Junior Digest

Oct 6,2026: More than 1,000 people were injured in France during large-scale high school students protests, Le Figaro newspaper reported on Monday, citing authorities.Student protests in France have shut down hundreds of schools after demonstrations against teacher shortages and rundown buildings turned violent.
Since late last month, protests have spread across the country, and clashes with police and school officials have resulted in hundreds injured. According to the report, 715 police officers and paramilitary police officers, as well as 215 students and 85 education system employees were injured. High school students in France have been protesting since mid-September against overloaded schedules, lack of teachers and other problems in education. In some cases, protests escalated into unrest. Thousands expected to join marches of support on Tuesday across the country amid growing concerns over police response.
Despite meetings with top country officials, students are not looking to slow the demonstrations and are calling for a National Day of Protests on Tuesday to keep up pressure.
Here’s what we know about the protests:
What started the demonstration?

The protests began Sept. 21 at a high school in a suburb of Paris over teacher shortages and deteriorating building conditions.

The complaints resonated with students across the country as the protests spread from city to city in France in the following weeks.

“Classrooms are not ventilated, and we can barely open the windows,” Issam Makhloufi, a French student at Rosa Parks High School in St.-Denis, told The New York Times.

Nearly 500 schools have been forced to close this month.

The protests have been supported by some teachers’ unions and leaders of the far-left France Unbowed political party, according to the Times, although its leadership denies sparking tensions among the students.

“The duty of a republic’s elected official is to protect young people and call for calm,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on social media. “Exploiting their anger for partisan purposes is a fault.”

Bally Bagayoko, a member of France Unbowed, told the Times the protests were a result of a “considerable shortfall in the resources allocated for our children’s education.”

“The education ⁠authority is not investing enough in the suburbs. It’s classist and racist,” one student protester told Reuters.

France is gearing up for a presidential election next year, with incumbent President Emmanuel Macron term limited.
The protests turn violent

Thousands of minors have been arrested during these demonstrations.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray told France 2 at least 24 schools have been ransacked or set on fire.

Officials said the protests have caused millions of dollars in damage so far.

“Social unrest is legitimate, but it cannot be expressed through violence. I have therefore asked the attorney generals for a firm criminal response and the imposition of civil liability on the parents of minors whenever possible,” Gérald Darmanin, France’s justice minister, said on social platform X.

Students, police officers and school officials are among the more than 100 people injured from the demonstrations.

A 15-year-old reportedly lost his lower arm and hand after he picked up and detonated a police stun grenade, newspaper La Voix du Nord reported.

And the BBC reported at least one student lost teeth and others suffered eye injuries during the protests.

Police have used tear gas and other means to disperse the protests, but students are determined to push forward.

“Students and high school students, while the authorities seek to drive us out of our places of study through budget cuts, the closure of places, dilapidated buildings, selection, or repression, let’s not let them: let’s block and retake the universities and high schools!” two student unions wrote in a statement.

Human rights groups have spoken out against police tactics to quell the protests.

While Darmanin said parents could be held responsible, the country’s education minister has also met with student activists to attempt to calm tensions.

Geffray said he made promises to address the teacher shortages and create plans to include students in fixing the system, but organizers said the vague proposals weren’t enough.

“One of the difficulties of this movement is that there are no national demands. It all started with local demands,” Geffray said.

Students are now calling for more protests Tuesday and for others to join in their fight.

But the consequences don’t seem like they will be contained to France.
Some conservatives are blaming immigration policies in Europe for the violent protests.

New Delhi, Aug 4,2026: The government on Monday introduced two significant legislation in the Lok Sabha aimed at overhauling the legal framework governing the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and modernize the country’s banking evidence laws to align with the digital era, even as proceedings were disrupted by Opposition protests during the Monsoon Session.

Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, while union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026. The Bills were introduced amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition members before the House was adjourned till 2 p.m.

The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 seeks to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 and replace it with a contemporary legal framework for the premier institution, established in 1931, which has played a pioneering role in the development of statistics, mathematics, computer science and allied disciplines in India.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the proposed legislation aims to modernise the institute’s governance, academic and financial architecture by incorporating the ISI as a body corporate. It provides for the President of India to serve as the Visitor of the institute and proposes the creation of a Board of Governors as the principal policy-making and executive authority accountable to the Central Government.

The Bill also envisages the establishment of an Academic Council, headed by the Director and comprising all full-time professors and faculty members, to oversee academic affairs and maintain academic standards.

The government has maintained that the proposed reforms are intended to strengthen the institute’s institutional capacity to produce highly skilled statisticians, mathematicians and data scientists capable of meeting the growing requirements of technology-driven industries, artificial intelligence, finance and the expanding digital economy.

However, the proposed restructuring has drawn criticism from sections of the ISI faculty and staff, who have expressed apprehensions that replacing the institute’s existing representative council with a government-appointed Board of Governors could dilute the autonomy of the nearly 95-year-old institution and increase governmental control over its functioning.

The second legislation, the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the colonial-era Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891 and establish a modern legal framework reflecting the transformation of India’s banking sector into a predominantly digital ecosystem.

The proposed law significantly expands the definition of “bankers’ books” to include electronic, digital, virtual and cloud-based records, recognising the widespread adoption of online banking, electronic record-keeping and digital financial transactions.

