Centralised entrance examinations play a crucial role in the Indian education system, determining admissions to various professional courses and higher education institutions. National Testing Agency (NTA) constituted in 2017, conducts entrance examinations for professional courses such as the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG). However, recent paper leaks have significantly eroded the integrity of the NTA, raising concerns about its ability to conduct fair and reliable examinations.

Impact of Centralised Entrance Examinations on the Indian School System:

Standardisation of Admission Criteria: Centralised exams provide a uniform platform for assessing students from different educational backgrounds.

For example: The CUET allows for a standardised assessment for admission to central universities, ensuring equal opportunities for students nationwide.

Increased Stress and Pressure on Students: The high-stakes nature of these exams often lead to significant stress and anxiety among students.

For example: The intense competition for limited seats in prestigious institutions like AIIMS and IITs can cause mental health issues among aspirants.

societies to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development. Education is key to achieving all other human rights.

What do we mean by a right to education?

Every person is entitled to a quality education without discrimination, which means:

A compulsory free primary school education for every child

Secondary school (including technical training) must be available to everyone – states must work towards providing this for free

Higher education must be equally accessible, with countries working towards the goal of making this free

Fundamental education for those who missed out on primary school should be encouraged and available

It also means parents have the right to choose schools for their children and for individuals and organisations to set up schools that meet minimum standards.

Theirworld also believes that every child should have access to two years of free, quality pre-primary education.

The government approved the linking of 101 APMC mandis into the e-NAM platform.

Significance of this move:

It is expected to boost the turnover of the platform.

e-NAM aims to create a central online platform for agricultural commodity price discovery by integrating all existing APMC markets.

The unified market is expected to aid price discovery and boost farm income.

The platform will also offer choices to farmers to sell their produce as multiple APMC mandis will be integrated.

Along with APMC integration, the Platform of Platforms (PoP) within the e-NAM portal will facilitate farmers to sell their produce outside their State borders.

Due to digital access, the reach will widen to multiple markets and buyers.

The move will also help bring transparency to business transactions which will help in better price discovery.