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Bilal Teli, 22-year-old Mangalorean, was arrested for trespass and unauthorized watching of IIT Bombay lectures, and complained for attending lectures without being an officially registered student or with any official authorization.

But he is said to have come to the campus, Teli first on June 4, 2023, and informed him that he had come to participate in a day's study program. The excursion turned sour when he decided to stay on campus after the function, breaking into classes of his engineering school and roaming around unperturbed for days.

The act came to light when a professor demanded his identity document while he was harassing him. As he had no chance of coming with any, Teli fled, and as a retaliatory measure, more deployment of security was done on the spot. While reviewing the CCTV, IIT Bombay security personnel chased and arrested Teli on June 19, catching him again at a lecture hall.

Zone X DCP Datta Nalawade further clarified that Teli was not permitted to reside or study on campus. "He told me that he arrived for a short term but remained from June 2 to 7, 2023, and June 10 to 19, 2023, against permission," he added further.

Educators were anxious and apprehensive at uncontrolled growth of Teli on the campus. "Where did he reside? Did he look into confidential laboratory information? What was his real motive?" asked a senior professor, recapitulating growing alarm among faculty members regarding adequacy of the security measures put in place.

No motivation for any violent act has ever been speculated, but the intruder has caused a general reconsideration of security on campus. Restricting access controls, enhancing tighter identification screening, and expanding surveillance at every gate are being considered as potential measures.

Meanwhile, Teli is being held in custody and an investigation is already underway. This strange incident was likened to "Rancho," the question-asking, questioning hero of Hindi films "3 Idiots" — but their real-life repercussions for infiltrating a world-class facility are far more dire than that of their film counterpart.

Yogi Adityanath, CM of Uttar Pradesh, made a significant move promoting inclusive education. He made a strong statement that no child should miss out on education just because their family doesn’t have enough money. He instructed the heads of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad (MPSP) institutions on Saturday on the same, emphasizing equal opportunities for all.

In Gorakhpur there was a review meeting held where CM Yogi ji said, “it is the responsibility of every institution head to make sure that money problems do not obstruct the  student’s learning journey and that full support  is extended to students who belong to financially weaker  backgrounds.”

The CM also stated that the schools shouldn’t make education a mere formality but a mission. He underlined facts appealing to all the heads of the institutions to be diligent and focus on encouraging healthy competition, innovation, discipline, and management. There are more than 1.5 million primary schools in India and the government has promised to provide all the children with equal learning opportunities. But still around 15% of those enrolled in schools drop out by the time  they reach secondary school. Also, in rural areas things are worse, where only 8% of children have proper internet facility, which makes learning online challenging.

An example can be taken of Uttar Pradesh. This year 1.65 lakh children have been qualified under the Right to Education (RTE) Act to be admitted in the private schools. However, 72,044 was the actual figure of students who got the admission. This clearly shows that more than half of the children who were meant to get a seat didn’t get it. This proves that the issue of money remains a huge obstacle in the learning journey.

The government is understanding this situation and is implementing different policies. New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is introduced that revolves around providing a fair chance to every child. It has brought in a new 5+3+3+4 regime replacing the 10+ 2 system, and is concentrating on ensuring that by Grade 2, kids are able to read and also solve simple math problems. Over 105 universities have a four year degree program now and entrance tests such as JEE and NEET can now be given in 13 Indian languages so it has become easier for students belonging to different backgrounds.

CM Yogi Adityanath has insisted that schools need to do their part.  Emphasizing the development of a strong culture of campuses, he said, “MPSP is not merely a body that runs schools, colleges, universities, or hospitals. Its core mission is to contribute to social development and nation- building through education, healthcare, and services. Despite challenges, the parishad has remained unwavering in its commitment to producing responsible citizens dedicated to the national cause.”

He also made a bold statement highlighting that when a child is already entitled to schooling under the RTE Act, the schools must accept them without excuses. The state is currently monitoring very closely to ensure that schools abide by the regulations. This is vital since most people criticize the existence of the private schools in India whose student population numbers 12 million students yet most of them are accused of selecting and choosing among the students to be admitted and educated there.

Naturally, not everything is smooth. India only spends 3.1% of its GDP on education as compared to what experts would have it spend. Many rural schools still lack good teachers and basic facilities. And here’s a worrying fact: less than 40% of students in Class 8 can read a simple story in their own language

However, it is not all in vain. Things can be made better with more emphasis on skill based learning, teacher training and smart utilization of technology. The government is making a big effort, but it is time that schools, teachers and communities get onboard.

