The fallout from the NEET paper leak controversy continues to reshape India's examination system, with Maharashtra establishing 23 special fast-track courts to handle 203 pending exam malpractice cases.

The newly created courts will hear cases involving paper leaks, recruitment examination fraud, HSC examination cheating, and other forms of examination malpractice. The move follows widespread outrage over the NEET paper leak and aims to ensure faster justice in cases affecting millions of students.

The Bombay High Court has directed the special courts to make every effort to complete trials within three months of filing the chargesheet, significantly accelerating the judicial process.

The development comes after the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 received Presidential assent. The amended law introduces stricter punishments, including five to ten years of imprisonment and fines of up to ₹50 lakh for those using unfair means. For service providers involved in examination fraud, the maximum fine has been increased from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, while the debarment period has been doubled from four years to eight years.

NEET Paper Leak Fallout | Maharashtra Sets Up 23 Fast-Track Courts To Hear 203 Exam Fraud Cases

India's teacher shortage has come under sharp focus after fresh data presented in Parliament revealed that more than 1.08 lakh schools across the country are functioning with just one teacher. According to the Union Minister of State for Education, Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand and Maharashtra. While the national pupil-teacher ratio appears favorable on paper, the latest figures expose significant regional disparities in teacher availability.

1 Lakh Schools, One Teacher Each? Parliament Data Exposes India's Teacher Crisis | GRAVITAS 

India's education system is under fresh scrutiny after the Central Government revealed that more than 1 lakh schools across the country are functioning with just one teacher. Responding to a question in Parliament, the Ministry of Education disclosed that 1,08,043 schools currently operate with only a single teacher, highlighting the scale of teacher shortages in several states.

According to the official data, Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. At the other end of the spectrum, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Ladakh, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Kerala reported the fewest such schools.

Teacher Shortage Exposed: Over 1 Lakh Schools Run by a Single Teacher

Tamil Nadu is considering a major change to its school nutrition program by introducing chicken biryani into the government's midday meal scheme. According to reports, the proposal has been put forward by the state's Education Minister to Chief Minister Vijay, who is expected to take a final decision soon.

If approved, government school students could receive chicken biryani once a week as part of their midday meals, marking one of the most significant upgrades to Tamil Nadu's school nutrition program. The proposal aims to improve the quality, nutrition, and appeal of school meals while continuing the state's long tradition of strengthening welfare schemes for students.

Chicken Biryani in School Meals? Tamil Nadu Government Weighs New Proposal 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address policy makers in the domain of education and skill development, students and teachers across the country on Thursday via video conferencing to mark the completion of one year of reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

He will also launch multiple initiatives in the education sector.According to Prime Minister`s Office (PMO), Prime Minister will launch the Academic Bank of Credit that will provide multiple entry and exit options for students in Higher education; first Year Engineering Programmes in Regional Languages and Guidelines for the Internationalization of Higher Education.

The initiatives to be launched also include Vidya Pravesh, a three-month play-based school preparation module for Grade 1 students; Indian Sign Language as a Subject at secondary level; NISHTHA 2.0, an integrated programme of teacher training designed by NCERT; SAFAL (Structured Assessment For Analyzing Learning Levels), a competency-based assessment framework for Grades 3, 5 and 8 in CBSE schools; and a website dedicated to Artificial Intelligence.

Further, the event will witness the launch of the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) and the National Education Technology Forum (NETF).These initiatives will mark a significant step towards the realization of the goals of NEP 2020 and will make the education sector more vibrant and accessible.

The NEP, 2020 is the guiding philosophy for changing the learning landscape, making education holistic and building strong foundations for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.This is the first education policy of the 21st Century and replaced the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.&nbsp;

Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st century needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.The Union Education Minister will also be present on the occasion.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address policy makers in the domain of education and skill development, students and teachers across the country on Thursday via video conferencing to mark the completion of one year of reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address policy makers in the domain of education and skill development, students and teachers across the country on Thursday via video conferencing to mark the completion of one year of reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He will also launch multiple initiatives in the education sector.According to Prime Minister`s Office (PMO), Prime Minister will launch the Academic Bank of Credit that will provide multiple entry and exit options for students in Higher education; first Year Engineering Programmes in Regional Languages and Guidelines for the Internationalization of Higher Education. The initiatives to be launched also include Vidya Pravesh, a three-month play-based school preparation module for Grade 1 students; Indian Sign Language as a Subject at secondary level; NISHTHA 2.0, an integrated programme of teacher training designed by NCERT; SAFAL (Structured Assessment For Analyzing Learning Levels), a competency-based assessment framework for Grades 3, 5 and 8 in CBSE schools; and a website dedicated to Artificial Intelligence. Further, the event will witness the launch of the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) and the National Education Technology Forum (NETF).These initiatives will mark a significant step towards the realization of the goals of NEP 2020 and will make the education sector more vibrant and accessible. The NEP, 2020 is the guiding philosophy for changing the learning landscape, making education holistic and building strong foundations for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.This is the first education policy of the 21st Century and replaced the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st century needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.The Union Education Minister will also be present on the occasion.

