Education System

Fixing the foundations

India needs to strengthen teaching infrastructure

Tata Trusts, IIM Bangalore sign MoU to develop undergraduate education

Tata Trusts will fund academic infrastructure, research and faculty development at IIM Bangalore's undergraduate school and support its new residential campus

Datanomics: Cracks widen further in India's higher education system

UG students account for three out of every four enrolled, yet their share slipped by nearly three percentage points in 2023-24 compared with the pre-pandemic year.

India, Russia discuss strengthening higher education cooperation

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.

Paper leaks: A state capacity problem

Setting aside the question of the necessity of national qualifying examinations, high-quality parastatal agencies are essential to administering them reliably

NTA undertakes exam system overhaul, removes more than 50 staff members

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 ...

PhysicsWallah eyes PAT growth in Q3, says cofounder Prateek Maheshwari

Maheshwari also delved into the company's offline expansion, acquisitions and artificial intelligence (AI) strategy

Nearly 73% students drop out before finishing higher secondary: Parl panel

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

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee named new Higher Education Secy after Neet row

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

Statsguru: Gen Z's rage fuelled by joblessness, paper leaks and corruption

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

Young Indians need employment, not just a better examination system

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

PM Narendra Modi announces high-powered task force on exam reforms

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

Rahul alleges 'capture' of education system, seeks Pradhan's resignation

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

CJP seeks Pradhan's resignation; Cabinet clears Bill for tougher punishment

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

List of govt assurances that led Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike

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

The learning curve: Interventions must move beyond expanding school access

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

Congress accuses Centre of putting education system in 'ICU', seeks reforms

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 extends Samagra Shiksha by six months ahead of revamp rollout

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 NCWEB PG admissions 2026 via CUET PG; Delhi women can apply, know more

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

Examination crisis: Hiring costs may rise for industry, experts reckon

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