There has been a heightening of tensions between Pune's elite Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) and its parent organization, the Servants of India Society (SIS), with both parties engaged in a public battle over charges of financial misdeeds and governance problems.

In a sharply worded press release on Thursday, GIPE communication officer Parag Waghmare charged SIS president Damodar Sahoo with misusing government money in a personal court fight. The release said Sahoo should also be made an accused in an ongoing FIR regarding fund diversion case in which secretary of the 120-year-old organization Milind Deshmukh has already been arrested.

Sahoo extorted money ( ₹10 lakh) from the Gokhale Institute in 2023. The extortion closely resembles acts of Milind Deshmukh, who is already a suspect in the same case," the statement read.

The case pertains to "serious allegations of land grab and forgery" and commenced as a criminal writ petition that led to an FIR, the press release said.

This is a serious concern over the abuse of public funds of the Gokhale Institute, which is a public grant-recipient body, for personal legal issues emanating from supposed criminal offenses. This is not merely financial abuse but a breach of public faith and the ideals of Gopal Krishna Gokhale," the statement read.

The GIPE, as a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, functions independently with SIS as its parent organization. The institute has issued a warning that any effort at misusing its resources amounts to a violation of UGC norms and institutional autonomy.

Waghmare claimed that even though the society possesses assets like rented properties, rent from the Amaya Hotel and office rooms on SIS campuses, the Servants of India Society still maintains a picture of financial hardship and takes money out of the institute.

Out of respect for its tradition, we had not spoken against SIS so far. But in the face of continuous media interactions and disinformation spread by the SIS President, we are left with no option but to state facts. We propagate the legacy of Gopal Krishna Gokhale out of no personal interest, and it hurts to witness the institution established by him getting embroiled in controversy," the statement stated.

The Deccan police on April 4 filed an FIR under BNS Sections 34, 406, 409 and 420 against Milind Deshmukh and others. Deshmukh has been arrested and remanded to police custody, which has been extended up to April 11.

GIPE acting vice-chancellor professor Shankar Das stated, "There have been developments day by day in the issue. We've released an official press release. The police inquiry is on, and I won't say anything more at this stage."

In a turn of events, the GIPE statement had quoted SIS president Damodar Sahoo as asserting, "Why didn't you take our permission to file an FIR against us?" GIPE had replied stating, "This may be a rare occurrence in criminal history where the accused anticipates permission to be granted prior to an FIR being filed."

At the same time, the institute also refuted charges leveled by one of the vice-chancellor applicants, Manoj Kar, regarding a lack of transparency in the search process. The statement explained that the search committee operates independently and reports directly to the chancellor and GIPE has no role to play in the selection process.

We request the concerned authorities to conduct a proper and transparent inquiry into SIS's financial transactions, and ensure public institutions are safe from abuse and misrepresentation," the institute added.

Selection process

Professor Manoj Kar, ex-member, Board of Management, GIPE, Pune, who had objected and raised concerns over the selection process of GIPE vice-chancellor, has written to chancellor Sanjeev Sanyal and UGC on Thursday raising doubts over the transparency of the process.

There is no publicly reported data on the number of applications received or identities of shortlisted candidates. The lack of data creates issues about transparency of the shortlisting exercise. Recent sacking of Ajit Ranade as vice-chancellor points to probable issues in the selection process.". The fact-finding committee reported that his appointment fell short of University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines in that he did not possess the ten years of professorial experience that was necessary. Further, there were also concerns regarding conflict of interest at the time of his selection," Kar said.

These events have also created fears that worthy candidates will not be seriously considered by the search-cum-selection committee, Kar said.

"Given these issues of concern, I humbly request suspending the current process of selection and interviews until issues of transparency are addressed. Also to release the shortlisting criteria and names of the shortlisted to avoid pre-empting the decision-making process so as to ensure fairness and transparency," he said.

Byju's Alpha, the US-based lending unit of the edtech company, stated on Thursday that it sued its co-founders Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, and ex-chief strategy officer and senior executive Anita Kishore in a US court. The lawsuit alleges that they conspired to create a scheme of fraud to transfer $533 million of loan proceeds - known as the "Alpha Funds" - out of the company without providing any consideration in return.

In a statement given to TOI, Raveendran refused the allegations saying they were "completely baseless and untrue". He stated, "This litigation is part of Glas' conspiracy to take over Byju's by all possible devious means. It is nothing but another gear in the wheel of falsehoods that Glas, the unlawful representative of disqualified lenders in the US, has been turning for long now." Glas Trust is the trustee to lenders to whom Byju's owes $1.2 billion.

