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Visakhapatnam is turning out to be a ‘Gateway to the East’, with heavy investments pouring in, including a proposed $15 billion Google data centre, according to GMR Group Chairman GM Rao.

He delivered this speech at an Andhra University Alumni Association event called Waves 2025, which took place during the university’s centenary celebrations in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

GM credited the expansion of the city to the far-sighted governance of AP AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu and state IT Minister Nara Lokesh, in addition to big investments by Google, Reliance, Meta, and the construction of the GMR Group’s Bhogapuram International Airport.

"However, this is an opportunity for Andhra University to grow in the academic, research, and innovation sectors," he added. GM Rao appealed to the alumni network to assist students, help innovative projects and start-ups, and in this way, contribute towards growing the institution.

Addressing an eager audience in the auditorium, the chief guest Sudha Murty, a member of the Rajya Sabha, founder chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, and Murty Trust chairperson, exhorted students to have learning, perseverance, and purpose in their lives. "Learn continually. You can never become old if you keep learning. Your learning will make you youthful, nimble, and joyful. Your perseverance will be your constant companion, which will never deceive you," she added, relaying her own experiences in her life.

Comparing students to sugar cane purified through discipline and examinations, she described Andhra University as a ‘temple of learning’:   "The students are like sugar cane which is purified in this ‘temple of learning.’ The teachers and lecturers in this temple have a deep transforming role since they have not come to this temple in order to reach their own goal but to transform the goal of their students.”

 She emphasized the role of teachers in this transforming process and remembered the efforts of Andhra University founders such as Kattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy and Dr Sarvepalli

JEE Main 2026 is just about a month away now. This exam stands as the biggest stepping stone for getting into IITs and top engineering colleges across India. Do not push yourself to start new topics, instead focus on mastering what you've already covered. The most important thing to do is spotting your weak spots, and fixing them fast. A smart one-month plan can make all the difference in your JEE Mains final rank and score.

What to Do in JEE Main Last Month Prep?

Lakhs of students nationwide are juggling board exams alongside JEE Mains prep. Balancing both feels tough, but experts agree it's doable with the right schedule. In these final weeks, invest your time in revision, mock tests, and mastering time management because these will help you reach your targeted rank. 

JEE Mains Revision is Essential 

In the final month, omit heavy new syllabus: instead, divide your prep into three easy bits:

1. Topics of high-weightage first: The past trends indicate that calculus prevailed over Maths, modern physics in Physics as well as organic and inorganic in Chemistry. These should be given the top priorities to receive the highest returns.
2. Brief notes and formula cards: Put away heavy books; rely on your personal notes, formulas, and concept maps to memorise quickly.
3. Extra push for Chemistry: This section can boost your score big time with the right approach. Revise NCERT line-by-line, especially inorganic and organic parts.

Mock Tests and Analysis are MUST

Mocks will be your lead-star in your last-month drive.

• Take a full-length test every other day, at the exact time your actual exam slot falls in, because this trains your body and mind for the real exam.
• Do not just take the test, give at least two hours to the analysis of each of them. You need to know why and how you made mistakes or did not take questions.
• Maintain a list of “weak topics” or “error prone areas” and tricky questions, it'll help you a lot in last week's quick revisions. 

Master Time Management/Speed

• JEE entrance test does not only test your knowledge, but it also tests your speed and intellect in using it.
• When doing mocks, track time sinks where you are spending unnecessary time, this is your best fix point.
• Attempt those questions first which you are certain about; wasting time in order to struggle with the difficult questions is not a good choice.
• If it is in offline mode, practice how to fill OMR sheets so that you do not mess up last minute.

Don't Ignore Health and Mindset

JEE aspirants tend to burn out, making their body give up. This leads to a lesser percentage because with a tired brain and body one’s full potential stays veiled. To avoid this, focus on health and mindset. Do these easy things: 

1. Sleep  for at least 6 hours daily
2. Wake up on time, and exercise a little 
3. Eat proper food; no junk, no oil-based snack 
4. Follow a proper timetable 

JEE Mains is a popular and challenging test, but it is important to trust yourself instead of doubting, especially when you have put all your efforts into preparing. With the right revision strategy, time management skills, and better body & mind, you can crack the exam. 

When Ananya’s Class 5 report came home, her parents skimmed past the Cambridge Checkpoint section. No grades. No ranks. No obvious pass or fail. “It’s not a board exam,” they told her. “Don’t worry too much.” Three years later, when Ananya entered the IGCSE curriculum, the worry arrived anyway, struggling with application-based questions, unfamiliar exam patterns, and confidence dips that seemed to appear overnight.

