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A cost-effective model of online learning that uses 10-minute, video-recorded tutorials to offer self-learning in 22 Indian languages is looking to expand further in India. After success in covering more than 10 million students in 8,000 colleges, the initiative will now be expanded by EduPyramids Educational Services Pvt. Ltd., a startup incubated at SINE, IIT Bombay.

Initiated by Professor Kannan M Moudgalya, one of the core faculty professors at IIT Bombay, EduPyramids is a spin-off of the on-campus Spoken Tutorial that began a decade back. With its tutorials as lightweight as they are convenient to view offline on a basic Rs 10,000 computer, EduPyramids has already started filling the digital learning divide, particularly in rural and disadvantaged regions.

"Our philosophy is simple," Professor Moudgalya said. "We build for the student who is learning at midnight, sitting by herself, with no friend and no teacher to guide her. If it benefits her, it benefits everyone."

The effect has been extensive. During the time of COVID-19, when connectivity rendered many platforms inoperative, Spoken Tutorials continued on course even in low-bandwidth areas like Jammu and Kashmir. The content has improved employability for thousands of students.

One of such success stories is Nikita Mhatre, a Polytechnic graduate in Computer Science, who used the tutorials to learn PHP and find an IT job and even landed a job at IBM as a SAP expert.

The project has also had a remarkable bearing on healthcare. Nearly a lakh ASHA and Anganwadi workers were trained using Spoken Tutorials to monitor infant nutrition, with many of them reporting daily growth in weight among babies that was nearly double the national average.

In the years to come, EduPyramids plans to grow even bigger by supporting nascent training missions within India. "We want all students, whether in a small-town polytechnic or a rural Anganwadi, to enjoy the same quality of learning as an IIT student," Professor Moudgalya said. "Our dream is to have a world-class education system, not just for India, but for the world."

The model's validity has been proven all over the world. In 2024, IEEE P2955 standard officially ratified Spoken Tutorial pedagogy, referred to as a gold standard in scalable inclusive digital learning.

Personal background has also impacted Professor Moudgalya's mission. Born and bred in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, in an economically deprived family,he for the IIT entrance exam, and he later went on to graduate from IIT Madras and Rice University before returning to India. "I had vowed to my mother that I would come back," he stated. "And I felt as though I owed something to this country which gave me a world-class education at almost no cost."

Enrolment of transgender students in the school and higher education segment has increased by a whopping figure, India registered, according to a government data released by the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha.

Figures were updated to date as a reply to a query moved by MP Swati Maliwal.

According to the information, school attendance of trans students increased from a meager 155 during 2021-22 to 965 during 2023-24. That is over six times in two years.

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has registered the highest school attendance during 2023-24 at 327 and 282 respectively.

SOME STATES SEE THE DECLINE DESPITE OVERALL GROWTH

Number dropped despite overall growth in some states.

Rajasthan dropped from 107 students in 2021-22 to 77 in 2023-24, and West Bengal dropped by a considerable number from 211 in 2022-23 to 62 in 2023-24.

INSTITUTIONAL ENROLMENT SURGES

Even the craze was witnessed at colleges and universities. Transgender students' enrollment in higher education climbed from 302 in 2020–21 to 1,448 in 2022–23 (provisional), according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).

Uttar Pradesh had 369 students for 2022–2023 and stood at the top. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu were at the next spots with 158, 124, and 98 students, respectively.

NECESSITY OF SUSTAINED POLICY SUPPORT

Though enhanced enrolment is welcome, officials and educationists also opine that again and again efforts would still need to be made to retain and cultivate the transgender students.

A few states have zero or negligible enrollment, i.e., Nagaland, Lakshadweep, and Ladakh.

The ministry is also sensitizing the nation to the need for inclusive education policies and has issued a call for policy and institutional intervention in attempting to address regional disparities and extend transgender students access and opportunity to excel in the system

Making a surprise visit on Friday, District Magistrate Thiyagarajan S.M. observed an enormous shortage of students at Shri Lal Bahadur Higher Secondary School at Punpun block, and it had grave doubts regarding the discipline of students as well as school management.

