Online learning platforms

What do you mean by an online learning platform?

The online learning platform is a website where students can learn online. They can attend all the lectures, recordings, live classes and tests. Online learning platform are very easy to attend. It is very helpful because you can do from your own comfort zone.

From 2020 onwards when covid – 19 came from that time the online learning platforms are very much active and have came forward to help the students with their academics.

Some of the best online learning platforms are below –

1. Skill share

Skill share is a online learning platform where you can get free trial for 1 month and you can cancel at any time before the month get over to not being charged. In skill share you get all the courses on ver high quality. The lectures are very good. You can easily learn from their videos

2. Unacademy

Unacademy is an Indian online platform where you can get all the live classes and recordings after you get subscription. They take a fee from Rs 1200 to Rs 6200 per annum. They also prepare for all the competitive exams like UPSC, NEET, JEE, CUET and many more.

3. Udemy

Udemy is a online learning platform where you can learn various course in all the particular fields. In udemy there are 49 millions students have been enrolled. You can learn various programmes like python, programming, photography and more.

4. Coursera

Coursera is a online learning platform where that provide top learning courses from top educators around the world. It has 23 million users. Coursera provides university level courses and certification programmes.

5. edX

edX is a MOOC platform that offers university level online courses. You can enroll onedX and learn various courses according to your interests and make you career growth personally and professionally.


A brief history of Yoga in India

 One cannot imagine Indian culture and heritage without the presence of Yoga. Tracing its root in ancient India, Yoga is known as an art of attaining spiritual and mental peace.

Yoga has evolved over the course of time and is considered an effective means of maintaining physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to unite’. Every Yogic mudra focuses on spiritual alignment between the mind and body, for attaining inner peace. 

A brief history of Yoga in India

Yoga traces down its history thousands of years ago in India, early traces were found in the Pre-Vedic period (2700 B.C.). Yoga developed prominently between 500 BC-800 A.D. and has evolved since then. Sage Maharshi Patanjali codified the existing Yoga practices that had been in practice, and which are now performed worldwide. Today in contemporary times, Yoga is a means to preserve and maintain health. It has helped individuals with their well-being, from generation to generation.

Yoga and Indian Culture

Yoga has a presence in the folk traditions, Vedic, and Upanishadic heritage of India. Yoga tends to the body, mind, emotions, and energy and follows four major oaths namely: Karma Yoga focused on the body; Bhakti Yoga focused on emotions; Gyana Yoga, which focused on intellect; and Kriya Yoga, which focused on energy.

In olden times, Yoga education was imparted by gurus in ashrams. In today’s time, several Yoga institutes and colleges are providing lessons on Yoga across India.

Actions@75, The Future of Yoga in India!

“Yoga guarantees wellness as well as fitness. Yoga is not merely an exercise but a way to attain peace through physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.”

―  Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India is referred to as the land of Yoga and is continuing to take initiative for promoting the importance of Yoga education. The United Nations General Assembly honored the suggestion of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and declared ‘21st June’ as the International Day of Yoga. This aims to make people aware of the significance of Yoga and the positive changes it can yield in everyday life.

The International Day of Yoga in India is celebrated every year since 2015 with distinct themes such as ‘Yoga for Harmony and Peace’, ‘Connect the Youth’, ‘Yoga for Health, and Yoga at Home’ reflecting the emergence of Yoga as a path for maintaining well-being.

The government aims to equip more and more people with the knowledge of Yoga, preserve Yogic heritage, and introduce it to future generations. Yoga has become a part of the curriculum in schools across the country.  The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH, has created eight Yoga outpatient clinics in Delhi and Haryana Government hospitals.

Summing it up

At a time when the world is facing the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoga can have positive effects on the mind and physical well-being of individuals. Increasing the involvement of youth in Yoga can yield a generation of Yoga instructors, learners, and promoters who can be the future flag bearers of Yogic culture and heritage.

Shri Anurag Thakur urges youth to hoist Tiranga at their homes from 13-15th August

 Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur  urged the youth to unfurl Tiranga at their homes from 13th to 15th August 2022  as a part of the celebration of “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign in the country. He said that today being the “August Kranti” Diwas  our youth should take oath to hoist Tiranga at the top of the world by contributing with their dedication and hard work in their respective field.   Shri Anurag said that our national flag is not mere a piece of cloth but the power of Tricolour unites 130 crore Indians. He further said that our youth should take pledge that they will keep the country united and will take India forward and make India stronger. He was addressing during a Youth conference  held with the members of Nehru Yuva Kendra, NSS volunteers and different Yuva Mandals in Shimla today. The programme was organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Shimla (HP).

