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After the Bihar School Examination Board announced the results of Class XII, universities in the state have geared up for the UG admission process 202627. Most colleges have either declared timelines or are going to in the near future, which shows that the admission drive has begun.

Major state universities like Patna University and Patliputra University are going to start accepting online applications most probably in the first week of April. In accordance with the government of Bihar, admissions to the two, three, and four-year UG courses of arts, science, and commerce will be through the Samarth e-Governance Portal.

Officials said that the 2026-27 admission cycle will be totally electronic. Universities are in touch with techies to make sure that the portal is launched without any glitches. University officials said that the whole admission work, from the application stage to the publication of merit lists and the seat allotment, would be wrapped by the end of June. The new academic year is to start in the very first week of July.

In the days to come, the admission to majority of the general degree courses will remain merit-based, the fair indicator being the marks secured in Class XII from recognized boards. The centralized entrance test system which was earlier run by Patna University has been dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic and has not been revived since then. Still, some universities are free to hold entrance exams for vocational or self-financing courses.

Despite the great push for a unified admission system throughout the country, Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate hasn't attracted many takers in Bihar. Out of the 23 universities which include central, state, and private only five have opted to take part in the entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency.

The shift to a single digital platform is expected to simplify the admission process, enhance transparency, and reduce paperwork and delays. For learners, it implies a system that is not only easy to reach but also quite effective, with Class XII achievements continuing to be the main factor for getting undergraduate seats all over Bihar.

Lucknow is set to take center stage in India’s academic landscape as the EdInbox Regional Higher Education Summit 2026 will be held on April 24 at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Gomti Nagar. Organized by EdInbox, the summit will bring together leading school principals, top universities, and over 2,000 students from across the region for a day of learning, networking, and recognition.

The summit in Lucknow which positions itself as a significant platform for academic leadership will bring together some of the most erudite and influential people in education and decision-making in the city. This conference is geared towards fostering engaging and thought-provoking discussions about the changes in education and at the same time, it is an excellent avenue for schools to not only enhance their presence but also their interaction with the higher education sector.

A major attraction is the Principal Leadership Meet, a closed-door session where school leaders will share their difficulties, brainstorm on ideas and work out future-ready strategies. The Principal Felicitation Ceremony will not only honor teachers for their role in educating young minds but also give them an opportunity to receive recognition from their fellow educators.

Other activities scheduled at the summit are the School & University Connect, along with a big University Exhibition, which will facilitate the institutions and students to have a face-to-face interaction. A panel through Career Trends will be dedicated to new avenues of career, with debates on various subjects like AI as a fundamental skill in careers and changes in creative professions.

Students will actively participate throughout the event. Various competitions like quiz extempore poster making, stand-up comedy, on the spot videomaking, and singing will offer opportunities to exhibit talent, creativity, and critical thinking. The awards ceremony on the regional stage will recognize excellent participants and schools.

The combination of leadership dialogue, student involvement, and institutional networking, will make the summit a great source of attraction not only to the education community of Lucknow but also other parts of the country. Schools ought to sign up for the event and ensure their spot at one of the most outstanding academic gatherings in the region.

For registrations, visit the official EdInbox summit website or contact the organizers directly for further details.

Jaipur is set to become a hub for academic dialogue and student engagement as the upcoming The Edinbox Regional Higher Education Summit will be held at the Rajasthan International Center in Jhalana Doongri on 20th Day of April, 2026.

University stalls and academic exhibits will be arranged in Exhibition Hall 1 and 2 on the lower ground floor where institutions can display their academic programmes. Students' activities like competitions and interactive sessions will be held in Exhibition Hall 3 on the same level. A separate School Principals Meet at Auditorium Mini 1 on the first floor will serve as a forum for main education players to discuss the sector.

A platform for academic leadership and collaboration

There will be a conference of some of the most distinguished educational leaders in India, including heads of universities and school principals. Their attendance will certainly lend authenticity to the event and at the same time give participating institutions greater exposure.

Expecting a good number of academic leaders, the event may become attractive for a large number of students and at the same time popular with the media, thereby allowing the universities to increase their coverage. A large part of the summit will also be dedicated to student engagement with take-place interactions and competitions designed not only to stimulate creativity but also to help students in making the right choice of career.

Besides, the event will be a networking opportunity for institutions with school leaders and other stakeholders as well as peers. It is therefore believed that these exchanges will lead to academic collaborations and partnerships.

Overall, the Jaipur summit aims to create a dynamic space for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration, bringing together students and educators to shape the future of higher education in India.

More than 1000 undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered in government colleges in Karnataka remained without enrolment of even a single student in the 2025-26 academic year. This is a reflection of the students' trend of dropping certain programmes. Higher Education Minister M. C. Sudhakar has informed the Legislative Council that the government is exploring the option of stopping these courses from 2026-27.

Department of Higher Education data further reveals that only 1091 of these courses are undergraduate level and 170 of them are postgraduate programmes. They cover various subjects like criminology at a first-grade college in Bagalkot and postgraduate studies in earthquake engineering at University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bengaluru. Karnataka NEET PG 2026: Demand Drops Across Courses

Recently Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) finished the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET PG counselling. Post-allotment data indicates that 783 among 4773 postgraduate medical seats (approximately 16%) have remained vacant in the entire state.

