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No proposal to create an Indian Education Service, says CentreThe Centre has ruled out any proposal to create an Indian Education Service (IES) for appointments to key leadership positions in higher education institutions, including chancellors, vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors and registrars.Responding to a written question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, MoS for education Sukanta Majumdar said there is “no such proposal under consideration” to set up a dedicated service for these appointments. He underlined that higher education institutions (HEIs) function as statutory autonomous bodies established under their respective central Acts of Parliament and are governed by existing legal provisions.Majumdar said the govt has taken several technology- driven steps to strengthen transparency in the recruitment process. Among these is the CU-Chayan portal “which connects employers with potential job candidates, simplifying the recruitment process and making it more efficient”. He also said a separate online portal for recruitment of vice-chancellors to central universities has been launched to further improve transparency and efficiency in top-level academic appointments. Rajya Sabha sees heated exchanges over new ‘Lok Bhavans’RS on Wednesday witnessed heated exchanges after TMC MP Dola Sena, while slamming the renaming of Raj Bhavans as Lok Bhavans “without keeping state govts or assemblies in the loop”, sought to ridicule the govt for talking about people while depriving them of their rights.Objecting to Sen bringing in reference to “MGNREGS and other issues”, House leader JP Nadda requested the Chair to expunge remarks not related to the subject. The Chairman concurred.This was contested by LoP Kharge who said Sen had not said anything unparliamentary. He accused Nadda of “bulldozing” by asking for the remarks to be deleted. Nadda replied: “I never bulldozed.”15.6L vehicles recalled over safety defects: Govt Vehicle manufacturers have recalled around 15.6 lakh vehicles due to safety defects since 2022, heavy industries ministry informed Lok Sabha Tuesday. As per the reply, while around 11.9 lakh two-wheelers have been recalled till Nov 26, the number of cars recalled stood at nearly 3.7 lakh. The ministry quoted data maintained by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) under the voluntary recall provision.In another reply, the ministry told Lok Sabha that so far, Rs 1,635 crore subsidy has been disbursed under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. An allocation of Rs 500 crore has also been made under the scheme towards e-ambulances, it said.To track side effects of drugs, govt mandates QR codes at pharmaciesThe next time you step into a chemist shop, you may find a new addition near the counter — a black-and-white QR code that could quietly transform India’s drug safety system. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has directed every retail and wholesale pharmacy in the country to display the official Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) QR code along with its toll-free number, 1800-180-3024, enabling people to report medicine side effects instantly.The order, issued after the 16th Working Group Meeting of PvPI held on June 18, instructs drug regulators to ensure the QR code is placed prominently in pharmacy premises. By simply scanning it, customers and healthcare professionals can report any adverse drug reaction — from rashes and dizziness to swelling, nausea or more serious complications — straight into ADRMS (Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System). Officials say the move could mark a major shift in how India tracks harmful drug events, which often go unreported.