Education experts say this story is more common than parents realise. Cambridge Checkpoint assessments in Classes 5 and 8 are often treated as optional milestones, but in reality, they are designed to act like early warning systems, quietly showing where a child is thriving and where support is needed, long before academic pressure peaks.

Not a Test, but a Mirror

Unlike traditional exams, Cambridge Checkpoints don’t exist to label students as toppers or underperformers. Instead, they work more like a mirror. They reflect how well a student understands concepts in English, Mathematics, and Science, and how confidently they can apply that knowledge.

A teacher from a Cambridge school in Bengaluru recalls a Class 8 student who consistently scored well in internal exams but struggled in Checkpoints. “The report showed gaps in reasoning, not memory,” she explains. “We corrected it early. By the time he reached IGCSE, he was far more confident.”

That early course correction is exactly what Checkpoints are meant for.

Small Interventions, Big Impact

For many families, the real value of Checkpoints becomes clear only in hindsight. A Mumbai parent shares how her son’s Class 5 Checkpoint report flagged weak comprehension skills—something school tests had missed. “We worked on it slowly, without pressure. By Class 8, the improvement was obvious,” she says. “Had we ignored it, the struggle would have shown up much later.”

Experts often compare Checkpoints to routine health check-ups. Skipping them doesn’t cause immediate harm—but problems left unnoticed tend to grow.

A Smoother Road to Senior Classes

As India sees a steady rise in Cambridge schools, more students are stepping into international curricula that demand critical thinking rather than rote answers. Checkpoints help make that transition smoother. Students become familiar with question styles, time management, and analytical thinking early on, so senior secondary exams don’t feel like a sudden shock.

In the words of one education counsellor, “Students who take Checkpoints seriously rarely panic later. They’ve already seen the road ahead.”

Where Parents Make the Difference

The assessments themselves carry no pass-or-fail pressure. What makes the difference is how adults respond. Parents who sit down with the report, talk through strengths and weaknesses, and work with schools to address gaps often see calmer, more confident learners emerge over time.

Ignoring Checkpoints may feel harmless in the moment. But as many parents discover later, those “low-stakes” exams are often the safest place to stumble, learn, and grow—before the stakes get real.

Interdisciplinary courses combine engineering with AI ethics, or business with sustainability, topping searches for "best interdisciplinary degrees India." They're booming, as jobs demand multi-skilled grads-perfect for Indian students eyeing  careers in tech, healthcare, and green energy. Here's why switching to interdisciplinary courses beats traditional single-major paths.​

What are Interdisciplinary Courses?

Interdisciplinary courses combine two or more disciplines into one course for practical problem-solving, for example, B. Tech in AI + Data Science, or BA in Liberal Arts with Psychology + Economics. Unlike contemporary degrees, these courses let you pick modules from sciences, humanities, and commerce and earn an integrated degree. In India, UGC pushes these via NEP 2020 for flexible credits and over 500 colleges now offer them, from DU's honours programs to private unis like OP Jindal.​

Top Benefits for Indian Students

These courses build versatile skills employers want in their employees. As per different sources,  70% of Indian jobs require cross-domain knowledge, and interdisciplinary graduates earn a starting salary that is 20-30% more (₹8-12 LPA) against ₹6 LPA for traditional streams. They address big problems like climate change (env sci + policy) or digital India (CS + governance). Plus, shorter paths to masters like integrated M.Tech-PhD save time and fees.

• Job Edge: Infosys, TCS hire for jobs like data ethicist (Tech + Philosophy)
• Innovation Boost: Startups like Swiggy hire people with knowledge in tech with logistics.
• Global Fit: Aligns with QS rankings, which favour multi-disciplinary unis.

Challenges and How to Overcome Them 

• Not all colleges have strong infra; pick NAAC A+ ones.
• NEP's interdisciplinary flexibility helps retain students, with IIT dropout at 1% vs national UG average 12% (AISHE/UDISE).
• Parents worry about "no clear major," but grads of such interdisciplinary courses say it opened more doors. 
• Pursuing such a course from a lesser known university is not worth it; take admission into a renowned university for better mindset, environment, placement and opportunities.  

Who should choose interdisciplinary courses? 

Go for it, if you're curious, want future-proofing of your career amid the ongoing AI revolution, or come from Tier-2 cities that lack single-stream excellence. Avoid if you want laser-like focus just like pure MBBS. 

In short, Indian youth in the 18-24 age group, searching "interdisciplinary courses after 12th", will dominate jobs by 2030. Interdisciplinary courses are reshaping India's education in 2026 and beyond. So, realise the need and choose the right course as well as college to build a lucrative career. 

