
SOA University aims to be one of India's top notch institutions: V-C
Addressing the foundation day programme of the university, Nanda said SOA has been focusing on quality education, healthcare and focused research, while aiming to be one of the top 10 universities in the country. 'Ranked 14th in the country by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2024, SOA is a category-I university governed by the UGC,' he said.
The V-C said over 115 of research projects of the university have been funded by the government. The university has set up 18 inter-disciplinary research centres and 60 laboratories to facilitate the work, he said.
Nanda also said that the research publications which were around 300 a few years ago have now increased to 15,800. Around 300 PhD researchers are getting enrolled to the university every year, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, director of the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar Dr Debasis Dash said SOA should think of a project in which researchers from health sciences, engineers and life scientists can collaborate. He also called on researchers to take up projects that are more relevant to the society.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
8 hours ago
- NDTV
UGC-NET June Result Declared, Here's The Direct Link To Download Scorecard
UGC-NET June Result 2025: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has declared the result for University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) June Cycle 2025 today, July 21. Candidates who appeared for the examination can check and download the result on the official website, The number of candidates who qualified for the role of JRF and Assistant Professor stands at 5,269, 54,885 for Assistant Professor and admission to PhD, 1,28,179 candidates qualified only for PhD. Here is the direct link to download your scorecard, " UGC-NET June 2025 Scorecard" UGC-NET Exam Statistics 2025 A total of 10,19,751 students had registered for the examination, of which only 7,52,007 candidates appeared. The total number of registered male students were recorded at 4,28,853, of which 3,05,122 had appeared. Female registered candidates were recorded at 5,90,837, of which 4,46,849 had appeared for the examination. UGC-NET June Exam Result: How To Download UGC-NET June Result? Visit the official website, On the homepage, click on "UGC-NET June 2025: Click Here To Download Scorecard". Enter your application number and date of birth. Click on "Submit". Your result will be displayed on the screen. Download and save the result for future reference. The NTA conducts the UGC-NET to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for the positions of Assistant Professor and/or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges. Essentially, it's a gateway for those seeking careers in academia and research. The June exam was held in Computer-Based format across India in several shifts.

The Hindu
13 hours ago
- The Hindu
Meera Nanda on Hindutva, Postcolonial Theory, and the Saffronising of Science
Published : Jul 21, 2025 15:52 IST - 9 MINS READ I am often irked by the term 'Western science'. This phrase not only overlooks the global and collaborative nature of science but also carries more profound implications. As a science writer highlighting the contributions of marginalised voices in Indian science, I believe that the term 'Western science' overlooks scientific contributions made by non-Western scientists. Seeing all endeavours based on empiricism as 'Western' and hence colonial neglects significant movements within our own country that have sought to loosen the hold of superstitions and irrational beliefs, however sporadic these efforts may have been. Instead, we should call it what it is: modern science. This shift is more than just a linguistic change; it represents an effort to recognise the scientific contributions made by Indians. This Indian science that I seek to defend is not the same as Vedic science. Nor does it include Ayurvedic recipes of pseudoscientific herbal decoctions that the Central and some State governments promoted during the recent pandemic. My embrace of Indian science has nothing to do with the surge of misleading narratives spread by Hindutva forces claiming that 'we have always been scientific'. Hindutva co-opting modern science In this context, studying Meera Nanda's writing has been enlightening. The science philosopher and historian of science is a controversial figure, thanks to her bold dismissal of Hindutva co-opting modern science and of postcolonial theories that question the possibility of objective knowledge. Nanda began her career as a microbiologist at IIT Delhi, later transitioning into a science writer and activist who fought for rational inquiry. Now a retired academic, she spent many years teaching the history of science to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students in India. She has written on many occasions that her proximity to the scientific method liberated her from oppressive social realities as an Indian woman. When I met her while working on a book about gender gaps in Indian science, she left a lasting impression on me, and since then, I have been diving deep into Nanda's commentary. Throughout most of her writing, Nanda's concern is about defending the scientific method, and she does not hesitate to issue stark warnings when she sees it being instrumentalised for political gain. In the book Prophets Facing Backwards (an essential Meera Nanda reading), she predicted the rise of Hindutva 10 years before Narendra Modi came to power and the undermining of modern science that has accompanied it. The book explores the comprehensive scope of Nanda's ideas on the intersection of science, religion, and