Tag: Education

Destructive Habits: Bias

There are many habits that destroy your mental peace, happiness and mostly you. Some of them are usually with different addictions or because of people but what destroys you as a person depends on how you view things and people around you. Your environment is what shapes you but to be different, you have to do it by yourself. 

The most common habits have become common because we are more focused elsewhere than ourselves. To be a better version of yourself, you need to view your flaws and work on them.

  1. Spotlight Effect: We overestimate how much attention people give to our words and appearance. Imagine you said something but it felt wrong after it came out. In reality, everyone only remembers it for the moment and immediately moves to the next topic. We ponder over it for days, forgetting that others don’t care as much as we do about it.

Example: “The red shoes don’t match the outfit at all! I guess the guys are laughing because of it”

*Red shoes matched the outfit better than you imagined*

Truth: No one cares about you as much as your loved ones do. Everyone is just a temporary traveler in your life and you have to be okay with it. Dress how you want and be how you want to be. 

  1. Status Quo Bias: We prefer for things to be the same; usually change is viewed as a negative aspect of life. If you adopt a new habit that cuts out something from your life, you immediately feel guilty of not being able to manage it, so you quit your new habit for the old one because it feels more comfortable.

Example: “I like to paint, but the classes are on Friday, I won’t be able to party! I can always paint later so let’s party now!”

*Proceeds to miss out on an amazing experience*

Truth: Change is hard. To adapt to a new routine and new place is always difficult and your mind is stuck on the old routine, but only then do you learn more about yourself. You may like to paint now, but when you explore it, you may not want to put the brush down! You need to explore that change for a while to know more about yourself.

  1. Zeigarnik Effect: We focus more on the incomplete tasks than the ones that have been completed. Sometimes, we forget to see that we have accomplished many things on the way, and we focus on the ones that we have not accomplished yet. It pushes you to feel bad that you are not able to do anything. 

Example: “Bro I lost the Table-Tennis Pan-India Semi-finals! I feel so like I can’t do it anymore”

*Came so far by winning championships and tournaments*

Truth: You have to see where you are today. Look behind you and see the different hurdles you had to come across. You didn’t cross them just to go back did you? It does feel bad to not achieve something the first time you try it, but when you achieve it, after toiling for some time, the fruit is incomparable.

  1. Pessimism Bias: We tend to overestimate the possibility of negative outcomes. We always have a small part of your mind that searches for a negative outcome. What you see and ask for, is what you get and have. You will increase the chance of losing the opportunity if all you see is losing it.

Example: “I feel like I will lose this chance to be head of department, there are so many others who are way more qualified.”

*Loses opportunity because it messed with your confidence and screwed your interview*

Truth: What energy you put out, is what you usually get. Sometimes, you lose opportunities, but don’t dwell on the wrong aspects. You may not have the necessary qualifications but the way you portray yourself is what gets you opportunities.

  1. Sunken-Cost Fallacy: We invest more in things that have cost us something, even if we have negative outcomes. We feel that if we invest more, the difference can be recovered with just a little gain.

Example: “My portfolio is down by 25%! I will invest 50% of it so with a 25% gain, I can recover the loss”

*Proceeds to lose more because the stock market is in a bear phase*

  1. Self-serving Bias: Our failures are situational but our success is our hardwork’s result. We view that our failures are determined by external factors and our success is because of us. It is also difficult to ascertain what caused success or failure on the spot so we divide it based on the result.

Example: “I lost the game because the opponent was too strong. I got the best player of the match because I practiced well”

*Opponent won because of your overconfidence in your practice*

“The eyes sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”

~Robertson Davies

Sometimes, we see these habits recurring but we don’t want to change because we feel it will make others dislike us. By changing, you are not making your friends feel bad but giving them a chance to understand that it’s time to improve. It’s time to make yourself the person you always wanted to be. Everyday is a learning step and only then can you improve. These habits of biasing situations have a lot of effect on where you are and where  you want to be.

This post has been inspired by Ankur Warikoo. You can check his post on LinkedIn here!

This was a delight to write about. I hope you have found this article interesting and let me know about your thoughts on this. Keep on smiling!

Applied Psychology

Photo by meo on Pexels.com

Applied psychology is the application of psychological principles and methods to resolve problems of human experience which may be related to human experience, health, family, workplace, etc. It is that field of psychology which validates psychological theories and focuses on putting practical research into action to achieve the desired result.

VARIOUS FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY:

  1. Educational psychology:
    1. Helps in developing strategies for better teaching approaches.
    2. Improves learning environment and gives advice on curriculum formation
  2. Occupational psychology:
    1. Helps in increasing the employee productivity, job satisfaction at work and overall effectiveness of an organization.
    2. Ids in organizational functions such as staff recruitment training, employee relations, performance appraisal, motivation, counselling and maintaining work environment.
  3. Health psychology:
    1. Helps diseases individuals to cope with illness, develop positive attitude, recover from illness and lead quality life.
    2. Educates and motivates people to make better health choices, contribute to improving the healthcare system and aid the government in designing healthcare policy.
  4. Cognitive psychology:
    1. Aids in treating learning disorders, structure. The educational curriculum to augment learning and improve desicion making ability.
    2. Provides help to cope with increased stress levels, memory disorders brain injury and additional difficulties.
  5. Clinical psychology:
    1. Helps in diagnosis,rention and treatment of emotional disturbances and behavioral problems.
    2. Helps the individual to promote well being and personal development.
  6. Sports psychology:
    1. Helps athletes and sports person to cope with the intense pressure generated out of competition.
    2. Enhances the performance of an athlete, motivates him and hastensthe recovery from injuries too.
    3. Teaches the common man to enjoy sport and promote well being by sticking to an exercise regimen.
  7. Developmental psychology:
    1. Aims to resolve individual’s issues mostly related to society, school, career, family and health.
  8. Criminal psychology:
    1. Assissts law enforcement agencies in apprehend in the criminals.
    2. Provides an understanding of will, intention, thoughts, feelings and reactions of criminals with the main goal of reducing crimes.
  9. Social psychology:
    1. Talks about social perceptions and interactions that are key to understanding social behavior.
    2. Looks at a wide range of other topics such as aggression, prejudice and non verbal behavior.

Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

For inclusive growth and employment, spending on social services as a share of GDP and investment in social infrastructure are of prime importance. The social sector pursues economic and social goals and is involved in providing social services to disadvantaged groups and communities, whether in urban or rural areas. Recent Economic Research focuses on social services including education, sport, arts and culture; public health and medical, family welfare; water supply and drainage and environmental sanitation; hotel; Urban Development; SC, ST and OBC welfare, labor and labor benefits; social security and welfare, nutrition, disaster relief, etc.

As education and health are two major areas of concern in the context of social sector development and human development achievements, this article explores their situation in India.

ISSUES REGARDING DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL SECTORS

In this regard, issues related to the development and management of social sectors/services are as follows:

1) Fundamental changes in the design of policies/programs needed to approach all segments of society.

2) Expand outreach equitably through people participation, outreach, use of technology, and direct transfer of benefits.

3) Access to education at all levels in rural and urban areas with necessary reforms of the education system to encourage career development.

4) Intensify efforts to impart skills needed to face the 4th industrial revolution, which is a fusion of the physical, digital and biological worlds.

5) An increase in total formal employment in the economy.

6) Challenges of providing both access to health care and access to quality health care nationally.

7) Construction rate of pucca structure housing in rural and urban areas.

EDUCATION

The liberalization of India’s economy has had a major impact on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, with its economic growth accelerating f. The literacy rate has increased from 77.7% in 2020, while primary education universalization has largely been achieved and the dropout rate has decreased. However, despite significant progress, strong exclusions and disparities exist. Combining accessible affordability and quality assurance with good governance and adequate funding is always a concern.

HEALTH

Significant progress has also been made on the medical side, some diseases have been eradicated or are on the verge of eradication. There have been significant declines in the Index of Fertility (ISF) and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), and life expectancy has fallen from 36.7 years in 1951 to 69.66 In 2019. These achievements are impressive, but at the same time, our failures are more prominent. As such, this volume brings together the contributions of leading Indian scholars on a wide range of social issues, including the link between growth, poverty, and the social sector; efficiency of social sector spending in India; disparities in health status; Protecting IPRs in Health Innovations; pollution and health; universal primary education; problems encountered at higher education levels; and child labor issues.

ROLE OF CONSTITUTION IN ENSURING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

The right to health is not directly included as a fundamental right in the Constitution of India. The maker of the Constitution placed this obligation on the State to ensure economic and social justice. The fourth part of the Indian constitution is the Directive Principles of State Policy which has imposed obligations on the states. If we just look at these terms, we see that some of them are directly or indirectly related to public health. The Indian constitution does not stipulate the right to health care as a fundamental right. The Constitution orders the State to take measures to improve the health care conditions of the people. Thus, the preamble of the Constitution of India, among other things, aims to ensure social and economic justice for all its citizens. It provides a framework for achieving the goals set out in the introduction. The preamble is amplified and developed in the Guiding Principles of State Policy.

Article 38 of the Indian Constitution places on the state the responsibility that states must ensure social order to promote the welfare of the people, but without public health we cannot achieve this. this. This means that without public health, everyone’s happiness is impossible. Article 39(e) concerned workers to protect their health. Article 41 imposes on the State the obligation to provide public assistance mainly to the sick and disabled. Article 42 provides for the protection of the health of children and mothers through the maternity regime. In India, the guiding principle of state policy under Article 47 states that the primary duty of the state is to improve public health, ensure justice, the human condition at work, and prolong time sickness, old age, disability and maternity benefits are also being considered. In addition, state duties include the prohibition of intoxication and drugs harmful to health. Section 48A ensures that the state strives to protect and enforce a pollution-free environment for good health.

NEW EDUCATION POLICY TO BRING EVOLUTION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Credit-Scholarship in India

NEW EDUCATION POLICY:
° Students are currently undergoing school exams conducted by responsible authorities in grades 3, 5, and 8.
° 10th and 12th grade board exams will continue, but will be redesigned for overall development.
° Mathematical reasoning and scientific temperament coding begins in 6th grade .Vocational training begins at school in sixth grade and includes internships.
° The 10 + 2 structure is replaced by 5 + 3 + 3 + 4. The new system consists of grades 12 and 3 years preschool / Anganwadi.
° Until 5th grade, this policy emphasizes the local / regional / native language as the teaching language.
° In schools and universities, Sanskrit is also included as a student option at all levels and consists of three language formulas.
° Under Graduate is now 3 or 4 years, with multiple degree options eligible for this period, such as a 1 year certificate, 2 years diploma, 3 years degree, 4 years bachelor’s degree in research, etc.
° An Academic Credit Bank (ABC) is created to store, transfer, and award bachelor’s degrees from digital learning achievements earned by students from various universities.
° The curriculum has been reduced to essentials for all subjects. They focus on critical thinking, discovery, inquiry, debate, and education based on analytical and holistic learning methods for education.
° Focus on e-learning so you can reduce your reliance on textbooks
Under the new policy, education will receive 6% of GDP, up from 1.7%. This definitely boosts the education system.
° By the end of 2040, all universities should be interdisciplinary institutions with more than 3000 students each. University affiliation will be phased out over the next 15 years.

Credit- iShiksha

Foucus on Regional /Mother Tongue Language:
As you know, young children learn new things as soon as they teach in their own language, not in another language they are unfamiliar with. This policy is aware of it, so children will be taught in their native language until the age of 5, but it can change to 8th grade .

