The Rajasthan High Court has banned the sale of high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt (HFSS) food, including carbonated drinks, chips and trans-fat-containing bakery products, in school canteens and within 50 metres of school gates. A Jodhpur bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand also directed every school to establish a food safety and nutrition committee comprising teachers, parents and students within four weeks. Canteens must display calorie counts, ingredients and nutritional information within eight weeks and implement traffic-light labelling. The court directed the state to detail implementation of 2020 safe-food regulations and ensure balanced-diet standards for mid-day meals. It also flagged excessive screen time, paper leaks and inadequate rural school infrastructure. (PC: Money Control)

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the AIAPGET exam for 49 candidates at a Jaipur examination centre will be rescheduled after a power failure disrupted the test. The affected candidates were unable to complete their examination because of the technical interruption. NTA confirmed that a re-examination will be conducted in September, with September 1 indicated for the rescheduled test. The agency’s decision aims to ensure that affected candidates receive a fair opportunity to complete the examination. Further details regarding the re-examination arrangements and other instructions are expected to be communicated by NTA. (PC: HT)

An examination conducted across 34 colleges affiliated with Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Chhattisgarh, was cancelled on August 20 following allegations of a question-paper leak. A paper circulated on WhatsApp before the examination reportedly contained questions that matched around 70% of the actual paper. The issue prompted concerns among students and led to demands for an investigation. The university cancelled the examination after receiving information about the alleged leak. Students and student organisations have sought accountability and action against those responsible. The incident has renewed concerns over examination security and the integrity of university assessments. 

IIT Madras is planning to establish a School of Medical Sciences and offer its own medical degrees, including MBBS, MD and PhD, Director Professor V. Kamakoti has announced. The initiative aims to combine engineering and medical expertise and strengthen India’s ability to develop healthcare technologies domestically. IIT Madras already has a Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, launched in 2023, which trains students in engineering and biology. However, the proposed medical school will require approval from the National Medical Commission and a teaching hospital before it can award medical degrees. The plan could significantly expand IIT Madras’s role in healthcare education and research. (PC: X)

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday demanded Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse’s resignation over the alleged poor condition of government schools. During a visit to a Zilla Parishad school in Ujani village, Latur’s Ausa tehsil, Dipke said students were being forced to study without basic facilities, including proper classrooms, benches, toilets and safe access roads. The visit was part of CJP’s ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign, launched last week. Dipke said elected representatives and ministers must be held accountable for the condition of schools. He also urged people to increase pressure on political leaders to prioritise education and called for urgent education reforms.

A government school in Santuk Pimpri village, the native place of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, has received its first-ever computer. The development came days after Dipke highlighted shortcomings in basic facilities at the school. Sharing the update on X on Tuesday, Dipke said, “When the Govt Fails, People Step Up! First ever computer arrives at my village. Change is possible!” The arrival marks a new technological resource for the government school, which had reportedly lacked even a computer until now. Dipke’s post highlighted the role of community intervention in addressing gaps in basic educational infrastructure and bringing technology to the rural institution.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has alleged that its Kolkata meet-up scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled after the owners of the Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata allegedly faced threats from BJP leaders and “massive pressure from the state.” CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka claimed in a post on X that the hall owners withdrew permission following the alleged threats. He further said the party approached six other venues, but their owners also refused to host the event, citing pressure from the state. The cancellation comes as the CJP expands its “School Theek Karo” campaign in West Bengal and threatens fresh agitation over the death of a volunteer’s father. (PC: India Today)

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is overhauling its examination and security systems following directions from Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi after recent exam-related errors. The agency has revamped its examination team, removing 600 experts, and introduced a four-tier mechanism to check question papers. The NTA’s Director General briefed the minister on measures taken following an earlier review meeting. The agency is also strengthening security infrastructure, including deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at its offices. The overhaul is aimed at improving examination security, question-paper quality and the overall conduct of tests. The changes follow government instructions to establish necessary security and related infrastructure for smoother and more reliable examinations.

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi on Monday after the Jharkhand government cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment tests conducted by private firm TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL). Mahto ended his fast in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari, following the state Cabinet decision chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The government also ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations conducted since 2014. After ending his fast, Mahto thanked Soren, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, state ministers, fellow students, media and others who supported the agitation. (PC:PTI)

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced that the state Cabinet has decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examinations, meeting a key demand of job aspirants protesting in Ranchi for over three weeks. Soren said the government will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all errors, whether minor or major, that have occurred since 2014. The Chief Minister also announced that all activities associated with TDPL will be scrapped. This includes examinations conducted by TDPL, published results, selected candidates, participating candidates and all other activities carried out by the organisation. The decisions come amid sustained protests by job aspirants demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and related processes in Jharkhand.