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COVID'S IMPACT ON ECONOMY

 

IMPACT OF COVID-19 IN INDIAN ECONOMY

COVID’s IMPACT

The outbreak of COVID-19 became a challenge for the Indian economy due to the potential drop in GDP. However, the second wave was much more severe when compared to the first which made a downside risk to the economic activity due to National level lockdown.  Several segments like manufacturing, small scale, Information technology, small unions are lost in the pandemic. The supply chain management with the global economy along with the procurement was drastically affected.

The immensity of the impact is directly proportional to the health crisis and duration of the lockdown. In this the analysis had been done on the affected segments and the Government concentrations of lockdown to increase the capital expenditure and to implement the structured reforms as well.

CHANGES

There are several sectors which are impacted by the COVID-19 and the chances of their revival are not in the near future. Their profitability is continuously decreasing and fixed cost is intact. Like media and entertainment industry; all multiplexes are closed and people do not want to visit the multiplexes in the near future. Many organizations have taken loans from commercial banks and other financial institutions. They have to pay interest on the loan despite of poor financial position.

Increase in the income provisions for the supportive measures of the rural and urban population The productive way is to increase recovery rate by emergency approval of the foreign vaccines when the demand for the vaccines increases in India. The Government and the RBI need to keep interest rate low despite borrowing on policy basis. The Success of the borrowing program depends on RBI support, by providing indirect liquidity which is really big as this is pandemic. However, liquidity expansions have their own limits.

FORECOMING CHALLENGES

The sectors like construction, trade and transport, hotel, mining, quarrying sectors and some other services are having a strong base effect on the challenging recovery part. These kind of hard situation are monitored clearly and the demand for those kind of sectors are faltering due to the crisis which would become more aggressive and would be the most unavoidable once for the upcoming years. The country’s long term goal is affected badly and the performance needed to withhold by hard efforts for the further improved output.

THE YOUTH OPPORTUNITY

 

THE YOUTH OPPORTUNITY

BETWEEN THE NECESSITY THERE LIES THE OPPORTUNITY

India is a country where we have nearly 28% of the youth population in contrast to 37 in China and 45 in Western Europe. This says about the enormous growth opportunity that India will have as the highest number of people in the workforce. In some other words, we could say that the India’s non working population would be out numbered by the working population leading to the demographic dividend which is to be in favor.

Climatic effects

The increased use of non-degradable plastics, bio-medical waste have created climatic deterioration. The pandemic had paved the way for the increased use of plastics and also we have no other go to end up without being safe. This effects leads to the increased landfilling which would cost fisheries, tourism and maritime transport and service industries with an additional billion dollars according to the report given by the UN Environmental Program.

The changes

Though the population of youth in India with the high level of unemployment is high, still there is chance of silver line beyond it. By concentrating on the demographic dividend, this leads to the increase in labour force, which in turn leads to the productive outcome. This accelerates the industrial growth. As the purchasing power of the population is high, there is no doubt in the increased domestic growth and increasing opportunities. By analyzing all these factors into the current situation, India will become the third largest country by 2030.

The younger the people the more conscious they are. They are much more of the climatic changes and impact of the land population which affects the sustainability of their growth. The natural disasters and less number of natural resources are even known to the children as it affects climate badly. The UN report also tells us that nearly half a million of the youth generation are taking action against the polluted lands through small initiatives they can make around their schools, colleges, surroundings and other communities.

The future

Sustainable future, socio-economic progress with the flourishing economies need a gradual vibrant to be empowered for the best future of the great version. India’s youth are interested in the green job as they have a great belief that healing the environment is the sustainable way to move forward. India is often in the forefront of bringing the change but there are issues like inequality which still goes in the Environment. Although the UN government has set up various employment programmes, the dominance of the informal economy still makes it difficult to reap profits.

The rising youth young population provides India with a great opportunity for growth. The labour intensive sectors needed to more skillful for the better job creation. Ensuring the components of the life skills along with the technical skills makes one to get the better satisfaction in the life.

ADVENT OF FAST-FOOD CHAIN IN INDIAN MARKET

                                                                   (Photo: TripAdvisor)

 

We all are very much familiar with the fast-food
chains. With the revolution in food, the world has become so fast-moving that
it’s very difficult to keep a track. With the demand for fast-food came the entry
of fast-food joints. It has garnered the market to a wide level.

Increasing demand for fast food

Is there anyone who doesn’t like fast-food? It has
become so inevitable and specially among children.  The children specially like burger and pizza
more than dal or roti. Demand for McDonald’s, Subway, KFC has increased rapidly
over the years. Who knew that they will capture the market at such a level?

Why they are so much in demand?

·      
If we see from the customer’s view,
we can say that it’s highly desirable.

·      
The prices are also low as compared
to dine in restaurants.

·      
It is spread across many locations.

·      
The taste is also good and it’s very
convenient.

The fast-food has become very………Fast

If a fast-food restaurant wants to remain in business,
then it has to be very fast. This pace has been very well maintained by the
fast-food chains of Indian market. Many people after work grab their fast-food
while going back to home.
It’s everywhere and that’s why it is very convenient to order.

Smarter
than You Think

Fast-food
chains adopt various approaches to target customers. They mainly target
children as fast-food is more popular among children. For example, the use of
characters such as Ronald McDonald  is a
tactic to emotionally bond with the children. They also organize birthday
parties and offer happy meal. They keep kids hooked up on happy meals. This is
what is called as “SMART PLAY”.

