Current Affairs-February 16, 2023

 

INDIA

• In Tripura, voting begins to elect a new 60-Member Legislative Assembly.
• India and Spain agree to collaborate on digital infrastructure, climate action and sustainable development
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the mega National Tribal Festival – Aadi Mahotsav.
• Cabinet approves construction of Shinku La Tunnel to provide all-weather connectivity in Ladakh
• PM Modi to virtually inaugurate Jal Jan Abhiyan in Sirohi district of Rajasthan
• India earmarks 75 per cent of capital procurement budget for domestic industry
• Two-day Global Tech Summit to begin in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to provide maintenance and overhaul support for MQ-9B drone engines in India.

ECONOMY

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announces 2nd global hackathon- HARBINGER 2023.
• West Bengal state government announces its state budget for the year 2023-24; broadens welfare schemes.
• Foodgrain production is estimated to be over 3,235 lakh tonnes in agricultural year 2022-23: Second advance estimates.

WORLD

• Death toll in Turkey and Syria climbs to more than 41,000 after devastating earthquakes.
• South Korea has said that a North Korean food crisis appears to be worsening.
• Pakistan government introduces bill to raise Rs 170 billion in taxes

SPORTS

• Women’s T20 World Cup: India beat West Indies by 6 wickets.
• Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami win National Race Walking Championships.
• Indian men’s cricket team tops in all three formats for the first time

P.G. Prospects at TISS : Entrance - Extempore - Interview Tips

 Tata Institute of Social Sciences is offering 57+ PG Degree programmes from its Mumbai, Tuljapur, Guwahati, and Hyderabad campuses. The postgraduate programmes range from Social Work with Criminology and Justice Disability Studies and Action, Dalit and Tribal Studies, Mental Health, Women Centred Practice, Counseling, Children and Family, Community Organisation and Development Practices, Livelihood and Social Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Rural Development; Climate Change and Environment oriented programmes like Environment Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, Ecology-Environment-Sustainable Development; Public Health courses in Hospital Administration, Social Epidemiology, Health Administration; Public Policy oriented programmes like Public Policy and Governance, Cities and Governance, Natural Resources and Governance, Urban Policy and Governance, Regulatory Policy and Governance, Water Policy and Governance; Mental Health specialisations in Applied Psychology (Counseling and Clinical), Global Mental Health, Animal Assisted Therapy; Human Resource Management and Social Entrepreneurship; Peace and Conflict Studies; Development Studies, Women Studies; Education; Sociology and Social Anthropology; Disaster Management; Media and Cultural Studies et al.

Placements : Government schemes, missions, ministries and departments like NITI Aayog, Ministry of Social Empowerment and Justice, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Kudumbashree, Telangana State Development Authority; Multilaterals like UNICEF, WHO, UNDP; CSR verticals of PSUs like NTPC, Oil India, GAIL; large corporations like Reliance Foundation, Piramal Foundation, Zydus Cadilla; consulting firms like KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, EY; tech companies like Uber, Indigene, Infosys; Healthcare organisations like Cloud Nine Hospitals, Apollo Group of Hospitals; social enterprises and grassroot level organisations like PRADAN, Save The Children, PRAYAS, Naz Foundation, Oxfam International, Apni Shala and many impact driven initiatives have hired graduates from TISS for internships during the course and final job placements after graduation. As per data submitted by TISS with National Institute of Ranking Framework (Ministry of Education) the median salary of PG Programmes is Rs 6 Lakhs per annum across the aforementioned courses. Starting salaries offered in recent years have gone up to Rs 20 - 23 Lakhs per annum depending on the job profile and competence of the graduates. Young Professionals, Program Managers, Monitoring and Evaluation, CSR Executive, Quality Assurance Manager, Policy Advocate and Researcher are few of the many job profiles offered during campus placements. A significant number of graduates apply for further education like pursuing PhD every year at TISS.

