Educational Insights | Stay Informed with Edinbox

Since 1956, University Grants Commission (UGC) has been India's apex regulator for higher education. UGC has lately been undergoing major policy changes, reflecting India’s New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 goals implemented this year. Recent events, from student welfare to foreign university setups show UGC's evolving role. This article outlines key updates shaping higher education policy in India today.

A. Structural Overhaul Coming Soon

The Government of India has been formulating the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, unifying UGC, AICTE, and NCTE. The Bill will have separate verticals for regulation, funding, accreditation, and standards, each. 

B. UG/PG Curriculum Reforms

The new 2025 guidelines enable:

• For students of Honours, there shall be multiple points to enter and exit throughout the curriculum. 
• There shall be two academic cycles per year. 
• This will help in encouraging and recognition of skill and experimental learning. 
• This offers flexibility in the process of completion of degrees.

C. NAAC Accreditation Goes Fully Digital

The first thing that students usually look for when getting an admission in any college is its NAAC Ranking. This makes a student’s dream placement seem more promising. This NAAC Accreditation Process has become faster, paperless and transparent, going fully digital. This aims at boosting quality assurance and institutional accountability. 

D. Crackdown on Approval Frauds

The biggest problem that UG and PG Students face when taking admission in Colleges is Counselling and Fake Agent Scams. It is very difficult to figure out what is right and what is not. Therefore, UGC warns the public and institutions of fake approval agents impersonating officials. 

E. UGC-NET June 2025 Results Out

According to reports, an approximate of 11.21 lakh candidates registered for the UGC-NET 2025. Out of them, over 1.28 lakh candidates have qualified. These qualifiers include qualifiers for JRF and Assistant Professorship. The results were announced ahead of its schedule in June 2025. 

F. Focus on Campus Safety & Student Welfare

Mental wellness of a person matters more than it is prioritized. UGC has been investigating student suicide at KIIT, Balasore. Issued show-cause notices, warned of action including loss of deemed-university status. In addition to that, calls of mental health services, anti-ragging vigilance, and fitness/sports are being encouraged and promoted by institutions. 

G. Foreign Universities in India

Opening of Foreign Universities in India encourages not only better education but also better opportunities, placements and growth for students as well as surroundings. University of Southampton opens its first foreign campus in Gurgaon. Other than that, 17 global universities have received approval since 2023 regulations. This is a boost to India’s Global Academic Integration. 

In 2025, the UGC is reshaping itself from a traditional regulator into a forward-looking force in Indian higher education. With reforms focusing on flexibility, mental health, digital transparency, and international collaboration, the aim is clear: to put students first. As one UGC circular notes, “The well-being, safety, and holistic development of students must be central to every institution’s mission.” While challenges remain, these shifts mark a significant move toward a more inclusive and future-ready academic landscape. 

By Jishnu Mukherjee

Tired of the same old rigid study grind? Well, CBSE’s new reforms might just be the strategic shift schools and students have been waiting for. Starting in the 2025-26 academic session, the Central Board of Secondary Education is rolling out a series of comprehensive changes aimed at making education more dynamic, relevant, and—dare I say—future-proof.

Let’s get straight to the point: Class 10 students will now have the option of two board exam windows—one in February, the other in April or May. Students can appear for both or select just one, and CBSE will consider the higher score. This dual-attempt model isn’t just about flexibility; it’s a calculated move to reduce pressure and encourage true engagement throughout the year. Both exams cover the full syllabus, so consistent performance is still key.

Exam patterns are getting a significant overhaul too. Roughly half of all questions will now focus on application, case studies, and multiple-choice formats. The objective is clear: shift from rote memorization to competency-driven learning. This aligns with global best practices and modern workforce demands.

Internal assessments are stepping into the spotlight, now accounting for about 40% of the final grade. Projects, assignments, and periodic tests will all play a crucial role in a student’s overall performance. The old model of last-minute cramming is officially outdated. Students need to demonstrate sustained effort and deliver over time.

