News
A first person account of conducting a ‘live evaluation’ in Gujarat govt schools
Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama conducted live evaluations in schools as part of the Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav initiatives in government schools. The performances were poor with students struggling to read, write and calculate.
That the Gujarat government holds an annual evaluation exercise, Gunotsav, across government schools is known to everybody. Also known to most is the record of learning milestones in government schools. It comes as no surprise that Gunotsav threw up shocking results this January when students of upper primary classes failed to read and write simple words and sentences.
Following the abysmal results of Gunotsav, the state government has decided to incorporate a live evaluation of students as part of another exercise — Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav. These exercises on school enrolment and girl education are held in June across 40,000-odd government schools in the state.
It is encouraging to see that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel taking a proactive part in the 2 new initiatives. Teams of more than 500, including CM Patel, her ministers and senior officers, headed out to rural and urban areas between June 8-10, and then June 15-17 for the enrolment. The Centre, incidentally, is planning to extend Gunotsav across the country.
This is a first person account of the live evaluation of the student during the school enrolment exercise. The team led by Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama visited schools in Bavla taluka (in his constituency), near Ahmedabad, for a day.
Minister Chudasama, accompanied by Dholka Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ruturaj Desai and local BJP leaders, reaches Bhayla Government Primary School, the venue for the day’s enrolment drive sharp at 8:00 am. The sparse gathering at the school is taking inordinately long to settle down under the colourful tent on the green synthetic mat laid on the floor.
Worried with the low attendance, the school principal Bhagwanbhai Dabhi makes repeated appeals to the villagers on the microphone, requesting them to reach the school at the earliest. The women teachers were busy taking roll calls of students.
The minister summons the principal and rebukes him for not being ready on time for the exercise. After nearly 30 minutes of delay, the programme finally kicks off with the lighting of the lamp and welcoming of guests. Even as the show continues, villagers and students, a few in school uniforms, continue to walk in.
Bhayla village has a population of merely 2,579 and boasts of a literacy rate of 78.92%. This year, 22 new admissions in Class I have taken the school strength to 155 students.
Its 10:00 am and Chudasama completes his address on enrollment and heads towards the classrooms for the evaluation exercise. In the meanwhile, teachers have already selected 10-12 students each from Classes II, III, IV and V and made them sit in separate rows in a classroom, with their teachers.
While addressing these assembled students, the minister informs them that this evaluation is being held at the beginning of the academic session “so that we can plan remedial teaching practices well in time”.
The moment of truth is finally upon us when Chudasama asks for a Class I textbook and picks a Class II girl and a boy to read out everyday words in Gujarati — bhar (weight), bhains (buffalo), bhajan (spiritual song), hichko (swing), chokha (rice). They can read only a few, and for the rest, are prompted by the minister. A girl from Class III is asked to read out the sentence, ‘Chali vahli mari gai (There goes my dear cow). She cannot. Class IV students are told to read and write a few two-syllable words on the blackboard. They struggle.
Parulben Rana, class teacher of Class III, is visibly embarrassed but tries to cover up: “They have had a long break for the summer vacations… they have forgotten what they learnt in previous classes.”
Moving on the second R – Arithmetic. The students are asked to solve basic addition: 5+1, 53+21, 34+21. Most of them take 5 – 10 minutes to solve the sums; a few succeed only after some prompting from teachers.
The teachers are nervous but Chudasama is encouraging. “Overall, the performance is good but they need more practice. Get them to write on the blackboard and ask them to read loudly in the class,” he recommends.
By now it’s been an hour the evaluation has started, the minister and his team move to another room on the first floor to evaluate students from Classes VI to VIII. “Who is the CM of Gujarat?” he asks them in Gujarati expecting a resounding response. About 5 hands, from about the 50 children in the classroom go up. Only 1 girl gets it right.
More hands go up when asked about the prime minister. But when asked about the president, only 2 offer an answer. “Mahatma Gandhi,” says one. “Manmohan Singh,” says another. A few mumble, “Narendra Modi”.
Expectedly after the evaluation, at 11.30 am, Chudasama holds a staff meeting and asks a teacher to explain the “poor performance”. “Students do not complete their homework. The principal is overburdened as he has 9 schools under him,” she says.