Selection Procedure : The application for PG Programmes at TISS usually go live from the first week of December till the end of January next year. Candidates can apply for a maximum of three programmes across any of the two campuses indicating the order of preference. TISS shortlists candidates initially through TISSNET (TISS National Entrance Test) conducted in 40 different towns/cities. The shortlisted candidates have to appear for Online Assessments (OA) comprising an Online Extempore and Online Personal Interview specific to the programmes they have been shortlisted for the final selection.

TISSNET Structure : TISSNET is a computer based MCQ test of 100 minutes duration with no negative marking applicable for single or multiple preferences of programmes submitted by candidates during their application. The medium of TISSNET is English.

The basic structure of TISSNET is:

40 Questions on General Awareness: Questions are asked from Politics, Social Studies, Science & Technology, Environment, Sports, Art & Culture, Indian History to assess awareness about current affairs, developmental, socio-political issues. Sectional cut-off for General Awareness (GA) is applied for qualifying the

TISS-NET. Candidates not scoring the minimum cut-off mark for the General Awareness as above will not be qualified for TISS NET irrespective of the aggregate score

Sectional Cut Off (SCO) applied : GN, EWS, KM, and AF – 35% i.e. 14 Marks; PWD and OBC(NC) – 30% i.e. 12 Marks; SC and ST– No sectional cut-off applied

30 Questions on Mathematics and Logical Reasoning: Basic Arithmetic, Basic Geometry, Basic Trigonometry, Basic Statistics, Number Series, Data interpretation, Logical reasoning with a preparation level up to Class X

30 Questions on English Proficiency : The broad type of questions are asked from Word choice/sentence correction, Odd-one-out, Analogies, Synonyms & Antonyms, Grammar, Verbal reasoning, Reading comprehension with a preparation level up to Class X

TISSNET Tips : Aspirants need to optimise their preparation by filtering out current affairs and static GK contexts using the lens of intersectionalities like gender, caste, religion; livelihood and entrepreneurship schemes, environmental awareness, sustainable and inclusive policies, disasters, historical reforms etc.

Analytical and Problem Solving skills feature amongst the top requirements in employability and TISSNET tests a candidate’s basic comfort in reading and interpreting charts and tables with fundamental calculations on percentage, profit and loss, ratio proportion, probability, geometry and logical reasoning questions on games and puzzles, arrangements, direction sense, syllogisms to highlight a few. The ability to apply working English with grammatically correct constructions is a core focus in the English proficiency section. Agreement of the subject to the verb, tenses, correct usage of articles, prepositions, singular and plural verbs, contextual reasoning out synonyms and antonyms and the ability to summarise and synthesise comprehension passages are the usual pattern noticed in previous years. NCERT updated text books for General Awareness and Mathematics, Government of India and affiliate Ministry websites are useful sources of learning resources. Grammar books Wren and Martin, “Word Power Made Easy” by Norman Lewis help in formulating approaches to prepare well for the English proficiency questions.

Online Assessment Tips : A candidate’s compatibility with the shortlisted programme(s) is assessed with an extempore topic that they are required to reflect upon for 2 - 3 minutes followed by 15 - 20 minutes of interview by a three panel member of the TISS faculty. It’s important to highlight that knowing the prospect of programmes and their learning outcomes forms the framework to prepare for TISS Online Assessments. Exposure that can be integrated, lived experiences, attitude, mindset are few of the many attributes that the TISS faculty welcomes in a candidate to be exhibited during the interactive rounds.

TISSNET 2023 will be held on 25 February from 2pm - 3:40pm.

About the author: Sauraveswar Sen (12+ years of experience) is the founder of Catalyst Learning Services based in Kolkata. He is a mentor for placements at TISS, St Xavier’s College Mumbai, University of Calcutta and several institutes of eminence.

Source: Telegraph, 11/02/23

People’s document

 “Manavta ki jaan hai, Samata pehchan hai, Bharat ki shaan hai, Samvidhan hai vo, Bharat ka Samvidhan hai (The Constitution is the essence of humanity, an identity of equality, and the pride of India).” With this catchy song, youth artist groups led by Aakash Parmar in Thane, Maharashtra, are using music and other art forms to popularise the values of the Constitution.

