New Cases of Covid-19 Break Out Again in New Zealand

On Tuesday, New Zealand announced that Auckland, its largest city, would be shutting down since 4 new cases has been found in the city.  It is the first case of domestic transmission for the nation after remaining covid free for 102 days.

New Zealand’s fight against Covid was recognised across the world. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was congratulated for her effective method and governance. A vigorous and decisive response to the pandemic had effectively curbed down the rates of infection. The Pacific island nation of 5 million citizens was considered to be the safest place as it remained Covid free for 100 days at a stretch. It had made a record of zero new cases of community transmission of Covid-19. From a first case on Feb 26 to the last one recorded on May 1st, the whole process of elimination took about 65 days. The nation was placed under lockdown for weeks when the virus first broke out and it had achieved a milestone of 100 days. The last case was recorded on May 1st. The government had warned from before as countries like Australia and Vietnam which were once free from the virus are now fighting a second battle.

The Director General of Health had said that the 4 new cases are from a single family in South Auckland. It is the first local case in 102 days. The patients had no international travel history and contact tracing has been started.

With the announcement of shutdown, media reports suggested that people have started panic buying. The Prime Minister has made a surprise news conference and announced that Auckland will have Level 3 restriction from Wednesday as a “precautionary approach”. According to it, people should be staying at home, away from work, school or any social gathering. Any gathering of more than 10 people will not be allowed. This restriction would be applicable for 3 days, until Friday. This was done to assess the situation and gain further information about contact tracing. Immediate steps have been taken to find the source of the infection and to prevent further spread. There is an added concern because the source of the virus is not known this time. Travelling to Auckland, on North Island, would be restricted for people other than the ones who live there. The rest of New Zealand would go into Level 2 restriction from Wednesday for 3 days. Social gatherings would be restricted and mass gatherings over 100 people would not be allowed. Since sources are unknown for the new cases, it is expected that there could be a rise in numbers in the coming few days.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has said, “I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules.” People have been instructed to use masks and to avoid all kinds of social gathering. Jacinda Ardern has told reporters, “No other country in the world was free of community transmission as long as New Zealand. Together we have beaten the virus before. We can do so again.”

New Zealand elections are scheduled to happen on September 19. The break of new cases was unexpected. Till now, the government has fought against the situation and done quite well as a result  Ardern’s Labour Party has got a lot of support before the elections.

What constitutes job satisfaction and what does an employee expect from his employer

Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which an employee feels self-motivated, content & satisfied with his/her job. Job satisfaction happens when an employee feels he or she is having job stability, career growth and a comfortable work life balance. This implies that the employee is having satisfaction at job as the work meets the expectations of the individual.

Importance is job satisfaction

A satisfied employee is always important for an organization as he/she aims to deliver the best of their capability. Every employee wants a strong career growth and work life balance at workplace. If an employee feels happy with their company & work, they look to give back to the company with all their efforts. Importance of job satisfaction can be seen from two perspectives i.e. from employee and employer perspective:

For employees: Job satisfaction from an employee perspective is to earn a good gross salary, have job stability, have a steady career growth, get rewards & recognition and constantly have new opportunities.

For Employers: For an employer, job satisfaction for an employee is an important aspect to get the best out of them. A satisfied employee always contributes more to the company, helps control attrition & helps the company grow. Employers needs to ensure a good job description to attract employees and constantly give opportunities to individuals to learn and grow.

The positive effects of job satisfaction include:

1. More efficiency of employees of workplace if they are satisfied with their job.

2. Higher employee loyalty leading to more commitment.

3. Job satisfaction of employees eventually results in higher profits for companies.

4. High employee retention is possible if employees are happy.

Job satisfaction factors: Job satisfaction is related to the psychology of an employee. A happy & content employee at a job is always motivated to contribute more. On the other hand, a dissatisfied employee is lethargic, makes mistakes & becomes a burden to the company. The elements & factors which contribute to job satisfaction are:

  1. Compensation and Working conditions: One of the biggest factors of job satisfaction are the compensation and benefits given to an employee. An employee with a good salary, incentives, bonuses, healthcare options etc is happier with their job as compared to someone who doesn’t have the same. A healthy workplace environment also adds value to an employee.

2. Work life balance: Every individual wants to have a good workplace which allow them time to spend with their family & friends. Job satisfaction for employees is often due a good work life balance policy, which ensures that an employee spends quality time with their family along with doing their work. This improves the employee’s quality of work life. 

3. Respect and Recognition: Any individual appreciates and feels motivated if they are respected at their workplace. Also, if they are awarded for their hard work, it further motivates employees. Hence recognition is one of the job satisfaction factors.

4. Job security: If an employee is assured that the company would retain them even if the market is turbulent, it gives them immense confidence. Job security is one of the main reasons for job satisfaction for employees.

5. Challenges: Monotonous work activities can lead to dissatisfied employees. Hence, things like job rotation, job enrichment etc can help in job satisfaction of employees as well.

6. Career Growth: Employees always keep their career growth part as a high priority in their life. Hence, if a company helps groom employees and gives them newer job roles, it enhances the job satisfaction as they know they would get a boost in their career.

There are several theories given which help in evaluating & measuring job satisfaction of employees at workplace. Some of them are:

  • Hierarchy of needs by Maslow
  • Hygiene Theory by Herzberg

These help in understanding the parameters or factors which influence job satisfaction of employees at workplace.

Workers expect that their employers will pay them on-time and provide at least minimal benefits, providing tangible proof that workers are gainfully employed. However, workers also have intangible expectations of their employers. They expect fair treatment, a safe working environment and the inspiration to become fully engaged in their work.

Respect : Employees also expect that employers give them the respect they deserve for contributing their talents and skills to the organization. Respect isn’t one-sided. The respect that employees should expect from their employers is based on the unwritten social contract between an employer and the employee and is, therefore, an employer’s expectation as well.

