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Leading lights from education discuss the highs and lows of 2019 as well as the hopes for 2020

In the last month of the year, a note of hope was sounded with the HRD Ministry declaring that the new National Education Policy would be in the public domain very soon and, what’s more, it would ‘establish the glory of India in the world’.

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In the last month of the year, a note of hope was sounded with the HRD Ministry declaring that the new National Education Policy would be in the public domain very soon and, what’s more, it would ‘establish the glory of India in the world’. Yes, we could do with some of that shine! MHRD Secretary (Higher Education) R Subrahmanyam emphasised, “This education policy is going to modify the way we are implementing our education systems.” NEP 2019 envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming India sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high quality education to all. Some of the goals include quality early childhood education for all children between 3-6 years by 2025, every student in Grade 5 and beyond to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025, new 5+3+3+4 developmentally-appropriate curricular and pedagogical structure for school education, integrated, flexible school curriculum, no hierarchy of subjects, no hard separation of areas; integration of vocational and academic streams and lots more. The implementation of the NEP is naturally much looked forward to in the new year, by a system that has much to achieve. Incidentally, the HRD ministry received more than 2 lakh suggestions on NEP.

Edtech continues to make big strides. A study conducted by Google and KPMG had estimated online education in India, apparently the fastest growing internet market, to mushroom by 8 x into a close to $2 billion industry by 2021. This boom has seen a varied range of edtech platforms tackling the current infrastructure gap in different ways. While some use animation to teach complex topics, others have human tutors doing the teaching, while still others have gamified the process to create an interactive learning experience. Edtech start-ups, with their new and engaging range of solutions including new age tutorials, flipped classrooms, personalised learning and standardised resources, have the potential to leapfrog our education system towards increased success.

Say edtech and it must willy-nilly be followed by Byju’s… Byju’s, which has since raised close to a billion dollars from investors, is among the five most valuable Indian start-ups, along with Oyo, Paytm, Ola and Swiggy, last valued at about $5.5 billion in July. The company posted profits of ₹20 crore last fiscal on revenues of about ₹1,400 crore, on the back of about 35 million users, 2.5 million of whom are paid subscribers. With close to 85 percent renewal rate, the firm is on course to clock ₹3,000 crore in the current fiscal.

Budget time, it was revealed that the government plans to invest Rs.38, 572 crore under the National Education Mission. In 2018-19, Budget Education was Rs.56,619 crore, which had been increased to Rs.62,474 crore. It has been further increased to 76,800 crore in BE 2019-20. The four prominent schemes under National Education Mission, including Sakshar Bharat, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha and Teacher training programs, are expected to get a boost. The increased spend on National Education Program will make provision for skilled teachers in the system with better pay. It will also provide incentives to encourage research across all disciplines along with strengthening the technical capacity of the central schools.

With the budget's emphasis on digitisation, AI and advanced technology, integration of technology in classrooms is expected to get a considerable thrust. Additionally, education is expected to become more accessible for all. Technology upgradation and teacher's training are the two critical elements that will allow Indian schools to leverage the power of digital solutions and prepare students for new age jobs and careers.

Even as President Ramnath Kovind stressed that liberal arts education needs to be given as much importance as science and technology, and at least 23 teenagers in the southern Indian state of Telangana killed themselves since their controversial school-leaving exam results, several million people, including thousands of students, took part in the global climate strike across the world, inspired by Swedish climate activist and student, Greta Thunberg. “People are failing to grasp the anger of the younger generation in the face of a changing climate,” young Greta pointed out. “People are underestimating the force of angry kids.” Truly, if we cannot help, let us not hinder and simply get out of the way!

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Since year endings merit looking back and looking forward, we got key experts from the field of education to share with ScooNews their views on the main developments and happenings in the field, both domestic and global, over the year. What did they find encouraging? What are the lessons that need to be learned from the challenges encountered to ensure better outcomes? What are they particularly looking forward to in the new year with regard to education? Here’s what they feel…

‘Learning is now a life-long practice’
Pukhraj Ranjan
Indian education & social innovation advocate
Head of Community & Media at HundrED.org

Schools in India and around the world are trying to innovate and match the speed at which the world is changing. But education, as of today, isn’t restricted only to the school boundaries. Children are learning from TV, social media channels, their own parents and communities, news, internet and through many other learning avenues. Learning is now a life-long practice which presents an ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons.

Through my experience at the HundrED Innovation Summit (Helsinki, Finland) and World Innovation Summit for Education – WISE 2019 (Doha, Qatar), over the last month, has reiterated my belief in the future of education to be rooted in holistic development and holistic wellbeing of the child.

Across both the summits and my continued interaction with global education innovators, I have noticed a deep focus on using design thinking to solve social challenges that prevent students from getting access to education. I also have noticed a rise in soft (essential) skills education like that of  social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development, but also self-sustainability, as well as competitiveness and employability.