While interacting with the youth, he called for inculcating the feeling of patriotism and national integration among the younger generation through Bharat Darshan programme. He said that every youth should visit and see the other places and  parts of their State and the country which will infuse a sense of belonging and patriotism among them and help them becoming responsible citizens. He also mentioned about the role of the “EK Bharat Shreshth Bharat” (EBSB) programme in breaking the barriers of language, culture and different cuisines of different states thus bringing youths of different states closer to each other. The Minister said that it will work towards maintaining  the unity and integrity of the nation and thus will enhance the glory of India.

In a candid discussion with the participants, Shri Anurag Thakur tried to know the views of the youth on the different issues and problems in the country.  He discussed the issues of women empowerment, Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat, skill development, role of sports, Fit India movement and carrier counseling threadbare with the youths of Nehru Yuva Kendra, NSS volunteers and different Yuva Mandals. He expressed hope that such meetings will continue in future also so that youth of this country can come to know about the Government schemes and can approach the Government.

The Minister also mentioned about the achievements of the  Central  Government schemes like the Har Ghar Jal Yojna,  sanitation drive Ujala, Ujwala Yojna,  and Digital India etc.  He said that to promote the Fit India movement he has established 250 gyms in his parliamentary constituency.

While replying to the questions of the media persons, he said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendera Modi India  has done remarkable progress in every sphere. He said that in sports our achievements have increased manifold as results of the recent Commonwealth Games show that India got 61 medals and scored 4th position in the tournament.

 

******

WIPS (Forum for Women in Public Sector) formation day celebrated at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

 Silver Jubilee of WIPS (Forum for Women in Public Sector) formation day was celebrated in VSP today in a grand manner. Addressing the women employees of RINL, Shri Atul Bhatt, CMD, RINL-VSP in his address, lauded the exceptional contribution by the women fraternity of RINL in turning around the company after six years of making losses.” I am very happy to note that Women in Public Sector (WIPS) of RINL, which was established in 1997 has completed 25 long and successful years and is celebrating silver Jubilee this year”, Shri Atul Bhatt said.  He congratulated all the women employees of RINL on this special occasion and appreciated them for their active role in improving the awareness on the role of women in the society.

Shri Atul Bhatt congratulated Ms.PV Sindhu, for bagging the prestigious gold at the Commonwealth Games in Badminton women’ singles competition and said that it is matter of pride for entire RINL family that Ms. PV Sindhu is the brand ambassador of RINL.

Shri Atul Bhatt complimented Ms. Sheela Priyadarsini, Chief General Manager & head of the department -Materials Management, RINL for efficiently handling the extremely complex supply chain management of steel plant. “It is heartening to note that more number of women are joining RINL and it is a matter of pride to note that women are increasingly and gradually seen marching into domains which were once reserved only for men like the armed forces.I would like to compliment WIPS of RINL for their active role in improving the awareness about the role of women in society and the various programmes they undertake for this cause.”, Shri Atul Bhatt added.

Shri Atul Bhatt thanked Dr.GitanjaliBatmanabane for her gracious presence and said that her presence and message will certainly inspire the women participants to scale greater height in professional life.

The Guest of honour, Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane, Pro-Vice Chancellor, GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research(GIMSR) highlighted the need for women to develop the culture of courage to encounter the difficulties being faced in the society for success in their life. She said that India is known for youngest population and next gen women would play a dominant role in variety of fields. Dr.Gitanjali Batmanabane, Shri Atul Bhatt and Directors of RINL felicitated some of the women employees of RINL and also gave prizes to winners of various competitions held on the occasion.

*****

India and United States are committed to take the bilateral cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation to next level

 A US delegation of the premier National Science Foundation (NRF), currently on visit to India, today called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed bilateral collaboration between the two countries as well as the ways to carry this collaboration to the next level.

 

 

Dr. Kendra Sharp, Head, Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), National Science Foundation (NSF) of USA, Brian Stone, Chief of Staff, NSF, USA, Dr. Bridget Turaga Program Director, Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), NSF, Drew Schufletowski, Minister Counselor for Economic, Environment, Science and Technology Affairs, United States Embassy in India, William Harford Chief of Environment, Science, and Technology Unit, United States Embassy and Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan Director, National Science Foundation of United States, among others, were part of the delegation joined the meeting.

During the delegation level talks, Dr Jitendra Singh said, both the sides have already identified the sectors and collaboration is on in areas like healthcare, technology, Space, earth and ocean science, energy, emerging technologies and cooperation in Science & Technology education. The Minister underlined that India and the United States have a long-standing connection and shared interest when it comes to scientific discovery and technological innovations and time has come to strengthen and leverage these connects for larger global good.

Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) of United States and head of the delegation Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan assured Dr Jitendra Singh that the subjects identified in the two-day brainstorming session would be taken to logical conclusion. He also promised to open new avenues of cooperation in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Geosciences and Astrophysics.