Subject selection is expanding, and the traditional marks system is being replaced by percentile-based evaluation—an effort to enhance fairness and accuracy. Skill-based subjects such as IT, AI, and Retail are now mandatory in Classes 9 and 10, and can even compensate for a failed core subject if necessary. This is a strategic alignment with the National Education Policy’s vision of practical, career-oriented learning. Classes 11 and 12 will see even more electives, including Electronics, Design Thinking, and Physical Education. Students are no longer boxed into rigid streams—they can tailor their academic portfolios in line with their career aspirations.

Assessment protocols are also evolving. Starting in 2025-26, Class 12 Accountancy students will be allowed to use basic calculators, shifting the focus from manual calculation to conceptual mastery. For Classes 6-9, diagnostic assessments like SAFAL and KSA will help identify and address learning gaps early, supporting a more personalized educational experience.

Transparency and accountability are also top priorities. Students can now request photocopies of answer sheets before seeking re-evaluation—a move towards greater fairness. Missed an exam in Class 12? Supplementary exams in July mean students won’t lose a full year over a single setback.

Attendance and participation are no longer optional. Schools are expected to enforce a 75% minimum attendance policy, and creative, cultural projects—such as those under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative—are now integrated into internal assessments from Class 1 onwards.

In summary, CBSE’s new reforms represent a clear pivot toward a more flexible, holistic, and skills-driven educational environment. If implemented effectively, these changes could redefine the student experience, making Indian education more competitive and relevant on a global stage.

By Jishnu Mukherjee

The school years that start at the start of it all can be recalled to go by in a blur of wee ones' pajamas, lunchboxes, and morning mayhem. For others, it's a seascape of candy-coated photos, the alphabet, and the beginnings of best friends. But beneath all the sweet facade is something very profound, something which impacts not only learning pathways, but the very mapping of a child's brain. The early years in school add up to a lifetime of learning, social bonding, and callousing of heart. The science behind it might be an eye-opener for many.

Hardwiring the brain, not merely learning letters

Basically, pre-primary and preschool classes are full of the learning of shapes, figures, and everyday day words. That is just the tip of it.

What's actually happening is a whopping amount of neurological building. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard approximates that more than 1 million new neural connections are built each and every second in the brain of the young child during early childhood. It is early experience, and specifically structured ones like school, that get to determine which of those connections become entrenched and which can slide away.

Learning in school does not simply pick up facts. It picks up thinking, waiting in line, listening, questioning, and getting along with other people. Those are the real lessons that develop life-long mental and interpersonal understanding.

Feeling muscles start to develop

"Children are too young to learn feelings or become socially smart in early grade school." These early grade school years are the years management of feelings begins firmly to take root.

At school, children are presented with actual dilemmas, such as how to settle a dispute with another person or how to cope with routine and authority. They're all small but powerful emotional training ground.

It was proved by researchers at Yale University's Child Study Centre that social-emotional learning (SEL) in preschool and kindergarten had a significant impact on being sensitive and even diminishing behaviour problems. Kids who can articulate and regulate emotions consistently within a secure, stable school setting will become empathetic, resilient, and confident adults.

Language skills today, communication power tomorrow

There is the tendency to believe that authentic language capability starts when kids are pretty well able to read and write. But beginnings start before, and they are simpler than they appear.

In those years, becoming raised in the midst of told control, class conversation, and read-alouds works to build something more than words: knowing the world capability.

Studies found that kids who'd grown up in more prosperous early language environments possessed quicker and more competent brain responses to word processing as children. These early language abilities are associated with higher critical thinking, improved memory, and even improved mental health as an adult. 

Early confidence patterns start early

Self-confidence is assumed by most to be something one develops in childhood along with age. But the primary school years plant this seed subterranean, sometimes to last an entire lifetime.

When the child is complimented for a minor achievement, such as getting their name spelled correctly or knowing how to tie their shoe laces, the child begins building their inner belief system. It is the same which will become the inner voice that resonates loud through challenging school years ahead.

Early success at school had a profound impact on children's perception of their own ability well into teenage years. Wonderful is the manner in which one little word of encouragement or good manners from one of them can be recalled as a lifeline of inner confidence later in life.

School is the first window to the outside world

Home will instill love and values, but school will instill the initial concept of community.

