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Uttar Pradesh Secondary Teachers' Union (Pandey Group) has announced a statewide sit-in at all District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) offices on July 31, with the Teachers' Association expressing strong resistance towards some unresolved matters concerning teachers, including the controversial online attendance system and exclusion from pensions.

The resolution was taken at the State Council meeting of the Union which took place at the Common Hall in Darulshafa B Block with State President Jitendra Patel in chair and Ashish Kumar Singh conducting the meeting. The union reiterated that even after repeated requests, the government has not resolved long-standing demands, leading to teachers going on the streets.

One of the main points of disagreement is excluding almost 2,000 teachers, who were appointed prior to March 28, 2005, from the old pension scheme, which the union insists should be reinstated. Union leaders also showed serious concern regarding the non-regularization of more than 2,300 ad-hoc teachers, many of whom have worked in the education sector for close to three decades without secure positions.

To this unrest, the union added its criticism of the government for withholding payments of these ad-hoc teachers for eight months, referring to it as plain harassment. The non-publication of the offline transfer list and the failure of teachers included in the online transfer list to take up their new posts have further contributed to discontent.

The union also opposed the system of online attendance, terming it as unrealistic and intrusive, and called for its immediate reversal, contending that it distracts classroom concentration and places bureaucratic burden on teaching staff.

Participation of teachers from all districts is likely in the July 31 protest as the union is set to escalate its battle for a return of dignity, stability, and fairness in the state's education system.

At a public hearing conducted on X Spaces on Sunday, HYDRAA Commissioner spoke to a range of citizen concerns: from lost public grounds and land disputes to celebrity demolitions and illegal encroachments. The meet was aimed at bringing greater transparency into the day-to-day functioning of HYDRAA and simplifying legal procedures.

Regarding the case of Fatima Owaisi College, which is said to be constructed within the FTL of Suram Cheruvu, Ranganath has reported that a preliminary notice has been issued but the direction is not yet finalized. He acknowledged the social contribution of the college as it provides opportunity for nearly 10,000 poor Muslim students from KG to PG.

One of the most pressing issues agitated was that despite the fact that it spans 125 acres in Bandlagunda, SunCity (PNT Colony) has not even a single public park, which is causing growing frustration among the residents. Ranganath mentioned that HYDRAA had revived 60–70 parks in the city, but individual initiative in colonies such as SunCity depends on official complaints and coordination from the RWAs of the local societies.

Resolving land ownership and encroachment complaints, Ranganath explained HYDRAA's redressal process: upon filing of the complaint, a probe officer is assigned, documents submitted by both parties are authenticated and personal hearings are held. Proceedings are video-recorded to determine impartiality and accountability.

Ranganath again stated that HYDRAA strictly follows the Supreme Court judgment of Chief Justice BR Gavai, which allows for notice-less demolitions in encroachments on water bodies, nalas, railway tracks and roads.

He agreed that some citizens unknowingly buy encroached land and clarified that judicial solutions come in the form of civil and criminal courts. He also credited HYDRAA's campaigns to make citizens more alert about buying property. High-profile cases such as Gandipet and N Convention saw unauthorized layouts halted after public intervention.

HYDRAA's crackdown has yielded huge recoveries in properties like land worth Rs 1,000 crore at Bumrah Lake, which is reportedly involving AIMIM leaders, and Rs 30 crore worth at Chandrayangutta. Ranganath asserted that there is no political pressure on HYDRAA. He recalled his earlier tenure as Warangal Commissioner of Police when his firm stance on encroachments earned the police chief the confidence of the chief minister and led to his current appointment.

Admissions for junior colleges in Maharashtra crossed 4.7 lakh till Sunday, with most students getting seats in their top-choices of colleges, as per the figures released by the state education department.

The Centralised Admission Process (CAP) remains the most favored route, making more than 3.8 lakh admissions. Moreover, 77,209 students entered through institutional quotas, such as management, minority, and in-house categories.

Mumbai city alone had 80,858 admissions, of which 62,411 were done through the CAP process. The first online list of allotment was announced over the weekend, and July 7 has been fixed as the last date for students to accept seats at the allotted colleges.

In a bid to accept late registrants, the education ministry opened the online portal for registration between July 2 to July 7. During this period, students who missed the opportunity to fill out Part 1 of their application or had incomplete registrations are allowed to enter the process. Junior colleges that have been newly opened and were not included in the previous admission cycle have also been allowed to register and provide seats within this extended period.

One of the main features of this year's admissions has been the close matching with students' choice in streams:

2.4 lakh science stream candidates got admitted in their first preference colleges

82,594 commerce students got seats in their desired institutions

Almost 1.4 lakh arts and humanities students were also admitted in colleges of their choice

Officials credit the preference-based and smooth allocation to improved digital processing and improved institutional coordination. With thousands on board and the system reopened for outstanding applications, the admission process in the state is within a successful reach.

Russia listed Yale university as an “undesirable organisation” in a move that has caught the attention of the global academic world. The move, which the Russian authorities announced on Tuesday, is the newest in a line of crackdowns against institutions and individuals perceived to be critical of the Kremlin in general and in the context of the continuing war in Ukraine. 