Environmental and Wildlife Crime

                                                          (Photo: Wildlife Conservation Trust)

Environmental and Wildlife crime is an illegal act which directly harms the environment.

There was a time when people were dependent on the environment and its resources for their existence. As if like they can’t live without it. But with time the situation changed. People started misusing the environment and wildlife for their own greedy purposes which led to a massive destruction of our environment, wildlife and especially our ‘Mother Earth’. As our country is developing, people are becoming greedy and selfish day by day. They have started mismanaging the resources that are actually meant to be used for useful purposes ,and due to this nowadays we are facing many harmful disasters like Tsunami, Earthquake, Flood, Poverty, Economic downfall all over the world. Not only these there are many other problems too.

Coming to the Wildlife, many animals are forcefully placed at zoo in a cage confining their lives within the walls of the zoo. We all know about Deforestation ,that is, “Cutting down the trees and plants”. Thousands of plants and trees are cut down everyday but we never think about the animals like how they will survive as forests are their only home to live in. Many animals are killed leading to the decreasing number of animals in the world. They are left abandoned or some people sell them just to mint money or use their skin to make leather and for many other purposes.

It is a true fact that human activities have a worse impact on nature and wildlife. “The term Environmental and Wildlife crime” should be categorized as crime in the present time. Many factors that influence these crimes are Socio-political and the weak judiciary. As we are all aware that there is no strict implementation of laws in many countries like, India. There are many organizations who works to highlight the issues and work on to prevent but there is no strict implementation not even the judiciary .And people do take benefits from this, and they continue to do these illegal crimes endangering our environment and wildlife. Coming to another factor ,that is, Economy. To increase the economy of the country, many people go after trading of the animals ,selling them at highest price just to mint money. Or even killing it before selling because we know that how expensive animals organs could be and how even just the skin of animals can be used for manufacturing purposes or say for preparing chemicals or weapons. Another factor is supply and demand. As our society is progressing, the demand is also increasing and so as the supply. This also increases an illegal employment opportunity for the people interested and thus, increasing their income.

Environmental and Wildlife crimes have caused a great threat to our environment and stood up with many challenges. Both the crimes have previously not been given importance in most of the countries thus, resulting in the lack of awareness and facilitating these crimes at a high speed which are actually a threat for various countries.

“The wildlife crimes has resulted in the loss of species and we need to start preventing it rather than waiting for the crimes to take place”. The organization has and is facing many problems such as jurisdiction where there is no strict implementation. All these factors have posed a serious threat not only to the environment but also to the organization.

SUGGESTIONS

·       To prevent the Environmental and Wildlife crime, first we need to create awareness about these among mass population.

·       The government shall become strict regarding the implementation of the norms in order to prevent it.

·       National organizations shall work together to keep a record of all the information related to both the crimes and to keep a steady pace with the change.

·       The government shall implement the principle of sustainable development due to the increase in the demands of the people in order to use the resources judiciously.

·       The countries where these crimes are prevalent must join the hands of the national organizations to work as a team for the speedy disposal of the cases.

·       Create a new organization which will deal with both the crimes to prevent any haphazard .This will decrease the burden on the judiciary court and will ensure the speedy disposal of the cases.

·       Organize campaigns and various other programs to educate people about both the crimes and teach them how these crimes are harmful for the society .

·       Involving the people of the society by asking them their suggestions or ideas to prevent the crimes.’

·       Plant more and more trees around your place ,on the streets to curb the pollution.

·       Stricter implementation of the guidelines under Wildlife protection act and Environmental act must be enforced.

Environment and Wildlife are important part of our lives. Environment and society are dependent on each other and we as the members of the society have a responsibility to protect our environment. Many laws and regulations have been made by various countries to protect our environment and wildlife. The protection of environment and wildlife has become a necessity today. Our judiciary looks after the constitutional provisions and reviews its own decisions but the strict implementation of the laws is not yet enforced. And that’s what needs to be changed. Unless and until there is strong and strict implementation, the main objectives of protecting the environment and wildlife cannot be achieved. Also the punishment for harming the environment should be made more strict and the convicts should be made to pay for their deeds. Each and every individual should be made aware towards the environment and wildlife because the government alone cannot fulfil the goals so the involvement of people at a large scale is really important. So it should be remembered that this environment belongs to everyone and the responsibility of conserving the environment and wildlife belongs to everyone.

“True benevolence or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation”.

Preserving Tribal Culture

 There are about 300 million tribal people globally, and 150 of them are in Asia alone. The tribal and folk art forms have been an integral part of our culture. Tribal artforms have a unique sense of beauty and a different perspective of aesthetics. These are the traditions that are transmitted from generation to generation among the tribes. 

Institutions to preserve tribal culture

In India, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs looks after the preservation of tribal culture. Under the ministry, there are Research Institutes and Tribal Welfare Departments to find out ways and techniques to preserve the tribal heritage in the different parts of the country. 

There are a number of tribal groups in India, such as Mundas, Oraons, Santals, Gonds, Khonds, Mizos, Nagas, etc. There are also some schemes in India, such as Institutional support for development and marketing of Tribal products, Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme, and Marketing of minor forest produce.   

 The UN Human Rights council in 2006, recognized the rights of the indegenous people and emphasized that “indegenous knowledge, culture and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.”

Need to preserve Tribal Heritage

The tribal culture has an extremely rich heritage, traditions, folk songs, folk dances and other artforms. For example, Warli painting is one of the famous tribal artforms, its origin can be traced back as early as the 10th century A.D. They have a unique set of cultural traditions and social customs.