The Bill also introduces safeguards to protect banking officials from unnecessary legal inconvenience. It proposes that courts must record written “special cause” before summoning bank officers or directing the production of original banking records in cases where the bank itself is not a party to the proceedings.

In addition, the legislation seeks to standardise certification requirements for electronic banking records and digital signatures, with the objective of providing greater legal certainty and facilitating the admissibility, verification and use of electronic evidence in judicial proceedings.

The two Bills formed part of the government’s legislative agenda for Monday’s sitting of the Lok Sabha. They were introduced alongside other key items of business, including the proposed legislation to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court, as Parliament continued its Monsoon Session amid repeated disruptions and Opposition protests.

New Delhi, July 6,2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid glowing tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 125th birth anniversary, describing him as one of India’s foremost nation-builders whose contributions to education, industry, humanitarian service and national unity continue to inspire the country’s progress towards a developed India.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said, “Today, on the 125th Jayanti of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, I bow to one of India’s most remarkable nation-builders, whose life was defined by scholarship, courage and an unwavering commitment to national service. He dedicated himself to the cause of India’s unity, dignity and progress.”

Highlighting Mookerjee’s multifaceted legacy, Modi said his contributions extended across diverse fields, including education, governance and industrial development.

“Dr Mookerjee’s contributions spanned diverse spheres. He was an outstanding thinker and educationist, who supported innovation and futuristic learning. As Industries Minister, he laid the foundations of industrial self-reliance while ensuring that traditional sectors and livelihoods flourished. His humanitarian efforts during the Bengal Famine reflected his profound compassion for those in distress. Above all, his steadfast commitment to the unity and integrity of India remains an enduring source of inspiration,” the Prime Minister said.

Referring to the government’s vision of building a developed nation, Modi added, “As we move forward in our journey towards a Viksit Bharat, his vision continues to illuminate our path.”

In another post on X, the Prime Minister said he had written an opinion article on Mookerjee’s life and legacy, underlining his contributions in several capacities, including as an academic administrator, union Minister and political leader.

“Penned an Op-Ed on Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s life, emphasising his diverse accomplishments, be it Vice Chancellor, Minister, political leader and more. Highlighted his unparalleled efforts in boosting India’s unity. The removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 remains a fitting tribute to his efforts,” Modi said.

Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, born on July 6, 1901, was a prominent educationist, parliamentarian and statesman who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in independent India’s first Cabinet before resigning over policy differences. He later founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, the political predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mookerjee is widely remembered by the BJP for his campaign against Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status under the erstwhile Articles 370 and 35A. The Narendra Modi government revoked the provisions in August 2019, describing the move as a step towards greater national integration and fulfilment of Mookerjee’s vision of “One Nation, One Constitution.”

The Prime Minister’s tribute came as the BJP and its affiliated organisations across the country commemorated Mookerjee’s 125th birth anniversary through a series of events, remembering his role in shaping India’s political discourse and his enduring emphasis on national unity, self-reliance and public service.

New Delhi, June 10,2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first-ever National Training Conclave at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on June 11.

The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion, said the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office on Saturday.

The Prime Minister has been a proponent of improving the governance process and policy implementation in the country through capacity building of civil service. Guided by this vision, the National Program for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) – ‘Mission Karmayogi’ was launched to prepare a future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge. This Conclave is yet another step in this direction.

The National Training Conclave is being hosted by Capacity Building Commission with an objective to foster collaboration among civil services training institutes and strengthen the training infrastructure for civil servants across the country.

More than 1500 representatives from training institutes, including Central Training Institutes, State Administrative Training Institutes, Regional and Zonal Training Institutes, and Research institutes will participate in the conclave.

Civil Servants from central government departments, state governments, local governments, as well as experts from the private sector will take part in the deliberations.

This diverse gathering will foster the exchange of ideas, identify the challenges being faced and opportunities available, and generate actionable solutions and comprehensive strategies for capacity building.

The conclave will have eight panel discussions, each focusing on key concerns pertinent to Civil services training institutes such as faculty development, training impact assessment and content digitisation, among others.

Kota, July 12,2025: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that the coaching culture was creating hindrances in realisation of the goals and targets of the National Education Policy and causing problems for coaching seeking students and their parents.

Delivering his speech at the 4th convocation of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kota (IIIT) here today, Dhankhar said this culture has been robotising the students that in turn was causing a lot of psychological problems.

The Vice President also questioned the rationale behind the aggressive publicity campaign and highly paid advertisements in the media for the institutions.”Where is this money comming from”, he questioned.

He also made special mention about suicides by coaching-seeking students at institutions in Kota. Dhankhar said “Those students who did concede defeat in battle for the life were perhaps ignorant of opportunities which were available to them in the country in different arenas including, the space science, blue economy and cyber security”.

The Vice President called upon the coaching institutions to convert themselves into “skill centers”.

Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade also addressed the passing out graduates. The State Education Minister Madan Dilawar and several dignitaries also graced the occasion.

The Vice President presented Gold Medals to toppers in different streams/courses.

Paris, July 1,2023: The 193 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved on Friday during an Extraordinary Session of the General Conference, the proposal submitted by the United States to rejoin the organisation.

After two days of discussions, 132 member states voted in favor and 10 against the return of the U.S. to the organization from which the U.S. has withdrawn twice, causing a negative impact on the organisation’s work.

