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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business Standard
Mandatory to conduct audit of safety in schools: Govt tells states, UTs
The Centre has issued urgent directives to all states and union territories (UTs) to immediately conduct safety audits of all educational institutions and take measures to ensure the mental and physical well-being of all students. In its advisory, the Union Education Ministry instructed state education departments, school boards, and affiliated authorities to implement preventive safety measures, including audits and training for students and staff, without delay. As part of the directives, all schools and public facilities used by children and youth have been asked to undergo safety audits in accordance with national safety codes and disaster management guidelines. Structural integrity, along with fire safety, emergency exits, and electrical wiring, will be thoroughly assessed as part of these audits. This comes in the aftermath of an incident in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, where a school wall collapsed, leading to the deaths of seven students. In a similar incident, one person died and seven children were injured after the roof of a Ranchi-based government school caved in during heavy rainfall. States have also been directed to ensure training of staff and students for emergencies such as evacuation drills, first aid and safety protocols. 'Collaborations with local authorities such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), fire services, police, and medical agencies must be strengthened to conduct periodic training sessions and mock drills,' the ministry stated in its advisory. In addition to physical safety, the ministry also asked states to prioritise the mental health and emotional well-being of students through counselling services, peer support systems, and community engagement initiatives. The directive further mandates that any dangerous situation, near miss or incident involving potential harm to children or youth be reported to the designated state or UT authority within 24 hours. This, the advisory stated, is necessary to ensure strict accountability in cases of delay, negligence or failure to act. The centre has also asked parents, guardians, community leaders and local bodies to remain vigilant and report unsafe conditions in schools, public areas or modes of transportation used by children and youth.
NDTV
24-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Nearly 5 Lakh Fake NCERT Textbooks Seized In Piracy Crackdown: Government In Parliament
New Delhi: The Union Education Ministry has seized over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks across India since 2024, in a widespread crackdown on textbook piracy. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, July 24, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said piracy cases had been reported from multiple parts of the country. "During the years 2024 and 2025, approximately 4.71 lakh pirated copies of NCERT textbooks have been seized in various operations across different states. Piracy is driven primarily by commercial motives of unscrupulous elements," he said. The scale of the operation underscores the challenge of ensuring genuine and affordable educational material reaches students nationwide. The minister underlined that the primary objective of NCERT is to provide quality textbooks at a very affordable price to the last student across the country, "on a no-profit and no-loss basis". To clamp down on the illicit printing and distribution network, NCERT has intensified enforcement action. Chaudhary informed the Upper House that in the last one year, a total of 29 premises linked to the manufacture and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks have been raided. These included locations involved in printing pirated books, producing counterfeit NCERT watermarked paper, and supplying illegal material. Stock and machinery worth over Rs 20 crore have been confiscated during these operations. The NCERT has also implemented a series of proactive measures. "Including a 20 per cent price reduction of NCERT textbooks, timely printing of NCERT textbooks, improved quality of paper and printing (using modern machines), promotion of online sale of textbooks through e-commerce platforms," said Chaudhary. Additionally, NCERT is encouraging online sales through e-commerce platforms to ensure students have easy and secure access to authentic books. A tech-driven anti-piracy pilot initiative has also been launched to strengthen safeguards against duplication. "NCERT has conducted a pilot trial of a technology-based anti-piracy solution on one million copies of a grade 6 textbook," Chaudhary said. "This tech-based solution has been developed and patented by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur." The Education Ministry's response signals a clear intent to tackle textbook piracy through both enforcement and innovation. As the academic year progresses, authorities hope that these steps will not only deter counterfeiters but also ensure students receive the quality educational resources they are entitled to.
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
QS rankings and Indian universities: Are they meaningful or just window dressing?
