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Underlining that every student has the right to a “fair, transparent, credible and merit-based” examination process, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday extended support to students’ movements against alleged question paper leaks in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka and Punjab public service commissions. It also announced it would submit a comprehensive set of recommendations to the high-powered committee, led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, which was announced by PM Narendra Modi last week, to look into next-generation reforms for the country’s education sector. At its two-day Central Working Committee meeting in Kerala’s Ernakulam, the RSS-affiliated student organisation said recurring paper leaks had raised serious concerns over the credibility of the country’s examination system. Significantly, three of the exams flagged by the ABVP — conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and Punjab recruitment authorities — are all in states ruled by non-BJP parties or alliances. The organisation also linked its proposed reforms to the high-powered committee constituted by the Centre following alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 exam. ABVP national general secretary, Virendra Singh Solanki, said the organisation would place detailed institutional reform proposals before the committee to strengthen the country’s examination framework and eliminate malpractices. The organisation also appealed to student bodies, educationists and civil society groups to join, what it described, as a nationwide movement for exam reforms. This comes days after ABVP took a nuanced stand on the CJP-led protests in Delhi over alleged exam irregularities. Welcoming Parliament’s passage of the National Honour (Prevention of Insults) Amendment Bill, 2026, which grants legal protection to Vande Mataram, ABVP described the legislation as a “historic milestone”. The meeting also finalised programmes to commemorate the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas, the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the 50th anniversary of the Anti-Emergency Movement, besides reviewing organisational initiatives such as the All India Hostel Survey, international student outreach and expansion plans.
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ABVP flags paper leaks in 3 Opposition states, Bihar; backs reform movements
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Published by Indian Express – India on indianexpress.com
Lubna Kably is a senior editor, who focuses on various policies and legislation. In particular, she writes extensively on immigration and tax policies. The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world; through her articles she demystifies the immigration-policy related developments in select countries for outbound students, job aspirants and employees. She also analyses the impact of Income-tax and GST related developments for individuals and business entities.
The Trump administration is considering a $100,000 (about Rs 96.4 lakh) fee for international graduates seeking to work in the US under the Optional Practical Training ( OPT (work permit after graduation) ) programme, a move that could hit thousands of Indian students and make American universities less attractive to foreign applicants , according to a Wall Street Journal report. The fee would apply to Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas, an extension of the F-1 student visa student visa that lets foreign graduates work in the US for one to three years in fields related to their studies. Around 419,000 foreign nationals were working under OPT in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available. The proposal follows a US court ruling that struck down an earlier plan to charge a $100,000 fee on H-1B work visa visas. Beyond H-1B and student visas, State Department officials are also weighing a $100,000 (roughly Rs 96.4 lakh) bond requirement for green card applicants based outside the US, refundable only once they move to the US and become citizens. The OPT programme is one of the main reasons international students choose to study in the US. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ...
OPT (work permit after graduation), or Optional Practical Training, is a work authorisation available to international students studying in the US on an F-1 student visa student visa. For years, OPT has been one of the biggest attractions of studying in the United States, giving graduates an opportunity to earn a US salary, gain industry experience and improve their chances of securing longer-term work visas such as the H-1B work visa. OPT is not a visa. It is a temporary employment authorisation granted to students on an F-1 visa. India is now the largest source of international students in the US. Many of them study STEM courses, which make them eligible for a 24-month OPT extension after graduation. A sharp increase in the OPT fee could make studying in the US more expensive and influence future enrolment decisions. For many international students, OPT serves as a bridge between university and long-term employment. Many technology, engineering, finance and research employers recruit international graduates through OPT before deciding whether to sponsor them for longer-term employment. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Trump administration is considering a $100,000 fee for graduates seeking to work through OPT as part of a broader overhaul of student visa rules.
