Following the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam in May, which tested participants' knowledge, and its subsequent re-administration in June, nearly two million applicants received an unexpected second chance. Many of them resumed their preparation, restoring study materials, limiting mobile phone use, and continuing their studies under difficult conditions.
Participants recovered their study guides, which they had previously shared with others. Some, for instance, in Baramati, took a break from using mobile phones, while in Hanumangarh, they prepared in Hindi. In Srinagar, studies continued even during power outages.
On Thursday, the names of these students appeared on a unified list of notable achievers, reflecting not only their scores but also their ability to cope with having to take the exam twice. Aryan Gupta achieved the highest score in the country, scoring 715 out of 720, which secured him AIR 1. He stated that he decided not to think too much about it.
After sharing the top score, Panshul Bansal from Faridabad secured second place in the ranking due to tie-breaking rules. His father recounted discovering him crying after the exam cancellation announcement, but Panshul quickly returned to his pursuits of music, badminton, Rubik's cubes, and disciplined study.
Only 19 out of almost two million candidates crossed the 700-mark threshold. Shravani from Baramati, who ranked AIR 5, used daily meditation to reduce pressure. The list also noted more modest breakthroughs: Ayush Bhalotia from Nawada, who ranked AIR 4, will be the first doctor from his village in Bihar. Abhilash from Hanumangarh, who ranked AIR 11, became the leader among those who took the exam in Indian language, choosing Hindi. Adiya Nisar from Srinagar, who ranked AIR 99, studied during power cuts and dedicated her result to 'every girl in Kashmir' dreaming of medicine.
A solemn closing ceremony for IChO–2026, the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad held in Uzbekistan, took place in the capital. This event was a celebration of true knowledge, education, and talent.
The ceremony was attended by Ilhom Sirozhev, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Education Reform, Ezoza Karimova, Minister of Preschool and School Education, Qo'ngirotboy Sharipov, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, representatives of foreign embassies, Olympiad participants, relevant ministries and organizations, as well as representatives of local and foreign media and the general public.
Since this was the first Olympiad Uzbekistan hosted in the history of Central Asian countries, approximately 1000 students, team leaders, members of the International Scientific Committee, observers, and foreign guests from 94 countries participated. Participants demonstrated their knowledge over a week through both practical and theoretical tests. Furthermore, they familiarized themselves with outstanding historical and cultural monuments of the country.
Ilhom Sirozhev, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Education Reform, and Jon Leon Kiapyes, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad, emphasized that holding an international Olympiad is a practical result of large-scale educational reforms being carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Jon Leon Kiapyes noted that Uzbekistan demonstrated a high level of hospitality, adding: 'We saw how highly guests are valued in the example of Uzbekistan. Here, participants not only tested their knowledge but also befriended and communicated. I am sure that every participant left in their heart sincere gratitude, saying: 'Ming rahmat, O‘zbekiston!''. He also wished all participants great success, comparing them to the symbol of the Uzbek people—the Humo bird.
The tests of the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad were organized in two directions: practical and theoretical. The maximum score for the practical test was 40 points, and for the theoretical test—60 points, totaling an overall score of 100 points.
In the practical stage, participants were given five hours to complete three laboratory assignments. The theoretical stage included nine chemistry questions, for which five hours were also allocated. Among the questions were interesting topics related to the history, nature, and scientific potential of Uzbekistan.
Filipino student Azman Usop noted that the Olympiad took place under conditions of complex and intense competition. He also emphasized that the presence of interesting questions related to Uzbekistan made a big impression on him. He stated that his interest in the country's history, culture, and great scientists increased, and he acquired many souvenirs at the Chorsu bazaar. Azman Usop also learned several Uzbek phrases, such as 'Assalomu alaykum', 'rahmat', and 'xush kelibsiz.'
