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Hyderabad students are increasingly abandoning the traditional path of US or UK STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programmes in favour of unusual courses in cheaper, non-traditional study destinations. Applications have seen a 20–30% boost, say study abroad consultants.

People are witnessing an increase in the number of Indian students looking at courses outside of the customary STEM and business streams, disciplines such as culinary arts, fashion, architecture, fine arts, and interior design. Although STEM remains popular, this is an indication of a greater mindset wherein more students are opting for what they like rather than what is safe or traditional," said Saurabh Arora, founder of University Living, an international student accommodation services provider.

STEM coursesHe further stated, "The Indian student population in Germany increased from 46,000 in 2024 to an estimated 54,000 in 2025 and may exceed 1.14 lakh by 2030. France already has more than 7,600 Indian students, and that number is likely to surpass double the present figure by the end of the decade."

Italy, while frequently underrated, is a world center for design, arts, and culinary education and is gathering pace, with nearly 10,000 Indian students already enrolled and estimates indicating more than 25,000 by 2030. "The US is still a favorite for technology and STEM courses, but the students are now considering their options.". France and Germany, for example, are providing a plethora of affordable programs that aren't purely STEM," explained Chirandeep Patnaik, Lemma One Consulting founder. "France, for one, has experienced a surge in demand for fashion, history, event management, and social sciences courses particularly after it extended its poststudy work visa for master's students from two years to five. Employability and exposure are the priority now.". And that's encouraging students and their families to think beyond the US-UK box.

Low cost of education

They are also motivated by the low cost of education. "French public universities provide courses in the Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh bracket, which is much more affordable than the Rs 25 lakh or more required for a year in the US," added Patnaik. "You are seeing quality education and international exposure at a fraction of the cost," he added. Germany, also, keeps on attracting students who are interested in engineering, but also in urban planning and industrial design nowadays.

Niche programmes

"Most of the German public universities do not have tuition fees, and the cost of living is reasonable. That's a big attraction," said Sahas Yuvaraj of Way2 Abroad Consultancy, a Hyderabad-based consultancy.

New Zealand and the Netherlands are also reporting an increase, particularly for specialized programs in creative arts and digital media. "Indian students are now realising that they are able to acquire skills that are relevant on a global platform in newer locations that are less crowded and more friendly," said Yuvaraj.

Even Southeast Asia is becoming an alternative option. Nations such as the Philippines are finding enrolments in disciplines such as healthcare and medicine increasing, mainly because of the English-speaking culture and simpler admission requirements.

"Previously, the question was 'which Ivy League or premier US university should I attend?' Today, it's 'where can I study what I'm passionate about without taking a financial hit and also gain work experience?'" said educational consultant Rajni Mankotiya. "That transformation is really welcome."

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday stated that religious institutions should not "unnecessarily interfere" in education issues, in the wake of a Sunni scholars' association protesting the shift in school hours.

The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, an organization of prominent Sunni scholars with the maximum base of support from Kerala Muslims, has decided to protest against the government's move to increase school hours by 30 minutes, according to reports.

Samastha has complained that the new schedule would disrupt madrassa education of about 12 lakh students.

Replying to a question posed by a TV channel regarding the matter, the minister stated that exams or school hours cannot be reserved for a section of society. "It cannot be done by a democratically elected government," he stated.

Sivankutty added that he believes that the calls for retraction of the new timings were "undemocratic" and that they had a tone of "intimidation", apart from being a test of the government.

"Many other organisations have also made such demands. If we agree to the demands of all such organisations, it would be hard to manage the schools," he added.

"Religious groups should not interfere unnecessarily in the education sector. Such interference cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," he further said.

The minister also stated that it was not necessary to conduct discussions over the matter as it is a decision that the government needs to make since it involves the education of 30-35 lakh students.

Sivankutty also stated that the extra 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon were introduced following court orders and stated that those who are against it should go to the judiciary.

The minister had previously also stated that the timings of the state high schools were changed to suit the convenience of students. and the government was not at fault.

The school timings have been increased by 15 minutes in both the morning and afternoon shifts, except on Fridays, for 16 days a month to achieve the required hours equivalent to 220 teaching days a requirement for fulfilling the prescribed curriculum of high schools according to the national education calendar and state education regulations, Sivankutty had stated.

Over 40 students of the district government schools, who had passed the class 10 and 12, have been admitted to some higher institutions due to the constant follow-up from the people who are working in the special career guidance control room of the district.