 

 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always accorded highest priority to scientific pursuits and takes keen personal interest in each of the subjects. He said, since 2014, in every Independence Day speech, PM Modi has flagged key scientific challenges and projects like Cleanliness, Hydrogen Mission, Digital Health Care system, clean energy, net zero emission and Start-ups.

Dr Jitendra Singh told the NSF delegation that both sides must focus on meaningful, targeted, deliverable-driven R&D partnerships in technology areas such Quantum, Metaverse, Clean Energy Technologies, Cyber-Physical Systems, Advanced Materials and Communications Technologies. The Minister pointed out that the Indian Scientific diaspora is one of the world’s largest and powerful diaspora communities in shaping global discourse, particularly in the technological innovation landscape. He said, both the countries must explore avenues for the US and India to jointly identify, nurture, and promote deep-tech start-ups in areas of mutual interest.

Dr Jitendra Singh also sought the support of NSF for the proposed Integrated Data System. He said, data collection at present is being done by various institutions in different ways, but the Integrated Data System will go a long way in data analytics and associated benefits. The Minister said, the knowledge partnership with NSF-National Centre for Science and Engineering Statistics will be of great value addition in terms of long-term capacity development in this area.

Dr Jitendra Singh also called for scaling up the cooperation in the Space sector and mainly in emerging areas like management of space debris. He also recalled that the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite is expected to be launched in 2023. The Minister said, Science and technology education partnership has been another dimension of the outreach—to establish linkages between American and Indian institutions and students. Education Roundtable held last year with participation of a number of STEM-focused universities.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA, Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser, Office of PSA, Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Adviser, Office of PSA, Dr. Sindura Ganapathi, PSA Fellow, hri Shirish Panda, Scientist ‘D’, Office of PSA and Dr. B. Chagun Basha, Senior Specialist, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India joined the talks from Indian side.

 


NSF to reach out to unrepresented education institutions

 The US National Science  Foundation has expressed keenness to deepen and widen its collaborations with India in the education and skilling sectors. NSF Director Shri  Sethuraman Panchanathan met the Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi today, to discuss mutual areas of interest and India’s plans for STEM studies under the National Education Policy 2020. 

2022-08-09 15:59:31.677000

Speaking at the meeting Shri Pradhan emphasized that India’s strength lies in its young demographics and strong knowledge base. He said a wealth of  talent is available in various institutions across different regions of the  country, waiting to be nurtured. NSF should therefore  look at increasing its engagement with lesser known and hitherto unrepresented institutions  like NITs, Central Universities and State Universities in addition to the premier  institutions in the country.  Referring to the education- skill continuum that is being created in accordance with NEP 2020, Shri Pradhan also emphasized the necessity of  bringing the  skill sector within the ambit of such collaboration by reaching out to institutions like polytechnics, ITIs and community colleges. He said it was top priority and responsibility of his Government to ensure that all youth, whether in  mainstream academics or in the formal or informal skill sector, get equal opportunity to quality education and skilling so that they are equipped to face the twenty first century challenges. 

NSF is an independent federal agency with the responsibility of promoting  scientific discovery, technological innovation and STEM education. With a budget of  US$8.8 billion, NSF is the major source of federal funding in fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences . India’s engagements with the NSF include six Technology Innovation Hubs under which 8 institutions like IITs, IISc Bangalore and others are collaborating in 30 projects and some projects on Cyber Security. Director NSF is in India to explore ways to enhance these engagements.

Echoing India’s priorities Shri Panchanathan said that like India, inclusivity and accessibility of quality education are  a priority with the US Government too. He assured that NSA would reach out for collaboration with unrepresented institutions including those involved in skilling, so that talent in these places can also be nurtured.

Shri Pradhan has asked the Ministry of Education, led by AICTE, to prepare a framework for further engagement with the NSF, also consulting other relevant Ministries  in this regard.

*****


22nd ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ at Rabindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai

 Maharashtra Governor Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari inaugurated the 22nd ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ at Rabindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai today. The five-day drama festival (being held from August 9 to August 13, 2022) is being jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Akademi in the city to pay tribute to our freedom fighters. Veteran actress Rohini Hattangadi, Producer Director Satish Kaushik and Vani Tripathi Tikku also graced the inauguration ceremony in Mumbai today.  The Director of National School of Drama (NSD), Professor Ramesh Chandra Goud presided over the programme. 

Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Governor said that theatre is an important medium to spread joy, promote awareness and protect our rich heritage and culture.  Theatre has also an important role in showing us how we should be as a nation and society, he added. When the stories of great people such as freedom fighters are told through the plays of National Theatre Festival, it will provide inspiration for citizens to imbibe their qualities and make similar contribution, said the Governor. Speaking about the great role played by the NSD in shaping good actors, he expressed hope that more talented actors will come up from NSD. The Governor said that more theatre artists should come up and contribute positively to the society. Recalling that today is the 80th anniversary of the launch of Quit India Movement from Mumbai, the Governor wished all success for the Bharat Rang Mahotsav which showcases the contribution of Indian freedom fighters.