Credit- Sarkari Yojana

NEW CURRICULUM STRUCTURE:
•) Rebuild the school curriculum and teaching methods into new 5 = 3 + 3 + 4 patterns.
•) The new curriculum structure is designed to attract the attention of learners at various developmental stages, such as 3-8 years old, 8-11 years old, 11-14 years old, 14-18 years old.
•) Elementary level lasts 5 years:
3 years before school, 1st and 2nd grade.
The preparatory stage lasts for 3 years: 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.
Middle school or high school lasts 3 years: 6th, 7th and 8th grade.
High school or junior high school lasts four years: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade.
All of the above levels include Indian and regional traditions, ethical thinking, socio-emotional learning, quantitative and logical thinking, digital literacy, computational thinking, scientific manipulation, language and communication skills.

“Learning starts with failure; the first failure is the beginning of education.”

– John Hersey

The World Runs on Finance

Wherever you go, you hear the terms of budget, loans, bonds, stocks, crypto, and many more. Finance has become one of the highest searched topics that people want to learn. People want to get control, build different streams of income, build passive income, buy real estate, buy bonds and increase their wealth. Compared to 1980s to the present day, finance has developed and spread its branches across the world. With technology, finance has become easier to access.

Small NBFCs( Non-Banking Financial Corporations) have created apps that people can get for small amounts of loan. From 100₹ to 1,00,000₹, these corporations have found an untouched market in loan requirements, small loans. The term may be quite little, but it has huge potential. A lot of people take loans or borrow money from loan sharks at high interest rates, but do they always have money to give?

This question itself has created this part of market. With technology, payments have become quicker and able to move in a matter of minutes. NBFCs found this to be their best advantage of all time. People sign up on these apps with all their details and take the loan at exorbitant rates. They charge interest for each passing day ( 3% or more) and disburse the amount with the click of a button.

As many people are, no one wants to go through the terms & conditions because it is long and boring. Here lies the secret to the destruction of your reputation between you and the world. Many think that these apps are to be taken simply and not to be minded when the payment date comes. These NBFCs aren’t banks so they don’t give repeated notices for the payment, instead, they send your contacts all your details, with the amount of money you have taken and ask them to pay. They use godawful ways to get the payment.

Few messages are so disgusting and low that it breaks your reputation into pieces. You cannot rebuild your reputation and it keeps going on till the payment has been done. It’s a small yet such powerful blow that you cannot recover from. After the payment has been made, they don’t send a message stating that you have made the payment which doesn’t help you in any way but makes you droop down more. These interest rates on meager amounts is how they make the most money on.

Every time you borrow money, you are robbing time from your future self.

Nathan W. Morris

Loans are not a joke. You learn from the mistakes you make. Scars are lessons for what we have gone through. Learn from your experiences, teach them to your kith and kin, no matter what they are aged. If an 18 year old with a bank account, comes across the app and doesn’t know the effect of not paying on time, it’s not a wound that they can recover from easily.

Teach your younger ones about finance, how to maintain, when and where to use them but not teaching them leads to a higher damage. Be careful and do not go down this path unless you know how to come back from it.

Photography 101: Equipment

Photos are memories that you can visit every time you look at them. It could be on your phone, in a frame, or on your camera itself. With the advance in technology, we are able to take photos in mobiles at par with traditional DSLRs. The technology doesn’t stop evolving and it is amazing to see the quality of photos improve over time. But you want to take photos better, better composition and with a better angle. So what kind of equipment can enhance your photography to the next level?

1: A Camera

Of course, you cannot buy camera gear if you don’t have a camera. You don’t need to invest heavily into the camera but don’t cheap out on it either. Instead, buy a decent camera that you can use without worrying about the price. A camera is great around the house with family or with friends when out on a trip. It captures various memories for you to relish after your trips. It is an investment for your hobby. Of course, don’t buy a camera that is too advanced because it will be expensive as well as very hard to handle.

Click here to check out Beginner Cameras! 

2:  Tripod

Now a tripod is an investment. You need a sturdy tripod to shoot clear and sharp pictures. It also helps you with taking photos of places if you can’t hold it steady. If you want to improve your photography level, a tripod helps a lot. If you want to shoot a cinematic scene or take a long time lapse of sunrise/sunset/full moon nights or any shot that requires a long time for the camera to be held steady, a tripod enhances the stillness. There are many tripods in the market and Amazon also became one of the tripod sellers with their own brand.

Different Tripod sizes

3:  Memory Cards

Buying a memory card is essential for a DSLR camera. The camera uses the memory card to load photos onto. This memory card holds your memories until you pass it onto your computer. It is the delivery guy for your treasure. Due to its petite size, hold it carefully and store it with caution. You get memory card boxes for a few bucks that hold them carefully for you to transfer.

Now you know your way around your camera. You can switch from different modes and know when to change your ISO, shutter speed and also your aperture. You take beautiful shots and amazing photos but you want to improve your video shots and take them with more precision and cinematically. 

4: Lens

You keep taking photos but you don’t feel the spark or the connection you had with your shots, you have reached the end with your current lens. No matter how many shots you can take with your kit lens ( The lens that comes with the camera), there’s only so much you can do. It’s time to take a new lens to explore more with your camera. Your lens has more to do with the shots you want to take than with which lens you have to purchase. As a beginner, it’s always appreciated to ask your mentor or a friend who has been in photography a long time for advice on new lenses.

 Check this page out for more information on lenses

5: Basic Accessories

Now, you have all the equipment but if you don’t have the basic accessories, then how do you move the equipment from your home to the different places? Checklist these all items with the above ones so you don’t damage your equipment and carry them safely without any worries.

  • Camera Bag: You can purchase the camera bag while purchasing your camera and it’s pretty standard. You can carry your camera with your kit lens and it’s a nice place to hold your memory cards too.
  • Lens Cleaner: A lens cleaner is an absolute necessity if you are carrying around multiple lenses. It includes a lens cleaning liquid, a microfiber cloth and a small brush. Clean the dust with the brush, then apply the liquid and finish it up with the microfiber cloth
  • Sensor Cleaner: A sensor cleaner is also needed because you will be changing lenses on the camera when you are out and about. If the sensor has dust on, use the sensor cleaner to clean it and get it ready for the next shot.