71% of the HundrED 2020 global collection of education innovations target the development of 21st century skills as defined by the Future of Education and Skills 2030 report by the OECD (2018). The six winners of the 2019 WISE Awards were also seen to be addressing global educational challenges from supporting low-income families with funding support packages in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia to facilitating early childhood development through home visiting programs in Brazil, etc.
A key facet of the conversations in the current global education landscape revolves around innovative practices in education that have solid evidence of impact and more importantly have the potential to scale.

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New innovation needed:

While researching innovative education practices, the HundrED research team identified some global factors contributing to the resistance and distrust on experimenting with new practices and technologies. These include:

Time is a scarce resource that is spread thinly across curricula demands, which consequently stifles deep thinking, imagination, and creativity in schools.
Managing demanding assessment expectations causes most educators and students to be risk averse (e.g. the rise of standardised assessment).
Teachers are stressed just to get to the end of the day and cut corners out of necessity, leaving little room for new ideas to grow in an agile way.

Current structural boundaries (like a rigid school timetable) stifle new ideas for teachers and students, making it very difficult for innovation in education to spread easily.
As an Indian educator and innovation advocate, I believe new innovations in education should aim to allow us to do more with less and provide ways for educators to mitigate against these barriers.

Holistic wellbeing of all:

As we move into 2020, I look forward to seeing a sustainable and continued commitment to holistic development and holistic wellbeing of not just the child but all key education stakeholders like teachers, school leaders, parents, etc. I am also hopeful for a renewed focus on actively listening and involving the beneficiaries of our work and critical educational conversations, especially students and youth. And as mentioned above, I hope to see more innovations in education that do more with less and provide ways to help children flourish and reach their potential worldwide.

‘Attention given to personalised learning is heartening’

Lina Ashar
Educationist, entrepreneur, writer
Chairman, Kangaroo Kids Education Limited

The most promising developments in education recently have been the integration of technology in classrooms and schools and the increased attention given to personalised learning.
We’re at the cusp of an education revolution and modern advancements have been the driving force that could very well change the face of education forever. The integration of technology in schools and classrooms has been a boon to students, faculty and management. The use of classroom management software and cloud technology have not only help drive cost savings and operational efficiencies but improve the utilisation of resources for student learning. Breakthroughs in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality, within the education sector, have changed the way students learn, paving the way for data-driven and personalised learning.
Artificial intelligence has improved student learning through tutoring systems that are available as and when the student requires. The same system is able to adapt the teaching approach to suit the student’s needs and thereafter evaluate the student’s performance. It utilizes data obtained through direct interaction and mobile learning to adapt the approach and help realise the student’s potential for learning. Artificial intelligence, through the use of concepts like online learning and data-driven learning, is helping make a student’s education more relevant and personalised. Virtual reality or virtual learning has made it possible for students to experience their education more vividly, increasing their interest in the matter and improving their understanding. It makes the interaction between students and subjects more immersive and engaging by giving students, quite literally, a better view on the subject.

The need to find motivation:

Resilience and positivity are the key lessons to learn from any challenge. I believe that students today lack the self-belief and determination that could help them overcome challenges. Students may have the skills and direction to overcome challenges, but they need to find the motivation to keep moving forward.
Parents and teachers need to help students understand that failure is not the end, it’s a means to an end. Failure is a stepping stone and can help students learn, so by teaching them to look at it positively, children can gain the potential to learn more.

Obstacles and challenges are a part of life, it’s how we choose to look at it that can make the difference. When these challenges appear, it is up to us to find meaning in it. This can set us on the road to developing resilience. Let the life story of Lou Gehrig serve as an example of overcoming challenges and creating better outcomes. Lou was a clumsy kid, and the boys in his neighbourhood wouldn’t let him play on their baseball team. But this didn’t deter him from playing baseball, instead, he tapped into his source of inner courage and determination to keep improving. Where do you think that got him? Today, he is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players of all time. Such is the power of positivity and resilience.

Taking failure positively, but at the same time using the experience to overcome it, can put students on the path to success. Ultimately, to ensure better outcomes, we need to make sure that we learn from the experience and use that learning to do better; positivity and resilience help ensure that we keep moving forward and keep learning.

Not a restart but change:

A new year symbolises a new beginning, but what we need isn’t a restart, we need a change. Education needs to be restructured to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies they need for the future.
Education needs to be less about just teaching children and more about how we can create effective, lifelong learners, where learning new skills will be an ongoing necessity throughout life. To that end, I’m looking forward to a revamp of the system; making student education more focused on development rather than on results and success.
In the future, education and every other aspect of the world will be heavily dependent on technology. Many jobs will be replaced by machines. So, what’s in store for our children?

Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, spoke at The World Economic Forum, saying: “If we do not change the way we teach, the world will be in trouble. Our education is knowledge-based, and we cannot teach our kids to compete with machines. We have to teach them something unique so that machines can never catch up with us.”
We need to equip the learners of today with the skills and values that can help them become adaptable, innovative, and purpose-driven, as those will be the requirements for success in the world that they will live in. We need to prepare our children for the workplace of the future.
Keeping that in mind, I look forward to the evolution of education in terms of a pivotal shift. Regrettably, the push for change is an external one, from industries that are not having their needs met by the current state of education. Education should be more proactive to future vision and change by itself. So, here’s to hoping that the education system will realise the necessity of such a change.

