Top News

The Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission successfully concluded the written examination for Lecturer Cadre recruitment across the state on Sunday, with more than 1.92 lakh candidates appearing over two days.

The examination was held in two shifts at multiple centres and was conducted under extensive AI-based surveillance to ensure transparency and prevent malpractice. Commission Chairman Prashant Kumar said the recruitment examination was carried out in a fair, cheating-free and well-organised manner.

According to the Commission, 89,766 candidates appeared for the examination on May 9, recording an attendance rate of 38.04 per cent. Female attendance stood at 34.89 per cent, while male attendance reached 42.26 per cent. On May 10, a total of 1,03,168 candidates appeared, taking the attendance figure to 45.12 per cent, including 41.92 per cent women and 48.08 per cent men. Overall, 1,92,934 candidates took the examination, with a combined attendance of 41.53 per cent.

The examination covered multiple subjects across two sessions. The morning shift included Civics, Mathematics, Economics, Sanskrit and Psychology, while the afternoon shift covered Chemistry, Geography, Hindi and Fine Arts. The first session was conducted from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and the second from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

To strengthen monitoring, all centres were connected to an AI-integrated Control Command Room established by the Commission. Officials, including the chairman, commission members and examination authorities, monitored candidate activities in real time through AI-enabled cameras.

In a pilot initiative introduced at selected centres in Lucknow, OMR answer sheets were scanned immediately inside examination halls after the test concluded. The process was conducted in the presence of candidates, with data instantly secured and monitored live through the AI-based command system.

The Commission also acknowledged the cooperation of district authorities, police officials and examination staff in ensuring the smooth conduct of the recruitment process.

The state education department has introduced a new staffing policy for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme under which the appointment of cooks and helpers in government primary schools will now depend on the actual number of enrolled students instead of estimated enrolment figures.

The reform is aimed at improving the efficiency and continuity of meal services across nearly 71,000 primary schools covered under the scheme.

Vinayak Mishra has directed all district programme officers to upload updated student enrolment data on the e-ShikshaKosh portal. The department said the revised system will help determine staffing requirements more accurately and ensure schools have sufficient personnel to prepare and distribute meals on time.

Earlier, staffing calculations under the scheme were based on 85 per cent of total enrolment, a figure later reduced to 75 per cent. The new policy removes the use of estimated percentages and shifts entirely to real-time enrolment data.

Under the revised guidelines, vacancies created due to retirement at the age of 60, resignation, or death will no longer be filled according to previous staffing calculations. Instead, fresh appointments will be made strictly on the basis of current student strength in individual schools.

The department has instructed officials to fill all vacant cook and helper posts within one month to avoid disruption in meal services. Officials said the move is intended to ensure that no child is deprived of meals because of staffing shortages.

The new guidelines also introduce stricter accountability measures. If any cook or helper position remains vacant for more than one month, departmental action may be initiated against the concerned officials. Responsibility for delays will rest with district education programme officers.

Officials believe the system could improve transparency and resource allocation within the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by aligning staffing directly with the number of children being served.

Cooperative department gives temporary higher charge to 212 employees

In a separate administrative decision, the state cooperative department has assigned temporary higher responsibilities to 212 non-gazetted employees.

The decision was approved during a departmental screening committee meeting chaired by Rajneesh Kumar Singh on April 24.

According to the notification, 79 upper divisional clerks have been given charge as head clerks, while 54 senior audit officers have been assigned responsibilities as sub-divisional audit officers. Several other employees across clerical and extension categories have also received temporary promotions.

The department said reservation provisions for persons with disabilities were taken into account during the process. Employees assigned higher responsibilities will receive the salary and benefits attached to the upgraded posts.

Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board has recorded its highest-ever Class 10 pass percentage, with 83.86 per cent of students clearing the SSC examination in 2026.

The result surpasses last year’s 83.08 per cent and continues the strong recovery trend seen after the pandemic years, when the pass percentage had dropped to 64.62 per cent in 2023.

District-wise performance improves

Among districts, Narmada emerged as the best-performing district with a pass percentage of 90.85 per cent, while Panchmahals recorded the lowest performance at 76.42 per cent.

