The recent incident of an IIT Delhi student when a private bus was stopped at a Rajasthan highway at 2 am due to suspicion of tax evasion is a serious issue in ensuring security to the students. We are always alert as institutions and parents as long as a student's performance is concerned academically, but it is our responsibility that we ensure a safe passage of the students as well.

The reason that the bus was overcrowded and people had to take another bus is inhuman. The incident raises questions regarding abandonment of duty and monitoring of private buses. Our students' safety should be our priority, and transport service must be at utmost level of safety as people.

"It was a normal intercity trip. Manas had booked a sleeper berth from Delhi to Laxmangarh on a top web portal that operates deals with private bus companies. The Rs 900 fare was clearly within reach for an uninterrupted night travel. But in the wee hours of the morning, the trip took a thrilling and rather spine-tingling turn.".

At Shahjahanpur in Rajasthan, the bus was intercepted by local police. Why? The operator had not paid road tax for over a year. And then pandemonium: all the passengers from senior citizens to women and children had to be coaxed out into the dead of night with no B plan on the horizon.

No Shelter, No Support

The bus stood alone in the open highway with hours passing after 2 a.m. "Two hours driving in the dark night with no support, I was packed into another bus with no room in the seats," Manas posted in an now-viral Facebook report of the ordeal that went viral. "Standing room only." And that, too, people were crowded on buses not going even remotely near their destination. They were short by 60 km and asked to return by themselves.

His was an exhortatory, not a complaint—a blistering indictment of the way unregulated private transport schemes can reduce fares not just on schedules but on safety as well.

Outrage Over Indifference

What compounded the tragedy, Manas mourned, was the irresponsible behavior of the web travel site. The customer care center was "mechanical and unhelpful" and did not provide any support in real time during the crisis, he alleged. "No backup. No refund. No accountability," he lamented. "This is not about Rs 900—it's about safety and trust in public transport.".

With the age of tap-to-book customers who expect there to be some sort of verification process undertaken, the experience is missing an element of expectation violation—it's a violation of shared trust. 

Refunds, Resistance, and Outrage

The first reaction to Manas was a partial refund—15% by the company and 25% by the platform. Only when it had struggled back fiercely and inducted it into the limelight of the net was the entire amount reimbursed. "It shows that outrage is required for something that should have been done in the first place," he wrote in a subsequent entry, admitting that he is still not certain if anything tangible has been done to make sure that does not occur again.

The site responded in the comment, "Please be assured! Steps will be taken so that such problems will be contained in near future. Hope to serve you better." But for most readers, it was too little, too late.

The Larger Question: Who's to Blame?

Manas’s ordeal has opened up a larger conversation around third-party travel aggregators and the kind of operators they choose to list. “If you’re running a platform that connects people to travel services, the bare minimum is to ensure those services are legally compliant and safe,” he emphasized.

What Needs to Change

  • Tighter Regime: The private bus operators must have a tight regime put forth by the government, forcing them to adhere to safety protocols and pay taxes.
  • Responsibility: Third-party online travel websites must be held accountable for the service they are offering, including passenger safety.
  • Student-Centric Policies: Schools and transport organizations must prepare student-centric policies with safety and convenience as the primary concern.

A Collective Responsibility

Student safety is the responsibility of all of us. We all need to do our part in ensuring that our learning community is safe for our students. With student safety taken at the topmost priority, we can ensure that such accidents will never occur and give our future leaders a safe and secure learning community to develop.

In a country where half a million of its population rely on intercity buses to go to work, school, or attend to family matters, the accident is an eye-opener. The question it raises is whether this kind of breakdown has been the rule rather than the exception and, if not, whether it is merely viral bloggings by some IIT student that are mounting pressure for change.

Our students come first. We have to move fast and stop all these things so that our students can travel safely. Our country's future is on the line.

For the fifth consecutive day, Salt Lake's Bikash Bhavan—a building that symbolizes intellectual aspirations of West Bengal—echoed with something far more melancholic than normal: the pained screams of over a thousand school teachers, victims not of ineffectiveness, but of a failed system. They are not agitators by profession. These are the individuals who once stood in front of blackboards teaching science and grammar, driven to the streets by a Supreme Court decision that labeled their hiring process as "vitiated and tainted."