The state government has been running special control rooms, with call centre facility, in all of its districts since June 3 with a view to resolving student dropouts and offering career counseling and inputs. The special control room for Madurai district has been functioning from the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) office at Tallakulam. Teachers and counselors at the center monitored and kept in contact with the parents of the students who had dropped out or not applied to college, resulting in over 40 students receiving admissions at arts and science colleges, ITIs and polytechnic.

P Saravana Murugan, programme in-charge and assistant project officer, Samagra Shiksha, told TNIE that they ensured that 95% of the students who passed the board exams have applied for higher studies. "We are expecting results of the supplementary examination, based on which we will give counseling to the students and make them eligible for scholarship to study. The collector is the nodal officer for the scheme. Very few students come to the control room in person, but the professionals engaged, such as arts and science college teachers, polytechnic college teachers and ITI teachers, have been making every possible effort for their admission," he added.

Samagra Shiksha district coordinator M Manivannan further added that they took students' details from the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) and government school principals as well. "As per the statistics, we interact with parents regularly to ensure their children undertake studies. We have also extended help to the students in the form of sponsorship, government scholarship, and career advice so that they can opt for a good profession," he said.

M Bharathikannan, a differently abled student who studied at a government school in A Vallalapatti in Melur taluk, cleared the Class 12 examination. His father -- P Manikandan, a casual laborer in the fields -- was not financially in a position to fund his son's further studies. Manikandan also said, "A teacher in a call centre called me and gave the necessary support and guidance. My son now has got admission in a computer course in an ITI centre, and classes will begin from late July."

Another student, A Yogeswaran of Vadipatti taluk, both parents of whom died, was called by the centre teachers, for whom he expressed interest in pursuing B Com. "The teachers went to the SN college and organized admission with sponsorship," he added.

Aspirant students may call 0452-2522995 and 7200647475. Special career guidance control room will function until October 31.

A heart-wrenching incident has shook Odisha and the internet where a 20-year-old undergraduate student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore set herself on fire. She is currently battling for her in the hospital. It was a suicidal protest, in broad daylight, against months of reported sexual harassment by a faculty member and the unwillingness of the college administration to act on her repeated pleas. 

The Incident: A Call of Justice Unheard

The student, Soumyashri Bisi, a second-year integrated B.Ed student, burned herself on July 12 outside the office of the principal, the last time she visited this official. She has undergone a burn injury of more than 90% and is currently in a critical condition in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, under ventilator care. One of the other students, who attempted to rescue her, has also received severe burns and is in the hospital. 

When the principal, Dilip Ghosh, was questioned, he said, "The student had come to me and wanted action against the teacher. I counselled her as she looked tense. She had lodged a complaint on June 30 and an internal complaint committee on 30th June and an ICC inquiry was going on.”

Why did the student burn herself in odisha? 

1. Months of Harassment: The student claims to have been the subject of constant harassment of the Head of the Integrated B.Ed Department, Sameer Kumar Sahu, according to her family and friends. He supposedly expressed unwanted requests more than once and threatened with academic consequences in case of refusal.
2. Ignored Formal Complaints: The brave student filed written complaints with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the college along with the police but no strong measures were taken. According to the ICC, there was a committee to deal with the situation but it did not succeed, and the student was left lonely and under pressure.
3. Forced Withdrawal of Complaint: The student’s father claimed that the principal, Dilip Ghosh, had pressured his daughter to withdraw her complaint, to the extent of threatening to rusticate her should she fail to do so. It was this institutional indifference and bullying that drove her to the brink and she had to take such a big step in order to seek justice. 

Aftermath: Public Outcry and Actions

As soon the incident went viral, the Odisha government swiftly responded. The accused faculty member, Sameer Kumar Sahu, was arrested and the principal, Dilip Ghosh was suspended. The Higher Education Department has also constituted a high level inquiry committee consisting of senior women officers to enquire into the matter.

Additionally, to attend to the student 24X7, an expert panel has been mobilised by AIIMS Bhubaneswar comprising specialists in critical care, nephrology, surgery, pulmonology and anaesthesia. Her status is still in critical condition, where the vital organs are also harmed with the degree of the scorching.

Furthermore, student groups, women organizations as well as political parties have erupted and expressed their fury towards the incident. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee has set up a fact finding committee on this and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj have promised to take a stringent action and stand by the family of the victim.