The accessibility of the Indian Constitution has been a contested issue. This is because the Constitution has been restricted to the legal elite. Yet, communities are owning it and making it accessible using innovative means. For instance, Maharashtra, with its glorious legacy of emancipation nurtured by B.R. Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule and others, has inspired citizen-led groups to engage with the Constitution by invoking indigenous histories and glories. As the historian, Ernest Renan, has argued, a heroic past and great men form the social capital on which the idea of the nation is based. By invoking the teachings of Ambedkar and Phule to engage the masses with such constitutional values as equality, fraternity and dignity, these groups are using the past to create a constitutionally aware citizenry. These initiatives reaffirm the claim made by the scholar, Arvind Narrain, in his book on India’s undeclared emergency that India’s tradition of resistance is rooted in its culture.

The movement of constitutional literacy is not limited to the indigenous method only. Youth groups are using the method employed by the Brazilian radical revolutionary artist, Augusto Boal, who devised the idea of the theatre of the oppressed. A unique feature of this art form is that it puts spectator and performer on an equal footing. This theatrical art form is used by youth groups in Mumbai led by Priyapal to propagate the essence of Constitutional values. The group uses forum theatre, a technique of the theatre of the oppressed, whereby the voiceless are given a voice. Mob lynching, domestic violence, the right to choose a partner are some of the themes that have been explored to reflect the values enshrined in the Constitution.

The engagement with the Constitution has emerged as an effective tool to shape and assert the idea of citizenry. Thus, citizen-driven initiatives are engaging with academic, artistic and creative means to sustain and cultivate the constitutional culture. One such approach across Maharashtra is the community outreach on the Constitution that has forged the idea of Samvidhan Pracharak (Constitution Facilitator). These pracharaks facilitate conversations on the Constitution in the layman’s language. Spread over 20 districts of Maharashtra, Samvidhan Pracharaks have trained more than 3,000 volunteers across the state. These groups, led by Nagesh Jadhav, Sandeep Akhade and Nilesh, say that they engage with diverse sections of society in creative but specific ways. For instance, ‘Children’s Café’ and ‘Coffee with Constitution’ are specially designed programmes to include children and the youth in literacy programmes on the Constitution.

These groups are also crafting a new language for the ordinary people for their engagement with the Constitution. Scholars have argued that knowledge of the Constitution prepares citizens not only for a participatory role but also enables them to defend the Constitution against attacks. In his book, A People’s Constitution: The Everyday Life of Law in the Indian Republic, Rohit De revealed that the constitutional culture was shaped by ordinary people who posed faith in the nation’s first document.

This collective cultivation of adopting constitutional values is a sign that it is the people who own the Constitution. As India celebrates the 74th anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution, these efforts are a beacon of hope.

Rajesh Ranjan 

Source: Telegraph, 15/02/23

Quote of the Day February 15, 2023

 

“Every morning I spend fifteen minutes filling my mind full of God; and so there's no room left for worry thoughts.”
Howard Chandler Christy

“हर सुबह मैं पंद्रह मिनट अपने मस्तिष्क में प्रभु की भावनाओं को समाहित करता हूं; और इस प्रकार से चिंता के लिए इसमें कोई स्थान रिक्त नहीं रहता है।”
हॉवर्ड शैंडलर क्रिस्टी

Applications for 2024-2025 Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright Fellowships open

 The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) has announced the opening of its annual competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships. Funded by the US Department of State and India’s Ministry of External Affairs, such exchanges have helped bring the people of India and the United States closer together through opportunities that enrich fellows’ academic, research, teaching, and professional capacity. Alumni of such exchange and scholarship programmes have demonstrated strong leadership in their academic disciplines and professions, reads an official release. Outstanding Indian students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

“The Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship widened my horizons from academics to practical applications and enabled me with a transnational perspective professionally and personally. It connected me with international researchers and gave me the required tools to excel in the most advanced areas of research in my field,” says Neeraja Sajan, a 2021 Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

"Being a Fulbright Postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University has catapulted my career trajectory to newer regions that I never imagined. The access to resources and professional networking opportunities combined with a diverse learning culture helped me to launch newer entrepreneurial initiatives apart from academic research," says Chandra Vadhana Radhakrishnan, a 2021 Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

USIEF is now accepting applications from Indian citizens for the 2024-25 academic year.