 But with the rapid growth of industries, and hydroelectric projects, the forests are being cleared. These forests are the home to many tribal people. They get displaced from their original habitat due to clearing of forest areas, which threatens their identity and culture. 

As many of the tribal groups reside in or near forest areas, they play a key role in conserving the forest ecosystem. Forests play a crucial role in their daily lifestyle, therefore they efficiently conserve and manage the ecosystem. Many of the tribes believe in nature worship and revere the sacred groves and trees. They have immense knowledge about the edible plants and medicinal properties of them. 

The world is gradually turning towards organic farming, and other eco-friendly ways of farming. The tribal culture has great knowledge about surviving by solely depending on nature, without the use of any harmful chemicals or technology. Often the tribal culture is suppressed by the dominant culture of a country. The cultures with such deep knowledge should not be suppressed in the wake of development and modernity. 

It is important to strike a middle path, where development can take place without displacing and destroying the tribals and their cultural heritage.


India's Best School – Ratnavati School In Rajasthan

Hello, friends! In terms of historical architecture, I consider Rajasthan to be the most beautiful state of India. Here, you can find forts, palaces and mansions each more grand and beautiful than the last. This state is also rich culturally. The folk dance and folk music here and the Rajasthani cuisine, they’re all unparalleled. As well as the lakes, desert, camel safari. So it’s not surprising that Rajasthan is a very popular tourist destination for foreigners. But behind this facade of beauty, lies a harsh truth. Friends, Rajasthan is the worst state in the country in terms of female literacy. Only 57% of the females in the entire state are literate. They can read and write. Do you know the name of the country we’re living in? Country, as in? Do you know which country we live in? Which country do we live in? 

Rajasthan. Because of female illiteracy, female unemployment is also very high. According to a study, 73% of women in Rajasthan are jobless. Do you teach this to your children? So you teach it to your daughter.  You don’t teach it to your son. Why? Because my daughter will have to do these chores. Many people hide this bitter truth with a veil. And look the other way. But there are some brave people who try to bring about a change. In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, one such change was successfully introduced. Come, the Gem of India is not an individual. 

It is a school building. About 40 km from the city of Jaisalmer, there is a popular tourist spot known as Sam Sand Dunes. A few kilometres before this Sam desert, there is a village. This new school is built near this village. What’s special about the school is that not only is it a completely free school, to educate girls from below the poverty line, but the building of this school is also an architecture marvel. Look at this building. Look, at how beautiful it is. It is built in a futuristic-modern style. The building also looks minimalistic. Additionally, the traditional architecture of Rajasthan has also been used in it. To top it all, this is a sustainable building. There are solar panels on the roof of this building. There are no ACs inside. Instead, traditional architecture is used in the building in such a way that the stones used to build it, will keep it cool from the inside. And the design of this building, will help to cool down the interiors. Who built this school? And how? .

There’s a non-profit organisation, CITTA. Its founder is Michael Daube. He had a dream to build a school like this. So really it’s kind of, it didn’t happen like an epiphany, but it did mould like a chess game. It was kind of like realising ‘in the next 20 moves, what’s gonna happen?’ and really kinda mapping out the ripple effects of this. Talking about implementing dreams, the supervisor of this project is Chahat Jain. When our reporter Vijeta Dahiya was on site to film this school, the school hadn’t opened up then. At least, hadn’t completely opened up. Teachers were being recruited. For Class 1 through Class 10th. The plan is, there will be 40 girls in each class, in total, 40 x 10 400 girls would be given free education in this school. Everything will be free. Their transport facility. The transport from their homes to the school and back will be free. Their education. Their books and uniforms will be free. They would also get free lunch at school. About the curriculum of the school, Chahat has experience in handling several such projects. 

So, keeping holistic development in the forefront, he has designed a curriculum for the girls. Things like the local textile, singing, dance forms we included these in the curriculum so that the children can be proud of their heritage and the slowly fizzling out artforms can be protected and revived. It will be a holistic development of the child. It also includes computer skills, third languages that a child should normally know. To fulfill this dream, Michael had local support as well. Like, the support of Chaitanya Raj Singh Bhati who belongs to the erstwhile Royal family of Jaisalmer. And his mother, Mrs Raseshwari Rajya Laxmi was also on the Board of Directors of the CITTA India. Another member of the Board of Directors is Manvendra Singh Shekhawat. He is a hotelier. And a co-founder of the NGO I Love Jaisalmer.

 It was Manvendra who had contributed the land to build this school. While doing so, he had put forth a condition to the architect, that two berry bushes that were there, should not be harmed. They shouldn’t be removed. And the school should be built around them. Now at the centre of the school, those two berry bushes are proudly thriving. The architect used lime for the walls of the school. And the ceiling has been raised quite a bit. And windows at placed near the top. All these things improve air circulation. And the temperature remains cool inside. Not only solar panels are installed on the roof for generating electricity, but there is also a rainwater harvesting system in this building. It is a wholesome package of Sustainability and Eco-friendliness. The architect of this building is Diana Kellogg. And impressively, she didn’t charge anything for designing this building. Same with the costume designer.