Congratulations! You have the basic camera gear and the necessary skills to improve your Photography and Videography game! Remember, you don’t become the best instantly. Keep taking photos, keep taking shots, they may not always work but you will improve over time. Take your time, and don’t stop clicking!

Photography 101: Equipment

Photos are memories that you can visit every time you look at them. It could be on your phone, in a frame, or on your camera itself. With the advance in technology, we are able to take photos in mobiles at par with traditional DSLRs. The technology doesn’t stop evolving and it is amazing to see the quality of photos improve over time. But you want to take photos better, better composition and with a better angle. So what kind of equipment can enhance your photography to the next level?

1: A Camera

Of course, you cannot buy camera gear if you don’t have a camera. You don’t need to invest heavily into the camera but don’t cheap out on it either. Instead, buy a decent camera that you can use without worrying about the price. A camera is great around the house with family or with friends when out on a trip. It captures various memories for you to relish after your trips. It is an investment for your hobby. Of course, don’t buy a camera that is too advanced because it will be expensive as well as very hard to handle.

Click here to check out Beginner Cameras! 

2:  Tripod

Now a tripod is an investment. You need a sturdy tripod to shoot clear and sharp pictures. It also helps you with taking photos of places if you can’t hold it steady. If you want to improve your photography level, a tripod helps a lot. If you want to shoot a cinematic scene or take a long time lapse of sunrise/sunset/full moon nights or any shot that requires a long time for the camera to be held steady, a tripod enhances the stillness. There are many tripods in the market and Amazon also became one of the tripod sellers with their own brand.

Different Tripod sizes

3:  Memory Cards

Buying a memory card is essential for a DSLR camera. The camera uses the memory card to load photos onto. This memory card holds your memories until you pass it onto your computer. It is the delivery guy for your treasure. Due to its petite size, hold it carefully and store it with caution. You get memory card boxes for a few bucks that hold them carefully for you to transfer.

Now you know your way around your camera. You can switch from different modes and know when to change your ISO, shutter speed and also your aperture. You take beautiful shots and amazing photos but you want to improve your video shots and take them with more precision and cinematically. 

4: Lens

You keep taking photos but you don’t feel the spark or the connection you had with your shots, you have reached the end with your current lens. No matter how many shots you can take with your kit lens ( The lens that comes with the camera), there’s only so much you can do. It’s time to take a new lens to explore more with your camera. Your lens has more to do with the shots you want to take than with which lens you have to purchase. As a beginner, it’s always appreciated to ask your mentor or a friend who has been in photography a long time for advice on new lenses.

 Check this page out for more information on lenses

5: Basic Accessories

Now, you have all the equipment but if you don’t have the basic accessories, then how do you move the equipment from your home to the different places? Checklist these all items with the above ones so you don’t damage your equipment and carry them safely without any worries.

  • Camera Bag: You can purchase the camera bag while purchasing your camera and it’s pretty standard. You can carry your camera with your kit lens and it’s a nice place to hold your memory cards too.
  • Lens Cleaner: A lens cleaner is an absolute necessity if you are carrying around multiple lenses. It includes a lens cleaning liquid, a microfiber cloth and a small brush. Clean the dust with the brush, then apply the liquid and finish it up with the microfiber cloth
  • Sensor Cleaner: A sensor cleaner is also needed because you will be changing lenses on the camera when you are out and about. If the sensor has dust on, use the sensor cleaner to clean it and get it ready for the next shot.

Congratulations! You have the basic camera gear and the necessary skills to improve your Photography and Videography game! Remember, you don’t become the best instantly. Keep taking photos, keep taking shots, they may not always work but you will improve over time. Take your time, and don’t stop clicking!

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT

Process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-confidence among Individual ,that allows them to act individually and collectively to have a say in social relationships and the institutions and discourses that exclude them,

The principle of personal and social empowerment is described as a process in which individuals or social groups come to acquire the skills necessary for taking control of their own lives. It is important for supporting and reinforcing the personal empowerment of other members of their group or community as well.

Social empowerment is understood as the process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-confidence. It also involves acting individually and collectively to change social relationships and the institutions and discourses that exclude poor people and lead to an increase in poverty.

Individual empowerment is influenced by individual assets like land, house, and savings along with social factors like health and education. Also, concepts of choice, liberty, agency, capacity, contribution, self-sufficiency and increased resources are all crucial to societal empowerment.

Social empowerment has both individual and community aspects related to it. Individual factors like self-esteem. Self-confidence, imagination, and aspirations all influence social full-fillment. People’s collective assets and capabilities such as voice, organisation, representation and identity also sway the social responsibility.

It is important that socially and economically backward classes of people get involved in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can contribute to social empowerment by improving their skills, knowledge, and self-perception.

Social Empowerment means all the sections of society in India, have equal control over their lives, are able to take important decisions in their lives and have equal opportunities. Without empowering all sections of society equally, a nation can never have a good growth trajectory.The government has been trying to empower different sections of our society by adopting a multi pronged strategy.

Social Empowerment – Women Empowerment

In the words of the current Prime Minister “empowering women means empowering the entire family.” In a country like India, a girl child faces challenges right from the time of her birth or one

can say a girl child has to fight even for her birth. Hence the Government of India has given a big focus on empowering women through various government sponsored schemes. Some of the important schemes are mentioned below.

  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao –

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme was launched on 22 January 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It aims to address the issue of the declining child sex ratio image (CSR) and is a

national initiative jointly run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It initially focused multi-sector action in 100 districts throughout the country where there was a low CSR.

Pradhan Mantri Vandana Yojana

It is a maternity benefit program run by the Government of India. It was introduced in 2017 and is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for the first live birth. It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

It is a Government of India backed saving scheme targeted at the parents of girl children. The scheme encourages parents to build a fund for the future education and marriage expenses for

their female child. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015 as a part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. The scheme currently provides high interest rates and tax benefits. The account can be opened at any India Post office or branch of authorized commercial banks.

