2025-26 academic calendar for universities, colleges announced
Bengaluru: The Department of Higher Education has released the academic calendar for the 2025-26 academic year for public and private universities and affiliated colleges under its jurisdiction. The academic and coordination schedule for 2025-26 will commence in October 2024 and conclude by April 2025. Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar has approved the calendar.
The coordination process for undergraduate and postgraduate non-professional degree programs under the universities will begin on October 25, with November 15 being the last date for colleges to submit applications. The coordination process will conclude by March 31, 2025.
For universities, government-aided colleges, and private colleges under the Higher Education Department (excluding technical education), admissions to the first semester of undergraduate courses will start on April 15, 2025. Classes for all semesters will be conducted from June 9 to September 26. Examinations and semester breaks are scheduled from September 29 to November 10, and colleges will reopen on November 12. The academic year will end on April 6, 2026.
For postgraduate programs, admissions to the first semester will begin on August 19, 2025. Classes will run from September 1 to December 19. Examinations and semester breaks are scheduled from December 23, 2025, to February 2, 2026, and colleges will reopen on March 3, 2026. The postgraduate academic year will conclude on August 10, 2026.
Key dates for CET and PGCET
The Common Entrance Test (CET) for professional undergraduate courses like B.E., B.Tech, and B.Arch will be conducted on April 18 and 19, 2025, with results announced on May 28. The first round of counseling is scheduled for June 25, the second round on July 10, and the final round on July 25, with classes set to commence on August 1.
For postgraduate programs like MBA, MCA, M.Tech, and M.Arch, the Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET) will be held on June 30, 2025, and results will be declared on August 5. The first round of counseling will take place on August 26, and the second round on September 4.
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Indian Railways set to launch first hydrogen-powered train, trial runs expected by December
New Delhi: Indian Railways is set to introduce its first hydrogen train, with trial runs scheduled to begin in December 2024. This initiative, which will involve 35 hydrogen trains and significant investments in ground infrastructure, will place India among a select group of countries, Germany, France, Sweden, and China that operate hydrogen-powered trains.
Germany’s TUV-SUD has been engaged to conduct a third-party safety audit for the country's first hydrogen train, according to officials familiar with the project. Each train under the ‘Hydrogen for Heritage’ initiative is estimated to cost Rs 80 crores, with an additional Rs 70 crores investment for ground infrastructure on various heritage or hilly routes.
In addition to passenger trains, the Indian Railways is also developing five Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Based Tower Cars for maintenance purposes, each costing around Rs 10 crore.
A pilot project is already underway to retrofit a Hydrogen Fuel Cell on an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake. The train, integrated at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, will operate on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway. The hydrogen for this train will be sourced from a 1-megawatt (MW) Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyser in Jind, Haryana.
GreenH Electrolysis, the firm managing the hydrogen supply, stated that the electrolyser will produce approximately 430 kg of hydrogen per day. The refuelling infrastructure at Jind will include a 3,000 kg hydrogen storage facility, a hydrogen compressor, and two dispensers, enabling efficient refuelling of the trains.
