PSUs to start free coaching classes for premium exams
The meet's focus was on the welfare of displaced families and law and order issues linked to BSL operations. One of the key agenda items was providing coaching for displaced youth to help them prepare for opportunities in SAIL, BCCL, CCL, banks, and other institutions. The DC has also issued instructions for a socio-economic survey of displaced families to help include them in relevant schemes.
Meanwhile, NTPC Mining Limited's Pakri Barwadih Coal Mining Project also rolled out Tarang, a free IIT-JEE and NEET coaching for meritorious students from project affected rural areas under its corporate social responsibility initiative. "This programme aims to empower students from remote villages who often miss out on quality education due to lack of guidance and financial constraints," NTPC stated
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Time of India
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- Time of India
From Classrooms To The Streets: Educated Riders With Dreams On Hold
Nagpur: On almost every street, delivery workers can be seen navigating the lanes with speed and concentration. Beneath their helmets lie tales of hardship, ambition, and sacrifice. Many are graduates, students, or aspirants of competitive exams, who have turned to delivery jobs out of necessity, not choice. One delivery worker had achieved a commendable NEET score, sufficient for admission to a prestigious medical college. However, a financial crisis at home left him unable to afford the high tuition fees, forcing him to abandon his dream. Now, he spends 10 to 12 hours a day delivering food and essentials, often passing hospitals that remind him of what might have been. "Seeing people in white coats affects me," he says. "But this delivery bag is what supports my family now." Another rider, currently pursuing a BSc degree, begins his day at college and ends it delivering groceries until late at night. With no father, an ailing mother, and an elder brother working small shifts to contribute, he shoulders a significant portion of the responsibility. From medicines to daily expenses and tuition fees, both brothers combine their earnings to keep the household afloat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think! Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads Learn More Undo For many like them, becoming a delivery partner is straightforward — anyone over 18 can apply with basic documents like Aadhaar, PAN, and a valid driving license. No formal education is required. Once on-boarded, the company provides a branded delivery bag, uniform, and even an electric vehicle on rent or lease. With just 4 hours of work, many earn Rs400 daily — about Rs12,000 monthly. "There's no time to complain. We just keep going," he says. A third delivery worker, who holds a diploma in mechanical engineering, lost his job during the pandemic. After months of unsuccessful job applications, he joined the delivery workforce. "I never imagined doing this after studying so hard," he says. "But I needed to stay productive and support my family." Delivery platforms also include persons with disabilities. One such delivery partner, who is not a student, works full-time using a modified electric vehicle provided by the company. Unlike others, he earns slightly more per kilometre as an incentive for being specially-abled. "I may not walk fast, but I deliver fast. And here, I feel acknowledged," he says. "Both the company and the customers treat me with respect. " These stories are not isolated — they represent a growing trend. Educated and determined young people are entering the gig economy because formal employment remains inaccessible. They carry not just food, but dreams postponed by reality. Until the system provides better opportunities, they will continue riding, quietly holding on to hope with each order.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
SC refuses interim relief to NEET-UG 2025 candidates hit by MP power outage, says counselling won't be stalled
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant any interim relief in two pleas filed by Neet-UG 2025 candidates , who suffered a power outage in exam centres in Madhya Pradesh. The candidates had petitioned the top court against a July 14 order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court refusing to order a re-test for them. A division bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar posted the pleas for resumed hearing on Friday. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Management Operations Management Artificial Intelligence CXO MCA Data Analytics Finance Leadership healthcare PGDM Project Management Public Policy Data Science Healthcare others Degree Product Management Cybersecurity Others Technology Digital Marketing Data Science Design Thinking Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details The bench said it will not stay the counselling process for eligible candidates post Neet-UG results, which has been notified as noted by one of the petitioners' counsels. Justice Narasimha, speaking for the bench, clarified that individual grievances will be dealt with by the court, but the counselling process will not be stayed as it would adversely affect thousands of candidates. On June 30, a single bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the National Testing Agency to conduct re-test of the Neet-UG 2025 for candidates affected by power outage at the centres in Indore and Ujjain, observing that the petitioners were put at a disadvantage for no fault of theirs. The single bench also observed that the counselling process will be subject to the re-test. However, last week, a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court set aside the single bench decision. It took note of an expert committee report, which opined that even though there was power outage at some centres, there was sufficient natural light enabling the candidates to take the test. Aggrieved, some of the students moved the Supreme Court.