The number of schools achieving a 100 per cent result also increased significantly to 1,697. Meanwhile, schools with pass percentages below 30 per cent declined to 164, indicating broader improvement in academic outcomes across the state.

Girls continue to outperform boys

Female students maintained their lead over male students across almost all categories of the examination.

Girls recorded an 88.28 per cent pass rate among regular candidates, compared to 80.12 per cent for boys. The trend was also visible among repeater candidates and students appearing through the Gujarat State Open School.

The gender performance gap has remained consistent over recent years, with girls outperforming boys in both 2024 and 2025 as well.

Science and Basic Maths show strong performance

Subject-wise data revealed exceptionally high scores in Science and Basic Mathematics.

A total of 8,250 students secured full marks in Science, while 3,529 students achieved perfect scores in Basic Maths.

However, Standard Mathematics continued to remain comparatively challenging. Only 91 students scored 100 marks in the subject, highlighting a sharp contrast between the two mathematics streams.

In English, the highest score recorded was 96 marks, achieved by 10 students.

Vocational subjects such as Banking & Financial Services and IT/ITES also saw a notable number of high scorers, reflecting growing student participation in skill-oriented streams.

What the trend could mean

Education analysts believe the rising pass percentages could intensify competition for admissions into higher secondary schools, especially in science and commerce streams in top-performing districts.

The continuing gap between Basic Maths and Standard Maths performance may also prompt curriculum reviews or targeted academic interventions to strengthen conceptual learning in advanced mathematics.

At the same time, the sustained academic advantage shown by female students could encourage policymakers to examine factors influencing lower performance among boys while continuing efforts to support girls’ education and retention.

India’s deep-tech and defence innovation ecosystem is witnessing a rapid transformation, and one emerging example is olee.space, a Pune-based startup that has moved from research-stage development to live military technology demonstrations within a short span.

Founded in 2023 by James Solomon and Suman Hiremath, the company has developed laser-based communication systems and directed-energy weapon technologies aimed at strategic and defence applications.

According to Solomon, the startup commercialised two products within six months — a laser communication system and a laser-directed energy weapon. Both technologies were demonstrated during an optics symposium in Prayagraj attended by senior political and military leadership, including Yogi Adityanath and Rajnath Singh.

Laser weapons with multiple power tiers

The startup’s laser weapon platform has reportedly been designed in multiple power configurations ranging from 2 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts. According to the company, the system can engage targets in under three seconds and is compatible with existing radar networks.

Directed-energy systems such as laser weapons are increasingly being explored globally for counter-drone operations, missile interception, and battlefield air defence because they can neutralise threats at high speed with comparatively lower operational costs than traditional missile systems.

The company has also developed laser communication technology, an area gaining strategic importance due to its potential for secure, high-speed optical data transmission in military and satellite communication systems.

Building defence tech outside traditional government systems

Unlike conventional defence suppliers that depend directly on government procurement cycles, olee.space is pursuing partnerships with larger defence companies to accelerate market access and maintain revenue flow.

Solomon noted that relying solely on direct military contracts can be difficult for startups operating in capital-intensive deep-tech sectors. The company’s current defence order has reportedly been secured through collaboration with an Indian defence firm, although the partner has not been publicly named.

The startup, initially bootstrapped, has raised nearly $3 million in funding from investors including IIMA Ventures and Rockstud Capital.

From IIT Bombay to indigenous defence innovation

The journey of James Solomon reflects the changing landscape of Indian entrepreneurship in strategic technology sectors.

A materials science graduate from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Solomon began working on defence technologies during his college years through internships and independent technical projects.

Coming from a modest financial background, he supported himself by teaching students preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination while building expertise in advanced engineering systems.

Today, the company employs a 25-member engineering-focused team, including professionals with experience from organisations such as Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Electronics Limited.

A sign of India’s changing deep-tech ecosystem

The rise of startups like olee.space highlights how private Indian firms are increasingly entering strategic sectors once dominated almost entirely by government laboratories and public-sector defence companies.