‘Overjoyed by happiness inclusion in curriculum’

Dr Jagpreet Singh
Headmaster, Punjab Public School, Nabha.

I was thrilled to see the inclusion of technology making its presence felt in almost every education sector. I was overjoyed by the fact that Delhi government and other states included Happiness in their Curriculum. Ironically, at the same time this has left me wondering …do we need to teach happiness and enforce it in our lives? Time to contemplate, my dear colleagues from the education fraternity…!

Drawing the line:

Yes, with IT playing the role of necessary evil, we need to have a more clear line of thought about “how much is too much”. We must understand and find out the constructive role of technology in the learning outcome as per various Educational Boards.

Catch ‘em young:

I will be extremely elated to see the young generation taking up teaching as profession. Classrooms breaking the barrier of four walls and inter-disciplinary approach will be an interesting thing to learn and implement.

‘Dialogue is a silver lining’

Dr. Sumer Singh
Author and advisor to schools
Director Education Salad

In spite of the dismal level of financial support from government towards school education and education research, there are some silver linings which have emerged in recent times.
What comes to mind first is dialogue, dialogue between educators and the CBSE and between educators and the Ministry of HRD. How much is the impact on policy is still not known but the desire for more open conversation gives rise not only to optimism but also to the emergence of enhanced brainstorming and to a consequential growth of education leaders in the private sector.

From my perch as a retired educationist I see them coming out of their limited campus environments onto the bigger stage and a number of educational thinkers are having a very positive impact. Not only are these educationists more outspoken than their counterparts of my generation, but they have been sharing their views and experiences on the platforms provided by a mushrooming of conferences and workshops across the country. These ever-multiplying conferences are leading to sharing of best practices, ideas and cooperation as never before. Organisations like ScooNews, Education World & Future 50 need to be recognized for their contribution in the development of this phenomenon.

The second positive development is globalization and inter-cultural learning. Educators are engaging beyond the elitist global clubs that benefit only a few. AFS has grown in the last two years into a network of a hundred schools pan India, providing training in intercultural skills to over thousands of students and hundreds of educators. Apart from overseas exchanges it has initiated domestic exchanges and I have seen the dividends of student exchanges between schools in different parts of the country creating friendships and a better understanding of our cultural diversity. This is so important in an age when nations and even Indian states are finding reasons to isolate themselves in a false sense of nationalism and protectionism.

Migration across state and national borders in search of better education, professional development and tourism is a growing reality and preparing students in inter cultural sensitivity is an essential component of education.
Educators are equally exposing themselves through study tours abroad. The biggest impacts in this process is the emergence of humanities or the liberal arts as a preferred option and the importance now being given more widely to languages, visual and performing arts.

In all this churning many of our students have shifted priorities beyond traditional and well-paying careers to areas of responsible citizenship, desiring to make an impact on issues like environment & urban planning, gender sensitivity, conflict resolution as also educational opportunities for the less privileged. This new breed will impact our society for the better for they are thinking beyond their own personal comforts. Certainly more than we did.
There is also a gradual shift in rural areas away from a desire to secure government jobs towards acquiring skills and working independently. If this trend grows the result will be more enterprise and the creation of jobs.

Postponement of qualifying exam disheartening:

Having listed some of the positive trends I have a major regret which I do hope is addressed soon. In the 1980s I attended a series of meetings with the HRD Minister, Education Secretary and Chairperson of the CBSE. It was resolved that India would do away with the school leaving examination which restricts multi-faceted talents recognizing only academic achievements based on restricted parameters, encouraging unhealthy competition and stress. That we would replace this with a common higher studies’ qualifying examination that could be attempted a multiple of times. It was hoped to reduce the existing numerous entrance examinations and, in the process, give more freedom of curriculum at the school level.

I was sad to learn soon after that the implementation of this decision was postponed because the Ministry lacked the technical skills to introduce the resolution till such time as papers could be simultaneously prepared in multiple languages. I do still hope this scheme, long forgotten, is revived one day.
We all hope that educators will shift from a lecture, notes and memorization methodology to a more creative and experiential model. But until the assessment model is changed, we will remain tied to marks and ranks, neglecting the essential soft skills that define each of us.

‘Swing from memory-based to skill-based education’
Anirudh Khaitan
Vice Chairman Khaitan Public School
Director, Bengal Education Society

Our recent trip to Australia has been an eye opener for the education system that is being followed there.  The complete assessment and analysis of students performance is being monitored through data using artificial intelligence tools.  Technology is being heavily integrated into classrooms, being in the real world feel into classrooms.  What was very encouraging to see globally is how education is being moved away from memory based to more skill-based education.  Specially in Australia, they have managed to bring in literally 1000’s of skills into high school education and there is a very positive impact on schooling there because of it.