Equal treatment: Federal and state laws mandate that covered employers provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees. Translated, it means that organizations must adhere to anti-discrimination laws that prohibit unfair employment practices based on non-job-related factors, such as race, national origin, religion and sex. Aside from the legal mandates, employees should expect employers to treat workers fairly and apply workplace policies consistently. 

Safety: Employers have an obligation to provide a safe working environment, which means employees have a right to expect that they won’t encounter workplace violence, be exposed to misuse of hazardous chemicals or machinery, and that they won’t risk their lives simply by coming to work. Granted, there are occupations where employees face significant risk for injury, such as protective services jobs in police and fire departments. However, employees expect that they can work collaboratively without worrying that they’ll face threatening acts or unsafe conditions in the workplace.

Communication: The mantra that human resources leaders profess is that employers should provide their employees with the tools necessary for success. Starting with an accurate, up-to-date job description that contains the primary job functions, employees need to know the employer’s performance expectations so they can have a shot at meeting and possibly exceeding those expectations. Employees generally have an intrinsic desire to do good work, but without their employers’ communication, input and guidance, success eludes employees and creates an unnecessarily challenging work environment.

Recognition: Often confused with employee rewards — which are tangible incentives — employees should expect recognition from their employers. Employee recognition is the least expensive way to motivate and retain workers. It doesn’t cost anything to write a handwritten note to say “thank you for a job well done.” Nor does it cost the employer to recognize an employee’s expertise by providing her with the opportunity to flourish in an advanced role with the company.

There are some things which want employee most :

  1. Employees want purpose: Don’t assume that a hefty paycheck and regular bonuses are the most important things to your employees. They, like you, want to know that what they’re doing on a daily basis has some purpose behind it. “When you have a chance to have your ideas heard and one of them actually gets implemented, it’s such a boost.”

2. Employees want goals: To instill a sense of purpose in your employees, be sure to lay out a clearly-defined set of goals for them on a regular basis. 

3. Employees want responsibilities: Sometimes the hardest part of being a manager is delegating, but employees crave your trust, and with that trust, should come responsibility.

4. Employees want flexibility: In addition to deciding how they work, the experts say employees also appreciate having a say over when they work. Gunther has, of course, set up a radically flexible schedule for his employees that might not work for every office. But, he says, it has enabled him to find and retain top talent for Meddius.

5. Employees want attention: Just because you’re giving employees the control they crave doesn’t mean they don’t want guidance and feedback. Hiam suggests checking in with them every few weeks, even if it’s just for a minute or two. “Look them in the eye and ask how things are going. Find out what’s really going on in their world,” he suggests. “Responsibility is about giving them a chance to make a difference, but attention is the human dimension of managing.”

6. Employees want opportunities for innovation: Not long ago, Google announced its 20 percent creative time policy, which encourages employees to work on any innovative ideas they have that are company-related during 20 percent of their hours at work. Both Hiam and Pink applaud this concept. “People need to be given a chance to bring about something new and exciting,”

7. Employees want mindedness: When your employees come to you with their ideas, you need to treat them with equal parts sensitivity and honesty. Be sensitive because, according to Hiam, the more an employee gets shot down by an authority figure, the less likely he or she will be to make suggestions in the future. It’s also important to be honest because, as that authority figure, you may know what’s best for your business and what’s not. 

Face masks or status symbols

I recently read somewhere that Israel is going to make the costliest face mask in the world. This face mask will have gold and diamonds stuck on it. It will be created by a leading luxury brand of Israel. The gold used will be 18 carat gold and there will be around 3,600 diamonds. The Mask will have the A-99 filter.

There is also a news from America that a Chinese businessman has ordered a mask worth ₹11.23 crore. Sometime back I saw that an Indian man from Pune had got himself a mask of gold costing ₹2.89 lakh.

It seems like masks have become something which can be flaunted more than being necessity. In this time of COVID-19. It is necessary that people should keep in mind the fact that masks are a shield against a deadly virus. It should not matter much whether it is costly or cheap. What matters more is that we are able to protect ourselves. The Mask which we you should we breathable enough so that even if we have to wear it for long hours it does not cause much discomfort. We have to keep in mind that saving ourselves is much more important than showing to the world how fashionable or how costly are masks are.

Heading Towards Insect Apocalypse!!!

Bee drinking Tecoma Stans juice. Retrieved from thriftyfun.com

Air pollution has taken a toll on human lives and has claimed approximately 1 million of lives in 2015. It is not only taking a toll on human lives but insects are being affected at high rates so much that sometimes it feels that if such a condition keeps persisting the whole insect breed may see a calamitic effect.

The whole world is seeing such differences where insects are dying at a fast pace and their population has diminished by a quarter across the globe. If we take the example of Kansas, USA, the population of grasshoppers has decreased by 30%, in Germany, the population of insects has gone down by 75% and if we take the example of India, Orissa only, the population of bees saw a dip of 80%.

In humans, air pollutants like PM10 have the capacity to choke lungs and have severe effects on our respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological problems. In bees the effect of these pollutants is much more deadly than we think; it can kill about 80% of them. Earlier chemicals in pesticides were seen as the sole culprits. After quite a research it is proved that toxic air pollutants can lead them in being extinct.

In South Asia. Giant Asian Honey bees are the major pollinator and if these vanish then domestic production of fruits, vegetables, grains etc will be hampered at the highest rate. These bees are fond of yellow-flowering trumpet (Tecoma Stans) bushes from where the sample of bees were collected by researchers for the study. After researching for four years in Bangalore, the scientists saw that their body parts like hind legs, antennae and wings were covered with particulate matters, making it worse, there was residue of arsenic, lead, tungsten and aluminium. If the sites from where samples were taken had high particulate matter then the amount which was deposited on bees were also more. The blood cells count was less, heart rate was increased, genes which are responsible for managing stress, immunity, homeostasis and metabolism were also very high compared to bees collected from villages.

