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From April 1, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will be formally granted autonomy, setting in motion a major change in education administration in the state. The step is likely to simplify procedures, speed up decision-making, and improve the quality of education reforms, officials declared on Saturday.

What Autonomy Means for SCERT

SCERT Director Meghana Shetgaonkar laid stress on how autonomy will fast-track different administrative tasks, specifically recruitment procedures, which have until now been pending.

"SCERT has so far existed as a section within the Department of Education. We have now registered under the Societies Act and shall be independent in our functioning. A governing council with academicians and subject experts will handle all key decisions, making decision-making quicker and eliminating bureaucratic hesitation in appointments," she said.

Another significant alteration is that SCERT will receive a separate budget from the government, which will provide more fiscal flexibility and autonomy in the execution of educational programs.

Role in NEP Implementation

The National Education Policy (NEP) is to revolutionize the state education system, and SCERT is going to play a crucial part in its implementation, particularly for Classes I-VIII students. With the phased implementation of NEP, SCERT will have charge of developing curricula, teacher training, and pedagogic innovations so as to converge them with the aims of the policy.

For Classes IX to XII, the State Board will continue to be the implementing agency, while SCERT will continue to give academic guidance and support.

A New Era for Educational Reforms

The transition to autonomy is expected to enhance SCERT's capability for formulating and executing innovative educational strategies, thereby increasing its responsiveness to changing academic needs. According to experts, with increased independence, SCERT will be able to better introduce new approaches to teaching, improve teacher training programs, and initiate curriculum reforms more effectively.

With a governing board consisting of education specialists and policymakers, the institution will be in a position to make informed choices based on data, and both teachers and students will reap the rewards of the most current education advancements.

With SCERT entering its new era of autonomy, the emphasis will be on speed, efficiency, and educational quality, with the aim of positioning the state's education system to better address future challenges.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has placed the state budget for 2025 in the Assembly, with special emphasis on the education sector. The government has provided ₹2,100 crore to strengthen learning infrastructure, launch skill-based training, and implement digital learning at schools and campuses of higher education. Maybe the most interesting thing about the budget is the compulsory internship program for all undergraduate students to narrow the gap between teaching in class and industry demands.

In its initiative towards e-learning, the state government has declared that every government middle school will be equipped with a laptop per class. In addition, school computer labs will be upgraded to allow students to use advanced technology tools. These efforts are likely to encourage digital literacy among students and equip them with the skills to handle the changing job scenario.

Anticipating the requirement for schools to have appropriate infrastructure, the government provided ₹200 crore for the renovation and repair of the school infrastructure of the state. It is planned to ensure that all the repair work is finished well ahead of the onset of the monsoon season so that the students have a proper and healthy learning setup.

It also provides huge facilities for vocational courses. Students studying courses such as garment designing, house furnishing, beauty and wellness, horticulture and agriculture, and automobiles under the NSQF would be presented with an accessory kit of value ₹20,000. This is done to motivate the students to pursue skill training and become employable in some of the various industries.

Through graduation requirements for internships, the government seeks to equip students with practical skills and improved employment opportunities. This is in line with the state's vision to develop a skilled workforce that can meet industry demands.

Goa Budget 2025 focuses the government's interest in streamlining the education sector by putting into effect digital strategies and enhancing infrastructure and skill development. All these steps are sure to provide students with theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience, making them adequately equipped for future employment.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday stated that the process of appointing 16,347 teachers through the District Selection Committee (DSC) exam will start in the first week of April. Speaking at the third Collectors' Conference at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the recruitment process for teachers should start in early April and be completed with their appointment before schools reopen for the next academic year in June.

Further, the CM indicated that teacher recruitment could incorporate Scheduled Castes (SC) sub-categorisation under the A, B, C, and D categories. The state has referred the one-man commission report submitted by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra on SC sub-categorization to the Centre and another important stakeholder, as per Naidu.

Depending on their response, the state will move ahead as pledged in the build-up to the 2024 elections, he added. District collectors were requested by the Chief Minister to see that the DSC examination is held perfectly.

Stressing welfare, development, and good governance as the three main pillars of administration, Naidu urged collectors to be ever vigilant to these priorities. He stressed that poverty elimination and public welfare are a must, particularly when hopes are high.

Further, Naidu pointed out that district collectors will be the Swarna Andhra-2047 Vision execution chairpersons, and MLAs will implement it at the constituency level. He emphasized that preparation for this vision must be done from the state level to the district, constituency, Mandal, and village secretariat levels.