The U.S. will fund the equivalent of 22 percent of the organisation’s regular budget, according to a press release from UNESCO.

Besides the progressive payment of the arrears, the U.S. will also make voluntary contributions to fund programs including those supporting access to education in Africa and the memory of the Holocaust, UNESCO said.

Speaking to the press after voting, Yang Jin, permanent representative of China to UNESCO, said that the U.S. should contribute to promoting the unity and cooperation of the organisation after its return, instead of engaging in confrontation and division.

“China urges the U.S., following its return to UNESCO, to fulfill its obligations and commitments, pay membership dues in full and on time, and pay off as soon as possible the dues owed to UNESCO for many years,” he said.

Yang also called on the U.S. to adhere to true multilateralism, respect the sovereignty and social systems of all countries, respect and maintain social diversity, refrain from ideological confrontation, and commit to promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among member states.

The United States pulled out of UNESCO twice, in 1984 and 2017. In June this year, the U.S. sent a letter to the director-general of UNESCO, proposing to rejoin the organisation as early as July based on a concrete financial plan, which includes a commitment to repay its estimated arrears of 619 million U.S. dollars.

June 30,2023:The United States Supreme Court has ruled that colleges must stop considering race as a factor in their admission policies, dealing a setback to so-called “affirmative action” efforts aimed at boosting the enrolment of Black and Latino students at top universities.

The top court’s decision on Thursday came in response to lawsuits that challenged the policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) by claiming race-conscious student admissions programmes discriminate against white and Asian-American applicants.

The ruling is the latest by the conservative-dominated court to advance right-wing political causes, and it could have significant implications for US college enrolment and diversity on campuses across the country.

President Joe Biden decried the court’s decision on Thursday, calling on universities to continue to advance diversity in spite of the ruling, by considering race-related factors like adversity.

“I’ve always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed, and that every generation of Americans – we have benefited by opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who’ve been left behind,” Biden told reporters.

He stressed that the top court bucked precedents – previous rulings that establish legal norms – in its decision on Thursday. “We cannot let this decision be the last word on it,” Biden said.

Asked whether the Supreme Court is “rogue”, Biden said it is not a “normal” court.

The top court ultimately found affirmative action to be in violation of US Constitution provisions that establish equal protection under the law.

“College admissions are zero-sum. A benefit provided to some applicants but not to others necessarily advantages the former group at the expense of the latter,” the Supreme Court said in its decision, embracing the argument that affirmative action benefitting some minority students disadvantages others.
Decision and dissent

The vote was six-to-three in the UNC case and six-to-two in the Harvard case, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recusing herself from the latter because she had been a member of an advisory governing board at the university.
In a dissenting opinion, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “indifference to race” does not advance equality, stressing that racial inequality continues to prevail in the US, including at UNC and Harvard.

“Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal. What was true in the 1860s, and again in 1954, is true today: Equality requires acknowledgment of inequality,” she said, referring to the US Civil War that ended slavery and the Civil Rights movement, respectively.

The NAACP civil rights advocacy group was quick to denounce the top court’s ruling on Thursday.

“This is a dark day in America,” Wisdom Cole, national director of the group’s youth and college division, said in a statement.

“Affirmative action has been a beacon of hope for generations of Black students. It stood as a powerful force against the insidious poison of racism and sexism, aiming to level the playing field and provide a fair shot at a high-quality education for all.”

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also decried the decision, calling it a “giant roadblock” in the country’s march towards racial justice.
Affirmative action

The Congressional Black Caucus also hit out at the top court. “By delivering a decision on affirmative action so radical as to deny young people seeking an education equal opportunity in our education system, the Supreme Court has thrown into question its own legitimacy,” it said in a statement.

Under affirmative action, some US colleges have considered race among several factors when assessing students’ applications, boosting the chances of Black and other minority students.

Proponents of the practice have argued that it aims to correct some of the historical injustices people of colour faced in the US and level the playing field for all students.

They also have underscored the racial wealth gap, as well as some colleges’ “legacy” admission programmes that favour the children of graduates from the institutions.

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Thursday that if the Supreme Court is serious about so-called colourblindness, then justices should also abolish legacy admissions, which she called “affirmative action for the privileged”.

Critics of affirmative action have argued affirmative action works against white and some minority students – namely Asian Americans – who also may come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

On Thursday, Republican Senator Tom Cotton called affirmative action “systemic discrimination” and expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for its ruling.

“Admissions should be decided on merit – not by color of skin,” Cotton wrote on Twitter.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader in the US Senate, also welcomed the decision as making clear that “students will get a fair shot at college and the American dream based on merit and not illegal social engineering”.
‘Essential values’

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan said the Supreme Court’s ruling is “incredibly significant” and will affect US universities’ efforts to bolster diversity.

Affirmative action, Jordan explained, was about “not just trying to redress past discrimination, but it also [helped] the schools achieve what they believe is a laudable goal, which is to expose young people who are just starting out in life to other people of different backgrounds”.

Nine US states have already banned colleges from considering race in applications, and several of them saw a drop in minority student enrolment after the restriction.

For example, at the University of Michigan, Black student enrolment dropped to 4 percent in 2022 from 7 percent when the state ended affirmative action in 2006.