nationalism in India. In its introduction, she explains why she was compelled to write the book: to counter what she was witnessing politically in India, as well as globally, in the academic discipline of science and technology studies (STS). She particularly raises critical concerns about the influence of postcolonial theory in STS, noting that it often diminishes secular and rationalist principles in the name of decolonisation. Routledge recently published her latest book, Postcolonial Theory and the Making of Hindu Nationalism: The Wages of Unreason, in print, and a South Asian edition is awaited. In this work, Meera fleshes out the synergies between the Hindu Right and the postcolonial Left. She substantiates how the two ideologies that arose from opposing sides of the political spectrum have merged with disastrous implications for India. Both sides would like to see a revival of indigenous cultural norms, and 'both seek to decolonise and indigenize science and social theory'. However, Nanda emphasises that they are in no way equal partners. In her deeply nuanced critique, she argues that while the Hindu Right did not require the postcolonial Left to ignite its movement, the latter nonetheless has aided in spreading it by providing a conceptual framework. Also Read | Intolerance unplugged Postcolonial scholars ground their theory in the understanding that colonial powers operated under the assumption that the 'uncivilised' needed to be civilised, utilising the tools at hand to administer the colonies. These tools included the empirical scientific methods derived from the Enlightenment that took place in Europe, where these colonial powers came from. There is no doubt that colonial powers employed science and rationality to set up the extractive industrial landscape we see today, including in the previous colonies. But the problem lies in the overreach of postcolonial theory that suggests that true decoloniality can come only when all the tools deployed during colonisation are rejected and indigenous ways of knowing are excavated. Nanda warns that while these excavations are negotiated, the Hindu Right is filling them with whatever it sees fit to claim supremacy. Knowledge is learnt, it is not innate For her, overemphasis on situated knowledge amounts to nativism, implying that knowledge is innate to groups rather than learnt. To my understanding as a science writer, AI is a good metaphor to help us out of this conundrum. AI improves and develops with every iteration as it is programmed to learn. It carries the biases of the data it learns from, but as shifts in AI research show, algorithmic fairness is a worthy pursuit. Still, I ask Nanda whether she thinks postcolonial theory has anything to offer. 'You got me there!' she said. 'The germ of the idea—that colonial ways of knowing carried Western cultural biases and served colonial interests—of course has some value. But this was plugged into universal claims regarding the impossibility of objective knowledge and progressive improvement in ways of knowing. If all knowledge is 'situated' and constructed, it can't question power. This negates the history of rationalism, feminism, Dalit liberation, and secular humanism.' Nanda has maintained throughout her academic life that the rise of postmodern critiques of science has unintentionally given credence to the revival of religious forces. Her critics, including other philosophers of science and postcolonialists, argue that she overlooks the power structures that shape modern science. To this, she responds by saying: 'I don't deny the power structures. I only question how deep they go into the production of factual knowledge.' Nanda is undeterred and focussed on the consequences, as she goes so far as to state: 'Postcolonial theory has now become a veritable arm of Hindu nationalism.' Her new book thoroughly examines this claim. The end of objective reality? In another publication, she has explained the standpoint of 'social constructivism' that postcolonial theories of knowledge embody: 'There is no objective truth about the real world which scientifically justified knowledge can aim toward, but rather all 'truth' about 'reality' is literally constructed out of choices between equally justifiable interpretations that a 'thought collective' makes. These choices, in turn, are driven by the conscious and unconscious biases and interests of the members of any community of inquirers. Though varied in emphases and details, constructivist theorists agree that there simply is no truth, or even reality, that can transcend the local social context of inquiry.' Such a thesis proposes the end of an objective reality that is shared and agreed on by all humans regardless of their backgrounds, and this is unacceptable to Nanda. In A Field Guide to Post-Truth India, she sounds the alarm on the state-sponsored 'injection of Hindu Metaphysics' into our education system. The book fearlessly critiques the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into the education framework as part of the recent National Education Policy and other associated initiatives, including Baba Ramdev's Bharatiya Shiksha Board and other projects that have already taken hold in India's education landscape. The first half of the book is darkly comic as it details how Hindutva forces have been busy blending our curriculum with the Vedas. In subsequent chapters, she takes us through the recent debacles of drug-induced liver injuries related to unchecked Ayurveda promotion and how desperately IKS centres of excellence have been manufacturing scientific evidence to prove somehow that Hinduism's roots run deeper into the ancient history of the subcontinent. And while we are all tuned in again to the Donald Trump show, she