-The Hindu India has the highest number of students in colleges after the U.S., says Kapil Sibal The percentage of students from the Other Backward Communities who have enrolled in higher education has gone past 27 per cent, but the number of students from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes continues to be unacceptably low, an official survey has revealed. Indicating an impressive increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio from 15 per...

-The Telegraph The Planning Commission has proposed that children undergo a year’s pre-schooling at government schools before they are admitted to Class I. If the proposal is accepted, it would virtually make education a right for children between the age of five and 14, rather than six and 14 as laid down by the Right to Education Act, education experts said. Pre-schooling is now a facet only of private schools in India. Nearly...

-The Times of India Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and Allahabad University, all of them directly under the HRD ministry, do not have a single SC/ST professor despite the policy of reservation in promotions. Moreover, DU and JNU don't have a single SC/ST associate professor (reader). BHU has three SC associate professors, not one from the ST category and 112 SC and 30 ST assistant professors (lecturers), the entry...

-The Times of India The HRD ministry has overwhelmingly supported the proposed Bill that seeks to give reservation to SC/ST employees in promotion. But the scenario in HRD's own backyard is anything but enthusiastic.  Just over 32% of sanctioned teaching posts for SCs and 41.8% for STs in 40 central universities are occupied. This includes premier institutions like the Delhi University, Jawaharlal NehruUniversity, Aligarh Muslim University and University of Hyderabad. Vacancies exist...

NAGPUR: Bt cotton may have taken almost 99% area under cotton cultivation in Maharashtra but, looking at the diminishing profit margins, the state government is planning to evolve other options to the genetically modified variety of the crop. The government feels it will reduce cultivation cost and increase profitability and sustainability of the crop for the farmer. State agriculture minister Radhakrishan Vikhe-Patil has asked agriculture universities to develop alternatives to Bt...