 The costume designer that designed the uniforms for the girls, did not charge for this. To design the uniforms, what he did was that he went in and found local textiles like Ajrakh. Then it’s an age-old It’s one of the oldest block printing techniques in the world, and most complex. It’s one thing to design a building. But to actually build it with the design is the biggest challenge. And many local contractors refused to work on it. Because they looked at this complicated design and it was unlike anything they had ever done before so they decided to not do it. After a long search they found one contractor. Karim Khan. He implemented this plan and made it possible in real life. He helped in its building. This place is in the middle of a desert. There’s nothing around. It took us 2 years to build this. We used to work here even at 50°C temperatures. We had to carry food and water with us. One couldn’t find anything for miles here. This was a challenge for us. How could the girls study in those conditions? That’s why we build this school. So Diana and Karim Khan coordinated and local labourers were employed for this project and finally, this building was completed within one year. Once the school was built, Parag Ji takes care of the security of the school. And Raju Ji and Mange Khan see to the cleanliness of the school. From Michael to Raju this is the entire team that is enabling this dream to come true. After the school was ready their team carried out publicity of the school in the nearby villages.

 And the Chief of the nearby village also joined the CITTA team. We conducted a small event on behalf of the school, on behalf of the school’s management on behalf of Mr Shekhawat and the other members of the Board. Distributing ice cream among kids, that was really successful. Then we had another event on Republic Day, Many villagers attended that, adults as well as kids, We had a magic show there. The magic show was a huge success. It was great, all of us enjoyed it. 

How can someone sleep on a cloud? To make this whole project possible the money came through charitable donations. As I said, this is an NGO. You too can donate to it if you want to. They claim that all contributions are used for the education of the girls. The link to donate will be in the description below, in case you’re interested. We’re giving free education to the girls. They’ll get food and a uniform as well. The medium of instruction will be English. Teachers will come from Jaisalmer. The kids will be picked up and dropped off at home. That’s about the school. Now we want that the women in the neighbourhood of our students, like you their mother or their elder sister, we want to do something for them as well. Two more buildings are being built like the school building In it, we will provide training to women. Like what your mother-in-law was working on. 

You will get to learn something new. And we’ll even pay you for learning. Since you’ll work hard to learn. So we intend to support the women and girls around here. The most exciting thing is that, friends, while only one building has been built by now, but in reality, this entire project, called the Gyaan Centre, three buildings will be built in total. The two other buildings are yet to be built. Here, in the computer animation, you can see how the other two buildings will look. In one of the buildings, there will be a Women’s Cooperative. 

Best and Cheapest Medical Colleges in the World

                                                                  (Photo: Jeduka.com)

Are you an MBBS aspirant looking for Best and Cheapest MBBS in the World? You must drop your research work right here!

 In the world, there has been significant growth in the field of medicine and healthcare. No doubt it’s been the most essential and satisfying profession. Doctors are equated to God. A selfless job of curing illness. Listening to words of gratitude is a treasure for doctors. How to become a doctor? questions lingering around the mind of MBBS aspirants.

You should know about the role of doctors, their duties inside and outside the hospital. A doctor’s duty is to treat and cure sick people. In this profession one must have an intention of serving humanity. This is one of the professions which earn too much respect in society. Unlike many other professions, a doctor treats people belonging to different religions, castes and creeds. He never discriminates among his patients nor ever he lets patient feel their religion, caste or creed.

Beyond the numerous advantages and desire to acquire the medical qualification of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MBBS, we also understand that the financial implication of taking on studies in this field of medicine can be discouraging due to the lack of cheapest MBBS universities and colleges in the world.

See the list of the best and cheapest medical colleges and universities in the world below.

1.     AIIMS, Delhi

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi is a medical college and medical research public university based in New Delhi, India. The Institute was established in 1956 and operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Institute has comprehensive facilities for teaching, research and patient-care. Teaching and research here are conducted in 42 disciplines. AIIMS offers various best-in-class medical graduation and post-graduation courses and awards degrees under its own name. AIIMS has been consistently ranked the top medical college in India. The total fee paid is INR 8,140 for the 5-year MBBS programme.

2.     Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi

Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi was established in 1958. It is also known as MAMC. It is a medical college in New Delhi affiliated to the University of Delhi. Maulana Azad Medical College offers various undergraduate, postgraduate and super speciality courses in different streams that include Medicine and Allied Sciences, Pharmacy, and Sciences. The college has various departments that are  Anatomy, Anesthesiology, Biochemistry, Community Medicine, Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, ENT, Forensic Medicine, General Medicine, General Surgery, Medical Education, Microbiology, Neonatology and many more. The total fee paid is INR 13,820 for MBBS programme.

3. R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata

Established as the Calcutta School of Medicine in 1886, this institution is alleged to be one of Asia’s oldest private colleges. The college is affiliated with the University of Health Science of West Bengal and ranked 11th on India Today’s (2017) list of the best medical colleges in the country. The total fee paid is INR 66,520 for the 5-year MBBS programme.

4.  Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore

BMCRI, affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, was brought up in the AIIMS league under a centrally sponsored scheme. The college is one of the few offering hands-on microsurgery training and is ranked 12th in India Today’s and Outlook India’s list of the best medical schools. It has also been ranked 10th on The Week’s list of the best medical schools. The total fee paid is INR 72,670 for the 5-year MBBS programme.

5. Bukovinian State Medical University, Ukraine

The University was founded in 1944. Bukovinian State Medical University has 7 faculties of which there are four medical faculties, stomatological, pharmaceutical, and the faculty of post-graduate training. The University consists of 47 departments. It is Chernivtsi’s oldest and largest university. This university is modern and it is recognized by WHO and NMC. The annual fee of MBBS programme is INR 2,73,000.

