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ScooReview: Watch ‘The Open Window’ to Sight The Differences Internet Has Made in Indian Students’ Lives

As India races to bring its entire population online, Deepa and Jaya, two girls from a low-income community in Delhi, are introduced to internet for the first time through an internet learning lab at their school.

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Internet is called big because it has all the books on it.

These are the words of Jaya, a teen girl living in Delhi, who thinks very differently of the internet. After all, it’s opened a new window to the outer world for her. In fact, her friend from school, Deepa, has a similar experience to share. The girls go to a local govt. school that is enriched with a SOLE (Self Organized Learning Environment) Lab, inspired by Professor Sugata Mitra’s philosophies.

SOLE is a program designed to support self-directed education (a model of learning with no teacher whatsoever) by Prof. Mitra, an education scientist, who coined this term back in 1999. The documentary The Open Window is inspired by his research and experiences based on his TED-sponsored project called ‘School in the Cloud’ – an approach that he developed following his maiden ‘Hole in the Wall’ experiments.

In ‘Hole in the Wall,’ the Professor made holes in the wall in the Kalkaji area of Delhi and placed computers in them. The placements were just three feet above the ground so that only children could access them with ease. He found it amusing that kids were browsing and downloading cartoon websites on their own.

Consequently, he learned that children are self-learners and they could do anything if the right equipment is handed over to them. This experiment gave rise to ‘School in the Cloud,’ which installs computer labs in schools in India and powers them with the internet, letting students learn without the help of an actual teacher.

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Filmed over a course of three years, The Open Window was strategically released on 29th October 2020, commemorating 51 years of the internet’s birth. It focuses on the continued growth of the internet and its impact on the future of education in an Indian set-up.

The film’s protagonists Deepa and Jaya come from a low-income community in Delhi. The first time they’re introduced to the world of the internet at a School in the Cloud’s lab, their lives begin to change…for all the questions their families had no answer to until now could be found on a computer screen with just a click.

Their respective families have always lived in poor conditions, they are illiterate and know very less about the resources and rights destined for them. Unlike a lot of low-income families in India, the parents of these girls want their children to study and come out of the prison of poverty.

As the film progresses, we see the camera chasing the girls, tearing through the narrow lanes of their respective shanties. The crew also follows them to their School in the Cloud’s lab, where we see Ritu, lab’s Project Co-ordinator. Ritu has previously worked with Prof. Mitra and is now working diligently to make his dream of building a school in the cloud a reality.

“Children are born very inquisitive and intelligent. If you’ve technology and groups of children, just give them freedom. Then see what happens. It’s like swimming, you just go into it and there’s so much. Either you become a part of it or get overwhelmed by it,” says Ritu.

For Deepa and Jaya, the internet is like a literal window, bigger than what they’ve seen in their home or school. It takes them to new ideas and gifts them new perspectives. The facts unknown to them to date are now details in their notebooks that they’ve remembered by-heart. For example, currently, Deepa is learning all about Japan. She shows off a notebook to the camera with a world map pasted in it and calls it her first world tour. The pages are filled with a lot of information about Japan, like how far it’s from India, its currency, capital, musical heritage, anime, and the famous Sumo wrestling. She’s read it up on the internet. In fact, she’s taught her class teacher how the famous magnetic trains of Japan function.  

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The film, simultaneously, also serves as a reality. It subtly reveals the fate of many girls in several parts of India, of how they're not sent to school and instead get married off as soon as they hit puberty. So, just when Deepa is talking to Ritu about her dreams, her mother requests her to leave everything and make tea for her father who’s returned from work. In the meantime, the father tells Ritu how, amidst making the ends meet, he’s struggling to get his ambitious daughter a good tutor and a fresh pair of reading glasses to his younger son.

India may be raving about being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but the truth is the percentage of children NOT benefitting from education is also aggregating. The Digital Divide is such that a majority of the families here don’t even have access to a smartphone, forget a good internet connection.

So when Prof. Mitra asks What is the future of learning?, our answers must come keeping the reality of all the Deepas and Jayas in mind.