Raveendran further said that a signed and attested affidavit filed in the Delaware court described the application of the full $1.2 billion loan "to the last dollar," and claimed the affidavit was "conveniently ignored" by Glas. He also charged FCPA violations by individuals connected to the lenders, including "Vishal Chanani of Redwood, Dan Ornstein of HG Vora, and Irena Goldstein of Glas," in relation to an alleged bribery scheme with an Indian court official. Raveendran said Glas is "already under investigation in a criminal case in India."

In the latest court filing seen by TOI, Byju's Alpha accused the three defendants of being part of a "lawless scheme" to siphon Alpha Funds from the debtor company to other group affiliates following the default on a $1.2 billion term loan by the company in 2022. The filing accused Raveendran of acting as the "self-appointed CEO" of Byju's Alpha of transferring the company's limited partnership interest in Camshaft Capital Fund worth more than $540 million to a non-guarantor affiliate, Inspilearn, on March 31, 2023, for nil consideration.

In a government college in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district, the job of marking university examination answer sheets had apparently changed so many hands that it finally ended up with a peon—initiating a scandal that has rocked the college.

At the center of the scandal is Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government PG College in Pipariya, where a video went viral featuring Pannalal Pathariya, a peon of the college, carefully marking Hindi answer sheets. According to a Times of India report, Pathariya has a master's degree in English and was spotted checking answers, making tick marks, and giving marks. All this is work meant to be done strictly by teaching staff.

The work was to be done by Khushboo Pagare, who is a guest lecturer for Hindi, but she outsourced the task due to "health problems", as revealed by an internal investigation. She allegedly paid Rs 7,000 to college book-lifter Rakesh Kumar Mehar to do the job. Mehar in turn outsourced the work to the peon and paid him Rs 5,000, keeping Rs 2,000 for himself.

The issue was highlighted when students complained and brought the video to the notice of local MLA Thakur Das Nagvanshi. After a formal investigation, Rakesh Kumar Verma, the principal and the evaluation nodal officer professor Ramghulam Patel, were suspended by the higher education department. Pagare, Mehar and Pathariya were dismissed on Wednesday.

In her affidavit, Pagare admitted to outsourcing the assessment, giving illness as the reason. But the consequences have been quick and severe.

Principal Verma, who has already been recommended to be removed thrice in the last three months, claims he is being unfairly targeted. "All this action against me is politically motivated by local representatives who wanted to have me removed as principal," he said to Times of India. "The university directly appointed a nodal officer for evaluation. I had no role in it, nor did I receive any payment from the university.

Verma has approached the high court once again now, seeking a stay for the second time. "Whatever happened in the evaluation may be wrong; it is a matter of investigation, but I have no role in it," he added.

Part of a large strategic initiative aimed at empowering youth and developing national integration, the Indian Army has commenced a mass Pre-Recruitment Training and Agniveer Registration Campaign across Manipur. The campaign is already functional at Koirengei in Imphal West district and in Leimakhong and Kanglatombi in Kangpokpi District.

This program is in preparation for the upcoming Agniveer Recruitment Rally under the Agnipath Scheme. So far, 40 local youth—boys and girls—have successfully completed their training and enrolled for the rally. The registration process via the online portal will remain open until April 10, 2025, giving more eligible aspirants a chance to enroll.

Pre-recruitment training is aimed at extensive preparation, e.g., physical training, written test practice, and technical guidance for online enlistment. Being 17.5 to 21 years of age, the youth are being addressed by well-experienced Army personnel who also deliver motivational addresses to inculcate discipline and confidence.

To ensure accessibility, the Indian Army has set up help desks and mobile registration centers in distant locations so that more youth can enroll without logistical inconvenience. This grassroots outreach demonstrates the Army's dedication to inclusive development and continuity of youth engagement in the region.

Recruits have been overwhelmingly positive, thanking them for the guidance and support they've received. For others, this is more than a career change—it's a chance for a life's transformation into national service and self-improvement.

A recruitment drive, rather more than that, this drive emphasizes the Army's contribution towards national integration and forging stronger community bonds in states like Manipur. By combining skill development with patriotic purpose, the Indian Army is not only preparing future soldiers but also investing in the region's best resource—its youth.

Suitable applicants are encouraged to seize this opportunity and walk boldly towards a life of dignity, service, and independence.