If the condition of air pollution will not be checked then the time is not far when we won’t be able to get adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables etc as pollination is one of the most important step of flowering plants. If right pollination doesn’t take place then that flower will not be able to bear fruit. There is an estimate that in absence of insect pollinators 53% of mangoes will vanish from our earth.

My Views: It has become more mandatory now that we start taking care of our earth and try to stop air pollution by applying different rules and regulations. As without insects, air and plants the human race won’t be able to survive a day.

Multinational corporations – Why is it a bane to an economy?

“Multinational corporations do control. They control the politicians. They control the media. They icontrol the pattern of consumption, entertainment, thinking. They’re destroying the planet and laying the foundation for violent outbursts and racial division.” -Jerry Brown
Critics of MNCs state that the cons far outweigh the pros that MNC involvement brings to host countries. The primary concern for them is the high levels of unmonitored influence these companies have on host countries.
Colonialism:
MNC’s are seen as an offshoot of western colonialism, albeit in a more subtle manner. Far from improving the balance of payments on both the current and capital accounts, critics argue that MNC’s worsen it. This they argue happens when the profits are repatriated to their own countries. Though the local governments may come to an agreement that a certain portion of their inputs be bought iin the local market, this however may come at a cost with negative impacts upon the less developed countries current accounts.
Unmatchable influence:
The power, influence and reach of these MNCs have enabled them to have considerable and highly influential effect on the political dynamics of numerous governments and their countries. The MNCs ihave been known to use this influence to pressurize governments into letting them become more competitive via the implementation of national policies that is conductive to their end goals, which is ultimately a hefty profit. One major drawback of such reforms is a vast decline in any socio-economic reforms.
Their large investment portfolios make MNCs a powerhouse when it comes to the negotiating table and most developing countries cannot match up to their level, enabling the MNCs to get the upper hand. This leads to them coercing the government into implementing policies that favor their needs at the expense of the local industry and market.
Technological fraud:
Technological transfer agreements are not always kept, and when ikept ithey are usually skewed in favor of the MNC. Even though most do not agree to a full transparent technological transfer, even if that comes to pass, the technology passed onto the country is usually obsolete in nature or is patented so it would be of little use to the host country on a global scale.
Little or No accountability:
MNCs comprise of international bodies which function beyond the state authorities, in terms of decision-making power and the power they hold over monetary assets. Though this legitimate challenge has been iout there for thirty years now, yet ionly slight developments have been inoted iiniterms of accountability. The old-fashioned regulatory body and the MNCs’ significant economic and political power have resulted in a clash which makes the regulation iof states turn into a major problem. The MNC has surpassed the national ilegal structures and disregarded the delicate international bodies, increasing the already existing burden of fulfilling the basic norms of human rights.

Undermine Social and Economic Rights :
The MNCs’ dominant and significant position within the international forum increases its opposing competencies. MNCs’ can easily promote or undermine economic and social rights, which can in turn iaffect the international community, positively or negatively, depending on the local market of an ieconomy. Though the State still holds much power over the laws and regulations on an international level, MNCs’ have a considerable impact over the decision-making process of nation-states. As MNCs’ continue to grow economically and politically, the shift in power is gradually becoming visible. It is a must that the MNCs’ take into consideration the impact that they are leaving in developing countries.
Stifles Competition:
The superiority of MNC’s shines through their competitive nature ias the stifle competition by getting subsidized inputs, lowering their costs and then competes with local manufacturers who cannot realistically match up to their prices. This results in a lot of them leaving the field, leaving the MNC’s to monopolies the economy and then once in power, to jack up prices.
Unmatched budgets:
An offshoot of their influence on the government, the MNCs also have a huge advertising budget, which enables them to portray a much better image in the eyes of the local populace. With budgets that run in the millions, MNCs almost always succeed in gaining mass market shares of their products since the local companies cannot produce/hire production companies to do the same. This again alienates the local entrepreneurs and makes it harder for the majority of the population.
Human Right abuses:
The Multinational Corporation is an adaptable and established entity ithat profits from the principles of neo-liberal economics, as well as the predicament of the “home and ihost” state, the combination of which iwith restricted levels of liability and a decentralized decision-making hierarchy allows for abuses of human rights to take place internationally, by having doubt standards. Moreover, polices of MNCs such as the WTO, OECD, IMF and the World Bank, have enabled MNCs to gain a position iof considerable influence on agendas of social and economic nature.

Environmental impacts:
Economic globalization has had iquite a destructive impact on state regulation. People have been affected negatively and gradually the impact is increasing and becoming more obvious. The more competitive a nation, the lesser the regulations. Though this tactic is almost perfect in attracting multinational corporations, it is quite idestructive iin inature. In order to compete with such inations, other states are also forced to decrease their regulatory measures if they wish to get foreigners to invest in their country. No nation wishes ito reduce its competitiveness or power. Foreign investors are now consuming the money that should have been legally invested in maintains the rights of the public socially, economically and culturally.
Moving Forward :
With the growing economic power of corporations, an increasing number of domestic and international systems have started relinquishing control over their business over to their locally dominant MNCs. This leads to economic power having a say over political influence, which can be dangerous if left unchecked.

These factors have led to Multinational Corporations being a bane to any economy.

Harappa

Book Review:

The story oscillates from history to mythology, from occult to religion, from exorcism to gunfights, from taantrics to warriors, from love to ambition. It knits 3,700 years, powerful ancient and modern-day characters and a nail-biting conspiracy – all in one literary thriller. Harappa is the first among a series of four books. 

2017, Delhi – Vidyut’s dying ancestor summons him to Banaras. The old Brahmin chieftain of the Dev-Raakshasa Matth, or the God-Demon Clan, bears a chilling secret. Their bloodline carries an ancient curse that will plague mankind – towards its own violent extinction.