There can be no confusion that integrity in public hiring will have to reign supreme. But what if the fault is not that of the candidates, but of the system that screened and chose them? These are teachers who cleared the 2016 SSC exam—several of them have taught for years. Their sole mistake? Believing in a government process that eventually let them down.

Outside the building of the Education Department, one sees a poignant scene—a lady with tearful eyes inspects the answer scripts of her students in the midst of slogans and demonstrations. Others sweep the road, symbolically trying to wash away the corruption that cost them their jobs. It is a snapshot no democracy can be proud of.

Worse still is the response. Accusations of police brutality, injuries, and warnings issued to teachers for participating in a protest born out of sheer desperation—this is not how a welfare state responds to its teachers.

Minister Bratya Basu has yet to make an appearance. The silence is deafening.

The state government has taken up a vow of special review petition in the Supreme Court. At least in the circumstances, the least it can do is ensure that these aggrieved teachers are heard. To force them to retake the exam is to invalidate years of their life's labor—and smells of administrative insensitivity.

Justice delayed, as they say, is justice denied. In this case, however, justice does not seem merely delayed—it seems forgotten.

Horrendous recent tragedy of Nikhil Somwanshi, a young boy working with Ola, has left the country shocked and enraged at India's cheap labor culture which appears to dominate the country's technology industry.

Reports indicate that Nikhil had committed suicide as a result of reported work pressure. Ola's reaction to the charges has been under scrutiny as to whether an eyebrow should be raised as everyone doubted the company's assertion that Nikhil was on personal leave at the time of his death.

"We were shocked by the unexpected passing away of one of our brightest young colleagues, Nikhil, on 8 May. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, friends and family in these very trying times," Ola

"Nikhil was on personal leave when the offense was committed. On 8th April, he had called his boss and told him that he required rest, and his personal leave was approved immediately. He then called his boss on 17th April and told him that he was okay but required rest again, and his leave was then prolonged."

"We at the company are very sorry to hear of this loss. Nikhil was a fine colleague, and we will miss him immensely. We are giving complete available assistance to Nikhil's family and colleagues in this moment of mourning. We are also in contact with the concerned authorities and are ready to make our premises available as and when required."

While Ola's response is regretful and apologetic for Nikhil's family, it does not talk about the causative factors of his sudden demise. Whatever was said by the company through the modes of Nikhil getting suspended on personal leave and on leave appears to be doubtful instead of being factual.

Was Nikhil unemployed due to burnout or fatigue because of over-saturation of stress in the workplace? Was Ola management being right to step in and address Nikhil's health and mental well-being?

This kind of pressurized work life, sleepless nights, and such massive pressures are no surprises from the techno world. Ola and others like it must take responsibility for creating a healthy and secure working environment where employees' psychological well-being is considered. Showing sympathy and mere sympathy after tragedy has struck them is not advisable.

Ola's action also puts the company on the path to more transparency and responsibility in their company business dealings with employees. The insistence of the company that Nikhil was resting and recovering leaves a question mark regarding what sort of stress he was under for work and if it was resolved to their liking.

Finally, Nikhil's untimely demise narrates the price of debasement of human life for a defective work ethic. Ola and similar organizations must be responsible for the psychological well-being of their staff and do something constructive so that it does not become a repeat offense in the future. Anything less would be a system failure and an affront to the very essence of human existence.

The film business has been rough and sometimes cruel, but what about the schools leading up to it? Attending film school and college is supposed to get students ready for lucrative careers in the business, but in most cases, it does not end that way. Unpaid internships, unrealistic ideals, and lack of mentorship are a few of the traps most students fall into, and it is hard for them to succeed.

Unpaid internships are so common practice in the film industry that even film schools advise students to do them in order to gain some experience. But this is a barrier to entry for students who simply do not have the means to work for nothing. Already, the majority of students are barely managing as it is, and unpaid internships are a huge burden. This can narrow the student pool who are capable of operating within the sector and contribute to a lack of disadvantaged representation.