Jaya’s family has seven members and when her father passed away, her mother took charge of the children’s education. She often takes up meagre jobs in order to feed her kids and save some money for their everyday schooling. “Children sometimes don’t understand the kind of efforts a parent makes. I have witnessed all kinds of days, sometimes I don’t eat in the evening so I can save some money. Hence, when my kids score low marks in exams, I feel sad,” she says with teary eyes.

13-year-old Jaya, who’s hoping to change the fate of her close-knit family, relies majorly on the School in the Cloud lab to educate herself on topics which are usually not included in her course books. “I enjoy going to the lab and searching for all the answers I’m looking for. The internet never tells me “Stop, I’m fed up,’” she shares.

Prof. Mitra says there are two skills that are very important in the 21st century. Reading comprehension and internet skills. Once you’ve achieved them, there’s no stopping. Professor strongly believes that access to the internet can help kids read efficiently at a young age. “Learners learn best if they want to.”

His observation seems accurate as Ritu shares the evolution of Deepa and Jaya who are no more shy and timid. They’ve grown into more expressive, confident and communicative individuals.

“I see Constructivism – children are constructing their learning environment. And in the process, not only are they picking up academically, but non-academic skills as well. For example, values like being honest, truthful, being able to regulate their behaviour, motivating others, sharing, team-building, etc.,” informs a happy Ritu.

According to the SOLE team (responsible for School in the Cloud labs), the absence of teachers in a classroom is a no big deal, all it may need is a coordinator to maintain the decorum. If there’s no hand-holding, the internet can easily come to the rescue of students, replacing teachers’ knowledge with an internet connection. As much as it may sound alarming, it’s the truth. It’s the future. Prof Mitra declares, “Schools are already obsolete. The education system is not broken, it’s, in fact, wonderfully constructed. However, it’s just that we don’t need it anymore.”

As the film reaches its end, Deepa and Jaya have already passed grade 8 and the funding for the School in the Cloud also ends in their govt. school. Sadly, their school’s principal doesn’t wish to continue the SOLE lab anymore. This means the girls and their friends will no longer be able to access a huge database of knowledge. And if this continues, Prof. Mitra is afraid where these girls are going to go. “Because our society is structured in a way, unfortunately, that will try to make a maid out of Jaya more than anything else. Because that’s her destiny,” he speaks with a heavy heart.

Professor continues, “Almost everyone in India has a device, almost everybody is connected. Given the fact that there are 1.2 billion people in India, it’s not really a question of what the internet will do to India, it’s more a question of what India will do to the internet.”

According to Deepa, internet, television, newspapers are those little windows that open a new world to less-privileged kids like her. While living inside the temporary, tarnished walls of her small house, Deepa wishes to break the stern bars of pedagogical limitation one day, which is dividing India based on one’s financial status and caste.

“In India, the family is the whole world of a girl. But she gets a new world through the internet. A girl can learn anything, a girl can do anything with that knowledge…” are Deepa’s last few words at the end of the film.

The Open Window film emerged as a part of a multi-year research and film project exploring the growth of the internet in India. Over the course of three years, the team of filmmakers and philosophers spent many months travelling across India, exploring stories and insights surrounding the country’s on-going internet revolution – as hundreds of millions of new internet users came online for the first time.

The Open Window is the second film in a trilogy exploring the collaborative culture in the internet age. The first film Collaboration premiered in 2014 and is available to view at collaborativesociety.org. The third film in the trilogy, Medicine For All (working title), explores Open Source Pharma – a global movement of scientists, lawyers, and technologists working to develop new cures for Tuberculosis and other neglected diseases through collaborative, “open-source” approaches to scientific research. For more info on the Collaboratorium, visit the website https://www.collaboratorium.net/

You can watch The Open Window here http://openwindow.cc/, free for public viewing.

Producer & Director: Will Sloan, Daniel Oxenhandler and Alfred Birkegaard

Editor: Tim Kaminsk

Education

“We Sleep on Walls Here”: Shubhanshu Shukla Talks to Indian Students from Space

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Shubhanshu Shukla interacts with students live from the International Space Station as part of ISRO’s Vidyarthi Samvad initiative.

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS), answered questions from schoolchildren during a live interaction hosted under ISRO’s Vidyarthi Samvad Program.

The session, designed to bring students closer to the realities of space science, turned into a heartwarming and humorous conversation about food, sleep, and the sheer wonder of viewing Earth from space.

