RTI applications across IIMs since 2018, repeatedly highlighting what it calls a systemic failure to recruit faculty from reserved categories.

Recruitment Notification Draws Mixed Response

IIM Indore has issued a call for applications for faculty positions in the reserved categories. These positions cover areas like Marketing, Economics, Operations Management, Finance, OB/HRM, and Humanities. The applications must be submitted by February 28, 2026.

Nevertheless, the skeptics point out that the institution running multiple recruitment drives without any visible results is a sign of lack of accountability on the part of the institution. Students and groups advocating for social justice have petitioned the Ministry of Education and the IIM Council to supervise the faculty recruitment processes strictly and to ensure that the reserved posts are filled within a stipulated period.

As issues of equity, representation, and access in higher education become more heated, the incident at IIM Indore has thrown the spotlight back on the lack of diversity in the top management institutions of India. The situation is exposing some rather uncomfortable truths about who gets the privilege of teaching, leading, and shaping the next generation of managers.

The Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Bombay, has revealed the commencement of its two, month paid summer project programme on, campus. This project is mainly aimed at Climate and Sustainability and invites enrolments from undergraduate students who are eligible.

The initiative, dubbed 'Summer Program for Undergraduate Research in Sustainability' (SPURS), is available only to second, and third, year undergraduate students of IIT Bombay. The programme, which is meant to promote research, based learning in sustainability and climate change studies, gives students an opportunity to work directly with research across disciplines along with a faculty mentor.

SPURS was a launch of 2024 and the initial funding was given by Dr Vinaya Kapoor and Dr Samir Kapoor, who are distinguished alumni of IIT Bombay B.Tech (1992). Thus, Kapoors are a reflection of the growing alumni engagement in research, development, and education at the institute, led by the institute.

IIT Bombay has announced that the programme will run from 15 May to 15 July, 2026. During this time, the students selected will be working on research projects related to sustainability of the campus. Also, the stipend will be provided to the participants of the programme to support students financially without any worries of funding their research.

One of the key highlights of SPURS is the opportunity it offers to outstanding performers. Each year, one student who is considered to be the best by the SPURS Committee, among other students, will have the opportunity of presenting their research at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting, which is a conference in the field of science of global recognition and is held every December.

The institute unveiled the programme via its official social media platforms. Through a post on X (formerly Twitter), IIT Bombay declared: "We are back with the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research in Sustainability (SPURS)a two, month paid on, campus summer project programme in the field of Climate and Sustainability for our undergraduate students (2nd and 3rd year)."

Important Dates

Application deadline: February 16, 2026

Interview date: March 15, 2026

Result announcement: March 20, 2026

Programme duration: May 15 to July 15, 2026

The registration link has been shared on the official social media accounts of IIT Bombay and students are recommended to frequently check the IIT Bombay website for the detailed eligibility, application instructions, and programme updates.

With sustainability and climate research being raised as the main focus in the world, SPURS is a perfect platform for IIT Bombay undergraduates to dive into research that is not only of global importance but also academically/professionally very satisfying. Thus, it will provide them with an advantage at the beginning of their careers.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT, K) has launched a brief online course titled "Applied Data Science & Machine Intelligence: Fundamentals to Next Generation AI". The course is scheduled to begin sometime between June 1 and July 15 and will be of 45 days duration. Prof Rajesh Hegde, IIT Kanpur will be the course mentor.

Eligibility

Students who want to make a career in AIML, researchers who want to innovate AI based solutions, teachers who want to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject, professionals from the industry who want to use AI tools, entrepreneurs who are building AI based products, and professionals switching to AI roles.

How to apply

Those interested can register for the programme through the official link -- iitk.ac.in/oa/events/2025-26/next-generation-AI. For any queries or additional information, participants may reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact directly at 91‑7080526234.

Programme covers

This programme is a colourful journey into modern AI through its various aspects: machine learning basics, deep learning algorithms, large language models (LLMs), GenAI applications, real world AI case studies. To balance concept and serving practical needs, learners can choose from recorded or live sessions that add up to over 50 hours of learning time including 10+ hands- on projects. The course is designed for flexibility: 24/7 access to materials, expert talks, and timetable to cater to different needs.

In the meantime, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT, K) Class of 2000 have made their highest ever donation of Rs 100 crore to IIT Kanpur during their Silver Jubilee Reunion held on the campus. This is the highest pledge made by any batch of any academic institution in India, according to an IIT, Kanpur statement.

