Education News | Latest Updates, Trends, and Insights - Edinbox

After a three-year hiatus, the Odisha government has finally opened the gates for new leadership for its state-owned universities. In a significant move, the Higher Education Department on Wednesday announced 13 vice-chancellor (V-C) positions vacant and called for applications from eligible academicians nationwide.

This is after the instant enactment of the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 that supplants the controversial 2020 edition that had been stayed by the Supreme Court for violating UGC norms. With the legal hurdle now removed, the process of ushering in a new generation of academic leaders is officially open.

"This is a great leap forward," State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said. "Universities will have a systemized calendar for appointments for V-Cs and not wait for an incumbent to retire before taking decisions on the next boss."

Such universities are among the top ones like Utkal University, Ravenshaw University, Gangadhar Meher University, Fakir Mohan University, and Rama Devi Women's University, etc. Some of these have been running on an interim basis or with the help of senior professors in order to ensure administrative continuity.

Until recently, appointment delays had seen fundamental institutions either roll over retiring V-Cs' terms or redistribute duties to the heads of neighboring universities. However, with the new Act, universities can now advertise vacancies four months prior to when they intend to fill them, providing smoother handovers and unbroken academic leadership.

The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2024, cleared in April following a 12-hour Assembly debate, will introduce more transparency and regularity in the state's higher education administration. With applications now welcome, Odisha's university system is on the verge of a long-pending leadership renewal.

A delegation of Open Merit Students' Association, Jammu & Kashmir (OMSA J&K) called on Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Srinagar constituency and president of the ruling J&K National Conference (JKNC) today, June 5, raising concerns regarding the tardy submission of the report by the Cabinet Subcommittee on the reservation policy in the union territory.

The delegation was headed by activist and association member Sahil Parray.

During the meeting, the MP reaffirmed his solidarity with the students and assured them that he would be with them if the report was not published.

To remind, students belonging to the open merit category of Jammu & Kashmir have been complaining that the state's existing reservation policy is discriminatory towards them. According to them, more than 60 per cent of seats in higher education and government jobs are reserved for communities within the state, and around 30 per cent are left for open merit.

They contend that this does not correspond to the needs of the population in the union territory since the reserved category communities and ethnic groups comprise merely about 30 per cent of its population.

They assert, therefore, that the reservation policy deprives a large majority of students and candidates of opportunities.

After strong protests in November 2024, the J&K Government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, declared the creation of a Cabinet Subcommittee to investigate the state's reservation policy with regard to revising it.

The panel is made up of Education Minister Sakina Itoo, Minister for Public Health Engineering Javed Rana, and Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma, and has been directed to give its report in six months since its establishment.

Though the panel was constituted on November 22, it was formally notified on December 10 — hence June 10 as the date for its report.

As the deadline draws nearer, the OMSA is calling on the subcommittee to file its report at the earliest.

"There are only 5 days remaining for the six-month period to expire. The youth cannot wait any longer. Thousands of worthy and deserving youth are waiting in expectation (.sic)," the association stated in a tweet posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has reduced a major interest rate on education loans under its Vidya Lakshmi program. The move aims at enabling higher studies and increasing their accessibility for students across the nation. By reducing interest rates, PNB aims at broadening access to education and allowing students to attain their education goals.

The Vidya Lakshmi scheme, being one of the flagship schemes of PNB, provides fund assistance to students planning to study further in India and overseas. The reduced interest rates enable the students to avail loans on concessionary terms, thus lightening the load on the students as well as their parents.

This step is guaranteed to assist most of the financially strapped students in realizing their education aspirations. The students are able to focus on their studies without the economic strain due to reduced interest rates. The program is inclusive and targets undergraduate, master's, and professional programs.

PNB's decision to reduce interest on education loans is a relief to the student population and their parents. It is a reflection of the bank's commitment towards education and empowering young minds. Reducing the cost on education loans is PNB's initiative to bridge the gap between intention and action.

The lower interest rates will also be felt in the whole education sector. It will be more affordable for people to get the low-rate education loans, hence the increased demand for higher education. This will equate to a quality and educated human resource base that will enhance economic growth and development.

PNB's Vidya Lakshmi scheme has been a boon for students hailing from economically weaker sections. The interest rates being lower will also enhance the reach and success of the scheme. Students can now avail the loans with renewed hope and confidence, as financial constraints will no longer deter them.

Overall, PNB's interest rate cut on education loans provided under the scheme Vidya Lakshmi is a mammoth step towards education access and affordability. It's a step that will change the life of students forever and help the nation's education and economic development.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) recently launched Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses in Hindi and Odia, with the programme being offered in both languages.

The project is a part of the larger scheme in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the E-Kumbh project, an all-India project to convert important learning content into twelve Indian languages. IGNOU's MBA curriculum has been localized using the powerful machine translation tool "Anuvadini" of AICTE to benefit the students who prefer to study in their mother tongue more effectively.

IGNOU is also setting up MBA courses in ten more Indian languages, one step towards bridging language gaps in the field of management studies. It was opened on June 2 and reaffirmed 'IGNOU's commitment to making higher education open and inclusive across India's multilingual landscape,' said IGNOU.

