India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed higher education institutions to monitor any informal WhatsApp groups created to harass juniors, saying it will be treated as ragging and attract strict action under anti-ragging rules, according to officials. The UGC receives dozens of complaints every year from freshers alleging harassment by seniors. "In several cases, seniors form informal WhatsApp groups, contact juniors and subject them to mental harassment. This too amounts to ragging and will invite disciplinary measures," the UGC said in its latest directive. "Student safety on campus is paramount and non-negotiable. Failure to enforce anti-ragging norms may lead to stringent action, including withholding of grants," it warned.
Jammu/Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Saturday passed a historic bill to establish and incorporate private universities in the Union Territory, fulfilling a long-standing demand of civil society and the education sector. The Jammu and Kashmir Private Universities Bill, 2026 (L.A. Bill No. 08 of 2026), published in the extraordinary issue of the Official Gazette, reads, "A bill to provide for the establishment and incorporation of private universities in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and to regulate their functioning, management, and academic standards for en ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar/Balasore: Following days of protest, Balasore and Odisha bandhs and suspended classes since July 12 due to self-immolation of a student over alleged sexual harassment by a senior faculty member, the college in Balasore resumed academic activities on Friday, with a low turnout of students. Atmosphere on the campus was gloomy with students discussing the incident in the corridors, library and classrooms. "Her face comes to my mind whenever I enter the college. We lost a flamboyant and brave girl from our college. I miss her a lot," said a batchmate. Officials from three different inv ...Read More >
New Delhi: The government on Monday failed to introduce a Bill that sought to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with a proposed law -- The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) Bill, 2025 -- after facing stiff opposition. The VB G RAM G Bill was listed in the Lok Sabha in the supplementary list of business issued on Monday. It was to be introduced by rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Why is Mahatma Gandhi's name being removed? Mahatma Gandhi is considered the tallest leader not j ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 16 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday defended the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, stating that there was a need to establish a "uniform pattern" in regulation, standard-setting, and university accreditation, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP). Pradhan introduced the Bill in Parliament on Monday, and it was later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee amid opposition. Also Read | Hyderabad Shocker: Mentally Unstable Woman Pushes 7-Year-Old Daughter From 3rd Floor of Residential Building in Telangana. Addres ...Read More >
Medak: Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Friday appealed to the people to give the committed party an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the poor and downtrodden. Addressing a large gathering of party workers in Medak, the BJP chief remarked that citizens have experienced the rule of the BRS and the Congress party and have had bitter experiences with the deceitful practices of both. He urged people to support the BJP wholeheartedly in the upcoming local body elections as a way to teach the ruling Congress party a lesson for its unfulfilled promises. Rao emphasized that t ...Read More >
New Delhi: From 2025, the CUET-UG will be conducted exclusively as a computer-based test (CBT), and students will have the flexibility to appear for any subject, regardless of what they studied in class 12. This decision follows a review conducted by an expert panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as explained by UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. What are the major changes? In an interview with PTI, Kumar elaborated on the changes saying, "The exam will be conducted only in CBT mode from 2025, unlike the hybrid mode used last year. We have also reduced the number of subjects fr ...Read More >
New Delhi: Education continues to command the largest share of India's corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending, reaffirming its status as the country's most preferred social investment sector. With overall CSR expenditure touching nearly ₹34,000 crore in FY 2023-24, education alone attracted around Rs 12,000 crore, almost one-third of the total, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Exploratory Study on CSR in Education. Based on responses from 23 major corporates and foundations, the study reveals a decisive shift in how companies approach education CSR: from trad ...Read More >
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday announced a significant update in its approach to conducting the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students for the year 2025. The UGC has invited public feedback on the revised methodology aiming to refine the examination process for a better and more efficient testing environment for candidates. Since its inception in 1956 under the UGC Act, UGC has been pivotal in setting and maintaining the standards for higher education, coordinating with universities, and providing fina ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 18 (PTI) In the wake of the self-immolation death of a woman student over an alleged sexual harassment incident in a college in Balasore, the Odisha government Friday made it mandatory for all higher education institutions to prominently display the Women Helpline Number-181 on the campus. In a letter to all registrars and heads of all universities, government colleges, aided colleges and private colleges under the Higher Education department, the government directed that all must treat it as "extremely urgent". In addition, the Higher Education department has also directed ...Read More >