Professor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has retired. He took over the role in February 2022. During his tenure, he initiated a number of important things, such as the implementation of the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) for both undergraduate and postgraduate admissions. He was also instrumental in putting into practice some of the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2022. Among other actions, he suggested that the UGC CARE List be disbanded and argued for more flexibility in the educational qualifications needed for faculty hiring.

Up until now, the Ministry of Education has not issued a name for the position that has been kept vacant.

Mamidala not only acted as the UGC Chairman but also the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) from 2016 to 2022.

Following are some of the steps taken by erstwhile UGC Chief

--The University Grants Commission (UGC) has permitted institutions of higher learning to enroll students twice a year. Though previous regulations permitted admissions of students only for July-August, the recent directive by the UGC now means that students can be admitted in January/February as well as in July/August in the next academic session. The recent decision by the UGC now renders it upon the institutions whether they desire to do admissions either in both cycles or in one cycle based on their infrastructure and faculty.

--The University Grants Commission brought out the draft guidelines for the apprenticeship embedded degree programme with a view to facilitate a student enrolled in an undergraduate programme of a Higher Educational Institution to undergo apprenticeship training as an integrated part of the degree programme according to these guidelines.

-- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has initiated application for the Ishan Uday Scholarship for the North Eastern Region (NER).

-- It also eased the hiring contract teachers and opens the vice chancellor post to non-academics.

--During his term, he also promulgated the Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025. UGC Chairman Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar had previously informed The Indian Express, "The Draft UGC Regulations 2025 aims to ensure the highest standards in universities by introducing a more inclusive and transparent selection process.". The key purpose is to boost the quality of education, boost research innovation, align university administration with world-best practices, and implement the visionary change of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. We embrace healthy criticism and work together towards enhancing our nation's higher education system.

-- The Commission also brought in the draft regulations on promoting equity in the higher educational institutions. The draft proposed the establishment of 'Equity committees' to investigate complaints of discrimination; 'equity squads' to be "vigilant" and prevent such occurrences; and an 'equity helpline' for filing cases. The 2025 draft regulations have maintained the provision of equal opportunity centres, but this time around its working and composition has been delineated.

--UGC has declared a new framework of regulations to simplify the process of recognizing and accrediting equivalence to academic qualifications achieved from foreign institutions. The UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications Obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2025, permit the recognition of qualifications earned from foreign institutions' offshore campuses, subject to certain conditions.

--The Draft UGC (Minimum Standards of Instructions in the Award of UG and PG Degrees) Regulations, 2024, envisioned major reforms both in the process of admissions as well as in the organisational structure of academic programmes. He also added provisions for multiple entry and exit points, recognition of prior learning, as well as fast-track and slow-track degree programmes, to make the duration of undergraduate programmes shorter or longer.

-- Suspension of the UGC-CARE list—a lists of quality academic journals launched in 2018. It has now been substituted with a series of indicative parameters for choosing journals, based on eight broad criteria.

-- The UGC, during his term, implemented a new set of regulations that would streamline the process of recognition and granting equivalence to academic qualifications obtained from foreign institutions. The UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications Obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2025, now allow for the recognition of qualifications acquired from offshore campuses of foreign universities.

Google is a multi-national organization. Google has offices all over the world, including in India. Recruitment at Google is thought to be a lucrative opportunity. Google's intern package is also in lakhs. The majority of Google's job positions are technical i.e. positions for which BTech or MTech degree is necessary. Non-technical candidates are also hired in Google when they become eligible. Discover which job can be obtained in Google without BTech.

If you possess degrees such as BBA, BCom, BSc, or MBA then be glad. One can work in Google even without BTech. Google is not only for technical jobs (Google Non-Technical Jobs). There are numerous non-technical jobs in this organization, which depend on different skills and qualifications. The pay of these dream jobs is also in lakhs, crores. Know, how to find a job at Google without a BTech degree? Their compensation can differ based on the location of the job.

Non-Technical Jobs in Google: Google's non-technical jobs

Google's non-technical jobs do not require a B.Tech degree. Individuals with arts or commerce can also pursue a job at Google. Know which non-technical jobs are hired at Google.

  1. Program Manager

Job: Projects management, team coordination, and assistance to product development.

Qualification:

1- Bachelor's degree in any stream (like B.A., B.Com, B.Sc.).

2- MBA or diploma/certification in project management (like PMP) can be added advantage.

3- Organizational skills, leadership, and communication skills are necessary.

4- Some experience (1-3 years) might be necessary. Freshers can also apply.

Salary:

1- For India entry level: Rs 10-20 lakh per year.

