Lok Sabha has started a beginner-level course in French for the officials and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat at the Parliament House. As many as 57 officials registered for the course.

Inaugurating the course, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, knowledge of language is extremely relevant in today’s interconnected world and is a necessary skill for success in different fields. Observing that language brings people together and helps improve their efficiency and skill, he said the languages enrich us and bring people together.

Birla appreciated the initiative undertaken by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). He said that PRIDE must remain committed learning and research. He added that in the near future, courses in German, Spanish, Russian and other important world languages would also be organised.

The festival of Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is being celebrated in different parts of the country today. At Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Janmashtami will be celebrated with all the rituals but the devotees will not be allowed entry to the temples due to CoronaVirus. However, arrangements have been made to live stream the puja for devotees.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted people on the occasion.

In a message, President said, Lord Shri Krishna inspires us to establish a society that is just, sensitive and compassionate. Mr Kovind said, Lord Krishna’s message of Karmayoga is a call to focus on our responsibilities rather than caring for rewards. This spirit has been evident in the working of all our corona warriors who act at the forefront of our fight against Corona, he said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted people on the occasion of Janmashtami.  In a tweet Mr Naidu said, the tales of the young Krishna’s mischiefs and his heroic acts have captivated our collective imagination since time immemorial.

He said,  the eternal message of performing our duties sincerely without attachment to results, elaborated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita has been a source of inspiration for the entire humanity. He said, Janmashtami, which is usually celebrated across the country with great fervor and gaiety, would have to be celebrated in a modest manner this year due to Covid-19.

On this auspicious day, the Vice President called upon everyone to perform our duties faithfully and to seek the path of righteousness. He hoped that the festival would bring peace, harmony and prosperity to everyone.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said Best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has unearthed money-laundering worth over 1,000 crore rupees involving Chinese and Indian nationals. The Income Tax Department has conducted searches on premises of Chinese entities, their close confederates and a couple of bank employees.

CBDT said, based on the credible information that few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions through a series of shell entities, a search action was mounted. Search action revealed that at the behest of Chinese individuals, more than 40 bank accounts were created in various dummy entities, entering into credits of more than one thousand crore rupees over the period.

A subsidiary of Chinese company and its related concerns have taken over 100 crore rupees bogus advances from shell entities for opening businesses of retail showrooms in India. Incriminating documents in respect of hawala transactions and laundering of money with active involvement of bank employees and Chartered accountants has been found as a result of search action. 

In a landmark judgment, Supreme Court has ruled that daughters will have inheritance rights equal to those of sons from properties of fathers and grandfathers right from the codification of the law in 1956.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah cleared the confusion arising from the apex court’s conflicting interpretations of the amended Section 6 of Hindu Succession Act, which came into force from September 9, 2005. The bench said whether the father is alive or not, daughters born before September 9, 2005, too can claim equal right in inheritance.

The apex court said, daughters cannot be deprived of their right to equality conferred by Section 6 of the Act. The apex court was answering a reference based on conflicting decisions given by past verdicts of the top court.

Although the amendment was applicable to Hindu daughters as coparceners who died after coming of the act, there was no clarity on whether it will have retrospective effect.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched ICAR’s data recovery centre – Krishi Megh. The move is aimed at protecting  the precious data of the government’s premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad.

Currently, the main data centre of the ICAR is at the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in the national capital. Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Tomar said NAARM, Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a different seismic zone with regard to the Data Centre at ICAR-IASRI in New Delhi. He said Hyderabad is also suitable as skilled IT manpower is available along with other suitable climatic conditions such as low humidity level which is controllable in the data center environment.

Mr Tomar said, the data recovery centre at NAARM is synchronised with the data centre at IASRI. He said it has been built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India. Mr Tomar emphasised the need to save and preserve the important research-based data in a prompt digitised form to enable its access anywhere in any corner of the country and the world.

The Minister said Krishi Megh is a step forward towards digital agriculture of ‘New India’, as has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Tomar also said NAHEP was designed for strengthening the national agricultural education system in India with the overall objective to provide more relevant and high-quality education to the agricultural university students that is in tune with the New Education Policy 2020. He also launched the KVC ALUNET (Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Chhatr Alumni Network) and Online Accreditation System for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions.

Ministers of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala and Kailash Choudhary, ICAR Director General Trilochan Mohapatra and ICAR Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education) R C Agrawal were among those present at the launch.

Government has opened 91 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Jammu and Kashmir and three in Ladakh region between January and July this year. The Chemical and Fertilizer Ministry said, Bureau of Pharma PSUs of  India (BPPI) opened these Jan Aushadhi Kendras with an aim of making available quality generic medicines at an affordable price to the residents of these regions.

The total sales in the last one year has crossed four crore 39 lakh rupees in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh which led to total savings of 31 crore rupees for residents of this area.

The Ministry said, The Government of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have proposed to open 73 new Jan Aushadhi Kendras for which locations have already been identified. BPPI has supplied over one crore 56 lakh sanitary pads to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

National Health Mission has been distributing these pads free of cost to young girls and women as a part of Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will win against coronavirus if 10 states defeat it. Mr Modi said, 10 states account for over 80 per cent of the active COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Prime Minister yesterday reviewed the Corona situation with the Chief Ministers of 10 worst affected states through video conferencing. This was the seventh such interaction with Chief Ministers on the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Modi said, we need to follow a new mantra – all those who have come in contact with an infected person should be traced and tested within 72 hours. He said, experts now say if we identify COVID-19 cases within 72 hours of onset, then infection slows down to great extent.

The Prime Minister said, our experience so far is that containment, contact tracing and surveillance are the most effective weapons against COVID-19. Mr Modi said there is an urgent need to ramp up testing in Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal, and Telangana.

The first vaccine is launched today by Russia for covid-19, vladimir Putin Russia president launched the prestigious russian vaccine,the first antidote was injected to his daughter

The vaccine will be available from October 2020,and this vaccine will be given to every Russia citizen in next month ,the Russia government is try to make more vaccines,so it will available for everyone

Job satisfaction

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

Importance is job satisfaction

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

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

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

The positive effects of job satisfaction include:

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

2. Higher employee loyalty leading to more commitment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Hierarchy of needs by Maslow

• Hygiene Theory by Herzberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are some things which want employee most :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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