Srinagar: The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of Jammu and Kashmir Police is conducting searches at ten locations across four districts in the Valley. An official told news agency -- Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the raids are part of an ongoing investigation into a terror-crime case linked to a terrorist sleeper cell and recruitment module handled by Jaish commander Abdullah Ghazi from across the border. The searches are underway at one location in Pulwama, six in Ganderbal, one in Srinagar, and two in Budgam district -- (KNO) ...Read More >
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a notice stating that the process for the submission of the data to the QS World Rankings 2027 has officially been initiated. The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has requested the higher education institutions in the country to submit the necessary information, such as the sustainability information, to the QS Hub Portal qs-hub2.qs.com by April 12, 2026, to ensure proper representation in the rankings. The notice has clearly stated the importance of the accurate and timely submission of the information by the ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, July 18: Bangladesh has apprehended 34 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters and India has been pressing Dhaka to ensure their safe and early return, official sources said on Friday. The fishermen along with their two fishing trawlers were apprehended on the intervening night of July 14 and 15, they said. Immediately after information about the incident was received, the Indian high commission in Bangladesh took up the matter with Bangladeshi authorities and immediate consular access to the fishermen, the sources said.A total of 34 Indian fishermen along ...Read More >
Shillong, Jul 19 (PTI) Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has said the state government will press for the retransfer of block I and II from Assam's Karbi Anglong district, asserting that the long-pending boundary issue remains a top priority. Tynsong, who also chairs the regional committee on the matter, said the government is awaiting a response from his Assam counterpart to schedule a joint inspection of the disputed areas. Also Read | Prayagraj Road Accident: Speeding Car Runs Over Women Sleeping Under Flyover in Uttar Pradesh, 1 Dead, 2 Injured. Before the creation of Meg ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) At least 54 state private universities have been declared defaulters by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for not submitting mandatory information under section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956, and making public disclosures on their website, according to officials. Citing several reminders through e-mails and online meetings, the UGC said the universities had been directed to submit detailed information for inspection purposes, along with supporting documents duly attested by the registrar. "They were also directed to upload the filled-in format and appendices on their web ...Read More >
New Delhi: CUET-UG will be conducted only as a computer-based test (CBT) from 2025 and students will be allowed to appear for any subject irrespective of the subjects studied in class 12, according to UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. In an interaction with PTI, Kumar said an expert panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) conducted a review of the exam and proposed several changes. "The exam will be conducted only in CBT mode from 2025 unlike hybrid mode last year. We have also reduced the number of subjects from 63 to 37 and admissions for the dropped subjects will be conducted on ...Read More >
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasized the need for a level playing field for women in various sectors and stressed building an 'Indian model of women empowerment' to ensure women are integral to decision-making. He addressed these issues during the 'Shaping Academic Excellence for VIKSIT Bharat @2047' workshop. On Friday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan underscored the importance of creating equitable opportunities for women across all fields. He highlighted the need ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Following the Balasore girl's self-immolation, state govt on Friday asked higher educational institutes to ensure prominent display of the women helpline number (181) and conduct mandatory staff sensitisation workshops on sexual harassment prevention.The directive comes as part of the state's renewed efforts to strengthen women's safety in educational institutes. The move aligns with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 or POSH Act."Every institute must ensure that the women helpline number is clearly visible on campus prem ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): A team of Nand Nagri Police Station launched a special drive against individuals involved in the sale of banned 'Chinese Manjha', amid rising incidents of injuries and nabbed two siblings with 325 rolls on Friday. With Independence Day (15th August) and Raksha Bandhan approaching, the Delhi Police has launched a special drive to curb the sale and use of hazardous Chinese Manjha -- a nylon-based kite string that has caused numerous injuries and fatalities involving people, birds, and animals. Acting on local intelligence, a team led by Inspector Anand Yadav, ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced a new initiative, "Shaktishree", a comprehensive programme aimed at ensuring the safety and security of girl students across higher educational institutions in Odisha. This announcement comes amid political uproar over the self-immolation of a college student in Balasore after she failed to get justice over alleged sexual harassment.The initiative will be implemented in all 16 state-run universities and 730 govt-run and govt-aided colleges. ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday dispelled the opposition's concerns that the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 would undermine institutional autonomy and said the states would retain similar powers as they have presently. Earlier on Tuesday, Pradhan moved a resolution to refer the Bill proposing to set up a 13-member body for regulating higher education institutions to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament. The proposal was approved by voice vote in the House. "There is no threat to institutional autonomy and even if the oppos ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh said he was 'pleased' to deliver the keynote address at the first India-Arab Universities' Presidents' Conference held on Wednesday in Delhi. Singh said he highlighted the strong cooperation between India and the Arab countries. In a post on X, he said, "Pleased to deliver the keynote address at the 1st India-Arab Universities' Presidents' Conference held today in New Delhi. Highlighted the strong cooperation between India and the Arab countries and how this two-day conference will further ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) UK's University of Liverpool is set to open a campus in Bengaluru and will welcome first batch of students in August next year, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Monday as he handed over the the Letter of Intent to the varsity administration here. The move comes after the University of Liverpool, part of the UK's prestigious Russell Group, received a formal approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to open the first foreign university campus in Bengaluru. "Delighted to handover the Letter of Intent to University of Liverpool, one of U ...Read More >
New Delhi: It's the same story every year. A centralised admission test that was meant to reform India's higher education system has instead plunged it into repeated cycles of uncertainty.Since its rollout in 2022, the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) -- now mandatory for undergraduate admissions in central universities -- has consistently failed to release results on time, throwing academic calendars into disarray, overburdening faculty, and leaving lakhs of students in prolonged limbo.The delay is not just administrative -- it's academic, emotional, and financial. For three consecutive ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 18 (PTI) In the wake of the self-immolation death of a woman student over an alleged sexual harassment incident in a college in Balasore, the Odisha government Friday made it mandatory for all higher education institutions to prominently display the Women Helpline Number-181 on the campus. In a letter to all registrars and heads of all universities, government colleges, aided colleges and private colleges under the Higher Education department, the government directed that all must treat it as "extremely urgent". Also Read | UP's First Conviction in Digital Arrest Scam: Luckn ...Read More >
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin and his party, the DMK, have termed the draft as "dictatorial," and have threatened legal action and protests if the regulations are not reversed. The University Grants Commission's (UGC) proposed draft regulations for 2025 have sparked significant controversy within the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Key allies, including the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), have raised objections over the draft's proposed changes, particularly those granting Governors, or Chancellors, greater authority in the appointment of Vice-Cha ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A four-member fact-finding team from the University Grants Commission (UGC), led by Professor Raj Kumar Mittal, on Friday began its investigation into the alleged self-immolation of a female student at Fakir Mohan (FM) College in Balasore, Odisha. The panel commenced its probe with a thorough inspection of the college premises and a series of meetings with the institution's authorities. The team is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the student's death, assess the role of the college administration, and evaluate possible lapses in handling earlier complaints by the ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government will introduce the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 in the winter session of Parliament to set up a commission to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutions "to become independent self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy." The bill, reviewed by HT, says the Commission will have three wings -- the Regulatory Council, Accreditation Council and ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Amid fierce protests and objections by the Opposition members, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill in the Lok Sabha. The legislation seeks to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education. The bill was introduced amid din over alleged threatening slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Congress rally on Sunday. As soon as the bill was introduced, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rose to say since it is a comprehensive bill, the government would like to send it ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the appointment of 1,158 assistant professors and librarians in Punjab observing "total arbitrariness" in the selection process. A Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran set aside the September 2024 decision of the division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which upheld the appointments. The process began in October 2021, when the Punjab Director of Higher Education issued a public notice inviting online applications for assistant p ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar : Less than a week after a 20-year-old B.Ed student in a Balasore college attempted self-immolation to protest inaction and harassment following her complaints of sexual harassment by a professor, and three days after her death, it has emerged that 71 of her 100 classmates wrote a letter on July 1, supporting the professor against whom she complained. Her family, friends, and even some classmates say the letter shows how everyone "ganged up" against her at prompting of college administration. The two page letter written in Odia accused the girl of levelling false allegation again ...Read More >