Education Views | Insightful Perspectives and Analysis - Edinbox

Against the current tense situation with Pakistan during Operation Sindood, the Delhi University has resolved to extend full support and cooperation to the Government of India.

The motion was moved unanimously on Saturday in a meeting of the Academic Council (AC), which was chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh.

During Zero Hour, the Vice Chancellor urged college principals to accord highest priority to appointment of permanent teachers as compared to guest teachers by promptly advertizing available vacancies. He urged that every single college must move early on vacancies now available or likely to be available during the period of retirements and should join the recruitment process at least once or twice annually.

Responding to a question on initiation of the appointment procedure in 12 colleges of Delhi Government, he explained that negotiation is underway and a favorable response is expected in the near future. Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta put the minutes of the previous AC meeting on December 27 before the house for approval and presented an 'action taken report' on previous decisions.

The Academic Council also approved syllabi of various faculties according to UGCF 2022, as recommended by the Standing Committee on academic affairs. Also approved was the proposal to translate Persian, Arabic, and Urdu writings in the syllabus into English.

The council also approved introducing new Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) under UGCF 2022. They are Robotics & Automation and Introduction to IoT using Arduino under Electronics category; Low-Code/No-Code Development under Computer Science category; and Forensic Analysis of Biological Evidence, Forensic Toxicology, Questioned Document Examination, and Injury & Death under Life Sciences subdomain under Biomedical Sciences.

Besides, the council also approved a proposal from the Department of Distance and Continuing Education to introduce certificate-level courses in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at CISBC under the Open Learning Development Centre from the academic year 2024–25. It also approved introducing Certificate/Diploma/Advanced Diploma courses in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean from the session 2025–26 under SOL, and an Advanced Diploma (JP-3) of one-year duration in Japanese at Ramjas College.

As Andhra Pradesh gets set for a new batch of DSC (District Selection Committee) postings, a wave of teacher transfers is engulfing Prakasam district—over 3,000 teachers are being transferred, several of whom have taught nearly a decade of children in the same school. At first glance, this juggling appears purely bureaucratic. But to those in the classrooms—and to the students who depend on them—it's a shift deserving a second look.

3,175 teachers who have served eight years in the same schools and 20 Grade-2 Head Masters who've served five years have been assigned compulsory transfer under the state's new school education policy. The purpose is clear: check stagnation, encourage dynamic teaching, and distribute talent uniformly in the district.

Though the motivation is to be appreciated, the timing and scale of the change raise concerns. Such a large movement of teachers to DSC recruitments near DSC appointment timelines can cause transient inconvenience, especially in rural institutions where the fresh intake might be delayed or reduced. Board examination-bound students or students being advanced due to pandemic recovery learning loss will abruptly be left with new faces as instructors during the course of their study cycle.

But Prakasam district's District Educational Officer, A. Kiran Kumar, is taking it step by step. With eight mandal-level teams checking the vacancies on the ground, and reviews to be conducted for the second time as well, things can be expected to go off without a hitch. Done properly, it can re-scale the staffing back to square one on a rational and equitable basis.

But behind every transfer list is a story—a teacher venturing out of his or her comfort zone, a student adjusting to a new face. The real test of this policy will be in how compassionately and effectively it balances reform with the emotional and academic continuity of the classroom.

Change is necessary—but only if it's done right.

In another Centre-Kerala government face-off location, the Union government has reportedly refused travel clearance to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, who was to deliver a speech at Johns Hopkins University, one of the world's most renowned universities, in the US. The move has sparked a political row, and political abuse of travel clearances and federal coordination are in danger.

Veena George, the minister's office stated, was approached by Johns Hopkins University — a top institution to collaborate with global public health — and was invited to deliver an address at an international event as well. She requested political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs about two weeks ago, her office also added. In a shocking turn of events that caught the Kerala government off guard, however, the Centre reportedly denied her clearance three days ago when she was about to leave. The denial has triggered blistering reactions from opposition politicians and political commentators who see it as part of a sinister pattern.

The Centre has had such instances in the past when it denied foreign interaction by a state minister. It was only two months ago that the Centre had denied clearance to Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev and his delegation to visit Washington to attend the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) annual conference, where they were to deliver a presentation on Kerala's much-hyped 'Year of Enterprises' programme. While the Ministry of External Affairs was not yet making a blanket conclusion regarding the denial, the Kerala state government has called it "politiful" and "unfortunate." State government sources contend that such an event does not only enhance the reputation of Kerala in the international community but also attracts academic, health, and investment relationships which ultimately trickle down to the advantage of the state and hence the country.

The bigger question this episode raises is whether political rivalry between the Centre and opposition-governed states is increasingly spilling over into areas that cannot be partisan — i.e., discussion in academia and on international platforms.

Kerala, otherwise doing well in healthcare, particularly how it did well in keeping the Nipah virus and COVID-19 at bay, could have marketed its success story internationally. Preventing such portrayal, the earth in our perception, not just damages Kerala's reputation but also inhibits India's soft power foreign policy. Veena George, who was a journalist-turned-politician, has been Kerala's public health mission face, especially in recent years of health emergencies. Her planned visit to Johns Hopkins was an opportunity to project Kerala's decentralized model of healthcare — one that has drawn global interest. Silencing her on this forum, critics say, is an affront to India's image as a dynamic, cooperative federal republic.