Chudasama isn’t impressed. With the experience of the classroom behind him, the minister asks, “Do you teach the students about famous personalities and their life experiences… Gandhi, Vivekanand?” The teachers nod in the affirmative.
Moving on Chudasama reaches A G Vidyalaya, Chiyada. It is here that the students from Bhayla primary school and the nearby villages enroll for high school.
Here too, the open sequence remains the same as the minister is greeted with a cultural programme. Getting on with the agenda, Chudasama soon begins the evaluation exercise with students of Class VIII. He asks them questions on electrons and solar energy. Only 1 girl manages to answer.
Moving on to general knowledge, a question on ‘who is the president of India’ elicits replies like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi. The minister drops several hints but none from the over 30 students in Classes IX-XII can answer.
What was upsetting for the school principal was that many of them even fail to get school principal Mukesh Patel’s name right. An embarrassed Patel, who is also the math teacher, says, “Sir, these students have recently joined us from nearby primary schools.”
The secondary school, which has classes from IX to XII, had a pass percentage of 45.90 per cent in this year’s Class X exams and 84 per cent in Class XII.
Later, at a meeting with the staff, Chudasama asks them to explain the low pass percentage of merely 45.90%. English teacher Smita Patel says, “Students of Class IX do not know the basics. Over 60% of the students can’t read English. We conducted special classes for over 27 students (out of 87) who were promoted to Class IX.”
Chudasama, who has been a vocal opponent of the ‘no detention policy’ under the Right to Education Act, says, “Students know they will not be detained, so they do not study. Should teachers teach a Class IX student his own curriculum or the Class III syllabus, which is his learning level?”
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen and expand the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) network across India. The agreement, formalised at the French Embassy in New Delhi during IFCCI’s 3rd CSR Connect Day 2025, marks a significant step in fostering STEM education, digital literacy, and innovation among school students.
The event was attended by H.E. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, who praised the partnership for deepening Indo-French collaboration in social development. He highlighted that 2026 will mark the India–France Year of Innovation, encouraging businesses from both nations to invest in sustainable, community-driven impact initiatives through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Through this partnership, IFCCI and AIM aim to mobilise CSR contributions from French and Indian companies to improve infrastructure, enhance hands-on learning experiences, and bridge the gap between industry and education. IFCCI, which has already executed over 86 CSR projects benefiting more than 15,000 people across India, will leverage its network to support ATL expansion, particularly in underserved schools.
Mission Director of AIM, Deepak Bagla, noted that over 11 million students have already benefitted from the ATL initiative, which he called “one of the world’s largest grassroots innovation programs.” He said, “From the northernmost village school to the southernmost, innovation is thriving everywhere. The real story lies not in the scale, but in the creativity of the ideas students are building.”
A Shared Vision for Inclusive Innovation
The collaboration aims to make innovation accessible to all students by promoting digital tools, teacher training, and student challenges that inspire curiosity and problem-solving. IFCCI Director General Payal S. Kanwar added, “This partnership is a step forward in empowering youth with 21st-century skills. We aim to bridge the gap between industry and education and make innovation accessible to every student, especially in underserved regions.”
However, as the Atal Tinkering Labs expand, addressing operational challenges remains crucial. Reports by UNICEF and The New Indian Express underscore that access to digital tools alone cannot guarantee innovation without inclusive design, mentorship, and ethical technology use. UNICEF’s SPARK Labs model, which links creativity with social change, offers a useful reference — encouraging schools to blend innovation with empathy, inclusion, and purpose.
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
Despite the ATL program’s remarkable reach, a 2023 assessment highlighted several gaps. Nearly 58% of ATL teachers lack a STEM background or structured training, resulting in inconsistent mentorship. In many schools, ATL sessions are not integrated into the timetable, limiting daily engagement. Moreover, less than 10% of schools report active student participation due to limited guidance and parental scepticism about its academic value.
Operational hurdles like irregular funding, defective equipment, and poor monitoring systems have also hindered consistent performance. Some schools struggle to maintain labs once initial grants are exhausted, while others lack a mechanism to track outcomes effectively.