The company’s rapid progression from concept development to commercial deployment also reflects broader changes in India’s innovation ecosystem, where defence-tech, AI, robotics, aerospace, and advanced materials are emerging as key areas of startup activity.

As India pushes for greater technological self-reliance and indigenous defence manufacturing, ventures working on laser systems, optical communications, and directed-energy technologies could become increasingly important to the country’s future strategic capabilities.

National Human Rights Commission member Priyank Kanoongo on Tuesday alleged that an “education mafia” was attempting to obstruct efforts aimed at ensuring affordable school education through the wider use of government-published textbooks.

In a post on X, Kanoongo said he had directed state governments to promote the use of National Council of Educational Research and Training and State Council of Educational Research and Training books in private schools instead of expensive textbooks published by private companies.

According to Kanoongo, the directive was issued under powers available through the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 and within the framework of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009.

“The education mafia is employing a policy of ‘saam daam dand bhed’ to pressure and overturn my order,” Kanoongo said, adding that attempts to stay or stop the directive would not succeed.

He further stated that the effort was intended to protect economically weaker and middle-class families from excessive education-related expenses.

NHRC had earlier issued notices over the costly private books

Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission had issued notices to the Ministry of Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education, and all states and Union Territories over allegations that schools were compelling parents to purchase costly books from private publishers.

The commission had expressed concern that prescribing multiple supplementary books and workbooks imposed a heavy financial burden on families.

NHRC also noted that such practices may violate provisions of the National School Bag Policy 2020, which seeks to regulate the weight of school bags and discourage unnecessary academic materials.

Complaint alleged financial burden on families

The action reportedly followed a complaint submitted by Namo Foundation, which alleged that many schools were forcing students to buy expensive private textbooks despite the availability of subsidised NCERT materials.

The complaint argued that privately published books often cost significantly more than government textbooks, increasing educational expenses for low-income and middle-class households.

Supporters of wider NCERT and SCERT adoption argue that standardised government textbooks help reduce education costs while maintaining curriculum uniformity. Critics, however, have previously argued that some schools prefer private materials for supplementary content and customised learning approaches.

The issue has renewed debate around affordability, regulation of private schools, and the commercialisation of school education in India.

National Testing Agency has released the admit cards for Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate 2026 and opened a limited-time correction window allowing eligible candidates to request changes to their examination city, date, or shift.

Candidates can download their admit cards from the official CUET portal using their application number and login credentials. The computer-based examination will be conducted between May 11 and May 31 across centres in India and abroad.

According to the examination schedule, candidates may be allotted multiple shifts depending on the subjects selected. Each shift can extend up to three hours, although students assigned fewer subjects may be permitted to leave earlier after completing their tests.

Candidates appearing for the examination must carry a printed copy of the admit card along with a valid government-issued photo identification document. In cases where earlier verification discrepancies were reported, candidates may also need to present an original certificate signed by an authorised official.

Centre change window open till May 7

National Testing Agency has also activated a temporary reallocation facility for candidates who were assigned examination cities outside their preferred choices.

Eligible candidates can submit requests to change their exam state, city, examination date, or shift through the official portal until 11:50 PM on May 7. The agency said requests will be processed subject to seat availability and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Candidates whose requests are approved will receive revised admit cards closer to the examination date.

DU biomedical science applicants must meet the Biology requirement

Meanwhile, the University of Delhi has reiterated strict eligibility criteria for admission to its B.Sc. (Hons.) Biomedical Science programme through CUET UG 2026.

The university has clarified that applicants must have studied and passed Biology as a core subject in Class 12. Students from PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and PCMB (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology) streams are eligible, while candidates from a pure PCM background without Biology will not qualify for admission.

Delhi University also stated that CUET domain subjects selected by candidates must correspond exactly with the core subjects listed on the Class 12 mark sheet. Vocational or elective biology-related subjects will not be accepted unless officially recognised as standard Biology papers.

Competition likely to intensify for eligible candidates

Education observers believe the strict subject requirements may narrow the applicant pool for biomedical science programmes while intensifying competition among eligible PCB and PCMB students.

The centre-change facility could also lead to last-minute logistical adjustments in seating arrangements and shift allocation if a large number of candidates request modifications before the deadline.