Throughout all these initial five years, school is where kids learn that the world consists of other people but who are to be respected. From the memorization of how to collaborate on class projects to role-playing in art class, every experience expands the mind to kids learning about rules, diversity, cooperation, and fairness.

Shepherding and interacting with early learning groups significantly influence tolerance, eradicating prejudices, and bring long-term positive tendencies among other individuals. This is the start of being open-minded, caring human beings one could be not only as an individual, but also towards other people.

India’s education system is frequently recognized as a rising force globally, echoing Mahatma Gandhi’s vision that democracy thrives not on rote knowledge, but on meaningful education. At the helm of this transformation stands Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister since July 2021. With a strong background in administration and reform, Pradhan’s leadership has been central to the sector’s recent advancements.

One of the most significant reforms in recent years, the NEP 2020, is being implemented nationwide with the following primary objectives:

- Reducing rote memorization and emphasizing conceptual understanding.

- Promoting multidisciplinary education at the tertiary level.

- Integrating vocational training from Class 6 onwards.

- Introducing the use of mother tongue and regional languages, especially in early education.

- Reforming assessment systems to move beyond memory-based examinations.

Launched on 7th September 2022, the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme aims to transform 14,500 schools by 2026. Key features include:

- Smart classrooms and digital learning tools.

- Skill development labs.

- Sustainable and inclusive infrastructure.

- Teaching in regional languages.

To address the pressures of competitive exams, especially for Classes 11 and 12, the government introduced SATHEE, a free online coaching platform developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur. Its primary goals:

- Reducing reliance on expensive private coaching for exams such as JEE and NEET.

- Supporting students from government schools and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Programs like Samagra Shiksha and BharatNet have been expanded to enhance digital infrastructure, particularly in rural and remote areas. Key focus areas:

- Implementation of smart classrooms and reliable broadband access.

- Deployment of AI-powered tools for teachers.

- Development of multilingual digital educational resources.

Recognizing the importance of educators, a panel was established in 2025 to address:

- Overdependence on private coaching institutes.

- The prevalence of “dummy schools.”

- Misalignment between school curricula and competitive exam requirements.

Additional efforts include:

- National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST)

- National Mission for Mentoring (NMM)

- Training teachers in local languages.

- Providing high-quality digital content and mentorship.

The Union Budget 2025–26 allocated a record ₹1.28 lakh crore to the education sector, emphasizing:

- Digital infrastructure and smart schools.

- Research hubs and artificial intelligence tools.

- Expanded skill development programs.

- Increased capacity in medical and engineering education.

India’s education system is undergoing substantial transformation under the leadership of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. Through comprehensive policy reforms, modernization of school infrastructure, advancement of digital literacy, and focused investment in educators, the system is evolving into a robust foundation. These initiatives position India to realize its ambitions of becoming a developed and self-reliant nation, with education serving as a critical pillar for future growth.

By Jishnu Mukherjee

In a digital world of visual parts and short stories, one might think that the book would be lost in the scroll, but against all odds, literature is surviving - online. Specifically, a lively and passionate community has sprung up on Instagram that has come to be known as Bookstagram. This visual and content-based subculture of book lovers, or bibliophiles, has changed the way people find, talk, and interact with books in the 21st century. 

In India - Bookstagram is not a trend; it is a movement. In Bookstagram India 2025, we see cozy flat-lay images, in-depth reviews, live ask-the-author sessions, and video reel styled book recommendations that show a vibrant culture of aesthetics, intellect, and influence in the Bookstagram community.

A Visual Revolution in Literature

When thinking of literature, Instagram is likely not going to be the first platform you think of, but it is likely to be one of the best resources for literary outreach. Bookstagram merges exciting photographs with thoughtful storytelling and then allows readers to share not only "what" they are reading, but also "why" it matters to them. 

Beautifully designed book covers in flat lays, short video reviews, bookshelf tours, mood boards, aesthetic quote posts, and memes are all part of a distinctive storytelling mode of self-expression for readers that embodies Bookstagram. For the under-represented segment of readers in India, particularly younger readers and digital nativists, this has provided a new entry point to literature.