The family of Soumyashri refers to their daughter as a strong and talented young woman who is a master trainer in self-defence, disaster management trainee, poet and social worker. Her father, devastated by the turn of events, has vowed to fight for justice, highlighting the urgent need for institutional reforms to protect students from harassment and ensure accountability.

What Did This Incident Do?

The Odisha campus tragedy has fueled the issue of campus security, appropriateness of internal complaints committees and the dire necessity of gender-sensitive change in educational institutions. Activists and learners are demanding:

• Transparent and prompt investigations on claims of harassment.
• The liability of college officials over the failure of duty of care.
• Better protection systems to the victims of harassment.

With all eyes on Odisha and the country in general keeping their fingers crossed, the fight to salvage the life of Soumyashri is going on in the ICU of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. This tragic event is a stark reminder that institutional indifference and the lack of systemic change could ever usher another student or student to this extent of desperation in the future. 

In a recent incident that has left parents and health authorities worried as thirteen children from an Anganwadi centre at Hiresani village, close to Ripponpet in Shivamogga district of Karnataka, fell ill when vitamin A drops were given to them. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, has highlighted the safety procedures of preventive health programmes in rural India. 

What Happened in Shivamogga? 

As part of a regular preventive health program, kids at the nearby Anganwadi centre were given vitamin A drops, a routine practice to prevent vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to serious illnesses in young children. Yet, in the evening hours, some kids started complaining of bad abdominal pain and began vomiting. The symptoms occurred shortly after the administration of the vitamin A drops, report the parents.

First, the ill children were taken to a private hospital nearby. But as the cases mounted and the requirement of special treatment became clear, the children were shifted to McGann Hospital within Shivamogga city. The hospital authorities responded promptly to the children by offering required treatment to stabilize their health.

How Did Parents and Authorities React? 

Concerned parents complained that their children's health suffered within a short time after they were given the vitamin A drops. They requested a proper inquiry into the quality of the drops and what was done while administering them. 

On the other hand, health officials have said that other factors such as possible contamination of water or unrelated infections are also being investigated, and the exact cause has not yet been confirmed. It’s important to note that mild, short-term side effects like vomiting or abdominal pain can occasionally occur after vitamin A supplementation, but these reactions are rare and typically resolve within 24 to 48 hours. 

After this, a comprehensive testing and inquiry is initiated to determine whether the symptoms were directly caused by the vitamin A drops or if other environmental or procedural issues played a role 

The occurrence attracted the notice of local authorities. Shivamogga MLA Beluru Gopalakrishna went to McGann Hospital to inspect the children who were affected and met with their families. He ordered the medical professionals to make certain that the best care is offered and promised parents that a thorough investigation would be initiated to identify why the child experienced such adverse reactions.

Why were Vitamin A Drops Administered? 

Vitamin A supplementation is one of the important public health interventions in India, particularly among children below five years of age. It prevents blindness, enhances immunity, and decreases the risk of infection. Anganwadi centers throughout India administer these drops on a regular basis under government health schemes. 

What Went Wrong?

Although reaction to vitamin A drops is uncommon, but it may happen because of

1. Incorrect dosage: Overdosing may cause toxicity.
2. Contamination: Improper storage or handling of the drops may lead to contamination.
3. Allergic reactions: Certain children might have hidden allergies to ingredients in the drops.
4. Expired medication: Expired drops also lead to health problems.

Health authorities would be expected to thoroughly probe the incident. The vitamin A drops batch used will probably be subjected to tests for quality and safety, and the process of administration would be scrutinized. How the investigation turns out will be vital in rebuilding parents' trust in public health programs.

This accident reminds us of the necessity of stringent quality control and proper administration in public health programs. Although vitamin A supplementation is critical for children's health, safety assurance for each dose is also crucial. The government has to take prompt action to allay the fears of parents and ensure that no repetition occurs in the future.

In the IITs, IIMs, and universities across the country, the use of AI is in a grey area. IIM Kozhikode Director Prof Debashis Chatterjee had said last year that there was no evil in using ChatGPT to write research papers. What was at one time a whisper has now become a larger question: no longer if AI can be used, but how.

Now that the professors and students are receptive to using it, many are already doing so, but not according to set guidelines. The real issue now is not intent, but the lack of established parameters that need to be set.

From India's topmost institutions, the argument is no longer theoretical. It's actual; it's pragmatic; it's imperative. From IIT Delhi to IIM Sambalpur, from coding classrooms to laboratories, students and teachers alike are confronting the same reality: AI is not arriving. It's arrived. And it's functioning rapidly.