Social Empowerment – Poor and Marginalized Sections

Marginalised sections of society are people belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes  (OBC). For poor and marginalised sections, empowerment means access to basic education, livelihood, and equal opportunities for growth. Some of the Government measures to address this section of society are mentioned below.

  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

It is a financial inclusion program of the Government of India open to Indian citizens (minors of age 10 and older can also open an account with a guardian to manage it), that aims to expand affordable access to financial services such as bank accounts, remittances, credit, insurance pensions. This financial inclusion campaign was launched on 28 August 2014. Under this scheme 15 million bank accounts were opened on inauguration day.

  • Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana

Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income generating activity such as manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector and whose credit need is less than Rs 10 lakh can approach either a Bank, MFI, or NBFC for availing of Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).

Skill India

Skill India campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 July 2015 to train over 40 crore people in India in different skills by 2022.It is managed by the National Skills Development Corporation of India. United Kingdom (U.K), Japan, Oracle have collaborated with India for the Skill India Programme. One of the prominent initiatives under it is Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). The aim of the PMKVY scheme is to encourage aptitude towards employable skills and to increase working efficiency of probable and existing daily wage earners, by giving monetary awards and rewards and by providing quality training to them. The

The scheme has a target to train 1 crore Indian youth from 2016-20.

Scholarship Schemes for Education

To meet its goal of educational empowerment of the SC population, a large portion of the budget of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is directed to scholarships and there has been considerable success in its distribution within the target group. Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS – SC) for SC students has been in operation since 1944 and is the single largest intervention by the Government of India for the educational empowerment of scheduled caste students. It covers approximately 55 lakh students per year, studying at the post matriculation or post-secondary stage, right up to PhD. It has had positive outcomes on literacy level of the target groups, on dropout rates, participation in higher education, and finally in achievement of excellence and building human capital for the service of the nation. Other scholarship schemes for SC students are the Pre-Matric Scholarship, Top Class Education Scheme for studying in premier educational institutions and the National Fellowship Scheme run in conjunction with UGC.

It focuses on integrated development of SC majority villages. The programme is being taken up in villages which have more than 50% SC population.

Social Empowerment – Senior Citizens

Many senior citizens feel neglected and unwanted in the twilight years of their life. Government has taken measures to enable them to lead a respectable life with economic self-sufficiency. Some of the schemes for senior citizens are listed below.

Atal Pension Yojana

It is a government-backed pension scheme in India, primarily targeted at the unorganised sector. All subscribing workers below the age of 40 are eligible for pension of up to ₹5,000 per month on attainment of 60 years of age.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

It is a scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category. This is a Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government. The expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”. The Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency – Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment.

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana

This is a pension scheme for senior citizens.This to enable old age income security and welfare of Senior Citizens.

Social Empowerment – Disabled Group

For the differently able, their disability often makes them feel that they are a burden on society. Their requirements for empowerment are very different thereby requiring programmes customised to suit their needs. Some of the schemes to help them lead quality life are

mentioned below.

1. Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation schemes

2. Accessible India campaign

Social Empowerment – Scheduled Tribes

National mainstream policies and compulsions result in the tribal communities feeling either isolated from the mainstream or losing their identity. Government has taken initiatives to handle the issues faced by the Scheduled Tribes which are listed below.

1. Forest Rights Act

2. Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce.

3. Schemes for Vocational Training

ROLE OF FAMILY,SOCIETY AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN INCULCATIONG VALUES

Family, society, and educational institutions play a very major role in building one’s character or personality. These institutions impart value to an individual and help them become a better person in society. One learns what one listens. Young children very much learn what they see around them. If they see good they learn good and if they see bad they will learn that as well. The role of family is important because an individual lives there and learns from there, society influences an individual’s behaviour and educational institutions are where an individual learns. Now we’ll see how these factors help in inculcating values in an individual.

ROLE OF FAMILY

Family is a place where one grows, and learns the most. Just like the saying charity begins at home similarly an individual’s education starts from home. It is like a foundation where values are built. Values like respecting elders, honesty, justice, respect for both genders all taught at home. If within a family there are differences or if the home environment is not healthy then this also affects the individual. The values practised by the other members of the family also shapes the child’s attitude towards other people or towards the society. Values like love, care, protection all these start from family. If a child experiences love, care, comfort then he/she will have a positive attitude toward others and will behave the same with others and will inspire others as well. Family’s environment will help a child to socialise and progress in the society.

The system of joint family that is the presence of elder family members also has a great influence on an individual. It helps in developing social and moral values. They learn human values and respecting elders and this will help in eradicating negative mental tendencies when they are among elders. In a family an individual not only learns about values but also about their customs and culture and enhancing one’s culture proudly is also a very good value. The attitude of one family member towards another also affects individual behaviour. For example if child see his father not respecting his mother then he may feel that this is how it is supposed to be and he may also do the same thing with his wife but if he sees his father respecting her mother, giving her importance which she deserves the he will also treat his wife in respective manner so it is very important for a family to not just inculcate good values to the younger generation but they themselves should have good value so the future generation could learn from them.

The values that are taught in the family helps a child to learn, grow and progress in the society. Family values enhance a child’s personality and character and help them in becoming a better human being.

ROLE OF SOCIETY

When we grow older our social world also expands, now not only family but we become a part of society. Society also plays an important role in inculcating values. When a child grows it goes outside to make friends and share each other’s thoughts. Society also shapes an individual’s character. Societies follow certain traditions and customs and being a part of the society, we are also a part of these customs and traditions. These customs and traditions are being followed from generations and these are based on values such as loyalty, courage, love and brotherhood. We celebrate different festivals together which portray love and happiness and we not only celebrate festivals of one tradition or religion, but being part of such a diverse country we get to enjoy festivals and customs of different religions which shows mutual respect towards each other and toward different individuals in a society. Religion is a very important social institution in our Indian society and these religions are embedded with cultural values. Society creates social order, the diversity present in our society teaches mutual love, respect and inculcates a variety of values and holistic development of individuals. The social influence and the urge to become an inspiring personality in a society helps in developing good values in an individual. The great inspiring personalities, influencer leaders and celebrities also have a great influence in society. Young individuals learn and get inspired by them so it is also an important job for these powerful personalities to set a good example for the younger generation.

ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Apart from home, a child spends most of his/her time at school. The first formal place of socialisation and the first and foremost important value that it teaches is discipline. The educational institutions have a proper disciplined environment. In an educational institution, the day starts with the prayer which teaches gratitude. Different school activities inculcate different values such as teamwork, sportsmanship spirit, competitiveness, etc. Different programs of Community work help in inculcating values like empathy, care, unity, etc. Peer groups also play an important role, students often get feedback about their behaviour from their fellow classmates or friends. Teachers also act as role models for the students, when a teacher asks students to behave in a certain manner then they tend to take it more seriously as compared to any family member or friend. The reward and punishment system also helps as children behave in a good manner for rewards and to protect their self esteem from getting punished. Every school or educational institution has their philosophy or motto and these help in inculcation of good values.

“Intelligence plus character, that is the true goal of education”. – Martin Luther King

Value is something that is not restricted to a certain age or gender or place. It is something which is lifelong, it can be learned at any age and be practiced throughout one’s life. Good values build one character and make an individual a better human being . A man with good values is respected everywhere in the society so it is very important to inculcate good values in life. There are different characters in an individual life that add to his/her character and personality. The influence of family, society and educational institutions have the strongest influence upon an individual and thus it affects in developing an individual personality whether positively or negatively.  

Sources: diyethics.forumias.com

Black box : The flight data recorder

Black box first came into widespread use on commercial aircraft after World War 2. It was invented by Australian scientist Dr David Warren in 1958. In 1960, Australia was the 1st country to make Black box mandatory for all commercial aircraft. A black box, technically known as an Electronic Flight Data Recorder, is an orange-coloured heavily protected recording device placed in a flight. Any commercial aircraft is required to be equipped with a Cockpit Voice Recorder(CVR) and a Flight Data Recorder(FDR). It is these two items which we commonly refer to as a Black box. While they do nothing to help the plane when it’s in the air ,it is vitally important if the plane crashes as it helps crash investigators to find out crucial events that led to the crash. They are usually kept at the tail of an aircraft which is likely to survive a crash. It usually takes at least 10-15 days to analyse the data recovered from the black boxes. Black boxes are also used in vehicles other than planes like railways, cars etc.

Parts of the black box :
1. Flight Data Recorder – It keeps the track of every instruction made by the pilots and records things like airspeed, altitude, vertical acceleration and fuel flow.
2.  Cockpit Voice Recorder – It records the conversations in the cockpit and general noises in their vicinity such as audible warnings.

The federal Aviation Audio (FAA) requires them to be able to record 2 hours of audio. The previous requirement was 30 minutes but investigators found that they sometimes needed details from longer period before the crash.

Technology:

• Older black boxes used magnetic tape, a technology that was first introduced in the 1960s. Magnetic tape works like any tape recorder but is no longer in making as it leaves a bit of data on the tape and as airlines begin a full transition to solid-state technology.
• These days, black boxes use solid-state memory boards, which came along in the 1990s. Solid state memory boards are much more reliable than memory tapes as they use stacked arrays of memory chips so they don’t have moving parts. With no moving parts, there are fewer maintenance issues and a decreased chance of something breaking during a crash., and are stronger.
• Data from both the CVR and FDR is stored on stacked memory boards inside Crash-Survivable Memory Units (CSMUs) which are engineered to withstand extreme heat, jarring crashes and tons of pressure.
• To make black boxes discoverable in situations where they are under water, they are equipped with locator Beacons. These broadcast their location by sending out ultrasound signals for upto 30 days even when submerged as deep as 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).

Airplanes are equipped with sensors that gather data. There are sensors that detect acceleration, airspeed, altitude, flap settings, outside temperature, cabin temperature and pressure, engine performance and more. Magnetic-tape recorders can track about 100 parameters, while solid-state recorders can track more than 700 parameters in larger aircraft. All of the data collected by the airplane’s sensors is sent to the flight-data acquisition unit (FDAU) at the front of the aircraft. This device often is found in the electronic equipment bay under the cockpit. The flight-data acquisition unit is the middle manager of the entire data-recording process. It takes the information from the sensors and sends it on to the black boxes.

Black boxes are painted in a bright shade of orange. This coloring makes them far easier to locate amid the potentially considerable devastation of an aircraft’s crash site. It has reflective surfaces to increase their visibility. But their are certain cases like the Malaysian Airlines MH370 flight where they are not found. And they still lack video recording capabilities.

It is being tried to stream all of their essential data directly to a ground-based station in realtime which would eliminate the desperate search for a box that may have been destroyed in a crash, and will be more dependable.

Sources : http://www.iasa.com.au and Dristi IAS.

Garhwali Language it’s time to save it from getting fade.

Credit-Wiki

Garhwali is the Indo-Aryan language of the Central Pahari Region which is mainly spoken by more than 2.5 million people in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, northern India, in the Himalayas of India, Uttarakhand. Garhwali is also spoken by Garhwali people living in other parts of India, such as Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hariyana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. According to various estimates, at least 3.5 million Garhwali migrants live in Delhi and other cities.


HISTORY
During the Middle Indo-Aryan era, there were various languages called Prakrit. Of which, Khas Prakrit language is believed to be the source of Garhwali language.The earliest forms of Garhwali can be traced back to the 10th century and can be found in temple stones, including numismatics, royal seals, copper plate inscriptions, royal orders and grants. An example is the inscription of King Jagatpal’s Temple Grant in Dev Prayag in 1335 AD. Most Garhwali literature survives in vernacular form and is transmitted verbally. But since the 18th century, Garhwali has developed a literary tradition.


