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There is a possibility that the Ministry of Education will include private HEIs in ‘One Nation, One Subscription’, according to sources.

Presently, members of the ONOS package include only government-funded institutions. But the Centre is reviewing a request to permit private universities and colleges to participate in the package on a pre-negotiated fee regime, according to sources.

"The ministry has a proposal on the table regarding the availability of ONOS on a pre-negotiated payment term to private HEIs," sources said.

There are 473 private universities and over 31,000 private colleges in India, as per the last All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) data available for the year 2021-22.

The One Nation One Subscription initiative was launched to provide across-the-board access to high quality international journals and research papers by subscribing to a centrally subsidized subscription. The initiative allows scholars to read and download peer-reviewed research papers and academic literature from top international publishers.

In addition to research paper access, the ONOS framework has also incorporated Article Processing Charges (APCs), which are required for publishing research in open-access journals. According to this scheme, APC payments to high-quality open-access journals are centrally provided through the ONOS execution agency.

As per the guidelines of ONOS, open-access journals ranking in the top 5 percent under any of the three SCOPUS indicators: CiteScore, Source Normalised Impact per Paper (SNIP), and SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), are entitled to support of APC. The open-access journals may be published by the publication houses covered by the ONOS subscriptions or by other publication houses which are eligible under ONOS guidelines.

The expansion of ONOS services to private institutions will enable academicians and scholars within the private higher education sector to access global research databases and publish their research in reputable global open access journals at a pre-negotiated rate.

Sainik School Nalanda welcomed 109 newly admitted cadets of Classes VI and IX for the 2025-26 session with a welcome ceremony organized at the principal’s residence, Mauryan House, which was attended by 98 boy cadets and 11 girl cadets. A colourful cultural programme presented by the selected cadets included self-composed poetry, personal experiences, recitations, songs, and instrumental performances. Principal Col Bhupender Kumar motivated the cadets to make use of the opportunities arising before them, imbibing good habits, making good friendships, and using the sports facilities. First lady of the campus Manju Kumar motivated the students towards their training goals. The welcome programme was attended by vice-principal Lt Col Deepak Singh Thakur along with staff and families.

‘Title Ceremony’ - an emotional-cum-joyful farewell party - was organized in which unique titles were given to the outgoing classes X and XII students of the 2025-2026 batch of International School (ICSE wing) for celebrating the personality and contribution of each participant. In the event, Shubh Darshil Pradhan was crowned 'Mr International' while Dhairya Mehta emerged as runner-up. Aaradhya Singh was titled 'Miss International' and was followed by Anusha Thakur. While Nishtham Anup and Shivanshi Jha bagged the 'Popular Icon Boy and Girl' title, Shobhit Sudarshan along with Yusuf Hasan jointly claimed the 'Best Dressed Boy' title whereas Anokhi Soni emerged as 'Best Dressed Girl'. Arnav Mishra earned the ‘Star Performer of the Day’.

The students were judged by teachers Vandana Sinha, Zarine Mallick, Mehwish, and guest educationist Subia Hasan. The programme consisted of some cultural performances, speeches and memories to be cherished organized by juniors under the guidance of teachers on Sunday. Appreciating the batch for leaving an indelible mark, school director Farhat Hasan added, "They will continue to excel in their life."

Speaker, Delhi Legislative Assembly, and Local MLA Vijender Gupta on Saturday opened the newly established SMART CLASSROOMS at Delhi Municipal Corporation School, Rohini Sector-8, said an official release by Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

"Smart classrooms are much more about unlocking the potential of our children and reviving trust in public education. It's about giving the city's youngsters the best possible education and a bright future," he stated after the inauguration ceremony. "This initiative reiterates the Corporation's commitment to quality education," stated a press release.

Inauguration ceremony also included presence of Pravesh Wahi, leader of house of MCD, Yogesh Verma, chairman of Education Committee, school principals, teachers, RWA members, parents, and students.

Inaugurating the program, Speaker Vijender Gupta said, “There is an urgent need to make our municipal schools functional again. We previously had some 2,000 municipal schools with nine lakh students enrolled in them, but now the number of our municipal schools has come down to 1,500, with only 6.58 lakh students enrolled.”

