The Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions has served an ultimatum on the Telangana government, asking it to immediately release long-pending fee reimbursement dues. The federation claimed that private colleges in the state were facing a financial crisis because of the non-payment of ₹900 crore arrears and warned of a statewide agitation if the dues are not cleared by Sunday.

The federation chairman, Ramesh Babu, said the state owes nearly ₹10,000 crore under the fee reimbursement scheme, thereby supporting lakhs of students enrolled in private colleges. He wanted the government to immediately release at least ₹5,000 crore, while saying that the remaining balance should be cleared by the end of March 2026. Failure to do so, he said, will trigger an indefinite strike starting November 3 across private colleges in Telangana.

As part of the agitation plan, the federation has asked all universities to postpone all examinations to avoid the academic loss due to the strike. A mega-meeting of around 1.5 lakh college teaching and nonteaching staff will be held on November 6 to finalise the stir. This will be followed by a massive rally of students in Hyderabad on November 10 or 11 which the federation claimed will be attended by 10 lakh students from across the state.

Ramesh Babu warned that if the government remains unresponsive even after the Hyderabad protest, college managements, staff and students will intensify their agitation by picketing the residences of ministers, MLAs and MPs, and later staging protests at district collectorates.

Addressing speculations about possible state action against private colleges, Aljapur Srinivas, vice-president of the federation of private colleges, attacked the state's approach as "blackmail" and said it should instead ensure its financial commitment to students and colleges was respected rather than threaten institutions.

"MLAs must take responsibility to ensure that the fee reimbursement dues are cleared. Governments in the past have fallen due to student movements," Srinivas cautioned and called upon the state government to "stop intimidating college managements and resolve the crisis". The federation reiterated that the ongoing delay is pushing institutions to the brink and putting at risk the future of students dependent on fee reimbursement support

The NDA on Friday released its manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections, which promises free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level for the poor and plans to transform Bihar into an industrial and educational hub. The manifesto primarily focuses on youth, women, industries, infrastructure, farmers, and extremely backward castes (EBCs).

The manifesto, released jointly by CM Nitish Kumar, Union minister and BJP national president J P Nadda, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, has 25 points.

The major promises include more than one crore jobs and employment opportunities, mega skill centres in each district and Rs2,000 per month financial assistance to SC students in higher education. Financial assistance of up to Rs10 lakh to EBC youths for self-employment has also been promised in the manifesto. A commission under a retired Supreme Court judge will be established to assess the socio-economic status of EBCs and suggest measures for their uplift.

The NDA, under its ‘Industrial Mission for Growing Bihar’ plan, envisions an industrial revolution with an investment of Rs1 lakh crore. BJP leader and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said, “We will set up Defence Corridor, semiconductor manufacturing park, global capability centres, mega tech city, FinTech city and establish 100 MSME parks besides 50,000+ cottage enterprises to promote ‘Vocal for Local’.”

He further added, "We will establish world-class medical institutions, complete construction of approved medical colleges in every district, set up modern super-specialty hospitals dedicated to children and autism and a dedicated 'centre of excellence' for identified priority sportspersons in every division."

In an attempt to make Bihar a “new-age economy”, Choudhary said, “State-of-the-art manufacturing units and 10 new industrial parks would be developed to position Bihar as a new-age economy by attracting investments of Rs50 lakh crore and creating a ‘global back-end hub’ and a ‘global workplace’ over the next five years.”

Outlining measures for women's empowerment, Choudhary said the NDA govt would launch 'Mission Crorepati' to make one crore 'lakhpati didis' and provide financial help of up to Rs2 lakh to Jeevika didis under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. The govt has already transferred Rs10,000 each to over 1.21 crore women beneficiaries, he added.

The NDA promises to double output and make the state self-sufficient in pulse production by 2030. “We will set up five mega food parks, develop Bihar as a global export centre for makhana, fish, and other products, and transform Mithila into a mega textile and design park and ‘Anga’ into a mega silk park,” Choudhary said. Farmers will get Rs3,000 annually under the new Karpoori Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi, on top of the Rs6,000 from the Centre. In addition, there is a promise of Rs1 lakh crore investment in agricultural infrastructure and a guarantee of MSP for paddy, wheat, pulses and maize.

To help the fishermen, the NDA will initiate a ‘Fish-Milk Mission’ that will provide Rs9,000 to each beneficiary under the Matsya Palak Yojana. “Chilling and processing centres will be established at block levels under the ‘Milk Mission’ to enhance milk production,” Choudhary said.