Harvard said on Thursday that it will push to preserve its “essential values” while complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.

“We write today to reaffirm the fundamental principle that deep and transformative teaching, learning, and research depend upon a community comprising people of many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. That principle is as true and important today as it was yesterday,” the university’s leaders said in a statement.

Oct 07,2026: Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis,” the award-giving body said on Wednesday.
“So this year’s prize is about foundational chemistry. Many molecules occur in two different versions. Like my hands. They are one another’s mirror image, they look alike, but they are not identical. I cannot put my hands on top of one another. Such molecules are called chiral, from the Greek word for hand, Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said.
The statement of the Nobel Committee is as follows:
“They made chemistry choose a mirror image

Some molecules, such as amino acids, exist as two variants that are each other’s mirror image. However, living organisms only contain one of these mirror images. How chemical asymmetry such as this could have emerged was long a mystery to chemists. Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 for discovering a solution to this puzzle.

Life’s chemistry is what chemists call homochiral, after the Greek words for “same” and “hand”. Like hands, all amino acids exist as two mirrored variants, but only one of them is found in the proteins in your cells. The other is rarely found in nature.

For a long time, chemists wondered how homochirality can emerge. When they began to experiment with chemical reactions that can form two mirrored molecules, they always obtained equal proportions of both in their test tubes. However, chemists strived to produce only one of these mirror images, because in the development of molecules that will interact with living beings – such as in pharmaceuticals – only one mirror image will have the desired effect.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 recognises discoveries that have enabled chemists to drive chemical reactions that lead to homochirality.

“Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have provided a solution to a chemical mystery that is over a century old: how homochirality can emerge spontaneously. The chemical reactions they have developed are spectacular,” says Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

Henri Kagan took the first decisive step in 1986, when he discovered a new way of manipulating chemical reactions. This allowed him to create a greater excess of one of the mirror images than had previously been thought possible.

Kenso Soai took the next step. In 1995, a key publica­tion describes how he designed the first ever chemical reaction that had the potential to be homochiral. In 2003, he finally succeeded. He presented a reaction in which only one of the two possible mirror images was formed. Other than life itself, no one had previously achieved this feat.

Thanks to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai, we now know how homochirality can emerge. Their discoveries have been decisive for chemists who design reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals”.
The laureates will receive their medals from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The awards are followed by a lavish banquet at Stockholm City Hall.

They also share 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), as well as the fame of winning arguably the world’s most prestigious science award.

New Delhi, Dec 13,2023: The Parliament on Wednesday passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 with Rajya Sabha clearing the legislation.

The bill paves way for setting up a central tribal university by the name of “Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University” in the state of Telangana.

The Upper House passed the bill by voice vote after discussion. Lok Sabha has already cleared the bill.

As many as 12 members in the House participated in the discussion on the bill and supported it.

Replying to the discussion on the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that establishment of tribal university would focus on tribal education.

During the reply, Pradhan rejected the charge of one of the members that the government was trying to re-write history books under new education policy.

He said that TMC member Dola Sen alleged that the government was re-writing history text-books but the fact was that the West Bengal government attempted to come up with its own education policy but has ended up copying 99% of the content of the Centre’s education policy.

The Minister further said that some other state governments are also trying to bring their own education policy but are going to take cue from the National Education Policy eventually.

Pradhan also dismissed the contention by some members that drop-out rate in higher education institutions in case of SC, ST and OBC students had increased.

“It was said during discussion that drop-out rates among students from SC, ST and OBC in higher education institutions had increased. But the fact is that in the last five years, 2,66,433 general category students took admission in IIT. In these five years, drop-out among general category students was 4,081 or 1.53%. In OBC, the dropout rate was 1.51%. In case of SC it was 1.47 and in case of ST only 1.29% students dropped out,” he said.

Participating in the discussion on the bill, Muzibulla Khan of BJD supported the bill but urged the government to set up a central tribal university in Odisha where tribal population was high.

As per statement of objects and reasons of the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, establishment of Central Tribal University in the State of Telangana will cater to the regional aspirations for years to come.

“It will increase access and quality of higher education and facilitate and promote higher education and research facilities for the people of the state. It will also promote advanced knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and customs and advancement in technology to the tribal population of India,” it says.

Establishment of a Central Tribal University in the State of Telangana is obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Education Minister Pradhan said that had the Telangana government provided land in time, the proposed tribal university would have already taken shape.

New Delhi, Nov 8,2024: The Supreme Court 7-judge bench by a 4-3 majority verdict laid down indicia for determining whether an educational institution is a minority institution but did not answer whether Aligarh Muslim University is a minority educational institution.

The Apex Court overruled 1967 judgement in Azeez Basha case.

The Court overruled Basha judgment which said an educational institution can claim ‘minority tag’ only if established and managed by a minority community.

The Top Court said a regular bench will decide whether AMU is a minority institution based on the indicia laid down by the 7-Judge bench.

The seven-judge Bench however, has laid down guidelines for determining whether an educational institution is a minority institution.

The seven-judge bench has now sent the question of whether AMU is a minority institution to a three-judge bench.

It means the Allahabad High Court’s 2005 judgment which quashed the AMU’s minority status and the undertaking given by the AMU in the SC that it would not give 50% religious quota stands as of now.

Justice Chandrachud informed that there are 4 opinions in the case.

