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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.

A section of MBBS students belonging to the RS 3 batch (whose admissions were done before 2019) were left disappointed when their pleas to alter the valuation pattern of the Aug 2024 exam were turned down by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).

The students had organized an indefinite hunger strike on the university campus in Jayanagar last Thursday. When they turned up, cops were already present on campus to make sure nothing amiss occurred. The students proceeded to meet university officials and negotiated their issues.

The Aug 2024 MBBS answer-scripts were assessed by four graders and the average was marked as the final grade. The students, however, complained that the assessments ranged drastically from grader to grader. A paper got just single-digit scores from some graders, but the same one scored well from other graders. Their average was brought down due to a low score of one among the four options and the student got failed.

The existing system has only two assessments per subject, and the highest of the two is used to compute results. The students wished the highest of two marks to be implemented on the exam they sat in August 2024.

Though the university informed them that the assessment in their subsequent exams would be based on the highest of two assessors' marks, the students demanded that their Aug 2024 exam marks be computed the same way. "It is the evaluators' fault. Why do marks fluctuate so much for one paper? We are fed up with paying exam fees over and over again. They have promised the new system for the next exam, but why should we take another one when it can be rectified here?" asked a student.

But university authorities clarified to the students that a retrospective correction is not possible. "These are repeater students. They had some grievances regarding exam fees being levied every time, which we have addressed in the best possible manner. We have addressed their demands. One demand that we could not entertain was that new guidelines should be retrospectively applied. We cannot establish a precedent like this. Any policy is future-oriented. We have assured them that from the next exams, everything will be corrected. A committee constituted to consider this deliberation in detail. It was a unanimous decision that the request cannot be entertained," said an official.

There are 1,040 students impacted by this. They will take the supplementary exams from April 7.

Edinbox Exclusive Story on World TB Day – 24th March 2025

"The aspiration to end tuberculosis by 2025 can look daunting, but together and with determination, we can definitely move in that direction. This World TB Day, let us pledge to come together, commit, invest, and deliver." – Dr. Amit Dias

Why We Celebrate World TB Day

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is celebrated every year on 24th March to mark Dr. Robert Koch's historic finding in 1882 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium causing TB. His finding led to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Ever since, we have come a long way in fighting TB, but the battle is not yet won.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for the elimination of TB are:

80% decrease in TB incidence

90% decrease in TB mortality

Zero TB patients experiencing catastrophic costs because of the disease

Although Dr. Koch was unable to find a cure for TB, we now have effective and cost-free treatment. Nevertheless, early diagnosis is important, and individuals need to identify symptoms and access timely medical care.

TB is Treatable: Remember the TREAT Approach

On this World TB Day, let's utilize the acronym TREAT to highlight the journey towards elimination of TB:

 T – Test for TB• Testing involves sputum testing by CBNAAT, chest X-rays, and other diagnostic equipment.• Early detection is critical to effective treatment.

R – Recognise the Signs• A cough of over two weeks, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or fever may be an indication of TB.• Delaying diagnosis makes the disease worse and spreads it.

 E – Educate & Eat Well• Having knowledge about transmission and prevention of TB is needed.• A good diet with full nutrients builds one's immunity and helps in quicker recovery.

A – Adhere to Antibiotics• TB is curable, but incomplete treatment leads to drug-resistant TB.• Always follow the doctor’s prescription and never skip doses.

 T – Take the Full Course• TB treatment lasts at least six months, even if symptoms improve earlier.• Stopping medication prematurely can cause severe, drug-resistant TB.

India’s Fight Against TB: A 100-Day Mission

On 7th December 2024, the 100-Day TB Elimination Campaign was launched by the Government of India under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to speed up progress toward a TB-free India by 2025. 

What Does TB Elimination Mean?

Reducing TB incidence to less than one case per million per year.

The whole world is committed to ending TB by 2030, but India has made it its target for 2025.

Where We Stand: The Current Status of TB in India

Progress in TB Control• India is accelerating decline in TB incidence compared to the global average.• Between 2015 and 2022, TB incidence reduced by 16%, and deaths due to TB decreased by 18%.

TB Burden in India (2022 Data, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)• Estimated Incidence: 2.82 million new TB cases (199 cases per 100,000 population).• Estimated Mortality: 331,000 deaths (23 deaths per 100,000 population).• India has 26% of the world's TB cases (out of 10.6 million global TB cases).

Understanding TB: Causes, Spread, and Drug Resistance

TB is brought about by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually attacks the lungs (Pulmonary TB) but can affect the kidneys, spine, brain, lymph nodes, or intestines (Extrapulmonary TB).

How TB is spread TB germs are released into the air when a person with TB coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Other people breathe in these germs and can become infected.

Why Multiple Drugs are NecessaryMany TB patients question why they need multiple medications. The answer: Each drug works differently to kill the bacteria, shorten treatment duration, and prevent drug resistance. Stopping treatment early creates drug-resistant TB, which is much harder to treat. Fortunately, newer drugs have improved treatment outcomes for resistant TB.

This year's World TB Day theme, "Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver," highlights the importance of:

Commitment – Increasing national and international efforts.

Investment – Diverting resources towards the prevention and treatment of TB.

Delivery – Making TB services available to everyone affected.

