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Following increasing complaints regarding differences in entrance exam marks, the State Selection Board (SSB) Odisha issued a notice that it will release the provisional answer keys of the BEd, MEd, and BHEd entrance exams for the 2025–26 academic year.

The decision comes after admissions were suspended last week by the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to the two-year BEd (Arts/Science), BHEd, and MEd courses under the Student Academic Management System (SAMS). The admissions were suspended after a few candidates complained of irregularities in the scoring and evaluation process.

Responding, the DHE instructed the SSB to constitute subject-wise expert committees to check and correct the answer keys. On instruction, the SSB confirmed on Thursday that provisional answer keys will be issued to all applicants who participated in the entrance examinations.

The answer keys shall be posted on July 7 on the official website of SSB: https://ssbodisha.ac.in. Candidates will get a chance to check their answers and raise objections in case they find any mismatch.

For filing an objection, the candidates will have to pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹200 per question objected to. The objection window shall remain open from July 8 to July 10.

The measure is aimed at answering increasing complaints from students and restoring integrity to the admission process. The final key answers and re-scores, where relevant, will be made available after considering all objections received within the specified time.

The officials reiterated that the step is aimed at providing a just and accountable admission process and encouraged candidates to go through the keys meticulously and submit their claims with proof, if needed.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has started online registration of the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) for students seeking to pursue higher studies in college and university.

New applications for the 2025–26 academic year and renewals for previous years can be submitted by applicants on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), a public notice released by the board mentions.

The portal is also available for acceptance:

Fresh applications for 2025–26

1st renewal for 2024–25

2nd renewal for 2023–24

3rd renewal for 2022–23

4th renewal for 2021–22

Eligible applicants should apply online at scholarships.gov.in on or before the closing date of July 31, 2025.

Application and verification process

Applicants for fresh or renewal scholarships are requested to register with an One-Time Registration (OTR) number, password, and captcha code.

The OTR-based enrollment is collecting demographic and photo information directly. If any of the information is to be refreshed, students will have to refresh the same through their Aadhaar and eKYC to collect updates in their OTR profile, which shall be automatically refreshed with the NSP application.

The applicants will also be required to register the phone number and fill in the OTP sent for them to proceed with the process. Misentery or incorrect entry will result in the scholarship being rejected. The students and the parents or guardians shall use active mobile numbers and email IDs since all subsequent communication by the authorities will be communicated via such numbers and IDs.

On submitting online, candidates also must authenticate their applications by their respective institutions, e.g., presenting original documents for authentication. Such default will render the application null.

NSP has asked all nodal officers in institutions to verify, reject, or correct the application in a timely manner through their institute login portals. Verification is one of the important parameters to decide the genuineness of the eligibility of the candidates and also in supporting the timely disbursement of scholarships.

Registration and verification should be done by students within the time period before the deadline to avoid any last-minute snag.

In a major development, DU's Academic Council, in its meeting on Saturday, sanctioned guidelines for supervision of students in the soon-to-be-launched fourth year of the undergraduate programme.

The guidelines will provide students with an option to choose either a dissertation, academic project, or entrepreneurship. The supervision guidelines in draft form seek to rationalize mentorship and academic guidance under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, consistent with UGC Regulations, 2018.

As per the approved framework, all faculty members, whether they have a PhD or not, will be qualified to guide students choosing any one of the three streams.

Student allocation shall follow faculty specialization in the concerned field, and the colleges shall have the freedom to devise objective criteria for allocating student-supervisor pairs. Appointment of co-supervisors has also been allowed by the university, with assistant professors and industry experts being empaneled as such.

Every student pursuing a dissertation or project shall be allocated an Advisory Committee for Research (ACR), which shall review progress at monthly intervals. Moreover, students shall be asked to provide timely progress reports to the Subject Research Committee (SRC) for ongoing monitoring and academic mentorship. A maximum of 10 students can be supervised by a faculty member to achieve equitable distribution. Nevertheless, the number can be raised by the College Research Committee (CRC) under exceptional conditions, upon presenting a satisfactory justification.

Notably, the university has highlighted that dissertations should be individual work and not group submissions. In cases of disputes or uncertainties in the implementation of these guidelines, the decision of the VC will be final.