Are you someone taking the NIFT entrance exam? Is your google history full of searches like “NIFT preparation in 1 month” and “how to crack NIFT in 30 days?” Your search ends here. It’s natural to do this as NIFT 2026 Phase 1 is approaching in January and the cutoff required is a minimum of 82+ GAT score. But worry not, following are the proven strategies for clearing NIFT entrance test. No broad hints here, but only a definite daily plan.

How to Crack the NIFT Entrance Test?

There are two phases of NIFT: GAT (General Ability Test -100 marks, 2 hours) and CAT (Creative Aptitude Test -100 marks, 2 hours drawing). There is negative marking with -0.25 and thus answering randomly can back fire. CAT drawing decides your final rank, so give it 60% time. Remember these 2 things and start following the weekly plan for studying: 

Week 1: GAT Foundation (Day 1-7)

Start with 6 hours of daily study. In the morning (between 9 to 12) you should concentrate on Quantitative Aptitude. Learn Vedic Math's 16 sutras and practice squares from 1 to 31 in 2 minutes (11²=121, 12²=144). Ensure to practice at least 50 questions daily around profit-loss as well as percentage. 

Then comes Reasoning which requires practice in 5 repeating patterns: cube cutting, paper folding, series of figures, clock problems, and analogies. For the English section, learn 50 root words every day such as bene (good), mal (bad), chron (time). For the comprehension section, practice with some latest editorials, read newspapers, and some past years comprehensions for understanding purpose.

Keep your afternoons for GK and Current Affairs; from 1920 Chanel No.5 to 2025 Met Gala. Learn 50 brand logos (LV, Gucci) and awards (Padma, National). Keep your evening for 1 hour freehand drawing for human body parts and figures in different poses. Use only HB and 2B pencils. At the end of Week 1, complete 2 full GAT mocks with a score of above 45. Complete 35 figure drawings. 

Week 2: Master CAT Drawing skills (Day 8-14)

CAT is your rank maker, don’t mess it up by not taking it seriously. Follow 15-45-30 rule: 15 minutes planning (read question 3 times, note 5 keywords, make quick thumbnail), 45 minutes main drawing with 1/2/3 point perspective, and 30 minutes colouring using complementary pairs like red-green.

Everyday in the morning take time-bounded GAT sectional tests: 25 questions QR in 30 minutes, 25 Reasoning in 30 minutes. In the afternoon solve 2 full CAT papers on themes such as the utility of the broken glass bottle or childhood toy redesign. In the evening, solve 1 past year CAT question paper of 2018-2024.

Other than that, make human figures to life-size (head is 1/8th of body), compose by the rule of thirds, and practise hatching and cross-hatching, to create shading. NIFT recycles 70% such themes as pollution solutions and festival posters.

Week 3: Full Mock Tests and Error Fixing (Days 15-21) 

This is the week when you need to simulate a real exam.From 7 to 10 AM, take a full GAT mock followed by 1 hour analysis. Track errors in a notebook: more than 5 QR mistakes means revise squares 20-50, low Reasoning scores need cube and paper folding practice.

11 AM to 2 PM Afternoon, solve 2 CAT papers and analyse colour and mood boards. Between 4 and 6 PM, update error log and find solutions to 50 questions of high weightage. Evening drawing on such themes as Diwali festival or environment-friendly posters.

Mock analysis checklist: In case QR errors are more than 5 revisit percentage shortcuts. Cube reasoning below 20 implies cube reasoning only. Partial CAT requires the practice of thumbnails in 3 minutes. Running out of time? Mark to review 3 difficult questions.

Week 4: Exam Prep (Days 22-30)

Day 22 to Day 27, take 2 full mocks a day that mixes GAT and CAT. When GAT score is less than 75, assign it 2 additional hours. 

1. Weak shading? Exercise 10-tone scale black to white.
2. Packing things for your exam: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B pencils (Apsara or Nataraj), Camel white eraser, 2-hole sharpener, 2 Pilot V5 blue pens and 15cm clear scale.
3. GAT plan: QR first (20 minutes) then no difficult Reasoning cubes, English last.
4. Read the question  3 times, plan 15 minutes with humans of life-size, maximum 3 colours, submit 10 minutes early in order to be reviewed.

What to do 3 days before the NIFT exam?

Day 28 light revision and 8 hours sleep, Day 29 one easy GAT mock, Day 30 check stationery and relax.

5 secrets of NIFT Toppers

• Vedic Math for squares 1-100 gives 15 extra QR marks. 
• Memorise 100 human poses for CAT 20 marks boost. 
• Previous year questions from 2018-2024 repeat 70% themes,. 
• If your mock scores are not improving by at least 10 marks week on week, review your mistakes and adjust your strategy
• Sleep for 7 hours because that’s what will help your brain work properly. .