Even in India, there has been a complete thought process change in how one of their leading boards CBSE is viewing education.  They have been able to shift their mindset from Rote Learning Methodology to more experiential based learning.  This is more in line with what is needed in our country.  The have recently announced many initiatives from reforms in assessments that will have a huge impact on how education is done in the country.

 
RTE challenges:

The introduction of RTE has been extremely challenging both for government institutions and private institutions.  Instead of increasing overall enrolment, RTE has managed to only shift students from Government to Private schools.  Currently the RTE is going to be revamped and we are very hopeful that the government will look at all the misgivings of the earlier policy and make it better.  The government is the biggest provider of education, without which a country cannot move forward.  They are already focussing more on making their own schools better and now we look forward for their support in the initiatives taken by the private schools, so together we can all take the country forward.

Needed: NEP implementation:

I am particularly looking forward to the implementation of NEP as if done in the right way, it could make a huge impact on school education.  Personally, for our schools, we are looking at automating all processes as into give a better product and experience to our students and parents.

‘AI is digging into data and learning rapidly’

Anand Krishnaswamy
Dean of STEM Studies
Purkal Youth Development Society

What a teacher is, has been a shape-shifting definition since our mythological version of the guru in a gurukula – from being a controller to a facilitator, from being the store of knowledge to flipped classes, from being the key player in a closed room to MOOCs, from that strict martinet to an empathetic comrade – and continues to change. But there is one development which is rapidly pushing education and teachers to answer this question as in that answer will be the roadmap to how education itself will take shape. That development is of artificial intelligence (AI) and its increasing role in education. Before I go into the debate, let me present some of the work that is out there.
Many countries are invested in AI in education. Global edtech funding jumped a whopping 58% in 2015 from the previous year. The market is projected to grow at 17.0% per annum, to $252 billion by the year 2020. Asia is seeing the fastest growth in investment into the sector; China, in particular, is the largest edtech market. China is also very bullish about AI in education. Many reports across the world attribute higher pass grades and reduced dropout rates to collaborating with an AI adaptive learning system. It will no longer be about gadgets but about utilising tech for providing value unlike realised before in education. The validation is there but what are the key differentiators?

The biggest strengths:

AI’s biggest strength is scale of operation. An AI system can not only look at the responses of students in the class and identify patterns of error and learning (which an excellent human teacher could also do) but it can also crunch numbers and extract patterns from all schools in a city or state or country and indicate with varying degrees of confidence, the likely paths ahead or challenges in the past. A human teacher is not even privy to this information, let alone possess the ability to process these. An AI system can respond to identified patterns by picking from a massive catalogue of options. A human teacher (and even the best) can respond with a few options. An AI system can process data about a student’s learning pattern over the years & even build a model that maps it to physiological changes – and then repeat this for thousands of students. The best human teacher is rarely ever with one student for many years and even if they are, they are unlikely to repeat this intimate awareness at a scale beyond a few tens at best. AI is a function of its algorithms. The best human teacher is a function of his/her moods, mental acumen (which is not fixed), commitment, health and energy levels.
I’ll present one example of the work out there. A lot of fascinating advancements are being done at Squirrel AI Learning, China. Their strength lies in the granularity they invest in and the responses to signals at that level of granularity. In common terms, Squirrel’s strength is in how minutely they break down each topic, say, a chapter, into facets that require new learning or reconnect to old learning as well as the response mechanism they have for a student’s interaction with those facets. This response mechanism, they call a “knowledge graph”. By presenting about 10-15 questions, the system is able to determine the exact support and help the student needs as well as the flavour of the next lesson (since the next lesson can come in different flavours depending on student learning styles and their individual knowledge graph). The future, at places like Squirrel AI, is fascinating & full of possibilities. Whether this ends up in a test-driven education model (much like what we see in coaching classes and cities like Kota) or an expansive and holistic education – we will never know but AI is here to stay.

Teachers and AI:

While many will emotionally respond with “Ah! No computer can replace a real teacher”, that number is reducing very swiftly. The wiser few do not talk in terms of “either or” and acknowledge that the human would be the best human teacher if s/he admitted his/her shortcomings and utilised AI to fill those and inform his/her judgement. The reason that is inevitable is because teaching and education has loved to play to the image of that amazing teacher who created a miracle in the lives of many. AI is simply not wasting time in miracles but is digging into data and learning rapidly. Teaching & effective learning is composed of elements that are repetitive & rudimentary, coupled with elements that are subjective and perception-based, combined with elements that are inherently evolutionary and adaptive. Some of these elements can be presented by a machine (which is not very different, in its role, from a textbook; just richer). There are elements of analysis that simply need to be performed (what example works best for Kumar? What video should Sujata watch next? Has Vijay truly understood fraction equivalence? etc.) and are today held ransom to the teacher’s willingness, capability or inclination to trick the system. AI can perform these without taking a break. A wise teacher would use this to identify his/her next move.