The majority opinion was by CJI, for himself and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Separate dissenting opinions were rendered by Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and S C Sharma.

Justice Surya Kant said the five-judge bench of SC in Aziz Basha case had correctly decided that AMU was not a minority institution, which has attained finality, and that there is no need to reopen the inquiry into the character of AMU.

Justice Kant strongly criticised the manner in which the case was referred by a 3-Judge bench to the present 7-Judge bench and termed it as a judicial impropriety on the part of the smaller bench and also on the part of the then CJI in accepting the request.

Justice S C Sharma said his opinion is neither concurring nor dissenting with the majority opinion authored by CJI Chandrachud. However, he agreed with dissents that the 3-Judge bench could not have referred the case directly to a 7-Judge bench.
In the case relating to the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), a 7-judge bench of the Supreme Court (by 4:3 majority), overruled the 1967 judgment in S. Azeez Basha vs. Union Of India to the extent it held that an institution incorporated by a statute cannot claim to be a minority institution.

The issue whether Aligarh Muslim University is a minority institution as per Article 30 of the Constitution is now left to be decided by a regular bench based on this view of the majority.
In Azeez Basha, the Court had ruled that AMU cannot claim minority status as it was established by a statute. Today, the majority led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud overruled Azeez Basha and held that an institution will not lose its minority status merely because it was created by a statute. The majority held that the Court must examine who established the University and who was the “brain” behind it. If that enquiry is pointing towards a minority community, then the institution can claim minority status as per Article 30. For this factual determination, the Constitution Bench relegated the matter to a regular bench.

“The view taken in Azeez Basha that an educational institution is not established by a minority if it derives its legal character through a statute is overruled,” the majority stated.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, on his last working day, pronounced the judgment on behalf of the majority (comprising himself, Justices Sanjiv Khanna, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra)

Justices Surya Kant partially dissented from the majority on certain aspects, however agreed that Azeez Basha view required to be modified and clarified to a certain extent. Justices Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma dissented.

The Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Surya Kant, JB Pardiwala, Dipankar Datta, Manoj Misra and SC Sharma was hearing a reference arising out of the 2006 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which held that AMU was not a minority institution. The bench heard the matter 8 days before reserving it on February 1.

The key issue of reference for deliberation was : “What are the indicia for treating an educational institution as a minority educational institution? Would an institution be regarded as a minority educational institution because it was established by a person(s) belonging to a religious or linguistic minority or its being administered by a person(s) belonging to a religious or linguistic minority?”

The 4 main aspects for consideration before the bench were : (1) whether a University, established and governed by a statute (AMU Act 1920), can claim minority status; (2) The correctness of the 1967 judgment of the Supreme Court in S. Azeez Basha vs. Union Of India (5-judge bench) which rejected the minority status of AMU ; (3) the nature and correctness of the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which accorded minority status to the University after the decision in Basha; (4) Whether reliance placed on the Basha decision by Allahabad High Court in AMU v. Malay Shukla in 2006 was correct in concluding that AMU being a non-minority institution could not reserve 50% seats for Muslim candidates in Medical PG Courses.

A detailed explainer on the issue of AMU’s plea for the grant of minority status and arguments raised by the parties can be read here.
Highlights from the judgment

Majority view

Article 30 will stand diluted if it is to apply prospectively only to the institutions which were established after the commencement of the Constitution.

The words ‘incorporation’ and ‘establishment’ cannot be used interchangeably. Merely because the AMU was incorporated by an imperial legislation would not mean that it was not ‘established’ by a minority. It cannot be argued that the University was established by the Parliament merely because the statute says it was passed to establish the University. Such a formalistic reading will defeat the objectives of Article 30. Formalism must give way to actuality. To determine who established the institution, the Court must trace the genesis of the institution and identify who was the “brain” behind it. The proof of ideation must point towards a member of the minority community. It has to be seen who got funds for the land and if the minority community helped.

It is not necessary that the institution was established only for the benefit of the minority community but must be predominantly for its benefit.

An educational institution is a minority educational institution if it is established by a religious or linguistic minority : Majority view

The CJI’s judgment stated :

“We have already held above that an educational institution is a minority educational institution if it is established by a religious or linguistic minority. We have clarified that it is not necessary to prove that administration vests with the minority to prove that it is a minority educational institution because the very purpose of Article 30(1) is to grant special rights on administration as a consequence of establishment. To do otherwise, would amount to converting the consequence to a pre-condition. The right to administer is guaranteed to minority educational institutions to enable them to possess sufficient autonomy to model the educational institution according to the educational values that the community wishes to emphasise. It is not necessary that the purpose can only be implemented if persons belonging to the community helm the administrative affairs. This is so particularly because a minority institution may wish to emphasise secular education. The founders or the minority community may choose to populate the managing board (or a comparable authority) responsible for the day-to-day administration of the institution with persons belonging to the same community. However, they are not compelled to do so. They may wish to appoint persons who do not belong to their community but who they deem fit for the proper administration of the institution.”

