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.
Bhubaneswar: In view of the self-immolation attempt by a 20-year-old student over alleged sexual harassment at a college in Balasore district on Saturday, state govt on Monday asked heads of all higher education institutes to submit compliance reports on instructions related to internal complaints committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, within 24 hours.The higher education department, in an urgent letter, asked the colleges and universities to include appropriate representation of women members and external representatives in the committees. They were also instructed to follow UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015.The department asked the institutes to display the name and contact number of all ICC members in a proper place for general awareness and upload their details in the higher education information management system (HIMS) portal. The govt also directed the institutes to immediately organise workshops on the Act for the sensitisation of students and faculty members. "You are further requested to ensure that a geo-tagged photograph of the location where the details of the ICC are displayed is uploaded to the link positively," wrote Rajata Kumar Mansingh, deputy director of higher education.The department earlier communicated to all colleges and universities about the constitution of ICC. Some colleges do not have ICCs, and some have not formed them as per UGC rules.University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing guidelines to all universities and colleges to set up ICCs and take necessary steps to prevent and redress sexual harassment on their campuses. UGC also asked all universities to set up special cells to deal with issues of gender-based violence and conduct gender sensitisation programmes. It suggested the institutes ensure a safe and healthy environment for women students and employees on their campuses as a necessary precondition to quality education and research.Last year, a student of a city-based university lodged a complaint against a faculty member for sexual harassment. The university investigated the matter and suspended the faculty member.
Mumbai: With state govt conducting one more common entrance test (CET) for BBA, BMS, and BCA, admissions to these AICTE-run courses are likely to impact the academic calendar in degree colleges. The delayed process will leave vacant seats in other courses in several colleges, as students from traditional courses such as BCom, BA, or BSc may want to shift to these professional courses if they secure seats.After higher education minister Chandrakant Patil announced the conduct of a second phase of CET for BMS, BBA, and BCA last week, the state's CET cell issued a circular notifying students. How ...Read More >

SRINAGAR,JULY 04: Emphasising the Government of India's commitment to developing Jammu & Kashmir as a horticultural epicenter, and aligning with the broader national vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) and "Viksit Jammu Kashmir," Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today underscored the dynamic transformation of the region's agricultural landscape. His remarks were made during the 6th Convocation Ceremony of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), held in Srinagar. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, was the Chief ...Read More >

New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi on Tuesday, months after he was summoned in connection with allegedly offensive and sexist content aired during his show "India's Got Latent", officials said. Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities. Raina submitted his statement in response to the allegations to NCW officials. Officials said further steps will be considered after reviewing his ...Read More >
New Delhi: The UGC on Tuesday formed a four-member Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the suicide case of a female student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, Odisha, allegedly due to sexual harassment by a faculty member. The committee is tasked with examining the incident, evaluating the institution's compliance with regulatory provisions, and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The committee will be headed by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Professor Raj Kumar Mittal. The second-year Integrated B.Ed student had set herself ablaze afte ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday offered a candid reflection on his political evolution, claiming that he studied at "Modi's school," graduated under Chandrababu Naidu in the TDP, and is now working with Rahul Gandhi in the Congress. His remarks, made at the launch of Bandaru Dattatreya's autobiography 'The Story of the People is My Autobiography' at Shilpakala Vedika, drew attention for both their political significance and personal candor.Praising the veteran BJP leader, Revanth described Dattatreya as a rare politician who has "no enemies, only friends," and highlighted h ...Read More >

Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 10 (PTI) Kerala University and the Raj Bhavan witnessed intense protests on Thursday by Left-affiliated student and youth organisations against the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor, over the suspension of the university Registrar. The CPI(M)'s student wing, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), marched to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar's residence in protest against his actions as Chancellor of universities, alleging attempts to "saffronise" higher education institutions under the influence of the Sangh Parivar. SFI activists climbed atop the barricades set ...Read More >