The Way Forward
For the AIM–IFCCI partnership to achieve its full potential, a few key steps can strengthen impact:
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Teacher Capacity Building: Introduce regular certification-based training programs, preferably in collaboration with universities and tech firms.
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Curriculum Integration: Embed ATL projects within school timetables and link them with existing subjects like science and mathematics.
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Mentorship Networks: Connect schools with local innovators, start-ups, and CSR professionals for year-round engagement.
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Monitoring Systems: Deploy digital dashboards to track participation, tool usage, and project outcomes for better transparency.
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Community Awareness: Conduct parent and community outreach sessions to showcase how tinkering enhances academic learning and future employability.
If executed effectively, this Indo-French collaboration can redefine India’s innovation ecosystem by turning every school into a space where curiosity meets creation. The challenge now lies in ensuring that every student, regardless of background, not only has access to a lab but also the guidance and confidence to build something meaningful within it.
The Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has joined the Government of India’s Special Campaign 5.0, running from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The campaign focuses on institutionalising cleanliness (Swachhata), improving efficiency in governance, and enhancing the physical environment of schools across India.
A key goal of the campaign is to ensure that schools provide a clean, safe, and engaging atmosphere for students. States and Union Territories have been encouraged to carry out whitewashing, repainting, and minor repairs such as maintaining functional toilets, fixing flooring, and replastering walls. Refurbishing name boards, reclaiming unused spaces, and improving campus aesthetics are also part of the drive.
To make school environments more vibrant, schools are being encouraged to create murals and wall art inspired by traditional Indian art forms such as Madhubani, Kalamkari, and Warli. These creative efforts will not only beautify campuses but also serve as Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) resources, helping students connect with India’s cultural heritage.
Community involvement forms a central part of Special Campaign 5.0. The Ministry is encouraging schools to involve alumni and local communities through the Vidyanjali platform — a DoSEL initiative that connects volunteers and supporters with government and aided schools. Panchayati Raj Institutions are also being engaged to help local schools upgrade and maintain their infrastructure.
Beyond school-level improvements, the campaign also aims to enhance efficiency in governance. Government offices are reviewing, categorising, and clearing obsolete physical and digital records, while systematically indexing and digitising important files. This process is expected to declutter offices, optimise space, and improve workflow management.
The Department of School Education and Literacy is coordinating with all stakeholders to make cleanliness, participation, and efficiency integral to school operations. The Ministry envisions the campaign as a step towards creating cleaner campuses, more efficient systems, and a stronger sense of ownership within the education ecosystem.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched a new educational module titled ‘Swadeshi’, aiming to instil the values of self-reliance and national pride among school students. The initiative aligns with the vision of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat and draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the 79th Independence Day.
The Swadeshi Module highlights the broader meaning of self-reliance, extending beyond trade and economics to include confidence, innovation, and national capability. It recalls the Prime Minister’s message that self-reliance is directly linked to a nation’s strength and ability to progress, emphasising that a decline in self-reliance can lead to a loss of capability and confidence.
Tracing its roots to India’s freedom struggle, the module revisits the 1905 Bengal Partition, when Indians boycotted British goods and turned towards indigenous products. It portrays the Swadeshi movement as both an act of resistance and a creative force that gave rise to Indian industries and enterprises.
According to NCERT, the new module encourages students to see Swadeshi not just as a historical concept but as a living philosophy that continues to shape India’s modern identity. It connects the values of the freedom movement with today’s national initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, Vocal for Local, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Each of these programmes, the module explains, reinforces India’s pursuit of self-reliance through innovation, entrepreneurship, and local production.
By introducing this module, NCERT aims to nurture a generation of students who understand the importance of creating, producing, and innovating within India, fostering both self-belief and collective national responsibility.
Saahas, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation founded by Class 11 student Navya Mrig of The Ram School, Moulsari, Gurugram, is creating awareness about organ donation and working to counter myths that prevent families from giving timely consent.
Established in 2024, Saahas focuses on every aspect of organ donation, particularly deceased organ donation where family approval must be granted quickly. The organisation highlights that hesitation and misinformation often stop families from making decisions that could save lives.
