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Although she was experienced and capable, Prabin Baby could not find a place in the system after she moved to the United Kingdom in 2020. This encouraged her to work and help other Malayali nurses who followed her. It has been five years now, and she was paid for her work when the 45-year-old was invited to King Charles' garden party in the Buckingham Palace.

Following education in Kerala and Bengaluru, Tiruvalla-born Prabin served in India and Malaysia as a nurse and a nursing trainer. She migrated to the UK as a registered nurse at the height of the pandemic and was working for Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. She was later promoted to education and corporate roles.

"Thanks to the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, I made a contribution to the wellbeing of Malayali nurses in helping them settle professionally and culturally into the National Health Service (NHS). A fellowship from the Florence Nightingale Foundation Academy helped me network across communities and expand my work in leadership development and sponsorship of internationally educated staff," Prabin further added. NHS also funded her professional nurse advocate course.

Individuals who come into the country are excluded from fitting into the system, and they require support, Prabin observes. "Even though our nurses are skilled, knowledgeable and have an OET certificate, it is hard for us to fit in the system. I was not comfortable when I arrived in UK. I believe someone should help them. We need to collaborate with leadership to ensure a friendly and inclusive working environment," she added. Prabin is now a patient-experience nurse, working to improve the quality of nursing practice in the UK.

"Our trust is inclusive and rich in diversity. It has a couple of members who speak English as their native language. But I was able to attend the garden party," she thanked the trust. According to Prabin, nurses receive better opportunities to learn, specialise and climb the career ladder in the UK. If we want to and are curious about our career, we have plenty of chances here. Also, the support we receive is far more than in India and other developed countries," she added.

Recalling the experience, Prabin said she felt proud and fortunate as an Indian to be part of it. "There had been times when, standing outside the palace, I had speculated what it was like within. Then I had opportunity come my way to enter the premises and mingle with the royals and visitors who have contributed to other areas of public service," she said.

"My sister, parents and daughter are my support. They actively support my work," Prabin stated.

Delhi University (DU) is planning to launch a uniform policy to identify the seniority of college teachers in order to promote transparency and put an end to confusion related to faculty appointments and promotion.

The proposal is to be finally approved in the Executive Council (EC) meeting on May 23, led by Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh. The absence of a well-defined framework, especially for Assistant Professors (Level 10), has caused uncertainty in promotions and nominations to academic and statutory committees in DU colleges.

To solve this problem, there was the establishment of a high-level committee in July 2024. Headed by the Dean of Colleges, the committee consisted of college principals, members of Executive and Academic Councils, and SC, ST, and OBC representatives. Following five meetings and a thorough examination of Ordinance XI, the committee had put forward their recommendations.

The new policy has it that departments with earlier appointments will be considered senior. In departments without a common seniority list, age will serve the purpose of determining seniority to treat equally first-ranked candidates from various categories.

This method will be followed until all ranks are filled.

Moreover, the policy also lays down parallel seniority lists within categories to make it clear without changing overall rankings. The policy is to ensure constitutional reservation provisions are maintained and fair representation is ensured in university governance.

Upon being approved, the policy will help end long-pending rows over seniority and reaffirm DU's pledge to equity, efficiency, and good governance in its academic institutions.

The seniority issue has created huge unrest among faculty members.

Earlier this month, DU professor Megh Raj Yadav addressed a letter to the vice chancellor pointing out the persistent issue: "A committee was formed to decide about seniority in college departments.

In the last one and a half years, over 5,500 Assistant Professors were appointed in different subjects in several colleges. But the lack of specific and consistent seniority rules has resulted in inconsistency and caused inner conflicts among faculty members.

In a ruling that can alter the lives of thousands, the Odisha government has approved an 11.25% reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in institutions of higher education. This long-awaited step, approved by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's cabinet, finally addresses a glaring lacuna—although these groups account for 54% of Odisha's population, they've had no education quotas until now.

Governments neglected bright children of backward society for decades. Now, state colleges and universities will reserve seats in:

Higher secondary classes

Undergraduate programs

Postgraduate classes

The quota is according to existing reservations:

Nominally STs (22.5%)

SCs (16.25%)

Physically handicapped (5%)

Ex-servicemen (1%)

"This is not a policy decision, it's restoration of constitutional freedoms," said CM Majhi, juxtaposing his government's initiative with the previous inactivity of BJD. The initiative is evocative of the National Education Policy 2020's push for inclusivity and the nation's central government's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" vision.

This had been sought by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan since 2019. "Education can be the greatest equalizer," he stated, "but if only everyone gets an equal chance."

231 SEBC groups receive access to reserved seats

Target is to implement it immediately—benefits start this academic year

Levelling the playing field for students who've faced systemic disadvantages

Even though there were 11.25% job reservations for SEBCs in Odisha, academic deprivation remained a recurring hurdle. The policy bridges the gap, giving the marginalized youth a firmer ground to compete.

As classrooms become more representative, the real test will be in implementation—preventing quality from suffering and ensuring reserved seats actually reach those who need them the most. But for today, Odisha takes a bold leap towards re-writing its education future. 

"Through unlocking education, we unlock potential." — CM Majhi

Joint Entrance Examination Council, Uttar Pradesh (JEECUP) will release the UP Joint Entrance Examination (UPJEE) 2025 admit cards on May 14, 2025. Test candidates can download the test admit card from the official portal or website — jeecup.admissions.nic.in — by using application number and password or date of birth.