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one
Just three years in, CUET has changed how India gets into college. Board cut-offs no longer dominate admissions to top universities. A single national entrance test now determines seats in disciplines like Economics, Sociology, BBA, and around 13 lakh students taking CUET UG 2025, it's hard not to ask: is CUET becoming the JEE of non-STEM disciplines?That question seems to be answering itself -- with a 'yes.'advertisement Delhi University's 2025-26 cut-off lists have made it official: CUET is no longer just a procedural shift. It's become a high-stakes the highest cut-off at Hindu College reaching a staggering 950/1,000 for Political Science and top courses like Psychology, English, and Economics requiring normalised scores above the 99th percentile, CUET is functioning as a national merit barometer for humanities and commerce -- much like JEE does for engineering.'CUET is undoubtedly emerging as a national-level benchmark for non-STEM disciplines. It is bringing some structure and clarity to a space that was previously fragmented and fuzzy,' says Avnee Khosla, Vice President at Shoolini EXAM TO LEVEL THEM ALL?From unpredictable college-specific interviews and shifting board cut-offs to one uniform entrance -- CUET has brought visibility and order to arts and commerce courses that were often treated as she's quick to add a big 'but.''If CUET begins to turn into the hyper-competitive, coaching-driven pressure cooker that JEE is, a democratising tool will morph into a gatekeeping one,' Khosla recently released DU cut-offs underscore that concern. Of the 1,528 unique course-college combinations, the highest ranks were dominated by BA (Hons.) courses in Political Science, Psychology, English, and Economics -- fields that 59% of CUET applicants reportedly (Hons.) programmes saw cut-offs upwards of 917 (SRCC), placing them squarely in the 98-100 percentile range. (AI-generated image) A PRESSURE TEST IN THE MAKINGDr. Meenakshi Khurana, Dean at Manav Rachna University, believes CUET is already echoing the structure -- and stress -- of JEE.'Yes, in many ways, CUET is starting to play a role similar to what JEE does for engineering. There's definitely more pressure now on students to crack a single high-stakes exam,' she and late announcements in 2025 only added to that stress.'Even minor disruptions can create major anxiety,' she says. 'So yes, in terms of pressure and preparation load, CUET is starting to resemble JEE, but we must be cautious that it doesn't start replicating its drawbacks too.'RISING COACHING DEPENDENCE, RISING INEQUALITY?advertisementAll the experts we spoke to pointed to the same concern: the rapid rise of coaching centres for CUET and the access gap it's creating.'Sadly, this is a pattern India knows too well. Whenever we introduce a centralised exam, coaching ecosystems inevitably come in to profit from the scenario,' says Khosla.'It is not just about talent; it's about test readiness. And that is increasingly outsourced to private coaching.'Dr. Enid Verghese Jacob from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science agrees. She says CUET, though launched with good intentions, has brought new inequities into the system.'The rise of specialised CUET coaching institutes gives an unfair advantage to urban and affluent students In contrast, rural students often lack access to quality coaching and cannot afford expensive preparation,' she is even more troubling when you consider how narrow the admissions window has become. With top DU colleges requiring 97-99+ percentiles for popular humanities and commerce courses, even a few percentile points can make or break a candidate's chances. (AI-generated image) advertisementIS THE TEST OUTPACING THE CLASSROOM?CUET may also be hollowing out regular school learning.'Students and teachers [now] view school as merely a stepping stone to external exam preparation,' says Dr. Verghese with the DU admission landscape tilting so sharply towards CUET scores, board exams seem to be losing their Khurana echoes the concern: 'The frequent changes in exam patterns, syllabus updates, and lack of clarity are definitely causing a lot of stress for students.''LET'S NOT SHIELD STUDENTS FROM UNCERTAINTY'Still, not everyone sees CUET's unpredictability as a problem.'We are over-focussing on stability, when what students need are skills to navigate uncertainty,' says believes CUET can actually help students build test-smart thinking, if it moves away from rote memory and towards comprehension, reasoning, and logic.'This is a moment for our education system to shift gears; from 'teaching to test' to 'teaching for thinking',' she says.A TEST IN SEARCH OF TRUSTDespite everything CUET promises, it still lacks something JEE has: trust and students and parents still don't know much about CUET,' says Verghese Jacob. 'That makes them hesitant to prepare for it when board and other entrance exam preparations take years of commitment.' (AI-generated image) A major reason is the lack of universal adoption. While DU and other central universities rely on CUET, many private institutions do not, causing confusion and fragmented strategies.'CUET won't become the standard until private institutions also adopt it and until it has the same support system that JEE has -- coaching centers, study materials, and trust from everyone involved,' Jacob EXAM, MANY DISCIPLINES - ONE SIZE FITS NONE?Another challenge? CUET uses a standardised MCQ format across a wide range of fields, some of which may need a different kind of evaluation.'Disciplines like humanities, social sciences, or design have always required a more holistic evaluation such as writing skills, critical thinking, creativity,' notes Dr. Khurma, CEO of Woxsen University, adds: 'Humanities, social sciences, and creative domains are inherently pluralistic. For CUET to hold similar stature [as JEE], it must assess aptitude but also nurture diversity in learner profiles.'advertisementCase studies, interviews, scenario analysis, portfolios -- these may need to be part of CUET's next WHAT NOW?For now, CUET is walking a tightrope. It's trying to make admissions fairer. But it's in danger of becoming a pressure CUET wants to be the non-STEM answer to JEE, it will need to make some choices: Does it reward application or memory? Does it level the field -- or just raise the bar?'In an ideal world, every student, regardless of their background, should get a fair shot at quality education,' Khosla says. 'Inclusivity and not exclusivity will be key to CUET's true success.'- Ends