ALSO READ: A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF "DURGAPUR JUNCTION" – MADHUBANTI MUKHERJEE OPENS UP ON CONTROVERSY, CREATIVE CHAOS & THE REAL PRICE OF FILMMAKING

There is also an earnest desire from these film schools to present professional-standard work, which puts unreasonable standards on the students. At certain times, there is the necessity for the students to come up with quality motion pictures, musical videos, or other work without sufficient resources and instructions. The burnout as well as tension may prove bad for the well-being of students both physically as well as psychologically.

Film schools place greater emphasis on technical education but do not offer students the kind of guidance and counseling necessary to succeed in the business. Others cannot be incorporated into production, and without mentorship, they are lost and lack direction when it comes to their careers. Without mentoring, students also can't deal with failure and mistakes, which are part of the creative process.

The flip side of film studies comes at the expense of human resources which cannot be ignored. Most students can't balance their creative ambitions against the cost constraints of aspiring to become the career in cinema. The stress of having to deliver quality output, and shortage of infrastructure and facilities, can result in burnout, stress, and disappointment.

Film schools and universities must analyze their own activities thoroughly and make a deliberate decision to rectify the problem of unpaid internships, unrealistic targets, and lack of advisement. This is done by providing interns with fair wages, advisement and guidance, and supporting more positive and open learning cultures. Thus, schools of film can make sure that the students end up being successful in the field and create a more balanced and sustainable future for professionals in the industry.

The Delhi High Court directed the Jawaharlal Nehru University to allow nine students rusticated on a sexual harassment complaint to write their exams from Wednesday.

Justice Vikas Mahajan instructed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) not to take coercive actions to remove the students from their hostels until May 28, when the case would again be heard.

"Considering in view the prayer of the petitioners' counsel, more particularly on the ground that there is denial of principles of natural justice, the respondent university is hereby ordered to allow the petitioners to appear for their examination, until further date of hearing and no coercive action will be taken against them to leave their hostel," the court observed on May 13.

JNU placed independent orders on the students on May 5, rusticating them for two semesters and declared them out of bounds on the varsity campus from now on.

The students have approached the setting aside of university order and proceedings arising out of its orders.

Student union representative Advocate Kumar Piyush Pushkar said before the order, an investigation was initiated by the university but the petitioners were denied a chance to cross-examine witnesses.

The JNU order was untenable as it was passed in defiance of the canons of natural justice, he said.

The court issued notice to JNU on the petition and asked it to reply within a week.

The students' plea was that the exams would start from May 14 or within two days but the rustication order barred them from appearing for it.

The court made it clear through its interim order that the interim relief would not have any special equities in favor of the petitioners and its orders were conditional upon the outcome of the case.

Forty seven female students of Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS) approached JNU's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) with their complaint of sexual violence and sexual harassment on them on the evening of the CSSS freshers' party at the university convention center on 22 October 2024.

The petitioners complained that the vice-chancellor summoned them to her office on October 25, 2024 and without conducting an inquiry or forming a committee, illegally rusticated them for two semesters and banned them from the campus for one year.

The high court, however, suspended the October 25 order of the university restraining the authorities from evicting the petitioners from their hostel.

The petitioners further added that in April the petitioners were issued a showcause notice and the report of inquiry questioning why disciplinary action could not be initiated against them after which the petitioners' replies were placed before the chief proctor.

But, without being permitted to cross examine the witnesses, they were rusticated for two semesters for the second time and fined Rs 10,000 on May 5, the plea said.

The once-revered FIITJEE, a premier coaching institute for IIT-JEE aspirants, is now facing a severe crisis—centre closures, unpaid salaries, and mounting legal troubles have left students, parents, and staff in distress. With police cases filed in multiple cities, mass teacher resignations, and financial instability, the future of thousands of students hangs in the balance.