According to the Union Education Ministry, Indian universities have achieved their best-ever performance in the World University Rankings 2026. The rankings are done by a British company, Quacquarelli Symonds, also known as QS. QS rankings and Indian universities: Are they meaningful or just window dressing? The new QS rankings feature a total of 54 Indian universities, which makes India the 4th most represented country, with only the US (192), the UK (90) and China (72) having more universities ranked than India. Among Indian universities, 48% have also improved their rankings compared to the previous year, with six featuring in the top 250. IIT, Delhi is the highest ranked Indian university in the list, coming in at #123. The government has claimed that the numbers indicate a revolutionary transformation of India's educational landscape. How exactly are the QS rankings arrived at? What idea of the university is being evaluated in these rankings? Are the metrics relevant to the Indian context and Indian students? Guest: Professor Anita Rampal, former Dean, Faculty of Education, at Delhi University. Anita, welcome to the pod. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Listen to more In Focus podcasts
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Global disruptions to help Indian higher education sector to grow, attract foreign students: QS CEO
As the Union Education Ministry claimed major improvement in the country's higher education sector citing that Indian institutions have achieved their best-ever performance in the World University Rankings 2026, conducted by British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the chief executive officer (CEO) of QS, Jessica Turner, has told The Hindu in an online interview that India can benefit from the shift in the traditional model of students going abroad to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia due to various factors such as geopolitical instability, economic pressures, Artificial Intelligence and visa restrictions. She welcomed the decision to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India and said it will invite students worldwide to India. Excerpts from the interview: How do you assess the performance of Indian higher education institutions in the latest QS ranking? This year, India performed exceptionally in the QS Rankings — eight new institutions entered, the highest from any country. Over the last decade, India's representation grew by 390%, overtaking Germany to become the fourth most represented country (after the US, UK, and China). We've seen a holistic rise in India's higher education landscape, with more institutions participating globally. About 48% of Indian institutions improved in ranking, while only 24% declined — a strong performance compared to other countries with large numbers of ranked institutions. Key drivers include improved employer reputation, employment outcomes, and increased research — especially among IITs. The focus on employability and research aligns with India's economic growth. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been instrumental in driving internationalization and raising quality. Based on the points earned in the ranking in different criteria, which are the areas where the Indian institutions can improve performance in future? Rankings are relative and a dynamic exercise. A fall doesn't mean decline — it may indicate slower progress compared to peers. In areas like international student and faculty ratios, Indian institutions lag. For instance, 78% declined in the international student metric. The faculty-student ratio is also a challenge due to rapid enrolment growth. The 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio target stretches resources, making it hard to match global faculty availability. Citations per faculty is a lagging metric. The improvements seen now reflect research-oriented reforms made over the last 5–10 years — not just in IITs but also in technical institutions under AICTE. These reforms created a more research-intensive environment, and that's finally being reflected in our rankings. Question: Mostly, engineering and technology institutions from India have come up in the rankings. What does this indicate? India's top-ranking institutions are primarily in engineering and technology. These excel in 'Employer Reputation' and 'Citations per Faculty', suggesting strong graduate employability and impactful research. Eight Indian institutions now rank in the global top 100 for research impact—seven are IITs. This demonstrates where international partners are increasingly seeking collaboration. Question: India has now allowed foreign universities to open their campuses in India. How do you see this policy change? And will the global disruptions bring major changes in the higher education sector globally? Internationalisation efforts like joint degree programmes, exchange initiatives, and collaborative research will improve long-term outcomes. These efforts, supported by NEP reforms, are expected to attract more international students and researchers to India. India is also in a strong position to fill global research gaps — particularly as funding declines in countries like the US. Indian institutions offer high-quality, cost-effective research collaboration opportunities. The traditional model — students going abroad to the US, UK, Canada, or Australia — is shifting. Geopolitical instability, economic pressures, AI, and visa restrictions are prompting more hybrid models. Students may now complete parts of their degree at home and travel less. This shift supports joint, online, and blended programs. We also expect regional hubs (e.g., UAE, Singapore, Malaysia) to attract more students due to affordability and English-language programs. These destinations provide high-quality education at lower costs. India can benefit from this shift. It can position itself as a destination for international students, especially from Africa and Central Asia. The NEP lays a strong legislative foundation, and now the focus must be on removing operational barriers (e.g., visa issues) to fully enable internationalisation.
