– Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs

Punjab

Finnish-Punjab partnership

Chandigarh, april 26. Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann lauded a partnership agreement between Finland’s University of Turku and Punjab’s State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

This initiative focuses on “contextual adaptation” rather than replicating the Finnish model, ensuring global best practices align with Punjab’s socio-cultural environment. Teacher training sessions have been held in Chandigarh as well as in Turku and Rauma, combining workshops, mentoring and school visits. About 300 teachers are expected to be trained by May 2026.

“The initiative is already yielding results by aligning global expertise with local classroom conditions. We have noted early signs of improved student engagement as teaching shifts towards more interactive and participatory pedagogies,” said the chief minister addressing a press conference after visiting the Kukulo-Moikoinen Early Childhood Education and Care Centre in Finland.

Karnataka

UoB’s Bangalore campus

Bengaluru, april 15. London’s University of Birkbeck (UoB, estb.1823) has received a Letter of Intent from the University Grants Commission to establish a campus in Bengaluru.

According to a press statement, UoB will offer Indian students at its Bangalore campus access to globally recognised University of London degree programmes at 60 percent lower tuition fees, while maintaining academic standards, research-led teaching and industry-integrated curriculum identical to its UK parent university.

“The entry of leading global institutions like Birkbeck, reflects India’s broader ambition to become a preferred destination for international education by 2030 creating opportunities for students, strengthening research collaboration, and building a globally competitive knowledge economy,” said higher education secretary Vineet Joshi, addressing a media conference.

Added Prof. Sally Wheeler, Vice Chancellor, UoB: “The Bengaluru campus will bring Birkbeck’s legacy of integrating academic excellence with employability and industry engagement to India.”

Chhattisgarh

Google-government AI initiative

Raipur, april 9. In collaboration with IT behemoth Google, the state government has launched an AI-enabled education campaign to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into school education statewide. A Letter of Intent was recently issued to Google by the Raipur district administration towards this initiative.

The campaign includes an ‘Empowered Teacher Program’, which will train teachers on modern digital tools and AI-based pedagogies. The objective of the program is to strengthen teachers’ technical capabilities, enabling them to enhance classroom learning and improve students’ learning outcomes.

Under the program, 2 lakh teachers statewide will be provided AI certification. Google for Education will make its digital platforms freely accessible to teachers, ensuring comprehensive skills development in AI-integrated teaching.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai felicitated senior officials from Google including Sanjay Jain, Head of Google for Education India, at his residence.

Delhi

Hansraj suspension notices

New delhi, april 27. The management of Hansraj College affiliated with Delhi University suspended 30 students on charges ranging from “violence and misconduct” during a college festival, to being involved in “acts of defaming the college through social media platforms”. The college’s students’ union has called a protest march to oppose the suspension notices.

The first of five suspension letters was issued to Parth Srivastava, students’ union president. Uploaded on the college website, the letter said Srivastava was involved in “acts of indiscipline, including defamation of the institution and use of derogatory language against teaching and non-teaching staff”.

Addressing a press conference, Srivastava said he is being ‘targeted’ for protesting the wedding on campus of the principal’s son in February. “Following that, I had submitted an RTI application seeking information on various irregularities at the college. I received a suspension letter not long after that. I have filed an application for quashing the suspension notice in the Delhi high court,” says Srivastava.

The suspended students will not be allowed to enter college premises during the suspension period, except for examination and internal assessment.

Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai EduCity

Navi mumbai, april 24. A greenfield EduCity in Navi Mumbai supported by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is under construction in the Mumbai Metropolitan region.

According to a state government release, the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), University of York (UK), University of Western Australia, Illinois Tech (USA), and the Istituto Europeo di Design (Italy) are likely to establish campuses in the 250-acre EduCity, sited near the Navi Mumbai International Airport.