In his tour, the DM witnessed a gigantic number of students absent from their schools. On closer observation, it was found that most of them were attending private coaching classes in regular school hours—a violation that not only disqualifies the official schooling system but also raises questions about the authority of school administrations in ensuring students' attendance.

Acting swiftly, the DM ordered the re-deployment of the Block Education Officer (BEO) and made the officer personally responsible for the lack of monitoring and enforcement of student attendance. He also ordered the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Masaurhi to conduct regular inspections school to school in the area to impose regulation and discourage such occurrence in the future.

This episode has again placed in the limelight the increasing trend among Bihar students—and among other regions of India—of giving more priority to private coaching over standard school education. Despite government initiatives to enhance the quality of teacher availability and facilities in government schools, the popularity of coaching centers indicates towards issues of a deeper nature like the perceived inefficacy of classroom pedagogy, teacher non-availability, and absence of accountability.

The quick action of the district administration conveys one loud message to education administrators and institutions as well: no monkeying around with the academic integrity of students, and school timing has to be held as inviolate.

As Bihar strives to enhance its education sector, this incident highlights the need for an urgent overhaul of the system, greater supervision, and improved communication between schools, students, and parents to build a new faith in the public school system.

In a significant step likely to re-engineer the research ecosystem in India's state universities, Bangalore University (BU) has been nominated as a nodal centre for the prestigious Prime Minister Professorship Programme under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

The appointment is not just a symbolic victory. It marks a strategic drive to give historically under-endowed institutions strong research capability and visionary leadership. The PM Professorship scheme has been specifically instituted to close the gap between first-class institutes and state-owned universities by integrating high-quality scientists in the local environment.

As part of this initiative, a distinguished researcher will be hired as a Prime Minister Professor at BU. He or she will not only conduct innovative, translational research in priority areas of the nation but also advise faculty and students, generating ripple effects that can lift the university's overall academic and research climate.

The program carries hefty financial support. The fellow professor will be provided a ₹30 lakh fellowship annually, in addition to another ₹24 lakh as an annual research grant. BU itself will be provided an overhead grant of ₹1 lakh annually to facilitate institutional logistics. The fellowship period lasts five years, providing time as well as resources for effective impact.

Whereas top-tier institutions have long dominated India's R&D scene, this appointment is a paradigm shift — acknowledging that innovation needs to be decentralized. With Bangalore University's variegated student population and state-wide academic reach, the appointment has the potential to encourage a new generation of researchers in Karnataka and beyond.

This is not only an investment in a person or an institution, but also a step towards democratization of research excellence in India's academic landscape. For BU, it is a turning point — an opportunity to break away from being a teaching-centric institution and become a research-centric one, directly adding to India's scientific, social, and technological progress.

Bollywood movies like Yaariyan(2014), Main Hoon Na (2004), Student of the Year (2012), and Jagga Jasoos(2017) have already created a college fantasy for almost every 20s kid. If you are someone from this club and are looking for a College that stands between hills and is surrounded by the cozy Pahaadi vibes, the Alakh Global Shimla University might be the one for you. The list does not just end there. The APG Shimla University offers trained and professional faculty, attractive packages, and a high placement rate of around 60% annually, along with the course you are searching for. 

What makes APG Shimla University the perfect learning center?

With lush green hills surrounding it, the University sits atop one of the beautiful hills of Shimla, right at the Queen of Hills. Being away from the hustle, bustle, noise, and pollution of the mid-city environment makes it the ideal learning center. The campus not only offers a scenically satisfying environment but also one that brings peace of mind to its students.

The University stands as a self-contained mini-township, a world unto itself. Its sprawling campus is adorned with every infrastructural facility that a University needs to give an ideal learning hub for its students, offering a vibrant environment where students can thrive. The campus spans an area of 44 acres. The pharmacy labs exemplify innovation and modernity, offering students hands-on training and research opportunities with cutting-edge instrumentation. 