6. Kyiv Medical University of UAFM, Kiev

The University was established in 1992 by Dr. Pokanevich Valeriy. It is the best medical university of Ukraine. Ecological problems, development, and applications of medical in life are the fields of work of the university. Among the top medical universities in Ukraine, ‘Kyiv Medical University of UAFM’ officially ranks 3rd. Practical programs which this university provides make students study deeply. It is the only university which send its students to practice in Poland or Germany. The annual fee for MBBS programme is INR 2,45,000.

One of the important decisions of your life after completing high school is to select a University. The brutal truth, in India there are very few limited seats for medical aspirants. Many Indian medical aspirants choose MBBS in Abroad after facing rejection from Indian Medical Colleges. So, the other option is studying in abroad. Research about the College or University up to an extent. Make sure the University has a good reputation in the market. Research must include the departments of the college, laboratories, and other facilities. Choose a country where the fees and lifestyle are affordable. Your first and foremost priority should be education.

Go step by step for taking admission not just jump into a Low Fee college. The most important factors to choose University is to look for reputation, overall students experience and finances related to Colleges and Living Abroad. Applying this method of selecting a college, thousands of options will be narrowed down to one single option.


Is INSEAD better than HARVARD

 

                                                                  (Photo: MBA and Beyond)

You know you want to join a business school and not just anyone but the best one. Choosing the best business school can be a daunting task considering the thousands of schools out there that are best in their own way. So now what to do? How to choose amongst the best? Making the right decision will require hard work, patience, perseverance, and a lot more. What if you get two options amongst the best business school. Will then it be easier for you to choose? These are some of the things which will come to your mind while choosing a business school.

 The topic of discussion here is: Is INSEAD a better business school than Harvard Business School. Well, this one is a tough one to decide. INSEAD and HBS, both are in the top 5 list of best business schools. Ultimately both universities are best. They are the most prestigious business schools in the world. Both are lavish in terms of campus and excellent in terms of academics. Indeed, a very difficult question to answer. Let’s understand both respectively.

 Harvard University, established in 1636, is one of the oldest institutions in the United States. Harvard Business School (HBS) is the business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. It offers a large full-time MBA program, management-related doctoral programs, and many executive education programs. HBS offers a two-year full-time MBA program with a general management curriculum. On the other hand, INSEAD was founded in 1957. It is a renowned European business school with campuses in France, Singapore, and UAE. INSEAD offers a 10-month MBA program with more than 75 electives to choose from.

 In terms of the course content taught there will be hardly any difference. Now you might think that INSEAD gets packed in 10 to 12 months and Harvard is approximately 22 months. So how is that there is barely any course difference? So, let me just clarify this if you study at INSEAD, almost 80% of the syllabus is taught in those 10 months what is taught at Harvard in 22 months. So, picking a business school in terms of the course content there is hardly any difference. This point gives a +1 score to INSEAD.

 Now when it comes to expense, a 1-year MBA program is relatively cheaper than a 2-year MBA program. So, in terms of expense, INSEAD is a better option. INSEAD is the right door to knock when you don’t have good financial backing. Now in terms of community, Harvard dominantly consists of Americans. On the other hand, INSEAD invites applications from all over the world. So, in terms of building a community network, INSEAD is most preferred. INSEAD has multiple campuses and it also offers an exchange program bringing diversity. The entrepreneurship and alumni network are stronger in INSEAD than in Harvard. INSEAD has an alumni network more global than anyone can imagine.

 In terms of brand, Harvard itself is a brand. It has a global brand name and it is known across the industries. However, INSEAD has a brand name that is not always known to the masses especially in America. Harvard cannot be estimated as it holds a lot of Weightage not only in America but also worldwide. If you are looking for a job in the USA, then Harvard should be your destination and vice-versa.

INSEAD is a better choice for certain students who want to do MBA than Harvard. Nevertheless, that does not mean that HBS is in any way subordinate to INSEAD. Both have their pros and cons. It depends upon an individual where he/she wants to study. Saying that INSEAD is better than Harvard will do injustice to the latter.

 

Judicialization of Executive decisions -A Threat to Democracy

                                                                    (Photo: Science ABC)

It is true to say that, “Judicialization of executive decisions is dangerous for democracy”. Judicialization is the growing involvement of judges in assessing the executive prerogatives and performance and the reliance on courts for addressing core public policy questions and political controversies.

 Judicialization occurs in parliamentary democracies when a high degree of party competition in legislature invites challenges from judiciary because these systems produce weak coalitions. In 1950s and 60s, the political elite passed the decision-making burden to the court because they wanted an umpire. Successive governments expanded the court jurisdiction over administrative tribunals and the court seized more powers of judicial review. In the last decade, the main driver of judicial involvement in executive decisions is pressure from civil society actors. The relationship between courts and political considerations in India’s parliamentary system is less coherent.

 When the political actor is strong (single-party majority), prepared to take on courts and has a policy agenda, SC is more constrained. This occurred during Indira Gandhi’s time. If the political actor is strong, but not prepared to strike at the courts autonomy (Nehru’s time), or if there is a weak coalition (post-1988), the judiciary has more room to manoeuvre. Today, within the space given by structural conditions, higher judiciary is trying to balance constraints imposed by institutional realities with demands for judicial action from societal actors. Judiciary’s intervention has had positive as well as negative effect. On the positive side, it has knitted alliances with political parties, citizen groups, activists and the media to keep an eye on the administration. On the negative side, the danger remains of collision between judiciary and other organs of state, which is against the principles of constitution and democracy. A bigger concern is the habit developed by higher judiciary of monitoring implementation of orders.

