April 3, 2026

NEW DELHI: At a time when India is struggling to ensure children can read and do basic arithmetic by Class III – a core goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 – Haryana has reported a sharp turnaround in govt school-level learning outcomes (grade-level competencies). A statewide “census-style” assessment, exclusively accessed by TOI, showed the share of high-performing govt schools rising from 7% in Sept to 53% in Dec last year after a targeted remediation drive addressing foundational literacy and numeracy gaps.Haryana’s initiative marks a move from sample-based assessments to a “census-style diagnostic approach” that measures the competency of every child individually. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Third US carrier on way as Israel launches ‘extensive strikes’ on IranFresh Food Airlifted Into UAE: LuLu flies 80,000 kg of Indian produce; more imports planned‘Xi’s world order died with Khamenei’: The good, the bad, and ugly of US-Iran war for ChinaThe exercise covered over 4.35 lakh students across nearly 8,600 govt primary schools, using a digital teacher-led assessment system under NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Haryana mission.The first assessment conducted in Sept 2025 revealed significant learning gaps across the system. Most schools were classified in Category C (the lowest), where fewer than half the students had achieved grade-level competencies.Following the diagnosis, districts designed their own 45-day remediation strategies, grouping students by competency and targeting specific learning gaps. Peer-learning approaches were also used to support weaker students. “Every district made their own strategy for 45 days which also included category A students helping lower category students as all the students were already mapped,” NIPUN Haryana programme officer Pramod Kumar said.The state repeated the assessment in Dec 2025 using same teachers who conducted first round. “Data made a completely significant shift showing unimaginable progress,” the official said.Learning gains were visible across literacy and numeracy. Class II literacy rose from 46.5% to 67%, while Class III literacy increased from 44.2% to 61.4%. Numeracy performance also improved, with Class II scores rising from 63.7% to 78.8% and Class III numeracy improving from 50.5% to 71%. The results translated into a major shift in school performance categories. Number of Category A schools increased from 621 to 4,545, while Category C schools fell from 6,385 to 1,973.Officials said the next phase will focus on sustaining the gains and expanding the programme. The state plans to extend the NIPUN model to Classes IV and V, with around seven lakh students expected to be assessed this year.The shift is significant against the backdrop of India’s persistent foundational learning challenge. National learning surveys have shown only gradual improvements in basic reading and arithmetic. For instance, the proportion of Class III children in govt schools able to read a Grade II-level text increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024, while proficiency in basic subtraction rose from 20.2% to 27.6% during same period.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC, BJP Engage In War Of Words Over Change In Governor Ahead of Assembly ElectionsTMC RS Nominee Menaka Guruswamy Declares: ‘Shall Fight EC in Every Court’ in Fiery First SpeechNishant Kumar Will Make Political Debut On March 8, To Formally Join JD(U) After Nitish’s RS Move‘What Went Through The Administration’s Mind?’ Droupadi Murmu Flags Lapse, Mentions Mamata BanerjeeThe Khamenei’s Killer: Israeli Missile Family India Is Quietly Acquiring | WatchBJP Blasts TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s Shocking Remark Against CEC Gyanesh KumarNo Confidence Motion Against Om Birla: Mamata Banerjee’s TMC Set To Support Resolution In Parliament”Future Is In Countries Like India…” Piyush Goyal Hails India As Engine Of Growth’PM Modi Betrayed India’: Rahul Gandhi Launches Scathing Attack Over US Trade Deal, Russian OilLPG Cylinder Price Rise Heats Up Inflation Debate As Opposition Targets Modi Government123PhotostoriesExclusive – The 50’s Divya Agarwal breaks silence on divorce rumours with husband Apurva Padgaonkar; says ‘We live in separate houses…’How to make Bihari-style Champaran Mutton for dinner at home6 things you should never ignore in car maintenance10 desi Indian ways to enjoy Oats for dinner and dessert7 bedroom plants for better sleep and cleaner indoor airFrom iron deficiency to lung disease: Doctors say your nails may reveal hidden health problemsAllu Arjun’s brother Allu Sirish marries Nayanika Reddy: Bride dazzles in diamonds and Kanjivaram saree, groom steals show in ivory sherwani6 most luxurious homes owned by Indian cricketers with estimated prices5 famous war museums around the world travellers can visitWalt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksMiddle East Oil RisksIran Mobile Missile LauncersDwarka ExpresswayUttam Nagar murderIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingFortnite Wild Weeks Power Hour EventDaksh ChaudharyUPSC ResultsMiddle East ConflictNoida AirportCody RhodesWWE Smackdown HighlightsUCEED ResultBombay High CourtWhere to watch ind vs nz t20

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NEW DELHI: At a time when India is struggling to ensure children can read and do basic arithmetic by Class III – a core goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 – Haryana has reported a sharp turnaround in govt school-level learning outcomes (grade-level competencies). A statewide “census-style” assessment, exclusively accessed by TOI, showed the share of high-performing govt schools rising from 7% in Sept to 53% in Dec last year after a targeted remediation drive addressing foundational literacy and numeracy gaps.Haryana’s initiative marks a move from sample-based assessments to a “census-style diagnostic approach” that measures the competency of every child individually. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Third US carrier on way as Israel launches ‘extensive strikes’ on IranFresh Food Airlifted Into UAE: LuLu flies 80,000 kg of Indian produce; more imports planned‘Xi’s world order died with Khamenei’: The good, the bad, and ugly of US-Iran war for ChinaThe exercise covered over 4.35 lakh students across nearly 8,600 govt primary schools, using a digital teacher-led assessment system under NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Haryana mission.The first assessment conducted in Sept 2025 revealed significant learning gaps across the system. Most schools were classified in Category C (the lowest), where fewer than half the students had achieved grade-level competencies.Following the diagnosis, districts designed their own 45-day remediation strategies, grouping students by competency and targeting specific learning gaps. Peer-learning approaches were also used to support weaker students. “Every district made their own strategy for 45 days which also included category A students helping lower category students as all the students were already mapped,” NIPUN Haryana programme officer Pramod Kumar said.The state repeated the assessment in Dec 2025 using same teachers who conducted first round. “Data made a completely significant shift showing unimaginable progress,” the official said.Learning gains were visible across literacy and numeracy. Class II literacy rose from 46.5% to 67%, while Class III literacy increased from 44.2% to 61.4%. Numeracy performance also improved, with Class II scores rising from 63.7% to 78.8% and Class III numeracy improving from 50.5% to 71%. The results translated into a major shift in school performance categories. Number of Category A schools increased from 621 to 4,545, while Category C schools fell from 6,385 to 1,973.Officials said the next phase will focus on sustaining the gains and expanding the programme. The state plans to extend the NIPUN model to Classes IV and V, with around seven lakh students expected to be assessed this year.The shift is significant against the backdrop of India’s persistent foundational learning challenge. National learning surveys have shown only gradual improvements in basic reading and arithmetic. For instance, the proportion of Class III children in govt schools able to read a Grade II-level text increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024, while proficiency in basic subtraction rose from 20.2% to 27.6% during same period.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC, BJP Engage In War Of Words Over Change In Governor Ahead of Assembly ElectionsTMC RS Nominee Menaka Guruswamy Declares: ‘Shall Fight EC in Every Court’ in Fiery First SpeechNishant Kumar Will Make Political Debut On March 8, To Formally Join JD(U) After Nitish’s RS Move‘What Went Through The Administration’s Mind?’ Droupadi Murmu Flags Lapse, Mentions Mamata BanerjeeThe Khamenei’s Killer: Israeli Missile Family India Is Quietly Acquiring | WatchBJP Blasts TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s Shocking Remark Against CEC Gyanesh KumarNo Confidence Motion Against Om Birla: Mamata Banerjee’s TMC Set To Support Resolution In Parliament”Future Is In Countries Like India…” Piyush Goyal Hails India As Engine Of Growth’PM Modi Betrayed India’: Rahul Gandhi Launches Scathing Attack Over US Trade Deal, Russian OilLPG Cylinder Price Rise Heats Up Inflation Debate As Opposition Targets Modi Government123PhotostoriesExclusive – The 50’s Divya Agarwal breaks silence on divorce rumours with husband Apurva Padgaonkar; says ‘We live in separate houses…’How to make Bihari-style Champaran Mutton for dinner at home6 things you should never ignore in car maintenance10 desi Indian ways to enjoy Oats for dinner and dessert7 bedroom plants for better sleep and cleaner indoor airFrom iron deficiency to lung disease: Doctors say your nails may reveal hidden health problemsAllu Arjun’s brother Allu Sirish marries Nayanika Reddy: Bride dazzles in diamonds and Kanjivaram saree, groom steals show in ivory sherwani6 most luxurious homes owned by Indian cricketers with estimated prices5 famous war museums around the world travellers can visitWalt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksMiddle East Oil RisksIran Mobile Missile LauncersDwarka ExpresswayUttam Nagar murderIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingFortnite Wild Weeks Power Hour EventDaksh ChaudharyUPSC ResultsMiddle East ConflictNoida AirportCody RhodesWWE Smackdown HighlightsUCEED ResultBombay High CourtWhere to watch ind vs nz t20


'Census-style' 45-day assessment signals early learning turnaround in Haryana schools

NEW DELHI: At a time when India is struggling to ensure children can read and do basic arithmetic by Class III – a core goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 – Haryana has reported a sharp turnaround in govt school-level learning outcomes (grade-level competencies). A statewide “census-style” assessment, exclusively accessed by TOI, showed the share of high-performing govt schools rising from 7% in Sept to 53% in Dec last year after a targeted remediation drive addressing foundational literacy and numeracy gaps.Haryana’s initiative marks a move from sample-based assessments to a “census-style diagnostic approach” that measures the competency of every child individually. The exercise covered over 4.35 lakh students across nearly 8,600 govt primary schools, using a digital teacher-led assessment system under NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Haryana mission.The first assessment conducted in Sept 2025 revealed significant learning gaps across the system. Most schools were classified in Category C (the lowest), where fewer than half the students had achieved grade-level competencies.Following the diagnosis, districts designed their own 45-day remediation strategies, grouping students by competency and targeting specific learning gaps. Peer-learning approaches were also used to support weaker students. “Every district made their own strategy for 45 days which also included category A students helping lower category students as all the students were already mapped,” NIPUN Haryana programme officer Pramod Kumar said.The state repeated the assessment in Dec 2025 using same teachers who conducted first round. “Data made a completely significant shift showing unimaginable progress,” the official said.Learning gains were visible across literacy and numeracy. Class II literacy rose from 46.5% to 67%, while Class III literacy increased from 44.2% to 61.4%. Numeracy performance also improved, with Class II scores rising from 63.7% to 78.8% and Class III numeracy improving from 50.5% to 71%. The results translated into a major shift in school performance categories. Number of Category A schools increased from 621 to 4,545, while Category C schools fell from 6,385 to 1,973.Officials said the next phase will focus on sustaining the gains and expanding the programme. The state plans to extend the NIPUN model to Classes IV and V, with around seven lakh students expected to be assessed this year.The shift is significant against the backdrop of India’s persistent foundational learning challenge. National learning surveys have shown only gradual improvements in basic reading and arithmetic. For instance, the proportion of Class III children in govt schools able to read a Grade II-level text increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024, while proficiency in basic subtraction rose from 20.2% to 27.6% during same period.



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In the early 2010s, a Bengaluru-based restaurateur curated a rotating menu of biryanis from across Karnataka, backed by extensive research. Much to the disappointment of OG foodies then, the venture shut down in no time, perhaps because there was no social media to amplify such a niche concept.In Karnataka, biryani is not merely a celebratory dish — it is a record of movement, necessity and everyday appetite. Hence, there are a handful of distinct varieties of Karnataka biryanis. Tracing its journey from royal kitchens and military camps to roadside eateries and wedding feasts reveals a food that has quietly adapted across regions and communities, absorbing local tastes without losing its core identity. Unlike the widely documented biryanis of Hyderabad or Awadh, Karnataka’s versions remain understated, loosely defined and deeply regional, shaped more by geography and economy than by courtly spectacle.Social media, increased migration into Bengaluru and a new generation of chefs and writers documenting regional micro-cuisines have brought the once-overlooked styles of Karnataka biryani into public conversation. What is emerging now is not a single definition of Karnataka biryani, but a recognition of its diversity — a culinary map that mirrors the state’s layered cultural geography.Food hospitality professional and writer Aslam Gafoor describes Karnataka biryani not as a single tradition but as a cluster of regional rice-and-meat preparations that evolved independently across the state. Coastal influences, interior farming cultures and working-class food habits, all played a role. What unites many of these styles, he notes, is practicality. These are not ornamental, layered biryanis built around luxury ingredients, but robust, everyday dishes designed to feed many — quickly and affordably.Cooking it differentlyAcross the state, biryani takes markedly different forms. Bengaluru and its surrounding districts are best known for donne biryani, a spice-forward preparation traditionally served in palm-leaf cups. Along the coast, especially in Bhatkal, biryani reflects centuries of maritime exchange, shaped by Arab and Persian-influenced Nawayath cuisine. Here biryani is known for its lighter, non-greasy texture — meat is cooked separately in an onion and green-chilli-based gravy and then layered with fragrant rice, rather than being drowned in ghee or rich oils. In north Karnataka, slow-cooked meat-centric styles influenced by the Hyderabadi masala mix dominate, while regions such as Hassan and Kodagu are known for milder, dum-style preparations that sit somewhere between a biryani and a pulao.One dish, many local kitchensBengaluru has emerged as the most visible stage where these traditions intersect. With its layered history and migrant population, the city functions less as the birthplace of Karnataka’s biryanis and more as their testing ground. Styles once confined to specific towns or neighbourhoods are now encountered side by side — debated, compared and occasionally reinvented — through military hotels, modest messes and newer restaurants attempting revival. Aslam points out that this convergence has made Bengaluru central to how Karnataka biryani is discussed today, even if its roots lie elsewhere.Built for everyday, shaped by movementSome of these traditions remained hidden in plain sight for decades. The Hubballi variety, long sold through small booths and military hotels, stayed local for years before gaining wider visibility. Its recent rise in Bengaluru, especially over the last 15 to 20 years, mirrors the city’s changing demographics and the role of migration in reshaping food culture.That difference is something Sangamesh, an IT professional from Hubballi now living in Bengaluru, notices clearly. “What I eat here and what I eat back home are called the same thing, but they’re not the same,” he says. “In Hubballi, the flavours are sharper and more familiar — it feels like food meant for locals. In Bengaluru, it’s adapted. The spice levels change, the presentation changes, sometimes even the meat cuts. It’s good, but it’s different.”The Hubballi and Belgaum versions are the two popular