The test to be adopted by the Court is whether the administrative set up of the educational institution affirms the minority character of the institution. If the administrative structure of the educational institution does not reflect its minority character or when it does not elucidate that the educational institution was established to protect and promote the interests of the minority, it may be reasonably inferred that the purpose was not to establish an educational institution for the benefit of the minority community”

The decision in Azeez Basha is overruled and the question of deciding the minority status of AMU must be done on the basis of the tests laid down in the present case. The papers of the batch of cases are to be placed before a regular bench to decide the issue and correctness of the 2006 Allahabad HC.

Justice Surya Kant’s view

Justice Surya Kant took objection to the reference order passed in Anjuman in 1981 directly referring the matter to a 7-judge bench. However, the 2019 reference made by a bench led by the then CJI is maintainable.

Justice Kant also agreed that Azeez Basha view required to be corrected :

“Azeez Basha (supra) however, seems to be erroneous to the extent it holds that since Section 6 of the Aligarh Muslim University Act, 1920 (AMU Act, 1920) provided that the degrees conferred by the university would be recognised by government, consequently, “an institution was brought into existence which could not be brought into existence by a private individual or body…” Azeez Basha (supra) might therefore not be correct in its entirety and as a general principle of law, to hold that even if the AMU Act, 1920 was passed as a result of the efforts of the Muslim minority it “does not mean that the Aligarh University when it came into being under the 1920 Act was established by the Muslim minority”.”

“In this context, it is our considered opinion that the establishment of a university, whether as a minority institution or as a religion neutral institution of high standard, is a complex and mixed question of law and fact. The legislative intent behind the establishment of a university or an institution will have a significant role in determining the status of such an institution. For instance, if the Preamble or the Statement of Objects and Reasons of a Statute explicitly states that the University or the institution concerned is intended to be established and shall be administered by a minority community, we see no reason as to why such a University or institution would be denuded of its minority character merely because it was created through legislative means.

Conversely, if the Legislature by itself (particularly, post- Constitution) decides to establish an institution where besides preserving the culture, values, traditions, language and conventions of a religious or linguistic minority community, it promotes other streams of education without any barrier to children belonging to other religions, it will be highly debatable to discern whether such a university can take refuge under the protective umbrella of Article 30.”

Justice Kant however did not overrule Azeez Basha and said that it required only to be modified and clarified to the above extent.

Educational institutions under Article 30(1) also include universities. Minority institutions, to get Article 30 protection, must satisfy the conjunctive tests of “established” and “administered” by a minority.

The legislative intent behind a statute incorporating a university or institution would be necessary to decide its minority status.

Whether AMU is a minority institution is a mixed question of law and fact, which is to be decided by a regular bench.

Justice Dipankar Datta

Justice Datta made a categorical declaration that AMU is not a minority institution. He also held that the references, both in 1981 and 2019, were unnecessary.

Justice SC Sharma

The minority community should be controlling the administration of the institution without any help of outside forces. The minority institution must also give the option of secular education.

‘Established’ and ‘administered’ words have to be used conjunctively. It cannot be conflated with situations such as genesis or founding moments. To claim establishment, they have to bring it to existence, they should play full role to the exclusion of others.The authority to hire and fire staff should be with the minority and functional and authoritative control should be with the minority.

The crux of Article 30 is to prevent any preferential treatment for minorities and thus give equal treatment for all. To assume that minorities of the country require a safe haven to pursue education is incorrect. Minorities are very much a part of the mainstream now partaking in equal opportunities.

Case Reference Trajectory

The 7-judge bench was formed as a consequence of a reference order of 2019 passed by a 3-judge bench headed by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi. The reference occurred while hearing an appeal against the 2006 Allahabad High Court’s Judgement.

One can say that the matter has been re-referred. Considering the Apex Court’s past two attempts at deliberating upon the issue. Between the 1967 Supreme Court ruling and the 2006 Allahabad High Court judgment, there is a Supreme Court directive from 1981 (in Anjuman-e-Rahmania Vs. District Inspector of School), where the matter addressed in the Basha Judgment was forwarded to a Seven Judges Bench. The referred question was as follows :

“What are the indicia for treating an educational institution as a minority educational institution? Would an institution be regarded as a minority educational institution because it was established by a person(s) belonging to a religious or linguistic minority or its being administered by a person(s) belonging to a religious or linguistic minority?”

While the mentioned reference was considered by an 11-judge bench along with T.M.A. Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka, the Bench opted not to address the question, stating that it would be handled by the Regular Bench. Subsequently, the regular bench also refrained from providing an answer to the said question.

Representing AMU and the AMU Old Boys’ Association, were Senior Advocates Dr Rajeev Dhavan and Mr Kapil Sibal along with Mr Salman Khurshid, Mr Shadan Farasat who appeared on behalf of intervenors.

The Union of India was represented by the Attorney General Mr R Venkataramani as well as the Solicitor General Mr Tushar Mehta. Several other senior advocates including Mr Neeraj Kishan Kaul, Mr. Guru Krishna Kumar, Mr Vinay Navare, Mr. Yatinder Singh, Mr. Vikramjit Banerjee (ASG) and Mr KM Nataraj (ASG) also appeared to advance arguments on behalf of respondents and intervenors.

Chennai, Feb 28,2024: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ platform that will offer courses developed collaboratively with the industry at an event in Delhi on Tuesday.

These employability and professional development‐focused programs have been developed with leading industry players such as L&T, Microsoft, CISCO etc. to bring to its learners, a release from IIT-Madras said.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will be operating the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ Platform. IIT Madras was among the founder institutions of Swayam-NPTEL, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform providing educational opportunities for a vast number of learners.