Judiciary interference should only be when required and should not be made as a permanent thing. It contains the principles of democracy as the three wings are different and has their own jurisdictions. Thus, it can be said that judicialization of executive decision is dangerous for democracy.

 

One nation, One election

                                                                       (Photo: Think India)

“One nation, one election”, might sound good as well as appealing, but it will have a number of anti-democratic consequences. It’s true saying that simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Assembly could save time, energy and money of our country, but on the other side it can prove to be harmful for our country as well as democracy.

Apart from logical considerations, which cannot be a serious reason for a major change to the basic structure of the Indian polity, the most seductive argument in favor of simultaneous elections is the allure of Modi’s phrase, “One nation, one election.” This matches the “one nation, one tax” rationale for the goods and services tax (GST), which, of course, came into force via its own constitutional amendment on 1 July, 2017.

While one can debate the economic costs and benefits of GST, the analogy with elections is logically flawed. Indeed, the concept of simultaneous elections fundamentally runs against the grin of our Westminster-style federal political union. “One nation, one election” would make sense if India were a unitary state. But we are a union of states, which is philosophically and politically an essentially different conception of the Indian nation-state. With this, let us discuss the disadvantages of holding simultaneous elections in India:

  • Rule by the majority is the cardinal principle of Indian democracy. The concept of simultaneous elections goes against this principle since if elections are held simultaneously then the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies cannot be dissolved before completing their full period of 5 years even if the ruling party is reduced to a minority hence it will go against the federal principles.
  •  It will disown today’s reality of fragmented quality at the state level where coalitions are the order of the day. So, simultaneous elections try to bring in the presidential type of governance where the state assembly is no longer can decide their own path and have to be in existence for 5 years with a minority party in power.
  • Even if elections were to take place simultaneously, parties contesting in only one state would anyway be similarly burdened. So, it probably takes care of only national parties. And the logistic requirement of movement of the requisite security forces. This constant would remain even if simultaneous elections were held.

So, it can be said that holding simultaneous elections is certainly desirable but not feasible. The question which arises is, “Why should the states suffer from the electoral decisions taken at the centre?” It has been said that simultaneous elections would curtail government expenditure but the election commission has updated that for this it would require the procurement of 24 lakh EVMs and an equal number of VVPAT units which is double the number required to hold only parliamentary polls. So, the first objective is not met.

Therefore, notwithstanding the benefits of simultaneous elections highlighted above, the cost to the Indian democracy in terms of playing havoc with the cardinal principle of rule by the majority will be far more than any savings to be realized to the public exchequer. Rather other alternatives should be explored to reduce election-related expenses like state funding of elections, decriminalization of politics, bringing in transparency in political funding by linking Aadhaar card to the election Identity card which has still not been done, etc.

 

 

 

 

Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

 In the highly competitive and profit-driven business world, Consumer Rights play a key role to protect them from any kind of unfair trade practices. It also protects the consumers from the unsafe or dangerous products that can harm their health and well-being. The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 aims to give consumers rights to fight any injustice. The Act has gone through some changes over the years, the latest change took place in 2019. 

The Consumer Protection act aims to provide easy compensation to those affected by any injustice, and encourages the consumers to speak up and take action against it. It covers all the goods and services by all the public, private and cooperatives, except some exempted by the government. The Act promotes settlement of consumer disputes. 

What are Consumer Rights ?

Right to safety: It provides the consumers safety against goods that are hazardous and have the potential to affect life and property. Consumers should emphasize on the quality and safety factors of the product before buying it. Quality marked products such as ISI, AGMARK, etc. should be prefered. 

Right to be Informed: It consists of the right of the consumers to be informed about the quality, purity, standard, and price of the goods properly. Before deciding to buy, the consumers must consider knowing all of this information related to the product. 

Right to Choose: This includes the rights to access the variety of goods and services at competitive prices, wherever it is possible. With the case of monopoly markets, it refers to the right to be assured of good quality at a fair price. 

Rights to Consumer Education: It includes the rights of the consumer to gain the knowledge and become an informed consumer. It is extremely important to be informed, because most of the exploitation takes place with the advantage of lack of awareness and ignorance among the consumers. 

Right to be Heard: This means that consumers have the right to raise or represent their concern and interests at various consumer forums to ensure their welfare. The consumer’s interests will be given due consideration under this right. 

Right to seek Redressal: It is one of the most important rights of a consumer to seek redressal against any unfair trade practice experienced by them. It can help them to have a fair settlement or get the required compensation. They can also take the help of the consumer organisations in the process of seeking redressal. 

In case of any trouble or injustice, the consumers can file a complaint within two years of buying the product. The details of the problem should be mentioned in the complaint along with relevant bills and receipts attached to it. The written complaint should be submitted to the consumer forum for further action. 

As a consumer, it is our duty to be aware about the rights and responsibilities before buying a product or service, in order to avoid any injustice or exploitation.


LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

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According to D. Lockard, local government may be loosely defined as a public organization, authorized to decide and administer a limited range of public policies within relatively small territory which is a subdivision of a regional or national government.

A nation develops from its roots and for a nation to develop we need a strong base and in a country like India, the base is the local self-government like municipalities and panchayats, etc. These are the grassroots of a democracy in our country. It gives a good amount of exposure to the people who participate in the governance and running of these institutions, in both political and social aspects, making our democracy more participative as well as substantive. In rural areas, the self-governing bodies are the Panchayats and in urban it is the municipal corporations, etc. Local self-government consists of rural local self-government and urban area local self-government.