The Emergence of Bookstagram and its Impact Across the Globe

Bookstagram, a combination of "books" and "Instagram," denotes an online community of readers, who share their reading lives through posts, stories, and reels. Seamlessly, the use of a social media platform, with Instagram, ultimately began as a global trend around 2015, which spread rapidly with users blending photography and literature to utilize the availability of digital space to make books more accessible, visually, to read and buy.

Bookstagram turned Instagram—a photo-sharing site known for selfies and lifestyle snap—a congregating point for amazing readers. All reports suggest that this reached India, and there was new and fertile ground for the global movement among English readers and regional language readers alike and, by 2020, Indian bookstagrammers had already started to create impactful niche audiences. The few to come has always been Bookstagram India 2025, whereas Bookstagram has transitioned into an ever growing ecosystem with influencers, who are publishers, authors, and readers alike.

Bookstagram in India: A New Frontier for Literature

India's reading traditions have a long past, but the Bookstagram era changed the expectations for readers in the digital age.

Through visuals, reading updates, "reading with me" posts, bookshelf tours, and genre highlights that curate the reading experience, reading has become the new trend and accessible. However, what makes Bookstagram India 2025 more unique compared to Bookstagram internationally is the diversity-not just language diversity, but also genre, formats, and reader identities.

Whether it is English fiction, Hindi poetry, Tamil thrillers, or translated memoirs from Malayalam-- these pages represent the myriad of India's culture and in fact Bookstagram pages often act as discovery tools, helping young readers find books they normally would not pick, including books by lesser-known Indian authors and translated regional writing.

The Emergence of Indian Book Influencers

At the center of the phenomenon of 'bookstagram' are Indian book influencers: content creators who use the social media platform Instagram to express their feelings about books. Influencers possess a wide follower base: from a few thousand to over a few hundred thousand followers. These influencers have acted as cultural intermediaries that connect publishers and authors with involved readers. 

Influencers like @thebookishtales, @booksandburgs, @novelsandchai, and @thebibliophileinme have had a persistent following, where their audiences see them as trusted members of that community. Their influence does not stop at reviewing books, they also offer and promote reading challenges, run bookclubs, host and organize online literary festivals, and even help to determine bestseller lists by influencing readers to purchase a book. 

Unlike critics, the Indian book influencer has democratized reading. Their content consists of serious literary analysis and impulse meme-ified reviews; all of which relies on creative and striking presentation using platforms such as Instagram Reels, Instagram carousels, and stylish “bookstagram grids.” Publishers have recently been collaborating with influencers to promote books, knowing that an influencer can convert a review to a sale.

Gen Z and the New Literacies in Reading in India

Generational change is one of the most influential drivers behind the emergence of Bookstagram in India, Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Z is often assumed to be screen-bound and lacking in attention, however, the reading trends Gen Z India are conveying a more complex picture. 

Through Bookstagram and other online reading communities, reading is becoming a more aspirational activity for Gen Z Indians. Bookstagram not only promotes reading, it maintains a certain glamour about reading. Gen Z is connecting to reading in aspirational ways through the use of visual aesthetics, captions they relate to, and hashtags according to genre, enabling them to establish books as part of their digital identity. 

This shift is demonstrated during reading trends like  (#Romantasy), (#SouthAsianAuthors), (#OwnVoicesIndia), demonstrating that reading intersects with familiar realities for younger audiences. Importantly, younger audiences are seeking diverse formats of literature (e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels), which reduces barriers for entry and increases flexibility in reading.

Instagram for Book Lovers: A New Marketplace for Publishers

In India, Instagram's emergence as a meeting place for book lovers has also changed book marketing. Traditional forms of promotion—airing ads on TV, newspaper ads, and author signings—now coexist with influencer promotions, cover reveals and Bookstagram Q&As.

Publishers are becoming more aware of the returns on investment that Indian book influencers can provide, with many now sending out "Advanced Reader Copies" (ARCS) to trusted Bookstagrammers, forking out google ads space to well-known creators, and walking audiences through cover design on crowd-sourcing panels.

Small and independent publishers particularly benefit from this scene. They often do not have the monetary space of traditional houses, and rely on organic reach by micro-influencers to create buzz around their niche or debut titles. This visibility to many eyes through Bookstagram often translates into features in magazines, podcasts, or online journals, and so on, and ultimately contributes to the success of the book.