The manifesto promises seven expressways, modernisation of 3,600km of railway track, metro rail in four new cities, a Greenfield city in New Patna, and satellite townships near major cities-all this on the infrastructure front. It also promises to develop ‘Sitapuram’ near the birthplace of Mata Sita in Sitamarhi. Aviation infrastructure will see an international airport near Patna and new airports in Darbhanga, Purnia, and Bhagalpur, alongside domestic flights from 10 additional cities. Under its ‘Panchamrit’ programme, the NDA has promised five million new pucca houses, 125 units of free electricity, continued free ration and free medical treatment up to Rs5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat.

Swami Vivekananda University is a fast-growing privately-owned university founded in 2019 in Barrackpore, Kolkata, West Bengal. The university aims to provide quality education and holistic development of the students. It provides a favorable and dynamic environment of the campus with a well-developed infrastructure including the air-conditioned classes, the smart technology-based education, the large library space, and the equipped labs. Having a multidisciplinary focus, Swami Vivekananda University strives to help the students reach their full potential and become the best in their respective areas of study.​

About the University

The Swami Vivekananda Group of Institutions (RERF) under the Swami Vivekananda University Act of 2019 by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly conducts the university. Swami Vivekananda University is still new but has demonstrated impressive academic and research excellence to become a university of more than 10,000 students with 500 research scholars serving more than 300 faculty members. The university is informed by the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, whereby the flexible, career-focused and interdisciplinary course designs are appreciated in accordance with the changing industry and academic requirements.​​

Admission Procedure

It admits on merit and entrance examination, and is controlled by government standards. The university has enabled online application procedures and offers scholarships to students who deserve it. The international learners are required to procure the right student visas and become registered when they arrive. Documentations required are transcripts, identification, photographs, and affidavits. The university also helps in visa facilitation and campus integration to help foreign students in this regard.​

Things to Know About the University 

• Eastern Indian based new and growing fast-paced privately owned university.
• Great attention to career-oriented, flexible, and interdisciplinary curriculum.
• Faculty with active research participation and great qualifications.
• New campus that has good resources and facilities.
• Strong scholarship schemes of brilliant and deserving students.
• Active promotion of innovation and enterprise among students.
• Diplomatic investment in total student growth and civic participation.​

Who Should Take Admission

Swami Vivekananda University can be chosen by students who want to be modern and industry-relevant with the opportunities to conduct the research, innovation, and flexibility of the professional path. The campus will benefit immensely students who are interested in experiencing a rich campus life with diverse academic courses in engineering, management, health sciences and other related disciplines.​

Who Should Avoid Admission

Applicants with a strong preference of the traditional education model that is not that theory oriented but rather application oriented might not find the modern, application based model of the university so appealing. Students who anticipate well established programs with many years of lore might be willing to attend older institutions.​

Swami Vivekananda University is a vibrant and a bright prospect in West Bengal that integrates the contemporary infrastructure, educational quality, and pursuit of student development and social service. Having a swift rise and visionary mind, it is a potential option to ambitious learners in the dynamic education environment of Eastern India, who are looking to receive a holistic offering of higher education.

Technology companies are aggressively marketing the "digital classroom" as a vision of education's future: one of faster learning, smarter students and children prepped for Silicon Valley success. Schools are buying into the hype, parents are being dazzled by devices, and policymakers are convinced that screens equal progress.

But the uncomfortable truth is that there's scant evidence to suggest EdTech actually improves learning - and growing evidence to suggest it harms it.

But despite all the rhetoric of transformation, digital learning has yielded no better results. Indeed, several studies now suggest that students using notebooks and textbooks outperform their screen-based peers by the equivalent of six extra months of learning. The science is clear: handwriting and reading physical books strengthen cognitive development and memory in ways no screen can replicate. Pens, paper, and books make smarter learners than tablets and apps.

Even countries that were once early adopters of the digital classroom are backpedaling. Sweden, once trumpeted as among the forerunners of EdTech in the world, backtracked on its push to digitize schooling when evidence emerged to show that extended screen time was damaging learning outcomes rather than improving them. If one of the most digitally literate countries in the world is pulling back, why is the rest of the world racing blindly ahead?

At its heart, this digital-by-default model relies on an illusion: that children can learn better via devices than from humans. But childhood is not a software problem to be optimized. Learning requires connection, curiosity, challenge, discipline, and mentorship-not notifications, gamified rewards, and algorithm-driven shortcuts.

Where the risk really lies, though, is in technology replacing those very experiences that shape thinking: boredom, deep focus, imagination, social play, handwriting, and human feedback. Swap these out for screens too early, and we'll indeed be raising a generation that will know how to swipe but not think.

