The Central Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday declared the Class 12 board examination results for 2026, with the overall pass percentage falling to 85.20%, down from 88.39% last year. Out of 17.8 lakh registered students, over 15 lakh cleared the exams.   Girls outperformed boys by 6.73 percentage points, continuing the trend seen in previous years. Trivandrum emerged as the best-performing region with a 95.62% pass rate, while Prayagraj recorded the lowest at 72.43%.   Students can access their marksheets through official websites, DigiLocker, UMANG app and SMS services using their roll number, school number and admit card ID. CBSE has again decided not to release a merit list to avoid unhealthy competition among students. (PC: HT)

The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak probe has widened after investigators alleged that Rajasthan brothers Mangilal and Dinesh Biwal bought the exam paper from a Gurugram doctor for Rs 30 lakh on April 26, days before the May 3 examination. The paper was allegedly circulated through Sikar-based coaching and hostel networks, eventually reaching students across several states via WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Investigators claim the leak route stretched from a Nashik printing press to Haryana and Rajasthan. Rakesh Kumar Mandawaria, arrested in Dehradun, allegedly distributed the paper to nearly 700 students. Following the controversy, the NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026, while the CBI launched a nationwide probe into the alleged interstate examination leak network. (PC: X)

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested 30-year-old BAMS student Shubham Khairnar from Nashik in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Police sources claimed Khairnar bought the controversial “guess paper” for Rs 10 lakh from a Pune-based suspect and later sold it for Rs 15 lakh to a Haryana buyer. Four CBI teams reportedly reached Nashik to take custody of him after initial detention by the Nashik Crime Branch. The National Testing Agency cancelled NEET-UG 2026 after Rajasthan SOG investigators found all 90 Biology and 45 Chemistry questions allegedly matched a handwritten “guess paper”. Around 22 lakh students appeared for the May 3 examination nationwide. (PC: India Today)

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3. The decision was announced on Tuesday after reports of irregularities in the examination process. NTA said information from law enforcement agencies showed that the integrity of the exam had been compromised. The agency added that the current results could not be allowed to stand. NEET-UG is the national entrance test for undergraduate medical courses across India. NTA has said the exam will be conducted again. The new date for the re-examination will be announced separately. Students and parents have been asked to wait for further updates from the agency. (PC: HT)

The government on Monday introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. The bill aims to create a single regulator for higher education. It will replace bodies like the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the bill will improve quality, autonomy, and transparency in universities. The proposed commission will have three councils to regulate, accredit, and set standards. Opposition MPs objected to the bill, citing lack of time to study it and concerns over centralisation and state powers. The government agreed to send the bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. (PC: Sansad TV)

Australia's Education Minister Jason Clare has reinforced the decision to cap international student enrollments at 270,000 annually for 2025, prioritizing locals who must comprise over 50% of university enrollments. The cap, announced in August 2024, addresses surging international numbers at prestigious universities as University of Sydney recorded 51% international students in 2024, Murdoch University 57%, and RMIT above 50%. The government aims to restore pre-pandemic enrollment levels, curb malpractices at vocational colleges admitting students lacking language skills, and address housing shortages. Indians face reduced seat availability, increased competition, higher visa costs, and tougher requirements. Universities' overseas dependence began a decade ago due to government funding cuts, with international students now generating 30% of revenue.

According to official figures from the Ministry of Education for the 2024-25 academic year, 7,993 schools across India reported zero student enrolment, yet collectively employed 20,817 teachers. The highest concentration of such schools was in West Bengal (3,812 schools employing 17,965 teachers), followed by Telangana (2,245 schools, 1,016 teachers) and Madhya Pradesh (463 schools, 223 teachers). Compared with the previous year’s figure of 12,954 zero-enrolment schools, the number has dropped by about 38 %. Several states and Union Territories, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, and Delhi, reported no schools with zero enrolment. Officials say that states have been advised to merge under-utilised schools and optimise staff and infrastructure. (PC: AP)

Harvard University briefly issued a shelter-in-place order Friday morning after a man on a bicycle allegedly shot at another person on Sherman Street near Danehy Park in Cambridge. The suspect was seen riding towards Garden Street, which connects North Cambridge to Radcliffe Quad and Harvard Square. Cambridge Police confirmed ballistic evidence was recovered from the scene, though no victims have been reported. The university lifted the shelter-in-place order after the incident, urging students to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to Harvard University Police Department at 617-495-1212. A police manhunt is currently underway for the unidentified cyclist. The spokesman confirmed officers are actively investigating the shots-fired incident. (PC: X)

Multiple North Indian states closed schools on September 2, 2025, due to heavy rainfall and flooding. Punjab extended closures until September 3 following widespread flooding and landslides. Gurugram's DDMA suspended physical classes after 100mm rainfall in four hours, encouraging online learning and work-from-home arrangements. Uttar Pradesh districts including Kasganj, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Bareilly, Moradabad, Pilibhit, and Aligarh declared holidays. Chandigarh, Jammu division, and Uttarakhand's Chamoli district also shut schools. Himachal Pradesh closed schools in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Kullu districts due to landslide risks. Despite IMD's orange alert for Delhi NCR and continuous rainfall since September 1, the capital maintained regular school operations while authorities monitor conditions for potential closure announcements. (PC: X)

PP Divakaran (PPD), a physicist turned pre-eminent historian of Indian mathematics, passed away recently in Kochi. A polymath and clarifier of complex ideas, he authored The Mathematics of India: Concepts, Methods, Connection, spotlighting ancient Indian mathematicians on the global stage. PPD argued that Aryabhata expressed a rational, even “godless secularist” mindset—eschewing traditional invocations—and may have hinted at Earth’s rotation through verses in the Āryabhatiya. He also provided evidence that the Kerala Nila school developed trigonometric series for sine, cosine, and their inverses long before Western mathematicians. (PC: X)