News from the world of Education: January 6, 2026

Golf tournament

Canadian International School will host the 11th edition of its Juniors Golf Tournament for students.

When: January 28

Eligibility: Open to all student golfers aged 6 to 18 years, who are currently enrolled in a school.

Deadline: January 21

Details at https://tinyurl.com/ypsppr24

IIT Kanpur’s Entrepreneurship Cell has opened registrations for its annual event, E-Summit’25 to be held from January 23 to 25. For details on the competitions, hackathons, and more, visit https://www.ecelliitk.org/esummit/

Admissions and scholarships

The Institute of Bakery and Culinary Arts has opened admissions for 2026.

Courses: 18-month Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts (Level 3), 18-month Advanced Diploma in Pastry (Level 3), 12-month Diploma in Culinary Arts (Level 2), 12-month Diploma in Pastry Arts (Level 2), four-month Certificate Course in Pastry (Level 1).

Eligibility: Candidates who have passed or are appearing for the higher secondary (10+2) qualifying exams from any recognised board, including AISSCE, IB, ICSE, CBSE or their equivalent.

Scholarships: It is offering scholarships worth ₹1,00,000 to support over 400 students in pursuing various diploma and certification courses in bakery and culinary arts.

Value: From ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000, depending on the course and eligibility

Deadline: January 15

Details at https://www.chefibpa.com/

SOIL Institute of Management has begun its admissions cycle for the upcoming academic year for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management programme.

Eligibility: A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university; freshers can apply; valid scores from CAT, XAT, NMAT, GMAT, and so on, or the SOIL Aptitude Test, are applicable.

Deadline: January 18

Details at https://www.soil.edu.in/ 

Symbiosis International (Deemed University) has opened registrations for the Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET 2026) and Symbiosis Institute of Technology Engineering Entrance Exam (SITEEE 2026) for admission to its full-time UG programmes.

Eligibility: SET 2026 — Applicants must have passed class 12 or an equivalent exam from a recognised board, with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent grade (45% for SC/ST candidates).

SITEEE 2026 — Candidates must have passed their 10+2 exam with Physics and Maths as compulsory subjects, along with one subject from Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Biology, Informatics Practices, Biotechnology, Technical Vocational subjects, Agriculture, Engineering Graphics, Business Studies, or Entrepreneurship. A minimum aggregate of 45% marks (40% for SC/ST candidates) is required.

Deadline: April 15

For details on eligibility and more, visit www.set-test.org

The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, invites applications for its MSc Digital Health Systems course starting this September.

Eligibility: Minimum second-class (2.2) Honours degree, or international equivalent in any subject. English language minimum score of IELTS 6.0 (with no component below 5.5).

Scholarship: Faculty of Science International Excellence Scholarship for Postgraduate Taught Masters students of £7,000 to £8,000 are available for September 2026 entry.

Details at https://tinyurl.com/ycyvead8

The University of Chicago’s Physical Sciences division invites application to the following programmes:

MS in Applied Data Science

Eligibility: UG in any course. GRE/GMAT: Not required, but scores can be submitted; TOEFL iBT (minimum 102) or IELTS (minimum 7.0) if waiver criteria are not met.

Deadline: January 26

MS in Computational and Applied Mathematics

Eligibility: UG degree. Prerequisites include coursework in multivariable calculus, linear/matrix algebra, and elementary probability and statistics; GRE is recommended but not required; TOEFL iBT (minimum 90) or IELTS (minimum 7.0) if waiver criteria are not met.

Deadline: January 26

MS in Financial Mathematics

Eligibility: UG degree. All candidates should have a background in Maths. Prerequisites include multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and probability, plus programming skills (C++ or Python preferred); GRE: Not required, but scores can be submitted (encouraged for non-US citizens to enhance the application). TOEFL iBT (average minimum 90) or IELTS (average minimum 7.0).

Deadline:Round 1: January 8; Round 2: March 26

Details at https://tinyurl.com/3debynnc

IIT Bombay, in collaboration with Great Learning, has launched the Certificate in Generative AI, offered by the Technocraft Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence.

Eligibility: Candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university, with a minimum aggregate of 50% or equivalent CGPA.

Deadline: January 8

Details at https://bit.ly/45x9sSX

Events

BGS Bloomfield School hosted its annual day 2026. P.C. Mohan, Member of Parliament, Bangalore Central Parliamentary Constituency, was the chief guest.

Shri Ram College of Commerce marked its centenary with a curtain raiser ceremony at Delhi University’s North Campus, attended by chief guest Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh, and released a commemorative coffee table book titled Timeless Frames.

