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Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of Assam, announced OBC status for transgenders in the state. Original Id issued to Assam inhabitants. This historical move towards social inclusion which was made at one of the recent cabinet meetings, has been further heralded as a grand move towards social justice and empowerment of one of the most marginalised sub-sectors in the state.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Statement

Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Sarma said, “Today, the Assam cabinet has approved to provide social and backwards classes status to the transgender community. We will provide identity cards only to those people in the transgender community who are the original inhabitants of Assam.” He further said, “This is a historic step for Assam. The state will now recognize transgender persons under the SEBC category, in compliance with the Supreme Court's directive. This recognition aims to help integrate them into the mainstream of development and public welfare.”

OBC Status For Transgenger is For Only Assam Residents

The given benefits are only applicable to permanent residents of Assam. In Assam, Transgender people will not be given the OBC status even though coming in from another state to work or study or any other motives. Eligible persons will be issued with official identity cards that will enable delivery of benefits to the targets.

The 2011 Census reported 11,374 trans people living in Assam, but the activists note that this figure is far less than the actual one since there is underreporting and stigmatization. These gaps were realized in the Assam Policy for Transgenders, 2020, which sought better data collection and specific welfare programs. The reclassification into OBC is projected to benefit directly thousands of transgender individuals in the state that gain access to reserved seats in schools and colleges, employment in the state government, and various welfare schemes.

What does the OBC status mean to the Transgender community of Assam?

By awarding OBC status to transgenders, the Assam government is allowing these individuals a wide array of opportunities such as:

• Educational and government reservation
• Entitlement to welfare programs and scholarships
• Formal identity cards and legal identification Legal acknowledgment and official identity cards

This step places Assam in the same line as a group of modern Indian states such as TamilNadu, Kerala and Karnataka among others, that have already enacted such a progressive affirmative action program on the trans-gender community.

The context of the Legal and Social Situation

It is an ambitious policy step triggered by the 2014 landmark NALSA vs Union of India verdict of the Supreme Court which instructed the central and state governments to consider transgender people a third gender and extend the welfare policies to them. The decision by Assam is one step of bringing the vision on the ground, which has been just a paper in many states in this country.  

How did People React to The Announcement? 

Netizens are appreciating this move by posting comments like, “Good decision…on humanitarian grounds…welcoming decision.” There are some questions as well that are being put up like “why not general status?” “Why in OBC and not in other category?” 

As always there are mixed reactions that are being shared through comments. Some are concerned with the discrimination of the transgender individuals migrating to the state. According to government clarification only original settlers of Assam have to be eligible and the many who have migrated to Assam as a worker or student will be left out.

Nevertheless, in the most part there is a positive attitude, as many believe this is an urgent initial step. The issue now, as both members of the community and the authorities point out, is to make sure that the policy bears concrete results in the everyday life of the transgender population of Assam.

Why Is This Move Significant?

As was the case in Assam, and most of India, generations of socio-exclusion, discrimination and inability to receive basic amenities such as education and employment, have been faced by transgender people. Even the policy documents prepared by the Assam government emphasize the severe necessity to solve these problems and establish the environment where each person can live with dignity and equality. Inclusivity became a necessity because of normalisation of transgender exclusion in Assam as well as across India.  

The announcement of giving OBC status to Transgender in Assam is not merely a legal necessity but it is a formidable statement of acceptance and inclusion. This action is supposed to:

• Decline social stigma and discrimination
• Enhance the reach to education and employment
• Free socioeconomic mobility and economic independence
• Promote humanity over exclusivity 

What makes Assam special? 

• Targeted Inclusion: The policy of Assam is special as it tends to target the original inhabitants in such a way that the benefits are extended to the most marginalised members of the state.
• Administrative Support: Official identity cards will facilitate entry to government programs and avert errors or omission.
• Broader Social Implication: OBC status is not the only reinforcing step that the government has taken. Coupled with this ruling, the Assam cabinet has made a promise of 50% reservation of Anganwadi workers as supervisor, indicating the government has no intention of abandoning the idea of grassroots empowerment and social justice.

In short, the state taking into account transgender people as OBCs is a light of hope to many and it could be emulated by other states as well. This, as Chief Minister Sarma stated, is serving to “integrate them into the mainstream of development and public welfare’. The issue is now how to successfully implement the policy and make sure that all deserving people can obtain the pledged help.

Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the second Indian in space and the first to reach the ISS, as SpaceX’s Axiom Mission 4 launches successfully.

Everything about Axiom Mission 4

After weeks of anticipation and multiple delays, SpaceX successfully launched the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) today on 25th June. It is a historical mission for India because it is carrying the Indian Air Force pilot and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla. He is the second Indian to travel into space, and the first one in more than 40 years since Rakesh Sharma made history by flying to space in 1984. 

Major Mission Information

• Launch Time: 2:31 a.m. EDT (6:31 a.m. GMT, 12:01 p.m. IST), June 25, 2025
• Launch Complex: 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida  
• Spacecraft: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and a newly built Crew Dragon capsule dubbed as the Grace by the Ax-4 crew 
• Mission Duration: 14 days in ISS
• Mission Operator: Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX

Who are the Ax-4 Crew?

• Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA), former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space
• Pilot: Shubhanshu Shukla, Indian Air Force fighter pilot and ISRO astronaut
• Mission Specialist: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland), ESA project astronaut
• Mission Specialist: Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

It is the first time that astronauts of India, Poland as well as Hungary are flying to the ISS, and it is the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission of each country in more than forty years.

Why Was THe Launch Delayed? 

The launch  was delayed because of three major reasons: High-altitude winds that led to the first postponement. A leak in the Falcon 9 rocket that caused another delay, and the ISS Zvezda module leak. NASA and Roscosmos were working on the pressure leak in the Russian Zvezda module that led to delay in the mission for nearly two weeks until everything was deemed safe for the launch. 

What will the crew do on the ISS?

The Ax-4 astronauts will spend two weeks in space where they will:

• Perform approximately 60 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations by representing 31 countries which include India.
• Prioritize microgravity research that includes human health, earth observation, life sciences, and material Sciences.
• Engage in outreach; get involved with education-related activities to motivate the scientists and engineers of the future.

What Did India Gain by Participating in This Mission?

Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to go into ISS and also the 2nd Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma. NASA, SpaceX, Axiom Space, ISRO, and the European Space Agency are collaborating in this mission, which underscores India becoming a bigger player in the international space exploration market. 

Shukla’s participation in this mission is seen as a significant step towards India’s own Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, which aims to launch Indian astronauts on an indigenous spacecraft in the near future.

Axiom Mission 4 is a milestone of both commercial spaceflight and international cooperation. To India, this is a moment of pride as Shubhanshu Shukla takes the flag of India to the ISS and potential new people who would develop an interest in science and space. With the world awaiting more missions like this, India is getting an increasing presence in human space exploration.

As per the latest report, OBC commission has urged UGC to direct Delhi University to extend the submission date of non-creamy layer certificate by 15-20 days. This was because of the administrative delays that were costing admissions of 100’s of backward classes students every year. 

Thousands of aspiring students of Other Backward Classes (OBC) group every year are in the hope of getting into Delhi University (DU), one of the most highly-esteemed Indian universities. However, among such aspiring candidates, almost 10% get their hopes dashed, not because they are undeserving, but on account of a technicality because their non-creamy layer (NCL) certificate wasn’t ready on time.

The admissions to undergraduate programmes in DU 2025 are already happening with the seats being filled through CUET-UG scores. In a total of 71,624 undergraduate seats, 27% are reserved for OBC candidates as per DU’s reservation policy. Yet, a big number of these students, particularly the rural or low income ones, are unable to acquire their updated NCL certificates at the right time and miss their seats. The  Delhi University OBC certificate deadlines are strict and delay in submission makes the deserving candidates miss their chance. This is happening because of many reasons such as slow local administrations, the technical mismatches when the certificate is not received by the format, language barrier as well as the absence of statements.

The result? Every year, approximately 10% of the eligible OBC students suffer because of not being able to meet Delhi University OBC certificate deadlines. It is not a mere figure, but hundreds of young lives whose academic futures are being compromised by the delay in paper work.

Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and former members of the OBC Commission have also written to University Grants Commission (UGC) requesting them to urge DU to allow a grace of 15-20 days to submit OBC certificate. They have a straightforward point to make: the existing inflexible deadlines are not taking into consideration the real-life obstacles real-world faced by students with underprivileged backgrounds. A good number of these students hail in far-flung villages, where it may take weeks before official documents are issued because of administrative backlogs.

A collective voice of the DUTA members points out that this problem not only violates the constitutional values of social justice and inclusion but also supports the institution of inequity in higher education. 

“A large number of students, particularly from rural and marginalised communities, face significant delays in obtaining updated certificates due to inefficiencies in local administration,” the letter to the UGC chairman states

There is so much at stake. Refusal to admit deserving OBC students on technical process grounds is a retrogressive provision of the policy of inclusion in education. While the fact is that a large number of these students are CUET-UG and Class 12 toppers. The delay in paperwork is their sole ‘offense’. And citing this, the recent analysis revealed that with a mere expansion it might be possible to eliminate a significant proportion of meritorious students, being rejected by the universities annually.

The request is simple: allow OBC (NCL) certificates to be submitted 15-20 days later. Such a minor amendment would go a long way to make sure that none of the students is unjustly discriminated against and denied access because of circumstances he or she can not influence.

Although the postgraduate admission deadline of the DU was also extended recently to all the applicants, it is still pending as to when the OBC certificate submission will be done to achieve the undergraduate admissions. UGC and DU authorities have remained silent to queries directed to it.

Everyone is waiting to see what Delhi University and UGC will do as the admission cycle of 2025 continues. Are they going to use this chance to make the system more open and just? Or will they overlook the request? To thousands of OBC aspirants and their families, an answer to these questions could make or distort their future. 

Are you or someone you know affected by this issue? Share your experience with us and raise your voice.

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.