Follow this NIFT strategy and see your skills+ knowledge meet the standards of NIFT toppers. Be consistent and genuine if you really want to crack the design entrance test. These strategies are highly recommended to those students who have skills, knowledge but don’t know where to start from. So, start today and pursue your desired career in the field of Design. 

Management education in India has been transformed from a system oriented towards control and efficiency to a modern philosophy of creativity, adaptability, and systems thinking.

From a few courses in commerce and administration, the management education in India has transformed into a dynamic, globally competitive ecosystem creating leaders and entrepreneurs.

XLRI Jamshedpur, the country's first management school, was set up in 1949, at a time when the country was seeking to build managerial capacity to drive economic development. Support from MIT and Harvard enabled the first IIMs to follow in the 1960s. Another major shift came with Liberalisation, which opened global markets and created an exponential demand for skilled managers.

The concept of business leadership has evolved down the generations, and equally so have the b-schools. What began as a discipline centred around control, efficiency and functional mastery has today emerged as a philosophy of creativity, adaptability and systems thinking.

Earlier generations learned how to work within scale, sustain efficiency, and optimise within known systems. Curricula concentrated on many aspects of business and organisational theory. Case studies are predominantly from western corporations, where students learn how to function within the existing systems rather than how to invent new ones. Success was defined as mastering established frameworks. Ethics and sustainability were electives if discussed at all.

The archetypal MBA was about predictability. Hierarchies were stable, the markets slower, and competitive advantage came from planning. The classroom was designed for debate, not experimentation. The ultimate aspiration was the corporate climb—a linear journey defined by loyalty and competence.

Along came globalization and digitisation, and everything changed. B-schools realised that stability was a myth; disruption was the new normal. The classroom expanded beyond borders through international immersion programmes. Technology moved from peripheral to central—spreadsheets gave way to Python and R, static reports evolved into dashboards and simulations.

During both the dot-com boom and the financial crisis in 2008, the schools taught their graduates how to tell hype from fundamentals. Understanding cash flow, sustainability, and stakeholder communication during crises proved invaluable-skills which had mattered afresh in Covid-19.

"Management education in India has evolved from theoretical to experiential, tech-driven and globally connected," Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO, CIEL HR, said. "Today, b-schools are preparing students for an unpredictable world where adaptability, innovation and data literacy matter as much as domain expertise."

Business education has entered a phase of deep reflection; the modern b-school has become a laboratory for leadership, where students design new systems. They learn to grow impact, not just profits.

"Students these days learn through data simulations, live projects, and cross-border collaborations," said Mishra. "The best programmes aim to build curiosity, empathy and communication alongside technical fluency. The graduates are now workplace-ready, equipped to contribute from day one."

Climate change, inequality, and social justice are reshaping the moral vocabulary of management today. ESG issues find their place in strategy courses. Entrepreneurship is no longer just about profit but also covers climate ventures, fintechs, and social enterprises that reimagine value creation.

Learning has turned experiential in nature through consulting projects, simulations, and startup incubators. Instructors have turned facilitators. And the result is a new kind of leader-one conversant with analytics, yet fluent in empathy.

"Sustainability, leadership and ESG principles will become integral," said Sathya Pramod, founder of KayEss Square Consulting and former CFO, Tally Solutions. "Indian management education will see more international partnerships, flexible programmes and a focus on entrepreneurship-preparing students not just to manage but to lead change."

The digital revolution has democratized business knowledge. Online education platforms such as Coursera and edX have democratised MBA curricula, creating pressure on legacy institutions to redefine their value proposition. Management schools are innovation hubs where thinkers of different types come together-a transition from delivering degrees to delivering ecosystems of lifelong learning.

Technology is no longer merely a tool but a teacher. Artificial intelligence provides personalized learning paths and real-time feedback. Large language models and predictive analytics are used by students to design experiments, simulate markets, and test strategies-not to supplant human judgment but to augment it.

The next frontier is about adaptive intelligence: with AI, climate change, and geopolitical shifts rewriting the rules, managers need to think in systems, act with humility, and learn all the time. The classroom of the future is a global network of minds co-creating solutions in real time.

 Where once the curriculum ended with a degree, today it begins a lifelong process. In this transition from control to creativity, from profit to purpose, management education has become a mirror of the human condition—constantly changing, questioning, and endeavoring to make meaning out of a world in motion. On the following pages are their thoughts—the collective wisdom of more than five decades of experience.