Education Ministry

Over the past decade or so, India's education portfolio score has entered a bear market, as any two-bit technical analyst will tell you

India and Russia discussed potential areas of mutual interest in higher education and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the sector, the Ministry of Education said on Friday. Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, held an interaction with Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Mogilevsky Konstantin Ilyich, on Thursday, the ministry said in a post on X. "Both sides discussed potential areas of mutual interest and reaffirmed their intent to strengthen higher education cooperation between the two countries," it said. Mukerjee was appointed the higher education secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on August 10. She succeeded Vineet Joshi, who was last month appointed secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Agency removes 50 members, to fill 10 new leadership positions soon

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has removed more than 50 of its staff members and is onboarding professionals for key leadership positions as part of measures to reform the overall examination system, the education ministry said on Monday. The development came a day after the NTA ordered a re-test for three subjects of the UGC-NET exam for scholars due to several errors in those papers, and within months of the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 for medical admissions over allegations of paper leak. In a post on X, the ministry said Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held a meeting with the secretary in the Department of Higher Education, the NTA director general and other senior officials, during which he was apprised of the steps taken by the agency in the wake of recent issues and reforming the overall exam system. "The minister was apprised about the steps taken by the NTA in the wake of recent issues, particularly with reference to reforming the overall system. He was ...

A parliamentary panel has flagged a "drastic decline" in the number of schools and students as education level rises, noting that nearly 73 per cent students drop out before finishing higher secondary. The recommendation is part of the Tenth Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on "Budget and Policy aspects for providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of Central Board of Secondary Education", presented to Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The committee noted that the number of schools at Secondary and Higher Secondary levels are very less when compared with the number of schools at Primary and Upper Primary levels. It said as per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2024-25, out of the total 10,92,671 schools, including all the government and government aided schools, there are 9,11,032 schools at primary level, 4,12,805 schools at upper primary level, 1,61,808 schools at secondary level, and only 90,8

The ministry's autonomous bodies reported Rs 4,553.85 crore in unutilised grants, while the auditor also flagged accreditation gaps and delays in financial reporting.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2027, IIT Delhi retained its position as the country's highest-ranked institution, climbing five places to 118th globally.

Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee has been appointed as the new Higher Education Secretary, as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Monday. She succeeds Vineet Joshi, who was appointed last month as the Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Incidentally, Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, was also named as the Higher Education Secretary, in place of Joshi. In a partial modification of its July 23 order, the Personnel Ministry announced late on Monday night that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Mukerjee's appointment as the new Higher Education Secretary. Her appointment comes in the wake of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy. Mukerjee, a 1993 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, is currently serving as the Corporate Affairs Secretary. Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil will now be the Corporate Aff

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday said India's education ecosystem has become "learner-centric, research-driven, future-ready", asserting that the country's youth are no longer merely competing with the world but are leading it. Speaking at 57th Convocation Ceremony of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Joshi said, "After taking the additional charge as the education minister, this is my first ever public programme in any education institution that to with PM Modi. I am so happy and blessed by you all." Joshi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "always reposed immense faith in the potential of India's youth" and regards them as the "foremost architect of Viksit Bharat 2047". "Today, more than 4.5 crore students are enrolled in higher education. Since 2014, number of universities increased nearly by 70 per cent," he said. "More than 650 new universities, 14,000 new colleges, over 4,000 new ITIs, 9 new IIMs, 7 new IITs and 13 new AIIMS have been establishe

The NMMSS Scholarship 2026-27 application process has begun on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Eligible Class 9 students can apply online till August 31. Check details inside

The outrage over GenZ memes says less about young protesters than authority's perennial discomfort with unfamiliar forms of political expression

Pralhad Joshi takes charge as education minister amid scrutiny over exam reforms, low public spending on education and persistent youth unemployment

Pralhad Joshi faces task of restoring trust in education system

The government will be tested on Monday, with an emboldened Oppn confronting it, writes Archis Mohan

Newly appointed Union education minister Prahlad Joshi has taken charge, officials said on Sunday. Joshi was appointed education minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post on Saturday. Joshi has been given additional charge of the education ministry besides his role as the consumer affairs minister. Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday following the Cockroach Janta Party-led student protests across the country, demanding his ouster over the NEET paper leak controversy. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said it was not a matter of "individual prestige" for him, and that he was disturbed to see the series of events that unfolded over the last 10 days.

At present, he oversees the ministries of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, along with New and Renewable Energy

Patriotic songs, drumbeats and chants of "Vande Mataram" echoed through Jantar Mantar on Saturday as thousands of protesters erupted in celebration after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over the NEET paper leak, calling it the first major victory of their weeks-long agitation. The celebration continued even as, just after the meeting with Union ministers, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons said the agitation was being withdrawn with the government accepting all demands put forth by the outfit. The protest site, which witnessed clashes, tear gas and injuries just days earlier, transformed into a scene of jubilation as protesters hugged one another, waved the tricolour, danced in circles to the song 'Chak De! India' and beat daflis while chanting slogans celebrating democracy and student unity. Many held aloft portraits of Dr B R Ambedkar, while others recorded videos recreating a popular social media meme by pointing first to Pradhan's resignation lett

The minister's resignation comes weeks after protests over the leaking of the question paper for the highly-competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Neet-UG) for admissions to medical colle

Citing 'deep anguish' over the ongoing protests, Dharmendra Pradhan said he has submitted his resignation to PM Modi amid sustained student agitations and mounting political pressure

Security arrangements have been intensified further across the national capital ahead of the weekend, with Delhi Police installing additional layers of barricades at key locations and reinforcing them with heavy-duty chains to prevent attempts to breach security cordons, officials said on Saturday. The move follows the raging protest in Delhi by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, with police expecting a larger turnout of protesters through the weekend. According to police sources, multiple rows of iron barricades have been placed on the sensitive stretches in the New Delhi district, particularly in and around the Jantar Mantar protest site and other strategic locations. "Extra layers of barricading have been put in place at the vulnerable points, which have been chained together and welded so that they cannot be dismantled or shifted easily. Additional for