When asked how astronauts sleep in zero gravity, Shukla smiled and explained: “There is no floor or ceiling in space. Some of us sleep on the wall, some on the ceiling. We have to tie ourselves down so we don’t float away while sleeping.”

The conversation became sweeter when Shukla revealed that he brought familiar Indian flavours with him into orbit. “I have carried gajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa, and mango juice with me from India,” he said, to the delight of the young audience. He clarified that the halwa was specially medicated for space missions, not made at home — a detail that sparked laughter and curiosity alike.

The astronaut also spoke about daily life aboard the ISS, including how exercise is essential to counter microgravity. “We ride bicycles here, but there are no seats. We strap ourselves in with belts,” he told the children, who were both fascinated and amused by the image.

For Shukla, however, the highlight of being in space remains the view of Earth. “That blue sphere, that light mist… seeing Earth from here is the most beautiful experience. It’s hard to describe in words.”

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Addressing mental well-being, he shared how astronauts stay connected with their families. “Technology helps bridge the distance. We can talk to our loved ones, and that keeps us grounded — even when we’re not.”

Also present during the interaction was Group Captain Angad Pratap, a fellow member of the Gaganyaan mission crew, who encouraged students to consider careers in aviation and space science.

For many students, the session was a dream come true. “It felt like science fiction,” said one participant. “Now I believe I can go to space one day.”

As India continues its rapid progress in space exploration, conversations like these serve as reminders that inspiration is as critical as infrastructure — and that sometimes, a simple chat with an astronaut can launch the imagination of an entire generation.

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A Structural Proposal to Transform School Education in Bihar

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Political strategist Prashant Kishor speaking at an event (Source: EducationPost)

In a recent public interaction, political campaigner and policy strategist Prashant Kishor detailed a long-term education plan aimed at overhauling Bihar’s school system. Emphasizing structural change over symbolic efforts, Kishor’s proposal focuses on centralized excellence, increased parental choice, and a phased financial roadmap over a 10-year period.

At the heart of the model lies a shift from quantity to quality. Rather than building one school in every village, the plan envisions five world-class government schools per administrative block, inspired by the legacy of the prestigious Netarhat Vidyalaya. These institutions would be open to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, with Kishor stating that school buses and transport access would ensure that no child travels more than 20 minutes to reach school.

For families dissatisfied with local government schools, the model introduces an alternative: state-funded access to private education. If a student opts for a regulated private school nearby, the government would bear the cost. According to Kishor, this mirrors global best practices and provides an immediate quality option while public school infrastructure is being upgraded.

Contrary to the common belief that government education is cost-free, Kishor highlighted that Bihar currently spends an average of ₹850 per month per child in public primary schools. In comparison, many private institutions operate at a lower cost. “It’s not about public versus private. It’s about outcomes and value,” he stated.

The financing strategy involves a three-part allocation of the current education budget:

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  1. Building new elite schools (500 per year; 5,000 in 10 years)

  2. Improving existing government schools

  3. Funding private education for low-income students where needed

The total projected investment over a decade is ₹1 lakh crore.

The proposal has triggered a wider conversation around efficiency, equity, and the future direction of school education in under-resourced states. While it has been shared in a pre-election context, the structural detail and comparative lens make it notable for educationists and policymakers nationwide.

As the national education landscape continues to evolve post-NEP 2020, Bihar’s unfolding discourse offers a compelling case study on scalable, outcome-driven reform.

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NIIT Foundation and YuWaah, UNICEF Launch Free Online Digital Marketing Course for Youth

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Online course aims to train underserved youth in digital marketing across three Indian states.

In a bid to support youth skilling in India, NIIT Foundation and YuWaah (a UNICEF India initiative) have jointly launched an Open Online Course in Digital Marketing as part of their #NayiDigitalDisha campaign.

The initiative has been rolled out in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha and aims to reach 500 participants. The 8-week online program has been structured to be accessible to learners from underserved and remote areas. Upon completion, students will receive a credential assessed by NCVET and certified by NSDC.

The curriculum focuses on practical digital marketing skills including social media strategy, online customer sourcing, and campaign execution. Course development was led by NIIT Foundation, drawing on industry consultation and its prior experience in skill training.

