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The Maharashtra government through a Government Resolution (GR) dated 17th February 2026 has officially done away with 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs, semi, government posts and educational institutions.

The move gets rid of a 2014 GR that had established a quota under the Special Backward Class, A (SBC, A) category. Officials said that the act is just a refresh of official records since the provision has been legally non-existent for a couple of years and, in fact, was never practically implemented.

Background of the quota

In July 2014, the reservation was announced by then Congress, NCP government via an ordinance just before the Assembly elections. When the BJP, Shiv Sena alliance formed the government with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the ordinance lapsed.

The Bombay High Court had given interim relief only for educational admissions, but the quota was never completely implemented. Later decisions, including those referring to the Supreme Court, imposed a 50 per cent reservation limit, basically made the facility invalid.

Why the government cancelled it

According to the new GR, all earlier circulars, certificates and claims issued under the category now stand void because the ordinance never became a permanent law. Officials kept reiterating that the decision does not take away any benefit that already existed but simply acknowledge a status that had been legally existing for more than a decade.

Political reactions

Opposition parties made strong attacks on the move. Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad accused the move of an anti, minority mentality which goes against the inclusive governance claims. AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel referred to the decision as hard, hearted, while the NCP (SP) leaders doubted the timing and political messaging of the move.

On the other hand, the government stressed that an order is administrative and not political and that the main purpose is to update the documents to the legally settled situation by the court.

This whole issue is going to spark a new discussion on the reservation policies and the extent to which the constitution limits the state's social justice measures.

At the India AI Impact Summit, billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said India could deploy AI-powered personal tutors, primary-care doctors and agricultural advisors for its population of nearly 1.5 billion within the next one to two years — by integrating the services into the Aadhaar digital identity ecosystem.

Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, argued that the core technology already exists and can be adapted for India at extremely low cost. He emphasised that large-scale impact would only occur if AI benefits economically weaker sections of society.

He suggested replicating the success model of Unified Payments Interface, where identity infrastructure enabled financial inclusion. Similar integration, he said, could deliver education and healthcare services universally through Aadhaar-linked platforms operated by non-profits.

AI tutors for students

According to Khosla, advanced AI tutors can outperform human tutors by evaluating a student’s understanding within minutes using “knowledge tracing” techniques. The system, trained on billions of student queries, can identify learning gaps and personalise instruction.

He added that discussions are underway to build an AI-powered version of DIKSHA platform in collaboration with Indian AI firm Sarvam AI, potentially transforming access to quality learning resources nationwide.

Digital doctors for primary care

Khosla also outlined AI-driven healthcare services capable of delivering full-spectrum primary care — including diagnosis, mental-health therapy, nutrition advice and chronic disease management. The AI system would interact directly with patients, recommend treatment and escalate complex cases to human doctors.

He argued that improving India’s doctor-to-population ratio through conventional expansion would be impractical even with massive investment, making AI a scalable alternative.

AI advisors for farmers

For agriculture, Khosla proposed a voice- and image-based advisory tool offering farmers round-the-clock access to a “PhD-level agronomist”. The system would support regional languages and local crop conditions, helping overcome literacy barriers.

“The future is here today… If we don’t adopt it, it will be a massive opportunity loss,” he said, urging rapid national deployment.

There was a great upheaval at the University of Kerala on Monday as the Students' Federation of India (SFI) members went on a rampage against the Vice Chancellor, accusing him of denying the University Arts Festival financial support.

Police with water cannon were called in to disperse the students who were protesting in front of the University in Thiruvananthapuram, and the protest got out of hand even more.

Student leaders told the media that the protest was a response to the Vice Chancellor's latest move to stop or delay the Youth Festival grant which, according to them, has put the University Arts Festival in jeopardy.

The celebration is reckoned as one of the top cultural events in Kerala's higher education calendar and the students from the different affiliated colleges take part in it.

SFI demonstrators gathered outside the university with their faces covered, singing slogans in support of the festival, asking the administration to release the funds immediately to help the smooth conduct of the same. The protesters stressed that the unavailability of funds for the event would definitely block the ways of the preparations and it would be a setback to the students' cultural activities.

In the course of the demonstration, the police came and used water from their water cannons to extinguish the crowd. The students in the video are shown being pushed back as the police attempt to take control of the situation again. Reporters on site have mentioned that so far no major injuries have been reported.

The University of Kerala administration has not yet released an official detailed statement regarding the charges. However, some sources indicate that the delay in the release of youth festival grants was because of the review of financial and procedural considerations.

The University of Kerala administration has not yet issued a complete official statement clarifying the charges. However, staff insiders say that the money for the youth festival was being held up as financial and procedural requirements were being checked.

As a result of the situation, political reactions have arisen. Several student groups have accused the administration of trying to put down the students' cultural expressions. The University Arts Festival is probably the major event on the academic calendar in Kerala. Students have always got a great chance to display their talents in the areas of music, dance, drama, and literature through the festival.

The protest marks the point of a growing rift between the students and the university administration over the issues of funding, autonomy, and student welfare in the higher education institutions of Kerala.

Meanwhile, there is still to be seen further developments as the student groups have warned that the demonstration might go on if their requirements about the University of Kerala Youth Festival grant are not met immediately.

On Wednesday, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had a meeting with a group of academic leaders from 24 top Canadian universities led by Amb Christopher Cooter, High Commissioner.

