Blogosphere has expanded its horizons in such a way that even students appearing for the board exams are also using blogs as a forum for discussions on the exams. With CBSE and GSEB exams round the corner and scheduled in next month, various blogs are flooded with posts from the aspirants on various issues such as how to avoid stress and increase memory power.

Not only students, but also the parents, whose children are appearing for the exams, are also seen sticking to blogs for ideas on how to help their children appearing for the big exams at the time of stress. Interactions through the blogs help them in finding out better solutions to the problems caused by the exam fever.

It was a difficult day for commerce and science students attempting their HSC exams on Tuesday. While commerce students were appalled with the difficulty level of their Organisational Commerce (OC) exam, many science students, who had their paper Physics II exam, were in tears when they came out of their examination hall.

"It was horribly difficult. I never expected OC to be so tough. There were several complicated and tricky questions that it threw us off-kilter," said Manan Parekh, a student of Podar College, Matunga. Students are now dreading their Book Keeping and Accountancy exam which is on Wednesday. "If OC could be that difficult, I am wondering how we will fare in Accounts exam," said Suresh Patkar, a commerce student.

Millions of disabled in the city live as second-class citizens owing to lack of awareness among the masses who think a reserved coach in the local trains is the best the society can do for its less fortunate brethren. Thankfully, help is at hand. The Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, in partnership with the Department of Communication and Journalism (DCJ), Mumbai University (MU), is starting a programme on disability communication.

A city court has ordered 80 primary school teachers to rejoin Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) schools.

The ZP had earlier relieved a group of 150 teachers so that they may join the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) schools.

These teachers worked in villages located in the fringe areas which were earlier under the zilla parishad. After they were merged with the Pune Municipal Corporation, they expressed a desire to join PMC–run schools. The order to send the group of 80 back to ZP schools was passed by civil judge (senior division) GK Rathod on February 13.

Defence counsel KR Shah, who represented the teachers, however said that an appeal before the sessions court will be made challenging the civil judge's order.

Annual family income of Rs2 lakh is the ceiling, while the creamy layer has been completely kept out of the purview of the quota

The department of higher education has announced the criteria for eligibility to seek admission to engineering courses for the next academic year under the quota for poor and meritorious students.

A government order issued on Tuesday, has said that all those not covered under the creamy layer policy laid out in government order No SWD225BCA2000 and dated 30/3/2002, will be eligible for availing admission under this quota.

The state government had decided to distribute 50% of seats under the government quota for the poor and meritorious students who have earned competitive ranks in Common Entrance Test.

The helplines for CBSE schools have found a lot of takers not only among students but also among the parents.

With the board exams having already kickstarted, the helplines have registered a number of calls from anxious parents.

Experts agreed that parents too need counselling ahead of exams on how to guide children without stressing them out. "Parents need more help on how to prepare their child for exams as well as support them," Dr Srinivasa Murthy, counsellor, CBSE helpline said.