For an equal India

 As per the World Social Protection Report, only 24.4% of the country’s population is covered by at least one social protection benefit

At a time when India is debating free welfare schemes, inadequate investment on a basic, universal social protection system is making millions of lives vulnerable and unequal. In its latest World Social Protection Report, 2020-2022, the International Labour Organization has listed a few areas of concern for countries lagging in investments in social protection to its needy population.

As per this ILO report, only 24.4% of India’s population is covered by at least one social protection benefit as against more than 70% coverage in neighbouring East Asian countries. In India, the low social protection coverage for children (24.1%), mothers with newborns (41.5%), person with severe disabilities (5.6%), older people (42.5%) and labour force benefiting pension scheme (15.5%) are a few areas that stand against the building of an inclusive, equal society. Unfortunately, there is no social protection scheme for unemployed young people either. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy data suggest that 53 million people are unemployed in India. This is largely due to the decline of 8 million jobs in rural India on the back of a sluggish monsoon followed by a loss of 2.5 million salaried jobs. Failing to generate jobs for its young people and not implementing any social protection scheme for this vast population would have a devastating impact on India’s progress. The National Crime Records Bureau says that 1,64,033 people claimed their lives in 2021;  most of these deaths were related to employment. 

The ILO report further says that public employment programmes, such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee schemes, can offer a degree of protection for informal sector workers, but coverage is usually limited and workers can only rely on benefits for up to 100 days. The need for expanding the safety net programme to increase rural demand notwithstanding, the Centre’s budgetary allocation for this flagship rural jobs scheme in 2022-23 was cut by 25% compared to last year’s expenditure. During the first Covid-19 lockdown, the scheme provided a critical lifeline for a record 110 million workers in rural areas. The government should have increased its allocation to enhance the social safety net of people desperately looking for such temporary jobs scheme for sustenance.

Next is the issue of injuries reported among workers. Only 3.7% of workers a recovered in case of an injury (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation reported injuries among 24.1 million workers in 2016-17 while 32 million were injured in 2017-18). In countries where a large proportion of health services are provided by the private sector, considerable effort should be deployed to ensure that the population is adequately protected financially. The ILO report says that evidence from Bangladesh, India and Nigeria indicates that dominant private-sector provisions without appropriate social health protection mechanisms contribute to high out-of-pocket expenditure on health.

Owing to the relatively low investment in social protection, the amounts transferred under non-contributory benefits are usually too low to provide adequate protection. For instance, India’s and Bangladesh’s disability benefits are equivalent to only about 5% of GDP per capita and non-contributory old-age pensions in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka are even lower. Even though social assistance programmes targeted at poor or vulnerable individuals can provide some relief in case of loss of employment, the benefit levels are usually too low to ensure minimally adequate living conditions for  the beneficiaries. Moreover, registration and qualification for these programmes can be slow or only available at specific times, leaving many workers unprotected. These gaps in the existing programmes must be examined to strengthen India’s social protection system.

Until the country includes every single citizen in its social protection system (from the current 24%), ending free welfare schemes will be counter-productive and stand as a big hindrance to building an equal India. 

(Sachi Satapathy works as Director, AF Development Care, New Delhi)

Source: Telegraph India, 10/11/22

India@75, Looking at 100: The new teacher – beyond a knowledge provider

 

Educators play a key role as nation builders and today more than ever we need to provide learning opportunities to our students that will not just educate them but also skill them. We can no longer just don the role of knowledge providers — rather we need to rewrite the paradigms of conventional curricula and imbue learning with vocational and skill development opportunities.

A glorious future beckons our country, home to one of the oldest civilisations. Carrying immense wisdom, fortitude and resilience, owing to centuries of hardship, India today stands at a critical juncture. We can no longer rest on the laurels of an illustrious era and be complacent about the many noteworthy inventions and discoveries bestowed on the world by our resolute forefathers. To be the global vanguards, our youth need to unshackle themselves from casteism, inequality, hatred and discrimination that remain in the contemporary social fabric.

Our mythological stories abound with lessons in compassion, cooperation and unity paving the way for inclusive success. We as educators need to delve deeper into this very wisdom and sensitise our children. Educators play a key role as nation builders and today more than ever we need to provide learning opportunities to our students that will not just educate them but also skill them. We can no longer just don the role of knowledge providers — we need to rewrite the paradigms of conventional curricula and imbue learning with skill development opportunities.