varieties of biryanis from north Karnataka. “Both biryanis are heavily influenced by Hyderabadi masalas. The key difference is that we don’t use whole spices like how they do in Hyderabad,” says Muhammad Ziya Ul Haq, who runs the restaurant Al-Madina in Hubballi town. Spices are ground to powder and used in Hubballi and Belgaum biryanis. Sona masoori and jeera rice varieties are traditionally used to make biryanis in Hubballi households, but a basmati takeover is going on. While red and green chillies are used to prepare mildly spiced Hubballi biryanis, only green chillies are used, extensively, to make Belgaum biryani, a spicy signature one-pot dish of Belavagi district. “Belgaum biryani is flavourful when the locally grown Belgaum basmati is used. But the rice tends to cook too fast, so many restaurants prefer jeera rice or regular basmati. A lot more fried onions are also used,” says Ziya.Hassan biryani, by contrast, remains gentle and restrained, closer to everyday home cooking than restaurant spectacle. Avoiding heavy masalas, it relies on subtle seasoning and slow cooking, giving it a distinctly “homely” character that resists easy categorisation.Let the donne do the talkingAt the heart of this landscape sits donne biryani, closely tied to the state’s working-class and naati (local) food culture. Popularised through military hotels — most famously places like Shivaji Military Hotel — and roadside eateries, it prioritised speed, consistency and volume over ceremony. Prepared using jeera rice instead of basmati, driven by green chillies rather than aromatic whole spices, and cooked with bone-in meat to maximise flavour and economy, donne biryani reflects a utilitarian philosophy. Its very name comes from the leaf cup in which it was served, reinforcing its identity as food meant to be eaten quickly and affordably.Aslam emphasises that Karnataka’s biryanis evolved through adaptation rather than replication. Persian influences entered via Hyderabad, while neighbouring Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala traditions left their mark along trade routes and migration corridors. Local cooks reshaped these influences to suit available ingredients and everyday needs — replacing expensive imports with local produce, country-bred meat and robust spice pastes. The result was food that was deeply satisfying but rarely documented. Unlike Hyderabadi or Awadhi biryanis, which benefited from royal patronage and institutional backing, Karnataka’s styles thrived in neighbourhood booths and homes.A coastal legacy influenced by tradeBhatkal biryani is a reflection of history, hospitality and heritage. Ajaib Shabbir Bhatkali, owner of the Biryani House in Abu Dhabi, says that the iconic biryani traces its roots to Bhatkal and is deeply embedded in the culinary traditions of the Nawayath Muslim community.Nawayaths — a unique and influential Muslim group primarily settled in the coastal town of Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district — are a trading community believed to have Arab–Persian ancestry, with strong cultural and commercial links to the Middle East. For centuries, Bhatkal functioned as an important port town, welcoming traders and sailors from across the seas. This constant movement of people and cultures influenced local food habits, giving rise to a cuisine that is aromatic and rich.”Bhatkalis are known for their warmth and hospitality, and our biryani reflects that spirit. Traditionally prepared for family gatherings, weddings and festive occasions, Bhatkal biryani is meant to be shared, generously served and eaten together,” he says.The traditional Bhatkali dum biryani focuses on quality ingredients and precise technique rather than overpowering spice. “We use high-quality long basmati rice, steamed to perfection; meat or chicken, cut into 2–3 inch portions, preferably with bone; generous use of onions, both sliced and fried into crispy birista; Bhatkali-style ginger-garlic paste; green chillies; tomatoes; whole spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves; saffron infused in milk or rose water; and fresh mint and coriander,” he says. The rice is washed gently and soaked, then boiled in spiced water until just right, never overcooked. The meat is cooked separately with onions, spices and herbs until the moisture evaporates and flavours deepen. Layering is where the magic happens: half the rice is spread over the meat, topped with fried onions, saffron milk, herbs and oil. The remaining rice follows, finished with more aromatics. The pot is sealed airtight and placed on a slow flame for dum.”True to Bhatkal tradition, the biryani is accompanied by raity and kachumber. Raity is a unique chilled accompaniment, a mildly spiced soup made from sweet potato, half-ripe jackfruit and half-ripe papaya, usually prepared one day in advance, and kachumber is a chilli-based pickle with finely chopped onion, tender mango and tomato, finished with a hint of jaggery,” says Ajaib.Sending love from the hillsFor many from Kodagu, what is often loosely called biryani is closer to a pulao — and defiantly so. “We miss the authentic mutton pulao our grandmother used to make,” says Pramitha Achaiah, a consultant who now lives in Bengaluru, recalling a dish that doesn’t follow the Mughal grammar of layered rice and excess ghee. Coorg pulao, she explains, is built differently. The process begins with frying spices along with coconut, grinding them into an aromatic base that defines the dish. The meat — usually mutton — is cooked directly in this masala, allowing the spices and peppercorns to do the heavy lifting. The rice traditionally used is jeerege sanna, short-grain jeera rice variety native to the region, which absorbs flavour rather than sitting as a separate layer.Older versions, she notes, were deeper and darker in colour — “almost black” — a style known locally as erachi pulao, where spice blends and pepper made all the difference. Over time, however, convenience has crept in. “People have stopped grinding coconut, poppy seeds and using jeera rice. Everyone wants simpler, quicker meals now,” she says. Yet, in its original form, Coorg biryani mirrors the landscape it comes from: wild, straightforward, and unapologetically bold, letting spice, meat and memory speak louder than ghee or garnish.”The pulao itself reflects the hills it comes from — rugged, bold and uncomplicated, much like Coorg,” she says. Asked if it wasn’t indeed a biryani, Pramitha quips: “Biryani is the new name. Biryani replaced the pulao just as basmati replaced jeerege sanna!”A Layered Legacy of Flavour and TraditionBiryani, in its simplest form, is often described as a combination of rice and masala, cooked with meat, seafood, or vegetables. However, according to home cook and social worker Khairunnisa Sayed, such a definition barely scratches the surface, especially when it comes to Mangalore biryani, which stands apart with its own identity, technique, and soul. “Mangalore biryani is completely different from Hyderabadi, Kerala, or even Bengaluru biryani. Its uniqueness lies not just in the ingredients, but in the method, the balance of flavours, and the respect for layering,” she says.Unlike the short-grain or medium-grain rice commonly used elsewhere, Mangalore biryani traditionally uses long-grain basmati rice that is soaked well in advance. Once soaked, the rice expands, lending the dish its signature lightness and aroma. In contrast, biryanis prepared in the ghat sections often use sona masoori or gandhasale rice, resulting in a very different texture and flavour profile.Mangalore biryani is also a true dum biryani, where rice and masala are prepared separately and brought together only during the final stage. The dish is assembled layer by layer, interspersed with fried onions (birista), fresh coriander and pudina leaves, and cashew nuts. The vessel is then sealed tightly and slow-cooked on dum, allowing the flavours to marry without being mixed.The masala itself reflects the bold yet balanced nature of coastal cooking. Green chillies play a starring role, sometimes as many as 25 to 30 green chillies for one kilogram of mutton, along with fresh pudina and coriander, ground directly. “The masalas are basic but powerful,” Khairunnisa says. “What matters is patience and knowing when the raw aromas disappear and the oil begins to separate, that’s when the masala is truly ready,” she adds.The rice is parboiled separately with bay leaves, mild garam masala, and pepper, drained when it is about 70 per cent cooked, and then layered over the meat. Saffron may be added for aroma along with turmeric. Food colour is often used in home kitchens. The final layers are finished with herbs, carrots for garnish, and cashews fried in ghee. The proportions, too, are distinctive. For one kilogram of mutton, nearly two kilograms of rice are used, along with carefully measured water, emphasising that Mangalore biryani is all about layers, not mixing.Served with simple raitha made of tomato, onion, and pomegranate seeds, Mangalore biryani is a celebration of technique, and tradition.