LITERETURE & WRITERS
Among the famous Garhwali writers in hiastory of literature are Sudarsan Shah, Kumdanand Bahguna, Hari Dutt Sharma (Nautiyal), Hari Krishna Daurga Dutti Rudra, Urvi Dutt Shastri ,Mahidhar Dangwal, etc. , Satyasaran Raturi, Atma Ram Gairola, Devendra Dutt Raturi, Suradutt Saklani and more. Among historians are Mola Ram, Miya Prem Singh, Hari Dutt Shastri, Hari Krishna Raturi and Vijaya Ram Raturi.
Garhwali literature is thriving despite the ignorance of the government. Today, newspapers like Uttarakhand Khabarsar and Rant Raibaar are published entirely in Garhwali. Magazines such as Baduli, Hilaans, Chitti-patri and Dhaad have contributed to the development of GarhwaliGarhwali language.

Some Notable works of Gharwali writers:
•)Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna – (1927–2004) Garhwali writer. Some nitable writings include Gaad, Myateki Ganga, and Bhumyal.
•)Bachan Singh Negi – “Garhwali translation of Mahabharata and Ramayana”.
•)Lalit Mohan Thapalyal – “Achhryun ku taal”
•)Leeladhar Jagudi – (1944) Writer and novelist. PadmaShri
•)Lokesh Nawani – “Phanchi”
•)Madan Mohan Duklaan – “Aandi-jaandi saans”
•)Chandramohan Raturi – “Phyunli”
•)Chinmay Sayar – “Aunar”
•)Dr. Narendra Gauniyal – “Dheet”
•)Durga Prasad Ghildiyal – “Bwari”, “Mwari” and “Gaari”
•)Gireesh Juyal ‘Kutaj’ – “Khigtaat”.

Struggle of Official RecogItion:
Since the establishment of Uttarakhand in 2000, the state governments have made slow progress in promoting and developing the regional language of Uttarakhand. Like other languages in Uttarakhand, Garhwali, the most widely spoken language, is not officially recognized. In 2010, Hindi became the official language and Sanskrit became the second official language of Uttarakhand. In 2014, after making Garhwali the official language of Uttarakhand and demanding that it be taught at schools and universities for many years, the Uttarakhand State Government established Kumaoni and Garhwali departments at Kumaoni and Garhwali universities, respectively, to study the regional languages. At the national level, Garhwali is always required to be included in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution in order to be one of India’s schedule languages. In July 2010, Parliamentary member Satpal Maharaj of Pauli Garhwal submitted a legislative bill to Lok Sabha to include the languages of Garhwali and Kumaoni in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Like most private citizen bills, the bill has not been discussed in Parliament and has since expired.

NEWSPAPER MIRROR TO SOCIETY.

Credit- Historical newspaper

Newspaper can be defined as a print medium for conveying current news of various information .

History of newspaper in India:
The first newspaper in India the Bengal Gazette was published in January 29, 1780 by James Augustus Hicky ,which was also known as”Calcutta Advertiser”. It was commonly known as “Bengal Gazette “. The first edition of the newspaper has two pages and was later expanded to page 4. Its size was 35 cm x 24 cm. East India Company did not considered Freedom of the Press good for society. They tried to curb the publication of newspapers. He was a very brave editor. He continued to criticize British authorities and publishing reports attacking East India Company officials for their way of working. British Authorities have arrested Hicky many times. Finally they finished his work of newspaper in 1782 and stopped publishing. Hicky was asked to leave Country. He was sent back to England. A copy of the Bengal Gazette is still preserved in the National Library of Calcutta and the British Museum in London.


Following in Hickey’s footsteps in 1780, a second newspaper was launched “The Indian Gazette” and “Calcutta Gazette” which begins publishing in 1784 and the “Bengali Journal” was started in 1785 which is also the third and fourth newspaper from Calcutta. The previous four newspaper were all published in English. Slowly Newspapers also begun to issue from other parts of the country in different languages and. The Tuesday “Madras Courier” (1785) and “Madras Gazette” (1795) starting from Madras. From Mumbai, “Bombay Herald” was started in 1789. The strict press regulations and censorship imposed by the UK hindered publication of more newspapers in India.In 1818, Lord Hastings abolished these strict censorship measures which leads to the appearance of many new newspapers in various Indian languages. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who is known to have fought for the freedom of the press, edited a Persian weekly newspaper called “Mirat-ul-Akhbar”. But the editors of this newspaper were foreigners, not Indians. The first Indian language newspaper published by an Indian was “The Bengali Gazette” which was started in Calcutta by Gangadhar
Bhattacharjee in 1816. Pandit Jugal Kishore started Udant Martand the first Hindi newspaper published in India beginning on May 30, 1826, in Calcutta the weekly was published every Tuesday .



Importance of newspaper in India Freedom Struggle:
The newspaper and the press played a very important crutial role in the struggle for independence. The newspapers made the Indian public aware to the cruelty of the British Empire on the people . The press was the main tool for carrying out political tasks, propagating, political education, forming and spreading national ideology, mobilizing and consolidating national public opinion. The press is a powerful weapon in nationalist struggles, and Indian nationalists have led the struggle through the help of press. In fact, many of the great leaders of the freedom movement became journalists themselves and used the press as an instrument to spread their ideas to the masses and people in different parts of the country.

Credit- Historical newspaper


The Vernacular Press Act of 1878, against Indian-language newspapers, was passed in a meeting of the Royal Legislative Council. The law orders the seizure of a newspaper’s publications, papers, and other materials if the government believes the newspaper is publishing instigating material that could be harmful for the government. The Indian press enjoyed considerable freedom until 1908. However, due to the great growth of the nationalist movement, the Press Act was passed in 1908 and the Indian Press Act of 1910. Till 1930 the Indian press enjoyed relative freedom to give free opinion. However, the Press Act of 1932 and the Foreign Relations Act of 1932 refused India’s press freedom. The press was used as an effective weapon in the hands of social reform groups to expose social evils such as class restriction, child marriage, the prohibition of widows remarrying, social inequalities, laws and regulations.At that time it was very useful to uplift the society.