To address this, Saahas conducts workshops, myth-busting talks, and seminars in schools, resident welfare associations, hospitals, and workplaces. These sessions explain processes such as brain-stem death certification and the role of family consent in simple, clear terms. Each session concludes with practical guidance, ensuring participants leave with both knowledge and actionable steps.
The initiative has also developed resource kits with slide decks, facilitator notes, QR-linked checklists, and referral contacts to make it easier for schools and institutions to host repeatable sessions. Saahas partners with community groups and healthcare institutions to co-host Q&A sessions with clinicians and transplant coordinators, and also honours donor and recipient families through small ceremonies that highlight the impact of organ donation.
At its core, Saahas is designed to bring organ donation discussions into everyday spaces rather than waiting for the urgency of hospital decisions. By focusing on conversations in classrooms, community meetings, and staff rooms, the organisation aims to gradually build a culture where organ donation is better understood and more widely accepted.
Navya’s initiative reflects how young people are increasingly taking up important social causes and contributing to public awareness campaigns with structured, replicable models.
(News Source- ANI)
A recent report by India Today has put the spotlight on the deep contradictions in how India treats its teachers. While the profession is revered in public discourse and celebrated in ceremonies, the reality of poor pay, massive vacancies, and crushing workloads threatens the future of quality education in the country.
The report, authored by Megha Chaturvedi, shares the story of a government school teacher in rural Bihar who manages five grades, multiple subjects, administrative duties, and a long commute — all for a monthly pay of just ₹12,000. It is a picture that repeats across India, where respect is high but reward is missing.
Respect vs Pay
According to UDISE+ 2024–25 data, India’s teaching workforce has crossed 1 crore, with women making up 54.2%. Yet, over 1 million teaching posts remain vacant, concentrated in states like Uttar Pradesh (3.2 lakh) and Bihar (2.2 lakh). More than 1 lakh schools still run with just a single teacher, and some rural institutions report zero enrolment.
Teacher salaries are shockingly unequal. Permanent government teachers may earn ₹35,000 to ₹60,000 per month with benefits, but guest or contractual teachers often earn between ₹6,500 and ₹12,500, with delays stretching into months. Even in metro private schools, where parents pay lakhs in annual fees, teachers may take home just 2–10% of that amount.
International comparisons highlight the gap further. India ranks among the top 10 nations for respect towards teachers, yet falls to the bottom when it comes to pay and working conditions.
The Consequences
Low pay and insecure contracts drive talented graduates away from teaching. Those who stay face burnout from handling multiple grades or excessive administrative duties. Morale suffers when salaries are delayed, creating inequality between well-paid urban private school teachers and struggling rural counterparts. The result is a two-tiered system where students’ learning is directly compromised.
Policy Moves
Some states have taken steps. Karnataka recently raised guest teacher pay to ₹12,000–₹12,500, though teachers demand at least ₹30,000. Bihar and West Bengal have launched recruitment drives to fill thousands of vacancies. But reforms remain piecemeal. The India Today report makes it clear that modest hikes are not enough to match workload or cost of living, and insecurity continues to define contractual positions.
What Needs to Change
India may call its teachers “gurus” but without dignified salaries, stability, and recognition, the profession risks becoming even less attractive to young graduates. For education to thrive, teaching must be seen as a rewarding and respected career. ScooNews has been consistently working to spotlight teacher voices and celebrate educators who innovate against the odds. Yet change cannot come from media or policy alone. We need educators themselves to step up and demand better, and institutions to stop treating education as a business rather than a public service.
A practical way forward would include setting a national minimum pay scale of at least ₹30,000 per month for all full-time teachers, clearing the backlog of 1 million vacancies within the next three years, and ensuring strict timelines for salary disbursement. Governments and boards must invest at least 6% of GDP into education as repeatedly recommended, with a clear allocation for teacher training, well-being, and incentives. Schools must commit a fixed percentage of fee revenue directly to teacher salaries, while also offering pathways for career growth through research, leadership roles, and international exposure.
Teaching is perhaps the most undervalued profession in the nation today. If India is to build a future-ready generation, it must invest in its teachers with the same seriousness it reserves for infrastructure or defence. Respect in words is not enough. Teachers must be valued in pay, dignity, and opportunity.