India continues to contribute the largest number of qualified engineers and technologists to the global workforce even today. It is at the forefront of new technologies and will soon become the cradle of innovation. New ventures by Indian entrepreneurs are already making a mark in the global economy.However, many children still do not have access to quality education that will harness their inherent abilities and talent. We need to ensure that our children, growing up in villages and Tier-2 and 3 cities, do not lag behind and have the same access to opportunities as their counterparts in urban areas do. We need to develop digital models, consisting of apps, digital tutorial content and virtual teachers to ensure that no child is left behind. Our children also need vital lessons in wealth management, financial literacy and entrepreneurship to succeed in life.

Providing contemporary and relevant vocational learning opportunities to our children will motivate them to innovate. At our school, we have envisioned a perfect amalgamation of curricular and co-curricular pursuits along with an emphasis on vocational education and life skills. Experiential learning is facilitated through workshops and infrastructural adaptations, with provision for sensorial and medicinal gardens, learning centres and interactive walls. Research and project-based learning inculcate essential life skills. Integrated learning is implemented by incorporating art, music, dance and drama in curriculum transactions.

The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat is shaped in the well-furnished Atal Tinkering Lab, where budding scientists design mobile and AI applications, drone technology and Arduino-programmed robotics applications using 3D design. Technology-integrated learning is enabled through wi-fi-enabled zones, Hi-Tech Interactive Panels, Digital Library and Microsoft education tools. Environmental conscientiousness is instilled through initiatives like Mission SDGs, tree plantation drives and paper recycling projects.

I envision an India where all children can grow up in an environment that fosters their holistic well-being and development, irrespective of their socio-economic status. A country where each child is safe from the many evils that still mar our society. Our nation stands at a pivotal point, buoyed by the aspirations of one of the largest youth populations, yet it could all go awry if we don’t effectively harness the passion, dreams and strength of our young citizens. What we do today as educators can just make all the difference.

The writer is principal, Bal Bharati Public School Dwarka and winner of the National Award for Teachers, 2021. This article is part of an ongoing series, which began on August 15, by women who have made a mark, across sectors

ricula and imbue learning with vocational and skill development opportunities.

Written by Suruchi Gandhi

Source: Indian Express, 9/11/22

Part-time degrees, no need to publish research: what new PhD regulations say

 

The UGC has notified new regulations on PhD degrees, introducing a set of sweeping changes in eligibility criteria, admission procedure and evaluation methods.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified new regulations on PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees, introducing a set of sweeping changes in eligibility criteria, admission procedure and evaluation methods governing doctoral programmes in college and universities.

The mandatory requirement of publishing research papers in refereed journals or presenting in conferences has been scrapped. Part-time PhDs have been launched for working professionals, and there is a relaxation of 5 per cent marks in eligibility for admissions even for the new EWS category.

How will the changes impact doctoral aspirants?

First and foremost, the eligibility criteria for admissions have been changed. Anyone with a four-year/eight-semester Bachelor’s programme degree with a minimum 75 per cent marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade will be eligible for a PhD.

Those joining PhD programmes after a four-year UG programme can do so after a one-year Master’s degree. Graduates with conventional three-year UG degrees need to have completed two-year Master’s degrees.

So far, a Master’s degree with at least 55 per cent marks in aggregate was mandatory for doctoral aspirants. Many universities also insisted on using M.Phil as the gateway. Those who had completed their M.Phil dissertation and were awaiting viva voce could also be admitted to PhD programmes.

The new Rules discontinue the M.Phil programme altogether. However, that will have no bearing on those holding or pursuing M.Phil degrees currently. Apart from reserved category applicants, those falling under the EWS bracket will also be granted five per cent relaxations.

Will there be changes in the procedure for admissions?

There are no major changes in the procedure for admissions. As was the norm so far, universities and colleges will be free to admit students through the NET/JRF qualification route as well as entrance exams at the level of the institutions. The entrance syllabus shall consist of 50 per cent of research methodology, and 50 per cent shall be subject-specific, the Regulations say.

The UGC has for now dropped its plan to stipulate that of the annual intake of PhD candidates in every institution, 60 per cent would have to be reserved for NET/JRF-qualified individuals.

Where the selection is done by entrance tests conducted by individual universities, a weightage of 70 per cent will be given to performance in the written test, and 30 per cent to the interview.

Based on the feedback from stakeholders, the proposed common entrance test for PhDs has been left out of the new Regulations.

Do the new Regulations change the way research supervisors function?

Eligible professors, associate professors, and assistant professors can continue to guide up to eight, six, and four PhD candidates respectively at any given time, as earlier.

However, earlier, professors, associate professors, and assistant professors could also guide three, two, and one M.Phil scholars respectively over and above their PhD candidates. The MPhil programme has been scrapped under the new National Education Policy, 2020.

