IIMs Join Goldman Sachs Women Initiative, 6,239 Indian Scientists in Top 2%, NEET PG Court Hearing & US Job Market Challenges

Sep 23, 2025

IIMs Join Goldman Initiative, 6239 Top Scientists, NEET PG Court Case

Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2025

IIM Ahmedabad and Lucknow Join Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women Initiative

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre have been selected as new academic partners for Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women initiative, expanding the program's reach in India alongside the existing collaboration with IIM Bangalore's NSRCEL.

Ambitious Growth Targets and Impact Metrics

Goldman Sachs aims to graduate 1,000 women entrepreneurs in India over the next year, building from the current base of 3,800 participants with a target of 10,000 by 2033. The expansion aligns with India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision, emphasising economic growth through enhanced women's participation in entrepreneurship.

The program has demonstrated measurable outcomes in India, with participants on average quadrupling their revenues and doubling their workforce soon after course completion. Collectively, graduates have created more than 12,000 new jobs and generated significant economic value. Additionally, nine out of ten participants have mentored other women entrepreneurs, creating multiplier effects for employment opportunities.

Comprehensive Support Framework

The initiative equips women entrepreneurs with management training, mentorship, and business network exposure. IIM Ahmedabad and Lucknow will deliver in-person courses alongside IIM Bangalore, offering a curriculum designed to address structural barriers faced by women in business, particularly in accessing capital and professional networks. The curriculum is also available online globally via Coursera in English and Hindi, widening training access.

Goldman Sachs 'India Womenomics research highlights that India, with favourable demographics, could benefit significantly over the next two decades through greater female workforce integration. The report notes that India's female labour force participation remains below major economy levels, making initiatives like 10,000 Women critical for long-term growth.

6,239 Indian Faculty Feature in Stanford's Top 2% Scientists List

Stanford University and Elsevier's World's Top 2% Scientists report features 6,239 Indian faculty in the single-year category, with 3,372 acknowledged in the career-long category for 2024. The recognition spans across India's premier educational and research institutions.

Institutional Leadership in Research Excellence

The Indian Institutes of Technology contributed the largest share with 755 researchers in the top 2% global ranking, followed by over 330 from National Institutes of Technology and 117 from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences contributed 80 researchers, with 56 from AIIMS New Delhi.

Beyond leading institutions, the list includes 50 scientists from Jadavpur University, approximately 88 from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 46 from Aligarh Muslim University, and 51 from Banaras Hindu University. Notably, 59 researchers from Chitkara University, a private institution in Punjab, were also recognised in Stanford's rankings.

The recognition demonstrates India's growing research capabilities across diverse fields and institutions, reflecting sustained investment in scientific research and academic excellence across public and private sectors.

Supreme Court Hears NEET PG 2025 Transparency Petition

The Supreme Court of India took up a crucial petition today seeking greater transparency in the NEET PG 2025 examination, one of the country's most competitive postgraduate medical entrance tests. The case, listed first on the court's board, addresses concerns about examination fairness and result transparency.

Score Discrepancies and Transparency Concerns

Aspirants have reported significant discrepancies in their NEET PG 2025 results, claiming score variations of 50 to 150 marks. Petitioners argue that current disclosures by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences are insufficient to ensure fairness and prevent independent result verification.

Earlier Supreme Court directives had instructed NBEMS to release raw scores of all candidates, publish the official answer key, and explain the normalisation process used in result calculation. However, NBEMS has only released question IDs with corresponding answers, which petitioners claim falls short of judicial directions.

Counselling Process Implications

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan heard detailed arguments today after briefly addressing the matter on September 19. The case has faced multiple adjournments, including on September 12, causing delays in the postgraduate counseling process.

The All India Quota counselling schedule has been put on hold pending Supreme Court clarity, with the Medical Counselling Committee expected to release updated timetables on mcc.nic.in after the court order. While national processes remain on hold, state-level counselling has begun in Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, offering interim admission pathways.

US Job Market Challenges Impact Graduates and Young Workers

Recent graduates and young professionals in the United States are facing increasingly difficult employment prospects due to tariffs, tech layoffs, and economic policy changes. Gary Cohn, former National Economic Council Director and current IBM Vice Chairman, explained that tariffs are raising business costs, forcing companies to reduce hiring.

Labour Market Dynamics and Policy Impact

The Bureau of Labour Statistics reported only 22,000 new jobs in August, significantly down from July's 79,000. Even as companies post strong financial results, hiring has slowed sharply, particularly affecting entry-level positions.

Tech layoffs have been severe in 2025, with Google, Microsoft, and Meta laying off nearly 90,000 workers according to Layoffs.fyi. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged these challenges, noting that "kids coming out of college and younger people, minorities, are having a hard time finding jobs".

Corporate Adaptation and Economic Trends

Cohn explained that companies shifted from COVID-era labour hoarding to aggressive expense management, with labour costs being the most manageable expense. Corporate revenues rose 6.3% in the second quarter with double-digit profit growth, but these positive indicators haven't translated to increased hiring, especially for entry-level roles.

The Federal Reserve recently cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point, with potential further reductions by year-end. However, job seekers must adapt rapidly to changing market conditions, with flexibility and persistence becoming crucial for career success.