You can read the full report here.
Education
NCERT to Grant Equivalence to Class 10 and 12 Certificates Across Boards for Admissions and Jobs
The Government of India has entrusted the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) with the responsibility of granting equivalence to Secondary (Class 10) and Senior Secondary (Class 12) certificates issued by different School Education Boards in the country. This equivalence will apply for admissions to higher education institutions and eligibility for employment under the Central and State Governments as well as Union Territories.
The notification, published in the e-Gazette on 6 September 2025 by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, supersedes the earlier order of 15 November 2021 which had assigned this responsibility to the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
Under the new arrangement, NCERT will discharge this responsibility through its National Assessment Centre, Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH). Established under the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, PARAKH has been tasked with creating a robust, academically rigorous framework for determining equivalence while upholding the highest educational standards.
The system will apply to all recognised Indian School Boards established by an Act of Parliament or State legislature, by executive orders of the Central or State Governments, or by statutory bodies with the mandate to run school education. By placing the responsibility with NCERT, the government aims to streamline equivalence and reduce complications for students moving between boards.
The notification further clarifies that once NCERT grants equivalence, it will automatically be considered as inter-se parity among all recognised boards in India. This will smoothen student mobility across boards, ensuring that certificates are universally recognised for both academic progression and employment opportunities at the national level.
The Government is working on incorporating skill-based learning into the curriculum of Classes 11 and 12, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the move during the Dakshinapatha Summit 2025 held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Pradhan emphasised that India’s education system needs a paradigm shift, moving beyond degree and certificate-oriented models to competency-based approaches. “We are on the job to introduce skill-based curriculum of Class 11 and 12,” he said, underlining the importance of preparing students for a rapidly evolving world of work.
According to the Minister, one of the central recommendations of the NEP 2020 is skill-based education. While previously optional, skilling will now become a formal part of schooling, starting as early as Class 6. The new curriculum will integrate areas such as computer coding, drone technology, and artificial intelligence, alongside conventional subjects like mathematics and languages. “Now, we are planning to introduce skilling also. It is a new era. We have to train our youngsters and align them with the new curriculum structure,” Pradhan explained.
The Minister highlighted examples of innovation emerging from IIT Madras, including student-led startups. He thanked IIT-M Director Kamakoti and his team for promoting and facilitating young talent. He also noted how the NEP has enabled students excelling in fields such as sports and music to access IIT programmes, which were previously out of reach.
Pradhan reiterated that languages play a crucial role in communication, adding that knowledge of multiple languages, including Tamil, reflects India’s cultural and intellectual vibrancy. On the same occasion, he interacted with students from Tamil Nadu government schools who had joined IIT Madras through the ‘IITM for All’ initiative, particularly its four-year online BS Data Science programme.
With over 1.75 lakh startups in India, Pradhan noted that the education system must support a shift from job-seeking to job-creating. He described the NEP 2020 as a philosophical document guiding the country towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Source: PTI
The Maharashtra state education department has announced an ambitious plan to send 51 finalists of its school-level science project competitions on an educational tour to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) every year. The initiative, however, still awaits final approval despite having been cleared in principle by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier this year.
Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar explained that the move is designed to recognise the efforts of students beyond prize-winning entries. “The state education department organises science project competitions at various levels. While we extend prizes to the best projects, the efforts taken by students who do not win prizes should also be given their due recognition. Therefore, the plan to honour their efforts was formulated,” he said.
According to the proposal, students with the top 21 projects from the tehsil-level competition will be taken to visit a science centre at the division level. Winners of the top 51 projects at the district level will be taken to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru. The final 51 students selected at the state-level competition will be taken on a study tour to NASA. The programme has been named the Chief Minister Vidyarthi Vigyan Vari.
Officials within the department have confirmed that the proposal requires an annual budget of around Rs 3 crore for the NASA trip. While the costs for tehsil and district-level visits will be met through District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) funds, the NASA tour requires state-level approval. “We hope to get clearance soon,” an official said.
The initiative aims to encourage students to pursue scientific research beyond one-off projects and to inspire them through exposure to advanced scientific institutions. “The aim is to encourage students not to stop at one science project but to push them further into the world of scientific research,” Bhoyar said.