NDTV
19-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Chandigarh Leads In School Education Rankings, Meghalaya At 10th Spot
New Delhi: Chandigarh has emerged as the best-performing region in the country in the Union Education Ministry's latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report on school education. While Meghalaya ranked lowest at the tenth and lowest category. The UT scored 703 out of 1,000 and was placed in the fifth performance band, known as Prachesta-1, making it the only state or Union Territory in this category. Meghalaya with 417.9 points finds itself in the Akanshi-3 category despite a slight improvement over the previous year. The PGI 2.0, a revised framework introduced in 2021, evaluates all 36 states and UTs based on six key domains such as, learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, and teacher education and training. Each domain contributes to a cumulative score out of 1,000, with the goal of highlighting both achievements and areas needing policy intervention. This latest edition of the report covers both academic years 2022–23 and 2023–24 and is based on multiple data sources, including the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021, UDISE+ data, and PM-POSHAN (mid-day meal) scheme information. Despite improvements in some areas, the overall picture shows that no state or UT crossed into the top four grading bands that of, Daksh, Utkarsh, Ati Uttam, and Uttam, which require scores above 761. 'The top-most grade attained is 'Prachesta-1', i.e., score range 701–760, indicating that there is huge scope for improvement in performance by states,' the report noted. Following Chandigarh's top position, Punjab (631.1) and Delhi (623.7) were the next highest performers, both placed in the Prachesta-3 band (score range: 581–640). Other states and UTs in this band included Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha, Haryana, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. These results, while relatively strong, still reflect a nationwide underperformance against the highest possible benchmarks. On the lower end of the spectrum are Arunachal Pradesh with 461.4 points, Mizoram at 464.2, Nagaland at 468.6, and Bihar at 471.9—all falling into the bottom two bands. In total, 10 states and UTs fell into the ninth band, Akanshi-2 that has a score range of 461–520. Overall, the report found that 25 of the 36 states and UTs improved their scores in 2023–24 compared to the previous year. Chandigarh improved from 687.8 to 703, while Punjab moved up from 614.1. However, 11 states and UTs including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, saw a drop in their overall scores. In terms of individual domain performance, Chandigarh again stood out as the only region to reach the third band, Ati Uttam with a score range of 821–880 in infrastructure and facilities. Delhi and Dadra & Nagar Haveli followed in the next lower band, Uttam with a score range of 761–820. For learning outcomes, considered the most critical domain, only Chandigarh, Punjab, and Puducherry made it to the sixth band of Prachesta-2 score range of 641–700. While Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir were placed in the seventh band Prachesta-3. Most other states ranked lower, pointing to widespread challenges in student learning achievements. Odisha topped the access domain, reaching the highest band, Daksh (941–1,000 score range). States like Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana followed in the Utkarsh band (881–940 score range), indicating significant strides in school availability and enrolment. Bihar and Jharkhand were specifically noted for improving their access scores, moving up from the sixth to the fifth band between 2022–23 and 2023–24. In equity, all states and UTs performed within the top three bands, suggesting a more balanced distribution of educational access and outcomes across gender, social, and economic groups. The ministry cautioned, however, that changes in grading and methodology in PGI 2.0 mean the results cannot be directly compared to earlier PGI versions. Yet, the broad trends remain consistent, with Chandigarh, Punjab, and Delhi maintaining their top spots over recent years. 'Since the grading and the indicators have undergone changes, the results of PGI 2.0 are not strictly comparable with the previous PGI reports, though the pattern of achievement seems to be like the previous PGI results,' the report stated. The PGI 2.0 is intended as a diagnostic tool to help states and UTs identify critical areas for policy focus. With no region crossing into the top four bands, the report sends a clear message: much more needs to be done to improve the quality and equity of school education across India.