Tutor from the Sultanate of Oman, Amani Alofi, expressed the opinion that Uzbekistan organized this international Olympiad with great responsibility. He noted that through this competition, he once again confirmed the country's hospitality and friendliness. Alofi also stressed that there was a strong emphasis on preserving the heritage of great scientists who contributed to world civilization, and the country's history, culture, and scientific and spiritual heritage made a deep impression on every participant.
Following the Olympiad, many participants received commendation diplomas. Specifically, 112 participants were awarded bronze, 74 silver, and 41 gold medals. At the solemn award ceremony, all members of the Uzbek team achieved prize positions. Among them, Raihona Tuymurodova won a gold medal, while Jasur Mustafoyev, Azizmuhammad Hafizov, and Mirjalol Homidjonov received silver medals.
According to the state head's decision dated September 30, 2024, monetary prizes are provided to winners of international Olympiads: 1.3 billion 30 million sums for a gold medal, and 185.4 million sums for their teacher; 618 million sums for a silver medal, and 103 million sums for their teacher; 412 million sums for a bronze medal, and 61.8 million sums for their teacher.
IChO–2026, held in Uzbekistan, not only identified the most talented specialists in the field of chemistry but also secured a worthy place in history as a prestigious international platform inspiring young scientists toward new ideas, research, and discoveries.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) is discontinuing routine compliance checks for candidates when appointing and promoting teaching staff in medical colleges across the country. Medical educational institutions will now be responsible for making these decisions themselves.
The regulator will only review exceptional cases related to ambiguities in regulations, for which a fee of 25,000 rupees plus VAT will be charged. This decision was made after observing a large number of appeals from faculty members, medical colleges, universities, and hospitals accredited by NBEMS, which were directed to the NMC.
These appeals were received despite the fact that the Medical Institutions Regulations (Faculty Qualification) 2025 clearly defines the requirements for qualifications, teaching experience, publications in scientific journals, and training for teaching positions. Officials stated that the responsibility for determining a candidate's suitability for appointment, promotion, or designation lies with the relevant appointing authority, medical institution, or university.
The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) will no longer consider cases where compliance with requirements can be determined directly according to established norms. Individuals may approach the NMC directly only if their institution has not submitted a justified case within 60 days. The President of the Assessment and Rating Council, Professor M. K. Ramesh, noted that many candidates appealed to the NMC even for simple matters because the NMC compliance certificate was rarely questioned.
Furthermore, the NMC has introduced a review mechanism for applicants dissatisfied with an institution's decision. They have the right to request a review within 30 days. These changes aim to increase institutional accountability, reduce unnecessary appeals and litigation, and concentrate the regulator on complex cases.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the results of the Class X second examination for 2026 on Saturday. After combining the results of the main and second examinations, the overall pass percentage was nearly 96.8%.
Meanwhile, the main CBSE examination recorded an overall pass rate of 93.7% for Class X. Approximately 60% of the roughly 3.1 lakh students who took the exam to improve their scores achieved higher grades compared to the main examination results.
Regarding the second examination, in which 1.5 lakh students participated in the supplementary testing category, 78,503 people successfully passed, achieving a pass percentage of 52.4%, which is higher than the approximately 48.7% last year.
Under the new two-exam system for Class X, introduced this year as part of the National Education Policy 2020, the main examination is mandatory, while the second is optional. For regular candidates, the final certificate will reflect the best score obtained in either of the two tests.
Under this new structure, the main examination was held from February 17 to March 11, and the second examination took place from May 15 to May 21.
A CBSE representative noted that students can retain the higher score obtained in both attempts, thereby preventing a situation where the final result is determined by only one exam. The goal of this policy is to encourage competency-based assessment, reduce dependence on expensive testing and tutoring, and ensure greater academic flexibility.
CBSE reported that the results of the second examination are available to students through the DigiLocker portal. Furthermore, school-level results were sent to schools at their registered email addresses, and digital learning materials can be accessed through the CBSE repository using credentials previously provided to the schools.
