Indian universities have generally performed badly in regional and global university rankings. In 2004 there were three institutions in the top five hundred of the Academic Ranking of World Universities produced by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This year there was only one, the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, which was in the 301-400 band.
An article in the Hindustan Times by Omkar Gokhale notes that the Vice-Chancellor, Rajan Welukar, has been severely criticised for a series of problems with examinations, administration and appointments. The issue of the validity of his appointment and whether he was qualified has now reached the Bombay High Court.
Sources
Hindustan Times, 11 December 2014
Hindustan Times, 12 December 2014. More...

By Alan Whaites, ‎team leader, Governance for Peace and Development at the OECD. The Christmas truce of 1914 is one of the iconic moments of the First World War, soldiers on the Western Front took the initiative to suspend hostilities in order to meet, share rations and play football. Accounts of the events on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1914 often refer to the singing of carols as a point of connection between the two sides. More...

By Eric Charbonnier of the OECD Education Directorate. If there’s one thing that’s changed rapidly over the past 100 years, it’s education. University for example used to be reserved for a small elite, whereas now around 40% of 25-34 year olds in OECD countries graduate from the education system with a higher diploma. Qualifications still play a major role in career development. The higher the diploma, the more its holder is likely to contribute to economic growth and, especially in the recent economic downturn, be protected from the worst impacts of the crisis. This is particularly true in France and other European countries where those with no qualifications find themselves in an extremely precarious position in the job market. More...

By Darcy Allen. The ‘sharing economy’ has emerged because new technologies such as the internet have drastically reduced transaction costs.
Embracing these developments, budding young entrepreneurs have launched businesses that help individuals exchange resources.
Examples such as the ride-sharing Uber and the accommodation-sharing Airbnb are making exchange more efficient by helping to coordinate information about mutually beneficial transactions. More...

By Emilie Romon of the OECD Global Network of Foundations Working for Development (netFWD) and Sabrina Sidhu, from the Better Than Cash Alliance. What do a family foundation based in Canada, a semi-public foundation established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a corporate foundation from one of the world’s leading banks have in common? At first sight, not much beyond the fact that they are all charitable organisations. But a closer look tells us that they all dedicate time and resources to the same cause: financial inclusion. More...

By Maroussia Klep of the OECD Environment Directorate. In today’s hard times, policy-makers can find it difficult to sell their environmental policies. To many, these policies represent a burden on the economy. They might secure the well-being of our grandchildren, sceptics argue, but risk preventing the growth we badly need today.
In this context, recent OECD findings provide renewed optimism. As revealed by thorough economic assessments, well-designed green policies not only secure long-term wellbeing, but can uphold current productivity levels too. In other words, it is possible to increase the economic pie and make it greener at the same time. More...