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. 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In the early 2010s, a Bengaluru-based restaurateur curated a rotating menu of biryanis from across Karnataka, backed by extensive research. Much to the disappointment of OG foodies then, the venture shut down in no time, perhaps because there was no social media to amplify such a niche concept.In Karnataka, biryani is not merely a celebratory dish — it is a record of movement, necessity and everyday appetite. Hence, there are a handful of distinct varieties of Karnataka biryanis. Tracing its journey from royal kitchens and military camps to roadside eateries and wedding feasts reveals a food that has quietly adapted across regions and communities, absorbing local tastes without losing its core identity. Unlike the widely documented biryanis of Hyderabad or Awadh, Karnataka’s versions remain understated, loosely defined and deeply regional, shaped more by geography and economy than by courtly spectacle.Social media, increased migration into Bengaluru and a new generation of chefs and writers documenting regional micro-cuisines have brought the once-overlooked styles of Karnataka biryani into public conversation. What is emerging now is not a single definition of Karnataka biryani, but a recognition of its diversity — a culinary map that mirrors the state’s layered cultural geography.Food hospitality professional and writer Aslam Gafoor describes Karnataka biryani not as a single tradition but as a cluster of regional rice-and-meat preparations that evolved independently across the state. Coastal influences, interior farming cultures and working-class food habits, all played a role. What unites many of these styles, he notes, is practicality. These are not ornamental, layered biryanis built around luxury ingredients, but robust, everyday dishes designed to feed many — quickly and affordably.Cooking it differentlyAcross the state, biryani takes markedly different forms. Bengaluru and its surrounding districts are best known for donne biryani, a spice-forward preparation traditionally served in palm-leaf cups. Along the coast, especially in Bhatkal, biryani reflects centuries of maritime exchange, shaped by Arab and Persian-influenced Nawayath cuisine. Here biryani is known for its lighter, non-greasy texture — meat is cooked separately in an onion and green-chilli-based gravy and then layered with fragrant rice, rather than being drowned in ghee or rich oils. In north Karnataka, slow-cooked meat-centric styles influenced by the Hyderabadi masala mix dominate, while regions such as Hassan and Kodagu are known for milder, dum-style preparations that sit somewhere between a biryani and a pulao.One dish, many local kitchensBengaluru has emerged as the most visible stage where these traditions intersect. With its layered history and migrant population, the city functions less as the birthplace of Karnataka’s biryanis and more as their testing ground. Styles once confined to specific towns or neighbourhoods are now encountered side by side — debated, compared and occasionally reinvented — through military hotels, modest messes and newer restaurants attempting revival. Aslam points out that this convergence has made Bengaluru central to how Karnataka biryani is discussed today, even if its roots lie elsewhere.Built for everyday, shaped by movementSome of these traditions remained hidden in plain sight for decades. The Hubballi variety, long sold through small booths and military hotels, stayed local for years before gaining wider visibility. Its recent rise in Bengaluru, especially over the last 15 to 20 years, mirrors the city’s changing demographics and the role of migration in reshaping food culture.That difference is something Sangamesh, an IT professional from Hubballi now living in Bengaluru, notices clearly. “What I eat here and what I eat back home are called the same thing, but they’re not the same,” he says. “In Hubballi, the flavours are sharper and more familiar — it feels like food meant for locals. In Bengaluru, it’s adapted. The spice levels change, the presentation changes, sometimes even the meat cuts. It’s good, but it’s different.”The Hubballi and Belgaum versions are the two popular varieties of biryanis from north Karnataka. “Both biryanis are heavily influenced by Hyderabadi masalas. The key difference is that we don’t use whole spices like how they do in Hyderabad,” says Muhammad Ziya Ul Haq, who runs the restaurant Al-Madina in Hubballi town. Spices are ground to powder and used in Hubballi and Belgaum biryanis. Sona masoori and jeera rice varieties are traditionally used to make biryanis in Hubballi households, but a basmati takeover is going on. While red and green chillies are used to prepare mildly spiced Hubballi biryanis, only green chillies are used, extensively, to make Belgaum biryani, a spicy signature one-pot dish of Belavagi district. “Belgaum biryani is flavourful when the locally grown Belgaum basmati is used. But the rice tends to cook too fast, so many restaurants prefer jeera rice or regular basmati. A lot more fried onions are also used,” says Ziya.Hassan biryani, by contrast, remains gentle and restrained, closer to everyday home cooking than restaurant spectacle. Avoiding heavy masalas, it relies on subtle seasoning and slow cooking, giving it a distinctly “homely” character that resists easy categorisation.Let the donne do the talkingAt the heart of this landscape sits donne biryani, closely tied to the state’s working-class and naati (local) food culture. Popularised through military hotels — most famously places like Shivaji Military Hotel — and roadside eateries, it prioritised speed, consistency and volume over ceremony. Prepared using jeera rice instead of basmati, driven by green chillies rather than aromatic whole spices, and cooked with bone-in meat to maximise flavour and economy, donne biryani reflects a utilitarian philosophy. Its very name comes from the leaf cup in which it was served, reinforcing its identity as food meant to be eaten quickly and affordably.Aslam emphasises that Karnataka’s biryanis evolved through adaptation rather than replication. Persian influences entered via Hyderabad, while neighbouring Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala traditions left their mark along trade routes and migration corridors. Local cooks reshaped these influences to suit available ingredients and everyday needs — replacing expensive imports with local produce, country-bred meat and robust spice pastes. The result was food that was deeply satisfying but rarely documented. Unlike Hyderabadi or Awadhi biryanis, which benefited from royal patronage and institutional backing, Karnataka’s styles thrived in neighbourhood booths and homes.A coastal legacy influenced by tradeBhatkal biryani is a reflection of history, hospitality and heritage. Ajaib Shabbir Bhatkali, owner of the Biryani House in Abu Dhabi, says that the iconic biryani traces its roots to Bhatkal and is deeply embedded in the culinary traditions of the Nawayath Muslim community.Nawayaths — a unique and influential Muslim group primarily settled in the coastal town of Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district — are a trading community believed to have Arab–Persian ancestry, with strong cultural and commercial links to the Middle East. For centuries, Bhatkal functioned as an important port town, welcoming traders and sailors from across the seas. This constant movement of people and cultures influenced local food habits, giving rise to a cuisine that is aromatic and rich.”Bhatkalis are known for their warmth and hospitality, and our biryani reflects that spirit. Traditionally prepared for family gatherings, weddings and festive occasions, Bhatkal biryani is meant to be shared, generously served and eaten together,” he says.The traditional Bhatkali dum biryani focuses on quality ingredients and precise technique rather than overpowering spice. “We use high-quality long basmati rice, steamed to perfection; meat or chicken, cut into 2–3 inch portions, preferably with bone; generous use of onions, both sliced and fried into crispy birista; Bhatkali-style ginger-garlic paste; green chillies; tomatoes; whole spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves; saffron infused in milk or rose water; and fresh mint and coriander,” he says. The rice is washed gently and soaked, then boiled in spiced water until just right, never overcooked. The meat is cooked separately with onions, spices and herbs until the moisture evaporates and flavours deepen. Layering is where the magic happens: half the rice is spread over the meat, topped with fried onions, saffron