Chief Minister also directed collectors to obtain environmental and other approvals required for Rs 55,000 crore worth of infrastructure projects, including national highways, and asked them to finish these in two years.

Pointing out that the Polavaram project is on track again with the Centre's support, Naidu stated that the mega-irrigation project is "set for completion" by 2027.

Charging the collectors with attaining a 15 percent growth rate, he stated that Andhra Pradesh had achieved a 13.5 percent growth rate between 2014 and 2019 but claimed that it fell to 10.3 percent during the last YSRCP rule.

Additionally, he instructed the collectors to scrutinize and recover GST arrears and take strict action against tax evaders, among other primary objectives.

A Vidya Parishad meeting took place on March 24 at the auditorium of the Kautilya Administrative Building of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, presided over by Vice Chancellor Prof Pratibha Goyal. In the meeting, the university formally adopted the new guidelines of the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP).

The Vice Chancellor shared details about the new policy, declaring its introduction at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the university campus and affiliated colleges from the 2025-26 academic year, news agency ANI reported.

A four-year undergraduate programme has been brought in under NEP, with a uniform credit system of 20 credits in a semester for UG as well as PG courses, according to the Higher Education Department's updated framework.

This system will apply to departments like Arts, Science, and Commerce, including four-year UG courses like BA, BSc, and BCom, honors and research-based courses, and single-subject PG courses like MA, MSc, and MCom. The current three-year undergraduate courses, however, will remain as they are.

First, students will be enrolled in a three-year graduation program in the campus and affiliated colleges. In the fourth year, they can opt for either a four-year honors degree or a four-year honors research degree. Students have to choose their course—BA, BSc, BCom, etc.—at the time of admission. Students opting for a four-year degree after three years will have to reapply for admission to the PG program in the concerned subject.

Besides, the Vice Chancellor emphasized that there will be multiple exit points, and students may stop their course after the first, second, third, or fourth year after submitting an application.

The Kerala legislature on Tuesday (March 25) cleared a draft bill that will henceforth provide access to private universities in the state. The Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Bill, 2025, was cleared after two days of legislative debate. It was tabled in the legislature last week and sent to a subject committee for examination.

This marks a significant shift in the stance of the Left which has historically opposed private involvement in education in the state. Currently, Kerala is the only state without private universities. Here is what to know.

GOVERNMENT NOMINEES

The Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Bill provides for government representatives or nominees in all three key decision-making bodies of private universities – the governing, executive, and academic councils.

The governing council of the university will manage its operations and make its regulations. It will comprise three government nominees among its 12 members – the Secretary of the Higher Education Department, a second Secretary, and a noted academician nominated by the government. Four among the remaining eight members will be nominated by the sponsoring body that establishes the university.

The executive council of the university will manage the university's funds and assets. One of its nine members will be a government nominee. Likewise, the academic council, which will make recommendations to the university on matters of an academic nature, will consist of three government nominees. The government nominees in both councils will be present at all meetings where decisions concerning government policies or instructions are to be made.

MULTIPLE CAMPUSES

The bill provides for the creation of 'multi-campus' universities. It mandates 40% reservation of seats in every course for permanent residents of the state. Of these, reservations for SC/ST/OBC students would be applicable, said the state's Minister for Higher Education, R. Bindu.

STUDENTS' COUNCIL

The bill also makes provision for a students' council with the Pro Vice-Chancellor as its head. It will consist of 10 student members elected by the students, one student from the SC/ST category, and two women students.

REGULATORY BODY

As per the bill, this body would be formed by the government "to promote teaching, research, development, training."

How is it different from legislation in other states?

Based on the University Grants Commission's 2024 figures, there were 471 private universities in the country. Gujarat has the maximum number of private universities (65), followed by 53 each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

There are some states that have general legislation governing private universities, such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. In others, such as Karnataka, there is a specific Act for the establishment of every university.

The level of state representation in the university's bodies and the percentage of seats to be kept for students of the state differ from state to state. According to the Private Universities Act 2019, in Tamil Nadu, 35% of seats in each course will be reserved for state students, while it is 40% in Karnataka. Haryana's 2006 Act reserves at least 25% of the seats in the university for students of the state, of which 10% are for the Scheduled Castes of Haryana.

Haryana and Karnataka have provisions for state governors acting as the Visitor of private universities, but the bill in Kerala does not have any mention of a Visitor. Apart from conducting the convocation, the Acts in Haryana and Karnataka also state that the Visitor can request information on the university and give directions if the university is found not to be following the rules.

