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Ashoka Overhauls Foundation Course Policy, Met with Student Pushback
On June 3rd, 2026, students were informed that the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) had revamped the Foundation Course (FC) Policy to mandate the completion of all nine FCs within the first two years for upcoming batches. Following departmental notifications, OAA informed the student body through a mail sent on June 30th, 2026, nearly a month later. The OAA cites the reason behind this change as ensuring “FCs serve their foundational purpose early in the undergraduate journey
Sayantan Hazra
Jun 30


Interim Student Government Body appointed: What comes next?
On Thursday, June 11th, the Ashoka University Election Commission (AUEC) announced the formation of an ‘Interim Student Council Administrative Body (ISCAB)’. In an email addressed to the entire student body, the AUEC announced that the ISCAB would comprise the “8 representatives who were validly elected through the Student Government elections” earlier this summer. The mandate for the ISCAB (as per the AUEC’s email) is to “assume responsibility for student representation, coo
Nethra Ramakrishnan
Jun 19


Ashoka Appoints New Director for Centre for Well-Being Following Transition
Around three months after the departure of the founding director of the Ashoka Centre for Well-Being (ACWB), Dr. Arvinder Singh, and the subsequent restructuring of campus mental health services, Ashoka University has appointed Nivedita Singh as the new Director of ACWB. Singh announced her appointment in a public post, describing the decision as the outcome of an “intense and deeply reflective process”. A mental health professional, Singh has worked as a psychotherapist, tra
Ananya Mahnot
Jun 3


Performing Arts Spaces Adapt to Changes in Black Box Theatre Policies
On 15th January, 2026, Professor Justin McCarthy, Director of Performing Arts at Ashoka University, shared new policies for booking the Black Box theatre. The new policy allows each production one day of rehearsal, with a maximum of six days per semester that the theatre can be booked. These changes follow the wear and tear that the theatre experienced in the past semester due to an increased volume of productions, and to make the space more equally accessible to all. The rev


Director of Ashoka Centre for Wellbeing Steps Down, Prompting Structural Changes in Campus Mental Health Services
Psychotherapist Dr. Arvinder Singh, the director and founder of the Ashoka Centre for Well-being (ACWB), has stepped down after nearly a decade of heading counselling services for students, faculty, and staff at Ashoka University. In an email to the students on March 9th, 2026 Dr. Singh wrote of her departure from the ACWB, expressing gratitude for the center and for the students who contributed to “build a culture of well-being”. In an interview with The Edict, Ajitesh Vishw
Ananya Mahnot
Apr 30


Merit, Myth and the UGC Mandate: Our Focus Needs to Shift
In a country where caste discrimination ends academic lives before they have a chance to even begin, a policy designed to protect the most vulnerable has triggered anxiety for those already at the top. This is the paradox that has been unfolding following the announcement of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Equity Guidelines 2026 in January 2026. Framed as a long-overdue overhaul of the existing 2012 Anti-Discrimination Regulations, the new guidelines seek to enforce


Ashoka University Announces Vachani School of Advanced Computing (VSAC)
On 11th March 2026, Ashoka announced the launch of Vachani School of Advanced Computing (VSAC), under a grant given by Mr. Sunil Vachani, founder and chairman of Dixon Technologies . The move comes a year after the announcement of Ashoka School of Advanced Computing (ASAC). The school seeks to expand the scope of computer science by integrating it with other disciplines to address complex social issues. With its launch, Ashoka will offer more interdisciplinary majors, such a
Nila Nagaraja
Mar 29


Vice-Chancellor Somak Raychaudhary Steps Down; Search Committee for Successor Constituted
On Thursday, 5th March, the Chancellor's Office notified the Ashoka community about Professor Somak Raychaudhary’s decision to step down as Vice Chancellor. In their email, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Pramath Raj Sinha and Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee wrote that following Professor Raychaudhary’s decision, The Governing Body of Ashoka University has formally constituted a Search Committee to look for a successor. The email wrote that while Raychuadhary chose not t
Ser
Mar 6


DSA Implements Enhanced Night Entry Protocol: Breathalysers, Reduced Hour Bank Following Thursday Night Crisis
On Friday, 6th February,2026, Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi sent out an email to the student body addressing changes to the Night Entry Protocol, effective immediately.
Sayantan Hazra
Feb 12


AUSG Expresses Concern over Workers’ Dining Facility, Attitude Toward Workers’ Issues
Nethra Ramakrishnan (UG '28) covers the recent AUSG statement on the new dining space established for outsourced staff at Ashoka University
Nethra Ramakrishnan
Jan 8
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