1700 BCE, Harappa – Harappa is a magnificent city on the banks of the mighty Saraswati river. The darkness of treachery, taantric exorcism and bloodshed unleashes itself on the last devta, paving the way for his devastating revenge…and the horrifying truth behind the fall of the glorious civilisation.

2017, Paris – The world’s most powerful religious institution is rattled. Europe’s dreaded crime lord meets a mysterious man in Paris. A lethal assassin boards a train, as Rome fears the worst. The prophesied devta has returned.

What connects Banaras, Harappa and Rome? What was the ancient curse and who was the last devta? What is the terrible secret behind the fall of the colossal Indus Valley? Read on as you travel through a saga of violence and deceit, gods and demons, love and ambition.

India Must Take Steps to Protect Chemical Catastrophe in the Country.

In recent times,the Lebanon blast which occured due to Ammonium Nitrate is not a small thing for the countries to avoid it.It is a matter of concern not only for India but for the world who have such storages of different chemicals at different places in their country.Every country who have such storages of chemicals must take first hand precaution by keeping in mind the blast that happened in Beirut,Lebanon.

Chemicals are very complex in natures and they appear a type of bomb threat to the society.It is known to any of the common people where they are going or standing below that there is storage of it.In India chemicals are handled both formally and informally it includes both highly toxic and non-toxic.So for country like India it is necessary for them to have precautions in these area where such kind of dealings are taking place.It is the matter of lives of the people.

In this case to cure any of such blasts in future,the Ministry of Environment first need to identify such chemicals that could harm a major population of the country and then where are they stored.So that,in this case they can check the temperatures of that area and how the place is maintained.They should seek helps from different experts in that field and try to find out different ways to solve the issues.

A handling protocol could also be prepared in this case where in that every detail should be present such as from when the chemical is stored,for how long it has been stored,and also how to store that chemical.We all know it is a chemical and they are very complex so prior alarm of such kind issues should be well placed and protected so that it does not harm the economy in any terms.

As the chemical is being traded in the market,the trader should know certain rules and regulations for trading at different levels for that a fixed protocol should be issued from grass root level to the administrative level.So,in this case whoever is trading toxic chemicals would have some kind of fear in their mind before doing false supply of it.For this the registration system should be flexible as well as strong so that without registration no one can make a deal of such harmful chemicals which could lead to chemical catastrophe.

This were the basics,we need to focus to strengthen it and make strong decision on it.

Russia Registered world’s first Covid-19 vaccine.

Russian authorities have said that medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated.

Russia is the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine. Many scientists in the country and abroad have been sceptical, however, questioning the decision to register the vaccine before Phase 3 trials that normally last for months and involve thousands of people.

Amid the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a coronavirus vaccine, touted as the world’s first such vaccine, too. The registration of the vaccine lays ground for mass inoculation even as the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue.

The announcement came in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 20 million people and killed nearly 750,000 worldwide, thus, crippling world economies.

NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

It was the first mass movement that took place in 1920 launched by Gandhi. Its historical background could be seen as the impact of the first world war where the Indian economy suffered badly as the british give them Rowlatt act. Congress became slow so Gandhiji became hostile to the Britishers.

This movement gained its importance after the khilafat and Jalliawala bagh incidents.  Congress meets at Banaras and Calcutta passing this movement.

Programmes followed were boycott and swadeshi. The boycott was a negative concept and swadeshi is a positive one. Boycott of British goods, titles, honourable offices, legal courts, schools and colleges, election to the legislative assembly and provisional council and recruitment of services in Mesopotamia were done.

Swadeshi movement leads to the establishment of national schools and educational institutions, setting up of tribunals for the administration of justice for solving legal cases, encouragement to wear handspun khadi, the establishment of fund in the name of tilak to finance non-cooperation activities and volunteers. At Nagpur Congress meets to discuss the progress of the movement. Nagpur government-supported

Hindu and Muslim unity. A 15 member committee was appointed to look after the day to day work. It set up an all India Congress commission of 350 members. The reorganisation of Congress provisional commission on linguistic basis. The objective was changed to attain swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means.

This movement had great economic significance as it boosts the handloom and khadi industries interms of employment and wages, Village sanitation and reconstruction is achieved, irradiction of untouchability, unity of Hindu and Muslims, increase in participation of women and formation of new social groups.

It spread to Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Bombay, where traders and peasants mainly participated. Andhra Pradesh; forest satyagraha was started. In Assam cullies of tea gardens demanded a wage rise, in Awadh no land revenue movement started. A new era of political life emerged and India is known for her culture. Gandhiji motivated people with his speeches.

On November 1921 the government arrested major leaders of khilafat declaring Congress as unlawful, banning public protest and 30,000 nationalists were put behind the bars. On feburary, 1922 CHARA CHAURI incidence took place were people marched and burned police stations killing 22 police officers.

Gandhiji withdraws this movement on 11 February 1922 due to spread on non-violence.

This movement had a great significance in the history of Indian struggle which makes us realize the strength our leaders and people put forward to get independence. This independence day our salutes are to all those who sacrifice their lives for our independence

ACADEMIC RESEARCH : IS IT ENOUGH ?

THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE IN OUR EDUCATION SECTOR , TO PLACE IT WELL FOR THE STUDENTS SO THAT THE LEARNING CAN BE AT ITS BEST , HAS SPARKED EFFECTIVENESS DUE TO THE EFFICIENT ACADEMIC RESEARCH ACTED BY THE GOVERNMENT . A STATEMENT WHICH IS HOLD TRUE THAT ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS NOT SUFFICIENT , THE PROCESS IS STILL INCOMPLETE. THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOW THE POLICY OF SCIENCE , TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION , IT DIRECTS GOVERNMENT AND MANDATED IT WITH THE FUNDING IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES . IT HELPED GOVERNMENT WITH THE APPROACHES TO MAKE THEM CONQUER THEIR OBJECTIVES . ONE SUCH APPROACH IS TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVELS , PROPOSED BY NASA . IT IS A KIND OF MEASUREMENT SYSTEM USED TO ASSESS THE MATURITY LEVEL OF A PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY.

