Education System

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

The anti-paper leak law highlights deeper challenges as India misses education spending targets, youth unemployment remains high, and Gen Z protests gain momentum

For young Indians, a better testing system is imperative, as is creating more skilling and employment opportunities

A multidisciplinary group of domain experts will be part of the task force

After meeting protesters, Rahul Gandhi accused Centre of failing students and reiterated demands for Pradhan's resignation, punishment for those behind police action and sought PM Modi's apology

The proposed law, likely to be introduced next week, comes as the Centre and CJP continue talks, with the student body reiterating its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after the Centre assured action on key demands, including a parliamentary discussion on paper leaks and no cases against peaceful protesters

UDISE+ shows gains in enrolment and retention, but weak learning outcomes and the shift from government to private schools underline the need to prioritise education quality

The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of putting India's education system into the "ICU" and pressed for its demands that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign, a probe be conducted into his alleged connections with the paper leak mafia and a comprehensive reform of the system. Party leader and NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar said Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is meeting students across the country and listening to their concerns, so that the education system can be overhauled. "With the same objective, Rahul Gandhi Ji had given a presentation among students and their parents in Kota. Now we are taking this campaign forward in different parts of the country. We are compiling suggestions from students, teachers, and parents," Kumar said. He was addressing a press conference along with NSUI president Vinod Jakhar, and party leaders Kiran Mugabasav, Nishant Mandal and K K Shastri. "In the coming days, we will create an Education Charter

Centre has extended the Samagra Shiksha scheme by six months beyond its March 2026 expiry to ensure continuity of funding to states while a revamped NEP 2020-aligned version is finalised

DU has declared the Information for admission to postgraduate courses offered in the bulletin via the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) for the 2026-27 academic session

Concerns over CBSE and NEET assessment systems could force employers to add screening layers, raising hiring costs and complicating talent selection

From retrospective taxation and quality reforms to polymer notes, exam glitches and middle-class stress, today's opinion pages examine key policy challenges

In many private schools, children struggle with reading comprehension and arithmetic despite parents paying higher fees in the hope of better outcomes

Stronger foundational learning initiatives, better teacher management, and wider use of digital and AI-enabled learning recommended

CBSE clarifies QR codes on question papers are for internal authentication and not web links, after viral posts linked them to Orry images and Rickroll videos

Educational institutions' are likely to witness 11-13 per cent growth in total income in the current fiscal year and the next, driven by rising enrolments and fee hikes across segments as schools and colleges capitalise on steady demand and improving realisations, a report said on Monday. Operating margins will be steady at 27-28 per cent as these institutions will incur higher staff salaries and other related costs, Crisil Ratings said in a report. With rising enrolments, the institutions will also incur capital expenditure to create additional capacity and improve infrastructure, the report said, adding that credit profiles will, however, remain stable as strong cash flows will limit reliance on external debt. "Overall income is expected to log healthy double-digit (11-13 per cent) growth over the next few fiscal years, mainly supported by fee revisions, along with growth in enrolments, albeit at a modest rate. "Fee escalations are primarily driven by higher inflation, especially

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday claimed that the central government has invested Rs 21,000 crore in the education sector in the Northeast in the last 11 years. Connectivity has also received a boost in the region during the period, with new states put on the railway map and several greenfield airports constructed, she added. Sitharaman, who was on a two-day visit to Assam since Friday, was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the state's first university focussed on technical and vocational education and training at Bholaguri in Gohpur in Biswanath district. The 'Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University' will be built at a cost of Rs 415 crore on a total area of 241 acres, with a built-up area of 7 lakh sq ft. "Since 2014, the Centre has invested Rs 21,000 crore in the education sector in the Northeast. Over 850 new schools have been opened. The first AIIMS in the region has become operational, and over 200 new skill development institutes have been .

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave the National Teacher Awards to 45 teachers from across the country for their exemplary contribution to teaching and learning. From novel methods of teaching, dedication to students' growth to attempts to enhance learning achievements in difficult environments, the awardees were recognised at the annual award ceremony. Ranging from innovative pedagogy to inspiring first-generation learners, the awardees played a key role in shaping young minds across India. Among the awardees is M Devananda Kumar, Faculty of Telugu at Dr Lakireddy Hanimireddy Government Degree College, Mylavaram, Andhra Pradesh, who has received the award for his innovative teaching practices. His work includes creating thallapatra granthas (palm-leaf manuscripts), producing educational videos for LMS, and earning prestigious accolades for his contributions to education, his citation read. Similarly, Proshanto Kr Saha, Faculty of Psychology at Rajiv Gandhi Central University,

Five years on, new realities have emerged, ones that demand urgent attention. And the time has come to revisit the policy's implementation with courage and clarity