Actor Vani Tripathi said, “It is commendable that NSD has identified plays showcasing the stories of our freedom fighters from across the country. We all need to work together to make our youth too aware about the festival and the stories being portrayed in the plays of the festival”. Actor Rohini Hattangadi said, “This drama festival organized by the National School of Drama on the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav is a commendable initiative and it is an inspiration to the younger generation”.

NSD Director Professor Ramesh Chandra Goud stated that NSD has taken this initiative to remember the brave freedom fighters through various programmes on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Besides, a play called ‘Kargil Ek Shauryakatha’ was staged on Kargil Vijay Diwas a few days back, he added.

The festival is open for public. The festival will showcase plays of renowned theatre directors based on life and sacrifices of our freedom fighters. Hindi Drama ‘I am Subhash’ by Bhopal based theatre group ‘The Rising Society of Art and Culture’ and directed by Chandrahas Tiwari will be played on the first day of the festival. On August 10, Hindi play ‘Gandhi-Ambedkar’ by Mumbai-based Samyak Theatre and directed by Dr. Mangesh Bansod will be performed. Rupesh Pawar’s Hindi play “August Kranti” will be staged by Nagpur-based group ‘Rashtrabhasha Parivar Samajik Sanskritik Sanstha’  on August 11 and Marathi play “Tilak and Agarkar” directed by Sunil Joshi will be presented by Mumbai-based Abhijat Natya Sanstha and Shri Aryadurga Creations on August 12. The festival will conclude on August 13 with the Bhopal-based KARWAAN theatre group’s Hindi play ‘Rang De Basanti Chola’ which is directed by Mohammad Nazir Qureshi.

Over the five day festival in Mumbai, noted theatre personalities from Maharashtra will be felicitated from the stage of Bharat Rang Manch. This list includes Sohani Kumar, Anand Panchal, Ullas Surve, Chandrashekhar vaman kirdavkar, Pange Rohidas, Sharad Sawant, Lau Raul, Nayana Apte, Balu Mama Ghodke, Sushma Deshpande and Abhiram Bhadakmakar.

As part of the 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav, 2022 (Azadi Segment), 30 plays are being showcased in Delhi, Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Amritsar, Bengaluru and Mumbai from 16th July to 14th August, 2022. Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) (भारत रंग महोत्सव) or the National Theatre Festival, started in 1999, is the annual theatre festival organized by National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. Bharat Rang Manch was started to stimulate the growth and development of theatre across the country. Originally a national festival showcasing the work of the most creative theatre workers in India, it has evolved to international scope, hosting theatre companies from around the world, and is now the largest theatre festival of Asia. The National School of Drama is India’s premier theatre training institute funded by Govt. Of India.

*** 

e-learning platforms

 e-learning platforms

An online learning platform or e-learning is a web portal educational content that provides everything related to learning on one platform like lectures, training, resources, courses, changes to meet other students, etc. It is one of the best to learn at any time and anywhere and monitor students’ progress.
These platforms provide a lot of benefits like self-paced learning, work from home, improved technical, communication, and critical thinking skills even at very low cost, better time management, etc.
After the pandemic, the use of online learning platforms has risen because during covid educational system have been shaken all over the world and online learning platform has helped a lot to get education from home while closing educational institutions.
You need to just sign in to the e-learning website and you are good to go. You can select the course of your choice to learn. Some website provides free courses and other may require pay monthly subscription cost. Online classes are provided through online learning platforms.
There are various online learning platforms where a lot of quality education courses are provided by experts. These platforms are:
1. SWAYAM= SWAYAM is a program initiated by the Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity, and quality. The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.
2. Coursera= Coursera is a popular online education platform that offers courses from top education providers around the world. Over the years, the company has grown rapidly and provides the world’s best standards of education through Massive open online courses. This online learning platform partners with universities including Stanford, Duke, Penn, Princeton, Michigan, Peking, and HEC Paris and companies like IBM, Google, and PwC. Overall, they have 190 active partners from 48 countries. 
3. Skillshare= Skillshare is an online education platform that is beneficial for both students and teachers. The website offers thousands of courses related to design, business, marketing, technology, photography, film, fashion, music, gaming, cooking, writing, and DIY. crafts, and more. Instructors can easily create classes through the step-by-step guidelines provided by the platform. This platform offers referral compensation for teachers if any of the students subscribe to the premium package.

4. BYJU’s= Byju’s is an Indian E-learning Company Headquartered in Bangalore, and they provide classes to CBSE, ICSE & State Boards. Byju’s had ventured into providing study material for competitive govt. exams such as UPSC CSE, Bank Exam, and other Government exams. It also includes various entrance exams such as JEE, NEET, CAT, GATE, etc. 