According to the organisers, the goal is to provide industry-aligned learning opportunities to help learners secure employment and enhance their readiness for digital roles. Participants will receive certifications from both NIIT Foundation and YuWaah, UNICEF.

The program’s implementation coincides with India’s broader push towards a skilled workforce, aligning with national goals to build digital and job-readiness capacity by 2047. The digital learning initiative is part of a larger ecosystem supported by YuWaah that includes career guidance, leadership opportunities, and pathways to socio-economic participation for young people.

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Earlier success stories, such as a student securing job placements after course completion, indicate emerging results; however, the course’s full impact is yet to be assessed as it progresses through its first implementation cycle.

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National Conference Pushes for Common Standards Across School Boards

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DoSE&L convenes education leaders in Delhi to advance board equivalence and learning reforms under NEP 2020.

In a move set to impact India’s school education ecosystem, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, convened a high-level National Conference on Curricular and Assessment Equivalence of Boards and Improving Learning Outcomes at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.

With over 250 senior officials from education departments, boards, SCERTs, and autonomous bodies like CBSE, KVS, and NVS, the conference reflected a coordinated push to align learning outcomes and assessment standards across India’s diverse schooling systems.

Chaired by DoSE&L Secretary Sanjay Kumar, the sessions explored how India can move toward competency-based education while ensuring fairness and flexibility for States/UTs. He emphasised that equivalence in curriculum and assessments is essential as India modernises its academic benchmarks in line with NEP 2020.

A key highlight was the launch of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal, giving open access to national and state-wise data on student performance. The tool is designed to help States/UTs craft targeted improvement plans.
Prof. Indrani Bhaduri, CEO of PARAKH, also unveiled the findings from the 2024 National Survey, highlighting district-wise variations and prompting calls for data-driven, localised reform.

Best practices from six States/UTs — including Kerala, Punjab, UP, and Maharashtra — offered a practical lens on how systemic innovations can drive classroom-level change.

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The conference also delved into board equivalence frameworks, with seven State Boards — including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, and J&K — presenting models for alignment of curricula, assessments, and evaluation standards.

CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh spoke on school quality assurance, urging emphasis on self-evaluation and data transparency.
The conference spotlighted the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF) and called for the establishment of State School Standards Authorities (SSSA) in every State/UT.

Further, the session on vocational education equivalence underscored the importance of recognising school boards as vocational awarding bodies — a step towards seamless academic–skill integration and lifelong learning.

Ready Reckoner videos, Holistic Progress Cards (HPCs), and tools for continuous, child-centric evaluation were also introduced, aimed at embedding NEP’s vision in day-to-day school practice.

The event concluded with a collective reaffirmation: building an equitable, high-quality education system will require collaborative governance and commitment to learning for all.

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Maharashtra: Over 8,000 Villages Lack Schools, CCTV Compliance Still Patchy

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Thousands of Maharashtra villages still lack schools or CCTV, despite legal orders.

More than 8,600 villages in Maharashtra remain without a single school, according to a recent report by the state’s Women and Child Development Department.

The gap isn’t just in classrooms. Nearly half of all government schools in the state have failed to install CCTV cameras, despite a Bombay High Court directive issued over a year ago mandating the move for student safety.

The numbers come from an internal state government communication that has now surfaced publicly, raising concerns about Maharashtra’s compliance with both the Right to Education (RTE) Act and judicial orders.

While urban education garners attention with smart classrooms and NEP pilot projects, rural Maharashtra still contends with the fundamentals: no schools, no surveillance, and often, no real learning environment.

The CCTV issue, though seemingly minor, ties directly to concerns about student safety and teacher accountability, especially in government-run schools where complaints often go unaddressed. The High Court directive had explicitly asked for CCTV cameras to be installed in all government school premises. Yet, as per the report, only 53% of schools have complied so far.

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Educationists and civil society groups have pointed out that the absence of schools in over 8,000 villages violates the RTE Act’s basic requirement of ensuring a primary school within a 1-km radius of every habitation. These gaps disproportionately affect students from marginalized communities who lack access to private schooling options or reliable transportation.