Politically, the occurrence can also assist the already strained relationship between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) state government of Kerala and the Centre headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some LDF leaders blamed the Union government for holding back state projects deliberately and depriving Kerala of international outreach possibilities for soiling the progressive image of the state.

As India is to be a world leader in diplomacy, technology, and development in the health sector, these internal contradictions convey conflicting messages to the world at large. Whether this incident is an isolated political event or a foreboding trend in Centre-state relations is something that can be evaluated in the coming months.

The rise in cheating among students has become a growing concern, reflecting deeper issues within the education system. With mounting academic pressure, high-stakes exams, and intense competition, many students resort to unfair means as a shortcut to success. The easy access to technology—smartphones, messaging apps, and online resources—has only made it easier to cheat discreetly. Beyond individual choices, this trend signals a systemic problem: an overemphasis on grades rather than understanding, coupled with inadequate support structures for struggling learners. If left unchecked, the normalization of cheating not only undermines academic integrity but also erodes trust in institutions and devalues genuine achievement.

In a grim exam protocol violation, a NEET UG 2025 candidate at Piru Singh Government Senior Secondary School exited the examination hall with a copy of her OMR sheet on Sunday, prompting prompt action by authorities.

The incident was when Monika, a student from Nangli village, unknowingly picked the blue version of her OMR sheet—what was to be submitted—after taking the test. Centre superintendent Jamna Jhajharia brought it to their attention when, during post-exam check-up, officials discovered the blue OMR sheet of roll number 3918105053 missing.

The student had already left the city but was traced through her family members and brought back from near Ked village in the Gudha area. She then came up with the carbon copy.

District Collector Ramavatar Meena, acting on National Testing Agency (NTA) instructions, suspended two invigilators—Govt Senior Secondary School lecturer Urmila and Govt Senior Secondary School lecturer Rajpal Singh—on charges of negligence. The invigilators were found wanting on a number of provisions (points 12, 16, and 24) of Chapter-13 of the NTA guidelines, dealing with exam confidentiality and fairness.

The exam coordinator has asked for a written detailed explanation from the centre superintendent on the lapse.

This is one in a chain of anomalies in the examination processes in Jhunjhunu district in recent months. Earlier, in February, the RAS initial exam was plagued with chaos when the bag of an exam paper was opened unlawfully in a Nawalgarh center, and candidates boycotted. In March, the EO-RO recruitment exam was questioned when the entry tickets for the candidates were distributed after the given gate closing hour, and six temporary police suspensions followed.

With tests still continuing, officials called for tougher enforcement of testing regulations to prevent loopholes. Only by prioritizing integrity and support can we restore trust in educational outcomes and truly prepare students for the challenges beyond the classroom.

Whereas most families were cheering this exam season with victory celebrations over top marks and highest success, one family in Karnataka is being appreciated for celebrating something much stronger—resilience and determination in the face of failure.

Abhishek Cholachagudda, a student of Class 10 at Basaveshwar English Medium School, flunked his board exams this year, scoring zero in all six subjects and 200 out of a maximum of 625 marks. But instead of reacting with anger and disappointment, his parents did something incredible: they hosted him a party.

Yes, a party to celebrate his effort.

With cake, sweets, and smiles, the family met to recognize Abhishek's efforts—no matter what the results were. "Our son worked really hard and gave his best. Marks will not decide success," said Abhishek's father. "He might have failed in the exam, but he has not failed in life."

In a nation where exam results tend to burden low-esteem students, this act has struck a chord so deeply. Abhishek's parents wished to convey to him very strongly: that learning comes with failure and not a dead-end.

They vowed their son: "You failed the exams this time, but that doesn't mean your future is fixed. What you have to do is keep trying, keep learning."

For Abhishek, the urge was a wake-up call. "Although I failed, my parents did not humiliate me. They inspired me. I will study harder and pass my exams next time," he replied, ready to stage a comeback.

The family's optimist outlook prompts one to realize that patience, kindness, and encouragement can lead failures to act as stepping stones. Their journey is a beam of hope for an atmosphere of academic pressure too often being mighty—and it is encouraging many people to rethink how success is really defined.

Students Regret Exam to be Long and Cruel; Stress Levels High In Spite of Unwavering Preparation

The city known as India's coaching capital saw an incident of panic covering thousands of NEET-UG aspirants on Sunday, as students leaving examination centers were talking about this year's paper to be one of the most challenging ones they've faced.

Most of the aspirants, even after months-long hard work, complained that the difficulty level of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 might put their possibility of crossing the cut-off and getting a medical seat at risk.

"It was not just difficult, it was tiring. There were too many long questions. It was suffocating even after proper preparation," said one student coming out of an exam center in Kota.

Even though certain students labeled the paper as being moderate, they were hopefully convinced that the incredibly high toughness level would lead to a reduced cutoff this year.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) that administers NEET-UG has not made any official comments regarding the toughness of the exam. Teaching mentors and coaches, however, were among those who added their voice to the remark that the 2025 paper was one of the toughest they had ever come across.

In a welcome gesture, Kota district administration, in coordination with the #KotaCares initiative while mentoring the stakeholders, also arranged special buses to transport students to and from exam centers free of charge. Special security and crowd management was also arranged for smooth conduct of the exam.

With the city waiting anxiously for the official cut-offs and answer keys now, the atmosphere among students remains taut. For some, this examination could determine not just their academic destiny but also their emotional strength.