“Rather than arguing about statistics, we need to concentrate on reality in the here and now, and the future that our children face,” he said. “These children are talented, have the ability, and are brimming with possibilities,” he said, before continuing, “What is our role? To develop this talent by improving our schools, certainly.”

The Speaker was worried about the rise in the preference for private schools, even among those in the lower income groups, which, according to him, is an indication of the erosion of confidence in government schools by the people. This, he said, is an alarming situation which has been developing through several decades but has become a reality through the gradual ‘commercialization of education’.

It is necessary that government schools become everyone's first choice. Education is free here, and the facilities here are also free. Primary education until Class 5 is the basis on which the foundation stone of his or her whole life is set,” Gupta said. They can change the mindset and regain everyone's confidence by implementing smart classrooms, Gupta said.

Gupta further stressed the importance of involvement by teachers, school managements, and the communities in turning-around municipal schools. Gupta asked Resident Welfare Associations and communities to visit the schools, participate in activities, and observe the performance of the children.

During the course, the students performed a relevant and interesting act on the subject of cleanliness and civic duties, which was much appreciated. After the act, Gupta appealed to the citizens to make a collective promise to not litter.

"Cleanliness is not a matter of other people's business." Not spreading trash is my business, and cleanliness is a community obligation to uphold," Gupta continued.

Speaking on this occasion, Education Committee Chairman Yogesh Verma and the Leader of the House, Pravesh Wahi, reiterated the Municipal Corporation's commitment to the modernization and techno-upgradation of schools and the provision of quality education to all children enrolled in the municipal schools. The newly unfurled smart classes are likely to improve student engagement, increased learning outcomes, and act as a prototype for the development of the existing municipal schools in Delhi, a press release explained.

Under the NEP structure, students doing three-year bachelor degrees have the option of continuing for a fourth year. NEP structure came first to autonomous colleges under SPPU in 2022 and a year later in affiliated colleges. Though a little less than four months are left for the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year, the autonomous colleges in Pune remain waiting for guidelines as far as implementation of the fourth-year programme for students.

According to The Indian Express, Professor Avinash Moharil, principal of the autonomous Sir Parashurambhau College (S.P. College), said that his institute is ready with the syllabus for many courses for the fourth year. But guidelines from the government and SPPU regarding whether the course will be offered to the granted section of students and appointment of teachers for the same are still not clear.

“One thing is quite clear that only the departments having a postgraduate department will offer this kind of course. We now need clarity from the government whether the course is to be offered to the granted section. Then will it be considered as a course in natural growth? Because in the government resolution itself is written that it will not be considered as a granted course or additional workload. We still need to appoint teachers for it. So whether we are going to at least get clockhour bases (CBH) teachers as we get for the graduate courses is yet to be clarified,” said professor Moharil.

The professor said that the feedback of the students and how many of them want to opt for the course in the fourth year is also very important. “Right now, students are cautiously taking decisions or they are a little confused about the whole scenario. But in my opinion, everything will probably get settled in a month.”

Making a similar point, a student studying at an autonomous school said, “We have no clarity from our professors at this point as they are themselves confused. I will be graduating very soon and I am not able to make a decision about whether to opt for the fourth year or not.”

SPPU Pro Vice Chancellor Parag Kalkar told The Indian Express, “We have our guidelines ready and we just have to pass them in the academic council. Some guidelines will be given by the state government. They have a MahaSARC committee led by the Vice Chancellors. Their guidelines are also ready and once they will come, we will release our guidelines within a week. The government guidelines have to come first as we have to make sure both the guidelines don’t clash and that our guidelines cover the aspects that are remaining.” The release of the guidelines will happen in a month’s time at most, said Kalkar, adding that any colleges reaching out with queries have already been given clarity. Kalkar also deliberated upon the academic vision for the next year in five broad points, namely pioneering NEP 2020 implementation by scaling into fully a multidisciplinary framework, digital governance excellence through 100 per cent paperless administration, democratic access to education by scaling the CDOE, bridging the employability gap through integrated AEDP, and innovation-led research.