The new Rules also bar faculty members with less than three years of service left before superannuation from taking new research scholars under their supervision.

Each supervisor can also guide up to two international research scholars on a supernumerary basis over and above the permitted number of domestic PhD scholars. Universities and colleges have been allowed to frame their own rules governing admissions of international PhD students.

How does the UGC plan to improve the quality of doctoral education and research?

It has introduced a new requirement for PhD scholars, irrespective of discipline, to train in teaching / education/ pedagogy/ writing related to their chosen subject during their doctoral period. They may also be assigned four to six hours per week of teaching/ research assistantship for conducting tutorial or laboratory work and evaluations.

Earlier, to ensure the quality of their output, research scholars had to appear before a Research Advisory Committee once in six months and present the progress of their work for evaluation and further guidance. They will now have to do this every semester.

The new Regulations retain the clause that mandates institutions to develop a mechanism using “well-developed software applications to detect plagiarism in research work”.

Why has the requirement to publish research papers in peer-reviewed journals before the submission of a PhD thesis been scrapped?

The UGC has been grappling with this issue for quite some time, particularly with the proliferation of so-called “predatory journals”, where many doctoral scholars were found publishing their research in return for a fee. In 2019, a UGC panel had recommended that publication of research material in such journals or presentations in conferences organised by their publishers should not be considered for academic credit in any form.

In draft regulations floated in March this year, the UGC had proposed universities be allowed to draw up their own guidelines in this area and sought public feedback on replacing the term “must” with “desirable”. But in the final regulations, that requirement has been dispensed with altogether.

Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, who is the UGC chairperson, said by removing the mandatory clause, the commission is trying to ease some pressure of scholars so that they can focus more on high-quality research. “That will automatically lead to their research finding space in top journals,” he said.

In a study involving one central university and an IIT between 2017 and 2019, the UGC found that in the case of the university, as much as 75 per cent of the submissions were in journals which are not Scopus-indexed. The IIT, where such submissions are not mandatory, saw 79 per cent scholars making it to Scopus-indexed journals. That also appears to have guided the UGC’s decision.

What is the provision for part-time PhDs?

This is a new category introduced by the regulations. Although an existing feature in the IITs, for most universities and colleges, this will be new.

The eligibility conditions are the same for both full-time and part-time candidates. Their PhD work will be assessed in the same way as is done for the full-time PhD students.

However, in addition to meeting the regular criteria, the part-time PhD candidates will also have to produce a No-Objection Certificate or NOC from their employer. Apart from stating that the prospective part-time PhD candidate employee is permitted to pursue studies on a part-time basis, the NOC will have to spell out that they will be given sufficient time for research work. The workplace will require facilities in the employee’s field of research as a doctoral scholar.

Over the years, annual enrolment figures in PhD have risen, but it still accounts for a very small share of the higher education pie. Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, the enrolment at PhD level increased from 1,26,451 to 2,02,550 (0.5 per cent of the total enrolment in higher education), according to the latest available All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report 2019-20. Also, most PhDs in India are in the field of engineering and technology, followed by natural sciences.

Source: Indian Express, 9/11/22

Quote of the Day November 9, 2022

 

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Gen. Colin L. Powell

“सफलता का कोई रहस्य नहीं हैं। यह तैयारी, कड़ी मेहनत और असफलता से सीखने का ही परिणाम होता है।”
जन. कोलिन एल. पावेल

Current Affairs- November 8, 2022

 

INDIA

– SC upholds 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections in admissions and govt jobs in 3:2 verdict

– Indian Air Force begins online registration process for induction of Agniveervayu

– MoS Rajiv Chandrashekhar releases 2 books on PM Modi in Dubai: “Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery” and “Heartfelt: The Legacy of Faith”

– Indo-German Week of the Young Researchers 2022 being held from Nov 7 to 10

– President presents National Florence Nightingale Awards 2021 to nursing professionals

– National Cancer Awareness Day observed on Nov 7, birth anniversary of Nobel-prize-winning scientist Madame Curie

– IAF Chief holds talks with French Air Force Chief Gen Stephane Mille in New Delhi

– UK court approves extradition of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari to India

– UP CM Yogi Adityanath unveils statue of former PM Chandra Shekhar in Ballia

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Renewable energy ministry to continue Bio Energy Programme till 2025-26

– Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays foundation stone of 8 National Highway projects worth Rs 4054 crore in Jabalpur, MP

WORLD

– Last eight years had been hotter than any year prior to 2015: World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

– Tanzania: Passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria, 19 killed 24 survived

– Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying parody will be suspended: Elon Musk

SPORTS

– Denmark’s Holger Rune wins men’s singles title at Paris Masters tennis

– Indian mixed doubles pair of G. Sathiyan and Manika Batra loses in final of World Table Tennis Contender in Nova Gorica (Slovenia)

Current Affairs- November 9, 2022

 

INDIA

– Education not business to earn profit, fees shall always be affordable: SC says while upholding the AP HC order quashing state govt.’s decision to enhance the tuition fee in medical colleges by more than 7 times to Rs 24 lakh per annum

– PM unveils logo, theme website of India’s G20 presidency beginning from Dec 1

– COP27 (Conference of the Parties): India joins five-nation Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) in Egypt

– Air force chiefs of India and France fly as part of Ex Garuda VII in Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari & General Stéphane Mille

– Indian Navy participates Malabar Naval Exercise in Japan

– Centre grants 265 Diplomate of National Board postgraduate medical seats to J&K

– Dr Subhash Babu becomes first Indian scientist awarded Bailey K. Ashford Medal in US

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Govt declares computer systems linked to census management as “protected” for being critical information infrastructure

WORLD

– UN General Assembly designates Nov 18 as World Day for prevention of child sexual abuse

Career as an HR manager: Education, top colleges, skills, responsibilities and more

 A workforce is what makes a company successful. The (HR) Human resources are the department that looks after the people who work for the company and its operations. An ideal HR professional has to adapt themselves to a working environment where they are required to solve problems, coordinate, and assess achievements along with handling the company’s culture.

With the changes in the way of working and employee-employer relations, the role of a Human resource manager or an HR manager is beyond just performing administrative tasks and headhunting. They are responsible for bridging the gap between management and employees. In other words, Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic approach to managing people in an organisation effectively.

Educational requirements for beginning a career in HRM

Pursuing a career in HRM starts by you meeting the basic eligibility criteria. HRM courses are usually provided at the postgraduate level in India, particularly with an MBA. However, there are multiple options available for someone who wants to prepare for this career right after their 10 +12 or during their graduation.

However, remember that it is not necessary to come from a non-technical or technical background. Possessing specific skills and having relevant industry experience is now being given more importance than degrees. There are also several online websites that offer courses in HRM, which provide the relevant knowledge and experience required for pursuing a career as a human resource manager.

Top Indian colleges providing courses in HRM

In India, graduates commonly opt for an MBA with a specialisation in HR. The course usually lasts two years and includes a mandatory internship, often followed by campus placements. Graduates looking to become HR managers can check out colleges or institutes that offer this programme.

Here are the top ten MBA colleges in India that offer specialisation programmes in HR :

1. Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) Jamshedpur
2. Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon
3. SVKMs NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) Mumbai
4. Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai
5. International Management Institute (IMI) Delhi
6. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi
7. University Business School (UBS), Panjab University, Chandigarh
8. Xavier Institute of Social Service Ranchi
9. Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata
10. International School of Business and Media, Pune
    

Skills required for HR professionals

To succeed in a career like Human Resource Management a person has to have the knack for understanding human relations. They should excel in moulding their operational style according to different people as and when necessary. Additionally, an HR professional should focus on people development and come up with strategic planning for the same.

Following are some key soft skills that are required from a human resource manager:

• Organisation skills
• Time management
• Adaptability
• Problem Solving
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Communication

Major responsibilities of HR professionals

An experienced HR professional provides leadership and direction to ensure the company operates efficiently. Apart from interviewing and hiring new employees, they create training and development programs and supervise the operation of the other departments as well.

Here are some of the major responsibilities of a human resources manager:

• Improve the organisation's human resources by planning, implementing and assessing human resource programs and policies
• Bridge gaps in the relationship between the employees and the management by addressing complaints
• Look after the recruitment and selection procedure
• Conduct training programs for new and current employees
• Liaise with different departments to understand staff shortage and create a job vacancy portal
• Make sure there is a positive and safe work environment for everyone to work
• Manage workplace grievances, disciplinary and termination procedures
• Provide training to junior HRs.

HR Manager salaries

The remuneration for an HR manager depends on factors such as years of experience, certifications, skill sets, education and location. The pay scale varies from company to company but in India, on an average, an HR manager makes nearly 3.6 LPA per year.

A human resources manager or HR manager is an important person in any organisation, one who is responsible for creating a holistic work environment and fostering a healthy employer-employee relationship. Often, they form the framework that keeps the rest of the set up work smoothly.

Aditi Gupta

Source: The Telegraph, 9/11/22