On 14th July, an order by the Uttarakhand government was passed directing all government schools in the state to mandate the recitation  of Shrima Bhagavad Gita shlokas during the morning assemblies. This initiative is a part of an ambitious mission of amalgamation of traditional Indian knowledge with modern education to promote values such as self-discipline, leadership, and emotional balance among students. 

 

The significance of Gita Shlokas in Schools

The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2022, which advocates the integration of India's knowledge systems with modern education. It is expected to deepen the values and sense of culture in the students. The Bhagavad Gita, as per the directive of the government, gives rise to the human values, emotional stability, decision making and the leadership principles.  

 

How Will it Work? 

As per the order insured on Monday, each day one verse of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is to be recited during the morning assembly. The teachers must relate the meaning of the shloka and the scientific or philosophic significance behind it to the students so that they get the meaning in the context and some values of the shloka. The teachers each week will choose one of the Shloka, put it on the school board with translation and meaning and train the students to recite the Shloka throughout the week. The selected shloka shall be discussed in the classrooms at the end of the week and all the students will be given a chance to share any thoughts and views, which will encourage learning and participation.   

 

Objectives and Expected Benefits

Objective 

Expected Benefits 

Skills Developed

Leadership, decision-making, emotional balance, scientific thinking, value-based conduct.

Educational Value

Focus is on implementing values in daily student life.

Inclusivity

The order is in line with a secular perspective, focusing on universal values rather than religious instruction.

Textbook Inclusion

The government has asked NCERT to include the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana in the syllabus for over 17,000 government schools. 

 

What Did The Higher Authorities Say About This Move? 

Dr. Mukul Kumar Sati, Director of Secondary Education said, “It should be ensured at every level that the teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and their scientific approach are used for character development, self-control, balanced life approach, personality growth, and to make students better citizens.” This statement indirectly creates a demand for better teachers in the state who, like ancient gurus, focus on value-teaching rather than a biased one. 

 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered changes in state curricula to mix old scriptures and new curriculum and he expects textbooks in line with his vision by the next academic year.

 

Also, the education Minister, Dhan Singh Rawat, said that until the revised textbooks are in place, each student will keep reciting verses of both Gita and Ramayana in daily prayers as a wider curriculum upgrade.

 

Community Response

The initiative of the Uttarakhand Government schools has been welcomed by various community leaders and people with diverse backgrounds, who support the idea of such teachings creating unity and belonging among learners. Some teachers and members of the civil society have also come forward with their critical voices as concerns raised towards the constitutional principle of the secular education system and the inclusion of children of all faiths. 

 

However, as per the directive, the move is said to be solely a value adding initiative and not a religious move. Indians are well aware of what the Shlokas in Gita are about; the shlokas only  talk about human psychology, way of living, moral duties, and ideal lifestyle instead of imposing the mythical or religious perspective on hindu God worship. People who have actually read Gita with the help of an ideal guru (as emphasised in the Indian Knowledge system) are well aware of Gita being a human psychology and lifestyle text instead of some religious book. 

 

The Effects That This Will Have on Students

Memorizing a shloka and talking about it will be part of the daily routine of all the students in all government schools. It is hoped that regular interaction with these philosophical verses will enable the development of confidence, concentration and ethical thinking. Also, students will have a first hand look at the classical literature and philosophical tradition of India in an action-oriented, value-based format. 

 

Recording of the shloka is a part of the assemblies in schools and does not increase academic tasks. It is universal lessons in ethics and character rather than proselytizing, the emphasis being on learning. The pending NCERT integration so far amounts to expecting its text books incorporating Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana henceforth in the next academic session. 

 

To the parents and students of Uttarakhand, this new move may imply increasing the significance of a value based education and cultural anchorage with their normal studies. Follow news of the school and formal curriculum changes as the policy is introduced to ensure a holistic learning process for all the students.

 

 

All 34 Telangana state government medical colleges have received the National Medical Commission (NMC) approval for the 2025–26 academic session, following the review of previously identified shortcomings.

 

On 13th June, the NMC had issued notices to 26 such colleges on infrastructure and teacher-related issues. Later, the Health department formed 10 Medical College Monitoring Committees on 23rd June for monitoring and preparing college-wise plans.

 

The NMC gave clearance on Tuesday for all the colleges, including the previously 26 under investigation, to run for the current academic session, according to an official announcement issued by the department on Wednesday. The department explicitly stated that no fines were levied and no one of the 4,090 MBBS seats in the colleges would be impacted.