A popular e-learning platform, SWAYAM has the largest enrolment base today, with the total enrolment increasing from 31 lakh in 2017 to more than 72 lakh by end of 2023.

The establishment of SWAYAM Plus would enhance employability of both college students and lifelong learners. The industry-academia partnership would combine the academic rigour of SWAYAM’s educational platform with the real-world expertise and relevance offered by industry partners. SWAYAM Plus platform will offer programs in sectors like Manufacturing, Energy, Computer Science and Engineering/IT/ITES, Management Studies, Healthcare, Hospitality and Tourism besides Indian Knowledge Systems, among many others.

Launching the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ portal, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The National Education Policy (NEP) is on roll and for the first time, reputed industrial houses will be coming with their own academy, partnering with the UGC, esteemed education departments, and prestigious institutes like IIT Madras. All these courses will be accredited.”

Elaborating he said, “SWAYAM Plus offers employability, entrepreneurial mode, and job-centric courses, emphasizing practical, hands-on learning. Our goal is to make education industry-fit, providing learners with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the professional world.”

“Higher education is no longer limited to the traditional student. It is now accessible to the working population as well. The NEP 2020’s provision for multiple entry and exit points allows individuals to pursue education at their own pace. This concept is embodied in SWAYAM Plus, a vehicle that enables working professionals to balance their work and studies by offering a plethora of online courses. With SWAYAM Plus, we are empowering individuals to upskill and reskill, enhancing their career prospects and contributing to India’s knowledge economy”, he added.

Reskilling and upskilling initiatives play a pivotal role in addressing skill gaps, ensuring employability, and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. Through collaborative efforts between academia, industry, and the government, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 endeavours to create a workforce that is well-prepared for the challenges of the modern world and can thrive in diverse sectors, driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive development.

Speaking during the launch event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “There is an exponentially growing demand for trained manpower in core areas spanning across not restricted to health care, logistics, technology, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing. With rapid changes in these areas, there is a need to augment certain recent topics for fresh students and upskilling for the already employed. Swayam Plus will be a single window solution serving the above National cause.”

The exposure through these courses would equip students with not only theoretical knowledge but also the skills, practices and latest trends demanded by the job market. It would bridge the gap between academia and industry, making college graduates more job-ready and competitive.

New Delhi, October 10,2024: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is set to launch the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP), to enhance the employability of students pursuing undergraduate level-degree programs by providing practical industry experience.
The UGC has prepared a draft guideline for the programme.
The guidelines, which were reviewed during the UGC’s meeting on October 3 will soon be available on the UGC website for public consultation and feedback from stakeholders.
The AEDP is designed to enhance the employability of undergraduate students by incorporating apprenticeship training into their degree programmes, as per the draft guidelines.
Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, UGC Chairman, emphasized the value of these guidelines, stating, “Students will gain experiential learning alongside theoretical knowledge, equipping them with the competencies employers seek. We urge all eligible higher education institutions to take advantage of these guidelines and offer AEDP programmes starting from the January-February 2025 academic session.”

The draft guidelines mention that the programme is applicable to undergraduate courses offered by UGC-recognized higher educational institutions (HEIs) with specific accreditation or ranking criteria.
AEDPs aim to integrate classroom learning with structured on-the-job training (OJT), providing students with industry-relevant skills. The guidelines focus on achieving specific learning outcomes, ensuring students develop the attributes required in the workforce. A stronger partnership between HEIs and industries is encouraged to align curricula with industry needs.
As per the draft guidelines, apprenticeships can begin from the second semester, accounting for up to 50 per cent of the degree duration. A minimum of one semester of continuous apprenticeship is required. Credits are awarded based on the number of hours spent in training, with a system aligned to the National Credit Framework. A full year of apprenticeship equates to at least 40 credits.
A comprehensive evaluation process will involve industry professionals, faculty mentors, and the HEI. Students may receive stipends depending on whether the AEDP is offered through the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) or the Apprentices Act, 1961.
HEIs will monitor student progress after completing the AEDP to assess the programme’s effectiveness, according to the draft guidelines. A unique aspect of the guidelines is the tripartite agreement between the HEI, industry, and student, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities. The UGC is also emphasizing the importance of tracking students post-training to measure success and identify areas for improvement.
The draft guidelines will be open for comments, suggestions, and recommendations from all stakeholders, including students, HEIs, and the general public, before final implementation.