milk, herbs and oil. The remaining rice follows, finished with more aromatics. The pot is sealed airtight and placed on a slow flame for dum.”True to Bhatkal tradition, the biryani is accompanied by raity and kachumber. Raity is a unique chilled accompaniment, a mildly spiced soup made from sweet potato, half-ripe jackfruit and half-ripe papaya, usually prepared one day in advance, and kachumber is a chilli-based pickle with finely chopped onion, tender mango and tomato, finished with a hint of jaggery,” says Ajaib.Sending love from the hillsFor many from Kodagu, what is often loosely called biryani is closer to a pulao — and defiantly so. “We miss the authentic mutton pulao our grandmother used to make,” says Pramitha Achaiah, a consultant who now lives in Bengaluru, recalling a dish that doesn’t follow the Mughal grammar of layered rice and excess ghee. Coorg pulao, she explains, is built differently. The process begins with frying spices along with coconut, grinding them into an aromatic base that defines the dish. The meat — usually mutton — is cooked directly in this masala, allowing the spices and peppercorns to do the heavy lifting. The rice traditionally used is jeerege sanna, short-grain jeera rice variety native to the region, which absorbs flavour rather than sitting as a separate layer.Older versions, she notes, were deeper and darker in colour — “almost black” — a style known locally as erachi pulao, where spice blends and pepper made all the difference. Over time, however, convenience has crept in. “People have stopped grinding coconut, poppy seeds and using jeera rice. Everyone wants simpler, quicker meals now,” she says. Yet, in its original form, Coorg biryani mirrors the landscape it comes from: wild, straightforward, and unapologetically bold, letting spice, meat and memory speak louder than ghee or garnish.”The pulao itself reflects the hills it comes from — rugged, bold and uncomplicated, much like Coorg,” she says. Asked if it wasn’t indeed a biryani, Pramitha quips: “Biryani is the new name. Biryani replaced the pulao just as basmati replaced jeerege sanna!”A Layered Legacy of Flavour and TraditionBiryani, in its simplest form, is often described as a combination of rice and masala, cooked with meat, seafood, or vegetables. However, according to home cook and social worker Khairunnisa Sayed, such a definition barely scratches the surface, especially when it comes to Mangalore biryani, which stands apart with its own identity, technique, and soul. “Mangalore biryani is completely different from Hyderabadi, Kerala, or even Bengaluru biryani. Its uniqueness lies not just in the ingredients, but in the method, the balance of flavours, and the respect for layering,” she says.Unlike the short-grain or medium-grain rice commonly used elsewhere, Mangalore biryani traditionally uses long-grain basmati rice that is soaked well in advance. Once soaked, the rice expands, lending the dish its signature lightness and aroma. In contrast, biryanis prepared in the ghat sections often use sona masoori or gandhasale rice, resulting in a very different texture and flavour profile.Mangalore biryani is also a true dum biryani, where rice and masala are prepared separately and brought together only during the final stage. The dish is assembled layer by layer, interspersed with fried onions (birista), fresh coriander and pudina leaves, and cashew nuts. The vessel is then sealed tightly and slow-cooked on dum, allowing the flavours to marry without being mixed.The masala itself reflects the bold yet balanced nature of coastal cooking. Green chillies play a starring role, sometimes as many as 25 to 30 green chillies for one kilogram of mutton, along with fresh pudina and coriander, ground directly. “The masalas are basic but powerful,” Khairunnisa says. “What matters is patience and knowing when the raw aromas disappear and the oil begins to separate, that’s when the masala is truly ready,” she adds.The rice is parboiled separately with bay leaves, mild garam masala, and pepper, drained when it is about 70 per cent cooked, and then layered over the meat. Saffron may be added for aroma along with turmeric. Food colour is often used in home kitchens. The final layers are finished with herbs, carrots for garnish, and cashews fried in ghee. The proportions, too, are distinctive. For one kilogram of mutton, nearly two kilograms of rice are used, along with carefully measured water, emphasising that Mangalore biryani is all about layers, not mixing.Served with simple raitha made of tomato, onion, and pomegranate seeds, Mangalore biryani is a celebration of technique, and tradition.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. Stalin vs AIADMK — Will Vijay Be the X-Factor?Tejas Mk1A Delayed Again As GE Delivers Only 6 Engines Against Target’Energy Instability’: Navy Chief Tripathi Flags ‘Severe Economic Impact’ Of Hormuz Disruption’No Worries For India In Hormuz’: Says Iran, As Rajnath Singh Assures Navy’s Escort To Secure Supply’No Fuel Shortage, Navy Guards Tankers On Hormuz Route’: Rajnath Singh Signals India’s Readiness’Unprecedented, Decisive Action’: Rajnath Warns Pakistan Against Misadventure, Reminds Of Op SindoorIndian LPG Tanker Escapes Mined Hormuz Route, Sails Via Larak Amid War123PhotostoriesGold jewellery vs solid gold investment: Which is a smarter investment choice today?From reacting to husband Krushna Abhishek roasting her to working as Shiamak Davar’s dancer and bagging the SRK-Juhi starrer ‘Yes Boss,’ Kashmera Shah on her journeyHow to make protein-rich Sattu Paratha for breakfastBirds that change their feather colours for survivalFrom Aditya Dhar-Yami Gautam to Sachin Tendulkar-Anjali: 10 celebrities who chose to get married in the comfort of their homesFrom typhoons to blizzards: Strangest weather events in war historyBill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people…”: 4 lessons it teaches studentsRERA penalties for real estate brokers in India (2026); from hefty fines to jail termsRaghav Chadha’s favourite Cheesy Mushroom Toast that is perfect for breakfastFrom Kate Hudson to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood stars who built successful businesses beyond acting123Hot PicksUAE healthcare rulesLeBron JamesNASA Artemis IIKristi Noem HusbandUS Iran WarPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingiShowSpeed babyGood Friday 2026India Labour CodeRandy GeorgeLuigi MangioneGucci ManeRaghav ChaddaHailee SteinfeldSchool Holidays in AprilIran war news

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NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah has described the passage of the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026, in Parliament as a “giant step” towards enhancing ease of living and ease of doing business in India. In a post on X late Thursday, the home minister said, “Cutting down on several legal provisions, it makes Modi Ji’s vision of New India a grand reality by making life easier and business simpler for all.” Parliament on Thursday passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further improve the business environment and check harassment of people.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. Stalin vs AIADMK — Will Vijay Be the X-Factor?Tejas Mk1A Delayed Again As GE Delivers Only 6 Engines Against Target’Energy Instability’: Navy Chief Tripathi Flags ‘Severe Economic Impact’ Of Hormuz Disruption’No Worries For India In Hormuz’: Says Iran, As Rajnath Singh Assures Navy’s Escort To Secure Supply’No Fuel Shortage, Navy Guards Tankers On Hormuz Route’: Rajnath Singh Signals India’s Readiness’Unprecedented, Decisive Action’: Rajnath Warns Pakistan Against Misadventure, Reminds Of Op SindoorIndian LPG Tanker Escapes Mined Hormuz Route, Sails Via Larak Amid War123Photostories10 home names inspired by sacred places and their meaningsHow to grow plums in containers on a balconyGold jewellery vs solid gold investment: Which is a smarter investment choice today?From reacting to husband Krushna Abhishek roasting her to working as Shiamak Davar’s dancer and bagging the SRK-Juhi starrer ‘Yes Boss,’ Kashmera Shah on her journeyHow to make protein-rich Sattu Paratha for breakfastBirds that change their feather colours for survivalFrom Aditya Dhar-Yami Gautam to Sachin Tendulkar-Anjali: 10 celebrities who chose to get married in the comfort of their homesFrom typhoons to blizzards: Strangest weather events in war historyBill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people…”: 4 lessons it teaches studentsRERA penalties for real estate brokers in India (2026); from hefty fines to jail terms123Hot PicksUAE healthcare rulesLeBron JamesNASA Artemis IIKristi Noem HusbandUS Iran WarPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingOil Price TodayGood Friday 2026India Labour CodeRandy GeorgeLuigi MangioneGucci ManeRaghav ChaddaHailee SteinfeldSchool Holidays in AprilIran war news