This initiative is a part of Delhi University's overall attempts to shift towards a multidisciplinary, research-based undergraduate education system.

Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and other top political leaders paid their last respects on Saturday to renowned Tamil scholar Perungavikko VM Sethuraman, who died late on Friday night at the age of 89. A passionate scholar of Tamil language and literature, the death of Sethuraman signifies the conclusion of a significant period in Tamil scholarship.

Within minutes of the death being reported, Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Prime Minister CM Stalin visited the residence of Sethuraman with floral tributes and comforted grieving family members. In a condolence message, Stalin was brief with deep regret and remembered the scholar's model services, especially his articles in the DMK organ Murasoli. The Chief Minister also recalled the respect of the late CM M. Karunanidhi towards Sethuraman, referring to him as a scholar who devoted his entire life to studying the Tamil language.

In a gesture of state respect, Stalin directed police honors to be paid during Sethuraman's funeral.

VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan also made a personal tribute, as a line of other political figures reacted to the shock in an official statement. These were TNCC general secretary K. Selvaperunthagai, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan, TMC(M) president G. K. Vasan, and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran.

Perungavikko VM Sethuraman was universally regarded as a giant of Tamil literary heritage. His influence did not end in the academic circle but continued to influence political and civil society language, identity, and culture awareness discourse.

His passing has left a void within the Tamil alphabetic clan, and political stalwarts belonging to all hues of politics coming together in shock and awe at the intellectual who spearheaded the Tamil struggle until death.

The University of Delhi (DU) Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) on Tuesday, July 1, released the opening of undergraduate (UG) admissions for the year 2025 with 15,200 seats available in 26 centres in Delhi.

Started to provide opportunity to women who are not in a position to pursue regular college because of personal, social, or financial reasons, NCWEB gives an affordable and flexible option through weekend classes and merit-based selection.

Two undergraduate programmes, BA (Programme) and BCom, are offered by the board and are available only to women who live in Delhi.

The admissions are not on CUET scores but on Class 12 marks, and the window for registration will be open for three weeks.

"Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board is best reflecting the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Professor Geeta Bhatt, Director NCWEB, said to PTI.

"This facility of DU is a ray of hope for those girls who cannot go to normal college because of financial or social issues. It provides them with an opportunity to further their studies and make a positive contribution to society," she added.

Financial assistance and book loan facility are provided for meritorious students. "It is a novel model which enables us to utilize the existing infrastructure of DU in imparting education to thousands of women at a very low cost," stated Professor Bhatt.

Following a report by Times Now, NCWEB, which began with three students in 1944, now boasts more than 31,000 enrolled women students. The program transcends studies; it seeks to empower women with the dignity of choice, the strength of independence, and the ability to create a brighter future

A land scandal that was unleashed at the ancient Maharani College of Jaipur has erupted following the uncovering of three Islamic shrines hidden inside the college campus. The finding of the religious shrines has raised an eyebrow over a suspected attempt at encroaching on state land using religious rights.

Dharohar Bachao Sanrakshan Samiti, a committee that works for conserving local heritage, protested strongly. Its president, Bharat Sharma, labelled the buildings as being a "planned conspiracy" to illegitimately occupy college land through clauses of the Waqf Act. In a video clip shot inside the college premises, Sharma instructs the administration to demolish the shrines, threatening that in case of failure to do so, public protests will ensue.

The shrines, reportedly located alongside the campus pump house and water tank, are managed by the institution. There is no known history, however, about when and how they were built and who ordered that they be built. Their covert existence had raised questions of whether their existence was ever forgotten or even not even known.

Attempts to contact the principal of the college have been futile till now. College officials, including the principal, refused to speak when India Today TV attempted to contact them. The silence of the administration has triggered more questions and curiosity among the common folk.

Maharani College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Rajasthan, and the academic environment in which mind traditions are valued, are at the heart of a sensitive controversy that touches issues of contested ownership rights, religious freedom, and institutional accountability.

After controversy over the matter, there is a possibility of its being followed by broader controversy related to enforcement of land law, schools' role in protection of public property, and misuse of religious protection. The government has made no statement or probe into the source of the buildings.

Having their nerves already at a breaking point, the campus community and residents around are waiting for the answers of the education authorities and the government.