ASHA workers oppose ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ tasks, seek higher honorarium

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Focus on skill development and digital education, Telangana Governor urges higher education institutions

You don’t have any Active Subscription. Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Your active subscription(s) Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Products you've access to Additional Subscription Benefits Need help with your subscription? Updated - October 17, 2026 03:05 am IST - HYDERABAD Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla addressing the 27th Convocation of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Open University, in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has called upon higher educational institutions to focus on skill development, digital education and inclusive learning. Speaking at the 27th convocation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) on Wednesday, he appreciated the university’s role in expanding educational opportunities to more than 25 lakh students, including those from rural, remote and disadvantaged communities. He said the university is contributing to the expansion of higher education and improvement of gross enrolment ratio. At the event, he conferred an honorary doctorate on filmmaker, poet and actor B. Narsing Rao and presented Ph.D. and M.Phil degrees, gold medals and books to students. Noting the university’s Samatha initiative, which provides free education to economically weaker, disadvantaged and tribal communities, Mr.Shukla said the university’s policies reflected the spirit of National Education Policy-2020. He noted that more than half of its graduates are women. He further urged youth to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics and automation, and work towards a drug-free India. Former director of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), V.S. Prasad observed that open universities had democratised higher education by bringing learning to the doorstep of students. He stressed the ethical use of AI, transparent administration, and credible examinations. Vice-Chancellor Ghanta Chakrapani said BRAOU was transforming into a comprehensive Open Digital University by integrating Bodhi, digital content, assessment, learner services and digital certifications. He stressed that digital transformation must not create a new digital divide and said the university was strengthening skill development, internships, apprenticeships, research and quality assurance. At the convocation, 23 Ph.D. scholars and one M.Phil scholar received degrees, while 36,145 students were awarded degrees and certificates. Thirty-eight gold medals were presented. Twenty-seven inmates from three central prisons in Cherlapally, Rajahmundry and Kadapa received their degrees. An inmate of Rajahmundry Central Prison, who secured the highest marks, received a gold medal and book prize. The Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department expressed pride in the achievement and said that 10 inmates from Cherlapally had completed their postgraduate studies and received degrees. Of them, eight have completed M.Sc. Psychology and two completed M.A. Sociology. All 10 candidates already hold degrees such as LL.B., B.Tech and other qualifications, and continued their higher education while in prison. DIG (Prisons) D. Srinivas said education is an important instrument of correction, rehabilitation and social reintegration, and it continues to be emphasised. He added that inmates are encouraged to utilise their time constructively to educate themselves or acquire skills that would help them rebuild their lives after release. Published - October 07, 2026 09:30 pm IST Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

The Hindu·4 hours ago·3 min read

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Replit is no longer working with Anthropic, CEO says

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TechCrunch India·4 hours ago·2 min read

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India Inc taps old IITs for AI roles as placements near

New Delhi: Old Indian Institutes of Technology are seeing more pre-placement offers and stronger demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-adjacent roles, though some caution about fresher headcount ahead of their final placement season starting December 1. Widespread AI adoption is reshaping entry-level hiring, according to campus officials and industry executives. While companies are scaling back traditional fresher roles, new opportunities are rapidly emerging in AI, data, analytics and tech-enabled functions. "We have to live with AI, and maybe it will take one or two years for institutes to properly understand which new skills are required," a placement official at one of the old IITs said on condition of anonymity. The seven old IITs are those established in Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati, and Roorkee. IIT Guwahati is seeing a rise in roles involving applied AI and AI-assisted technology, even as traditional software and services hiring declines, said John Jose, head of the institute's Centre for Career Development. Live Events "New roles are coming that were not available last year," he said, adding that students with stronger AI skills could have an edge. The shift is gradual rather than dramatic, but it is certainly visible as AI reshapes organisations, according to Manjesh K. Singh, chairperson of the students' placement committee at IIT Kanpur. "Companies are increasingly looking for graduates who can build, deploy and work alongside these technologies. So, beyond dedicated AI and machine learning roles, we're also seeing AI skills become part of role descriptions in software, analytics, finance and even core engineering," he said. AI-focused companies, banking and financial services firms, and quantitative trading firms are expected to be among the prominent recruiters at IIT Kanpur. Meanwhile, IIT Kharagpur expects hiring across technology and software, AI and data, finance, semiconductors, core engineering and other emerging technology areas. The institute has strengthened its academic ecosystem in emerging areas, including the introduction of a four-year B Tech programme in AI, alongside programmes and micro-specialisations in areas such as AI and machine learning. "The placement ecosystem reflects a combination of emerging AI/data-oriented opportunities and continued demand for strong fundamental areas of core engineering, quantitative, financial and managerial domains," said Sanjay Gupta, dean, career development centre, IIT Kharagpur. Startup participation is also likely to increase. "We're seeing interest from young, fast-growing companies across technology, AI, fintech and deep-tech. Many of these are Indian startups, which we find especially encouraging," said IIT Kanpur's Singh. Most institutes have also seen an uptick in internships, which are translating into more PPOs. "Companies are increasingly using internships to assess students before extending PPOs, particularly in IT, data science and technology," said Jose. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!

Economic Times·7 hours ago·2 min read

ASHA workers oppose ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ tasks, seek higher honorarium

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Focus on skill development and digital education, Telangana Governor urges higher education institutions

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