In India, villages are always considered as strength of this country. It is said that the soul of India lives in villages and a majority of 60% of the total population currently lives in rural areas. The exponents of the local self-government institutions hold the view that such local self-governments are the basis of democracy and the best way to develop political consciousness among the people. Through the local self-government, the regional and local interests convert into national interest. The Rural Local self-governments are the result of most landmark year 1992, when the 73rd amendment was incorporated in the constitution. Necessary related provisions were added in 1992 by the way of the 74th amendment act, 1992. It bifurcated the urban local self-government system.

Gandhi Ji also emphasized local self-government. To him, development meant a fuller participation of people in the achievement of essential goals. Village is the primary unit of government and from the village upwards, units of government with residuary powers, are to be established. And at each level, complete democracy and freedom are to be guaranteed.

Thus, the local self-government holds a vital role when it comes to the strengthening of democracy. It encourages local, political, and social leadership, thus making people more participative. It makes democracy substantive with its very own existence. These have to shoulder manifold and complex responsibilities. Hence, they are the grassroots of our democracy.

CO-OPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE FEDERALISM

 

                                                              (Photo: YouTube)

India opted for quasi-federal structure after Independence. After Independence from 1947 to 1967, India experienced the centralized federalism. From 1967 to 1990, India witnessed confrontational federalism due to the emergence of other party governments at the state level. Since 1990, Co-operative federalism has been developed. The present NDA government has been focusing on the new concept of competitive federalism along with co-operative federalism for higher growth of the country.

In competitive federalism, states would compete with each other over a broad-range issues to provide citizens various services in a hassle-free manner. The policy of one-size-fit-all is replaced with different policies of various states based on their own priorities within the state. This spirit of competition has led to lack of inter-state mutual assistance. The NITI Aayog was formed to empower and strengthen the state governments. It also appointed regional councils to create cooperation among two or more states facing a common set of problems or amicably settle disputes.

While the competition between states, reflected in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, has generated a lot of enthusiasm, this must be a continuing exercise. There are only few well-off states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu which are competing. The proposed GST law may help some of the less productive states to raise the revenue. But the opposition of few well-off states with respect to revenue loss in implementation of GST system points that there is lack of will in participating in the process of competitive federalism.

We’ve seen various inter-state water disputes such as Krishna water disputes involving Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Narmada water disputes involving Rajasthan, Gujarat, M.P, and Maharashtra, Cauvery water disputes involving Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and various others. For this, under Article 263, an inter-state council was established. The Sarkaria Commission on center-state relations (1983-87) made a strong case for the establishment of a permanent inter-state council. Article 301 to 307 in Part 13 deals with the trade, commerce and intercourse within the territory of India, breaking all the border barrier between the states. Zonal councils have also been established in 1956 to narrow the gap between the states. Cases such as Cauvery water dispute and Sutlej Yamuna link canal issue have seen non-mutual assistance between the states to a wider extent.

Thus, it can be said that co-operative and competitive federalism are two sides of the same coin. This spirit of competition has led to the lack of mutual assistance between and among the states. It is competition with co-operation that will drive the real change.

 

Covid-19 and Global Food Security

 The unprecedented pandemic has impacted the world in multiple ways. It has affected the years of development done in terms of food security in the countries. The Covid pandemic has increased the global food insecurity, and its impact is expected to be seen in 2021 and 2022. Initially, as the pandemic broke out, sudden closure of borders, trade restrictions and lockdown measures had disrupted the food supply and distribution pattern completely. 

It reduced the access to inputs and services, as labour movement and transports were blocked. The farmers struggled to access the market to sell and buy products properly during the lockdown in different countries. The locust outbreak that happened in 2020, also destroyed the food and other crops in the agricultural lands. Farmers were the worst hit by this locust crisis. 

Higher pricing of food and reduced income in the households is another prime reason that has impacted the accessibility of food. Due to financial shortage caused by lower income or loss of livelihood, more and more households have been forced to reduce their quality and quantity of food consumed. A number of countries reported food inflation during the pandemic. 

Climate change has led to adverse climatic conditions all over the globe. Extreme weather conditions seen in different places such as temperature rise, heat waves, extreme rainfall and drought have impacted agriculture and food production. This has further disrupted the food supply chain system, leading towards food insecurity.

A survey done by the World Bank in 48 countries reveals that people were either running out of food or were lowering their consumption. This reduced calorie intake can affect the health of the people, due to lack of essential nutrients. The UN’s report on “State of food security and nutrition in the world” states that between 720 to 811 million people worldwide, went hungry in 2020. Lower consumption of food is a major health concern. It can lead to problems like malnutrition, especially among children. The pandemic has led 1.6 million children out of their schools, depriving them from the nutritious meals provided. 

The World Food Programme‘s (WFP) annual review of 2020, shows that the pandemic pushed 124 million people into poverty, leading to an increase in hunger and the threats of famine in some areas. But WFP states that the goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030, is still possible with worldwide efforts and cooperation to plan out a better future. 

Such difficult times call for global solidarity and support. The government and the international organizations should cooperate in order to help those affected by food insecurity. Monetary help as well as access to adequate food resources can be provided to them.

This food insecurity in the times of pandemic has highlighted the importance of developing long-term sustainable strategies to deal with the challenges in agriculture and food supply.


Kargil War: What did Pakistan gain from this war?

Many books have been written on the Kargil war between India and Pakistan, in which those aspects are mentioned, which are not known to the common people.

