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A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empower locals

India to set up special agency to battle cyber terrorists

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute to Lord Jagannath: 100 sand rathas

Graded autonomy of universities: An idea gone awry thanks to government interference

‘India still spends less on education’

Common entrance exam for engineering colleges a step in the right direction

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Rare PaedCard heart transplant conducted successfully

February 1, 2016

The Power Of Reading

February 6, 2016
India continues to fail her children

July 20, 2016
An unnecessary change?

May 15, 2017
Among multitude of problems, fix education system first

January 9, 2018

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A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empo...

2017/01/24
by editor
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2018/03/19
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Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute t...

2016/07/05
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2018/04/21
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‘India still spends less on education’

2018/09/01
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2017/02/20
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2016/08/22
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Random News

A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empo...

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by editor
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2018/03/19
by editor
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute t...

2016/07/05
by editor
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2018/04/21
by editor
‘India still spends less on education’

2018/09/01
by editor
Common entrance exam for engineering colleges a...

2017/02/20
by editor
Tagore through Gulzar’s eyes

2016/08/22
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Advantages of Keeping a Diary

Advantages of Keeping a Diary

A diary is a book kept to record daily events or a person's thoughts and Impressions. A diary can be a us ...

A diary is a book kept to record daily events or a person's thoughts and Impressions. A diary can be a useful aid to memory. If a person is in the habit of forgetting his appointments, or something th ...

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Make India Vishwaguru again

Make India Vishwaguru again

n by M Venkaiah Naidu Ever since I became the vice-president, I have been visiting various universities t ...

n by M Venkaiah Naidu Ever since I became the vice-president, I have been visiting various universities to attend their convocations. I keep reflecting on the glorious Indian heritage, the heights to ...

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TIME IS MONEY

TIME IS MONEY

n Bharti Bhardwaj The tiny infant cuddled in the warmth of the cradle soon becomes a cute toddler who run ...

n Bharti Bhardwaj The tiny infant cuddled in the warmth of the cradle soon becomes a cute toddler who runs after butterflies and rainbows. No sooner do the fairy tales and pranks of school days get ov ...

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Education and career: What you study is not what you are

Education and career: What you study is not what you are

BY Kavita Mehta and Namita Mehta In India, the concepts of "higher education" and "career planning" are o ...

BY Kavita Mehta and Namita Mehta In India, the concepts of "higher education" and "career planning" are often conflated. Parents think of higher education choices as determinants of a child's career, ...

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Success in KAS

Success in KAS

You may call it interview but the more appropriate term is the personality test. The object of the interv ...

You may call it interview but the more appropriate term is the personality test. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a ...

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Competition and Growth

Competition and Growth

The progress of man from a cave-dweller to a cosmonaut owes as much to competition among men as to cooper ...

The progress of man from a cave-dweller to a cosmonaut owes as much to competition among men as to cooperation. Cooperation among groups has strengthened them to fight against nature. But inside the g ...

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‘India still spends less on education’

‘India still spends less on education’

n Prof. N. Ananthakrishnan Private institutions and deemed universities need to be supported, says founde ...

n Prof. N. Ananthakrishnan Private institutions and deemed universities need to be supported, says founder-Chancellor of VIT Determinants of the quality of higher education institutions should be tied ...

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Success comes with ability boldness and courage

Success comes with ability boldness and courage

Nothing is ever achieved without had work, perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm. Remember that what ap ...

Nothing is ever achieved without had work, perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm. Remember that what appears to be an overnight success takes so many long years. We strive for success, are. undefine ...

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Childcare, a thriving business

Childcare, a thriving business

Recent reports of deaths, neglect, malnourishment, starvation, exploitation, sexual assault, sodomy, beat ...

Recent reports of deaths, neglect, malnourishment, starvation, exploitation, sexual assault, sodomy, beatings and even murder in childcare homes or institutions have shocked the nation. It seems to be ...

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A climate for green funds

A climate for green funds

n by Tarun Balram The monsoon season is here. If the past few years are anything to go by, the country wi ...

n by Tarun Balram The monsoon season is here. If the past few years are anything to go by, the country will have to brace for costly environmental disasters. The impact of climate change are no longer ...

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Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu: is an Vice-President of India

Amit Anil Chandra Shah is an Indian politician currently serving as President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Shah was elected as an MLA from Sarkhej in four consecutive Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu is an Indian politician and the current Vice-President of India, in office since 11 August 2017. Previously, he served as the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development and Information and Broadcasting in the Modi Cabinet. A prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he also served as its national president from 2002 to 2004. Earlier, he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He took the oath as Vice-President of India on 11 August 2017 at Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. Venkaiah Naidu was born on 1 July 1949 at Chavatapalem, in the Nellore district of the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. He completed his schooling from Zilla Parshad High School, Bucchireddy Palem (Nellore), and pursued his bachelor's degree in politics and diplomatic studies from V. R. College. Later, he acquired a bachelor's degree in law with specialisation in international law from Andhra University College of Law, Visakhapatnam. He was a swayamsevak in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and joined ABVP during his college days. He was elected as the president of the students' union of colleges affiliated to the Andhra University. He came into the spotlight for his prominent role in the Jai Andhra Movement of 1972. While Kakani Venkata Ratnam led the movement from Vijayawada, Naidu took active part in the agitation in Nellore, until it was called off a year later. In 1974, he became the convener of the anti-corruption Jayaprakash Narayan Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti of Andhra Pradesh. He took to the streets in protest against the emergency and was imprisoned. From 1977–80, he was president of its youth wing. Both as a student leader and political figure, Naidu gained prominence as a brilliant orator, who vigorously championed the cause of the farmers and the development of backward areas. His oratory skills and political activism propelled his political career and he was elected as an MLA to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly twice from Udaygiri constituency in Nellore district in 1978 and 1983. He rose to become one of the most popular leaders of the BJP in Andhra Pradesh. After serving in various organisational posts of the BJP at the state and national level, he was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in 1998. He was re-elected twice, in 2004 and 2010, from Karnataka. He served as the party spokesperson from 1996 to 2000, bringing to the job his panache for quirky alliterations and similes. Unlike most politicians from southern India, Naidu made an effort to master Hindi, going on to address public rallies in northern India. After the NDA victory in the 1999 general elections, he became the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was known for aggressively pushing for reforms in rural development and for the many schemes introduced during this period such as the 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.'

