University Grants Commission

CUET-UG to return to computer-based format from 2025: UGC chairman

CUET-UG will return to the computer-based format 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 interview 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 panel examined various aspects of the test, such as its structure, number of papers, duration of test papers, syllabus alignment and operational logistics. The changes recommended by it were approved by the commission in a recent meeting. "The exam will be conducted only in CBT (computer-based test) mode from 2025. We conducted the exam in hybrid mode last year but we will move to CBT mode because it is much more reliable and secure as compared to other modes of examination. "Candidates will also be allowed to opt for subjects in CUET-UG which they haven't studied in class 12 to allow the students to cross over the

CUET-UG, PG to undergo changes, revised norms to be given soon: UGC chief

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is set to undergo several changes in the 2025 edition following a review by an expert panel, according to UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had constituted an expert committee to review the conduct of CUET-UG and PG. "Based on feedback from past years, it is also essential to continuously improve the examination process to provide a better, more efficient and conducive environment for students taking CUET. In this spirit, the UGC has constituted an expert committee to review the conduct of CUET-UG and CUET-PG for 2025," Kumar told PTI. "The committee has examined various aspects of the test, such as its structure, number of papers, duration of test papers, syllabus alignment and operational logistics. The commission considered these recommendations in a recent meeting," he added. The UGC chief informed that the commission will soon release a draft ...

UGC introduces flexible degree timelines for undergraduate students

New regulations allow students to graduate earlier or later, promoting a student-centric approach in line with NEP 2020

Cabinet approves 'One Nation One Subscription' scheme for research articles

A total of about Rs 6,000 crore has been allocated for One Nation One Subscription for three calendar years, 2025, 2026 and 2027 as a new Central Sector Scheme

Presidency University acting VC under gherao for over 12 hrs by students

Presidency University Vice-Chancellor Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty has been under gherao for over 12 hours by students demanding a written commitment to reverse the proposed hike in admission fees. The students also gheraoed the registrar in the main campus of the varsity since Wednesday evening. "We want the VC to provide us with a written assurance that the proposal of fee hike will be withdrawn. We will allow him to leave once he agrees to it," Bitan Islam, an SFI activist, said. Neither the in-charge VC Chakraborty nor Registrar Debojyoti Konar responded to phone calls during the protest. The proposed hike would raise fees from Rs 4,205 to Rs 7,200 at the undergraduate level and from Rs 4,300 to Rs 7,200 for postgraduate students. An official from the university said that the proposed fee hike, the first in about 10 years, is being considered due to a financial crunch affecting the procurement of new books for libraries, laboratory instruments, and maintenance of existing ...

Building social capital

India needs to spend more on education and health

Fee hike routine, no major increase in majority courses: Delhi University

The new fee structure will see first-year B.Tech students paying 3.7 per cent more, with fees rising from Rs 2.16 lakh to Rs 2.24 lakh

Eyes on dark web: How Indian firms can protect their data from cyberthieves

To mitigate risks from dark web, organisations should implement cybersecurity monitoring that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-activity measures

NTA postpones Joint CSIR UGC-NET exam due to 'unavoidable circumstances'

The testing agency also said that a revised schedule for the conduct of this examination will be announced later through the official website

No complaints against UGC-NET; cancelled to protect students: Officials

A day after the UGC-NET was cancelled, Education Ministry officials Thursday said no complaints were received about the exam but a suo motu action was taken on the basis of inputs available with them to protect students' interest. Education Ministry Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal said the details of the inputs cannot be shared as the matter has been referred to the CBI and is currently under investigation. "No complaints were received but the inputs we received from agencies indicated that the integrity of the exam has been compromised. The action was taken suo motu to safeguard interests of the students," he said. "A fresh date for the exam will be announced soon," Jaiswal told reporters. The ministry on Wednesday cancelled UGC-NET conducted by the National Testing Agency following inputs that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised. The decision by the Ministry comes amid a massive row on the medical entrance exam NEET over alleged irregularities, with the iss

