Despite a federal judge temporarily blocking the Trump administration's revocation of Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, fear persists among the over 7,000 affected students, comprising about 27% of Harvard's student body. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that students must transfer before the 2025–2026 academic year or lose legal status. Harvard's student body co-president, Abdullah Shahid Sial, highlighted the panic among students, many of whom are far from home and uncertain about their futures. Harvard's lawsuit claims the government's action is retaliatory and would have an immediate, devastating effect on the university and its international students. (PC: Hindustan Times & The Telegraph)

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, barring it from enrolling foreign students. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited alleged antisemitism and ties to the Chinese Communist Party as reasons. Harvard denies these allegations. This action affects approximately 6,800 international students, including 788 from India, who must transfer or risk losing their visa status. The administration also froze $2.2 billion in federal funding and threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. Harvard has filed a lawsuit, claiming the measures are unlawful and harm its academic mission. The crackdown may extend to other universities, intensifying concerns over academic freedom and international education in the U.S. (PC: ECFR & Harvard University)

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's certification to enroll international students, impacting over 6,800 students, including many from India. The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, cited Harvard's alleged failure to provide records on foreign students' "illegal and violent activities." Harvard condemned the action as unlawful and a threat to academic freedom, vowing legal action. This move is part of a broader crackdown, with the administration freezing over $3 billion in federal funding and threatening the university's tax-exempt status. Critics argue these measures undermine higher education and international collaboration, while Harvard maintains its commitment to institutional autonomy and support for its international community. (PC: France 24 & Hindustan Times)

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's authorization to enroll international students, effective the 2025–2026 academic year, impacting nearly 7000 students (27% of its enrollment). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited allegations of violence, antisemitism, and ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Current international students must transfer or risk losing legal status. Harvard condemned the move as unlawful and retaliatory, linking it to its refusal to provide detailed information on foreign students. The administration had already frozen $3 billion in federal funding, prompting a lawsuit from Harvard. Noem warned other universities could face similar scrutiny. Congressional Democrats criticized the crackdown as an assault on academic freedom. A court ruling challenged efforts to terminate foreign students' legal status without due process. (PC: The New York Times)

On May 19, 2025, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged sacked teachers and non-teaching staff to pursue legal avenues and trust the state government, following the Supreme Court's April verdict invalidating 25,753 school appointments due to recruitment fraud. Banerjee emphasized, "Fight legally. We are also fighting legally with all the means available to us," and criticized ongoing street protests, asserting that movements should have boundaries. She attributed the job losses to opposition-led legal actions and external provocations, stating, "They did not lose their jobs because of us." The state has filed a review petition, and the Supreme Court has mandated fresh recruitment advertisements by May 31 and completion by December 31. (PC: Business Standard)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the Class 10 and 12 board exam results for 2025. Students can access their results through official websites: cbseresults.nic.in, cbse.gov.in, results.cbse.nic.in, as well as via the DigiLocker and UMANG platforms. For Class 10, 22.2 lakh students qualified, while 14.9 lakh students passed in Class 12. The pass percentages stand at 93.66% for Class 10 and 88.39% for Class 12. Girls outperformed boys in Class 12 by 5.94%, with over 91% passing. Vijayawada emerged as the top-performing region, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas achieved a 99.29% pass rate. CBSE has also introduced 'daily positive affirmations' in morning assemblies from the 2025–26 academic session to enhance student well-being.

On May 2, 2025, Delhi University's Standing Committee on Academic Affairs, led by Shri Prakash Singh, objected to a draft undergraduate psychology syllabus that included the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue under 'Conflict Resolution'. Singh asserted that the Kashmir issue has been resolved and suggested replacing these topics with teachings from the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita to better understand the psychology of peace. This revision is part of the university's ongoing syllabus overhaul following the 2022 introduction of a four-year undergraduate program under the National Education Policy. The revised syllabus will proceed to the Academic Council for final approval. (PC: The Times of India & Hindustan Times)

After a 40-hour gherao, protesting jobless teachers allowed West Bengal SSC Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar to exit the commission's Salt Lake office on Wednesday morning. The demonstration, initiated on April 21 by approximately 2,000 teachers who lost jobs due to the Supreme Court's annulment of the 2016 recruitment panel, continues. Protesters demand the release of OMR sheets and a clear list distinguishing eligible candidates. Majumdar, scheduled to appear before the Calcutta High Court regarding the OMR sheets, met with a delegation, providing partial satisfaction by confirming 15,403 eligible teachers out of 17,206. The sit-in persists, with plans to gherao Majumdar again upon his return. (PC: PTI File photo)

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has declared the results for JEE Main 2025 Session 2 Paper 1 (BE/BTech). A total of 9,92,350 students appeared for the exam held in April 2025, out of 10,61,840 registered candidates. The final answer key was released earlier, with two questions excluded from the evaluation. Notably, 24 candidates achieved a perfect 100 percentile, including Sai Manogna Guthikonda and Devdutta Majhi. Students can now check their results and download their scorecards from the official website by entering their application number and password. (PC: The Indian Express)

India has plummeted to 156th out of 179 countries in the 2025 Academic Freedom Index, placing it in the bottom 10–20% globally. The V-Dem Institute attributes this decline to the rise of anti-pluralist parties, notably the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has imposed restrictions on academic expression and autonomy. The report highlights India's score dropping from 0.38 in 2022 to 0.16 in 2025, marking its lowest since the mid-1940s. Incidents such as limiting student protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University and South Asian University, and the resignation of Ashoka University professor Sabyasachi Das following political backlash, exemplify the erosion of academic freedom. India now ranks below neighbors like Pakistan and Nepal, underscoring a significant decline in its academic liberties. (PC: Shutterstock)