Pakistani journalist Naseem Zahra’s book “From Kargil to the Cop: Events that Shook Pakistan” is one of them. On 20 years of the war, BBC correspondent Shumaila Jaffrey spoke to Naseem Zahra about his book and some of the developments mentioned in it. Today, 22 years of Kargil war have been completed.

Naseem Zahra said that initially Pakistan’s plan was to capture some mountain peaks in Indian-administered Kashmir and then close the Srinagar-Leh highway. Closing this road was one of Pakistan’s major strategies as it was the only way India used to send military weapons to the soldiers stationed in Kashmir.

According to Naseem, Pakistani generals planning the Kargil attack believed that the situation would worsen and India would be forced to negotiate on the Kashmir dispute, but the way Pakistani soldiers were fighting, they were no less than the eighth wonder of the world.

She says that “the interesting thing about Kargil is that Pakistanis can be proud of it and sad too. The way the young soldiers were sent there (Kargil), the cold winter they reached there and The circumstances in which he fought valiantly is a reason for pride, but the question also arises that why was he sent there?”

Naseem Zahra says that “Pakistan Army initially inflicted heavy losses on Indian forces. Indian Army didn’t even know what happened. And Indian generals were saying that they would give them (Pakistani soldiers) a few hours or something.” Will throw you out of your area in days.”

According to Naseem Zahra, initially the Pakistani army and fighters had the advantage that they were sitting on the tops of the mountains and it was very easy to attack the Indian soldiers from above, but later the situation changed. However, there has been no response from Pakistani military officials on these claims of Naseem Zahra.

Big Mistake : 

Naseem Zahra says that when the Indian Army gradually realized what had happened, it called for Bofors artillery, which are not usually used in such operations. “If you ask what changed the Kargil war, it is the Bofors guns. Indian soldiers stationed them on the same Srinagar-Leh highway that Pakistan wanted to block. Broken into pieces and the Indian Air Force was continuously bombarding from above. This fact has been confirmed by both the countries.

Naseem Zahra said that even after coming down from the Kargil hills, Pakistan had to suffer heavy losses. “There were no roads or vehicular routes for them to return, nor were they returning in a friendly environment. It was very difficult to return from the altitude of 16 to 18 thousand feet of mountains. Many trenches had to be crossed and up It was very cold. When Indians got an opportunity, they took advantage of it and retaliated fiercely. The war was for a very short time but it was fought in a fierce manner.”

Naseem Zahra says that India used its air force well in Kargil, but Pakistani delayed it. She says that it is not yet clear how many people were killed in Kargil. “Some people say that three hundred were killed, some call it two thousand, but the number of soldiers in the number of two thousand probably did not go there. When I talked to the army people about this they said that such a big Not many people were killed. It was a big mistake.” 

Kargil – Siachen issue :

Naseem Zahra also says that the plan of Kargil was under consideration for many years, but it was completed in 1999. “This plan was presented by General Pervez Musharraf to Benazir Bhutto. He refused it. It was discussed earlier also during the time of General Ziaul Haq.” According to Naseem Zahra, the Kashmir issue was the main reason for the Kargil operation. Apart from this, the issue of Siachen was also one of the main reasons. 

Four generals executed the war :

Naseem Zahra says that the Kargil war was carried out by four generals of Pakistan. According to him, the four generals included the then Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf, Major General Javed Hasan, General Aziz Khan and General Mahmood Ahmed. The top leadership of the army was unaware of this operation.

According to Naseem Zahra, the four generals were stationed on the Line of Control. He was passionate about the Kashmir issue. They believe that for the Kargil war, these four generals had executed it without formal permission from the elected government. It was a kind of violation of the rules. In February 1999, an agreement was signed between Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lahore, according to which both the countries had shown commitment to start a new relationship through talks.

‘Be the winner of Kashmir’ : 

According to Naseem Zahra, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif learned about the Kargil operation during a briefing held on May 17, 1999, weeks after the troops crossed the Line of Control. Naseem Zahra says, “The then Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz understood the situation that some soldiers of our army had crossed the Line of Control. He told the PM about this and said that Prime Minister we are talking to India. Were.”

She says, “These things were happening after the Lahore summit.” But according to Naseem Zahra, initially Nawaz Sharif really believed that the army could be successful in resolving the Kashmir issue with this operation. “Sartaj Aziz explained that international forces, especially the United Nations will not accept this and America will always support India. To which Nawaz Sharif said that no Sartaj sir, we can never achieve Kashmir by meeting and exchanging files. can do.”

“Then General Aziz Khan told Nawaz Sharif that Quaid-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan, now is your chance, you become the conqueror of Kashmir.”

Relations between the countries were getting better but….

Naseem Zahra says that relations between India and Pakistan were getting better, but at the same time General Pervez Musharraf carried out the Kargil war. “Vajpayee had come to Pakistan and Pakistan had given a warm welcome to the Prime Minister of India, he had come to hold talks and it was going on. Later, General Musharraf requested India several times for talks. To bring India to the negotiating table. For that he had to go to India on his knees.

Naseem considers them wrong, those who say that this war has benefited Pakistan in the matter of Kashmir.” Facts do not support this. According to the facts, it was such a wrong move that Pakistan had to go through the process of talks for years. Had to try to start again. Even though India did 1971 and Siachen but Pakistan’s decision of Kargil war was very irresponsible. It damaged the image of Pakistan.

However, Naseem Zahra believes that no loss or gain is permanent. Countries get an opportunity to review their policies.