New Delhi, August 14,2024: The University Grants Commission has introduced a new enrollment procedure for students seeking admission to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online Programmes for the academic year 2024-25. The change, effective from September 2024, is aimed at ensuring that students enroll only in approved Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to offer ODL programmes and online programmes and enhancing transparency in the admissions process, stated UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar.
“The UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 set the minimum standards for such programmes, and a list of recognised institutions is available on the UGC Distance Education Bureau website. Recent issues with unrecognised institutions admitting students highlighted the need for this standardised procedure. To safeguard student interests, the UGC has developed a mechanism requiring students to register on the UGC-DEB web portal and create a unique DEB-ID using their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID. This DEB-ID will be mandatory for all students enrolling in recognized ODL/Online programmes, except for foreign learners, and will remain valid for their lifetime. HEIs are urged to implement this new admission process efficiently and promote it to new learners to ensure successful adoption and operation,” said the UGC Chairman.
UGC (ODL Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020 stipulated the minimum standards for offering programmes in open and distance learning mode and online mode by the higher educational institutions and accordingly, the year-wise list of universities recognised/entitled by the Commission to offer programmes in ODL/Online mode is in the public domain at the UGC Distance Education Bureau website https://deb.ugc.ac.in/, according to the UGC.
It came to the notice of the Commission in the recent past that few HEIs admitted students in unrecognised ODL/Online programmes thereby putting the future of students at stake. To address such incidents and to increase the transparency in ODL and online mode admission, the Commission in its 581st meeting held on 25th June 2024 has decided to standardise the admission procedure for students enrolling in ODL and Online mode to safeguard their academic future and career prospects.
Accordingly, UGC has developed a mechanism for a transparent admission process wherein any student who intends to enrol in ODL/ Online Programmes shall register on the UGC-DEB web portal (URL link: https://deb.ugc.ac.in/ and https://deb.ugc.ac.in/StudentDebId) with their Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)-ID for generating a unique DEB-ID, according to the UGC.
All stakeholders are hereby informed that the creation of DEB-ID shall be required for every student (except foreign learners) willing to enroll in ODL/ Online programmes in recognized/entitled HEIs from the academic year 2024-25, the academic session beginning September 2024 (revised from July-August, 2024) and onwards. The DEB-ID once generated on the UGC-DEB web portal will remain valid for lifelong ODL/Online learning, according to the UGC.
All Higher Educational Institutions are requested to expedite the smooth implementation of the new mechanism for ODL and Online mode admission process by doing the requisite API integration process and promoting this initiative among new learners to ensure its successful implementation, according to the UGC.
For any further inquiries or concerns, learners can contact the Helpdesk established on the website at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/, according to the UGC.

New Delhi, July05,2023: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday declared that NET/SET/SLET would be the minimum requirements for direct hiring to the position of assistant professor for all higher education institutions.
According to the officials, the UGC in an official statement announced that the NET/SET/SLET would be the minimum prerequisites for the direct recruitment to the job of Assistant Professor in all Higher Education Institutions
“NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions,” the UGC said in an official statement.
As per the statement, the University Grants Commission (UGC) officially announced the amendments undertaken by the UGC in the execution of the authority granted by clauses (e) and (g) of sub-section (1) of section 26 read in conjunction with section 14 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956).
It further stated that the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (2nd Amendment) Regulations, 2023 may be used to refer to these regulations.

Additionally, it was stated in the official release that these restrictions will take effect on July 1, 2023.
“These regulations may be called the University Grants Commission
(Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (2nd Amendment) Regulations, 2023. They shall come into force with effect from July 1, 2023,” said the official statement.
The official statement further said that the NET/SET/SLET would be deemed as the minimal requirements for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions.
“NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions,” it stated.

New Delhi, Jul 23,2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the government will establish fast-track courts to ensure the speedy trial of paper leak cases, asserting that safeguarding the interests and future of students remains the government’s highest priority and warning that those responsible for compromising the future of the country’s youth “will not be spared.”

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said the decision was aimed at ensuring swift justice and stringent punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks, which have triggered widespread concern over the integrity of competitive examinations and recruitment tests.

“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!” Modi said, adding, “We have decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Have directed the concerned authorities and officials to take all necessary steps in this regard. This continues our series of steps for safeguarding the interests of students.”

Reiterating the government’s resolve to crack down on those responsible for such offences, the Prime Minister said, “Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared.”

In his Hindi post, Modi said, “The welfare and future of the country’s youth are our highest priority. To ensure that those guilty in all paper leak cases receive strict punishment at the earliest, fast-track courts will be constituted for the speedy disposal of these cases. Directions have already been issued to the concerned departments to ensure the necessary action.”

He described the move as “an important step” in the series of measures being undertaken by the government to protect the interests of students and reiterated that “anyone who tampers with the future of the youth will not be spared.”

The announcement comes amid heightened political and public focus on examination irregularities and paper leak incidents, with concerns over the credibility of recruitment and entrance examinations dominating public discourse in recent months. The issue has sparked protests by students and criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the government of failing to prevent repeated examination leaks.

The Centre has maintained that it is committed to protecting the interests of students through legislative, administrative and technological measures to strengthen the examination system. The proposed fast-track courts are expected to expedite the prosecution of those accused in paper leak cases and reinforce the government’s efforts to deter such offences through quicker judicial proceedings and stricter punishment.

New Delhi , August 31,2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended his greetings on World Sanskrit Day and urged everyone to share one sentence in Sanskrit to celebrate this “great” language.

PM Modi posted on X, previously known as Twitter: “Greetings on World Sanskrit Day. I laud all those who are passionate about it. India has a very special relation with Sanskrit. To celebrate this great language, I urge you all to share one sentence in Sanskrit. In the post below, I will also share a sentence. Don’t forget to use #CelebratingSanskrit”.
In a follow-up, tweet, PM Modi wrote, “I laud all those who are passionate about it. India has a very special relation with Sanskrit,” tweets PM Modi
World Sanskrit Day is observed on Shravana Poornima according to the Hindu calendar. This year it falls on on August 31.