Aahwahan Foundation inaugurated its 90th Model Astronomy Lab at Government Girls Senior Secondary School No. 3, Badarpur, Delhi, to help students learn astronomy and space science through interactive visual models.

Competishun has launched the Flash Test for Revision (FTR) course for JEE Main 2026 aspirants, offering chapter-wise and subject-wise tests with flexible pricing and validity, including a PCM combo valid till June 2026. Details at https://competishun.com/

SAI International Residential School celebrated its eighth Founder’s Day, themed Udaan @ 100 – India Rising, with Pitambar Acharya, Advocate General of Odisha, as chief guest, featuring Sports Day, language exhibitions, and student project displays.

Venkateshwar International School hosted TEDx Venkateshwar International School themed Present in Purpose, Purpose in Present, featuring speakers from fields including art, leadership, and environmental conservation.

IIT Dhanbad (IIT ISM), in collaboration with TEXMiN under the Department of Science and Technology, inaugurated the Centre of Research Excellence in Mining and Innovation for Critical Materials (CoRE-MiN).

ITM University Raipur organised a Human Rights Day academic and awareness programme involving faculty and students from the School of Law and other departments. It also conducted an outreach awareness campaign at the Government Middle School, Uttla, educating Class 8 students about human rights, child protection, recognising signs of child abuse, and more.

The VIBGYOR Group of Schools concluded the 17th VIBGYOR Viva 2025 inter-school festival, with participation from over two lakh students across 3,000 schools in India and abroad.

BITS Pilani alumni Mahesh Samdani and his wife Purva Ladha donated $1 million to establish to establish the Smt. Kaushaliya Devi Samdani Scholarship Endowment to support meritorious and financially deserving female students.

Smiling Tree partnered with Delhi University and Delhi Police, to inaugurate its first Pink Booth at Miranda House to enhance campus safety and promote a student-friendly environment.

Educate Girls, with the Education Department, launched Vidya Kumbh primary schools and Anganwadi centers at Magh Mela 2026 in Prayagraj to support education for children of sanitation workers in Sector 3.

Noida International University participated in the seventh Future of Management Education Summit 2025, organised by BW Businessworld and BW Education. It focused on AI’s growing role in management education.

Shiv Nadar University Delhi-NCR hosted a conference on Co-operatives, Development, and Higher Education, highlighting the symbiotic role of higher education institutions, co-operatives, and NGOs in socio-economic change, with Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, as chief guest.

SGT University, Gurugram, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Private Universities, hosted the second Bharat Higher Education Summit 2025 on Building Research-Driven Universities, featuring dignitaries from NAAC, University of Arizona, TERI, among others.

Lovely Professional University hosted a 14-member delegation from the Isle of Wight College, the U.K., for a two-week cultural and academic exchange programme.

Suraksha Diagnostics, in collaboration with Medikabazaar–United Imaging launched uAcademy to support radiology students and young consultants through case-based advanced learning, with Justice Ashim Kumar Banerjee, (Retd.), Chairperson, West Bengal Clinical Establishments Regulatory Commission, as chief guest.

Satyam School of Journalism and Mass Communication held IGNITE 2K25, its annual media fest themed Heritage Rising: Reviving Our Legacy, featuring competitions like RJ Hunt, fashion walk, photography, and group dance.

Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences, in collaboration with Yashoda Medicity, concluded its 20th International Spine and Pain Live-cum-Cadaver Workshop, training faculty and delegates under Dr. Neeraj Jain, a pain specialist, and Dr. Shantanu Mallik from Mumbai.

Nitin Vijay, CEO of Motion Education, visited Manav Rachna Educational Institutions to discuss with students about competitive exams, mental well-being, and the impact of digital tools, AI, and social media on education.

Mohan Babu University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering hosted i-SMAART 2025, an international conference themed Fostering Innovation in Sustainable Manufacturing through Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotic Technologies featuring research across over 34 specialised engineering and applied science areas.

XLRI Delhi-NCR, in partnership with InvokHR and Humanlinks, hosted Corporate Confluence 2025, discussing HR trends and launching HR Simulathon™ 2025, an experiential contest for real-world HR decision-making and leadership assessment.

Indian School of Hospitality concluded the third edition of its collaboration with the European Union National Institutes for Culture. It hosted European embassies for culinary masterclasses and live demonstrations at its Gurugram campus.

IIT Roorkee hosted the AHEAD2025 International Conference themed Global Disruptions in Healthcare and Development: Challenges, Innovations, and Pathways for the 21st Century, with participation from international scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

Research

IIT Guwahati researchers Prof. Mahuya De and research scholar Nayan Moni Baishya developed a sunlight-driven photocatalyst that converts carbon dioxide into methanol. The findings were published in the Journal of Materials Science.