Students also have access to a state-of-the-art gymnasium, promoting physical well-being alongside academic pursuits. The technologically advanced IT Labs give the students access to the latest computing resources, empowering them to innovate and excel in a digital landscape. The Media Studio gives birth to extraordinary talents in the field of Media that go on to achieve great milestones. Additionally, the allure of Shimla itself serves as an advantage, offering students the opportunity to explore its rich cultural heritage, engage in adventure sports, and appreciate its scenic beauty, thereby enriching their overall university experience.

The University has a total of 10 departments/schools- School of Allied and Healthcare Science, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, School of Pharmacy, Engineering and Technology, School of Sciences, School of Management and Commerce, School of Legal Studies & Research, School of School of Media & Mass Communication, School of Design and School of Humanities. In addition to that, the University has a 60% placement rate along with internship support and training programs. 

APG Shimla University received this prestigious award for its excellence in vocational and technical education, particularly for seamless digital transition via software like Editch during the COVID‑19 lockdowns—underscoring its commitment to skill-based learning. From July 7–11, 2025, the university hosted a week-long FDP titled "Emerging Trends in Higher Education Policy: Shaping the Future of Learning and Innovative Research", gathering 60 faculty, department heads, and expert academics to align teaching practices with NEP‑2020 guidelines and strengthen research-focused pedagogy. 

Considering all the aspects that the APG Shimla University has, this might be exactly what you are looking for. The exposure that this University offers, along with the courses, modern classrooms, advanced laboratories, and the enriching educational environment, makes it the best option for students who are looking to grow and excel both in their field of study and life.

By Jishnu Mukherjee 

India will break new ground and become the world's second-best represented country, after the US, in the 2026 Times Higher Education ranking, Times Higher Education Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty said.

The remarks were made by Baty in a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the new National Education Policy (NEP).

"In the world rankings 2026, to be released at the World Academic Summit on 8 October this year, India will set new records to emerge as the second best represented country in the world after the US. So the figures make it clear that India's universities are rubbing shoulders more and more with the global research elite of the world.".

"But on a different, and quite distinct, set of performance measures based on their social and economic impact, India's universities are also beginning to truly excel," he stated.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (re-launched for 2026 as Sustainability Impact Ratings) gauge the social and economic impact of universities against their contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universities are measured on their education, research, community engagement and stewardship of resources through hundreds of metrics across all 17 of the UN SDGs.

Baty wrote that the National Education Policy of 2020 in India was so innovative and so ambitious that several claimed at its introduction five years ago that it was just too ambitious to work. ".but exactly five years since the NEP 2020 was officially launched, there is a body of independent evidence accruing which, in spite of the dramatic pandemic disruption caused by COVID, the ambitious vision is now becoming a reality at rapid speed.".

"Indeed, when it comes to ambitions to enhance the quality of higher education and to finally adopt full internationalisation of Indian higher education, Times Higher Education data are unambiguous -- the plans are paying off," he stated.

In 2019, the year before NEP2020, India had 49 universities in the rankings – a share of around four per cent of all ranked universities. In the 2026 edition, India's representation will have almost tripled to 128 ranked universities, representing nearly six per cent of all ranked universities.

"This outstanding achievement is an expression of a country-wide commitment by Indian universities to gather improved data, to come forward and put themselves up to global data benchmarking, to place themselves on the international stage with the world's leading research universities -- and most importantly to become an observable and active member of the global higher education community, where research partnership and talent exchange can assist them to excel even more.".

"And it is not only in representation that India is making outstanding gains. There is also a quality improvement. So the evidence is clear that India's universities are rubbing shoulders with the world's leading research elite. But according to a further, quite different set of performance indicators based on their social and economic contribution, India's universities are beginning to shine as well," he stated.