In a related move, the state government has recently increased the prize money for the winner of the state-level science project competition from Rs 5,000 to Rs 51,000, underlining its commitment to promoting innovation among young learners.
Education
Ministry of Education launches Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 to Ignite Innovation among School Students
The Ministry of Education today launched the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a nationwide innovation movement aimed at engaging school students across India. Organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and AICTE, the initiative was formally unveiled with the release of its jingle and logo.
The event was attended by Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Sanjay Kumar; Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau, Dhirendra Ojha; Chairman, AICTE, Prof. T. G. Sitharam; Vice Chairman, AICTE, Abhay Jere; Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, Deepak Bagla; Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Dhiraj Sahu; along with senior officials of the Ministry, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
Speaking on the occasion, the Education Minister said that the Viksit Bharat Buildathon, the largest-ever school hackathon, would further strengthen grassroots innovation by encouraging students to ideate and develop products around four themes: Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, and Samriddhi. The initiative is expected to celebrate student-led innovations, drive a new wave of creativity in schools, and position the younger generation as key contributors to a self-reliant and developed India.
Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSEL, presented a detailed overview of the Buildathon, outlining its potential to nurture innovation at scale across the country.
The Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 aims to inspire creative thinking for national development, foster self-reliance and sustainable growth, engage schools in synchronized innovation, and showcase India’s innovation capabilities globally. The event also aspires to set a potential world record while celebrating young problem-solvers at both national and international platforms. The initiative builds on the success of the School Innovation Marathon 2024, which resulted in programmes such as the Student Innovator Programme (SIP) and the Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP), along with patents and startups emerging from Atal Tinkering Labs.
The journey of the Buildathon begins today, September 23, with registrations open until October 6 on the Viksit Bharat Buildathon portal (https://vbb.mic.gov.in/). Schools will then undergo a preparation period from October 6 to October 13, during which teachers will guide student teams through the portal process. Students will subsequently submit their ideas and prototypes online. The highlight of the initiative, the Live Synchronized Innovation Event, will be held on October 13. Final entries will be accepted until October 31, followed by a two-month evaluation period from November 1 to December 31. The results and felicitation of the top 1,000 winners will be announced in January 2026.
A video on the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 was screened during the launch, showcasing its themes and objectives.
As we approach closer to International Day of Democracy on 15 September, I note that too often it feels like a ceremonial date, there in the calendar, acknowledged in our social media posts or a few articles but rarely lived. This year feels different because of what we are witnessing just across the border in Nepal.
Over the past week, the country’s young people have stepped onto the streets in a movement that has already become one of the most remarkable democratic awakenings of recent times. Their demand is clear: an end to corruption and the beginning of accountable governance. What makes this moment extraordinary is not only the courage to speak up but the way in which they have chosen to act. They have nominated their own candidate for the prime minister’s office. They are marching in huge numbers yet also bending down to collect trash after the rallies. They are organising traffic, repairing roads, giving first aid to strangers. They are not tearing down a nation, they are stitching it back together in full public view.
This is the generation that adults so often accuse of being lethargic, self-absorbed, or distracted by screens. In Nepal, the same generation has shown that democracy can be reclaimed and rebuilt when the young decide to act with clarity and purpose. They are proving that democracy is not just a system of elections and slogans. It is a lived responsibility where every citizen must carry their share of the weight.
Modern protests look very different from those of the past. They are no longer confined to placards and sit-ins. They are physical and digital at once, fuelled by the energy of young people who know how to use social media not only to amplify outrage but also to organise, to mobilise, and to build communities of action.
The world has seen hashtags rise and fade like shooting stars. Nepal’s youth have gone beyond that. They are grounding their protest in discipline, service, and responsibility. That is what makes it impossible to ignore.
And why should this matter to us across the border?
For educators in India, there is a powerful reminder here. Democracy is only as strong as the awareness of its youngest citizens. A classroom that teaches civics as a dry subject but does not teach students how to live its values is missing the point. Critical thinking, civic sense, and media literacy are no longer optional add-ons. They are survival skills in a democracy that must constantly defend itself against apathy, misinformation, and abuse of power.