It is time for India to focus on the roots, because all children deserve an equal opportunity to be educated, regardless of the financial condition of their family, in order to allow India to develop and be among the world leaders, more so become the vishwaguru it aims to be. The intentions are there and the policies are present. We all must now ensure that no child gets left behind. After all, the true might of a country is represented by dreams and talents of its children/youth

One of the city's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) applicants has accused the NTA (National Testing Agency) of tampering with the OMR sheet posted on its website under her name, and it did not reflect the answers she had written during the exam.

Student Spurthy S of Soundarya PU College expressed her views at a press conference. She reported that she saw a stark difference between answers she had provided and the ones in the OMR sheet given on the website.

In a letter addressed to NTA, she stated: "On trying to download my OMR sheet, I faced preliminary technical glitches. When it did become available, I noticed that shaded bubbles for the register number were accurate but the handwritten number looked overwritten. I also distinctly recall putting the time below my signature as advised by the invigilator while taking the exam. But the time written on the OMR sheet is not visible in the scanned version. It created doubts about potential technical misread or mismatch at the time of assessment."

"Numerous attempts I made and marked are not shaded. A few questions I failed to attempt are shaded. This has resulted in a difference of close to 174 marks, contrary to my performance and expectation," she complained.

She said that whereas now her rank stands at about 93,000, it would have been approximately 200, according to answers she said she had attempted and marked.

Although she wrote to NTA on June 3, the agency responded on June 12 informing her that the OMR sheet belonged to her. "We want to assure you that the OMR sheet shown on the portal is identical with the one sent by you to the exam centre. The sheet contains the information entered by you, your roll number (both in numbers and bubbled form), question paper booklet number and series code, and has your signature and the invigilator's signature on it. The image which you can see is a scanned version of the original OMR sheet obtained from the centre in accordance with due procedure. Responses which are being displayed have been entered by you while appearing for the exam. We hope you are satisfied now," the reply stated.

The student claimed she is going to approach Karnataka high court regarding the issue. "I have got 625 out of 625 marks in SSLC and 99% in II PU. I got rank 1,386 in CET," she added.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association on Friday claimed that more than 700 Kashmiri students are still stuck in different parts of Iran including the capital city Tehran, Kerman, Gilan, Shiraz, Arak and other regions and attempts are underway to rescue them.

"They have not yet been evacuated and relocated. We are in continuous communication and are in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Embassy in Iran, and the Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister's Office for their safety and evacuation in a timely manner," the association said in a statement.

The Indian students stranded in various parts of Iran are being evacuated and safely repatriated to the nation under India's Operation Sindhu.

"Efforts have been initiated to first shift the students to secure places before evacuating them through Mashhad and other authorized border routes. We are assuring parents that all students are safe at the moment," the statement further added.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students' association has also stated that the two Kashmiri students who were injured have already been relocated to safer locations, and arrangements are being made for their evacuation within the next two days.

"We are committed to the welfare of all stranded students and will continue to work hand in hand with all concerned authorities until all of them are safely returned home," the statement further said.

"We regard Indians as our nationals. Iran's airspace is closed but due to this problem, we are making plans to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, told a media briefing on Friday.

Flights bringing close to 1000 Iranian students into Delhi arrived on Friday evening and on Saturday after the airspace of Tehran was opened in view of the dispute ongoing between Iran and Israel.

Divya Deshmukh beats world no. 1 female chess player Hou Yifan at just 19 years of age!

Not many could have guessed when Divya Deshmukh, sat across the board from the world number one chess player, Hou Yifan, at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship in London, that she could cause such a stir over the board. This was a game of nerves and tactical skills combined and the 19-year-old Nagpur girl did not simply win a game but defied the expectations, rewrote the history of Indian chess and established herself as a force that the world can't ignore any more. Her win not only meant a personal triumph but was also an inspiration to the up and coming prodigy of Indian chess players looking to topple the likes at the world championships.

The story of Indian chess grandmaster Divya Deshmukh is an example of life-long grit and precocity. She was born in December 2005 in Nagpur, the daughter of doctors after which she learned chess at the age of only five. At the age of seven, she already was a national champion, and at twelve years old, she had already two world youth titles in her pocket. She achieved Woman Grandmaster in 2021, then in the year 2023 she became the International Master. She has also grown through steady performances that culminated in her taking the World Junior Girls Title U-20 in 2024 in a sweeping 10/11 points.

Divya had lost the first leg of the blitz semifinal against Hou Yifan who is a very feared figure in women chess. However in the second game where she was assigned white pieces as Hexamind Chess Club she turned the tables around. This game turned into a nervous endgame with 74 moves, as Divya had the advantage of having a rook against the bishop held by Yifan. When one has to compete with seconds and time management in blitz, Divya showed exemplary control. This pressure worked out as she was manipulating the world champion, and she won the game that left commentators and fans astonished. 