5.LinkedIn Learning= LinkedIn Leaning is a massive open learning website that covers a wide variety of creative, technology, and business courses. It has been offering informative and clear video-based training for individuals, corporate, and academics. The site is quite famous for teaching skills such as photography and coding.
6. Udemy= Udemy is a popular online learning platform that gives people a chance to develop their careers and explore a wide variety of hobbies. From web development to public speaking, they offer a broad range of courses. Reputed companies like Booking.com, Lyft, Adidas, and General Mills use the business plan of Udemy. Udemy provides great support for instructors. They can create, share and promote their courses via re-targeting ads, search and discovery, email campaigns, and external partner promotion.
7. edX= edX is an open learning platform that offers university-level online courses. It has over 120 institutional partners like Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Delft, RWTH, Sorbonne, and more. The platform offers six different types of programs – one-off courses, Micro Master’s Program, Professional Certificates, Global Freshmen Academy, and XSeries Program.

8. Unacademy= Unacademy mainly started as an online platform for the Competitive examination such as UPSC, SSC, RRB, GATE, Bank Jobs, JEE, NEET, etc. Later on, Unacademy started classes for the student from class 6 to 12th. It’s one of the biggest hubs of educators started as a YouTube channel now they have more than 1 million video lessons with 14k educators.
 E-learning is the future of education. Now people are shifting towards it because it saves a lot of time and money. You can learn anything apart from your academics and enhance your skills.

Cultural diversity and it's types

Cultural diversity and it’s types

Cultural diversity

The things you do and the practices you were taught inform who you become . Culture is a broad term that encompasses beliefs , values , norms , behaviours, and overall can be understood as our ” way of being”. 

Everyone has their own culture and beliefs . In India also people follow different cultures, every state has their own culture even the every place has their own culture and people of that place follow it .

Cultural diversity is about appreciating that society is made up of many different groups with different interests, skills, talents and needs . It also means that you recognise that people in society can have different religious beliefs and sexual orientation to you .

Importance of culture 

Cultural diversity is important everywhere as every person has their own culture so if we work on a company different people of different cultures are present there and all of them has their own cultural belief so it is important to understand everyone culture and work according to that .
As everyone follow their culture their thinking is also different so it gives out creative and innovative ideas when these ideas are combined one more idea will come up with that which provide benefit to the company.

Types of cultural diversity 

1. Cultural diversity – 

This type of diversity is related to each person’s ethnicity and it’s usually the set of norms we get from the society we were raised in our families values. Having different cultures in the workplace is more common in multinational companies.

2. Race diversity – 

Race has to do with a person’s grouping based on physical traits ( despite the dominant scientific view that race is a socialist construct and not biologically defined ) . Examples of races are Caucasian , African , Latino , and Asian.

3. Religious diversity – 

This type of diversity refers to the presence of multiple religions and spiritual beliefs ( including lack thereof ) in the workplace.

4. Age diversity – 

Age diversity means working with people of different ages and , most importantly, generations. For example, millennials, GenZers and GenXers can coexist in the same workplace.

5. Sex / Gender / Sexual orientation – 

Sex and gender can be used in the traditional sense of male and female employees. For example, you may sometimes hear the term “gender balance” used by companies trying to achieve a 50- 50 balance between employees who identify as female. But as gender is increasingly redefined, the term ” gender diversity” may be more appropriate, since there are multiple variations in gender and sexual orientation.

6. Disability – 

There are various types of disabilities or chronic conditions included here, ranging from mental to physical. Companies often make reasonable accommodations to help people with disabilities integrate into the workplace, such as installing ramps for wheelchairs or providing mental health support. Some companies also adjust their hiring process to make sure it’s inclusive. 

BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

 British and American English


Language is a very powerful tool and everyone use our abilities in infinite different varieties. We are all judged by the way we speak and write things. The English language has acquired the status of global language. English language had continued to evolve constantly , its flexible and accepted words from other foreign languages also. Today there are different forms of English mainly American, Australian, British, Canadian, Indian, Pidgin.

After the British established their colonies in America. The English language was used by many indigenous people. They were influenced by the colonizers. Americans also began to use and take words from Indians. They wanted to know native language so that they can identify animals, objects, physical features and trees that were specific in different places. New words were formed such as wigwam, tomahawk, raccoon.

When people started to travel from different parts of the world to America. They traveled to begin a new life and ideas which they brought with them influenced American English. The grammar and the sentence pattern formed remain intact. Pronunciation varied and there were difference in the lexis. The spellings of words differ in British and American English. For example, the difference in the spelling of the word manoeuvre(Br) and maneuver (Am). The word manoeuvre means movements of troops in a war, skillful plan, artifice etc.In India we tend to use both the varieties as we have influence from both countries.