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah has described the passage of the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026, in Parliament as a “giant step” towards enhancing ease of living and ease of doing business in India. In a post on X late Thursday, the home minister said, “Cutting down on several legal provisions, it makes Modi Ji’s vision of New India a grand reality by making life easier and business simpler for all.” Parliament on Thursday passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further improve the business environment and check harassment of people.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. Stalin vs AIADMK — Will Vijay Be the X-Factor?Tejas Mk1A Delayed Again As GE Delivers Only 6 Engines Against Target’Energy Instability’: Navy Chief Tripathi Flags ‘Severe Economic Impact’ Of Hormuz Disruption’No Worries For India In Hormuz’: Says Iran, As Rajnath Singh Assures Navy’s Escort To Secure Supply’No Fuel Shortage, Navy Guards Tankers On Hormuz Route’: Rajnath Singh Signals India’s Readiness’Unprecedented, Decisive Action’: Rajnath Warns Pakistan Against Misadventure, Reminds Of Op SindoorIndian LPG Tanker Escapes Mined Hormuz Route, Sails Via Larak Amid War123Photostories10 home names inspired by sacred places and their meaningsHow to grow plums in containers on a balconyGold jewellery vs solid gold investment: Which is a smarter investment choice today?From reacting to husband Krushna Abhishek roasting her to working as Shiamak Davar’s dancer and bagging the SRK-Juhi starrer ‘Yes Boss,’ Kashmera Shah on her journeyHow to make protein-rich Sattu Paratha for breakfastBirds that change their feather colours for survivalFrom Aditya Dhar-Yami Gautam to Sachin Tendulkar-Anjali: 10 celebrities who chose to get married in the comfort of their homesFrom typhoons to blizzards: Strangest weather events in war historyBill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people…”: 4 lessons it teaches studentsRERA penalties for real estate brokers in India (2026); from hefty fines to jail terms123Hot PicksUAE healthcare rulesLeBron JamesNASA Artemis IIKristi Noem HusbandUS Iran WarPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingOil Price TodayGood Friday 2026India Labour CodeRandy GeorgeLuigi MangioneGucci ManeRaghav ChaddaHailee SteinfeldSchool Holidays in AprilIran war news

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Zahraa Ilyas, a Bachelor of Commerce student at Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, got placed with investment banker Goldman Sachs in July last year. Placements happen throughout the final year and she’s finishing her programme only this year. Zahraa’s is not a small feat if anxious conversations on vanishing entry-level jobs are to be taken seriously. While artificial intelligence has been around for a while, much has changed since the generative kind of intelligence dropped three years ago, overwhelming every topic with a “top line and bottom line”.It is not only changing how work gets done, but also shaping hiring decisions — especially for fresh recruits. What has changed is that the training runway for fresh graduates has reduced significantly, says Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, a Bengaluru-based specialist staffing company.The net result is something too demanding. “Companies want ‘ready-to-eat’ graduates — hire today, deploy tomorrow,” says S Sadagopan, founder and former director of IIIT-Bangalore. Recruiters today ask extensively about projects, industry certifications, skill-based credentials and hands-on experience, says Lt Gen M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). “Students who have completed these programmes are generally more confident in interviews and handle technical and problem-solving questions better,” he says.A new kind of rat raceMany colleges in Karnataka, long a magnet for students from across the country and beyond, are quick to realise what they are up against — the traditional degree alone won’t cut it. “AI is now a key basic skill for most of the roles companies are asking for. Companies always look for some specific skills, but they do not mention as much. When there are two good candidates, they pick the one who is more fluent with AI tech and tools,” says Asghar Ahmed, dean for training and placement at Mount Carmel. Before the recruitment, Zahraa underwent 15 days of rigorous training that covered both aptitude and soft skills. “When I realised that Goldman Sachs was coming for campus recruitment, I reached out to the trainers to understand how to prepare,” she says. Mount Carmel’s training module includes algorithmic thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, AI tools and Microsoft Excel.Skilling is now the last strawIf upskilling was merely fashionable and a resume add-on until the pandemic, it has now become the last straw. For example, after the pandemic, Christ Deemed-to-be University introduced a ‘digital policy’. Drawn up especially for the School of Commerce, it trains every student in AI baseline requirements, with a specific focus on agentic AI, and tools like Visual Basic code, Python, LLMs etc. “These extra courses are the ones which are going to define students’ prospects, not the regular conventional kind of programmes,” says Biju Toms, director of the School of Commerce. “Earlier, we used to say that classroom learning is the key and the faculty was considered sage on stage. All those things are gone. What is important today is how do you supplement it? Most universities make the mistake of giving just theoretical exposure. What students need is hands-on training,” he says. Biju says corporates have become highly demanding. “Earlier, they used to hire in large numbers. Now, many of them are cutting down on numbers. Though companies are not looking at a fully trained AI/ML candidate, when the hiring happens, students with tech exposure enjoy a clear advantage.”Anil P, placement officer at St. Joseph’s University in Bengaluru, says the industry is constantly giving a heads-up on what they expect from fresh grads. For example, companies now expect students of both pure sciences and humanities subjects to know MS Office and Excel. “It used to be that only commerce graduates were familiar with these tools. Now that has changed. So, we wove that into our skill-based training programme for all students,” he says.‘Nature of jobs change every 5 yrs’The National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NITK) in Surathkal, Dakshina Kannada district, is in constant touch with industry partners and alumni to understand the nature of changes happening to technology at light-speed. “The nature of jobs will change significantly every 5 years, making even new curricula obsolete by the time students graduate,” says Prof B Ravi, director of NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, and Institute Chair Professor at IIT Bombay. Industry partners and alumni are regularly involved in evaluating curricula and individual courses, suggesting improvements, delivering lectures, offering project topics and participating in evaluations. “As far as engineering graduates are concerned, what truly matters is the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, a quality increasingly favoured by companies during placements,” says Ravi.NITK, over the past two years, has been conducting multiple rounds of consultations, surveys and reviews involving faculty, alumni and industry stakeholders. These exercises, Ravi says, led to several key insights, including the need to reduce the overall credit load, introduce greater flexibility through electives, develop new minor programmes, and enable multiple career pathways spanning academia, industry and entrepreneurship. “Students recognise that top jobs go to those who can demonstrate skills, not merely academic knowledge. As a result, many are investing significant time in online learning, vacation internships and weekend freelancing. All such activities contributing to professional development must be formally integrated into the curriculum, academic calendar and weekly timetable,” he says.The rise of ‘add-on’ modulesManipal Academy of Higher Education says it hedges against headwinds by regularly reviewing its curriculum with inputs from academia, industry, and by looking at emerging developments. “What these initiatives do is add an extra layer, more hands-on work, greater exposure to real-life requirements and early familiarity with how things function in industry and other workplaces,” says Venkatesh, VC of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).He notes that many recent additions are being introduced outside the formal university syllabus, primarily due to the need for speed and flexibility. “Formal syllabus revisions take time. Add-on modules allow us to respond much faster. If something new emerges, we can