This year roughly 14,400 candidates got themselves registered to participate in the counselling process. Besides, around 10,000 of them actively entered their web options through the KEA portal. According to experts, the main cause of such a large number of vacant seats is the tremendous increase of 967 seats in just one year along with the long counselling schedule.

Almost all of the unoccupied seats belong to the management quota, where fees fluctuate considerably from a minimum of 25,000 for courses like anatomy to a maximum of 1.3 crore for the dermatology programmes in private colleges.

Even seats in some of the most sought-after specialisations remain vacant. For general medicine, 37 out of 500 seats have not been sold. At the same time, MD radiodiagnosis still has 35 seats that are vacant out of a total of 287, whereas general surgery has 11 seats out of 425 that are still available. Likewise, dermatology has 15 vacant seats out of 196, and paediatrics has 25 out of 362 seats that have not been taken up.

One report of the media reveals that year-on-year a comparison reveals the change in the way of thinking. Through KEA counselling 3 806 PG medical seats were allotted in the year 202425, out of which 3,378 were occupied and 428 remained vacant. Strikingly, all of the unfilled seats were in pre- and para-clinical courses.

Similarly, in 2023, around 478 seats went unallocated, again largely in pre- and para-clinical streams. This stands in contrast to the current year, where even seats in highly sought-after specialisations are remaining vacant.

Over a span of four decades, India has significantly improved higher education opportunities to the point where young workers not only have shifted from agriculture to industry and services, but also gender and caste divisions have notably decreased, said the State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University. The report draws attention to the fact that the youth of India - especially the 15 to 29 age group - are not only more educated but also have more aspirations than ever before. These are not mere statistics but real outcomes that we should feel proud of, especially when we look at the continuous progress in educational access and inclusion, said Indu Prasad.

On the other hand, the report warns that India's demographic dividend is already at its highest point, and the percentage of the working-age population will decrease after 2030. It is highlighted that the country's success in job creation over the next several decades will decide whether it can harness this demographic advantage for continuous economic growth.

The paper, authored by Rosa Abraham, follows young Indians as they move from education to employment and shows that there are still deep-rooted issues in the system. Although university enrolments are quite high (28%) and at the level of other countries with similar incomes, the questions about employability and gradual workforce absorption still prevail.

One notable trend is that there is a change in the gender ratio of male students in tertiary education, which fell by 4% points from 38% in 2017 to 34% in 2024, as many young men left education to contribute financially to their families. Meanwhile, women's participation in education has increasingly been growing, which is a sign of better access and social mobility. The report highlights another issue in higher education, i.e. quality. Although the number of colleges has increased (from 29 colleges per 1 lakh youth in 2010 to 45 in 2021), faculty recruitments have lagged behind.

The report uses the student-teacher ratio norms of the All India Council for Technical Education as a benchmark, and notes that these ratios continue to be high, especially in publicly funded institutions. Similarly, the number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) has gone up nearly three times since the 2010s, the growth being mostly through private providers. Yet, the report notes that many private ITIs have deteriorating quality standards, and hence skill readiness is also questioned.

Having a wider reach hasn't changed the fact that economic inequality is a factor in the field of higher education. Children of affluent families are three times more likely to be engaged in expensive courses like engineering and medicine, students coming from poorer families being largely absent in these areas.

The employment outlook remains a key concern. Graduate unemployment among youth stands at nearly 40% for the 15–29 age group, with only a small proportion securing stable salaried jobs within a year of graduation. Graduates make about twice the salary of non-graduates when they first enter the workforce, but wage increases, especially for young men, have been decelerating in the last few years.

The document also highlights a transformation in labour habits, with young employees quitting agriculture for manufacturing and services. Females, in particular, are entering IT, automobile manufacturing, and business services in large numbers, indicating emerging changes in the traditional employment patterns.

At this demographic turning point, India cannot rely merely on education improvements, says the report, which conveys a very direct message. Creating enough jobs and raising the quality of education and training are necessary steps; otherwise, the country will fail to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend.

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) has changed how students are admitted at Delhi University. But it now draws more applicants from rural and small-town areas. Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said this shift has reduced long-standing urban bias in admissions. The new system has led to a more diverse student population.

Singh stated that CUET matches the goals of the national Education Policy 2020. It improves fairness in access to higher education for all students. CUET has given remote and underrepresented students a fair chance, he added.

Classroom data shows more students from Tier-2 and tier-3 towns are getting into top DU colleges now. This opportunity wasnt available before because city schools had better resources. School evaluation systems used to favor urban applicants. The test has helped level the playing field across regions.

Alongside changes to admission rules, DU is rolling out its four-year undergraduate programme. The plan includes several entry and exit points, giving students more choices. Plus, it supports learning across different fields, letting students mix subjects and gain practical abilities that match current job market needs.

Singh pointed out how artificial intelligence is growing in universities. He said AI could change how classes are taught and how research is done. From customized learning software to studies based on data, AI may influence results and make schools operate more efficiently.

Looking forward, Singh connected these efforts to indias goal of becoming a developed country by 2047, known as Viksit Bharat. He stated that creativity and starting new businesses will be key. Innovation and original ideas should be supported in universities so students are ready for future issues, he said.

As acting chairman of the all India Council for technical Education, Singh is working to update technical programs with NEP goals. He wants to combine old knowledge with new tech to create workers who can meet future workplace demands.