"Today's launch is a turning point in our quest for educational equity," said Shri Mrutyunjay Behera, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Chief Guest on the occasion. "By introducing MBA courses in regional languages, IGNOU is bringing professional education to the grassroots level, entirely in line with NEP 2020's emphasis on multilingual and inclusive education. This is not policy implementation—it's an education cultural transformation."

Dr Abhay Jere, Vice Chairman AICTE, underlined the paradigm-changing potential of artificial intelligence in education. "We are entering a new era when AI is enabling real-time translation and localisation of content on a scale that previously was not possible. Anuvadini tool is a paradigm leap in making education borderless. AICTE feels honored to partner with IGNOU to build an inclusive scholar future," he added further. He advocated a subscription economy model of post-secondary education for life-long learning.

Prof. Uma Kanjilal, Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, thanked the dignitaries and stakeholders, further stating, "We are deeply thankful to Shri Mrutnajay Behra and Dr. Abhay Jere for facilitating this vision-oriented initiative. Technology is the real facilitator in this project, enabling us to provide quality learning experiences without respect to languages. Our dream is to make sure no learner feels left behind, irrespective of their linguistic legacy."

The Earth isn’t whispering warnings anymore — it’s screaming. From the smoke-choked skies over megacities to rising oceans swallowing coastlines, we’re watching in real time as our planet crosses red lines. But this crisis is not just ecological. It is deeply personal. It’s about the child struggling to breathe through an asthma attack, the farmer standing in a cracked field of failed crops, the family displaced by floods.

On World Environment Day, 2025, in an interview Dr. Amit Dias mentioned, I sound the alarm not as a climate scientist, but as a physician — because the climate crisis is a public health emergency.

The World Health Organization indicates that nearly 13 million deaths each year — one in four — are linked to environmental sources. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) alone contributes to over 7 million deaths each year, and it is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen. Children inhale poison with every breath in South Asian and African cities, setting them up for long-term heart and lung disease.

Unsafe water and poor sanitary conditions claim another 829,000 lives each year, mainly caused by diarrheal illnesses — completely avoidable if ecosystems were intact and infrastructure equitable. And on top of these, throw in the resurgence of vector-borne illnesses — dengue, malaria, chikungunya — now extending their reach due to climate-driven changes in rainfall and temperature.

Nature is not an adversary to human existence. It is existence. And without a living planet, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — specifically SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) — will never be achieved. In fact, all 17 SDGs are inextricably connected to environmental wholeness.

Plastic pollution is the focus of global attention this year. While over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, nearly half of it being disposable, we are suffocating under our own filth. Microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, and placentas. The same plastic intended to be "disposable" has become uncomfortably persistent — not only in the environment, but inside us.

But here's the silver lining: it's not a death sentence. We do have solutions.

Ban single-use plastics. Enforce extended producer responsibility. Encourage alternatives like jute, cloth, and biodegradable ones. Make environmental literacy a part of school curriculums. Have community-led clean-up drives. Demand policy reform.

The list is endless. Sikkim, the first organic state in India, shows that there can be harmony between agriculture and environment. Rwanda banned plastic bags in 2008 and boasts of the cleanest streets in Africa. In Goa, panchayats are starting waste segregation and composting programs which are openly improving health and hygiene.

Environmental degradation is not some future concern for scientists and activists. It's a real and immediate health hazard for all human life. Climate change is the most potent health threat of the 21st century, but it's also our greatest opportunity to envision a cleaner, more equitable, healthier world.

Make World Environment Day 2025 more than just a date. Make it a turning point.

Because when we conserve the environment, we don't just conserve trees — we conserve lives

Madhya Pradesh in central India is subtly changing the face of education. The state government launched a bold initiative through CM RISE in 2020, named Sandipani Vidyalayas, with the hope of giving a new direction and life to the public school system. Today, these Vidyalayas exist as examples of government schools set up to help children receive quality education.

This transformation is driven by the collaboration of organisations like Peepul and Apraava Energy, which have come together for the Exemplar Schools Project. Working at 10 Sandipani Vidyalayas right now, this project seeks to make significant changes, not just short-term solutions. Rather, it aims to achieve long-lasting improvements by supporting the key people in schools: school leaders and teachers.

This Transformation is Supported by the Three Pillars

1. Fostering School Leadership: Principals and administrators are supported by the project, which helps them build modern leadership skills and a vision for the future. That way, change does not just happen but has a long-term impact.

2. Teacher Development: Every school relies on teachers as its core. Regular training, mentorship, and exposure to best practices motivate and prepare the teachers. The result? Students are more involved in lessons and find them more relevant when classrooms become more engaging.

3. Improving School Culture: When the school culture is good, it means a lot for the students. Sandipani Vidyalayas are places where students are included and appreciated because of the emphasis on both their voices and community involvement.

Sandipani Vidyalayas' impact is big because it involves a strong commitment and cooperation among the government, non-profits, and businesses in the private sector. With their teamwork, Sandipani Vidyalayas are becoming examples of excellence, following gradual and steady improvement. 

The continued growth of these schools proves that when education receives enough support and direction, it can greatly contribute to social change. Sandipani Vidyalayas are doing more than changing classrooms; they are bringing hope for a fairer, brighter future to students and leading Madhya Pradesh education reform.