May 7, 2025
The Indian education landscape is buzzing with significant developments today. The Supreme Court is taking a hard look at the quality of the CLAT law entrance exam, IIT Madras is opening doors to AI learning with free courses, the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade is expanding its reach to GIFT City, and West Bengal has declared its much-awaited Class 12 results. Let's dive into these key updates.
Supreme Court Questions CLAT Exam Quality, Issues Notice to Centre
The Supreme Court has voiced "serious dissatisfaction" over the "casual attitude" of the Consortium of National Law Universities in preparing questions for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). The court highlighted that inconsistencies in the CLAT, a crucial exam for aspiring law students, directly impact many careers.
This isn't a new concern. The Court pointed out that similar issues with CLAT's test format and question quality were raised back in a 2018 judgment, but it appears no significant action was taken by the Union Government or the Bar Council of India (BCI) since then. As a result, the Supreme Court has now issued a notice to the Union Government seeking its response. The BCI might also be asked to weigh in later.
CLAT is the gateway for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs in 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) across India, with lakhs of students taking the competitive test annually. Complaints about vague or poorly framed questions have been a recurring issue. The Supreme Court's renewed focus could lead to important reforms in how CLAT is conducted, potentially improving standards and transparency for future law aspirants.
IIT Madras Offers Free AI Courses via SWAYAM Plus Platform
In a move to make cutting-edge tech education more accessible, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched five new online courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI), available free of cost on the SWAYAM Plus platform.
These courses are designed for a wide audience, including undergraduate and postgraduate students from various streams (engineering, science, commerce, arts), working professionals looking to upskill, and even faculty members. A key highlight is that no prior AI or coding knowledge is needed to enrol. The five courses are: “AI in Physics,” “AI in Chemistry,” “AI in Accounting,” “Cricket Analytics with AI,” and “AI/ML using Python.” Each course takes about 25 to 45 hours and focuses on hands-on learning with real datasets.
Interested individuals can apply for these free AI courses until May 12 by registering on the SWAYAM Plus platform. While learning is free, there's an option for certification at a nominal fee. SWAYAM Plus, an initiative by the Ministry of Education operated by IIT Madras, hosts over 380 job-oriented courses. These new AI courses align with the National Credit Framework (NCrF), and IIT Madras suggests universities can adopt them as credit-eligible programs. This initiative is a significant step towards building a larger AI-skilled workforce in India.
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) to Set Up Off-Campus Centre in GIFT City
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, has received approval from the Ministry of Education to establish an off-campus centre at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar. The approval was granted on May 6, 2025.
The new IIFT centre, located in GIFT Tower 2, will offer IIFT's flagship MBA in International Business program, specialised short-term training courses, and support research in international trade. This expansion aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, promoting multidisciplinary learning and capacity building in areas vital for India's economic growth and its vision of becoming a global export hub.
IIFT, established in 1963 and a Deemed to be University since 2002, holds an A+ grade from NAAC and AACSB accreditation, placing it among elite global business schools. The approval for the GIFT City campus followed IIFT's compliance with conditions set in a Letter of Intent from January 2025, including a roadmap for a multidisciplinary institution with over 1,000 students and qualified faculty. This strategic move aims to create a talent pool specialised in international trade and finance, supporting GIFT City's ambitions as an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
West Bengal Class 12 (Uchcha Madhyamik) Results Declared: 90.79% Pass
The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) announced the Class 12 (Uchcha Madhyamik) results for the 2024-25 academic year today, May 7, 2025. The announcement was made at a press conference.
Over 8 lakh students appeared for the Higher Secondary exams, held from March 3 to March 18, 2025. This year, the overall pass percentage is an impressive 90.79%. Students need to secure at least 33% in each subject to pass. Results are available online at official websites like wbresults.nic.in and wbchse.wb.gov.in, and also on education.indianexpress.com.
Original mark sheets and pass certificates can be collected by schools from May 8, 2025, from 55 distribution centres. Schools are instructed to distribute these to students on the same day. Students unsatisfied with their results can apply for scrutiny or re-evaluation through their schools. These results are a crucial milestone for students, influencing their higher education and career paths.
In Conclusion
Today's developments highlight the dynamic Indian education sector. From judicial oversight aiming to improve national exam standards and initiatives to democratize AI education, to strategic institutional expansions supporting economic goals and the culmination of academic efforts for lakhs of students, the system is constantly evolving. These events reflect ongoing efforts to enhance quality, accessibility, and relevance in Indian education.