 

The NMC has noted the initiative of the state government in filling the faculty shortage. A campaign for promotion was implemented to address teaching vacancies and regulatory requirements," added the statement.

 

NMC directed outstanding issues of compliance to be settled in four months' time, and confirmed current approvals of all colleges as valid.

 

According to the initiative of staffing, 44 senior professors have been upgraded as Additional Directors of Medical Education and posted as principals and hospital superintendents.

 

Additionally, 278 associate professors have been upgraded to professor rank and 231 assistant professors to associate professor rank.

 

MBBS counselling to begin soon

 

A recruitment notice has also been released to fill 607 assistant professor posts directly through the Medical and Health Services Recruitment Board (MHSRB). The Finance department has sanctioned an additional 714 faculty posts.

 

In response to the grievances of inadequate bed capacity in some of the teaching hospitals, the state government has initiated the process to increase over 6,000 beds in 21 hospitals in a bid to boost patient care and clinical training.

 

MBBS counselling will begin shortly, as Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences finalises the arrangements. State ranks for NEET will be announced soon, and counselling will be conducted subsequently as per Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) norms.

 

Staffing Initiative:

 

  • 44 Senior Professors have been promoted as Addl DMEs
  • They have been appointed as principals & hospital superintendents
  • 278 Associate Professors have been promoted to Professors
  • 231 Assistant Professors upgradable to Associate Professors

 

The issue was raised through a calling attention motion by BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay in the state assembly, who had charged that Sangve was involved in a grand scam of salary fake-offs, manipulation of educational data (Shalarth IDs), and discrepancies in school adjustments involving over 150 teachers in day schools and night schools.

 

Sandeep Sangve, the Deputy Director of Education (Mumbai), was suspended after serious charges of corruption, anomalies in the payment of teachers, and misutilization of government money. The suspension was made by School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, who also directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation to come up with a comprehensive report within eight days.

 

The issue came to light through a calling attention motion of BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay in the state assembly, alleging that Sangve was at the center of a huge scam of salary falsifications, manipulation of education statistics (Shalarth IDs), and school adjustment irregularities regarding over 150 teachers of day and night schools.

 

In the course of his speech to the House, MLA Upadhyay unleashed a fury of criticism on Sangve, accusing the officer of abusing his office to illegally sanction backdated files and embezzling crores of rupees from the state treasury.

 

"Sandeep Sangve acts as though he's above the law. He openly brags that nobody can do anything against him," Upadhyay added, explaining further that Sangve had managed to approve hundreds of documents by altering dates in order to draw cash using fraudulent methods.

 

Upadhyay also accused Sangve's agents of approaching him, challenging him to not raise the issue in the Assembly, threatening and intimidating him. He also accused municipal officials of having been tailing him, and Sangve having made inducements to MLAs in exchange for not cross-questioning him.

 

He has been holding the same post for 13 years, and now they are announcing that he is ready to offer Rs 5 crore to influence the entire Assembly," Upadhyay asked, baffled as to how this top-ranking officer had remained undetected till now.

 

The revelations evoked outrage across party lines, and a few MLAs from different parties demanded Sangve's immediate suspension. MLA Randhir Sawarkar endorsed the charges, alleging that Sangve was attempting to "control the Assembly" by means of money power.

 

Despite Education Minister Dada Bhuse's initial assurances of an inquiry, member unhappiness led to a commotion in the House. Following mounting pressure, Bhuse suspended Sangve, assuring that a Special Investigation Team would carry out a comprehensive probe and submit a report within eight days.

 

“This man has held the same post for 13 years, and now there's talk of him offering Rs 5 crore to influence the entire Assembly,” Upadhyay said, questioning how such a powerful officer had escaped scrutiny for so long.

 

The revelations shocking both sides, some MLAs of both sides have asked for the suspension of Sangve on the spot. MLA Randhir Sawarkar justified the charges, alleging Sangve attempted to "control the Assembly" using money.

 

Although Education Minister Dada Bhuse had previously assured an inquiry, frustration among members led to a commotion in the House. Under mounting pressure, Bhuse suspended Sangve, promising a Special Investigation Team would undertake a proper investigation and submit a report in eight days.

 

What Is the Case About?

 

Shalarth ID Manipulation: Sangve allegedly manipulated Shalarth IDs (teacher details and salary systems) to divert money.

 

Illegal Salaries Disbursement: Funds meant for salaries of approximately 150 teachers were purportedly embezzled.