introduce it quickly, modify it, or even discontinue it without disturbing the core academic structure,” he says.Venkatesh also points to a significant shift in higher education towards skill-based micro-credentials, which industries increasingly expect from entry-level employees. On graduate-level entry jobs, he said the university does not see this as a decline but as an adjustment to change. “Entry-level roles are evolving. By exposing students to a wider range of skills, we are opening up more possibilities—across internships, early career roles, startups, research and interdisciplinary areas—rather than pushing everyone into a single narrow pathway,” he says.MAHE has a dedicated Centre for Micro-Credentials at the university that helps faculty actively design, guide and oversee these initiatives, rather than merely implementing externally driven ideas. “Faculty can develop micro-credentials independently, in partnership with industry or industry experts or partner universities. The Govt of India and regulators such as AICTE are actively promoting these initiatives.”Hands tied for affiliated collegesAnanth Prabhu G, cybersecurity expert and a professor, points out that many colleges are unable to make timely changes to syllabus because of structural differences in India’s higher education system. “Colleges in Karnataka fall into 3 categories: affiliated, autonomous and deemed-to-be universities. In affiliated colleges, he notes, the university controls the syllabus, question papers and degree, while teachers only award internal marks. The college has virtually no say in shaping the programme,” he points out. “Autonomous colleges, on the other hand, have the freedom to design their own syllabus, though the degree is awarded by parent university. In the case of deemed universities, curriculum design, evaluation and degree certification are all handled internally,” Prabhu says.An AI divide is emergingAnanth Prabhu G, a cybersecurity expert and professor at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, Mangaluru, warns of a growing AI divide, similar to the digital divide of the past. “A few people know how to use AI effectively, while most do not understand how it works,” he says. AI education, he argues, must begin at the school level, especially since today’s students are digital natives. Parents, too, need awareness. Cybercrime, he says, became far more sophisticated, with criminals using AI to send flawless phishing emails. “Earlier, we told people to look for grammatical mistakes. Now you won’t find any,” he says. AI education should not be confined to computer science departments but integrated across commerce, law, humanities and management programmes. Despite widespread anxiety, Prabhu says placements have not yet seen a sharp decline. While minor fluctuations exist, companies continue to hire, largely because AI outputs are not 100% accurate, making human oversight essential. However, he cautions that a major shift is inevitable within the next 2 years, and that AI disruption will not be limited to engineering alone, but will affect commerce, management and all other disciplines.‘Fundamentals matter more than any tool’Whatever students study, they should study it well. That is the first and most important thing. They should not worry about tools. What AWS needs is not what Microsoft needs, and what an oil company needs is not what a hospital needs. Once they master their fundamentals, it takes only a few days or weeks to apply that knowledge to any specific domain. That is how they become productive and retain their jobs.Many students don’t have sufficient background. Machine learning and these AI tools come out of years of research in statistics, inference and neural networks. These are not new. They were developed in the 60s and 70s, but earlier we didn’t have the computational power. Today we do. That’s why students need time to build a solid foundation. Knowing a tool alone is never sufficient. If the tool becomes obsolete tomorrow and you know only the tool, then you also become obsolete. But if you know what is behind the tool, when the new one comes, you can still master it.Students must also learn the art of learning to learn because new tools will keep coming, and nobody will have the time to teach each one. They should always be open to new ideas. Something works in one domain, something else works in another, so they should not get attached to one tool. With strong fundamentals and the ability to learn continuously, they can handle any change. AI will not replace people — with the right grounding, people can actually do much better with AI in the loop.—S Sadagopan, founder-director, IIIT-BEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. Stalin vs AIADMK — Will Vijay Be the X-Factor?Tejas Mk1A Delayed Again As GE Delivers Only 6 Engines Against Target’Energy Instability’: Navy Chief Tripathi Flags ‘Severe Economic Impact’ Of Hormuz Disruption’No Worries For India In Hormuz’: Says Iran, As Rajnath Singh Assures Navy’s Escort To Secure Supply’No Fuel Shortage, Navy Guards Tankers On Hormuz Route’: Rajnath Singh Signals India’s Readiness’Unprecedented, Decisive Action’: Rajnath Warns Pakistan Against Misadventure, Reminds Of Op SindoorIndian LPG Tanker Escapes Mined Hormuz Route, Sails Via Larak Amid War123PhotostoriesGold jewellery vs solid gold investment: Which is a smarter investment choice today?From reacting to husband Krushna Abhishek roasting her to working as Shiamak Davar’s dancer and bagging the SRK-Juhi starrer ‘Yes Boss,’ Kashmera Shah on her journeyHow to make protein-rich Sattu Paratha for breakfastBirds that change their feather colours for survivalFrom Aditya Dhar-Yami Gautam to Sachin Tendulkar-Anjali: 10 celebrities who chose to get married in the comfort of their homesFrom typhoons to blizzards: Strangest weather events in war historyBill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people…”: 4 lessons it teaches studentsRERA penalties for real estate brokers in India (2026); from hefty fines to jail termsRaghav Chadha’s favourite Cheesy Mushroom Toast that is perfect for breakfastFrom Kate Hudson to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood stars who built successful businesses beyond acting123Hot PicksUAE healthcare rulesLeBron JamesNASA Artemis IIKristi Noem HusbandUS Iran WarPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingiShowSpeed babyGood Friday 2026India Labour CodeRandy GeorgeLuigi MangioneGucci ManeRaghav ChaddaHailee SteinfeldSchool Holidays in AprilIran war news

Zahraa Ilyas, a Bachelor of Commerce student at Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, got placed with investment banker Goldman Sachs in July last year. Placements happen throughout the final year and she’s finishing her programme only this year. Zahraa’s is not a small feat if anxious conversations on vanishing entry-level jobs are to be taken seriously. While artificial intelligence has been around for a while, much has changed since the generative kind of intelligence dropped three years ago, overwhelming every topic with a “top line and bottom line”.It is not only changing how work gets done, but also shaping hiring decisions — especially for fresh recruits. What has changed is that the training runway for fresh graduates has reduced significantly, says Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, a Bengaluru-based specialist staffing company.The net result is something too demanding. “Companies want ‘ready-to-eat’ graduates — hire today, deploy tomorrow,” says S Sadagopan, founder and former director of IIIT-Bangalore. Recruiters today ask extensively about projects, industry certifications, skill-based credentials and hands-on experience, says Lt Gen M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). “Students who have completed these programmes are generally more confident in interviews and handle technical and problem-solving questions better,” he says.A new kind of rat raceMany colleges in Karnataka, long a magnet for students from across the country and beyond, are quick to realise what they are up against — the traditional degree alone won’t cut it. “AI is now a key basic skill for most of the roles companies are asking for. Companies always look for some specific skills, but they do not mention as much. When there are two good candidates, they pick the one who is more fluent with AI tech and tools,” says Asghar Ahmed, dean for training and placement at Mount Carmel. Before the recruitment, Zahraa underwent 15 days of rigorous training that covered both aptitude and soft skills. “When I realised that Goldman Sachs was coming for campus recruitment, I reached out to the trainers to understand how to prepare,” she says. Mount Carmel’s training module includes algorithmic thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, AI tools and Microsoft Excel.Skilling is now the last strawIf