It is time to slow the EdTech experiment down, not speed it up. Technology should be the tool, not the default. A more balanced approach would be Early Years & Primary: screen-free learning environments and no personal devices. Secondary schools should freeze student-facing EdTech until it is proven safe, educationally effective and respectful of privacy. Parents: a legal right to opt their children out of digital homework and virtual learning systems. Children deserve teachers, not tablets; relationships, not algorithms. If we really care about their minds, human-centred education needs to be restored before screens reshape childhood beyond repair

The demand for food continues to rise with the growing population, while most of the food crops face challenges such as a shorter season, infestation by pests and erratic weather. Therefore, scientists at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology SKUAST Kashmir are turning to 'speed breeding', a technology in fast-tracking the development of climate-resilient and high yield crops meant for the growing population in the valley.

This has put immense pressure on resources and overall food demand, with Jammu and Kashmir's annual population growth rate ranging from 1 to 2.6% after the year 2000. This comes amidst a backdrop of declining land area, vagaries of climate change, soil erosion, water deficit, short growing seasons, resurgence of new pests, and a constant shortage of quality seeds.

In SKUAST, scientists are resorting to speed breeding to fulfill the growing demand for food in the face of these difficulties. Speed breeding is a new technique that involves hastening the growth cycle of crops under controlled environmental conditions. Although conventional breeding has limits that allow only one or two generations of crops per year, depending on the nature of the climate, with speed breeding, as many as four to six seed-to-seed cycles per year can be achieved by scientists.

According to Asif Bashir Shikari, Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding in SKAUST- Kashmir and Principal Investigator of Speed-Breeding programme in Kashmir, the concept behind speed breeding technique is that 'the idea is to accelerate the breeding'. Though not a crop cultivation system, when a variety comes out of the speed breeding programme, it can be released for commercial cultivation, he clarified.

Shikari explained that the development of a new variety of crop generally takes eight years. After that, it would take another two to three years for regulatory approval before the variety reaches the farmers. It can take up to a decade before a new improved variety is available in the market.

"Speed breeding shortens this entire process considerably. It grows plants under controlled environmental conditions using advanced full-spectrum PPFD lights, accurate temperature and humidity, and optimized photoperiods for the length of time each day that plants receive light. This enables the growth of multiple generations of crops per year-up to five or six in rice-compared with only one or two generations using traditional field or glasshouse conditions," Shikari said

Education is becoming more dynamic than ever, and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the center of this transformation. What used to require years of research and study is now being revolutionized by the fast technological advancement. The CEO of the first generative AI team at Google and founder of Google, Jad Tarifi, says that a PhD is becoming obsolete in this new age of faster innovation.

According to Tarifi, AI is changing so rapidly that by the time a person finishes a PhD, the technology they are reading about has already evolved. Tarifi describes the process of his doctorate as 5 years of studying and suffering, but he must admit that it wasn’t painless.

PhDs are Becoming a Relic of the Past

Tarifi is of the opinion that the doctorate degree is only worthwhile to individuals who are highly interested in research. The issue, he says, is that research and academic programs are changing at an incredibly gradual rate that by the time a student earns a five- or seven-year PhD, their curriculum and the technology that has supported it has advanced.

That is, the formal academic systems are failing to follow the lightning speed of the digital world. Subjects that had to be memorized or learned by heart are in danger of becoming automated, being done more efficiently and less inaccurately by an AI system.

There are some grave threats to the Memory-Based Professions

Tarifi cautions that careers that rely so much on memory such as medicine or traditional clerical work are at risk of being disrupted in the long run by AI. According to him, in case your job is all about remembering facts, AI will soon perform it faster than you.

He recommends that students should redirect attention to areas where AI is still developing like in the biological, environmental and botany fields. Human intuition, creativity, and decision-making will continue to be important in these areas and cannot be substituted by algorithms. 

The Future is in Skills, Not Degrees.

Academic qualifications can soon be placed second to the job market as smart skills and emotional intelligence are valued. Tarifi believes that what certificate is hanging on a wall will be of lesser importance than practical capability and adaptability to change.

He stresses that technical expertise alone does not suffice, but rather the ability to learn fast, accept change, and be responsible with technology is what makes a person successful in the era of AI. The most important characteristics of the future workforce are emotional intelligence (EQ), adaptability and creativity.

‘Degrees tell what you learned; skills show what you are capable of doing’, Tarifi says. In the AI-driven world, it is your capability to think, learn and feel, which will make you really different.

Education Must Be Revisited Radically

A big crossroads is currently being encountered by the global education system. As AI is not only changing how students study, but also what they should study, universities are also being called upon to revise curricula that develop emotional development, problem-solving and digital fluency in addition to theory.

Future generations will be successful individuals who could combine both the smartness and the compassion, the ingenuity with rationality, and the numbers with the understanding of people. Artificial Intelligence can substitute work, but it cannot be used to emulate passion, purpose, and depth of emotions.