While India is far behind in AI and is more likely to end up adopting from elsewhere, this is going to be a significant overhaul of education system implementation as we know it. This is a trend I am eagerly watching.

 

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Lighting the Way, One Beam at a Time – Monika Banga

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In the stillness of the COVID-19 lockdown—when the world hit pause and uncertainty gripped communities—Monika Banga quietly sparked something radical. Not radical in funding or scale, but in spirit. Born out of a moment of global stillness, The LightBeam Project wasn’t launched with loud declarations or big grants. It began as something far more intimate: a bridge between continents, classrooms, and possibilities.

But Ms. Monika’s journey didn’t start there. It began over a decade earlier, in under-resourced classrooms where she worked with children who had never known structured learning, or imagined speaking with someone from another country. With over 12 years of experience, she didn’t just teach—she listened. And what she heard, again and again, was a hunger not for food, but for discovery, belonging, and expression.

When the Granny Cloud initiative—a volunteer-driven project that connected retired educators with children—came to a close, Monika felt the silence it left behind. Along with her friend and fellow educationist Lesley Keast from Spain, she wondered: What if that spark of connection could be reignited? That one idea gave birth to The LightBeam Project. It began modestly: a handful of volunteers, one school, a few curious children, and shaky internet. But it carried a powerful belief: every child has the right to dream, and someone, somewhere, will listen.

Unlike traditional education interventions, LightBeam didn’t come with a manual. It came with open-ended conversations. Sessions inspired by SOLE (Self-Organised Learning Environments) nudged children toward self-discovery. Initially, the children were hesitant.

“They were used to answers, not questions,” Monika recalls.

But soon, wonder took over. They began asking: Why do we age? What if all insects disappeared? These weren’t sessions—they became rituals of curiosity.

As their questions deepened, so did their digital skills. Devices once used for distraction turned into tools of creation. Children began making digital presentations, recording videos, and sharing local traditions with volunteers across the globe. One girl proudly made a Canva slideshow introducing her Beamer to her village’s customs. These weren’t just projects. They were windows into identity.

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Lesley Keast, one of LightBeam’s earliest volunteers, reflects on the transformation she’s seen. “The children now have SOLE sessions in their learning DNA. They own the enquiry. They direct the wonder.” For her, the project isn’t just about teaching—it’s about being part of a global community stitched together by purpose. “Our WhatsApp and Facebook groups are more than admin tools. They’re our digital campfires,” she smiles.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest moments that leave the biggest marks. In one session disrupted by technical issues, Lesley recorded a video and sent it to the students with a few questions. They responded with videos of their own. One came from Ruby, a student who had never spoken during any session. With support from her peers, she sent a video back—radiant with confidence. “That’s when the ice cracked,” Lesley said.

In another session, students chose their own topics and returned with insights on dark matter and Freud. “We thought those were far beyond them,” Lesley said. “But with no ceilings, they soared.”

The LightBeam Project has no classrooms. And that’s its strength. By embedding itself into existing schools—like DIKSHA in Gurgaon—it stays grounded. DIKSHA, Monika shares, has been a pillar, ensuring support, space, and safety for these sessions. The absence of fixed walls creates a flexibility rare in educational systems. Sessions can happen anywhere children and curiosity meet.

The project’s growth depends on sustained partnerships—with schools, funders, and storytellers. “Support in storytelling,” Monika says, “goes a long way. Stories beam us into places we’ve never been.”

For teachers who feel trapped by rigid systems, Monika’s advice is gentle: Start small. Ask students what they’re curious about. Let them explore. Joy isn’t the enemy of rigour—it fuels it. And agency doesn’t create chaos. It creates connection.

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Through The LightBeam Project, Monika Banga has redefined what education looks like in a post-pandemic world. Not transmission, but transformation. Not instruction, but invitation. Each call is a candle lit. Each question, a door opened. Each child, a beam of light—brighter than the last.

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University of Southampton Opens First Full-Fledged Foreign University Campus in India

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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Haryana CM Nayab Saini inaugurate the University of Southampton’s new Gurugram campus. (Image: X - @nayabsaini)

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.

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Dancing Beyond Boundaries – The Story of Krithiga Ravichandran

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In the heart of Puducherry, where colonial buildings wear salt stains and stories, lives a woman quietly orchestrating a revolution — barefoot, graceful, and defiant. Krithiga Ravichandran, a Bharatanatyam dancer and Assistant Professor of Computer Science, moves between two seemingly different worlds. But look closer, and both are bound by the same rhythm — teaching, nurturing, and transforming.

Born into a family where the arts were heritage, not hobby, Krithiga was raised by the sounds of mridangam, violin, and Carnatic ragas. Her earliest memories? Her grandmother reciting jathis while tapping on a steel plate. “That was my first dance class,” she recalls. “No stage. Just the veranda and a heart full of movement.” By five, she was training formally in Bharatanatyam. And yet, even then, she saw how exclusionary the classical arts could be. The costs — of costumes, jewellery, music recordings — kept so many young girls out.

