During a night-time personnel reshuffle on Monday, the government appointed Dipti Gaur Mukerji, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1993 batch from Madhya Pradesh, to the post of new Secretary for Higher Education.
This appointment came just three weeks after Naresh Pal Gangwar, an IAS officer from the Rajasthan batch, was appointed to the same position, but his appointment was suspended.
According to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the total number of government primary schools across the country has decreased by nearly 10 thousand over the course of the year. The sharpest decline was recorded in the states of Meghalaya, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
UDISE+ data showed that the number of primary level government schools dropped from 889,806 in 2024-25 to 879,940 in 2025-26, representing a decrease of 9,866 schools, or approximately 1.1%.
This official data was provided in response to a question by DMK MP T. R. Baalu regarding whether a large number of primary schools have been closed due to insufficient student enrollment and what steps are being taken to prevent student dropouts. However, the Ministry of Education did not specify how many schools were closed due to lack of students, providing only the overall figure for government primary schools over two academic years.
Meghalaya demonstrated the largest numerical reduction, as the number of government primary schools fell from 7,633 to 5,459, a drop of 2,174 schools. Telangana followed with a decrease of 1,961 schools, reducing the figure from 22,983 to 21,022. Andhra Pradesh recorded a decline of 1,446 schools, decreasing the count from 37,449 to 36,003.
Other states that also reported reductions include Madhya Pradesh (by 1,043 schools), Karnataka (by 615), West Bengal (by 587), Rajasthan (by 473), and Maharashtra (by 357). Himachal Pradesh reported a decrease of 259 schools, and Assam—by 209.
Uttar Pradesh, which maintains the largest network of government primary schools, saw a slight fall in the number of schools—from 134,115 to 133,948.
Not all states experienced a reduction. In Bihar, the number of schools increased from 66,803 to 66,915, and in Chhattisgarh—from 43,836 to 43,853. In Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the figures remained unchanged.
The Ministry noted that the opening, closing, and rationalization of schools fall under the jurisdiction of state and territorial governments, as education is listed under the Concurrent List. It was stated, however, that access to education has improved: the overall access ratio increased between 2018-19 and 2025-26 from 96.49 to 98.14 at the upper primary level, from 88.24 to 95.05 at the middle level, and from 65.05 to 94.79 at the upper secondary level.
The Centre stated that states receive support through the Samagra Shiksha and PM POSHAN programs, as well as assistance in developing school infrastructure, creating residential schools and hostels, providing transportation, conducting enrollment drives, and supplying textbooks and uniforms to reduce dropout rates and improve enrollment.
The growing number of international students in Iranian universities has raised the pressing issue of how to make learning the Persian language more accessible for those starting with minimal or zero knowledge of the language.
ParsiGo, an initiative in Iranian educational technology, was created to partially address this problem. It is a digital learning system that combines online Persian language lessons with features for assessment, monitoring student progress, and providing educational support.
This system was developed by Daneshgostar, a company specializing in educational technologies, in collaboration with the International Language Center of Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran. The system is designed for non-Iranian students and all others studying Persian, including those in their home countries before traveling to Iran.
Unlike many language apps that offer only lessons or exercises, ParsiGo is built on a more structured learning process. Students follow a specific educational path corresponding to their level and can move through lessons that include video materials, short tests, and assignments.
The system also allows learners to submit written or audio assignments and receive feedback. At the administrative level, teachers and academic staff can track student progress and identify areas requiring additional help.
One of the key components of the system is artificial intelligence. According to the developers, AI can analyze test answers and completed assignments, detect recurring language errors, and assist in creating educational reports.
The developers emphasize that the technology is not intended to replace teachers. Instead, they view AI as a supplementary tool for teaching staff, especially when performing tasks related to analyzing student results and the initial stage of providing feedback. Human support remains part of the proposed model, as educational curators are responsible for monitoring student activity and intervening if students fall behind.
This combination is particularly relevant for online learning, where students can easily lose regular contact with the instructor. The ParsiGo model includes monitoring attendance, assignment completion, and overall activity, allowing support staff to keep track of students who become less active or encounter academic or technical difficulties.
The initiative is aimed not only at individual learners but also at educational institutions. In addition to the student application, ParsiGo has a web administrative section through which universities and educational organizations can register students, activate courses, and view learning reports. This feature could allow a foreign university interested in teaching Persian to offer courses to its students without needing to create its own digital learning system. The proposed model also allows for course adaptation to the requirements of specific institutions or countries.
Potential users identified by the developers include international students preparing to study in Iran; foreign students already enrolled in Iranian universities; students interested in Persian language and culture; and universities with programs in Iranian studies, Persian language, or regional studies. Other potential users listed include language institutes and cultural and academic organizations.
The project also envisages cooperation with foreign universities, educational agencies, and organizations involved in recruiting international students. Depending on agreements, partner institutions may introduce students to courses, monitor their progress, and receive reports on their results.
For Iranian universities seeking to attract more international students, the ability to access Persian language lessons before the student arrives can be a significant advantage. This gives students a chance to familiarize themselves with the language in advance, and universities a clearer picture of their progress during the learning process.
At the same time, the broader significance of such systems extends beyond the technology itself. Expanding digital education in Persian can provide Iranian universities and cultural institutions with another channel to reach students in countries where access to Persian language instructors is limited.
Whether digital platforms can ultimately provide the same depth of interaction as traditional classrooms depends on their implementation methods and the effectiveness of combining technology with qualified teachers. However, for the Persian language, online systems can offer a way to expand learning opportunities for a wider international audience and make language preparation part of the academic journey even before international students step onto an Iranian campus.
Persian, also known as Farsi, is an ancient language spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan (as Dari), and Tajikistan (as Tajik). It possesses a rich literary heritage spanning over a thousand years. Its alphabet, derived from Arabic, can initially pose difficulties for those unfamiliar with right-to-left writing. The vocabulary of Persian has been influenced by both Arabic and various Turkic languages, adding complexity. Although the phonetic structure of Persian is relatively simple and lacks grammatical gender, nuances of its grammar, such as verb conjugation and the use of subordinate clauses, require targeted study and practice, often making it both useful and challenging for foreign learners.
The difficulty level of learning Persian can vary greatly depending on the learner's background and native language. For speakers of languages similar to Persian, such as Turkish or some Indo-European languages, the transition may be smoother due to shared linguistic features. Nevertheless, students from languages with significantly different structures, such as Mandarin or Vietnamese, may find the concepts of Persian syntax and grammar more daunting. Furthermore, the rich cultural context embedded in Persian literature and expressions requires learners to immerse themselves deeply in cultural references to achieve fluency. Nevertheless, many students find learning Persian to be an enriching experience that provides insight into a diverse and historically significant culture.
