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The loss of seven lives and injuries to at least 27 more in a building collapse at a government school in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district is a tragedy beyond words that was entirely preventable. Safety must be the guiding principle of schooling, starting with the journey to school, the stint within the institution, and the return home. Apparently, officials in Rajasthan and other places have not seen fit to fill glaring gaps in building maintenance, which resulted in the rundown structure collapsing at the Piplodi Government School in Jhalawar, killing children, including a six-year-old. Two other school structures also collapsed elsewhere, but students had a providential escape because one in Nagaur had been closed preventively as it had suffered damage and the second in Karauli had not yet opened for the day. State governments, being the last in line of responsibility regarding public safety, naturally become smarter after the event, and the Rajasthan one is no exception: a check on all public buildings has been mandated by the BJP government, and the Union Ministry of Education has insisted on a safety audit at schools, which includes the condition of student facilities; five officials were suspended to appease the public. What occurred in Piplodi is worst, as students had complained about the roof being damaged by rain, but they were ignored by authorities and teachers despite common sense. It is also shocking that the effect of the monsoon was not expected by district authorities, despite a report by the state government of 2,200 schools being in a bad state and 49,000 requiring repairs to electrical fixtures and water systems.

The inattention to quality and safe public education is a worldwide shame for the nation, and it has been ongoing throughout the decades despite the literature that highlights the critical role of schooling not only for economic progress, but also for the improvement and health of individuals. The Centre has been imposing a 4% Health and Education Cess since 2018-19, with the recent annual collection reaching Rs 73,000 crore, most of it spent on primary and middle school programs for the poor. It cannot be said, at the same time, that India boasts world-class economic growth as well as not having enough money to spend on school safety. There are harrowing accounts of school-going students involved in road accidents from across the nation due to lack of transport access. Severe monsoon rain, driven by climate change, is challenging aging public structures and dwellings. To add to this, western India is expected to bear excessive, unpredictable rain as part of this trend, and increased cyclones are emerging in the Arabian Sea compared to the Bay of Bengal. Those factors should ring alarm bells in all the states, and corrective measures in regard to government buildings must be taken after. Secure, universal, and free education is the foundation of a Viksit Bharat in real terms, and authorities should do everything to ensure that within ten years.

5 IITs to get over 1,300 additional seats in UG, PG and PhD courses for 2025-26: … Over 1,300 seats have been added across undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) with some of them also including the doctoral-level from five third-generation Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) for academic session... Of the 1,364 seats that have been added in IITs for year 2025-26, (the highest) is at-IIT Bhilai which has seen an increase of378 (seats), next was higher percentage of increase only.I will come separately with numbers also. The otherIiTs like Dharwad --343,the new one Jammu--251,Tirupati—Iit Tiruvananthapuram(193).

Seats are being upgraded in various courses in these IITs according to course requirements intimated by these institutions. Seat addition sanction has been accorded for these IITs till 2028-29 in phases," a senior ministry of education official said.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Union Budget 2025-26 announced additional 6,500 seats for IITs added after 2014. Of the six new IITs added in 2015 and 2016—Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, Dharwad, Tirupati, and Goa. IIT Goa was not included in expansion as it is yet to be shifted to a permanent campus, whereas according to the initial plan all new IITs were to become operational within four years of integration. The Union Cabinet in its 7th May, 2025 meeting approved it, enhancing the academic and infrastructure strength of the five new IITs at an investment of ₹11,828.79 crore to be incurred over the four years (2025-26 to 2028-29). Altogether, all the five new IITs of Bhilai, Dharwad, Jammu, Palakkad, and Tirupati collectively in the four years from 2025-26 to 2028-29 will be increasing 6,576 seats.

From them, IIT Bhilai will be added with maximum 1,485 seats followed by IIT Dharwad that adds another 1,473 and then comes the queue of new addition in other five colleges such as – (IIT Jammu-1288),(IIT Palakkad -1264) &(ITT Tirupati-1066). Counter to the four-year schedule of adding 6,576 seats are an additional 1,364 in the year ending on June 30 — and a proposed extra increase, beginning with a total push up by another that many students (for a new maximum increase over all those years of an eventual potential lift) will be enrolled during school year 2025-26

Following the period of overexpansion, these five IITs will have 13,687 students against their current student base of 7,111 – an increase of 92.47%.

