Current Affairs - Education

IIT Guwahati signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Coventry University Group (UK) to enhance collaboration in research, innovation, and academic exchange. The partnership focuses particularly on advancing developments in Artificial Intelligence and healthcare through joint initiatives. The agreement includes provisions for academic and research mobility, joint doctoral programmes, and collaborative research projects. A major theme of the partnership is “AI for One Health,” which aims to integrate artificial intelligence with healthcare systems to address societal health challenges. This collaboration builds on the earlier AI Impact Pre-Summit event hosted in January 2026, which emphasised using AI to strengthen healthcare integration and interdisciplinary innovation.

Pondicherry University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The collaboration aims to strengthen accessibility, promote inclusion, and support the rights of persons with disabilities through academic and policy engagement. The agreement focuses on conducting joint research on disability rights, accessibility standards, inclusive education, employment opportunities, and social integration. It also encourages academic exchanges, conferences, workshops, and awareness programs to promote understanding of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and to build capacity for creating a more inclusive society.

Survey of India (SoI) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, popularly known as Kerala Digital University. The collaboration aims to strengthen geospatial research and promote digital innovation by leveraging advanced technologies such as geoinformatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The partnership focuses on improving the collection, processing, analysis, and application of geospatial data. It also includes joint research and development activities, capacity-building programs, training initiatives, and higher education opportunities. This initiative is expected to support technological advancement and enhance expertise in geospatial technologies and digital sciences in India.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) signed a Framework for Action with IIT Delhi to strengthen collaboration in renewable energy, particularly in human resource development, academic programmes, joint research, and knowledge exchange. This agreement builds upon five years of successful partnership, including the ISA-supported M.Tech programme in Renewable Energy Technologies & Management, which has trained over 100 mid-career professionals from regions such as Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Small Island Developing States. The expanded framework introduces new training models, trainer development initiatives, and broader capacity-building measures to accelerate solar adoption and promote clean energy transitions across ISA’s member countries.

Bhubaneswar hosted the two-day National Conference on Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Government of Odisha. The conference focused on enhancing the reliability, real-time accuracy, and strategic use of UDISE+, which serves as India’s flagship education data platform. Discussions centred on strengthening data integrity, resolving implementation challenges faced by states and union territories, and expanding the system into an AI-compliant decision support framework to enable evidence-based policymaking and effective implementation of Samagra Shiksha and NEP 2020 initiatives.