Bhubaneswar/Balasore, Jul 14 (PTI) As the health condition of the 20-year-old college student who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor continued to remain critical, the Odisha Police on Monday arrested the principal of the institute. President Droupadi Murmu, who was at the AIIMS Bhubaneswar to attend its 5th Convocation ceremony, paid an unscheduled visit to the burn and plastic surgery department where the student is admitted, and enquired about her condition. Alleging that women are not safe in BJP-ruled Odisha, opposition parties held demonstrations in Bh ...Read More >
Across the United States, rural students are feeling shortchanged and frustrated, as many of the comparatively few universities that serve them are eliminating large numbers of programs and majors, blaming plummeting enrollment and resulting financial crises, local media reported. "Nationwide, college enrollment has declined by 2 million students, or 10 per cent, in the 10 years ending in 2022, hitting rural schools particularly hard," report Xinhua news agency, quoting The Washington Post on Tuesday. "An increasing number of rural private, nonprofit colleges are not only cutting majors but ...Read More >

Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >

Bhubaneswar, Jul 14 (PTI) As a 20-year-old college student fights for her life in AIIMS Bhubaneswar following self-immolation bid over an alleged incident of 'sexual harassment', political tensions in Odisha have reached a boiling point, with opposition parties staging demonstrations and holding press conferences. Alleging that women are not safe in BJP-ruled Odisha, both the opposition BJD and Congress held multiple demonstrations in Bhubaneswar and Balasore. Odisha Mahila Congress president Meenakshi Bahinipati, along with party MLA Sofia Firdous, held a press conference in Delhi to highli ...Read More >

In the letter, the association said the Kashmiri women students have been systematically targeted. This incident follows the 2022 Karnataka hijab ban, currently under Supreme Court review after a split verdict. Bengaluru: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday, July 15 wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating that Muslim students wearing hijab were barred from attending classes and threatened with expulsion at a Bengaluru college. The alleged case of rel ...Read More >

Chennai, Jul 15 (PTI) The ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Ltd has planned to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu with 10 more branches and add over 10,000 advisors across South India. ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Ltd is a joint venture between Manipal Group, an eminent player in healthcare delivery and higher education and global health services company Cigna Healthcare. Also Read | Aadhaar Free Update: Government Requests Parents to Update Children's Aadhaar Biometrics Between Age 5-7, Free of Cost. Citing a data from the General Insurance Council (GIC), ManipalCigna said it ...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 >

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai (MU) on Wednesday announced a revised schedule for pre-admission online registration for undergraduate admissions for the academic year 2025-2026. This decision comes after three merit lists were already published under the original schedule and is aimed at giving an opportunity to students who failed to complete their registration in time. Students will now be able to register online for admission between 6 and 10 June 2025 through the university's official website at https://mu.ac.in/admission. The university has clarified that applications submitted during ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >

Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 5 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that the state government is prioritising quality education for students, and quality teachers are being recruited through the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Saha also informed that more recruitments will be made in the future. Also Read | Centre Notifies Waqf Management Rules 2025; Portal, Database, Audit of Waqf Properties. "Textbook education can never be the standard of life. One can become morally strong through education. Along with education, children should also be engaged in social work," he said. CM ...Read More >

Balasore (Odisha), Jul 12 (PTI) A woman student of a college in Odisha's Balasore district, who had lodged a sexual harassment complaint against a teacher, on Saturday allegedly set herself on fire on the institute's campus and sustained 90 per cent burn injuries, police said. Another male student, who attempted to save her, also suffered injuries and both were rushed to the district headquarters hospital here. Later, she was referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. A 12-member doctors' team has been formed to take care of the injured woman student, police said. The incident to ...Read More >