UPJEE is held for Polytechnic Diploma and Post-Diploma in Industrial Safety courses to get admission in different Uttar Pradesh institutions. Different groups — A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, and K1 to K8 — will be given the test between May 20 to May 28, 2025.

Principal Updates

Last date for submission changed to May 10 from April 30 due to allowing more applications. Window of modification in application shut on 13 May. No modification prior to exam were accepted.

Step for Downloading JEECUP Admit Card 2025:

Login official website: jeecup.admissions.nic.in

Click on "JEECUP/UPJEE 2025 Admit Card" on homepage.

Login with application number and password or date of birth.

Open and save your admit card.

Print on exam day as well as for future use.

JEECUP 2025 exam will be of MCQ type. There will be four options for each question, one of which will have to be selected. There will be only one correct option. All the correct options will be given four marks. Miraculously, there will be no negative marking. If the question is wrong or there are multiple correct options, full marks will be given to all such candidates who have answered the question.

This entry test is an important factor while accepting admissions in 2025–26 batch of Uttar Pradesh polytechnic colleges' diploma and post-diploma courses.

In a significant drone defence technology milestone, India has inducted 'Bhargavastra', a future-proof low-cost counter-drone system developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL). Designed to counter the emerging threat from drone swarms and UAVs, Bhargavastra is a significant step ahead in India's air defence capability and Atmanirbhar Bharat indigenisation drive.

India's First Micro-Missile Based Anti-Drone System

The Bhargavastra system uses guided micro-rockets to identify and eliminate enemy drones from a long range. The system successfully accomplished all mission objectives in a series of successful live tests conducted at the Seaward Firing Range in Gopalpur on May 13.

The tests included three separate firings—two solo shots and a salvo of two micro-missiles launched in just two seconds. According to SDAL, both the four micro-rockets cleared the minimum launch parameters, demonstrating precision firing as well as readiness to operate.

1. Bhargavastra Features:

• Identifies drones at a distance of over 6 km range
• Engagement range of over 2.5 km
• Concurrent launching of over 64 guided micro-missiles
• Operational in various environments as well as high-altitude regions
• Deployment via Economic Explosives Ltd-designed mobile launcher platforms at higher speeds
• Designed to fill a critical capability gap in Army Air Defence; also evoking interest from the Indian Air Force

With few comparable systems available globally, Bhargavastra places India at the forefront of low-cost counter-UAV technology, providing a mobile and scalable option to costly, fixed, surface-to-air missile systems.

Lessons from Operation Sindoor

The evolution of the system precedes Operation Sindoor, when India had utilized its S-400 Triumf missile defence system to successfully repel Pakistani drone and missile attacks. Although the S-400 remains important for the defence against high-value targets, greater use of low-cost drone swarms requires cost-effective and scalable drone defence systems.

Bhargavastra stands poised to revolutionize counter-drone warfare, providing the Indian military with a low-cost, multi-purpose option to neutralize and counter unmanned threats without wiping out expensive strategic missile inventories.

The Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2025 formally began today, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) holding the first session of the examination at numerous centres in the nation. Early feedback and specialist review of the first session indicate a mix of anticipated trends and unexpected changes across major subjects like English, General Test (GAT), Economics, and Chemistry.

Here's the analysis of CUET UG 2025 Day 1, Shift 1, by Karan Mehta, Co-founder at Toprankers

ENGLISH LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY TAKES CENTRE STAG

The English part this year was more vocabulary-oriented. A lot of questions were synonyms and antonyms, so students who had a good word stock had an advantage. Just three reading passages came up—one factual and two narrative—comprising about 12 questions in total. Grammar-based questions were fewer than before, and the general level of difficulty was said to be between easy and moderate.

GENERAL TESTS: LOGICAL REASONING PREVAILS

General Test, that addressed a spread of aptitude subjects, was slightly more challenging compared to last year, especially in the Quantitative Aptitude section. Logical Reasoning was presented with the maximum number of questions, whereas Current Affairs took a smaller place. Nevertheless, Static General Knowledge questions that are usually related to recent events dominated. Students averaged around 12–13 questions from the GK and Current Affairs category on average. This section was typically assigned a moderate level of difficulty.

ECONOMICS: MICROECONOMICS TAKES CENTER STAGE

Aspirants who were writing the Economics paper reported a clear emphasis on Microeconomics at the expense of Macroeconomics, with some newly introduced topics brought in by the NTA.

The passage had two reading passages and consisted of a few questions based on NCERT books and the Annual Government Budget. The bulk of the paper was easy to moderate in level, but some tricky questions stiffened even well-prepared students.

CHEMISTRY: A BALANCED AND REASONABLE PAPER

The Chemistry paper had a well-balanced set of questions from Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry. The Physical and Organic sections had each about 14 to 16 questions, whereas Inorganic Chemistry consisted of 9 to 11 questions. Numerical problems were largely formula-based and straightforward, with one or two taking more detailed derivations. The general feeling among test-takers was that the Chemistry section was the easiest of the bunch.

The CUET UG 2025 will be held in multiple shifts up to June 3. Candidates are advised to remain current by regularly checking the official NTA website for updates on shift timings, admit cards, and other necessary information.

As the exam continues, further insights are likely to be revealed that would assist future test-takers in fine-tuning their preparation plans for the next few days.