The great Indian job debate

The narrative of achhe din (good times) promised by the Modi government dwells a lot on the creation of jobs for the millions who are struggling. Yet another assessment of employment by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has stated that India’s unemployment levels are at a 15-month high. “The unemployment rate increased to 6.1 per cent in February 2018. It was 5 per cent in January and less than 5 per cent in the preceding two months. The 6.1 per cent unemployment rate is, in fact, the highest monthly rate in the past 15 months,” wrote Mahesh Vyas, CEO, CMIE, in his report. With barely a year to go before national elections, the debate rages on about the Modi’s government’s success in enhancing job creation across the country. In the last few months, the government has taken several steps under many programmes to ensure that job creation gathers momentum. Several studies and reports have been attempted to get a clear picture of how many jobs have been created or lost in the last four years under the government. “The February data seems to suggest that there is a migration of people who had evinced no interest in working till recently to an expression of interest in joining the labour force. This migration is eloquent. It possibly holds a promise, no matter how small, of a turnaround in the economy somewhere,” Vyas writes. Has this promise of a turnaround been triggered by the government programme to loan funds for small and medium enterprises? Another study by the Skoch Group seems to suggest so. The report though does not just look at payroll figures, but defines job as “a gainful vocation that enables” a livelihood. The reports have assessed the impact of job creation solely from the MUDRA scheme that offers easy credit to small businesses up to Rs 1 million per borrower. This credit effort led to a boost in employment generation. “Job creation has jumped three times between March 2016 to December 2017. Total 6.8 crore (68 million) jobs created till December 2017,” says the Skoch report. A study that has been quoted extensively was done by Dr Pulak Ghosh, professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India. The report has assessed payroll data to say that jobs are being created at a healthy pace. The study says, “Based on all estimates, payroll of 5.9 lakh (i.e. 7 million annual) is generated every month in India in current fiscal.” Though positive, this study paints a partial picture of the employment situation in India. It recognises that jobs are being created but also says that the labour survey done by the government is not adequate. The Labour Survey “fails to portray the extent of job growth. We need to change this,” the report argues. The authors have asked for the creation on a payroll report for authentic information on employment. “Research has revealed that the US non-farm payroll numbers have the most profound impact of all high frequency economic reports on not only the US, but global financial markets, too. We must endeavour to create a payroll report in India.” Creating a deep rooted process of capturing employment data has been neglected for decades by various governments. Not only is the data delayed but is incomplete. The best data on labour is currently from 2011. But no government can create policy for the future on information that is more than seven years old. Especially in a time when technology is accelerating the need for new skills and talent. India has to worry not just about creating employment for new job seekers but also preparing those who are rapidly becoming unemployable as their skills become redundant in the age of 3D printing, blockchain and artificial intelligence. As the 2019 elections come closer, the debate on job creation will become sharp and ugly. Those who want to criticise the Modi government will quote a set of figures and studies that seek to demonstrate a job crisis in the country. On the other hand, the government’s supporters will offer their own set of numbers carved from different databases to prove that not just jobs, but work and livelihood options have increased since 2014. With 90% of the workforce in the informal sector, it will be difficult to make arguments about formal job creation. In the new age, the app economy is creating steady incomes for millions in a way that government and academics have not been able to capture with certainty. Irrefutable data can happen only when a strong, new system of capturing jobs and work is created. Until then debates on employment and livelihoods will throw up incomplete glimpses based on partial views of the situation. This is much like trying to count people in a large hall with a dim candle. Since data on job creation is conflicting, the Modi government’s success will be felt by those who have improved their earnings or livelihoods — whether through formal employment, informal jobs, part time work or seasonal earnings. At this point, there are general positive indicators, but no clear picture. The turn-around in the economy is taking shape now and will be felt by job seekers much before anyone else. This will determine the final verdict on the success of the Modi government.

A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empower locals

India to set up special agency to battle cyber terrorists

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute to Lord Jagannath: 100 sand rathas

Graded autonomy of universities: An idea gone awry thanks to government interference

‘India still spends less on education’

Common entrance exam for engineering colleges a step in the right direction

Tagore through Gulzar’s eyes

Most Popular

A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empo...

India to set up special agency to battle cyber ...

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute t...

Graded autonomy of universities: An idea gone a...

‘India still spends less on education’

Common entrance exam for engineering colleges a...

Tagore through Gulzar’s eyes

A unique university in Ladakh that aims to empo...

India to set up special agency to battle cyber ...

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s tribute t...

Graded autonomy of universities: An idea gone a...

‘India still spends less on education’

Common entrance exam for engineering colleges a...

Tagore through Gulzar’s eyes