PM Modi to address education community on July 29 to mark one year of NEP 2020

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors.&nbsp;

According to the government, it is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 which was modified in 1992.

The NEP is erected on the foundational pillars of ‘Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability’. This policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to revise and overhaul the education system in our country, including its regulations and governance by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary.

According to the government, the implementation of previous policies has focused largely on issues of access and equity. It may be noted that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the country (as recorded last in 2018) currently sits at 26..3 per cent.&nbsp;

The GRE depicts the ratio of those students who are successfully enrolling into higher education institutions after the end of their initial schooling years. &nbsp;Further, it may be noted that due to deep-rooted traditional learning methods, the education system in India is not able to adapt with new streams of education.

Amongst the other changes, the NEP proposes to bring about the change in the name of the ministry from the MHRD to the new Education Ministry. The NEP further aims to ensure that 6 per cent of our GDP is spent on education for providing implementation of this policy to the country.&nbsp;

Further, the central government, through this policy has more outreach than the previous NPE by encompassing students from age of 3 years instead of the previous age of 5 years. It also proposes reforms for teachers by mainstreaming their governing regulations. The important highlights of the NEP are enumerated in the succeeding paras.

School Education

The NEP emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels i.e. from pre-school to secondary. Further, the earlier structure of ‘10+2’ has been replaced by a ‘5+3+3+4’ curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.

All students will take school examinations in grades 3, 5 and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. Board exams for grades 10 and 12 will be continued but redesigned with holistic development as the central aim. This additional classification of students based on age groups helps not only the government to implement age specific norms for educating the students but also helps the schools in developing curriculums and syllabi which imparts knowledge more efficiently based on age.

Further, the Policy also aims to blur the lines between the current, rigid ‘streams’ concept, in which the students are mandated to opt for either arts, commerce or sciences. It proposes to give enhanced degree of flexibility to students after grade 10 board by allowing them to choose subjects of their choices rather than force streams on them.

The NEP ambitiously proposes to implement a three-language formula. Under this, it is proposed that two out of three languages i.e. mother tongue/local language/regional language will be used as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but may be extended further till Grade 8 and beyond.

With regard to new bodies being set up, a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body for students up to class 12.

Higher Education

There has been consistency shown by NEP by with respect to the continuous reforms related to the higher education sphere in our country. One of the main challenges with higher education in our country is low GER. The Policy aims to tackle the same by making higher education policies much more flexible in favour of the students and providing them with more options to complete their higher education.

The major changes include implementing a four-year undergraduate programme. This program will be multi-disciplinary in nature and will allow the students with multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certifications.&nbsp;

Additionally, a digital credit bank system has also been proposed to be incorporated wherein, if a student happens to stop pursuing a particular degree, but has attained a certain number of credits, he/she may transfer the same to some other institution and can avoid starting at that institution afresh.

For regulation of higher education, the Policy proposes to form a singular umbrella body regulating higher education in India, called the “Higher Education Commission of India” (HECI), however, excluding medicine and legal education. A National Testing Agency will also be set up to conduct a singular exam for higher education institutes.

Under the new Policy, High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.

Teacher Education

Keeping in mind the role that teachers play in any educational set-up, a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. It has been proposed that by 2030, the minimum qualification for teaching will be a four-year B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard standalone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

