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The government on Tuesday made former defence secretary Dr Ajay Kumar chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in consideration of the vacancy created by the retirement of outgoing chairperson Preeti Sudan on April 29.

A Meteoric Career with Defence, Technology & Governance Interests

Dr. Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and a PhD holder from the University of Minnesota, has four decades of diverse experience to his credit. As Defence Secretary (2019–2022), he spearheaded path-breaking reforms, such as:

• Establishment of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) position in 2020.
• Implementation of the Agniveer scheme (2022) to transform armed forces recruitment.

Previously, as the force behind Digital India (2014), he initiated:

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – a global standard in digital payments today.
• Aadhaar – the largest biometric ID system in the world.
• myGov and Jeevan Pramaan – citizen-centric e-governance initiatives.

What's Next for UPSC?

As Chairman until October 2027 (or age 65), Dr. Kumar will lead India's top civil services recruitment agency at a time when:

• Reforms in exam patterns and transparency are on the agenda.
• Aspirants demand more inclusivity in the selection process.

Why This Matters

His joining is an indicator of technology-led governance and forward-thinking leadership in determining India's future civil servants. Renowned for his problem-solving abilities, Dr. Kumar's time at UPSC may redefine the agency's role in nation-building.

In His Words:

"Technology must empower, not exclude. Our systems should reflect India's aspirations."

CUET UG 2025 starts: Students find first shift moderately demanding

The Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2025 formally began today, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) holding the first session of the examination at numerous centres in the nation. Early feedback and specialist review of the first session indicate a mix of anticipated trends and unexpected changes across major subjects like English, General Test (GAT), Economics, and Chemistry.

Here's the analysis of CUET UG 2025 Day 1, Shift 1, by Karan Mehta, Co-founder at Toprankers

ENGLISH LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY TAKES CENTRE STAG

The English part this year was more vocabulary-oriented. A lot of questions were synonyms and antonyms, so students who had a good word stock had an advantage. Just three reading passages came up—one factual and two narrative—comprising about 12 questions in total. Grammar-based questions were fewer than before, and the general level of difficulty was said to be between easy and moderate.

GENERAL TESTS: LOGICAL REASONING PREVAILS

General Test, that addressed a spread of aptitude subjects, was slightly more challenging compared to last year, especially in the Quantitative Aptitude section. Logical Reasoning was presented with the maximum number of questions, whereas Current Affairs took a smaller place. Nevertheless, Static General Knowledge questions that are usually related to recent events dominated. Students averaged around 12–13 questions from the GK and Current Affairs category on average. This section was typically assigned a moderate level of difficulty.

ECONOMICS: MICROECONOMICS TAKES CENTER STAGE

Aspirants who were writing the Economics paper reported a clear emphasis on Microeconomics at the expense of Macroeconomics, with some newly introduced topics brought in by the NTA.

The passage had two reading passages and consisted of a few questions based on NCERT books and the Annual Government Budget. The bulk of the paper was easy to moderate in level, but some tricky questions stiffened even well-prepared students.

CHEMISTRY: A BALANCED AND REASONABLE PAPER

The Chemistry paper had a well-balanced set of questions from Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry. The Physical and Organic sections had each about 14 to 16 questions, whereas Inorganic Chemistry consisted of 9 to 11 questions. Numerical problems were largely formula-based and straightforward, with one or two taking more detailed derivations. The general feeling among test-takers was that the Chemistry section was the easiest of the bunch.

The CUET UG 2025 will be held in multiple shifts up to June 3. Candidates are advised to remain current by regularly checking the official NTA website for updates on shift timings, admit cards, and other necessary information.

As the exam continues, further insights are likely to be revealed that would assist future test-takers in fine-tuning their preparation plans for the next few days.

Tensions are running high at Kerala University following the cancellation of a seminar hosted by the Department of Tamil, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, cancelled the May 9 event on grounds that the subject and material presented in relation to it were "anti-national."