While the state has announced new digital initiatives and curriculum reforms, this data signals the urgent need for parallel investment in basic school infrastructure and safety mechanisms, especially in rural and tribal regions.

If Maharashtra is serious about achieving educational equity, the solution isn’t just in policy blueprints or digital dashboards — it’s in ensuring that every child has a safe, functional school to go to.

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Haryana to Offer Free After-School Coaching for JEE, NDA Aspirants

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Haryana to support govt school toppers with free coaching for JEE and NDA

In a push to democratize access to competitive exams, the Haryana government has announced a free after-school coaching initiative for meritorious students in government schools. The scheme will initially roll out in 26 educationally backward blocks, targeting students aspiring to crack entrance exams like JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NDA (National Defence Academy).

The move is designed to level the playing field between private and government school students, many of whom lack access to the coaching ecosystem often necessary for success in high-stakes exams.

According to the Education Department, only those students who score above 60% in Class 10 and rank among the top 500 in state-level merit lists will be eligible for the coaching. The classes will be held in selected schools after regular hours.

Officials said that around 100 government school teachers have been identified to undergo training from expert faculty members from IITs and coaching institutions, ensuring quality instruction that mirrors national standards.

The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the national not-for-profit organization, the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, and aims to align with the broader goals of the NEP 2020 by enabling access, equity, and excellence in education.

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By empowering students with structured coaching support—often inaccessible due to financial or geographic barriers—the Haryana government signals its intent to redefine what government schooling can offer in a competitive academic landscape.

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Telangana CM Calls for Overhaul of Intermediate Education in Telangana

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CM Revanth Reddy calls for targeted reforms to improve Intermediate education outcomes across Telangana.

In a review meeting held at the Command Control Centre, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed education officials to take urgent steps to ensure students who complete Class 10 successfully transition into and complete their Intermediate education.

This directive stems from a persistent gap: while many students clear the Class 10 SSC board exam, a sizable number fail to complete the next academic stage. The CM has asked for a detailed study of the education policy for Classes 9 to 12 to identify where the system is failing and how it can be made more responsive to students’ needs.

Reddy emphasized that Intermediate education is a crucial link in helping students build careers and that adequate career guidance must begin at the college level. He directed officials to work on specific interventions to improve pass percentages in the intermediate board exams.

The review also touched on infrastructure: from proposing that every school fly a national flag to demanding regular updates on the construction progress of Young India Residential Schools. The CM expressed concern over the slow pace of infrastructure projects and instructed officials to accelerate tender processes, especially for the Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Mahila Vishwa Vidyalayam (Women’s University) expansion.

Funding was another key focus, with Revanth asking departments to coordinate with the Centre to ensure that Telangana receives its full share under centrally sponsored schemes.

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The policy emphasis is clear: a push for a seamless Class 10 to Intermediate pipeline, improved exam outcomes, stronger infrastructure, and better career preparation for young learners.

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Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to Connect with School Students Live from Space

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Shubhanshu Shukla, currently aboard the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission, will connect with Indian students via ham radio on July 4.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently on a 14-day scientific expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, is scheduled to interact with school students and ISRO engineers on July 4.

The communication will take place via ham radio, through a telebridge set up at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. The session is facilitated by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programme, which enables students to engage with astronauts in orbit.

The interaction is scheduled for 3:47 PM IST and will offer participating students an opportunity to ask questions directly to Shukla, who is joined on the mission by three other astronauts.

Shukla has been conducting various scientific experiments during his stay aboard the ISS. These include deploying and imaging space microalgae samples, which are being studied as a potential food source for long-duration missions. He has also participated in the Neuro Motion VR project — involving brain activity tracking through VR tasks in microgravity — and contributed to the Telemetric Health AI study, which uses biometric data and analytics to study cardiovascular and balance changes during spaceflight.

The Axiom-4 mission, organized by Axiom Space, focuses on scientific research in space with potential applications in both space exploration and Earth-based health systems.

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UGC Cracks Down on 89 Institutes Over Anti-Ragging Failures

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University Grants Commission (Image: UGC on X)

In a firm push for accountability, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued show-cause notices to 89 higher education institutions for failing to comply with mandatory anti-ragging regulations. The defaulters include some of India’s most prestigious institutions—17 of which are Institutes of National Importance—including IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IIM Bangalore.