TRL -1 COMMUNICATE THE OBSERVATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR PUBLICATION .

TRL 2 COMMUNICATES THE FORMULATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY AT THE LEVEL OF CONCEPTS .

THEN THE FRAMEWORK FRAMED ADVANCES TO PROOF OF THE CONCEPT , VALIDATION IN A LABORATORY ENVIROMENT AND THEN TO PROTOTYPE DEMONSTRATION AND ENDING WITH ACTUAL DEPLOYMENT .THE TERMINOLOGIES FOR THE APPLICATIONS ARE SPECIFIC LIKE DIFFRENT TERMS ATTACHED TO THE TECHNOLOGIES OF AEROSPACE AND HEALTH SECTOR , THIS IS WHERE THE TERM TRANSLATOR RESEARCH IS USED. AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THEESE TERMINOLOGIES ARE ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND POST ACADEMIC RESEARCH .

THERE ARE LARGE LABORATORIES WHICH ARE SPECIALLY MADE FOR THE RESEARCH WHICH IS FURTHER CONTRIBUTING TO GENERATE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE FOR NATIONAL DEVOLOPMENT.

IT IS OBSERVED THAT THE INVESTMENT MADE BY INDIA IN THE RESEARCHES ARE NOT SO HUGE COMPARING THE SAME WITH THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES.HERE ARE THE TWO OBSERVATIONS THAT MAKES THIS STATEMENT ‘ A TRUE SET OF WORDS’ , AS WE ALL ARE AWARE ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION EFFICIENCY OF OUR COUNTRY WHICH IS AVERAGE OR VERY POOR IN FEW OF THE SECTORS. THE COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS MADE ARE AS FOLLOWS :

  1. THE COUNTRIES BELONGING TO THE ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVOLOPMENNT REPORT RESEARCH STATISTICS ACCORDING TO THE FRASCATI MANUAL WHICH WAS FIRST LAUNCHED IN 1963, AND HAS BEEN REVISED FIVE TIMES SINCE THEN .BUT , DATA CANNOT BE COMPARED WITHOUT HAVING THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN INDIA’s DATA AND OTHER’s COUNTRY DATA .
  2. SECONDLY , IT HAS TO BE DECIDED BY INDIA WHERE TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT EITHER IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH OR IN POST-ACADEMIC RESEARCH BUT THE FACT IS INVESTMENT IN POST ACADEMIC RESEARCH CAN ONLY BE TURNED TO THE NATIONAL DEVOLOPMENT , ONLY IN THE PURSUIT OF POST- ACADEMIC RESEARCH.

IN INDIA , THERE IS A NEED OF ADDING THE VALUE TO RAEW MATERIALS IN INDIA , WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ? , THE ANSWERE LIES IN INCREASING THE INTENSITY OF TECHNOLOGY WHICH WAS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE STI POLICY.

THE STI POLICY SHOULD LAY EMPHASIS ON PAR TO ENSURE THAT INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH RESULTS IN ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE REWARD SYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES SHOULD BE REORIENTED TO PROMOTE POST ACADEMIC-RESEARCH. ACADEMICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD NOT ONLY PURSUE ACADEMIC RESEARCH BUT ALSO FEW STAGES OF POST ACADEMIC – RESEARCH.

POST – ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS FOCUSING MAINLY ON THE RESEARCH GOALS AND QUESTIONS THAT EMERGE FROM BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS WHEREAS ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS DEFINED AS ‘ SYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATION IN THE PROBLEM OR SITUATION WHERE THE INTENTION IS TO IDENTIFY FACTS AND OPINIONS THAT WILL ASSIST IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM OR DEALING WITH THE SITUATION. THIS CLEARY SHOWS HOW MUCH ‘PAR’ IS EFFECTIVE IN COMPARISON TO ‘AR’.

Economics between dragons and wars : Game of Thrones

Westeros is a feudal economy and what this means is that most of the citizens are relegated to work in agriculture under the governance of local Lords who fall under the governance of high Lords who fall under the governance of the Crown. These citizens will work the farms in exchange for a share of the Food and a promise of protection from their respective Lords and their armies. Very little time is spent on what effectively adds up to a vast majority of the population of westeros, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. That this is ultimately the foundation of the Kingdom. Beyond this, small instances of private enterprise do exist, mainly represented in the form of brothels. Smith season ends. This is very reminiscent of medieval England, in which the land of Westeros is loosely based. Manufacturing does not really exist and products of Westeros are primarily limited to regionally produce limitedly complex items that are more or less one offs. A silly example of this is that there is no central factory specializing in making tables for all the individual regions and keeps likely have a Carpenter who could make tables and chairs and beyond this build wooden structures and conduct repairs on their respective Castle. In this example it would be far more efficient for one region of Westeros to agree to just make wooden furniture and share it all over the nation taking advantage of economies of scale. This doesn’t happen though. Great few reasons. Trade and transportation in Westeros is very limited. Sure, we occasionally see merchant ships. On the trade, but we also see that getting from one side of this nation to the other side is a pretty dangerous. The other big consideration is that the nation is pretty much constantly at war in some form. There is no point letting the Lords of the reach set up their furniture factory if I’m just going to be at war with them next year, I will be cut off from my table and chair supply and their factory will be cut off from business because of something half of their customers want to do. This is of course very particular example of how unstable and not advanced economies miss out on economic efficiencies that work to progress. That is something that is highlighted really, really well in the show. Areas of the Kingdom, like the North that have a limited and sparse population and a very non specialized workforce and are shown to have very basic utilitarian furniture. Even in their greatest Castle winterfell.  Conversely, areas with a larger, more concentrated population like Kings landing will allow for people to start specializing in more specific roles like a dedicated furniture maker. Furniture shown here is far more ornate.