The Minister of Education held talks with a delegation of academic leaders from 24 top Canadian universities that was headed by Amb Christopher Cooter, High Commissioner. The discussion was centered on opening up new avenues of collaboration at the academic and research level with Indian HEIs and deepening India, Canada cooperation in higher education.

As posted on the microblogging site, X by Pradhan, the Canadian universities are willing to set up international campuses, strengthen academic, research and innovation capacities, talent development and building workforce of the future, as well as create innovative models for advancing the long-term educational agenda.

According to data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs during the Winter Session of Parliament in December 2025, there are 4,27,085 Indian students in Canada. The number includes both those studying in schools and those studying in universities and tertiary institutions.

In 2024, Canada was the top international higher education destination with a total of 4,27,000 Indian students visiting the country.It was then the USA with 3, 37, 630 Indian students, the United Kingdom with 1, 85, 000, Australia (1, 22, 202), and Germany (42, 997) that followed the list, the NITI Aayog report said.

So why is Canada seeing fewer arrivals in 2025?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have released official data where it is shown that the country saw a drop of almost 60% in new international students arrivals in 2025 compared to the previous year. Within a year, the number of new arrivals decreased by about 1.32 lakh, the change that reflects the impact of the introduction of extensive reforms in the student and temporary worker programs since late 2023.

 In early 2024, the federal government introduced an annual limit of 3.60 lakh study permits nationwide to “stabilise growth” and address pressures on housing and infrastructure.

In 2025, the cap was further reduced by 10%, bringing down allocations across provinces and territories. Alongside this, Ottawa made it mandatory for every acceptance letter to be verified through an official process to curb fraud and unauthorised enrollments. The government also increased financial requirements for study permit applicants — a move aimed at ensuring students are better prepared to meet living costs in Canada’s high-inflation environment.

These changes, coupled with the slower processing of applications submitted under earlier rules, have significantly reduced new arrivals this academic year.

What’s behind the policy shift?

The government has emphasised that the goal is not to restrict genuine talent but to make immigration “sustainable and better aligned with labour market needs.” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a statement that the new limits were aimed at "reducing the number of temporary residents to less than 5% of Canada's population" within a few years.

There had been worries that the increase in the number of short term residents, especially international students, was leading to problems like shortage of housing, skyrocketing rents, and lack of job opportunities. The government explained that the changes were intended to make it a win, win situation for students and local communities.

On Tuesday afternoon, disagreement with the UGC Bill spread to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where a group of students protested vehemently. The student issues raised were sufficiently loud to have attracted the attention of the university administration and local police rapidly.

Protest Governed By Social Justice

The protest mainly featured the students from the OBC, SC and ST categories. The event unfolded close to the Vishwanath Temple (VT) on the campus.

The protestors demanded the government implement the bill without delay. Community based organisations from these groups had been holding a number of meetings before the rally on Tuesday. Students continued to accumulate with their placards and banners in the afternoon at the Temple complex.

While the protest slogans grew louder, the university administration increased its action. The protesters were very determined for a long time, showing banners while the officials of the administration tried to convince them to leave the place. In order to keep order and prevent any trouble, a heavy police presence was established throughout the campus. The police allowed the students to protest peacefully but remained vigilant in order to prevent any breach of security.

Students' Demands For Equality

The protesting students claimed that the implementation of the UGC Bill would be an equalizer in the higher education sector and create more opportunities. They said that this bill is one of the instruments to guarantee social justice in the educational domain. "It is not only about our rights; it is about all the students' future, " the protesters expressed their unity in the struggle for the administration to change.

Ongoing Movement

Despite several attempts by the university staff to calm the students and persuade them to stop the protest, the students still continued their sit, in demonstration. The university campus is kept under very strict security, and the student groups have declared that they will not cease their struggle until their demands are met.

The clash between the officials and the student body was protracted till very late hours, the security guards were watching.

The Union Public Service Commission has revised its eligibility criterion for candidates already accepted into the civil services — outlining several changes in its 2026 exam notification. Eligible individuals can submit their applications via the online portal till February 24 for the nationwide recruitment scheme. The Commission is looking to fill nearly a thousand vacancies as part of its CSE recruitment drive this year.

What are the changes?

The revised norms have specified that the candidates who had been appointed to the categories of Indian Administrative Service or Foreign Service are excluded from the list of eligible candidates to appear for CSE 2026. Also, those who are appointed to IAS or IFS posts after appearing for the CSE 2026 preliminary examination will not be allowed to sit for the UPSC Main exam even if they have passed the prelims. The candidate will also not be considered for appointment to any service based on CSE 2026 if they find such a position after both tests but before the results are announced.

The UPSC also outlined specific and expanded restrictions for the Indian Police Services. As per the latest notification, a candidate who has been selected or appointed to the IPS on the basis of an earlier examination will not be eligible to opt for or be allocated the IPS again on the basis of the CSE 2026 result. 

The commission has also laid down a detailed framework for candidates allocated to IPS or any Central Service Group A through CSE 2026 who wish to appear again in CSE 2027. Such candidates will be allowed to appear in CSE 2027 only if they are granted a “one-time exemption from joining training” by the concerned authority.

UPSC CSE applications underway

The UPSC is planning to recruit 933 personnels through its 2026 CSE recruitment drive. Candidates who are interested can apply online at the official UPSC website upsc.gov.in. The deadline for submitting the application is February 24.