These institutions, despite repeated advisories, failed to submit the required anti-ragging undertakings from students and institutional compliance reports. The lapses have been termed a “significant violation of regulatory norms” by the UGC, raising serious concerns over student safety and campus climate in India’s top educational spaces.

A notice dated June 9, signed by UGC Secretary Prof. Manish R Joshi, has directed all 89 institutions to respond within 30 days by submitting comprehensive compliance reports, securing online anti-ragging affidavits from all students, and detailing both current and planned anti-ragging mechanisms.

If the institutions fail to act within the deadline, consequences may include withdrawal of UGC grants, public disclosure of non-compliance status, and potential derecognition or withdrawal of affiliation.

Among the list of defaulters are the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, AIIMS Raebareli, Aligarh Muslim University, RGIPT Basar, and several National Institutes of Design.

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The issue becomes even more urgent in light of recent ragging-related incidents and an increasing perception of campus hostility. “Institutions must treat this as a matter of utmost urgency. Your prompt compliance will be essential in upholding institutional responsibility towards student welfare,” reads the UGC’s statement.

Ragging has no place in modern education, especially not in a country positioning itself as a global knowledge leader.

In 2025, with India’s education sector expanding in reach, recognition, and responsibility, compliance with anti-ragging norms shouldn’t require reminders. It should be a given.

As the world watches Indian institutions climb global rankings, student safety and well-being must remain central, not as compliance checkboxes, but as part of the educational culture we aspire to build.

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Government Doubles Down on Coaching Centres: New Panel Signals Stronger Regulation Ahead

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Education Ministry panel to tackle dummy schools and curb overdependence on coaching centres.

In a decisive step toward reforming India’s fragmented senior secondary education system, the Ministry of Education has constituted an 11-member high-level committee to address the mushrooming of dummy schools and the unchecked influence of coaching centres. Chaired by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, the committee includes representatives from CBSE, NCERT, and faculty from IITs in Madras, Kanpur, and Trichy.

The move is seen as part of a growing policy consensus across central and state governments to reclaim the authority of schools, following recent crackdowns and reforms aimed at regulating coaching institutions and curbing the dummy school culture that sidelines holistic education.

Dummy schools — where students are officially enrolled but rarely attend — have emerged as a by-product of India’s competitive entrance exam culture. These institutions prioritise JEE, NEET, and CUET preparation through coaching classes, while students disengage from formal schooling. The CBSE’s March 2025 advisory warning that students from dummy schools could be barred from board exams marked a serious turning point in policy enforcement.

Earlier this year, the Delhi Government carried out inspections in over 600 private schools, issuing notices to at least 10 for running dummy setups. The move followed media reports and parental complaints about students being denied regular schooling in favour of coaching arrangements.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Cabinet approved a bill in April 2025 to regulate coaching centres operating in Kota and other education hubs. The legislation aims to curb exploitative practices, mandate mental health counsellors, and prevent coaching centres from operating without a minimum infrastructure standard—prompted by rising student suicides in the state.

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Central Framework and Industry Oversight

In February 2025, the Central Government announced a new framework for coaching centres, proposing registration, transparency in fee structures, and guidelines on advertising to prevent misleading claims. Together with the current committee’s formation, these reforms indicate a systematic tightening of oversight at all levels.

The new panel’s mandate is broad. It will investigate:

  • The socio-academic reasons behind the rise of dummy schools
  • The misalignment between school curricula and competitive exams
  • The impact of coaching on student well-being and critical thinking
  • The need to promote alternate career pathways beyond engineering and medicine
  • Regulations around coaching advertisements and contract practices

A National Rethink on the Purpose of Schooling

Education experts like Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal have welcomed the initiative, calling it “a vital opportunity to restore the sanctity of school education.” The rise of coaching centres as parallel systems, she noted, has come at the cost of creativity, values, and even mental health in adolescents.

As India contemplates the future of its learners, the Ministry’s recent actions suggest a serious intent to bridge the gap between boardrooms and classrooms. Whether the new committee’s recommendations lead to tangible change remains to be seen, but the signals are clear: education in India must prepare children for life, not just for an entrance exam.

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