The row broke out when a PhD researcher posted an article from a Tamil language website in a departmental WhatsApp group, according to The Hindu. The piece, "Pahalgam Attack: Truths Drowned in Nationalist Frenzy," critically analyzed the event and hinted at political agenda in the way it was depicted—most notably amidst national polls.

Although the event had been cancelled, no disciplinary measure was said to have been imposed on either the scholar or the Head of the Tamil Department. The scholar merely received a memo for which he later apologized, prompting the department to remove the controversial subject matter from the agenda of the seminar.

But the matter has since escalated into a political hot button. The Students Federation of India (SFI) has criticized the Vice-Chancellor's action, accusing him of promoting an agenda of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the guise of administrative impartiality.

Things escalated at a recent University Syndicate meeting, where Left-leaning members accused the VC of misrepresenting the scholar's intention, according to India Today. They pointed out that the article was posted prior to the start of Operation Sindoor counter-terror operation, questioning the basis for calling the seminar anti-national. BJP members in the syndicate defended the VC's action, citing it as a necessary measure to maintain national sentiment.

The campus community continues to be polarized with arguments ongoing about academic freedom, political interference in universities and limits of debate in sensitive national issues.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the result of Class 10 and Class 12 examinations 2025 on Tuesday with 88.39% students passing the exams.

Ever since last year, CBSE does not announce Class 10 and Class 12 toppers. Girls have indicated this year's pass percentage as 91.64 per cent while it was 85.70 per cent for boys. Transgender candidates have achieved 100 per cent pass percentage compared to the previous year which was 50 per cent.

1,11,544 candidates have passed above 90 per cent and 24,867 candidates have passed above 95 per cent. Above 1.29 lakh candidates have been declared compartment.

Delhi candidates as a whole had performed the best with 95.18% pass percentage. Delhi West had topped at 95.37%, followed by Delhi East at 95.06%. 3,08,105 students had appeared from the zone out of which 2,91,962 had passed examinations.

Board exams held in India and abroad during the year were held in 7,842 centers in 84 Class 10 and 120 Class 12 subjects. CBSE has advised the candidates to obtain certificates and scorecards from safe and secure sources only. Digitally signed certificates can be printed as proof of study and used as per a court of law within a few days.

CBSE allowed downloading of marks and scorecards from websites. Students must log in to actual websites to download CBSE results and check. Actual websites are cbse.gov.in and results.cbse.nic.in. Only a few websites like DigiLocker and UMANG provide online view access to digitally signed digitally signed scorecards and certificates. In an attempt to put curb on leakage of information and misinformation, CBSE cautioned people against checking results from unauthorized websites.

The result would be accessible via SMS and IVRS also for the non-internet category. The students can just SMS "CBSE10 " or "CBSE12 " to 7738299899 or call 24300699 (along with area code) to find their marks.

Step-by-step guide to view and download the CBSE Class 10 or 12 result.

Step 1: Visit cbse.gov.in or results.cbse.nic.in.

Step 2: Click on the Class 10 or Class 12 result link on the home page.

Step 3: Enter roll number, school number, birth date, and admit card ID.

Step 4: Enter the details to view your scorecard.

Step 5: Save and keep ready the provisional marksheet.

In order to login to DigiLocker, students are to login with Aadhaar connected mobile number and 6-digit school-generated PIN. Marksheet, migration certificate, and other study certificates can be downloaded by students at login.

Digitally signed scores secured through DigiLocker and government portals are absolutely acceptable for recruitment and admission to college. Hard copy can be furnished to students after declaration by the school.

The online-first result declaration website of CBSE by Ministry of Electronics and IT provides ease of access with security to lakhs of students. The board never discourages topper reports but discourages and encourages individual student results and follow-up studies so that competitive fever is not created.

The Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi, has also issued fresh directions on the use of guest teachers during summer holidays and commencement of remedial classes in government schools. Based on a Saturday official release, the services of all the guest teachers working in government schools and government-aided schools will be suspended for the period of summer vacation, which is May 11 to June 30.