In school education, the Maharashtra State Board is also scheduled to introduce new textbooks based on the NCERT curriculum for four school grades for the 2026-27 academic year. If these changes are to be rolled out as per schedule, the next few months will call for some heavy lifting.

The Maharashtra state board has planned a shift to a new curriculum based on NCERT textbooks till 2029. In the coming academic year, the new syllabus will be implemented for Classes 2, 3, 4 and 6. Milind Naik, a member of the Maharashtra NEP steering committee and principal of Jnana Prabodhini School, told The Indian Express that the course material for the first version of textbooks for Classes 2, 3 and 6 are ready with only the designing, adding of pictures, and other such details remaining, while the work on the Class 4 textbook is ongoing.

However, these textbooks have been prepared on the draft curriculum released by the State Council of Educational Research and Training. The final curriculum with public feedback incorporated is yet to be released. Any changes in the draft curriculum will require a change in the textbooks prepared as well, confirmed Naik. He said the books for the Marathi medium should be ready in time but other mediums might take time.

Naik added that a change in examination pattern is also expected from the next year. “Competency-based examination should start from the next year. As per NEP, the questions asked in the question paper should not be based on memory. The question should not be like who and when, instead they should be based on how and why. Because the books are designed on similar principles.”

Two amazingly bright and talented kids from the Northeast, Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte from Mizoram and Aishi Prisha Borah from Assam, have been awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025, which is India’s highest civilian award given out on children, for their achievements in the fields of Art & Culture and Science & Technology respectively.

As stated in a PIB news release, they are among the 20 children chosen for this year. The awards were given by the President of India, Draupadi Murmur, to honor outstanding achievements under categories of Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art & Culture, and Science & Technology at a function held at New Delhi.

Mizoram’s Singing Prodigy: Esther Laldu

Esthers, who hails from Lunglei in Mizoram and is only 9 years old, received the award in the Art & Culture field for her moving performances filled with patriotism.

Esther was born on June 9, 2016. She is known to have started singing at the age of three. She became overnight sensation in October 2020 when her video singing A R Rahman’s “Vande Mataram” went viral on social media platforms. This video was posted on social media platforms by former Mizoram CM Zoramthanga. This video was later posted on social media platforms by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Esther, in August 2021, uploaded a professionally recorded video of the Indian National Anthem on her channel, involving members of the Assam Rifles, and this video reached three million views in just a week, with over 47 million views currently, one of the most-watched in India by a child artist.

She continued to receive recognition at a national level in December 2024 when she sang "Vande Mataram" at Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav in New Delhi, which was attended by Prime Minister Modi. On this occasion, he received a Northeast mascot themed "Poorvi" from her.

Being the youngest among three siblings, Esther has received several awards, including the Young Achievers Award presented by Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited, and the Amul Girl in 2021. Her documentary film titled 'A Star is Born,' on her life and achievements, received the Silver Award for the Best Documentary at the Northeast Film Festival in 2023. The Mizoram Governor General, Gen (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh, described her as "a symbol of national pride and a representation of harmony."

Assam Young Innovator: Aishi Prisha Borah

From Jorhat, Assam, Aishi Prisha Borah, aged 14, received the award in the Science & Technology segment for her inventive and environment-friendly projects that concentrated on sustainable development and converting waste to wealth.

Her projects include natural farming methods, newspaper mulching, and the creation of a machine that makes use of newspaper waste to create pencils. Aishi has displayed her inventions at shows such as the Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Pradarshini at New Delhi, the Regional State Science Exhibition, and the National Children’s Science Congress held at Ahmedabad.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma, appreciated Aishi’s work and said that being so young and passionate about sustainability is an inspiration that will eventually make other children follow environmentally sustainable patterns.

National Recognition on Veer Baal Diwas

The award comes as a celebration of Veer Baal Divas, a festival observed annually on December 26, to commemorate the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh ji, who were the young brothers of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Their spirit of bravery and sacrifice is reflected in the works of this year’s awardees.

While congratulating the awardees, the president said that the children had made their families, communities, and the country proud and that he was confident that the honour would encourage the young minds of India to work towards excellence and make a valuable impact on society. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is given on an annual basis to children between the ages of 5 and 18 years, inclusive, on the basis of outstanding achievement in various fields.