upskilling was merely fashionable and a resume add-on until the pandemic, it has now become the last straw. For example, after the pandemic, Christ Deemed-to-be University introduced a ‘digital policy’. Drawn up especially for the School of Commerce, it trains every student in AI baseline requirements, with a specific focus on agentic AI, and tools like Visual Basic code, Python, LLMs etc. “These extra courses are the ones which are going to define students’ prospects, not the regular conventional kind of programmes,” says Biju Toms, director of the School of Commerce. “Earlier, we used to say that classroom learning is the key and the faculty was considered sage on stage. All those things are gone. What is important today is how do you supplement it? Most universities make the mistake of giving just theoretical exposure. What students need is hands-on training,” he says. Biju says corporates have become highly demanding. “Earlier, they used to hire in large numbers. Now, many of them are cutting down on numbers. Though companies are not looking at a fully trained AI/ML candidate, when the hiring happens, students with tech exposure enjoy a clear advantage.”Anil P, placement officer at St. Joseph’s University in Bengaluru, says the industry is constantly giving a heads-up on what they expect from fresh grads. For example, companies now expect students of both pure sciences and humanities subjects to know MS Office and Excel. “It used to be that only commerce graduates were familiar with these tools. Now that has changed. So, we wove that into our skill-based training programme for all students,” he says.‘Nature of jobs change every 5 yrs’The National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NITK) in Surathkal, Dakshina Kannada district, is in constant touch with industry partners and alumni to understand the nature of changes happening to technology at light-speed. “The nature of jobs will change significantly every 5 years, making even new curricula obsolete by the time students graduate,” says Prof B Ravi, director of NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, and Institute Chair Professor at IIT Bombay. Industry partners and alumni are regularly involved in evaluating curricula and individual courses, suggesting improvements, delivering lectures, offering project topics and participating in evaluations. “As far as engineering graduates are concerned, what truly matters is the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, a quality increasingly favoured by companies during placements,” says Ravi.NITK, over the past two years, has been conducting multiple rounds of consultations, surveys and reviews involving faculty, alumni and industry stakeholders. These exercises, Ravi says, led to several key insights, including the need to reduce the overall credit load, introduce greater flexibility through electives, develop new minor programmes, and enable multiple career pathways spanning academia, industry and entrepreneurship. “Students recognise that top jobs go to those who can demonstrate skills, not merely academic knowledge. As a result, many are investing significant time in online learning, vacation internships and weekend freelancing. All such activities contributing to professional development must be formally integrated into the curriculum, academic calendar and weekly timetable,” he says.The rise of ‘add-on’ modulesManipal Academy of Higher Education says it hedges against headwinds by regularly reviewing its curriculum with inputs from academia, industry, and by looking at emerging developments. “What these initiatives do is add an extra layer, more hands-on work, greater exposure to real-life requirements and early familiarity with how things function in industry and other workplaces,” says Venkatesh, VC of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).He notes that many recent additions are being introduced outside the formal university syllabus, primarily due to the need for speed and flexibility. “Formal syllabus revisions take time. Add-on modules allow us to respond much faster. If something new emerges, we can introduce it quickly, modify it, or even discontinue it without disturbing the core academic structure,” he says.Venkatesh also points to a significant shift in higher education towards skill-based micro-credentials, which industries increasingly expect from entry-level employees. On graduate-level entry jobs, he said the university does not see this as a decline but as an adjustment to change. “Entry-level roles are evolving. By exposing students to a wider range of skills, we are opening up more possibilities—across internships, early career roles, startups, research and interdisciplinary areas—rather than pushing everyone into a single narrow pathway,” he says.MAHE has a dedicated Centre for Micro-Credentials at the university that helps faculty actively design, guide and oversee these initiatives, rather than merely implementing externally driven ideas. “Faculty can develop micro-credentials independently, in partnership with industry or industry experts or partner universities. The Govt of India and regulators such as AICTE are actively promoting these initiatives.”Hands tied for affiliated collegesAnanth Prabhu G, cybersecurity expert and a professor, points out that many colleges are unable to make timely changes to syllabus because of structural differences in India’s higher education system. “Colleges in Karnataka fall into 3 categories: affiliated, autonomous and deemed-to-be universities. In affiliated colleges, he notes, the university controls the syllabus, question papers and degree, while teachers only award internal marks. The college has virtually no say in shaping the programme,” he points out. “Autonomous colleges, on the other hand, have the freedom to design their own syllabus, though the degree is awarded by parent university. In the case of deemed universities, curriculum design, evaluation and degree certification are all handled internally,” Prabhu says.An AI divide is emergingAnanth Prabhu G, a cybersecurity expert and professor at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, Mangaluru, warns of a growing AI divide, similar to the digital divide of the past. “A few people know how to use AI effectively, while most do not understand how it works,” he says. AI education, he argues, must begin at the school level, especially since today’s students are digital natives. Parents, too, need awareness. Cybercrime, he says, became far more sophisticated, with criminals using AI to send flawless phishing emails. “Earlier, we told people to look for grammatical mistakes. Now you won’t find any,” he says. AI education should not be confined to computer science departments but integrated across commerce, law, humanities and management programmes. Despite widespread anxiety, Prabhu says placements have not yet seen a sharp decline. While minor fluctuations exist, companies continue to hire, largely because AI outputs are not 100% accurate, making human oversight essential. However, he cautions that a major shift is inevitable within the next 2 years, and that AI disruption will not be limited to engineering alone, but will affect commerce, management and all other disciplines.‘Fundamentals matter more than any tool’Whatever students study, they should study it well. That is the first and most important thing. They should not worry about tools. What AWS needs is not what Microsoft needs, and what an oil company needs is not what a hospital needs. Once they master their fundamentals, it takes only a few days or weeks to apply that knowledge to any specific domain. That is how they become productive and retain their jobs.Many students don’t have sufficient background. Machine learning and these AI tools come out of years of research in statistics, inference and neural networks. These are not new. They were developed in the 60s and 70s, but earlier we didn’t have the computational power. Today we do. That’s why students need time to build a solid foundation. Knowing a tool alone is never sufficient. If the tool becomes obsolete tomorrow and you know only the tool, then you also become obsolete. But if you know what is behind the tool, when the new one comes, you can still master it.Students must also learn the art of learning to learn because new tools will keep coming, and nobody will have the time to teach each one. They should always be open to new ideas. Something works in one domain, something else works in another, so they should not get attached to one tool. With strong fundamentals and the ability to learn continuously, they can handle any change. AI will not replace people — with the right grounding, people can actually do much better with AI in the loop.—S Sadagopan, founder-director, IIIT-BEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. 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