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Hans India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Phase I of B.Ed. seat allotment announced; 9,955 secure convener quota seats
Hyderabad: Prof. I. Panduranga Reddy, Convener for TG CETs (other) Admissions-2025, has announced the release of the first phase seat allotment results for admissions under the convener quota. This significant step marks the beginning of the academic year for thousands of aspiring teachers across the state. For the current admission cycle, a total of 14,295 seats were available under the convener quota for Courses, including seats reserved for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Of these, 9,955 seats have been allotted to students who participated in the first phase of counselling. A record number of 17,151 candidates exercised web options as part of the online seat selection process, reflecting the high demand for Courses among graduates this year. Out of these, 9,955 students successfully secured seats in various colleges through this phase. Prof. Reddy explained that students who have been allotted seats must pay the tuition fee online using a Credit Card, Debit Card, or NEFT. Upon payment, candidates are required to download their Tuition Fee Receipt and Joining Report and present themselves at their respective colleges for physical verification of original certificates between August 11 and August 14, 2025. The verification step is mandatory. Only after successful verification of original documents will students receive the final allotment order from the college authorities. This ensures compliance with admission and eligibility criteria for all selected candidates. The convener expressed satisfaction with the transparent and smooth conduct of the online allotment process, noting the enthusiastic participation and cooperation of the candidates. He urged all successful students to complete their joining formalities within the designated dates to avoid any delays in starting the academic session.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Supreme Court orders states to admit orphans under EWS quota, calls for survey
NEW DELHI: In a significant directive aimed at ensuring educational rights for vulnerable children, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all states to include orphans within the ambit of the 25% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The Court also directed states to conduct a survey of orphaned children denied school admission and provide reasons for the denial. A Bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and KV Viswanathan said, 'States must issue notifications within four weeks bringing orphaned children under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act,' which mandates free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years in private unaided schools. While states like Delhi, Gujarat, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh have already issued such notifications, the Bench said others must follow suit. Simultaneously, the Court directed states to identify both admitted and denied orphan children, and urged them to take immediate steps to ensure their admission. The Supreme Court has directed authorities to ensure orphaned children are admitted to schools while conducting surveys to identify them, simultaneously asking the Centre to consider adding a separate category for orphans in the 2027 Census. The directions came during a hearing on a petition filed by advocate Poulomi Pavini Shukla, who highlighted the absence of official data and policy support for India's orphan population. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded to the court's suggestion, stating, "It should be. I would take it up because orphans are our responsibility." Shukla argued that despite existing support systems for marginalized children, orphans remain a neglected demographic, citing UNICEF estimates of nearly 30 million orphaned children in India. The bench emphasiced the need for immediate action on school admissions while awaiting comprehensive survey data. The case has been listed for further hearing on September 9, with states directed to file affidavits detailing their compliance with the court's directions regarding orphan welfare measures.
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Reservation, 3rd language Hindi: Maharashtra govt rolls back 7 key decisions in six months
From quotas based on income and caste to Hindi as third language; caste on exam hall tickets to sweet dish in school meals; and even blank pages in textbooks to reduce the weight of school bags. These are some of the seven key decisions taken in the education sector by the BJP-led state government in Maharashtra that were rolled back over the past six months, triggering criticism from experts that they were implemented 'without thought' or 'adequate consultation'. Six of these decisions were rolled back following a backlash from stakeholders, including the parents of students — for instance, the centralised uniform policy drew criticism for poor quality and delayed availability. In one case, the rollback came after the Bombay High Court granted interim relief to minority trust-run junior colleges that were asked to implement social reservation. Of these rollbacks, six came under the School Education Ministry currently headed by Dada Bhuse who took over last December from Deepak Kesarkar (August 2022 to November 2024) — both belong to Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. The other key U-turn involved 10% EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota in private medical colleges. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kesarkar blamed the rollbacks on 'certain challenges in its implementation at the ground level' while Bhuse pointed to 'adjustments' that were incorporated based on 'feedback'. The Opposition alleged that at least some of these decisions were taken with an eye on local body polls expected later this year, particularly those related to reservation that were announced and withdrawn within a month in June — a charge denied by the government. Consider the decisions and the rollback: Hindi as mandatory third language in primary classes: On April 16, a government order mandated Hindi as the third language in Classes 1-5 in state board schools where students previously studied only two languages. The decision sparked criticism and political backlash, prompting a revised order on June 17 making it optional. Even this failed to calm concerns and as protests intensified, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared after a high-level meeting on June 23 that a final decision would follow stakeholder consultations. On June 29, he revoked both orders and set up a new panel led by educationist Narendra Jadhav to make fresh recommendations. Quotas in minority trust-run junior colleges: In late May, Maharashtra launched its first state-wide centralised online FYJC (First Year Junior College) admissions, including SC/ ST/ OBC reservations in the seat matrix for minority trust-run institutions, too, despite them being exempt under several court rulings. Traditionally, such colleges reserve 50% of seats for their community, 5% for management and the rest for open category on merit — without social reservation. On June 10, the state minority educational institutions association and colleges filed a petition in the Bombay High Court. Two days later, the HC granted interim relief, halting the policy. The government formally reversed its decision on June 23. One state one uniform: On April 2, the government scrapped its 'One State, One Uniform' policy and handed over the responsibility of deciding school uniforms to school management committees. It reversed a decision taken in May 2023 under Kesarkar to standardise uniforms from Classes 1-8 across government schools and introduce a centralised system for manufacturing and distributing uniforms to over 44 lakh students. The implementation began in 2024-25 but the uniforms did not reach students until October 2024. Later, there were several complaints regarding poor quality and fit of the garments. In