The main difference is that in British English the spelling of different words are borrowed or absorbed from other languages such as from German and French. In American English spellings are mainly based on the way the words are sounded when they are spoken.

Other words are Cheque in British English and check used in American English . Some words change will be made in their endings such as license (British English) becomes licence (American English). The word civilization (American English) change to civilisation (British English). There are some variations in preposition also. For example, Monday to Friday (British English) in American English it is Monday through Friday. Apartment (American English), in British English it is flat. Automobile in American English, in British English it is car. Candy (American English), in British English it is sweets. Railroad (American English) in British English it is railway.

American English          British English

Elevator                            Lift 

Fall                                    Autumn

Kid                                    Child

Shot                                   Injection

Sidewalk                          Pavement

Store                                 Shop

Online platforms for learning

 Online platforms for learning

Today learning has become easier than before as now people can get any course or degree online from the comfort of home. if anyone just wants to explore a topic or to learn new skills then they can easily go on google and search for it and they will find end no platform where they can learn. 

How virtual learning platforms are good:

  • it has an effective remote learning experience 
  • get instant feedback from teachers 
  • learn in a safe environment as per your schedule or timings with comfort
  • get more time which spoiled in traveling to school

today we will discuss some online platforms from which you can learn any skills:

1: skillshare:

skillshare is a vast platform online wh possesses a library of over 20000 classes. it has earned the honor of being he top learning online platform. it consists of a presentation which has a duration of around 20 min with a class project.

skillshare membership contains:

  • 2-month free trial
  • free membership allows you to have access to 2000 classes
  • its premium membership is $15 per month and $ 99 for a year.

2: Coursera :

coursera provides various certificate, degree programs , and general courses which makes you excel in a field for your success. here the students bring education from top educational institutions and companies like duke university, standard, or Google.

what Coursera provides you:

  • free courses
  • the degree program includes MBA, computer science
  • professional certification in digital marketing

these all courses can help a person in development or enhance their skills for getting success in his career.

3:Udemy:

Udemy is low-cost education or learning option for anyone who wants to learn design, web development, marketing, music, and many more. it has around 155000 classes in which you can choose whichever you want as per your course or interest.

4:MOOC:

It stands for a massive open online course . as it is an extension of EDx. it is a great free online platform where you can learn free and can build your career in the field of engineering, data science, computer science business, and management.
 

5: EDx:

 it’s a great platform where you get to learn from top universities like Harvard, MIT many more. micro bachelor and micro master programs help adults to speed up their careers fastly with low-expense programs.

How to choose the best online platform:

  • How old are you like what are u looking for well it will depend upon your age as every platform is not made for everyone so choose the right one.
  • how many students does a platform teach at a time there are students who can not study with thousands of people at a time so decide it 
  • does they offer extra help if the student is not able to understand the class.

I hope it will help you in understanding how the digital era is changing and providing endless opportunities in the education field for learning.

 

Factors that lead to poor Performance of Employees

 It is important for an organization to identify the factors that have a crippling effect on the performance of an employee at the workplace and make suitable corrections.Thus, it is important for an organization to identify the factors that have a crippling effect on the performance of an employee at the workplace and make suitable corrections.The following are the factors that lead to poor performance of employees at the workplace.

Personality or Ego Clashes: This in general, is seen between two people with opposing personalities. The problem creeps in when there is mistrust between both the parties with respect to their motives and character.

Stress: The modern workplace is full of demands, deadlines, etc. There are employees who sustain and perform under pressure while there are employees who succumb to this rising pressure. Thus, an aggressive environment where the stress levels are high will prove detrimental to employee performance.

Heavy Workloads: If there is an alarming increase in workload, employees sometimes become disgruntled with their work and this is reflected in the quality of work. It also takes a toll on their health and demoralizes them.

Inadequate Resources: Adequate time and material resources should be available to employees to enable them perform their work easily. This will help them perform to the best of their ability and be proud of their achievements.

Poor Leadership from the Top Management: A supervisor motivates his subordinates, instills confidence, and evokes enthusiasm with regard to their work. But if the same supervisor engages in aggressive and punitive behavior, it results in harassment at the workplace. 

Lack of Role Clarity: This happens when two different workers are given incompatible roles at the same time. This lack of clarity in workers’ objectives and expectations creates tension between the employees and results in conflicts.

Lack of Clarity about Accountability: Lack of accountability results when there is no clarity amongst the employees regarding their roles and responsibilities and their relationship with team members. This leads to a situation wherein when something goes right, everyone would like to take credit for it and when something goes wrong, no one comes forward to accept responsibility.

Lack of Transparency: When employees are not informed about decisions, they will make their own assumptions which can spread rumors. This can hurt the image of the organization and also destroy trust in the management.