 

Backdating the Approval of Files: Several files were claimed to have been vetted with fake dates to approve illicit payments.

 

Bribery and Coercion: Sangve was said to have attempted to bribe legislators and coerce complainants.

 

Minister Bhuse has assured the House that no corrupt official will be shielded by the government, regardless of how powerful they are. The SIT probe will probe financial information, file clearances, cyber trails of the Shalarth system, and other documents.

Delhi Technological University (DTU) and the University of Houston (UH) have signed a five-year worldwide agreement to encourage academic cooperation, collaborative research, and professional growth of students. The pact, which includes renewal in 2030, was signed during DTU Vice-Chancellor Prateek Sharma's visit to the US.

 

The signing ceremony was attended by University of Houston President Renu Khator, UH System Regent Durga Agrawal, DTU delegates, and D C Manjunath, Consul General of India in Houston, as per the PTI. The collaboration will consist of faculty exchanges, joint research, dual and twinning degree courses, and exposure to paid internships and co-op programs in both nations.

 

Research park and digital learning projects announced

 

During a press conference in New Delhi, DTU Vice-Chancellor Prateek Sharma announced a number of notable initiatives such as the inauguration of a Research Park at the university's Narela campus and the development of digital learning through online certificate programmes. As the PTI reported, Sharma said, "Knowledge is the basic goal of our university," emphasizing DTU's vision of inclusive education.

 

As a part of its digital reach, DTU has launched a computer literacy program in five villages for promoting digital inclusion. The university is also broadening its online education mechanism with certificate programs from one week to several months, with a view to reach students who are unable to access mainstream education.

 

New academic programs and cross-disciplinary departments launched

 

In accordance with the NEP 2020, DTU has initiated three undergraduate BTech courses in semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. The university has also added a new Interdisciplinary Department of Geospatial Science and Technology to facilitate national projects on disaster management, environmental monitoring, and city planning.

 

According to PTI, Sharma mentioned that the NEP will provide student-specific syllabi and fill the gap between industry requirements and education. The university has also inked MoUs with South Asian University as well as several US universities, such as Wright State University and Bradley University.

 

Global cooperation and innovation ecosystem increased

 

UH senior vice-president for academic affairs and provost Diane Z Chase stated that the alliance would bolster student experience through international opportunity and cross-cultural exchange, according to the PTI. Pradeep Sharma, Dean of the UH's Cullen College of Engineering, further stated that the collaboration would encourage more students to enroll in PhD programs and take advantage of an international academic network.

 

DTU has also grown its connections with Indian government ministries and industries. It has entered into an MoU with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for safety evaluation of tunnels and is involved in environmental projects, including rejuvenation of Yamuna and flood control, as per PTI.

 

Also, the university's Innovation and Incubation Foundation (DTU-IIF) has funded more than 100 startups together worth over Rs 700 crore, creating more than 1,000 jobs. DTU has also been chosen under the QUAD-STEM programme of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), ranking among only eight institutions in the country.

 

An Endowment Fund has been established to promote international alumni donations, as part of DTU's strategy to build academic excellence and institutional development.




In the morning, several schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails. Authorities have not found any explosives so far after the third consecutive day of such alarming mails, but still multiple schools have been evacuated as a safety measure. 

 

What Happened in Delhi Schools? 

Delhi witnessed another wave of panic on July 16, 2025, as five prominent schools received bomb threat emails early in the morning. This is the third day in a row that the threats of this kind have affected learning institutions in the national capital, which raises concerns about security issues among both students and parents. 

 

The schools targeted included St. Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother's International in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodi Estate. 

 

According to Delhi Fire Services, the first alert came from St. Thomas School at 5:26 am, followed by Vasant Valley at 6:30 am, Richmond Global at 8:11 am, and Mother's International at 8:12 am.

 

“The investigation is going on. Nothing suspicious is found yet,” as informed by a Delhi Fire Department official. 

 

What Did the Schools Do?

All affected schools immediately evacuated students and staff. Bomb disposal teams, dog squads, and cyber experts were deployed on-site shortly after. Later on in the morning, there was no sign of any explosives or suspicious material detected in any location, but still searching was going on to provide absolute security. As a precaution, senior police officers told the media that staff who were in these schools overnight were the first who were taken to safety.

 

This pattern of threats isn't new because at least 10 bomb threat emails have been sent to Delhi schools and one to St. Stephen’s College over three days. On Tuesday, St. Stephen College at Delhi University was sent an early morning email that said that four IEDs and two packets of RDX were set in the campus but after searching the entire campus, everything was declared safe. The scare on Wednesday was the second one to be experienced by St. Thomas schools in a span of 24 hours.