In 2014, on her birthday, Krithiga founded the Veer Foundation of Arts and Culture Trust, inspired by her father’s values of service. With it, she began offering free Bharatanatyam classes to underprivileged girls. These weren’t just lessons in movement, but in identity. Under temple porticos, community halls, and now small studios, these girls train rigorously — not to perform for others, but to discover themselves.

When she’s not dancing, Krithiga teaches Computer Science at Indira Gandhi Arts and Science College.

“Whether I’m breaking down a loop or a mudra, it’s the same joy — watching a student’s eyes light up.”

Her days begin with code and end in abhinaya. Yet, this rhythm energizes her — it’s how she lives her purpose.

Over the years, shy girls who once hesitated to speak now take the stage with confidence. Dance has offered them more than grace — it has given them resilience. “They come unsure,” Krithiga says. “But they bloom. They plan rehearsals, mentor juniors, manage logistics. They lead.” What begins as dance becomes training in leadership, storytelling, budgeting, and cultural memory.

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Dancers in the Making, Leaders in the Wings

In a pioneering move, Krithiga introduced Bharatanatyam as a therapeutic tool inside Puducherry’s Central Prison. “It was experimental,” she admits. “But we saw remarkable change — calmness, awareness, even hope.”

Some questioned her decision. “Why offer sacred art to prisoners?” But she insists: “Who better to understand longing and repentance?” To Krithiga, art must include. Art must heal.

Creating safe, inclusive spaces for marginalised girls remains central to her vision. “They don’t just need a guru. They need a safe adult.” She counsels, supports, and makes sure no girl feels alone. From arranging transport to lending jewellery, she builds a circle of trust around them. Much of it runs on her own earnings. “If you believe in something, you fund it — with time, energy, and soul.”

Though she receives small donations — old costumes, music books — she’s kept the work intimate and rooted. “Every piece of jewellery on stage has a story,” she says. “Someone’s daughter outgrew it, someone remembered their Arangetram. It’s a circle of generosity.”

“Dance Doesn’t Ask Who You Are. It Asks, How Do You Feel?”

Krithiga’s vision is to build a holistic centre for classical arts — with a stage, library, wellness wing, and space for reflection. “I don’t want to just train dancers. I want to raise artists — those who know the pulse of the past and can choreograph the future.”

To her, Bharatanatyam isn’t ornamental. It’s essential. A language of liberation — especially for those the world forgets to watch.

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NCERT’s New Class 8 History Textbook Addresses “Darker Periods”, Highlights Religious Intolerance and Resilience

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The new NCERT Class 8 textbook presents Delhi Sultanate and Mughal-era events alongside advisory notes on historical context and responsible interpretation.

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.

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QS Rankings 2026: Delhi Named Most Affordable; Mumbai In Top 100 for Best Student Cities

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Delhi has emerged as the world’s most affordable city for students in the QS Best Student Cities 2026 rankings.

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.

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From Classrooms to Boardrooms: Women Leaders Drive the Vision of Viksit Bharat

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Women leaders from governance, academia, and industry converge at WeSchool Mumbai for the 'Women in Leadership for Viksit Bharat' summit.

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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The Man Who Called His Students Gods: Dwijendranath Ghosh

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Dwijendranath Ghosh calls himself ordinary.

But how many “ordinary” people spend their retirement building a school from scratch — with no funding, no government salary, and no promise of support? How many choose to teach every day, without compensation, well into their 70s? And how many refer to their students — many from the most marginalised sections of rural Bengal — as gods?

At 78, Ghosh is the heart and soul of Basantapur Junior High School in West Bengal’s Hooghly district. He opens the gate each morning. He teaches children for free. He never left his village — but his impact now reaches far beyond it.

From Barefoot Dreams to Blackboards

Ghosh’s journey is rooted in personal struggle. Growing up in deep poverty, he had no books, no uniforms, and no certainty. His childhood was spent walking barefoot to school, borrowing textbooks, and studying by the glow of kerosene lamps. And yet, he rose. A master’s degree from Burdwan University followed in 1973.

“The pain of those days still haunts me,” he says. “But it also shaped me.”

That pain turned into purpose. Soon after graduating, he and a few friends began running an informal high school in their village—unrecognised, unpaid, but unstoppable. For nine years, they taught with nothing but commitment. When the government finally recognised the school in 1982, Ghosh had already left to take a government job elsewhere, forced by financial needs.

The Second School

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He retired in 2008. But instead of resting, he returned to his village and found that little had changed. Girls were still dropping out after primary school. Child marriage was common. A generation was fading into invisibility. So he began again. With no funding, no building, and no staff, he worked for five years to create Basantapur Junior High School.

In 2014, the school was officially recognised. But the journey was never about the paperwork — it was about presence. Every morning, Ghosh arrives before the first bell. He teaches, supports, and uplifts — without compensation. Because for him, teaching is service.