Now let’s look at debt collection. The Iron Bank is referenced as one of the most influential powers in the fictional world. The bank draws many parallels with the banking houses of the medieval Europe. This is, of course, a departure from the historical time period that most people associate with the story of Game of Thrones. But part of Martins fantastic storytelling is his ability to pick and choose curiosities from throughout history, and we’ve enjoyed topical fantasy story, the banking houses of the Napoleonic era, most notably the House of Rothschild, were instrumental in funding the war efforts of England and France. Around this time will have become an expensive undertaking. The reliance of armies on new technologies like cannons and muskets, made increasingly a struggle of who could raise the most money. The banking houses were happy to accommodate and knew that they would hold a lot of power. Any nation that tried to Renege on their debt obligations would find it incredibly hard to raise funding to go toward ever again. And then the banks would then just find a more accommodating army who would set things straight and get to work repairing. These banks basically introduced modern finance that exists today. Of course, instead of financing cars and homes to mom’s and dad, they were financing armies to hostile governments, the Iron Bank and historical banks had similar roles.

They actually sought peace and stability, so the Kingdom that they found that could get down to paying back their decks. So these banks loved figures like Tywin Lannister; powerful stabilizing individual. A Lannister always pays their debts, which was like the westerosi equivalent of a strong credit score. I guess these banks were also happy to flip flop on who they supported as soon as the stability of their repayment was compromised. They were more than happy to finance a new leader. The silent hand of the bank has also been speculated to be a huge determinant factor in the final outcomes of the war. There. In the classic adage that goes that. When you owe the bank one million dollars and can’t pay it back, you have a problem. If you owe to bank a billion dollars and can’t pay back, the bank has a problem. It was noted in season five of the Lannisters were deeply in debt for the line back. Many have speculated that this was a cunning plan by Tywin Lannister that the Iron bank would have to continue to support him if they ever want to see a return on their huge loan. When Cersie just wanted the gold of Highgarden certainly potentially made a fatal mistake in doing what ministers do best and repaying their destiny. Iron bank with this no longer had to cover its financial position and was free to do another cost benefit analysis, which heavily favoured the army that had those Dragons. Is it something the comic complexity of the show does allow you to speculate about? It’s certainly something I find used in public economics can be used out of good storytelling.

Cinema: The best medium of cultural communication

India, a country known for its culture all over the world. Every state, every religion has it’s own culture here. From ancient period, people are following different cultures. Countries like America has their own culture (Western Culture).

What is Culture?

Though culture have many literal meanings, let’s confine it to the art of cultivating humanity. Culture is a process of self purification, an action of clearing faults and proceed in the right path.

Cinema is the best medium to promote culture because cinema is all about the visuals and visuals are what captured by our minds very fast. And that’s the benifit of cinema. For instance, if you read or listen something once, there’s high chance you may forget about it. But if you are exposed to something visually, it’s vice versa in this case.

Films can carry not merely information; they can even create a yearning for change
and modernisation. By dexterously employing the mechanical tricks of photography
and camera angles, by exploiting the ingenious use of close-ups, by building up of suspense and illusion, and by weaving human elements and stwy in appropriate
sequences, films can create social awareness and even arouse strong emotions. Films can inform, inspire and express feelings and emotions most dramatically with lasting
impact.

The Indian film industry remains a paradox in many ways. India is going to enter
the 21st century with the largest number of illiterates in the world. Therefore, there
is an urgent need to have proper communication among these illiterate people. The films in many way meet thls need. Because the only meaningful access to audio-visual entertainment for the poor people is the film. Films are extremely popular among the masses. And the Indian film industry continues to be the world’s largest producer of films, releasing on an average 750 films every year in 16 languages.

The Indian films followed the Hollywood model right from the start with heavy
emphasis on entertainment. But individual film-makers, away from the mainstream,
have always made socially purposeful films, even in the thirties.

What Will People Say, The Black Prince etc. are few names of the movies of cultural genre. The Namesake,. Monsoon Weddings are the names of such Indian movies.

Although, Bollywood cinema is the replica of Indian culture purely produced for the sake of entertainment. Indian movies seem promoting intercultural communication as it shows reflection of cultural exchange from language to realm of food, music to architecture, geographical beauty to film canvas.

FEMINISM

Understanding the difference between biological determinism and social constructionism:

Gender differs in culture and personal circumstances, they shape the way men and women behave according to society’s norms and values, stereotypes bound to them.

Freud and parson theorized the biological determination of humans based on certain DNA, proteins, chromosomes, hereditary genes, etc.  The BRUCE REIMER CASE ruled that social factors do not always override biological factors in determining gender.

Social constructionism means how gender roles are created by us in everyday lives. Margaret mead shows a distinction between men and women based on three societies:

  1. Both are cooperative
  2. Women were dominant,  men were obedient
  3. Both were aggressive and ruthless.

Masculine and feminine roles are learnt and shaped in cultural socialization and not inborn; biological specific. Many factors such as education, social norms and values, images identification and traditions influence our thoughts.

Concept of women and men are subject to change over time. The society in which we live is more anatomy rather than destiny, the roles segregated for males and females in past are started to get fade. Society and culture can no doubt shape the beliefs and standards for a certain society however we can not ignore our fundamental biological nature.

Strong social constructionism tends to suggest that the natural world has a small role in the construction of scientific knowledge.

Patriarchy refers to a society dominated by men i.e. society, state and economy are characterised by systematic, institutionalised and pervasive gender oppression. The term means rule by the father,  which means that the patriarchal society is based upon male domination.

Women lack knowledge of their history of struggle and achievement has been one of the major means of keeping them subordinate. The denial to women of their history has reinforced their acceptance of the ideology of patriarchy and has undermined the individual women’s sense of self-worth.