But the DoE has permitted the employment of guest teachers for short-term work for school activities such as remedial instruction and vacation exercises within the term. "Heads of schools are at liberty to employ guest teachers during the vacation month depending on administrative requirements for school activities," it said.

Now, there are over 10,000 guest teachers employed in Delhi government schools. While they are not stationed during vacation, even their services can be utilized to enhance learning support to students who need learning support.

For managing learning losses and improving examination outcomes, DoE has also declared remediation classes for students of Class 9 to Class 12. The classes will be conducted from May 13 to May 31 in Science, Maths, and one other subject but to be determined by the principal of each school based on school performance and academic needs.

Classes are to be held from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM with teachers reporting early. Students' parental consent and attendance have been ordered to be maintained by school librarians and provide clean and hygienic facilities. School libraries would also remain open for self-study during class hours, and some teachers would be on duty during the timeframe.

These initiatives try to make good use of the summer vacation and help needy students who lack academic assistance.

The students of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, has been asked to vacate the campus on May 9. Bus services to railway and bus stops  have been made by the administration; the move comes at a time when enhanced security and blackout measures are being initiated in Punjab's Majha region, except in Gurdaspur.

The Amritsar government, headed by Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Sakshi Sawhney, had previously announced that if required, a complete blackout would be implemented with advance notice through sirens. Unlike usual mock drills, the authorities have made sure that this one is genuine and citizens are supposed to adhere to it strictly, on their default, legal action may ensue.

By 8:30 PM, there was a total power failure in Amritsar and Pathankot districts. Contributing to the general unease, reports of explosions in Pathankot, not confirmed, heightened the sense of tension among the people.

To the students of NIT Jalandhar, the unexpected evacuation order has added to confusion. The students are concerned today with short-term accommodations, safety, and how this is going to affect their study focus, particularly since there are exams and projects currently underway. Some students used social media to ask questions regarding a lack of communication and transparency on the part of the administration.

Though there has been no formal statement connecting the evacuation of the NIT campus to the blackout in Majha, the timing coincidence has caught people's attention. Authorities remain silent on whether step by step security measures are responsible for the order.

As the region stays on red alert, residents, students, and parents are all anxiously waiting for more news. The accident brings to mind the need for open communication between students and schools, especially during moments of crisis, to avoid panic and maintain safety.

A record wave in government of the people, by the people, and for the people, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributed appointment letters to 494 assistant teachers and 49 lecturers at Lucknow's Lok Bhawan convention hall on Thursday. The candidates were chosen under the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) Prayagraj.

Talking about the day, CM Yogi said that "UP's new work culture modelled by 'fair and transparent recruitment process is an earning of pride for Uttar Pradesh". It is UP government jobs where the appointments are done on merit only, and not on recommendation, bribe, and arbitrariness.".

The newly appointed teachers appreciated and mentioned that they tried their best to acquire their respective roles seriously and were sincere while imparting education and sincere.

Ballia's Shailendra Kumar Singh, who was given the post of lecturer, said, "This is a dream come true. The process was totally transparent, and I will perform my responsibilities with honesty." Likewise, Ashish Kumar Singh, who was given the post of assistant lecturer in Social Science from Ballia, thanked the Chief Minister and said, "For the first time, the appointment was made without recommendations or any kind of allegation whatsoever."

Preeti Sharma from Aligarh, posted as assistant teacher Arts in Mathura, welcomed the "fair selection". Secondly putting forth the same opinion, Pooja Yadav from Mau and Ramesh Kumar from Mirzapur also thanked Chief Minister for the same.

Over 6 Lakh Recruitments Since 2017

According to government data, over 6 lakh youths have been recruited in UP government offices since the Yogi government took power in 2017.

CM Yogi instructed the newly appointed teachers to work hard in their responsibilities, emphasizing to them that the future of the children and of the country rests in their hands. Again, he reminded them that this trend of appointments is a motivating model before all those who want to be part of the state cadre.