 

In a formal letter to parents, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya stated, “due to the potential bomb threat that was received this morning, and following the advice of the police the school will not be open today. A Bomb Disposal Squad is carrying out complete sanitisation of the premises”.

 

Did The Police Find Anything? 

No traces of the real explosives have been detected yet. The Delhi Police, Special Staff teams and cyber experts are still continuing the search. Investigators are currently trying to trace the origin of these bogus threats, including the possible structure in the language of the message and how it was sent. Police officials told us some of their previous messages contained political messages like anti-Tamil Nadu government to some degree.

 

Constant incidents like these have left parents and residents anxious, disrupting school routines and increasing stress among families. The fact that our schoolchildren are undergoing such disturbances is quite disturbing. Said a parent outside one of the schools affected: We want authorities to use a heavy hand and give us regular details.

 

The Delhi Police have requested people to not give in to rumours and monitor only authorized updates and go on with all safety measures required. In the meantime, learning institutions are analyzing their crisis readiness and stepping-up security in their campuses.

 

Even as law enforcement puts in greater efforts to solve the case, physical and mental security of students, employees and relatives of the education sector in Delhi have remained the urgent concern at present. 



The Orissa High Court fixed July 23 for further hearing on the PIL stating violation of Odisha Universities Act, 1989, in the appointment of a faculty member of a university as acting vice-chancellor of Utkal University.

 

High Court attorney and Utkal University graduate Prabir Kumar Das submitted the PIL that also questioned specifically the Chancellor's notification dated May 27, 2025, appointing Professor Jagneshwar Dandapat, as in-charge V-C until a regular appointment is effected.

 

A division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman was concerned with Section 6(10) of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2024 - notified on April 17, 2025 - which now authorizes the Chancellor, in consultation with the state government, to make any vice-chancellor of a public university in the state the acting V-C, rather than limiting the option to V-Cs of bordering universities.

 

The bench observed that the newly incorporated amendment provides for a one-year maximum period (inclusive of extensions) for such interim arrangements. The bench also took cognizance of a recent Supreme Court instruction to make permanent V-C appointments at the earliest, and the state has already begun the process.

 

Appreciating the state’s intent to rectify the issue, the court underscored the need to strictly adhere to the statutory provisions. Advocate general Pitambar Acharya assured the bench that he would personally review the matter to ensure compliance with the law.

 

The court has instructed the state to make proper corrective measures prior to that. On June 24, the court had noted that Section 6(8) of the Act permits the Chancellor to extend the outgoing V-C's tenure for a maximum of six months, yet the existing notification did not fulfill this requirement.

 

Prime facie, the question raised has to be decided finally, as this may become a repeated feature in other universities too," the bench observed. Utkal University has been functioning without a regular vice-chancellor since November 24, 2024, after the term of the earlier incumbent expired.



Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has officially opened the admission process for the July 2025 session, admitting students to a variety of certificate, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and skill-based courses. The university has, under its policy for the development of students, also upgraded infrastructural facilities and support services, especially in Pune.

 

One of the most notable advancements is the functioning of IGNOU's Pune regional centre from its new three-storeyed building constructed at Balewadi. The centre has been rendered more streamlined to provide academic and administrative support to the district students. The centre has also set up a learner support centre on campus to help the local students better.

 

Revealing the new programmes, Regional Director N R Rajendra Prasad further stated, "IGNOU integrates technology and education through its various programmes and delivers quality education to masses and makes it economical." He also stated that the university now offers 325 programmes with Four-Year Undergraduate Programmes (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and several vocational and skill courses aiming towards meeting today's job market gaps.".

 

In a monumental effort to connect with the students of the regional languages, IGNOU Pune has set up a Swayamprabha studio where teaching-learning activities of undergraduate students will be conducted in Marathi language to make higher studies more inclusive.

 

Admission forms for July 2025 are on sale till July 15 and candidates can download free of cost the prospectus and fill in online application at www.ignou.ac.in. IGNOU open learning methodology is not restricted by any age limit and still presents reasonable fee levels for its programmes.

 

Candidates in need of counseling or guidance can correspond to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 020-29911579.

 

With its passion for flexible, technology-based, and open learning, IGNOU remains India's leader in the field of distance and open education, allowing students to construct their skills and credentials from everywhere in India.

 

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