December 2024, the centralised process was withdrawn due to logistical issues. Sweet dish in midday meal: On June 11, 2024, the government declared that midday-meals in government schools will have a three-course plan, including sprouts and sweet dish along with new options using rice, lentils, legumes and vegetables. On January 28 this year, after Bhuse had taken over, it was announced that sweet dish would be provided only if the school management committees are able to raise funds from the public for the sugar required. Blank pages in textbooks: On March 8, 2023, the government announced the inclusion of blank pages after every chapter in textbooks prepared by Balbharti for the state board curriculum for classes 2-8, as an alternative to carrying nortebooks separately. The reason: it will reduce the weight of school bags. Triggering backlash, with students carrying the textbooks and notebooks to school, the move was in place for only one academic year – 2024-25 – and was rolled back on January 28. Caste on HSC exam hall ticket: The state board printed caste categories on hall tickets, issued on January 11, for the Higher Secondary Certificate exam. Following sharp criticism from social groups, the board expressed regret and issued a new order on January 18 withdrawing the hall tickets and issuing new ones on January 23. 10% EWS quota in private medical colleges: On July 23, the information brochure for state medical admissions, released by the CET Cell, listed a 10 percent EWS (Economically Weaker Section) reservation. Aspirants, their parents and colleges wrote to the Minister that implementing the quota without increasing seat intake would reduce the slots available under the general pool. On July 30, a day after a delegation of parents met the Minister, the move was withdrawn through a notification stating that the quota would be implemented only if additional intake is approved. Vasant Kalpande, a former Director of Education in the state, blamed the disconnect between decision-making and implementation on a 'lack of dialogue in educational governance'. 'The current top-down approach is detrimental to effective policy-making in a state as diverse as Maharashtra. Effective governance hinges on dialogue with stakeholders, empathy, and sensitivity. With varying needs among students and teachers, a one-size-fits-all approach cannot work,' he said. Basanti Roy, who served over 30 years in the state's education department, stressed the importance of piloting new initiatives to identify challenges and assess impact before scaling them. Without this, she warned, 'reversals become inevitable'. 'In the rush to innovate, we are neglecting due diligence,' she said. Can't be seamless always: Minister When contacted, Kesarkar, under whose tenure the decisions related to blank pages, uniforms and sweet dish were made, described them as 'student-centric'. 'The process of decision-making involved thorough consultation with stakeholders concerned. There could have been certain challenges in its implementation at the ground level. But those could have been resolved by applying corrective measures which could have shown benefits of these decisions in the coming years,' he said. Bhuse, the current minister, said education policies are shaped after careful evaluation. 'All policy decisions taken by the School Education Department are made with the best interests of our key stakeholders — students, parents, teachers, and schools — in mind. When feedback indicates the need for adjustments, those are duly considered and incorporated. However, that does not imply the original decisions were flawed.' Citing an example, he said, 'The initiative to provide high-quality uniforms to government school students was launched with the right intent, but challenges in large-scale implementation required modifications in the process.' Pointing to 'successful' decisions, Bhuse said, 'Take the example of the 'Copy-Free Exam' campaign during the state board examinations. It may not have completely eradicated malpractice, but it significantly curbed it by raising awareness. Another example is the extension of the centralised online admission process for Class 11 across the state. Although it had initial challenges, as expected in its first year, it has ensured that lakhs of students receive equal opportunities to secure admission to colleges of their choice.' Noting that no decision would be perfect for all, he said, 'I come from a rural background but I am equally familiar with urban realities. This dual perspective helps me understand the diverse needs of our education system. We must accept that not everything can be seamless all the time — there's no one-size-fits-all solution in public policy.'
Economic Times
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Maharashtra govt withdraws EWS quota in private medical colleges
PTI Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis In a significant policy reversal, the Maharashtra government has withdrawn its earlier decision to implement the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation in private medical colleges. The rollback was notified by the state Medical Education Department on Wednesday, with the government clarifying that the quota will be applicable only if the Central government and respective councils increase existing seats. "For MBBS/BAMS/BDS/BHMS and BUMS courses, this reservation will be applicable only if the Central Government, respective councils increase existing seats. For courses other than MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS and BUMS courses, the 10 per cent EWS reservation will be applicable on available seats," the Medical Education Department week, when the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell declared commencement of admissions for medical undergraduate (UG) courses, the information brochure indicated implementation of the 10 per cent EWS reservation in private medical move led to apprehension among students and parents as the quota decision meant drastically reducing the number of open category seats without increasing the intake of seats. This is the second major rollback by the state government in the field of education in less than a June 29, the government withdrew two contentious GRs (resolutions) under the three-language formula amid protests by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS against the purported "imposition" of Hindi language for primary students.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Maharashtra govt withdraws EWS quota in private medical colleges
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a significant policy reversal, the Maharashtra government has withdrawn its earlier decision to implement the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation in private medical colleges The rollback was notified by the state Medical Education Department on Wednesday, with the government clarifying that the quota will be applicable only if the Central government and respective councils increase existing seats."For MBBS/BAMS/BDS/BHMS and BUMS courses, this reservation will be applicable only if the Central Government, respective councils increase existing seats. For courses other than MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS and BUMS courses, the 10 per cent EWS reservation will be applicable on available seats," the Medical Education Department week, when the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell declared commencement of admissions for medical undergraduate (UG) courses, the information brochure indicated implementation of the 10 per cent EWS reservation in private medical move led to apprehension among students and parents as the quota decision meant drastically reducing the number of open category seats without increasing the intake of is the second major rollback by the state government in the field of education in less than a June 29, the government withdrew two contentious GRs (resolutions) under the three-language formula amid protests by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS against the purported "imposition" of Hindi language for primary students.