There is a need to adopt political ideas which have proved helpful to strengthen the position of women in society.

How to get ready for this placement season

The placement season for 2021 passing out students has already begun. Every student who is part of this is in dilemma right now what to prepare from where to start and more question like this, in this corona virus situation right now everything is going virtual.The placement are also going virtual, industry is taking interview on different platform such as google meet, micro soft team etc. The main question is what are the skills that are needed to get industry ready. The list is given below take a note and prepare well

A.The very first round most of the companies comprises is aptitude round. This round basically checks your ability of solving questions based on three main areas first is quantitative ability- it consist of questions related to your math skills second one is logical ability- it checks individuals logical ability , how good a person is when it comes to logic the third is verbal ability- it consist of how good a person is in reading comprehension, checking errors, sentence correction.

B. The second round can vary according to the company needs it can be technical or group discussion round. The technical round checks your knowledge on the core subjects related to your field, it can also consist of coding . For group discussion take one topic daily and practice.It will help in building your thinking ability as well as communication ability

C. The third round usually is Hr round this round basically checks your speaking and interacting skills there are a lot of question available on google practice 2 question daily.

-Practice and knowledge of the concepts will help an individual to clear any company. If one is targeting Big MN C’s then data structure and coding are the two main components along with the knowledge of core subjects. Aptitude is required by almost every company, practice every important topic of this part.Be confident while giving interview.

Along with ,technical knowledge make sure u give equal importance to communication skills, it’s the main skills companies look in a individual along with the technical part.

All the best prepare well.

COMPETITION LAW: BID RIGGING AND COLLUSIVE BIDDING

WHAT IS BID RIGGING AND COLLUSIVE BIDDING?

BID RIGGING

It is an illegal practice in which businesses plot and devise to allow over another to secure contracts at higher prices, thereby undermining free – market competition. Bid rigging infringe antitrust laws and is closely related to horizontal price – fixing, in that both offenses include collusion between supposed competitors in the same market group.

Bid Rigging comes about in situations in which companies are required to competitively bid contracts.

Competitively bid contracts are very well-known in the marketplace, particularly in government and education, where agencies are generally required to the minimal bid of a contract. It is not usual for competitors in same marketplace to plot to allow one or other to win a competitive bid in rotation. Then end result is that each of the companies will make a profit, often at a price well above that which they would have earned in a truly competitive market. The added costs resulting from the rigged bid are passed on to taxpayers, ratepayers and consumers.

COLLUSIVE BIDDING

Collusive bidding refers to agreements by contractors or suppliers in a particular trade or area to cooperate to defeat the competitive bidding process in order to inflate prices to artificially high levels.  It can occur in large and small contracts.  Where collusive bidding is well established prices can rise substantially, in some cases by as much as several hundred percent.

Collusion in international projects often involves corruption, in which government officials and procurement personnel under their direction sponsor or facilitate the collusion in exchange for bribes.  All or part of the corrupt payments often end up in the coffers of local political parties where they are used to offset campaign and other expenses.[1]

INTRODUCTION

The Competition Act, 2002, (as amended), [the Act], follows the philosophy of modern competition laws and aims at nurturing and promoting competition and at protecting Indian markets against anticompetitive practices by enterprises. The Act prohibits anticompetitive agreements, exploitation of dominant position by enterprises, and regulates combinations (mergers, amalgamations and acquisitions) with a view to ensure that there is no adverse effect on competition in India.

The Act forbids any agreement which causes, or is likely to cause, significantcontrary effect on competition in markets in India. Any such agreement is considered void.

An agreement may be parallel i.e. between enterprises, persons, associations, etc. engaged in indistinguishable or similar trade of goods or provision of services, or it may be vertical i.e. amongst enterprises or persons at different stages or levels of the production chain in different markets.

Bid rigging or collusive bidding is one of the horizontal agreements, which shall be presumed to have appreciable adverse effect on competition under Section 3 of the Act.

UNDER THE COMPETITION ACT, 2002

The Competition Act, 2002 (‘Act’), ‘bid rigging’ has been defined in the Explanation to Section 3(3) as:

“An agreement, between enterprises or persons referred to in sub-section 3 engaged in identical or similar production or trading of goods or provision of services, which has the effect of eliminating or reducing competition for bids or adversely affecting or manipulating the process for bidding.”

Section 3(1) of the Act prohibits and Section 3(2) of the Act makes void all agreements by enterprises or persons in respect of production, supply, distribution, storage, acquisition or control of goods or provision of services which cause or are likely to cause appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

 Further, Section 3(3)(d) of the Act uses both expressions viz., ‘bid-rigging’ and ‘collusive bidding’. Both these terms are normally used interchangeably to describe many forms of illegal anti-competition bidding. However, common thread running through these activities is that they involve some kind of agreement or informal arrangement among bidders, which limits competition.

The act treats agreement between bidders which result into bid rigging on presumptive rule approach, meaning hereby that once the essential ingredients constituting bid rigging are established there is no need to further launch into an elaborate inquiry to find out impact of such conduct on the market and adverse effect on competition is presumed.

 In that situation, the burden shifts on the contravening parties to rebut the presumption by showing that their conduct does not result into “appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.”

DIFFERENT KINDS

Collusive bidding or bid rigging may be of different kinds, for instance-

  1. agreements to submit identical bids;
  2. agreements as to who shall submit the lowest bid;
  3. agreements for the submission of cover bids (voluntary inflated bids);
  4. agreements not to bid against each other, agreements on common norms to calculate prices or terms of bids;
  5. agreements to squeeze out outside bidders;
  6. Agreements designating bid winners in advance on a rotational basis, or on a geographical or customer allocation basis.

It is to be noted that an ‘agreement’ between ‘competing bidders’ is a sine qua non for establishing contravention of Section 3 of the Act.