Ending TB by 2025 is ambitious, but achievable. Together—governments, health providers, and communities—we can make this dream a reality.

Thank you, Dr. Amit Dias, MD for cooperating with the Edinbox Team and sharing information on TB. Dr. Dias is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine. He is a holder of a DTM&H in Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and at present heads the Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC), St. Cruz. He is engaged in research on extrapulmonary TB in Goa under an Operational Research Project under NTEP

Member of Parliament Supriya Sule has sent a letter to Maharashtra's School Education Minister, Dadaji Bhuse, protesting against the state government's proposal to introduce the CBSE curriculum in government-run schools. She criticized the government for not doing adequate discussions and consultations prior to going ahead with the move.

The School Education Minister also announced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly recently that though the government had been granted permission by the Steering Committee to adopt the CBSE curriculum, discussions are still going on to finalize the adoption of the CBSE timetable.

The shift will start with Class 1 students from the academic year 2025-26, with the new session beginning on 15 June. The state board schools in Maharashtra also could gradually sync up with the CBSE academic calendar, bringing their commencement date forward to 1 April.

Sule faulted the government for not holding dialogues with important stakeholders prior to reaching the decision. In her view, important reforms like curriculum planning, textbooks, and teacher training—currently being overseen by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT)—should have been taken to the competent authority for endorsement, but this was neglected.

Echoing Sule's apprehensions, Nitin Dalvi, President of Mumbai Students, Parents, and Teachers Association, emphasized that the issues of teachers and parents must be heard before the imposition of such changes. One of them that he mentioned was about the alteration in the academic calendar.

Maharashtra board schools have traditionally opened on 15 June to take into consideration the blistering heat during April and May. Compelling students to go to school from 1 April is risky from a health viewpoint. If the students get sick or experience any ill effects because of extreme heat, who will be responsible?" Dalvi asked.

In her letter, Sule also expressed concern over the effect of this decision on Marathi language education. "By adopting the curriculum of another board, there is doubt about how much significance will be accorded to Marathi, which has been newly declared a classical language. This decision goes against Maharashtra's rich literary, artistic, and cultural tradition, which is very worrying," she wrote.

In light of such apprehensions, Sule urged the decision be reversed with immediate effect and urged the government to call for a meeting involving all stakeholders. She underlined that the consensus process must focus on the interests of Maharashtra's children and the rich educational heritage of the state.

The Delhi University (DU) hosted a webinar on Wednesday on admissions to undergraduate programs, alerting aspirants they will have to appear for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for the same courses they pursued at Class 12.

Numerous students and guardians attended the event, where the officials of admission branches answered the questions of their attendees.

Regarding The Webinar

The webinar on undergraduate admissions for the next academic year was addressed by DU's Joint Dean Anand Sonkar and Dean of Admissions Haneet Gandhi.

They asked students to fill out their application forms carefully, providing correct details such as name, parents' names, category, and a clear photograph and digital signature.

Gandhi emphasized that mistakes in filling CUET applications cannot be corrected later.

"From this year, students will be able to choose up to five subjects in CUET, which is spread across 37 subjects with a General Aptitude Test. It is very important to opt for CUET subjects that align with Class 12 subjects," she added.

Responding to a question from a student of science who wished to study commerce, Gandhi clarified that for BCom (Hons), students should have studied Mathematics or Accountancy in Class 12. Students without these subjects are not eligible for B.Com (Hons.) but can apply for the B.Com course.

Officials reaffirmed that although CUET is compulsory for all candidates, Class 12 board marks will not have any bearing on admissions, apart from passing marks. They told the students to keep an eye only on the DU website for information and not believe in outside sources.

Delhi University has 79 undergraduate courses in its 69 affiliated colleges, all of which need CUET scores for admission.

With the heatwave conditions setting in early, the Odisha government on Wednesday declared that classes will be conducted in all the schools from morning onwards starting April 2.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stated that from April 2, schools will be opened at 7 am. "Heatwave has begun early this year and temperature in most of the Western Odisha districts is on the rise. Coastal districts are also facing heat as well as humidity," he told mediapersons.

Districts have been instructed to implement measures as per the SOP released by the government to counter the heatwave, said Pujari.

Exams are in progress in the schools which would go on till March 27. "The exams are taking place in the morning and from April 2, the school timings will be 7 am onwards," he added. Anganwadi centre timings have also been altered in the wake of the heatwave. Kids in anganwadis will no longer remain in the centres till 12 noon or 1 pm. The anganwadis will function from 7 am to 9 pm daily during the summer season.

"If temperature increases and children cannot reach the anganwadi kendras, the district collectors can decide on closure of the facilities. They will distribute the dry ration at the doorsteps of the children during the closure period," the minister added.

The department has also directed the employers in the construction sites and factories not to employ workers from 11 am to 3 pm and instructed the police to take action against those who disobey the order.

Pujari reported that the government has fixed a target of zero casualty this year. "In the past 10 years, we have witnessed 330 sunstroke deaths which is an average of 35 deaths per year.". This year, we have instructed all collectors to take sufficient precautions to avert any sunstroke death," he added. The precautions are to establish temporary sheds for road-going people, fulfill water requirements, repair dysfunctional water supply systems and prepare health centres.