A Literary Renaissance, One Post at a Time

In a time in which consumption is quick and attention spans are fleeting, it is astounding that reading, arguably the most self-reflective art form, is experiencing a cultural renaissance in large part due to Bookstagram. What is unique about Bookstagram India 2025 is its ability to take a global trend and localize it. Indian readers, makers, and publishers have claimed it as theirs through the lens of diversity, language, passion, and purpose.

This is more than beautiful photos or curated shelves. It is about storytelling, community, and a new form of democratizing literary influence. Whether it's a student in Pune reading queer Indian poetry for the first time, a homemaker in Kochi sharing Tamil translations of English classics, or a young woman in Delhi launching her own digital book club, Bookstagram is positively and quietly changing reading behaviour in India.

In the process, it is creating a new type of literary hero. Not the solitary critic or famous author, but the everyday reader who shares what they love and invites people to read together.

 BY- ANANYA AWASTHI

Student pressure is a hidden epidemic affecting many young learners today. The idea of the ‘perfect student’ who is synonymous with always punctual, high-scoring, and flawlessly behaved, creates unrealistic expectations that can trigger stress and anxiety. This guide explores the perfect student paradox, revealing the unseen struggles behind the success.

There’s this quiet pressure that exists in almost every school. It doesn’t always come from teachers or parents directly, but it’s there  in how we’re spoken about, in who gets picked to lead the assembly, in the way some people are praised like they’ve figured out life just because they’re topping a few tests. It’s this idea that there’s such a thing as the “perfect student.”

You know the one. Always on time. Always prepared. Participates in every competition. Polite, presentable, never argues, never complains. And of course good marks, good behavior, good everything.

But let’s be honest. That student? They might be barely holding it together.

We’ve all seen the pressure up close. Some of us live in it. You study hard, score well, and people just assume you’ve got it all under control. But what they don’t see is the stress headaches, the crying at night, the mental checklist that never ends. You can’t mess up, because once you’re seen as “the good one,” you feel like you’re not allowed to fall.

We’ve grown up seeing these expectations play out in stories, too. Like Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls: She's smart, responsible, and always striving. But the second things started slipping, she didn’t know who she was anymore. Or Chatur in 3 Idiots, who followed every rule and still felt hollow at the end. It’s a pattern perfection looks great on the outside, but inside, it’s isolating.

In real life, it’s worse. I’ve seen people score in the 90s and still beat themselves up for not hitting 95. I’ve had friends break down after winning a competition because they felt like they didn’t deserve to rest. And no one really checks in because if your marks are good, what could possibly be wrong?

That’s where the problem lies. Not in wanting to succeed but in feeling like you can’t be human while doing it. We’re expected to be robots who manage everything: school, classes, hobbies, family, future plans and still smile through it. But we’re not machines. We get tired. We get confused. And sometimes we don’t have the answers.

And yeah, it’s lonely. When all anyone sees is your achievements, you start thinking that’s all you’re worth. You stop asking questions. You stop trying new things out of fear that you might fail. You keep parts of yourself hidden, just to keep the image intact.

But people aren’t perfect. Some of us learn slower, but understand deeply. Some people are average at maths but brilliant when it comes to understanding people or solving real-life problems. Some kids are just trying to survive the day and  dealing with stuff at home, in their heads, or both.

We don’t talk about them enough.

Instead, we praise late nights, anxiety, exhaustion , like they’re badges of honor. We joke about never sleeping, but behind those jokes is a very real struggle.

What if we made space for honesty instead? What if we said, “It’s okay to be confused. It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to not have it all figured out”?

Maybe failing a test doesn’t mean you’ve failed at life. Maybe taking a break is the strongest thing you can do. Maybe being “just okay” is more than enough sometimes.

We need to stop chasing this fake idea of perfection. Start valuing kindness, growth, effort,even when it’s messy. Start seeing students as people, not report cards.

Because the real goal of education? It isn’t to create perfect students.

It’s to help us become full, thoughtful, real humans.

And real humans? We’re never perfect. But we keep learning anyway.

By Aditi Sawarkar