Clash of Values: An organization comprises employees from various walks of life. They bring in their own set of values, ideas, and principles which may not be received by everyone in the organization. This might result in some animosity and intolerance between individuals.

Gossip: Research has shown that office gossip creates great loss to the organization and also affects the individual productivity of employees at work.

Poor Selection or Pairing of Team Members: Employees tied with a wrong partner prove detrimental to the overall health of the organization. A lion’s share of their time will be consumed jostling against each other without any improvement in their overall performance.

Outdated Technology: To make an employee productive and efficient, it is important to equip them with the right tools. Ignoring the potential benefits of technology upgradation in the workplace may diminish the productivity and performance of employees.

Bullying or Harassment: There are cases where bosses or colleagues threaten an employee for no reason or pass offensive remarks against the employee. This leads to the creation of a hostile environment in the workplace. It also disturbs the sense of belongingness amongst employees.

Perceived Discrimination: Employee discrimination can have a negative effect on the organization’s bottom line. It hampers the main components of employees’ behavior which are directly associated with job performance. This might also result in a higher incidence of grievances among employees.

Poor Performance Management: Badly-conducted appraisals can create a lot of problems for the organization as well as its employees. If a hard working employee is under-rated, besides being unfair, it creates an inferiority complex in the mind of the employee, while being over-rated may create egoism. 

Depleting Health Conditions: The deteriorating health of an employee would greatly hamper the employee’s ability to be productive. It has a cascading effect such as rising absenteeism, low morale, and indifference to organizational goals.

List of Schedules of Indian Constitution

 

Schedules of Indian Constitution – 12 Schedules of India

There are 12 Schedules in the Constitution of India. One of the first mentions of Schedules was made in the Government of India Act, 1935 where it included 10 Schedules. Later, when the Indian Constitution was adopted in 1949, it consisted of 8 Schedules. Today, with the amendments in the Indian Constitution, there are a total of 12 Schedules.

This article will provide you with a list of Schedules of Indian Constitution, important for the IAS Exam from the perspective of Indian Polity (Mains GS-II).

List of Schedules of Indian Constitution

The table given below discusses the list of schedules of the Indian Constitution, important from the UPSC exam perspective:

Schedules in Indian Constitution
Schedules Features of Schedules
First Schedule of Indian Constitution It contains the name of States and Union Territories

Territorial Jurisdiction of states is also included

Second Schedule of Indian Constitution The provisions in relation to allowances, privileges, emoluments of:

  • President of India
  • Governors of Indian States
  • Speaker of Lok Sabha & Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
  • Chairman of Rajya Sabha & Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
  • Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assemblies of Indian States
  • Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Legislative Councils of the Indian States
  • Supreme Court Judges
  • High Court Judges
  • Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG)
Third Schedule It contains the forms of oath and affirmation for:

  • Union Ministers of India
  • Parliament Election Candidates
  • Members of Parliament (MPs)
  • Supreme Court Judges
  • Comptroller and Auditor General
  • State Ministers
  • State Legislature Elections’ Candidates
  • State Legislature Members
  • High Court Judges
Fourth Schedule It contains the provisions in relation to the allocation of seats for States and Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha
Fifth Schedule It contains provisions in relation to the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes
Sixth Schedule It contains provisions in relation to the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
Seventh Schedule This schedule deals with the three legislative lists:

  • Union
  • State
  • Concurrent
Eighth Schedule It deals with the 22 official languages recognized by the Constitution of India:

  • Assamese
  • Bengali
  • Bodo
  • Dogri (Dongri)
  • Gujarati
  • Hindi
  • Kannada
  • Kashmiri
  • Konkani
  • Mathili (Maithili)
  • Malayalam
  • Manipuri
  • Marathi
  • Nepali
  • Oriya
  • Punjabi
  • Sanskrit
  • Santhali
  • Sindhi
  • Tamil
  • Telugu
  • Urdu
Ninth Schedule It deals with the state acts and regulations of that deal with land reforms and

abolition of the zamindari system. It also deals with the acts and regulations of the Parliament dealing with other matters.

Note:

1st Amendment Act 1951 added the Ninth Schedule to protect the laws included in it from judicial scrutiny on the ground of violation of fundamental rights.

However, in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the laws included in this schedule after

April 24, 1973, are now open to judicial review

Tenth Schedule It contains provisions relating to disqualification of the members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of

defection.

Note:

This schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment Act of 1985, also known as Anti-defection Law

Eleventh Schedule It contains the provisions that specify the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats. It has 29 matters.

Note:

This schedule was added

by the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992

Twelfth Schedule It deals with the provisions that specify the powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities. It has 18 matters.

Note:

This schedule was added

by the 74th Amendment Act of 1992

Since Schedules of Indian Constitution makes an important topic of the Indian Polity subject of UPSC syllabus 2022; aspirants should keep these schedules in mind. 

What is 12th Schedule of Indian Constitution?