TN allows two government representatives in the executive council, whereas in Haryana, the governing council shall have one government representative. The Karnataka Acts allow a government representative and a government nominee on the Board of Governors of the concerned university.

Why did the state decide to introduce private universities?

Bindu informed that the bill was prepared after the Shyam Menon Commission in its 2022 report, recommended the same. The Commission for Reforms in Higher Education, to give it its full title, was established soon after the 2021 assembly election and was led by Shyam B. Menon, ex-vice Chancellor of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi. This, says the minister, is part of a 2021 election campaign pledge to establish Kerala as a center of higher education.

She further stated the report quoted the number of private institutes in the state as being more than government institutes, with some of the private institutes being of substandard quality.

"If you consider state higher education institutions today, there are only 20% that are government, and 80% are private, aided and unaided," she added. "Today, children are mortgaging ancestral land to go abroad, and the education loans are available now. Our kids are also going to private colleges in Bangalore…we can at least get them to stay back here."

She also stated there was a "dogma" of perceiving education in private schools as a status symbol to enhance a feeling of false prestige, rather than going to a public university. "It is not that our public universities are of poor quality. There is good quality, and good instructors, but to go to a government-run institution is shameful," she stated.

How has the Left's position regarding private institutions in Kerala shifted?

Earlier, the CPI(M) and its student organization, the SFI, strongly opposed the entry of the private sector into education. The Left objected to private polytechnics during the 1980s and a medical college in the cooperative sector during the 1990s, objected to the then Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government's move for permitting self-financing engineering and medical colleges in the early 2000s, and awarding autonomy to some colleges during 2014. They claimed that private management would have free reign without the oversight of the government, leading to the "commercialisation" of education.

Bindu explained this shift, stating, "Years ago, the plan was to ruin our public universities and indiscriminately privatise. As part of that, unaided institutions started sprouting up. In that scenario, it privatisation was incorrect. It is not the case today. Today, we are prioritising and consolidating the public sector while opening up the potential for private investment."

UDF Opposition leader VD Satheesan explained that they don't resist private universities within the state but that the bill does not provide answers to key questions plaguing higher education within Kerala. "These are matters of brain drain and a drastic reduction in student intake in government, aided, and unaided colleges," he explained, noting seats falling vacant in the state's colleges.

The Assam Assembly, on March 24, approved a Bill to limit private universities from taking up activities in the area of religious conversion of students, staff, and teachers. The House also cleared the Bills for establishment of three new universities and amendment of Acts of nine existing varsities.

Education Minister Ranoj Peju placed the Bills before the House for adoption and passage, in addition to another one proposing amendment to the Assam Private Universities Act, 2007.

The Assam Private Universities Bill, 2025 had suggested putting restrictions on the varsities from engaging in any activity concerning conversion of students, faculties and other employees. The university will have a secular nature, the amendment Bill stated.

It further suggested that the university should not introduce any new technical, medical, para-medical, nursing and other allied technical courses in relation to agriculture, veterinary, dairy and other allied subjects from April 1, 2025.

The amendment also suggested a security clearance report in respect of the antecedents or precedents of the sponsoring organization from the Home and Political Department, Government of Assam.

It also suggests a provision for the state government's inspection of the university every three years to ensure if the conditions laid down at the time of its establishment have been met. Any lapse in compliance to conditions could result in dissolution of the university, the amended Act stipulated.

The EdTech Skills University Bill, 2025, aimed at setting up a private varsity for promoting learning and evaluation of higher education and research as per New Education Policy, was enacted.

As sponsored by the World Education Mission, the new university would be set up in Tinsukia, Pegu added.

For similar purposes of the promotion of higher education, superior learning, and development of research, The Swami Vivekanand University Bill, 2025 and The Maa Kamakhya University Bill, 2025 have been sanctioned by the Assembly. 

Introduces by Social Action and Research Foundation, proposed Swami Vivekanand University will permanently sit at Odlaguri, Chirang district, with its operation center at Kokrajhar.

The proposed Maa Kamakhya University, which is being sponsored by Gabeshona Eduversity Foundation, will be located in Sipajhar in Darrang district.

The Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences Bill, 2025 was introduced by Pegu on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the in-charge of Medical Education and Research Department.

It aims to make sure that "institutes/organisations/ bodies requesting affiliation from the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences do not pose any threat to national security, are secular in nature and are making use of legal funding for establishing the institutes.".

The House has also approved eight other Bills to suggest that the initial vice-chancellor of eight varsities be nominated by the state government and that the subsequent VCs are to be appointed by the chancellor based on a recommendation by an advisory board.