A Volunteer Army — Running on Faith

He’s not alone. A team of young, educated, but unemployed volunteer teachers stands beside him. They could have chosen easier paths, but chose this one out of belief, not benefit. They are unpaid. At times, local donors offer small stipends, but it’s inconsistent. Most are struggling, yet they return every day. “They have given the most valuable years of their lives,” Ghosh says.

The school receives only ₹25,000 a year as a government grant. For three years, even that was inaccessible. What kept it alive? Former students, now grown, are donating what they can. The community is pitching in. Alumni returning to teach. When a government teacher recently disrespected the volunteers, the team almost walked out. But students and parents wouldn’t let them. Ghosh stepped in to calm tensions.

“We can’t let one bad moment undo decades of good,” he told them.

A Temple Against Child Marriage

One of the school’s biggest challenges is child marriage. In villages like Basantapur, girls are often married by 14—seen as burdens, not futures. By offering local access to education, the school has become a shield. Many girls have completed higher education here. But the battle continues. “This trend,” Ghosh says, “is like an infection. It keeps coming back.”

At Basantapur Junior High School, learning is about more than grades. Students perform in cultural shows, play football and cricket, and take part in morning assemblies. They learn to speak, to lead, to dream. There’s no structured life skills module—because the school itself is the life lesson. Students know they are seen, heard, and cared for. Teachers know their work matters. And visitors walk away knowing this is not just a school—it’s a movement.

His empathy, his daily discipline, and his belief in every child form the blueprint that his students follow. And his impact lives in their dreams.

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The Final Lesson

What does his family think?

“They worry about my health,” he laughs. “Not about the money.”

His pension is enough for his needs. What he seeks is not comfort — but recognition for his team. “These teachers have earned the right to be made permanent. A hundred times over,” he says.

When asked what keeps him going, he simply says:

“So long as I am in the school, I am alive.”

In an education system obsessed with metrics, Ghosh offers something rare: meaning.

He didn’t build a career.
He built a sanctuary.
He didn’t earn a salary.
He earned generations of gratitude.

And in every child who enters Basantapur Junior High, the final lesson is quietly imprinted:

Service is not sacrifice. It’s grace.

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Education

NCERT Launches New Class 5 & 8 Textbooks, Makes Art Education Mandatory

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The new NCERT books highlight India’s scientific achievements and cultural richness while encouraging activity-based learning. (Representational/File)

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched a new set of textbooks for Classes 5 and 8 for the 2025–26 academic session, designed in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. This marks a significant shift in India’s school education approach, with a renewed focus on creativity, scientific temper, skill development, and values rooted in Indian heritage.

The new Class 8 textbooks include Curiosity (Science), Kaushal Bodh (Vocational Education), Poorvi (English), Malhaar (Hindi), and Kriti (Art Education). For Class 5, the newly introduced books are Santoor (English) and Veena (Hindi). Designed with simple language and rich visuals, these books aim to spark curiosity while enhancing concept clarity.

Among the highlights is Curiosity, the Class 8 science book that covers topics across physics, chemistry, and biology through real-life examples and activity-based modules. It includes dedicated chapters on COVID-19 vaccine development, India’s space missions like Chandrayaan, Ayurveda, and the Make in India initiative—positioning science education within the context of India’s modern achievements.

Kaushal Bodh introduces students to skill-based learning, preparing them for real-world employment and entrepreneurship. Poorvi, the Class 8 English book, presents stories based on the lives of national icons such as Major Somnath Sharma, Verghese Kurien, and physicist Bibha Choudhary to inspire values like courage and innovation.

In a landmark move, art education has been made compulsory. Kriti brings music, drama, and theatre into the mainstream classroom, as recommended by NEP 2020. This initiative aims to nurture creativity across disciplines, allowing children to express themselves beyond textbooks and tests.

For younger learners, the new Class 5 books Santoor and Veena adopt an activity-based learning model that promotes language acquisition through stories, songs, and play—departing from rote methods to make early education more engaging.

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Despite enthusiasm from schools and parents, distribution has seen some hurdles. Reports indicate limited stock availability on platforms like Amazon and in local stores. Many parents and educators are urging NCERT to make digital versions of the books available in PDF format. NCERT has acknowledged the demand and plans to print over 15 crore copies to meet nationwide needs. Partnerships with e-commerce platforms are also being explored to streamline delivery.

This new textbook rollout is part of a broader national effort to reimagine the Indian classroom—rooted in local knowledge, focused on real-world skills, and responsive to 21st-century learning needs.

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US Embassy Tightens Social Media Checks for Student Visas

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Indian students heading to the US are being urged to remove political content from their social media to avoid visa complications amid new scrutiny protocols.

The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has intensified its vetting process for applicants of F, M, and J non-immigrant visas by requiring disclosure of and public access to social media accounts used over the past five years. Under the updated rules, all social media handles—including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and others—must be listed on the DS‑160 form, and profiles must be set to public during the visa screening process.