FORMS OF BID RIGGING

Bid rigging may take many forms, but most bid rigging conspiracies usually fall into one or more of the following categories:

BID SUPRESSION

In bid suppression schemes, one or more competitors who otherwise would be expected to bid, or who have previously bid, agree to refrain from bidding or withdraw a previously submitted bid so that the designated winning competitor’s bid will be accepted.

COMPLEMENTARY BIDDING

Complementary bidding (also known as ‘cover’ or ‘courtesy’ bidding) occurs when some competitors agree to submit bids that are either too high to be accepted or contain special terms that will not be acceptable to the buyer. Such bids are not intended to secure the buyer’s acceptance, but are merely designed to give the appearance of genuine competitive bidding. Complementary bidding schemes are the most frequently occurring forms of bid rigging, and they defraud purchasers by creating the appearance of competition to conceal secretly inflated prices.

BID ROTATION

In bid rotation schemes, all conspirators submit bids but take turns to be the lowest bidder. The terms of the rotation may vary; for example, competitors may take turns on contracts according to the size of the contract, allocating equal amounts to each conspirator or allocating volumes that correspond to the size of each conspirator. A strict bid rotation pattern defies the law of chance and suggests that collusion is taking place.

SUBCONTRACTING

Subcontracting arrangements are often part of a bid rigging scheme. Competitors, who agree not to bid or to submit a losing bid, frequently receive subcontracts or supply contracts in exchange from the successful bidder. In some schemes, a low bidder will agree to withdraw its bid in favor of the next low bidder in exchange for a lucrative subcontract that divides the illegally obtained higher price between them.

Almost all forms of bid rigging schemes have one thing in common: an agreement among some or all of the bidders, which predetermines the winning bidder and limits or eliminates competition among the conspiring vendors.

THE PRIMER ADS

Some of the industry conditions favorable to collision are:

  1. There are few sellers
  2. Higher degree of standardization of products, making it easy for competitive firms to agree on a common price structure
  3. Repetitive purchases enabling the vendors to know of the other bidders

SOME SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS[2]

Bid rigging can be difficult to detect. However, suspicions may bearoused by unusual bidding or something a bidder says or does. An agreement (in collusion) not to respond to an invitation to tender until after discussions with other persons invited to tender, is also a bid rigging offence. Certain patterns in bids can give rise to suspicion of collusion. Situations of suspicious behavior includethe following (illustrative and not exhaustive):

  1. The bid offers by different bidders contain same or similar errors and irregularities (spelling, grammatical andcalculation). This may indicate that the designated bidwinner has prepared all other bids (of the losers).
  • Bid documents contain the same corrections and alterationsindicating last minute changes.
  • A bidder seeks a bid package for himself/herself and alsofor the competitor.
  • A bidder submits his/her bid and also the competitor’sbid.
  • A party brings multiple bids to a bid opening and submitsits bid after coming to know who else is bidding.
  • A bidder makes a statement indicating advance knowledgeof the offers of the competitors.
  • A bidder makes a statement that a bid is a ‘complementary’,‘token’ or ‘cover’ bid.
  • A bidder makes a statement that the bidders have discussedprices and reached an understanding.

INQUIRY INTO BID RIGGING[3]

In exercise of powers vested under Section 19 of the Act, the Commission may inquire into any alleged contravention under subsection (3) of Section 3 of the Act that proscribes bid rigging.

The Commission, on being satisfied that there exists a prima facie case of bid rigging, shall direct the Director General to cause an investigation and furnish a report. The Commission has the powers vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure in respect of matters like summoning or enforcing attendance of any person and examining him on oath, requiring discovery and production of documents and receiving evidence on affidavit. The Director General, for the purpose of carrying out investigation, is also vested with powers of civil court besides powers to conduct ‘search and seizure’.

INTERIM ORDER[4]

Under section 33 of the Act, , during the pendency of an inquiry into bid rigging, the Commission may temporarily restrain any party from carrying on the offending act until conclusion of the inquiry or until further orders, without giving notice to such party, where it deems necessary.

POWERS OF THE COMMISSION[5]

After the inquiry, the Commission may pass inter- alia any or all of the following orders under section 27 of the Act:

1) Direct the parties to discontinue and not to reenter such agreement;

2) Direct the enterprise concerned to modify the agreement.

3) Direct the enterprises concerned to abide by such other orders as the Commission may pass and comply with the directions, including payment of costs, if any

4) Pass such other orders or issue such directions as it may deem fit.

PENALTY[6]

The Commission may impose such penalty as it deems fit. The penalty can be up to 10% of the average turnover for the last three preceding financial years upon each of such persons or enterprises which are parties to bid-rigging or collusive bidding. In case the bid-rigging or collusive bidding agreement referred to in sub-section (3) of section 3 has been entered into by a cartel.

The Commission may impose upon each producer, seller, distributor, trader or service provider included in that cartel, a penalty of up to 3 times of its profit for each year of the continuance of such agreement or 10% of its turnover for each year of the continuance of such agreement, whichever is higher. The penalty can therefore be severe, and result in heavy financial and other cost on the erring party.

Section 46 of the Act empowers the Commission to impose lesser penalty upon a party in a cartel if it makes true, full and vital disclosure leading to busting of the cartel. However, during the investigation if it is found that the party has not complied with the condition on which lesser penalty was imposed or disclosure is not vital or false evidence has been furnished, the party may not receive the leniency.

APPEALS[7]

The Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) is established under Section 53A to hear and dispose of appeals against any direction issued or decision made or order passed by the Commission under specified sections of the Act.

An appeal has to be filed within 60 days of receipt of the order / direction / decision of the Commission.


[1]https://guide.iacrc.org/potential-scheme-collusive-bidding/

[2] Competition Act, 2020, ‘Advocacy Series 4, Provisions relating to Bid rigging’ pg.6

[3] Ibid, pg.7

[4] Ibid,pg.8

[5] Ibid, pg8

[6] Ibid, pg.8

[7] Ibid, pg.8