Current Affairs - Education

Techkriti 2025, Asia’s largest intercollegiate technical and entrepreneurial festival, was hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. The event was inaugurated by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and served as a platform for technological innovation, bringing together scholars, industry experts, and defence personnel. The festival featured discussions on future warfare technologies, including Cybersecurity, AI, Quantum Computing, and Cognitive Warfare, reflecting India’s focus on technological self-reliance and advancements in national security.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) partnered with IIM Ahmedabad to enhance India's national data ecosystem and promote evidence-based policymaking. This collaboration focuses on the use of AI in policy formulation, improving decision-making, and addressing biases. Through this partnership, the aim is to foster data innovation and collaboration for the development of effective public policies, thereby strengthening the role of data in shaping national governance.

The "Hack the Future" hackathon, a 36-hour event hosted by NSO India and IIT Gandhinagar, saw participation from 18 teams from top institutions like IITs, NITs, and IIITs. The hackathon involved tackling innovative challenges, and Plaksha University emerged as the winner in two categories. Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology won in the third category, while IIT Jammu, VIT Vellore, and NIT Goa secured second place. The event was successfully concluded at IIT Gandhinagar, further promoting innovation and collaboration among the brightest minds from leading educational institutions.

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID is designed to standardize student records by assigning a unique 12-digit ID to each student. This ID links academic records to platforms like DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits, ensuring streamlined access and verification of records across various educational institutions. While APAAR aims to simplify academic transitions, it has raised concerns about data privacy and implementation, particularly regarding its integration with Aadhaar and the handling of sensitive personal information.

The Central Board of Secondary Education has approved draft norms to conduct Class-10 board exams twice a year starting in 2026. This decision is in line with the recommendations of the new National Education Policy, which aims to eliminate the "high stakes" aspect of the board exam. The biannual exams are expected to reduce the pressure on students and provide them with more opportunities to improve their performance.