Consular officers are explicitly authorised to review candidates’ public posts, comments, and shares—and may even check private messages—to assess “hostility toward the United States” or support for extremist or anti‑U.S. content. Failure to comply, misrepresent information, or omit an account can result in visa denial and bar future visa eligibility.

This update forms part of a broader expansion of screening procedures initiated in June. Diplomatic posts worldwide paused student visa interviews to implement the new protocol, which treats every visa decision as a “national security decision”.   The U.S. Embassy in India also recently issued a reminder via X, stating continuous monitoring of visa holders is in effect and violations of U.S. laws—even after visa issuance—can result in revocation and deportation.

These changes reflect the U.S. administration’s emphasis on enhanced national security and combating visa fraud. While some students and immigration advocates have raised concerns about privacy and freedom of expression, the Embassy stresses that visa screening is an ongoing process. Indian students and other applicants are advised to review their online activity and ensure transparency with their DS‑160 submissions.

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A School Without Walls: The Pehchaan Story, Led by Akash Tandon

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Sometimes the biggest change begins with the smallest act — a few mats on the ground, five curious children, and a group of young volunteers refusing to look away.

In the heart of Delhi, just steps away from the WHO headquarters and the grandeur of Lutyens’ Delhi, an open drain separates two vastly different worlds. On one side: embassies, privilege, policy. On the other: a slum of over 10,000 people, where childhood is often lost to labour, illness, and invisibility.

It’s here that Pehchaan — The Street School — took root.

“We knew we couldn’t change the world. But we could change someone’s world.”

For co-founder Akash Tandon, Pehchaan wasn’t part of a five-year plan. It was a response. A moment of reckoning, watching children play in a toxic drain, unaware of the danger. “This isn’t water,” they told the kids. “It’s poison.” The kids laughed.

That laugh stayed with them.

So Akash and his friends returned. Not with speeches or slogans — but with notebooks, mats, and the stubborn belief that every child, no matter their address, deserves to learn.

What started as a weekend effort with five students has now grown into a network of 10 centres, reaching over 1,600 children. And yet, Pehchaan remains fiercely grassroots — no paid staff, no office, no formal backing. Just a living, breathing movement powered entirely by volunteers.

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Education That Heals

Pehchaan doesn’t just teach. It listens. It adapts. It believes that the first step to learning is dignity — and that means personalised mentorship, trust, and a curriculum that sees the child beyond the textbook.

Children are grouped into three learning tracks: those already in school who need support, dropouts looking to rejoin, and first-time learners who’ve never stepped inside a classroom. The model is lean but layered — with low student-volunteer ratios, personalised goals, and modules that blend academics with life skills.

There’s dance, storytelling, debate, and painting. There’s coding and digital literacy. And there’s space to be seen.

“My school encouraged me to sing, speak, perform,” says Preeti Adhikari, a longtime Pehchaan volunteer. “These children deserve that too. Because it’s not just about marks — it’s about confidence.”

From Drain to Degree

One story stays close to Akash’s heart.

A boy joined Pehchaan in Class 3. He faced pressure to drop out and start working. But he stayed. Pehchaan gave him academic support, counselling, and community. He completed Class 12 with 86%. Then cracked the Delhi University entrance exam.

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But the resistance didn’t stop. “What will you earn from books?” neighbours asked. Still, Pehchaan raised the funds, got him into college — and today, that boy teaches at the same centre where he once sat as a student.

“He’s the proof,” Akash says. “That this works. That this matters.”

A System That Runs Without a System

Despite being volunteer-run, Pehchaan operates with the discipline of a corporate team. Every 10 teaching assistants report to a centre head. Weekly reports are filed. Interns handle HR, design, digital media, and curriculum — all without salaries.

In 2024 alone, 8,000+ interns from 75+ colleges joined hands with Pehchaan. Many now lead verticals, train others, or launch their own community learning spaces.

“Earlier I taught five kids,” one intern said. “Now I’m hiring 30 volunteers who each teach five. That’s impact at scale.”

The community, too, is beginning to notice. Blanket drives, nutrition partnerships, and the newly launched Digital Literacy Lab — built with scrap funding and donated laptops — have brought a sense of permanence to the pop-up classrooms.

But the hardest barrier? Still parents.

“You show up for 10 years — then they believe you.”

Convincing slum families to send their children — especially girls — to informal schools was a long battle. Many children still get married by 14. Others are pushed into work.

But when the same group of volunteers keeps returning, year after year, in sun, rain, or smog — trust begins to grow. “We’ve moved beyond convincing now,” Akash reflects. “We’re building the next layer. It’s about dignity.”

Girls who once never stepped outside now give public speeches. Boys once caught in addiction now mentor others.

Akash is clear about the goal: “We don’t want to go pan-India. We want 50 other Pehchaans to emerge. That’s how you scale — by letting go.”

Read the full story in our latest issue, Teacher Warriors 2025.

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