In view of the existing educational regime, NEP is a welcome and progressive change for the development of education landscape in India. However, the implementation of the NEP would also require efficient coordination between the Centre and the State Governments, since education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors. According to the government, it is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 which was modified in 1992. The NEP is erected on the foundational pillars of ‘Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability’. This policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to revise and overhaul the education system in our country, including its regulations and governance by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary. According to the government, the implementation of previous policies has focused largely on issues of access and equity. It may be noted that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the country (as recorded last in 2018) currently sits at 26..3 per cent. The GRE depicts the ratio of those students who are successfully enrolling into higher education institutions after the end of their initial schooling years. Further, it may be noted that due to deep-rooted traditional learning methods, the education system in India is not able to adapt with new streams of education. Amongst the other changes, the NEP proposes to bring about the change in the name of the ministry from the MHRD to the new Education Ministry. The NEP further aims to ensure that 6 per cent of our GDP is spent on education for providing implementation of this policy to the country. Further, the central government, through this policy has more outreach than the previous NPE by encompassing students from age of 3 years instead of the previous age of 5 years. It also proposes reforms for teachers by mainstreaming their governing regulations. The important highlights of the NEP are enumerated in the succeeding paras. School Education The NEP emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels i.e. from pre-school to secondary. Further, the earlier structure of ‘10+2’ has been replaced by a ‘5+3+3+4’ curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child. All students will take school examinations in grades 3, 5 and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. Board exams for grades 10 and 12 will be continued but redesigned with holistic development as the central aim. This additional classification of students based on age groups helps not only the government to implement age specific norms for educating the students but also helps the schools in developing curriculums and syllabi which imparts knowledge more efficiently based on age. Further, the Policy also aims to blur the lines between the current, rigid ‘streams’ concept, in which the students are mandated to opt for either arts, commerce or sciences. It proposes to give enhanced degree of flexibility to students after grade 10 board by allowing them to choose subjects of their choices rather than force streams on them. The NEP ambitiously proposes to implement a three-language formula. Under this, it is proposed that two out of three languages i.e. mother tongue/local language/regional language will be used as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but may be extended further till Grade 8 and beyond. With regard to new bodies being set up, a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body for students up to class 12. Higher Education There has been consistency shown by NEP by with respect to the continuous reforms related to the higher education sphere in our country. One of the main challenges with higher education in our country is low GER. The Policy aims to tackle the same by making higher education policies much more flexible in favour of the students and providing them with more options to complete their higher education. The major changes include implementing a four-year undergraduate programme. This program will be multi-disciplinary in nature and will allow the students with multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certifications. Additionally, a digital credit bank system has also been proposed to be incorporated wherein, if a student happens to stop pursuing a particular degree, but has attained a certain number of credits, he/she may transfer the same to some other institution and can avoid starting at that institution afresh. For regulation of higher education, the Policy proposes to form a singular umbrella body regulating higher education in India, called the “Higher Education Commission of India” (HECI), however, excluding medicine and legal education. A National Testing Agency will also be set up to conduct a singular exam for higher education institutes. Under the new Policy, High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. Teacher Education Keeping in mind the role that teachers play in any educational set-up, a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. It has been proposed that by 2030, the minimum qualification for teaching will be a four-year B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard standalone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs). In view of the existing educational regime, NEP is a welcome and progressive change for the development of education landscape in India. However, the implementation of the NEP would also require efficient coordination between the Centre and the State Governments, since education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The new Education Policy, 2020

After a huge outcry and allegations of Hindi imposition by many states, the Centre on Monday made changes to the new<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/solution-to-three-languages-formula-lies-in-its-better-implementation-shashi-tharoor-on-centres-draft-education-plan-223747"> Draft National Education Policy</a>, making the language optional.

"In keeping with the principle of flexibility, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages (one language at the literature level) in their modular Board Examinations sometime during secondary school," read the tweaked version of the draft policy.

In the original Draft National Education Policy 2019, a three-language formula recommended the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in the non-Hindi state, while the Hindi-speaking states were to include English and Indian language from other parts of India.

The draft policy had said multilingualism is a necessity of India as of much of the developed world and must be considered a boon and an opportunity for learning and expanding one's horizons rather than a burden.

Many leaders from non-Hindi states, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-language-will-be-imposed-says-foreign-minister-subrahmanyam-jaishankar-223700">opposed the policy</a>.

In Tamil Nadu, leaders across party lines had said the state would not tolerate any imposition.

Echoing the same sentiments, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had said that the Centre cannot force any language.

However, despite the raging controversy, the Centre had maintained that the policy was just a draft subject to changes and ensured that no language will be pressed upon.

"The committee was formed for drafting New Education Policy. That committee has given its report. The report of the committee is only received by the Ministry. That's not the policy. No language will be imposed on any state," HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak had told ANI on Saturday.

After a huge outcry and allegations of Hindi imposition by many states, the Centre on Monday made changes to the new Draft National Education Policy, making the language optional.

After a huge outcry and allegations of Hindi imposition by many states, the Centre on Monday made changes to the new Draft National Education Policy, making the language optional. "In keeping with the principle of flexibility, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages (one language at the literature level) in their modular Board Examinations sometime during secondary school," read the tweaked version of the draft policy. In the original Draft National Education Policy 2019, a three-language formula recommended the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in the non-Hindi state, while the Hindi-speaking states were to include English and Indian language from other parts of India. The draft policy had said multilingualism is a necessity of India as of much of the developed world and must be considered a boon and an opportunity for learning and expanding one's horizons rather than a burden. Many leaders from non-Hindi states, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, had opposed the policy. In Tamil Nadu, leaders across party lines had said the state would not tolerate any imposition. Echoing the same sentiments, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had said that the Centre cannot force any language. However, despite the raging controversy, the Centre had maintained that the policy was just a draft subject to changes and ensured that no language will be pressed upon. "The committee was formed for drafting New Education Policy. That committee has given its report. The report of the committee is only received by the Ministry. That's not the policy. No language will be imposed on any state," HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak had told ANI on Saturday.

Amid uproar over Hindi imposition, Centre alters draft education policy

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