The win by Divya was important in ensuring that India achieved a third position in the Blitz and second position in the Rapid style in the championship - a feat that is uncommon in the world podium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded her performance and said her grit and determination was something to look up to by aspiring chess players across the country.

PM Modi’s post on X said, “Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours.”

Indian chess grandmaster Divya Deshmukh replied to this message saying, “Thank you, Respected Sir. It is a great honour and encouragement for me to be recognised by the Prime Minister.”

Divya has won at a time when Indian chess is booming youngsters like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa are getting limelight. Her win over Hou Yifan, after Gukesh beat Magnus Carlsen in a tournament in the recent past, marks the passing of the generation: Indian talents are no longer merely promising, they are now world-changers too.

This is what Sets Divya Apart

1. Mental Resilience: Making a recovery after a poor first leg performance, Divya has the composure to get over a bad performance and beat the pressure against her is what champions do.
2. Team Spirit: As she expressed herself, the team efforts and the national support were “incredible” and it highlights the team spirit that had made India prosper in chess.
3. Role Model for Girls: As a world junior champion and now a giant-killer at the senior level, Divya is inspiring more Indian girls to take up chess, which is a field where female participation is still growing.

Coached by the distinguished coaches, such as IM Prathamesh Mokal, Divya has always had a careful balance of training in classical literature, tactical practice, and actual tournament competition. She dedicated multiple hours per day to studying grandmaster games, endgame study, and working on her calculations to improve through online blitz and rapidplays. It is not only training with the board, she also trained on the physical fitness and mental endurance, as stamina and concentration are very important in long tournaments.

The challenge that Divya has had to keep up with is probably the pressure of expectations and she must have found it difficult to cope with it as she went from being a youth prodigy to a senior participant on the international platform. The years of the pandemic gave new challenges, and there were small over-the-board tournaments and the transition to online games, which required rapid adaptation to new conditions and blunderers. 

Nevertheless, Divya attributes her family support and the advice of her coaches (who guided  Divya to not get distracted or be impatient) to their ability to keep her focused and driven.

What is next? Divya is already gearing up towards the future in other competitions: she is set to compete in the FIDE Women Grand Prix series and in the Chess Olympiad, where she wants to further demonstrate that she belongs to the elite in the world. Her short-term aim is to reach the aforementioned Grandmaster (GM), which would make her the third Indian female to gain such a status. 

With the three medals in this championship and the world following her, Indian chess grandmaster Divya is about to experience a new height in her career. Her experience does not only represent her personal accomplishments, but also the upward trend of Indian chess in the global sphere.

As Divya herself said after the tournament, “What seemed like an eternity is over... Had an amazing experience with the team!” For Indian chess fans, this is just the beginning of a new era. 

The triumph of Divya Deshmukh is not just another fait accompli as the title suggests but rather it is an indicator of the Indian youths' newly found pride in world chess and a hope to those young players who are aspiring to make it to the international board. 

Karnataka Police on Thursday registered an FIR against the management and principal of a private school in Bengaluru on charges of shifting Class 10 students to a government school in what is said to be an effort to achieve a 100 per cent board exam pass rate.

Parents allege the decision resulted in their children failing the Board exams since they lost internal assessment marks.

The FIR was filed by the High Grounds police in Bengaluru against Saint Mary's Girls' High School on complaints from parents. At least 10 students have flunked the class 10 Board exams as a result, police added.

Deepika, one of the victims who failed the exam, explained to the press on Thursday that she had attended Saint Mary's from Lower KG.

Deepika also reported that when the school staff gave hall tickets to the students, they told them that their exam centre was somewhere else and asked them to take the test at the government school. When the results came out, she found that her marks card did not mention internal assessment marks.

"We wrote to the school about it, but got no response. When we requested the transfer certificate (TC), the school administration instructed us to pick it up from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) School. We do not understand why this was done. Had I gotten my internal marks, I would have cleared," she stated.

"This has been done to 10 other children from the same school," she said.

The parents, in their complaint, also explained that as the children did not attend classes in the BBMP School, they were declared absent and hence not given marks under internal assessment, which led to their Board exam failure.

The parents also alleged that they had paid fees at Saint Mary's Girls' School, and that the school had moved the children to the government school without their knowledge. They also accused the school of falsely reporting the children as orphans.

The parents said that the students had not been given internal assessment marks by the government school to which they were shifted, and hence they failed in the Board exams.

They also complained that the principal and management admitted the students to the government school without telling them under the false pretence that they are orphans brought from an orphanage.

Police have initiated the probe into the case.

No response has come so far from the school on the accusations against it.