A Dream Turned Nightmare for Students and Parents

Monika Agarwal* took a loan to pay ₹3.45 lakh for her son’s two-year FIITJEE programme in Ghaziabad. “We trusted their reputation, but now we feel cheated,” she says. Within months, teachers started quitting, classes became erratic, and the centre eventually shut down. Her son, now left without proper guidance, struggles to cope.

Gowri Bhadauria*, who narrowly missed the IIT-JEE cutoff this year, blames FIITJEE’s decline for her setback. “The centre became a ghost of its former self—no mentoring, no proper classes. We ended up studying on our own,” she recalls. “Choosing FIITJEE was the biggest mistake of my life.”

In Chennai, Bharadwaj Narayanan* paid ₹2.7 lakh for his son’s coaching, only to see the Velachery centre shut abruptly. FIITJEE shifted students to online classes, but even those teachers are now resigning. “We were promised continuity, but everything collapsed,” he says.

Teachers Unpaid, Yet Loyal Until the End

Gaurav Shrivastav from Jhansi, a Chemistry teacher at FIITJEE Ghaziabad, hasn’t received ₹11.73 lakh in pending salaries. “Some months, I got only 27% of my pay. I stayed for my students, but finally had to leave,” he shares. Like many others, he now works elsewhere but still mourns FIITJEE’s downfall.

Another senior teacher, who worked for over five years, reveals that financial troubles began as early as 2017. Salary cuts, unpaid dues, and mismanagement by franchise partners led to a slow decline. “The pandemic worsened it—low admissions, irresponsible partners, and no accountability,” he says.

Legal Troubles Mount as FIITJEE Remains Silent

With police cases in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Chennai, FIITJEE’s management is under scrutiny for alleged cheating and breach of trust. Yet, the institute has stayed silent, offering temporary fixes like online classes—only for those to fail as well.

Parents, desperate for justice, are filing complaints and legal notices. Some have shifted their children to other institutes, but many, already burdened with loans, have no choice but to let their kids prepare alone.

What Went Wrong?

Former staff point to multiple reasons—cash crunch, bad investments, franchise mismanagement, and a shift in business models. Despite Chairman Dinesh Kumar Goel’s push for a franchise system, the lack of transparency has deepened the crisis.

What’s Next?

With centres shutting down, teachers resigning, and no clarity from FIITJEE, students and parents are left in the lurch. Will the institute recover, or is this the end of an era?

For now, the dreams of thousands of IIT aspirants remain uncertain.

Against the current tense situation with Pakistan during Operation Sindood, the Delhi University has resolved to extend full support and cooperation to the Government of India.

The motion was moved unanimously on Saturday in a meeting of the Academic Council (AC), which was chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh.

During Zero Hour, the Vice Chancellor urged college principals to accord highest priority to appointment of permanent teachers as compared to guest teachers by promptly advertizing available vacancies. He urged that every single college must move early on vacancies now available or likely to be available during the period of retirements and should join the recruitment process at least once or twice annually.

Responding to a question on initiation of the appointment procedure in 12 colleges of Delhi Government, he explained that negotiation is underway and a favorable response is expected in the near future. Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta put the minutes of the previous AC meeting on December 27 before the house for approval and presented an 'action taken report' on previous decisions.

The Academic Council also approved syllabi of various faculties according to UGCF 2022, as recommended by the Standing Committee on academic affairs. Also approved was the proposal to translate Persian, Arabic, and Urdu writings in the syllabus into English.

The council also approved introducing new Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) under UGCF 2022. They are Robotics & Automation and Introduction to IoT using Arduino under Electronics category; Low-Code/No-Code Development under Computer Science category; and Forensic Analysis of Biological Evidence, Forensic Toxicology, Questioned Document Examination, and Injury & Death under Life Sciences subdomain under Biomedical Sciences.

Besides, the council also approved a proposal from the Department of Distance and Continuing Education to introduce certificate-level courses in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at CISBC under the Open Learning Development Centre from the academic year 2024–25. It also approved introducing Certificate/Diploma/Advanced Diploma courses in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean from the session 2025–26 under SOL, and an Advanced Diploma (JP-3) of one-year duration in Japanese at Ramjas College.

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