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Around two-thirds of China's top research universities still have policies that can be used to limit the proportion of women students, despite tighter government regulations issued this year against gender discrimination in universities and the workplace.

A ruling by India's Supreme Court that appointments for highly specialised teaching positions in medical colleges cannot be subject to affirmative action caste-based quotas has led to a political uproar that has disrupted the current session of parliament, where a number of higher education bills are pending. The issue of caste reservations is highly political, with elections due in five states and national elections scheduled for 2013.

The medical education sector in the state has turned out to be a platform for corruption. Critics have urged the government to ensure that the MBBS seats are allotted to those who have cleared the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET). They also urged the state government to frame a common policy on medical education.

The reforms impose centralized teacher assessment and seek to end corrupt practices in the education system. Those practices include the buying and selling of teaching positions. However, unions say the reforms could lead to big lay-offs, and critics also suggest they may be paving the way for the privatization of Mexico's education system.

A recent order has fuelled student anger. It is known as: "On the approval of the procedure for the introduction of disciplinary measures for students". Presented by the Ministry of Education and Science, the order allows students to be expelled from universities for the slightest violations of institutions' "codes of ethics" and in particular for participation in political protests and actions.