The Union Cabinet in May sanctioned the creation of 130 teaching posts in these IITs and the process for hiring has already commenced, officials added.

The Central Board Of Secondary Education has released the sample paper for class 10th and 12th Board exam. These sample papers aim to help over 2 million students in India understand the exam pattern, types  of questions, and marking schemes. 

For students of class 10th, the question paper covers a wide range of subjects including maths, english, science, hindi, sanskrit, computer, and social studies. The papers are available in both English and Hindi medium for selected subjects, along with the detailed marking scheme. This is done to help the students understand how to prepare for the board exam and which area holds more weightage. 

Likewise, Class 12 has access to subject-wise sample papers and marking schemes of popular disciplines such as English Core, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Accountancy, Biology, Business Studies, and so on. This release is consistent with the trend of CBSE towards single-board exam pattern in the year with the term-wise examinations being withdrawn.

CBSE advises students to use these sample papers as essential tools to prepare effectively and practice the exam format. Such papers are particularly useful in preparation of half yearly, pre-board and final board exams. To start with their preparation, the students are advised to download PDFs available in the official CBSE academic site.

The professionals recommend using the sample papers to not only get a better idea of the kind of questions being asked, but also in terms of time management in addition to locating essential topics. These papers are the most up to date to match the current trend of questions and the new exam is application-based and analytical, so the papers will also be based on these new trends. 

Both parents and teachers are appreciating this early release of board exam sample paper, as it allows for structured and focused coaching sessions throughout the academic year.

To access the sample papers and the marking schemes of 2025-26 class 10th and 12th board exam, students can simply visit the official CBSE website: cbseacademic.nic.in, where all subject-wise PDFs are available for free download.

This initiative by CBSE is aiming at making the exam preparation more transparent and stressfree by equipping students with all the info and clear guidance, boosting their confidence for the upcoming board exams.

Five years of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Centre is going to unveil a significant change in the accreditation system for higher education institutions by moving to a binary system - 'accredited' or 'not accredited' - from the current multi-level grading system. The institutions will no longer be graded in comparison with one another but evaluated on the basis of same minimum standards.

Also on the anvil is the rollout of a new 'Bharatiya Bhasha' online tool for direct translation of Indian languages, without going through English as an intermediary. Apart from this, govt will activate a Centre of Excellence in AI in education, as was declared in the 2025 Union Budget.

The announcements are likely to be made on Tuesday at a national function marking the fifth anniversary of NEP-2020, in the presence of top ministers, educationists and state representatives at the Bharat Mandapam here.

The new accreditation model seeks to streamline the process and stimulate greater participation by higher education institutions (HEIs). In contrast to the previous framework, which ranked institutions (A++, A, B, etc.), the new two-part system will have institutions meet minimal standards to become 'accredited'. According to a senior official of the education ministry, "The change was made to counter the resistance of many HEIs to seek accreditation in fear of the work required and uncertainty over gaining a good grade."

The change comes against the backdrop of credibility and participation issues in the existing accreditation system, especially after recent controversies regarding the operations of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac). Erratic grading trends and charges of obscurity had raised eyebrows among scholars and policymakers, leading to a re-examination of the process.

Explaining the new model in more detail, the official added, "In the new model, all institutions that have reached benchmark levels will be graded equally in phase one. From 1 to 5 grading will come in phase two, likely to be initiated in the next five or six months. Institutions will move up the grading scale step by step - from Grade 1 onwards - depending on proven performance data."

The validation of the data would be based on a triangulation approach, with the use of various sources and instruments to ascertain correctness, and excluding Naac's direct participation. Only govt agencies and Institutions of National Importance will be roped in for verification and no physical checks will be conducted.