strings together the post-truth scenario in the US, which she terms Big Lies, with that seen in India. She contrasts Trump's Big Lies with Deep Lies in India, which are entangled with a set of cultural and religious beliefs and are thus harder to debunk. A ban on questioning Another book, titled Science in Saffron: Sceptical Essays on India's History of Science, critically analyses some of the claims made to portray the Vedas as scientific. Nanda finds that these claims are no different from those found in other creation myths around the world. She examines the claims of Hindu scientific superiority made by historic Hindu fundamentalists, such as Swami Dayananda, Aurobindo, and Swami Vivekananda, who interpreted the Vedas to contain, as well as go above and beyond, all of science. Drawing parallels between that and the Christian Church's historical and failed approach in employing the growing trust in science to 'reveal' (and not find faults in) God's 'intelligent design', Nanda identifies the subtext passed on in the declarations of the 'scientific' Vedas: 'the scientific must only validate but never question the Vedic.' Nanda has probed the paradigms derived from interpreting the Vedas that render them as scientific. One example is the claim of all-seeing yogic science, which is 'experienced' rather than 'observed' as in 'Western science' . As these experiences offer a view into the highest truths only through yogic powers, it is hard for 'the normals' to interrogate, leaving them to rely on the 'peer review' of yogis. Also Read | Is the NEP teaching unity—or just picking a language to divide by? In Hindutva's project of blurring science and religion, Nanda sees through its strategy that is piggybacking on the festering feeling of gulaami (enslavement) and the strong desire of every Indian to decolonise themself. As if the Vedas are the shahi-snan (the holy dip taken during the Kumbh Mela), the modern Indian needs to rid themself of colonial hangover. Nanda's work suggests that this leads to false pride in a religious-based identity. She asks instead for an honest confrontation with our history and heritage in her bold, direct, yet sometimes humorous style. It leaves us with the question of what kind of country we want to live in. In her rich body of work, Nanda has been highlighting the dangerous merger of faith and politics under way in India. The work urges a critical look at the growing influence of religious ideologies in public life. Her insights serve as a call to action for those who value secularism and rational discourse. Aashima Dogra is a science writer; she co-founded the feminist science media portal and is the co-author of the recent book Lab Hopping, which investigates the realities behind the gender gap in Indian STEM.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
IGNOU begins PhD admissions for 2025 at ignou-phd.samarth.edu.in: Apply online by this date, check direct link here
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has begun accepting applications for its Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes for the 2025 academic session. Interested applicants can submit their forms through the official admission portal — — by October 31, 2025. This admission cycle covers PhD programmes across 24 subject areas such as English, Hindi, Commerce, Education, Management, Public Administration, Political Science, Law, Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, and several others. A comprehensive list of disciplines, eligibility requirements, and admission guidelines is available in the official prospectus issued by the university. This nationwide admission drive provides aspiring researchers an opportunity to pursue advanced academic work through a structured and recognised doctoral framework. How to apply for IGNOU PhD 2025 Follow these steps to complete your application process successfully: Step 1: Visit Step 2: Click on "New Registration" (or login if already registered). Step 3: Fill in your academic, personal, and research-related information. Step 4: Upload scanned copies of the required documents. Step 5: Pay the application fee through the online payment gateway. Step 6: Submit the form and download the confirmation page for future reference. Direct link to register for IGNOU PhD 2025 is here. If you're a registered user, click here to apply. Key dates for IGNOU PhD 2025 Here are the key details that candidates should take note of before applying: Event Date Start of applications July 19, 2025 Last date to apply October 31, 2025 Entrance exam date January 5, 2026 (Sunday), 2 PM to 5 PM Who can apply for IGNOU PhD 2025? Candidates must hold a Master's degree in the relevant subject area with a minimum of 55% marks. Relaxation is provided for reserved categories (50% for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer/Persons with Disabilities). Even those who have already cleared University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) must take the IGNOU PhD entrance test. Selection process for IGNOU PhD 2025 Admission to the PhD programme will be based on a two-stage process: Entrance exam: A three-hour test consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) conducted at designated centres across the country. Interview/Viva-Voce: Candidates who clear the entrance test will be shortlisted and invited for an interview round conducted by the concerned discipline-specific research committees. Application fees for IGNOU PhD 2025 Check the application fee structure based on your category below: • General Category: ₹1,000 • SC/ST Candidates: ₹800 Note: Before applying, candidates are advised to carefully read the PhD Information Brochure available on the portal. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!