Universities can offer admissions twice a year from 2024-25 session: UGC

From the 2024-25 academic session, the two admission cycles will be in July-August and January-February

CUET exam for May 15 rescheduled to May 29 for Delhi centres: Official

The exam will be held in prescribed schedules for other centres other than Delhi, said the National Testing Agency

IIT Madras raises Rs 513 cr in funding for FY24, says it's a record

Institute's alumni give Rs 367 crore, a 282% rise compared to FY23

Out of syllabus: When vice chancellors get caught in a political tug-of-war

Rahul Gandhi's purported comments questioning the appointment of VCs has academics demanding legal action

Priority for human development

The Union government should allow federalism to function more effectively if it wishes to push human development

DU allocates Rs 67.71 crore for setting up WiFi in all college campuses

The Delhi University has allocated a fund of Rs 67.71 crore for setting up a WiFi network across all its college campuses and in an upcoming girls' hostel in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, according to an official document. The WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) connectivity will be set up across about 90 colleges of Delhi University, on both north and south campuses and the Dhaka Hostel complex, the document said. The execution of the work will be funded from the loan corpus of Rs 938.33 crore taken by the varsity from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) in October last year to undertake various developmental projects. A loan share of Rs 261.33 crore from this corpus has been sanctioned by the HEFA for setting up the WiFi network as well as to start the work for the construction of a building for the Faculty of Technology. The HEFA is a joint venture company of Canara Bank and the Ministry of Education which provides financial assistance for the creation of educational ...

UGC directs varsities, HEIs to publicise new criminal laws, dispel 'myths'

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country to publicise the new criminal laws and dispel "myths" surrounding them. Among the "myths" cited by the UGC are that the new laws "threaten" individual freedom and aim to establish a "police state", that sedition provisions have been retained under 'Deshdroh' and that these legislations enable "police torture". In its communication to the universities and HEIs, the UGC has also sent flayers mentioning these myths and truths. UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said, "The Higher Educational Institutions have been requested to publicise the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 around the themes contained in the flyers and by carrying out campaigns by way of displays through standees, distributing flyers and organizing seminars and talks by lawyers, judges both serving and retired and their respective faculties in their institutions." The HEIs have also been asked to share the .

Not a single reserved post will be de-reserved in colleges, says Pradhan

Amid a controversy over UGC's draft guidelines on filling of reserved posts in higher education institutes, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday clarified that not a single post will be de-reserved. Pradhan said there is no scope of ambiguity in reservations after introduction of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019. Not a single reserved post will be de-reserved. There is no scope for ambiguity after the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019, Pradhan told PTI. The draft guidelines by the University Grants Commission (UGC) have proposed that any vacancy reserved for SC, ST and OBC candidates can be "declared unreserved" if enough candidates from these categories are not available. The draft guidelines have been receiving backlash from several quarters. The Congress alleged there is a "conspiracy" to end reservation given to SCs, STs and OBCs in posts in higher educational institutions

Former Jamia VC Najma Akhtar seeks time to vacate official bungalow

Former Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar has sought time to vacate the official bungalow saying she needs time to make an alternative arrangement, a senior university official said on Saturday. The university is yet to respond to Akhtar's request which has been pending with the registrar's office for over a month. The official, who spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity, said "Professor Najma has written a letter to the university administration requesting to get an extension on her stay in the VC lodge till she can make an alternative arrangement." According to the Central government rules, an employee has to vacate the official residence within a month from the date of end of tenure. Akhtar's tenure ended on November 12 last year. Jamia, however, doesn't follow any prescribed time limit within which an outgoing Vice-Chancellor must vacate the official residence, an official from the VC office said. Akhtar, when asked, said she had not received any communicati

Enrolment in higher education reached 43.3 million in 2021-22: Report

As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) released on Thursday, 341 universities and university-level institutions have been established since 2014-15