The 'Bharatiya Bhasha' digital tool will enable easy translation between Indian languages without going through the English route - for example, direct translation from Assamese to Tamil. At the higher education level, the Centre of Excellence in AI in education will be officially initiated to facilitate research and integration of AI tools in instruction and learning.

For school education, the expected announcements include focused infrastructure upgradation and access expansion, such as new Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya buildings, with commensurate budgetary support.

In 1968, PM Indira Gandhi’s government introduced India's first education policy. The second education policy was formulated by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986. The third policy for Indian education came in the year 1992 when the government of Narasimha Rao made some amendments to the previous policy. And from then, it was in the year of Corona when after 34 years the government of India  came forward to introduce the fourth policy: The National Education Policy 2020.

It has been 5 years now since the new education policy was introduced.  But is the policy meeting the expectations it had set or is yet another policy left to dry on papers? The answer is: A blend of all. The implementation is lagging, results are unclear, and impact is partial. 

What is NEP 2020?

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) was an ambitious pledge of India to transform the way Indians learn, teach and get ready to serve the future. With the five-year line passed, however, it is time to stop and take a second look at the practical effect, what is succeeding, at what the system falls short and what students, teachers and families can expect as the change unfolds.

What was Promised? 

1. Public education spending to increase to 6% of GDP
2. No 10+2 structure but a New school structure of 5+3+3+4
3. Inclusivity and play-based learning for 3-8years age group
4. Critical thinking focus instead of memorisation. 
5. Universal foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025
6. Mother tongue/regional language as medium of instruction till Grade 5. 
7. Vocational training from 6th grade.
8. Change board exams with National Assessment Centre (PARAKH) 
9. Replace UGC and AICTE with Higher Education Commission 
10. Multiple exit options 
11. Multiple academic credit bank in colleges

NEP Classroom Experience Transformation

The 10+2 board system is out of history. The Indian schools have changed their educational system into the 5+3+3+4 model that allows the introduction of the foundational learning, play-way learning at a young age, and competency-based lessons at Class 3.

According to a 2025 deadline, preschool education must be of good quality and attendable by every child who comes to Class 1. The No Detention Policy has been done away with, the traditional nerve tingling final examination has been given up and normal informal assessments, projects and presentations have taken their place and put students in touch with real life.

Digital Push and Initiatives 

Digital transformation is on a high: initiatives such as DIKSHA and SWAYAM have provided quality materials to crores. A strong government funding is anticipated to ensure more than half of the government schools have smart boards, and internet by 2027. 

Latest Education Funds 

The recent Union Budget 2025-26 has hit the headlines with a massive budgetary allocation of 1.28 trillion in educational activities that represents a 6.5 percent increase over the preceding year. It is currently 4.6 percent of the GDP, but, since this is below the NEP historical nonsensical goal of 6%, it is not yet enough. 

The school education and literacy sector was allocated 78,572 crores and higher education witnessed increased funds to 50077.95 crores all time record breaking by India. A special 500 crore has also been provided as the Centre of Excellence in AI in education which is indicative of the focus on future skills through NEP.

Literacy Rate And Progress by NEP 2020

Throughout India, the level of literacy had reached the mark of 80.9% among the individuals living in the country and above 7 years old by 2024, which is an evident indicator of improvements. Mizoram had become a milestone of India when it became the first state to cross the 95%  mark, becoming the first fully literate state in India, a phenomenon that stressed on the fact that NEP-inspired change can make visible difference even in the countryside, starting with the ULLAS -Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.

The ASER report of 2024 has registered the best ever achievements in basic reading and arithmetic amongst children in primary schools and what it means is that the new curriculum and digital interventions are yielding results on the ground.

Vocational Education As Promised By NEP

NEP 2020 promised a new landmark: at least 50% of the school children will have some exposure to vocational training by 2025. Things are improving as seen in the number of students who have already chosen vocational tracks, 2 lakh and there has been the introduction of compulsory internships to secondary students.

Nevertheless, India has a long journey to complete: only about 5% of the youth labor force has received vocational training which stands as 52% in the US and 96% in South Korea. It is very important to bridge this gap as the way towards developing a workforce of the future.

Challenges of NEP 2020

The radical changes visualised by NEP 2020 have its own hard realities that is stopping it from making the vision a reality:

1. Infrastructure deficits: Infrastructure strength is in the digital and smart classroom intentions, whereas smaller towns and villages need a lot of work to get to technology and modernized facilities, which results in unequal adoption.
2. Faculty training: A larger percentage of educators are not able to learn the new digital tools and student-centered teaching model. Upskilling continues to be a big challenge in the Indian education sector. 
3. Curriculum integration: Universities (and indeed, higher education), struggle to shatter the silos of individual disciplines, and instead take on multidisciplinary and hence flexible courses. The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and the competency assessment is an ongoing work. 
4. Budget crunch: As demand has increased, the relief has not always translated into a corresponding rise in expenditure and India continues to lag behind on expenditure compared to other large economies.

What is the government doing?

Based on the increased budget allocations, curriculum improvements, and technologically enabled solutions, the government is wagering on how the rest of the gaps can be filled by 2030. Another priority is inclusivity particularly among girl students in STEM and rural students.

Through such policies as a Special Education Zone, skill accord with industry, direct scholarship, etc., NEP has the hopes of developing not only graduating job-ready students but also creative minds and innovators.

The message to students and families is simple: NEP is not an already completed one, but an evolving one. The next few years will witness still more digitised classrooms, hands-on skill development, flexibility in every learner- the urban and the rural, and the mainstream and the marginalised. Whether you are looking for anything to do with NEP 2020 and the future of education in India, rest assured the change is real, ambitious and at last, truly attainable.

While the University of Delhi (DU) is ready to introduce the fourth year of the undergraduate (UG) course under the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020, BA and BSc students have been the largest number enrolling for carry-forward and honours upgrading of their degrees.

According to the university figures, some 72,000 students are in line for the fourth year, of whom more than 50,000 have chosen to continue with the extended year to Thursday, July 24.

According to a PTI report, the majority of the cohort comprises students from interdisciplinary BA and BSc courses who are now waiting eagerly to upgrade their degrees to honours.

Manav, a student of BA from Ramjas College, explained, "This is a great opportunity for us. We didn't have such a facility earlier to graduate with honours, now we can, that's why I joined it."

While the policy guarantees academic freedom and research experience, its practice has left many issues. Students and staff at the university refer to disarray and confusion due to vague directives, poorly manned departments, and administrative inefficiencies in the designation of research supervisors.

Ananya, a third-year BA student at Jesus and Mary College, said she was initially informed that she could pursue her fourth-year research in Sociology and Psychology. "But the Psychology department then informed us it's only for honours students. We were cheated," she said.

This mix-up is proving to be troublesome for students pursuing courses with interfaculty combinations – with involvement of more than one department and conflicting information only working to increase the confusion.

Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh had earlier greeted the fourth year as a "game changer," emphasizing its research, entrepreneurship and skill orientation. He further stated that more than 20,000 students had opted out, but reiterated the university's readiness to take on the rest of the large batch.

"We will establish whatever facilities are needed. It is in the interest of our students," he said.

Despite the promise, teacher associations remain cautious, many of them complaining about inadequate infrastructure, inadequate faculty strength, and absence of organized orientation programmes.

Departments have been reported to be finding it difficult to secure research supervisors and prepare labs in time.

"Non-honour students are bright, but the system is not designed," said a faculty member, going on to say there is no consistency in plans introduced for interdisciplinary students.

As honours course students, particularly those in courses like Economics and English, were considering a rethink of spending an extra year in view of career plans or exam preparations, BA and BSc students saw the fourth year as a much-needed academic upgrade.

"Most of us are keen on further studies or looking overseas. An honours degree would set us apart," said another student at the university's North Campus.

"We just want the university to get things in order before lectures begin," the student added.

With hardly a week left before the academic session can begin, Delhi University is grappling with the double challenge of handling scale and providing clarity – particularly to students who have invested their trust in the NEP promises.