Key Takeaways

• The blacklisting of Yale university by Russia is part of a bigger trend of limiting foreign bodies and protest.
• Yale University, a historic leader in global education, now faces operational bans in Russia.
• Educators and Indian students must be aware of such developments on the international front which also determine the future academic and research prospect. 

What is an Undesirable Organisation in Russia?

Russia first enacted the “undesirable organizations” law in 2015 and since then it is used to blacklist international institutions. Once an entity is found to be “undesirable” in Russia, it has in actual effect been banned to operate in Russia. Individuals who are found to have co-operated with such organisations face an indictment according to the Russian law. This is one of the steps by the Russian government to reduce foreign influence and crush opposition.

Why did Yale University fall victim to this?

As stated by the prosecutor general of Russia the activities of the Yale University were allegedly targeted at:

• Infringing the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation
• International blockade with Russia
• Destroying the economic undergirdings of the country

Authorities singled out Yale School of Global Affairs, alleging that it had trained opposition activists to hold protests in Russia. Remarkably, one of its fellows was late Alexei Navalny, the most prominent political opponent to President Vladimir Putin and a renowned member of society, who died under suspicious and questionable circumstances in February 2024, when he was serving a prison sentence.

What is Yale University?

Yale University was established in 1701 and is considered to be one of the most famous and ancient Ivy league Universities of the United States. Established in New Haven, Connecticut Yale is known by high standards of an academic program, scholarly graduates, and devotion to research and service. The university has the Yale School of Global Affairs that centers around international relations, policy, and leadership. The alumni network of Yale is composed of five presidents of the United States, many Nobel laureates, and leaders in different domains.

Wider Clamp on International Organisations

Yale is not the only one that Russia blacklisted or called undesirable. The country had already blacklisted some high profile international organisations and non-profits as “undesirable”, such as:

• Amnesty International
• British Council
• Greenpeace
• Elton John AIDS Foundation

Even independent sources of media such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or Meduza have been facing similar restrictions displaying a strict control over the information exchange and the civil society by the Kremlin.

World’s Reaction to the  News

In short, the overall sentiment outside of Russia is one of concern for academic freedom and international collaboration, while in Russia, this step is framed as a matter of national security and sovereignty. 

This move of Russia is especially critical to Indian students and researchers who would like to access international institutions such as Yale. It highlights the increasing complexities of international academic collaborations as well as the necessity to protect academic freedom. Education stakeholders in India need to keep a close watch on such geopolitical changes because it may have some bearing on cross border research, student exchanges and global educational alliances.

Following increasing complaints regarding differences in entrance exam marks, the State Selection Board (SSB) Odisha issued a notice that it will release the provisional answer keys of the BEd, MEd, and BHEd entrance exams for the 2025–26 academic year.

The decision comes after admissions were suspended last week by the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to the two-year BEd (Arts/Science), BHEd, and MEd courses under the Student Academic Management System (SAMS). The admissions were suspended after a few candidates complained of irregularities in the scoring and evaluation process.

Responding, the DHE instructed the SSB to constitute subject-wise expert committees to check and correct the answer keys. On instruction, the SSB confirmed on Thursday that provisional answer keys will be issued to all applicants who participated in the entrance examinations.

The answer keys shall be posted on July 7 on the official website of SSB: https://ssbodisha.ac.in. Candidates will get a chance to check their answers and raise objections in case they find any mismatch.

For filing an objection, the candidates will have to pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹200 per question objected to. The objection window shall remain open from July 8 to July 10.

The measure is aimed at answering increasing complaints from students and restoring integrity to the admission process. The final key answers and re-scores, where relevant, will be made available after considering all objections received within the specified time.

The officials reiterated that the step is aimed at providing a just and accountable admission process and encouraged candidates to go through the keys meticulously and submit their claims with proof, if needed.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has started online registration of the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) for students seeking to pursue higher studies in college and university.

New applications for the 2025–26 academic year and renewals for previous years can be submitted by applicants on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), a public notice released by the board mentions.

The portal is also available for acceptance:

Fresh applications for 2025–26

1st renewal for 2024–25

2nd renewal for 2023–24

3rd renewal for 2022–23

4th renewal for 2021–22

Eligible applicants should apply online at scholarships.gov.in on or before the closing date of July 31, 2025.

Application and verification process

Applicants for fresh or renewal scholarships are requested to register with an One-Time Registration (OTR) number, password, and captcha code.

The OTR-based enrollment is collecting demographic and photo information directly. If any of the information is to be refreshed, students will have to refresh the same through their Aadhaar and eKYC to collect updates in their OTR profile, which shall be automatically refreshed with the NSP application.

The applicants will also be required to register the phone number and fill in the OTP sent for them to proceed with the process. Misentery or incorrect entry will result in the scholarship being rejected. The students and the parents or guardians shall use active mobile numbers and email IDs since all subsequent communication by the authorities will be communicated via such numbers and IDs.

On submitting online, candidates also must authenticate their applications by their respective institutions, e.g., presenting original documents for authentication. Such default will render the application null.

NSP has asked all nodal officers in institutions to verify, reject, or correct the application in a timely manner through their institute login portals. Verification is one of the important parameters to decide the genuineness of the eligibility of the candidates and also in supporting the timely disbursement of scholarships.

Registration and verification should be done by students within the time period before the deadline to avoid any last-minute snag.