Mumbai, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a strong and clear message, Shiv Sena supremo and Deputy Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde asked the party ministers, legislators and office bearers to strictly follow party discipline and not compel him to take action. "In the past few days, certain incidents have taken place. People don't point fingers at you -- they point at me for what you do. They ask me: 'What are your MLAs up to? You all are my people. We are one family. Your disrepute is my disrepute. Don't waste your energy on unnecessary matters. Speak less, work more. "Some ministers had ...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 >
Mumbai: With state govt conducting one more common entrance test (CET) for BBA, BMS, and BCA, admissions to these AICTE-run courses are likely to impact the academic calendar in degree colleges. The delayed process will leave vacant seats in other courses in several colleges, as students from traditional courses such as BCom, BA, or BSc may want to shift to these professional courses if they secure seats.After higher education minister Chandrakant Patil announced the conduct of a second phase of CET for BMS, BBA, and BCA last week, the state's CET cell issued a circular notifying students. How ...Read More >

Bhopal - In a transformative move set to redefine the future of education in India, Scope Global Skills University (SGSU), Bhopal, has announced the launch of its "AI First Campus" and a comprehensive "AI Action Plan." As Central India's first NEP and NSQF-aligned skills university, SGSU is committed to embedding artificial intelligence (AI) deeply into every aspect of higher education, from academic programs and faculty development to student engagement and industry collaboration. These new initiatives are part of the university's mission to lead the charge in AI-powered learning and to esta ...Read More >

New Delhi: The vice chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), Anu Singh Lather, has said the institution is deliberately avoiding the term Indian Knowledge System in favour of the 'Bharatiya Knowledge System' as "India is a foreign word". Asserting its cultural identity and academic autonomy, the university's choice of terminology reflects a deeper philosophical and historical consciousness, according to Lather. "The word India itself is foreign to all of us," she said during an interview with PTI. Lather said the AUD has recently approved 54 compulsory BKS courses that will be ...Read More >

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 9 (ANI): Following the violent protest at Kerala University, a case has been registered against 27 activists of the ruling CPM's Students Federation of India (SFI), including its state secretary P S Sanjeev, who has been named the prime accused, police said. The case also names 1,000 identifiable protesters who have been accused of damaging public property, forcibly entering the university campus, and assaulting police and university staff, police said on Tuesday. Also Read | Nobel Peace Prize 2025: From Mahatma Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru, Check Full ...Read More >

Bhubaneswar/Balasore: The state government has suspended the Principal of Balasore's Fakir Mohan Autonomous College and arrested Head of the Department of Educational Studies in connection with the self-immolation bid by a college girl student on the campus on Saturday. As per reports, the girl student, pursuing Integrated BEd at FM College, was allegedly misbehaved with and sexually harassed by an Assistant Professor. While the investigation was underway, the victim attempted to end her life by pouring petrol on her body and setting herself on fire today. She was rushed to Balasore district ...Read More >

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], July 13 (ANI): Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik on Sunday voiced his concern over the attempted self-immolation of a college student in Balasore, stating that the tragic incident revealed the stark reality of how she was denied justice by the administration despite repeatedly raising grievances. In a post on X, the former Odisha CM said that she posted her grievance on social media but as no action was taken she tragically resorted to self-immolation to end her suffering. For months, she lived in fear and anguish. On July 1, in a desperate plea for help, sh ...Read More >

New Delhi: BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Sunday urged Governor Hari Babu Kambhamapati to ensure that the student, who set herself afire over alleged sexual harassment by her teacher, receives justice. On Saturday, a young student of Fakir Mohan University (FMU) in Balasore set herself on fire outside the principal's office, following months of relentless "sexual harassment" by her Head of Department. The student, who sustained grievous burn injuries, is currently battling for her life in the hospital. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen P ...Read More >

Bhubaneswar: In a rare gesture of compassion and sensitivity, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday broke protocol to visit Soumyasree Bisi, a 20-year-old student battling for her life at the special burns unit of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar. Soumyasree, a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) student at Fakir Mohan (FM) Autonomous College in Balasore, had attempted self-immolation on July 12 after allegedly being denied justice in a sexual harassment case she filed against the head of her department, Sameer Kumar Sahoo. The college's Internal Complaints Committee (IC ...Read More >

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >