More than 4.7 lakh counterfeit NCERT textbooks have been confiscated across India since 2024, the Ministry of Education revealed in the Rajya Sabha this week. The large-scale crackdown is part of NCERT’s renewed efforts to combat textbook piracy and safeguard access to authentic, affordable learning materials for students nationwide.

Responding to a written query in the Upper House, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary stated that textbook piracy has been rampant across multiple states, driven primarily by commercial interests of unauthorised entities. Between 2024 and 2025, over 4.71 lakh fake NCERT books were seized during enforcement operations.

In a series of raids across 29 locations suspected of producing or distributing counterfeit books, NCERT officials also uncovered stocks of fake watermarked paper and high-end printing equipment — collectively worth over ₹20 crore. These raids aimed not only to halt the illegal printing supply chain but also to reinforce the credibility of NCERT materials.

“NCERT textbooks are printed on a no-profit, no-loss basis to reach every child in the country,” Chaudhary reiterated in his reply.

To further stem the piracy tide, NCERT has taken several preventive steps, including reducing textbook prices by 20%, modernising printing methods, and making books more widely available through e-commerce platforms. These steps are aimed at reducing dependency on black-market sources by ensuring affordable and timely textbook access.

In collaboration with IIT Kanpur, NCERT also piloted a tech-based anti-piracy solution using a patented mechanism in one million copies of a Class 6 book. This innovation allows books to be tracked and authenticated, potentially creating a digital trail to curb piracy in the future.

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In a notification issued on Monday, to enhance student safety and ensure accountability on school campuses, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has mandated the installation of high-resolution CCTV cameras with real-time audio-visual recording across all affiliated schools.

According to the notification, the board has amended its Affiliation Bye Laws-2018, requiring the installation of CCTV cameras at all critical points within school premises, including classrooms, corridors, libraries, staircases, and other key areas—excluding washrooms and toilets. The footage must have a minimum backup of 15 days and should be made available to authorities upon request.

This directive is part of CBSE’s broader commitment to ensuring students’ physical and emotional well-being. It aims to create safer learning environments by preventing bullying, intimidation, and other implicit threats. The move also aligns with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’s ‘Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools’, released in 2021, which outlines safety protocols for creating secure and supportive school settings.

In the official circular, CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta stated, “Children have a constitutional right to live with dignity and access education in a safe and supportive environment. The safety has two aspects — from unscrupulous, un-societal elements and from implicit threats like bullying. All such threats can be addressed using modern surveillance technologies.”

The board noted that bullying significantly impacts student self-esteem and mental health. “Children require a healthy and nurturing environment to thrive. This decision is part of our effort to foster that environment,” the notification read.

While many private schools have welcomed the move, citing improved monitoring and security, several government school representatives expressed concern over the implementation. They highlighted the need to repair existing non-functional cameras before investing in new technology.

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As implementation begins, the directive reinforces CBSE’s stance on prioritising student safety through proactive and tech-enabled solutions.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considering the introduction of a two-level system for Science and Mathematics in Classes 11 and 12. The plan is aimed at offering students the flexibility to choose the difficulty level of STEM subjects based on their future academic or career aspirations.

As reported by India Today and originally learnt through The Sunday Express, the proposal is an extension of an existing model implemented in Classes 9 and 10. In Class 10 Mathematics, for instance, students currently choose between Basic and Standard versions during board exams—a move that has allowed students not pursuing Mathematics further to pass with confidence and reduced stress.

The upcoming shift aligns with the broader vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages flexible, multidisciplinary learning and student-centric academic pathways.

What the Two-Tier System Means

Under the proposed system, students eyeing careers in fields like engineering or medicine could opt for advanced-level Mathematics or Science, while those focused on the arts, commerce, or vocational pathways could select a standard or foundational version of these subjects.

This customisation acknowledges the diversity of learner needs and aims to reduce the one-size-fits-all pressure that has long characterised India’s board exam-driven system.

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Changes Ahead for Schools

If approved, the shift would require significant operational changes in schools—ranging from separate classes for the two levels to revised textbooks, updated assessments, and teacher training. CBSE is expected to issue detailed implementation guidelines after further consultation.

While still under consideration, this move marks a progressive step toward making STEM education more accessible, relevant, and aligned with students’ interests and life goals.

In a heartwarming gesture of gratitude, the Indian Army has pledged to fully sponsor the education of 10-year-old Shvan Singh, a young boy from Punjab’s Ferozepur district who supported troops with food and water during the intense gunfire of Operation Sindoor.

During the cross-border conflict in early May, Shvan—then mistakenly reported as ‘Svarn’ Singh—fearlessly stepped up to help soldiers stationed near Tara Wali village, just 2 km from the international border. With lassi, tea, milk, and ice in hand, the Class 4 student made repeated trips, delivering supplies to the troops amid ongoing shelling and sniper fire.

Moved by his courage, the Golden Arrow Division of the Indian Army has now taken full responsibility for Shvan’s educational expenses. In a formal ceremony held at Ferozepur Cantonment, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command, felicitated the boy and applauded his spirit of service.

“I want to become a ‘fauji’ when I grow up. I want to serve the country,” Shvan had told media in May. His father added, “We are proud of him. Even the soldiers loved him.”

Shvan’s actions during Operation Sindoor—India’s strategic missile strike on nine terror camps across the border in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack—have now turned him into a symbol of quiet heroism and youthful patriotism.

In a world where headlines are often dominated by despair, Shvan’s story reminds us that bravery has no age—and that the seeds of service can bloom early.

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A national workshop was held on July 18, 2025, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. Organised jointly by the Ministry of Education (DoSE&L), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), the event brought together more than 150 delegates, including senior officials from 24 State and Union Territory education boards.

The central aim of the workshop was to help State Boards apply for recognition as Dual Category Awarding Bodies under NCVET. This status enables boards to both conduct training and assess students in vocational courses aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), particularly up to Level 4 — which includes critical entry-level skill training linked to employment.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and ensure vocational education is deeply integrated within the school system.

Officials from MSDE and NCVET emphasised that becoming a Dual Category Awarding Body places greater responsibility on State Boards — not just to conduct assessments, but to maintain quality standards in vocational pedagogy and learner outcomes.

A highlight of the workshop was a hands-on session where States received live technical support to complete their applications. As a result, all 24 participating States began their onboarding process, while six States — Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Nagaland — completed and submitted their applications. The Goa Board also shared its experience through a case study.

The University of Southampton has launched its fully operational campus in Gurugram, becoming the first foreign university to do so under the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulations.

The UK-based institution received its Letter of Intent last year and completed the campus within 12 months. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the campus on Wednesday, calling it a milestone for NEP 2020 and the India-UK Roadmap 2030.

“This sets a precedent for internationalisation at home and for India’s vision of becoming a global knowledge hub,” Pradhan said.

Beginning in 2025, the campus will offer UK-aligned undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including BSc degrees in Computer Science, Economics, Business Management, and Accounting & Finance, as well as MSc degrees in Finance and International Management. Students will also have the option to study up to one year at Southampton’s UK or Malaysia campuses.

Pradhan urged the university to introduce strong STEM offerings and focus on global challenges. Haryana CM Saini welcomed the initiative as a boost to Gurugram’s emergence as an education and innovation hub.

The university will recruit 75+ faculty members with international credentials. The inaugural student cohort includes candidates from India, the UAE, and Nepal.

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Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi added that the UGC’s streamlined guidelines are enabling more such collaborations, helping position India as an attractive destination for international education.

The University of Southampton is a Russell Group institution and ranks among the top 100 universities worldwide. Its Gurugram campus is expected to strengthen India’s global academic ties and offer students a world-class, locally accessible education.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released the new Class 8 Social Science textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond for the 2025–26 academic session, marking the first time students are introduced to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire at this grade level under the revised National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

This new volume, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, takes a more direct approach in describing episodes of violence, religious conflict, and iconoclasm during the 13th to 17th centuries, while simultaneously including cautionary notes emphasizing historical context and contemporary responsibility.

A Shift in Framing Historical Conflict

In a departure from previous editions, the book explicitly refers to political instability, destruction of religious sites, and forced conversions during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal rule. It discusses multiple invasions, plunder campaigns, and attacks on temples by rulers and generals such as Malik Kafur and Alauddin Khilji.

A newly added explanatory section, titled “A Note on Some Darker Periods in History,” outlines the rationale for such inclusions, stating the intent is to understand historical violence dispassionately and not attribute blame to present-day communities. The note reads, “Understanding the historical origin of cruel violence, abusive misrule or misplaced ambitions of power is the best way to heal the past and build a future where, hopefully, they will have no place.”

Focus on Mughal Rule: Blending Power with Faith

The chapter titled Reshaping India’s Political Map covers major developments under the Mughals, from Babur to Aurangzeb. Babur is depicted as both a cultured figure and a “brutal conqueror,” with references to his own writings about the aftermath of his military campaigns. Akbar is described as having a reign marked by “a blend of brutality and tolerance,” acknowledging both his early military actions and later efforts at interfaith dialogue.

Aurangzeb’s rule is discussed in terms of both religious motivations and political strategy. The book references farmans (imperial edicts) ordering temple demolitions and notes debates among scholars about his intentions.

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While these sections document religious intolerance and violence, they are accompanied by recurring statements that urge students not to draw contemporary conclusions or apportion modern blame for historical events. One note reads: “Some of the invaders and rulers mentioned above committed terrible deeds and atrocities… but it is important to keep in mind that we, today, bear no responsibility for actions of individuals hundreds of years ago.”

Shivaji and the Marathas: Strategic Leadership and Cultural Identity

The subsequent chapter on the Marathas emphasizes Shivaji’s leadership, administrative innovation, and cultural contributions. He is portrayed as a leader who upheld his faith while respecting others and worked to restore desecrated temples.

According to the NCERT, these revisions are not simply textbook updates but part of a comprehensive overhaul that reimagines pedagogy and curriculum in light of NEP 2020. “Any comparison with the old syllabus and textbooks is therefore fruitless,” the NCERT said in a public statement.

The QS Best Student Cities 2026 rankings, released on July 15 by UK-based higher education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), have placed Seoul as the world’s best city for students, overtaking London and Tokyo for the first time. However, the rankings also mark significant progress for Indian cities, particularly on the affordability and employment outcomes fronts.

India’s four largest metros—Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai—all improved their positions compared to last year. Mumbai re-entered the global top 100, climbing 15 spots to rank 98th. Delhi rose to 104th, Bangalore to 108th, and Chennai reached 128th.

Among the standout achievements, Delhi has been ranked the world’s most affordable city for students, scoring 96.5 out of 100 on the affordability index. Mumbai (86.3), Bangalore (84.3), and Chennai (80.1) also featured among the top 15 globally in this category. The affordability metric assesses cost-of-living factors such as tuition, housing, and daily expenses.

The QS Best Student Cities Rankings are based on six key indicators: QS university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability, and student view. To qualify, cities must have a population exceeding 250,000 and host at least two universities featured in the latest QS World University Rankings.

India’s upward trajectory in the 2026 edition reflects both domestic education reforms and international recognition. Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, noted that the progress aligns with the goals of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, especially in promoting global engagement and student-centric learning. “In just ten years, India has seen a 390% increase in the number of universities featured in the QS World University Rankings,” she stated.

In the employer activity category, Delhi and Mumbai broke into the global top 50, signaling strong graduate employability. Bangalore registered the steepest climb, rising 41 positions to 59th, while Chennai jumped 29 spots, indicating the growing international credibility of graduates from these cities.

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Global Highlights:

• Seoul ranked #1 globally, followed by Tokyo (#2) and London (#3).

• Munich and Melbourne rounded off the global top five.

• A notable shift toward Asia is evident, with 39 cities from the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Australia and New Zealand) featured in the rankings. Among the 34 Asian cities listed in 2025, 26 improved their positions this year.

• Other high-performing Asian cities included Kuala Lumpur (#12), Beijing (#13), and Taipei (#14), achieving their highest-ever rankings.

As India approaches the fifth anniversary of NEP 2020, the steady rise of its cities in global education indices suggests that structural investments in quality, accessibility, and employability are beginning to pay off. While challenges remain, especially in global perception and desirability metrics, the country’s metros are steadily carving a space in the international higher education map.

The summit on ‘Women in Leadership for Viksit Bharat’, jointly hosted by WeSchool, the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), and Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University, brought together a cross-section of stakeholders from governance, academia, and industry to discuss a crucial gap in India’s growth story: the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.

At the heart of the discussion was a paradox: while women constitute 48% of India’s higher education enrollment, only a fraction make it to decision-making roles. For instance, just 9–10% of women reach boardrooms, and a mere 12% occupy leadership positions, despite 41% of the country’s higher education cohort being female. These figures, presented and reiterated throughout the summit, underscore a pressing concern — that India’s demographic dividend is incomplete without addressing its gender leadership gap.

The event positioned itself not just as a ceremonial gathering but as a call to institutional action. Leaders stressed that India’s journey toward becoming a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047 must be inclusive by design, not by default. That means policy, education, and workplace ecosystems must align to enable women from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to step into leadership roles.

The summit’s sessions explored key barriers — lack of access, socio-cultural constraints, gaps in mentorship, and the invisibilisation of women’s work in both formal and informal economies. There was also a strong focus on the role of skilling and education in building leadership capacity, particularly in sectors like STEM, administration, entrepreneurship, and governance.

Countries like Rwanda, Finland, and New Zealand were frequently referenced as case studies where inclusive leadership models have translated into stronger national outcomes — from better health and education indices to more equitable economies. India, speakers noted, has the talent pool — but it needs structural and cultural shifts to realise its full potential.

Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director of WeSchool, pointed out: “While India sees 41% women in higher education, only 12% reach leadership roles — a gap we must urgently address. At WeSchool, we see education as a transformative force.”

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Dr. Apoorva Palkar, Founding VC of Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University, echoed that sentiment, highlighting that this isn’t just a gender issue — “It’s a missed opportunity for inclusive growth.” If women aren’t present at tables where decisions are made, she argued, “those decisions will never fully represent or benefit society at large.”

Government participation was also robust, with IAS officers including Mrs. Vinita Singhal, Mrs. Radhika Rastogi, and Mrs. Manisha Verma bringing grassroots perspectives on gender-inclusive policy design. Academic leaders like Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo and Dr. Upasna Agrawal discussed institutional reforms to embed leadership training early in educational pathways.

Industry voices such as Ms. Aarti Harbhajanka (Primus Partners), Dr. Tanaya Mishra (In-Solution Global Ltd.), and Ms. Poyni Bhatt (formerly of SINE–IIT Bombay) provided insights into how startup ecosystems and corporate governance structures can either accelerate or inhibit women’s rise to the top.

Throughout the summit, one theme remained constant: India cannot afford to exclude half its population from the leadership narrative. The path to a developed India must be paved with inclusive leadership, and that means reimagining how women access, navigate, and shape systems of power and progress.

The summit concluded with a shared resolve: to turn dialogue into design, and design into durable change. If Viksit Bharat is the destination, women’s leadership is the vehicle that can drive us there — faster, fairer, and stronger.

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