2- With experience: Rs 25-50 lakh per year or more.

  1. Strategy and Operations Manager

Job: Formulating a business strategy, data analysis, and enhancing working processes.

Qualification:

1- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA, B.Com, etc.) in business, economics, or management.

2- MBA or data analytics certification is a plus.

3- Analytical skills, problem-solving skills, and data interpretation skill.

4- 2-5 years of experience is preferred, but freshers from top B-schools are also welcome.

Salary:

Freshers in India: Rs 15-25 lakh per year.

For experienced: Rs 30-60 lakh per year or more.

  1. Marketing or Sales Positions

 

Job: Google product marketing (e.g., Google Ads, Cloud), campaign management, or client handling.

Qualification:

1- Bachelor's degree (BBA, B.A. in Mass Comm, etc.) in Marketing, Communication, or Business.

2- Digital Marketing Certification (e.g., Google Ads Certification) will be helpful.

3- Creativity, communication skills, and knowledge of market trends.

4- Freshers' opportunities also available, but 1-2 years of experience is preferable.

Salary

1- Fresh entry in India: Rs 8-15 lakh annually.

2- Experienced: Maximum Rs 20-40 lakh annually.

  1. Human Resources (HR Position)

Job: Overseeing hiring, employee retention, or training activities.

Qualification:

1- B.Sc in HR, Psychology, or any field.

2- Diploma in HR Management or MBA with an HR specialisation would be useful.

3- Interpersonal and people management skills necessary.

4- Even freshers are acceptable, 1-3 years of experience preferred.

Compensation

Starting in India: Rs 8-12 lakh per year.

With experience: Rs 15-30 lakh per year.

  1. Content Creator or Strategist

Job: Developing content for Google products, and developing social media strategy.

Qualification:

1- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Mass Communication or English.

2- Writing skills, knowledge of SEO, and creativity are mandatory.

3- Digital marketing or content writing certificate is a plus point.

4- Freshers' opportunities, experience not required.

Salary

Entry level in India: Rs 6-12 lakh per year.

With experience: Rs 15-25 lakh per year.

English skills: Fluent English (written and verbal) is required to work in Google.

Skills to focus on: If you do not have a graduation degree, get a certification from Google's free courses (e.g., Google Career Certificates). These certifications are required for data analytics, digital marketing, or project management skills.

Networking: Get to know Google recruiters on LinkedIn and look at openings on careers.google.com.

Interview process: Google interviews are challenging. Practice logical reasoning, problem-solving, and role-specific questions.

Disclaimer: The content has been taken and edited from News 18 hindi. Although we have made changes for presentation and clarity, the original content is owned by its respective authors and website. We do not own the content.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed the Calcutta High Court's order ordering a CBI investigation into the West Bengal government's move to create supernumerary posts in the West Bengal School Service Commission teachers' recruitments.

The highest court, however, clarified that the CBI investigation as ordered by the Calcutta High Court into other areas concerned with the hiring of 25,753 teachers and staff members in West Bengal's state and aided schools would go on.

"Considering the above discussion we are of the opinion that the Calcutta high court was not justified in referring the question of creation of supernumerary posts to CBI as per the cabinet decision," said the Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna as reported by The Telegraph.

The Supreme Court last week revoked over 25,000 appointments made in 2016. The state government had approached the apex court challenging the order.

On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised to safeguard the jobs of "deserving" teachers whose appointment was cancelled by a Supreme Court order. She also referred to the case of the all-India medical entrance test NEET and stated that the top court had not cancelled the entire examination in that instance.

"The Supreme Court has to demarcate between who is entitled and who not. Give us the list. No one should be allowed to shatter the education system. In the case of Vyapam in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, so many were murdered. They have never received justice so far. There were many accusations in NEET. The Supreme Court did not scrap the test. Why are you targeting Bengal? We wish to know. You are apprehensive of the talent of Bengal," she spoke to a delegation of terminated educators at Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium.

The BJP had asked that Mamata and the Bengal cabinet ministers should be arrested for creating extra posts. They also demanded the CM's resignation.

The state had established supernumerary in state-run and state-aided schools. Over 23 lakh candidates had taken the state-level selection test in 2016. Vacant posts were 24,640, but 25,753 appointment letters were given. It was claimed that these supernumeric posts gave scope for illegal recruitment.

Irregularities in the recruitment of teachers had caused trouble for the Mamata Banerjee government. Several of the senior Trinamool leaders, including former education minister Partha Chatterjee, are now in jail as part of the case.

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