With their Rs 100 crore pledge towards their alma mater, Class of the Millennium aspires to lay the foundation for Millennium School of Technology and Society (MSTAS) at IIT Kanpur. This announcement was a major event of the Silver Jubilee Reunion celebratory weekend that witnessed alumni from all over the world coming back to the campus, meeting faculty, and each other, while reaffirming their commitment to IIT Kanpur's future.

On Friday, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar signed a memorandum of agreement with the Indian Army to launch a Master of Technology (MTech) programme in defence technology.

The programme, mainly for officers of the Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S), is a collaboration between the institute and the Army to promote education and research in defence technology, IIT Ropar said in a statement.

According to the statement, the MTech (Defence Technology) programme has been developed in partnership by ACC&S and IIT Ropar to make academic training in line with military needs.

The focus of the curriculum will be on applied learning, hands- on research and innovation, driven problem solving so that the officers are well prepared for technology, and lead roles in the armed forces.

IIT Ropar Director Rajeev Ahuja highlighted the transformative potential of this partnership and stated that the collaboration represents a paradigm shift in how India approaches defence technology education.

"Combining the intellectual rigour of IIT Ropar and the Indian Army's operational excellence, we are forming a unique model that will generate defence technology leaders who can lead India to self- reliance in critical defence sectors. This is our contribution to Viksit Bharat 2047, " Ahuja said.

The officers will be given a degree from the institute once they have successfully completed the programme.

This credential will empower them to lead technology modernisation efforts in the armoured formations area and thus make a major contribution to indigenisation of defence manufacturing, a resultant effect of their competent technological leadership.

The memorandum of agreement introduces a wide framework for cooperative research and development undertaking, which aims at solving the major technological problems in the defence sector of India, IIT Ropar said in its press release.

Moreover, the partnership relates to several key areas of focus like joint research and development initiatives, next generation armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) technologies, advanced armament and new materials, besides the armoured platforms technologies.

The Union Budget 2026, 27 has brought in a significant and progressive announcement in the field of education.

While presenting the budget in the Parliament on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the plan of setting up five University Townships in different parts of the country.

These University Townships will be set up adjacent to major industrial and logistics corridors, thus higher education being directly connected with industry and job opportunities. The goal of this programme is to build a scenario in which education, research, innovation and skill development would be the functions of a single, well thought out area.

According to the Finance Minister, the Central Government will collaborate with State Governments in the development of these University Townships. The Centre will be ready to help the states in establishing universities, setting up infrastructure and creating modern facilities suitable to the regional needs.

Each University Township will feature facilities for modern residential housing so that students coming from outside the region will have no problems with accommodation. Besides academic institutions, the townships will have skill centres, where on top of theoretical education, students will be given the opportunity for practical and hands, on training.

The campuses will be equipped with the latest technology laboratories, cutting, edge colleges, research centres and innovation hubs that will provide both students and researchers with access to the most advanced technology.

The government's attention is mainly on not handing out degrees but on preparing students for the industry by encouraging start, ups, applied

The government’s focus is not just on awarding degrees, but on making students industry-ready, encouraging start-ups, applied research and innovation-driven learning. According to the government, these five University Townships will not only improve the quality of education, but also generate local employment opportunities. 

Increased economic activities in the surrounding areas are envisaged that will allow the youth to grow up and have their share of opportunities without the need to go far away from their homes. The project is viewed as a major step that will lead to the empowerment of India's youth and India becoming a Developed Nation by 2047.

Moreover, the finance minister mentioned that a National Institute of Design (NID) will be set up in the Eastern part of India. The main purpose is to raise the level of design education, art thinking, and innovation locally. Currently, most of the top design colleges are located in a few areas of the country, and as a result, students of Eastern India have to leave their homes to get a good education.

The newly established NID will offer a variety of design fields such as product design, fashion design, graphic design, industrial design and digital design so that students from the region can benefit from world class education without having to leave their region. Besides preparing for the job market, students of the institution will also be expected to be able to start their own businesses and create new products.

The government clarified that it is design which has become a key element of the various initiatives like Make in India, Startup India, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat because strong design skills presence makes Indian products more competitive at the world market level.

The government put a spotlight on the fact that design is a major component of the Make in India, Startup India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, as through excellent design skills manufactured Indian products can much better compete in the global markets. Specialists are of the opinion that the newly established NID will not only be able to add industrial and economic growth of Eastern India through its design inputs, be the anchor by its design expertise to local industries thereby creating jobs and also help reduce the regional imbalance in the country. Researchers in the field see the movement as an essential measure to nurture the creative economy, enable the youth and make national development more balanced.