MIT World Peace University researchers, Prof. Rajib Kumar Sinharay, Principal Investigator; Prof. Datta Dandge, Research Advisor, and Nishant Patil, Project Fellow and Ph.D student,have developed a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier system to safely transport hydrogen in a stable, non-flammable, and non-explosive liquid form at normal conditions.

Nagaland University researchers Rumi Dhar and Tania Anya proposed a Digital Rehabilitation Law, a legal framework integrating AI, telemedicine, and mobile health into India’s drug addiction recovery system. The findings were published in the KDU Law Journal.

Rewards and laurels

SVKM’s NMIMS students have secured positions in the top 100 ranks in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge 2025. Team Bombay Bulls, representing the Sarla Anil Modi School of Economics, Mumbai, secured Rank 40; team Bull Riders, from the School of Business Management, Indore, scored Rank 51; team Equilords, from the Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce, Navi Mumbai, achieved Rank 63.

Students from Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Ashish Negi, Shivam Kumar Jha, Swayam Bansal, and Sai Tejaswi,won the Lam Research Challenge 2025, with IIT Guwahati and NIT Calicut finishing second and third respectively.

Chitrashree C and Divyanshi Soo from Deeksha Stem School, Bengaluru won the first prize in Avinya, Veranda K-12’s nationwide initiative to foster innovation among students from classes 8 to 12. H.Praveena Sri Dhurka from BVM Global group of Schools, and S.Meena and R.Dharshine from Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Govt.Girls Higher Secondary School, Chennai, were second and third runners-up respectively.

Global Schools Group concluded the Global One Championship, with GIIS Whitefield won the Number 1 Sports School title, followed by OWIS Sarjapur and GIIS Ahmedabad in second and third place.

SRM University–AP, Amaravati, was conferred with the QS I-GAUGE Institution of Happiness (IOH) Award 2025–26.

Galgotias University B.Tech students Nalinish Ranjan and Avineet Singh Juneja won the university’s Swift Student Challenge with their respective apps: Elementum, a Chemistry learning tool, and Algomaze, an algorithm visualisation app.

Ashoka University hosted a panel on Mapping Scientific Priorities in a World in Churn, featuring Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak, and other leading professors from the U.S. and India.

Rajeshwari BC, Principal of Embassy Academy, Devanhalli, was conferred the Dynamic Principal 2025 award by the Education News Network.

Target Learning Ventures awarded the Shikshak Ratna to Maharashtra educators Spruha Suresh Indu, senior teacher from Chembur Education Society Primary School, and Jagdish Indalkar, from Lion M.P. Bhuta Sion Sarvajanik High School, Sion, for their NCERT-recognised innovative teaching practices.

Team Ecopoly from DCM Young Entrepreneurs School, Ludhiana, won the Heroes of Tomorrow 2025 inter-school innovation challenge organised by BML Munjal University.

Yara India announced the first Women in Agronomy Scholar Award 2025-26 recipients. They are Ruchi Rajpoot from The Rani Lakshmibai Central Agricultural University; Meka Kalyani from Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University; Dharani.S from Kerala Agricultural University; Gobikashri N. from Pondicherry University, and Barsha Mansingh from CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University.

Inductions and convocations

SRM Medical College, SRMIST Chennai, conducted its MD/MS 2025–2026 Post Graduate Induction Programme.

Chandigarh University held its seventh convocation of CU where 719 students received their degrees. Dnyan Shah, SVP and Global Head (HR), Mphasis Limited, was the chief guest.

Somaiya Kala Vidya under the Gujarat Trust managed by Somaiya Vidyavihar hosted its eighth convocation ceremony, Kala Umang. Padmaja Krishnan, fashion and textile designer, was the chief guest.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India held convocation ceremonies across 15 locations, awarding membership certificates to 20,000 new chartered accountants, with IAS officer Vivek Bharadwaj as chief guest.

KL Deemed to be University held its 15th convocation, awarding degrees to over 5,000 students, with Prof. Vinod K. Singh, President of the National Academy of Sciences, India, as chief guest.

MoUs and partnerships

Techvantage AI signed an MoU with SRM IST, Chennai, for long-term collaboration on AI education, research, innovation, and talent development, focusing on Agentic AI.

Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has signed an MoU with Sharda University, Agra, to collaborate on pharmaceutical research, technology transfer, and skill development.

The Nemetschek Group partnered with SPA New Delhi and KIIT Bhubaneswar, to set up AEC Centres of Excellence, promoting BIM-led education and digital transformation in India’s built-environment sector.

PM Publishers partnered with Google to integrate the Gemini AI assistant into over 250 textbooks for students from Nursery to Class 10, covering subjects from Computer Science to Arts and General Knowledge.