 12th Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the provisions that specify the powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities. This schedule was added by the 74th Amendment Act of 1992. It has 18 matters.

  1. Urban planning including town planning.
  2. Regulation of land-use and construction of buildings.
  3. Planning for economic and social development.
  4. Roads and bridges.
  5. Water supply for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes.
  6. Public health, sanitation conservancy and solid waste management.
  7. Fire services.
  8. Urban forestry, protection of the environment and promotion of ecological aspects.
  9. Safeguarding the interests of weaker sections of society, including the handicapped and mentally retarded.
  10. Slum improvement and upgradation.
  11. Urban poverty alleviation.
  12. Provision of urban amenities and facilities such as parks, gardens, playgrounds.
  13. Promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects.
  14. Burials and burial grounds; cremations, cremation grounds; and electric crematoriums.
  15. Cattle pounds; prevention of cruelty to animals.
  16. Vital statistics include registration of births and deaths.
  17. Public amenities including street lighting, parking lots, bus stops and public conveniences.
  18. Regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries.

Top 7 Benefits of Health Insurance Plan

 The outbreak of COVID-19 indeed has forced financial as well as medical security to the minds of individuals in an unprecedented way. In these times of uncertainty and with the skyrocketing cost of the health care sector, having a health insurance policy has become a necessity more than a choice. The health insurance policy not only takes care of the medical needs of the individual in case of any eventuality but also provides many different benefits. Read further to know the benefit of a health insurance plan.

Benefits of Health Insurance Policy

The following are some of the benefits of the health insurance plan:

Coverage against medical expenses

In case of any medical emergency, the last thing that a person would want to worry about is the cost of medical treatment. One of the major perks of having a medical insurance policy is that it offers coverage against any type of medical expenses that may/may not arise during an emergency.

Thus, a comprehensive health insurance policy covers all the medical costs like pre and post-hospitalization costs, ambulance charges, doctor’s fees, etc. are all covered. Many insurance companies offer rider options along with the base plan to enhance the coverage of the policy.

These riders offer the benefits that are not covered in the base policy like personal accident insurance, critical illness cover, maternity benefits, etc. With all these costs covered by a medical insurance policy, one does not need to worry about financial loss in case of any medical emergency.

Cashless Mediclaim Facility

In case of any medical emergency, if the insured undergoes any treatment in a hospital, then it might get difficult for the family members to immediately pay the hospital bills. To avoid such a situation, many insurers offer the facility of cashless mediclaim at network hospitals.

The cashless mediclaim facility ensures that the policyholder gets the best treatment without worrying about the finances. One just needs to fill the mediclaim form offered by the insurance company to avail of the benefit of cashless mediclaim at network hospitals.

Tax benefits

Another benefit of a health insurance policy is that it offers an opportunity to save on taxes. An individual can claim up to a maximum of Rs. 25,000 of tax exemption on the premium paid towards the policy under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act. 1961. Moreover, one can also claim an additional tax exemption of Rs. 25,000 for the premium paid for parents.

Financial protection against critical Illness

Most health insurers provide coverage against critical illnesses such as cancer, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, etc. The critical illness cover either comes inbuilt in a plan or is offered as an add-on cover to the health insurance policy. In case the insured person is diagnosed with any critical illness as stated in the policy documents, a lump-sum amount is paid by the insurer so that the insured can fulfill their financial obligations.

Buying a comprehensive medical insurance policy helps an individual to be prepared for the worst. Moreover, buying the best health insurance plan at a young age not only provides the advantage of lower premiums along with comprehensive coverage but also helps to contribute towards savings in the long term.

No claim bonus

A No-Claim Bonus is a special incentive given by the health insurance company for every claim-free year. If the policyholder completes a year without making any claim for medical expenses then the insurance company offers a no-claim bonus to the policyholder in the form of premium discounts.

If a person does not file a claim for a consecutive tenure of the policy then he/she can enjoy up to a 50% discount on the premium amount. Moreover, some of the insurers also offer an increase in the base amount of the policy for every claim-free year. This not only benefits the insurance holder but also adds to their savings.

Protects the long-term savings

A health insurance plan acts as a safety net and protects the individual and his family against any type of financial crisis due to any medical eventualities. In case, a policyholder requires any medical treatment or a lifesaving surgery then he/she does not need to compromise on their children’s education fund or retirement savings. With a quality, health insurance policy one can ensure the right financial protection to themselves and their family without burning a hole in the pocket.

Free health checkup

After every 4-5 claim-free years, the facility of free health checkups is offered by the insurance companies to their policyholders. The insured can avail of the facility of free health checkups at any of the network hospitals.

The Bottom Point!

So, these are some of the benefits of health insurance plans. To choose the best health insurance policy for your family and yourself, make sure you compare the plans available and make an informed choice.