A Return To Grandeur

The funerary complex of Hyderabad's founding rulers is restored to its breathtaking glory after the conclusion of a monumental, decade-long conservation work involving hundreds of experts and craftsmen

KEEPING AN ARMS DISTANCE

India's military trade with Russia has declined due to increased procurement from the West and emphasis on indigenous material. But with much of its equipment still of Russian origin, New Delhi has to keep up strategic-defence ties with Moscow too

THE TOLL OF TOLLS

Five years after overhauling India’s highway toll collection with FASTags, the Modi government is gearing up for its next ambitious move: a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based tolling system.

A Disturbing Act at Play

When Gujarat’s Disturbed Areas Act was legislated in 1986, the aim was to stop the distress sale of properties in areas that had witnessed communal violence.

NITISH'S NEXT GEN

At 73, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar shows no signs of slowing down—witness only the gymnastic ability he exhibited ahead of the Lok Sabha election, daring to make a political leap few would have attempted.

THE RAJ BHAVAN STAND-OFF

The true dimensions of the present can only be understood when measured against the past.

A Sustained Thrust

Though the Union Budget does not explode a big-ticket bomb in infrastructure this year, each of its big sectors-railways, highways, housing, industry, urban planning-gets an adequate push

How To Pick A University Wisely

First, A Word To Parents. Take A Chill Pill. Stay Out Of The Process. Let the student take the lead. You have led the charge so far, through 15 years of pre-school and school.

The-New Gen Budget

Will The Modi Government's Initiatives For Massive Job Creation Work?

BITTER PILLS, SWEET REWARDS

Folk-fusion rock singer-songwriter Raghu Dixit's long-awaited new album Shakkar was made during the most difficult phase of his life

Taking India's Law Universities into the Future

LEGAL EDUCATION, SADLY, HAS NEVER been a top priority for India’s higher education policymakers. Engineering, medicine and management, epitomised through the creation of numerous Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), have hogged the spotlight.

SETTING THE BAR HIGH

THE PREMIER LAW UNIVERSITY IS INCREASING STUDENT INTAKE AND EXPANDING ITS POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES, WHILE ALSO FOCUSING ON EMERGING AREAS OF LAW

FOUNTAINHEAD OF INNOVATION

BY BROADENING ITS SCOPE AND FORGING INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, IIT DELHI IS FOSTERING A NEW GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS AND INNOVATORS

Medical Education in the Time of Tech Transformation

THE HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPE is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in technology, changes in population demographics, commoditisation of information in a digital world, and the ongoing need for quality care.

EXTENDING THE FRONTIERS

RENOWNED FOR ITS PIONEERING PROCEDURES, CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, AND EXCEPTIONAL MEDICAL EDUCATION, THE INSTITUTE CONSISTENTLY REMAINS IN POLE POSITION FOR THE COUNTRY’S ASPIRING DOCTORS

Nurturer of Wholesome Vitality

IN ALL OF MODERN CULTURE, PERHAPS NO PHASE OF LIFE IS as romanticised as one's (uni)varsity years. And if those years are spent amid the lush greenery of the Western Ghats, with monsoon rains turning gentle crevices into meandering rivulets, it's an experience that could inspire a Coleridge.

CLIMATE FOR BRILLIANCE

SET AMIDST VERDANT ENVIRONS, SYMBIOSIS COMBINES CUTTING-EDGE ACADEMIC CHOICES WITH A CULTURE OF TRANSPARENCY AND EMPHASIS ON ALL-ROUND KNOWLEDGE

Needed: A Bold Vision

AS SOMEONE KEEN TO SEE THE WORLD of academe in India elevated to worthy heights I am often reminded of the lament-from the 1980s of one of India's most distinguished academics and a former vice-chancellor of Allahabad University. His anguish stemmed from the fact that somewhere along the way independent India had been unable to steer our universities in the right direction. By way of illustration, I can provide many insightful instances but perhaps none would be as telling as that which has Srinivas Ramanujan at its centre and which transpired more than a hundred years ago.

ERA OF INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE

JNU STUDENTS KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST MINDS IN VARIOUS FIELDS. THIS YEAR, THE VARSITY IS ALSO EXPANDING INTO THE E-LEARNING SEGMENT

"STUDENTS NOW GET ADDED COURSE OPTIONS TO MAKE THEM MORE EMPLOYABLE"

In alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, the University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a series of reforms for higher education institutions or HEls. These student-centric reforms focus on a new curriculum framework, a multidisciplinary approach, modern pedagogy and transparent regulations. In an exclusive interview with Executive Editor KAUSHIK DEKA, UGC Chairman M. JAGADESH KUMAR elaborates on the reforms undertaken by the higher education regulator and outlines a future roadmap. Edited excerpts from the interview.

A GLOBAL CLASS

WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR INDIA TO MAKE A GIANT LEAP IN EDUCATION INSTEAD OF INCREMENTAL CHANGE

BALANCING HIGH GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

Addressing the concerns over jobs, giving a rural push and continuing with the high allocation on capex, even while maintaining a tight leash over finances-the challenges before finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman were many. How did she fare? As part of our BITE (Board of India Today Experts) survey, we ask six top economists what their reading of the Union Budget 2024-25 is, its major thrust areas, and some key measures the FM missed out on

ON TARGET

The change in allocation may not be substantive but is directed towards the right areas-border infra, hi-tech acquisitions

PRIVATE MISSION

Backing research and private participation, the Budget underlines the key role of space and atomic energy

JUST A BIT SHORT OF BREATH

The allocation for healthcare not only falls short of expectations, but misses out on key areas of requirement

WAITING FOR THE HARVEST

The Budget focus has been on raising farmer incomes and widening the scope of the rural job market

SPECIAL PLATTER FOR PARTNERS

They may not have got special category status, but BJP allies get enough of a budget bonanza for the Opposition to scream preferential treatment

The Gold Quest

Paris Olympics 2024 - India's Brightest Prospects

The Road Less Travelled

If you can't bear the thought of getting wet, Nubra's precipitation-free, high-altitude desert setting may be just the thing for you

THE OTHER CHARGERS

ON THEIR DAY, ALL OF THESE INDIAN ATHLETES CAN ADD TO THE LUSTRE OF PARIS WITH THEIR SHOTS, STROKES, TAKEDOWNS AND PUNCHES