For more details, visit www.usief.org.in

Applicants may also send any queries to ip@usief.org.in or contact one of the USIEF offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai.

Source: educationtimes.com, 8/02/23

UGC announces results of Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Single Girl Child Fellowship, check the details here

 

The higher education regulator has released the list of provisionally selected candidates under the SJSGC scheme for girls desirous of pursuing a PhD

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced the list of provisionally selected candidates under the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Single Girl Child Fellowship (SJSGC) scheme in the online mode. Those who have applied for the fellowship can check the results and download the SJSGC award letter by visiting the official website at ugc.ac.in.

Earlier, the UGC released an official notification regarding the result of the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Single Girl Child Fellowship (SJSGC) scheme on February 8, 2023, on its official website, stating that the selected candidates are eligible to receive the fellowship under the SJSGC scheme subject to the terms and conditions given in the scheme’s guidelines.

The UGC has notified that the candidates have been selected based on information received from the students who applied for the fellowship scheme. However, their selection is provisional and the eligibility of the candidate for the scheme has to be ensured by the institution at the time of the processing of the claim for the fellowship scheme.

The Fellowship will be payable from April 1, 2023, of the selected year or the actual date of joining under this scheme in the respective university or college. For claiming the SJSGC scheme, candidates must fill out the Joining Cum Verification Report given as per the guidelines in Annexure-1. It has to be submitted to the concerned officials of their institutions, the UGC notification further states.

Highlighting the benefits of the Fellowship scheme, UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said, “The scheme is exclusively for the single girl child desirous of pursuing a PhD programme through regular full-time mode and has taken admission to the course in a recognised higher education institution. The Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship for Single Girl Child was launched after the revision of the earlier UGC scheme for the Single Girl Child Fellowship for Research in Social Sciences. The earlier scheme was open only for scholars pursuing research in Humanities and Social Sciences, whereas, with the revised scheme, the scope has been expanded, including Sciences, Engineering and technology streams as well.”

He further said, “The rate of fellowship under the present scheme has also been increased to a rate of a fellowship of Rs 31,000 per month as Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Rs 35,000 per month as Senior Research Fellowship (SRF). Another prominent feature of the scheme is that the UGC has removed the cap on the number of slots for fellowship, that is, there is no limit to the number of eligible applicants that can avail of the benefits under this scheme each year. This feature further enables the scheme to widen its reach and impact and meet its objectives.”

The UGC received about 1144 applications under this scheme, out of which 1129 applications have been provisionally selected for the award of the fellowship.

Source: educationtimes.com, 10/02/23

BIMARU States Acronym

 BIMARU is an acronym for the states BI: Bihar; MA: MP, R: Rajasthan, and U: UP. The acronym was formed by Ashish Bose, an economist from the 1980s. BIMARU (Bimar) in Hindi means sick. The economist framed the acronym to stress the fact that the poor economic conditions of these four states are affecting the overall GDP growth of India. During the Investors Summit conducted in UP, PM Modi recalled the term.

Who coined “BIMARU”?

Ashish Bose. He was an economist and a demographer. Demographers are persons who study the changes happening in the economy due to population increase or decrease. In these four states, the population increased tremendously. According to Bose, these four states are economically backward in terms of health care, education, and other developmental activities mainly due to population explosion.

What is the issue?

The Total Fertility Rate in these states is 2.1. The TFR is the number of children a woman produces in her lifetime. Yet, family planning was not as efficient as in the southern states.

Role of BIMARU states in a population explosion

India is to beat China in population very soon and will become the most populous country in the world. These four states have a major role in making India the most populous. They account for 41% of the total Indian population! By 2026, they will account for 43.5%.