The message is not that Indian students must take to the streets at the first sign of discontent. The message is that they must never take their rights for granted. They must understand that those in power are always less powerful than the power of the people. Questioning authority with responsibility, demanding accountability without violence, and raising their voice when it matters most are not acts of rebellion. They are the beating heart of democracy.
Teachers, parents, and institutions often worry that if children are taught to question, they will lose respect for authority. Nepal’s youth are showing us that the opposite is true. When young people learn how to question responsibly, they do not weaken democracy. They strengthen it. They protect it. They ensure that it does not become an empty word.
On this International Day of Democracy, Nepal’s streets are giving us a lesson no textbook can. Democracy is not a static gift handed down by leaders. It is a daily act of participation, awareness, and responsibility. If we want India’s democracy to remain alive and resilient, our classrooms must prepare young people not only to dream about their future but also to defend the principles that make that future possible.
Atal Innovation Mission and IFCCI Join Hands to Scale Up Atal Tinkering Labs Across India
Ministry of Education to Promote Clean and Vibrant School Environments
NCERT Introduces ‘Swadeshi Module’ to Foster Self-Reliance and Indian Values in Schools
Class 11 Student Navya Mrig on a Mission to Bust Myths About Organ Donation
India Loves its Teachers, Just Not Enough to Pay Them: India Today Reports
NCERT to Grant Equivalence to Class 10 and 12 Certificates Across Boards for Admissions and Jobs
Government Plans to Introduce Skill-Based Learning in Class 11 and 12 Curriculum
Maharashtra Education Department Plans Students’ Tour to NASA
Ministry of Education launches Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 to Ignite Innovation among School Students
What Nepal’s Gen Z Protests Teach Us About Education, Civic Sense, and Media Literacy
UK and US Tighten Student Visas: What Indian Schools and Students Must Know
Kidspreneurship Appoints Kushark Jaiswal as Chief Global Officer to Drive International Expansion
Parliamentary Panel Calls for Media Literacy Curriculum in Schools
National Task Force Calls for Wider Participation in Surveys on Student Well-being and Suicide Prevention
Himachal Joins List of Fully Literate States as India Marks International Literacy Day 2025
International Literacy Day 2025: Beyond Reading and Writing in the Digital Era
MoWCD and MoE Release Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools
SC Seeks Centre’s Response on PIL for Transgender-Inclusive School Textbooks
Educate Girls Becomes First Indian NGO to Win the Ramon Magsaysay Award
How AI Helps Teachers Save Time, Personalize Learning, & Improve Results
Beyond the Numbers: Reading Between the Lines of UDISE+ 2024–25
Weaving Social-Emotional Learning into the Curriculum
Education with Purpose: Shaping Responsible Learners for a Better Tomorrow
Empathy as a 21st-Century Competency: Developing Emotional Intelligence among Students
Math Meets Machine: How AI Is Revolutionising Classroom Learning
NCERT Launches New Class 5 & 8 Textbooks, Makes Art Education Mandatory
No More Backbenchers: How a Simple Seating Shift Is Reimagining Learning
In Every Smile, a Victory – Sandhya Ukkalkar’s Journey with Jai Vakeel’s Autism Centre
The Man Who Called His Students Gods: Dwijendranath Ghosh
Indian Army to Sponsor Education of 10-Year-Old Who Aided Troops During Operation Sindoor
Beyond the Numbers: Reading Between the Lines of UDISE+ 2024–25
NCERT’s New Class 8 History Textbook Addresses “Darker Periods”, Highlights Religious Intolerance and Resilience
Education with Purpose: Shaping Responsible Learners for a Better Tomorrow
Weaving Social-Emotional Learning into the Curriculum
Educate Girls Becomes First Indian NGO to Win the Ramon Magsaysay Award
A School Without Walls: The Pehchaan Story, Led by Akash Tandon
India Plans Unified Higher Education Regulator: What the HECI Bill Means
Empathy as a 21st-Century Competency: Developing Emotional Intelligence among Students
Lighting the Way, One Beam at a Time – Monika Banga
University of Southampton Opens First Full-Fledged Foreign University Campus in India
Dancing Beyond Boundaries – The Story of Krithiga Ravichandran
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