"There is no question AI is here to stay, and the only question is how it should be used. Students are already using it to aid their learning, so it's essential that they are aware both of its advantages and its disadvantages, including ethical considerations and the impact on cognition of over-use," responded Professor Dr Srikanth Sugavanam, IIT Mandi, in response to a question to India Today Digital.

"Institutions need not limit the use of AI, but they must create clear cut guardrails so that both teachers and students can utilize it responsibly," he said further.

IIT DELHI INITIATIVE

In a forward-thinking but firm step, IIT Delhi has prepared guidelines for the ethical utilization of AI by students and faculty. The institute had conducted an internal survey prior to preparing them. What they found was astounding.

More than 80 percent of the students surveyed admitted they use tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Perplexity AI, Claude, and Chatbots.

However, over half the staff members reported that they too were using AI -- some for writing up, some for programming, some for study preparation.

The new regulations are not to prohibit the use of AI. It is more about setting the boundary that says: use it, but don't farm out your thinking.

ON CAMPUS, THERE'S A SHIFT ON THE HORIZON

On IIM Jammu campus, however, the students indicate that the rule is stringent: no more than 10 percent use of AI on any assignment.

"We're giving lectures, committees, and eight assignments within three months," said one student. "Each day it feels like introducing a new ball to the juggling act. In that heat, AI feels like a bit of rain."

They are not fibbing. There are applications these days which can read PDFs aloud, organize slide decks, even map out ideas. The moment you are stuck, you can 'chat' your way through. It is easy software, easy to use, and, for some, indispensable.

But this is the other side: there are students now constructing their entire workflow around AI. They are writing with AI, humanising with AI, evading AI detectors with AI.

"Use of plagiarism detection tools, like Turnitin, that claim to detect the Gen-AI content. But because Gen-AI is evolving so quickly, these programmes struggle to keep up with its pace. We don't have an overarching policy framework so that we cannot define clearly between the ethical and lazy use of Gen-AI," an IIT Mandi professor told India Today.

NOT WHAT AI DOES, BUT WHAT IT REPLACES

In IIM Sambalpur, the management is not trying to hold back AI. They are embracing it. The institute segments AI application into three pillars:

Cognitive automation - for writing and coding

Cognitive insight - for performance evaluation

Cognitive engagement - for interaction and feedback

Students can use AI aids, but only with the provision of transparency. They have to declare their sources. In case AI is used, then citing is required. Uncredited usage is academic dishonesty.

"At IIM Sambalpur, we do not prohibit the use of AI tools for research, writing, or coding. We encourage the use of technology to the best extent possible to enhance performance. AI is supposed to augment, but not corner-cut," IIM Sambalpur Director Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal explained in an interview with India Today. 

But even as technology advances, a deeper challenge is emerging: Are students losing the ability to think for themselves?

MIT's new research has a response to that, and the response is yes, too much dependence on AI weakens critical thinking.

It slows down the brain's ability to analyze, compare, question, and argue. And those are the same abilities colleges are supposed to instill.

One IIM student summed it up nicely: "AI has levelled the playing field. Earlier, students from small towns did not have access or mentors. Now, they can do practice interviews, receive feedback, hone skills, all online. But it is about how you use it."

TEACHERS ARE UNDER PRESSURE TOO

The teachers are not exempt from it anymore. AI is now turning into mentor and performing tasks even instructors cannot perform. With AI in tow, pedagogy must change.

The previous method -- assign, submit, grade -- doesn't cut it anymore. Now, 'guide on the side' education is the trend.

Less lectures, more interaction. No essays, group work. No theory, hackathons.

It's a matter of crafting in-school learning environments where children must think, talk, problem-solve, and explain why they did it in that manner. AI can be an aid, not a replacement.

SO, WHERE IS THE LINE?

There is no such national directive yet. But the common sense among IITs and IIMs is this:

AI can aid, not replace.

State what you used.

Learn, not just complete.

Pundits like John J Kennedy, who was formerly the dean at Christ University, believe that India needs a visionary framework.

One which doesn't fear AI, but one which sets limits, teaches ethics, and encourages out-of-the-box thinking.

Students today know that they cannot ignore AI. Not in tier-1 cities. Not even in tier-2 towns.

Institutions will still debate over policy. Tools will still get better. But for teachers, and students, the real test will be one of discipline, not access. Of intent, not ability.

Because AI can do much. But it cannot ask the questions that matter.