Newspaper at present:
Newspapers today occupy an important place in the world. The presence of newspapers is inevitable in today time. They are the reflections of the world. The press is considered the fourth pillar of democracy. The press is the most powerful of the powerful. They are defenders of truth and human rights. They act as spokespersons for the public. They are the link between the people and their government. It was still preferred by people over other media platforms because of its reliability, at a time when media was seen as a fake system that didn’t work properly.




“A good newspaper, I suppose , is a nation talking to itself ”

By Arthur Miller

Is Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFV) worth it ?

A flex-fuel vehicle is a modified version of vehicle that could run both on gasoline and doped petrol with different levels of ethanol blends,which can include upto 100% ethanol. When FFV is integrated with strong hybrid electric technology, it is called Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV). FFV-SHEV are the hybrid vehicles having capability to run solely on either electric or petrol modes. The central government has released an expert committee report on the roadmap for ethanol blending in India by 2025. The roadmap proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by 2022 and phased rollout of E20 fuel supply by 2025. Currently, 9.45% of ethanol is blended with petrol in India. A 10% blending of petrol does not require major changes to engines but a 20% blend could require some changes and may even drive up the prices of vehicles. 

Ethanol is a renewable biofuel as made from biomass. It is a clear ,colorless alcohol made from a variety of biomass materials called feedstocks such as sugarcane. It is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugar by yeast or via petrochemical process such as ethylene hydration. In India, it is primarily produced from sugarcane-based raw materials or certain types of heavy molasses, surplus rice available with the Food Corporation of India and maize.

Benefits of FFV :
• Reduces pressure on oil import bill : It is expected to reduce the demands for petroleum products. India presently imports more than 80% of its petroleum requirement from gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. which is one of the biggest outflow of money from the country. This policy is likely to reduce the petroleum imports and the country can save upto ₹ 30,000 crores per year .
• Benefiting Farmers : It will create alternative sources of income for farmers and will encourage them to produce water-saving crop like maize to produce ethanol. If the crops are damaged by any means, it can also be used in producing ethanol.
• Boost to Atma Nirbhar Bharat : It is in line with Prime Minister’s vision ofAtma Nirbhar Bharat and government’s policy on promoting ethanol as a transport fuel. It will reduce our dependency on foreign countries over energy sources I.e., costly petroleum for automobiles and will be large step towards creating Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Reducing Greenhouse Gas & Tackling Climate Change: By using biofuel ( ethanol), the greenhouse gas emissions like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide , etc. on the daily basis will reduce drastically thus reducing the pollution and providing better air quality.

Possible challenges during implementation of the program :

• High cost of the flex fuel engine.
• Lower fuel efficiency as compared to fossil fuels like petroleum, coal and natural gas.
• Running cost will be higher due to lower fuel efficiency.
• Till now, most of the Indians are not ready to accept flex fuel vehicles due to higher cost and low efficiency reasons.
• Ethanol act as solvent and could wipe out the protective oil film of the engine thus leading to wear and tear and further causing more expenses.
• A greater percentage of blending could also mean more land being diverted for water-intensive crops such as sugar cane, which the government currently subsidises.
• The increased allocation of land also puts into question the actual reduction in emissions that blending ethanol with petrol brings about.
• Because flex fuel isn’t as economical as gasoline, gas stations are less likely to carry it. Only a small percentage of gas stations nationwide supply ethanol.

The debates surrounding the pros and cons of flex fuel vehicles aren’t going away anytime soon. However, there does seem to be a move toward using ethanol as an environmentally friendly and economical fuel source.More ethanol refining plants are opening up and it’s possible for more people to switch to FFV. Technology is always changing, so there’s no way to predict whether flex-fuel vehicles would emerge over the next few years.

Sources : The Hindu and Dristi IAS

Inflation

Inflation refers to the rise in the prices of goods and services like food, clothing, petrol, housing, transport, etc. over a period of time. When there is rise in Inflation rate, purchasing power of money decreases,i.e. same amount of goods will be purchased in higher prices. When there is fall in the price index of the items, the purchasing power of the money increases this is called deflation. A certain level of inflation is required in the economy to promote expenditure and to demotivate hoarding money through savings. The optimum level of inflation will nurture economic growth.

Types of Inflation :

1.Demand Pull Inflation : An increase in the supply of money and credits stimulates the overall demand for goods and services. The demand increases more rapidly than the economic’s production capacity. This increasing demand creates demand-supply gap as there is not the supply of products as per demand, leading increase in prices.
2.Cost Push Inflation : Demands of the  goods and services remains constant but there is increase in their prices. There are several factors affecting this pricing of goods like depletion of resources,  monopoly over market , government taxation, change in exchange rate,etc. For example, sudden increase in prices of tomatoes, onions etc. due to poor harvest, crude oil fluctuations,etc.
3.Built-in Inflation : It evolves from the past events and continues to affect the economy of the country. We often get to see blue collar worker’s protest for higher pay scales.

Causes of Inflation :

• Increase in supply of money in the market beyond a certain limit reduces the value of currency.
• Increase in prices of imported products.
• High demand and low supply of products leads to hike in price.
• People with more money tends to spend more causing increase in demands.
• Low growth of agricultural products leads to decrease in agricultural prices causes rise in price of goods through reduced supply.

Impact of Inflation :

• It causes loss of purchasing power of the money. It impacts the general cost of living as now people have the constant wages but have to buy less amount of daily products due to hike in price which ultimately leads to deceleration of economic growth.
• It reduces savings as substantial amount of income is spent on daily consumables due to increased costs.
• It also leads to consumers hoarding goods in fear of further increase in prices leading more shortage of supply and exponential increase in price.

Agnipath Scheme

The government unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces on 14th June, 2022.Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually and most will leave the service in just four years. Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

Format of the Scheme :

Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The scheme is only applicable to personnel below officer ranks. Recruitment will be done twice a year through rallies.The recruitment will be done on “all India, all class” recruitment to the services (from any caste, region, class or religious background). Currently, recruitment is based on ‘regiment system’ based on region and caste bases. There will be a training period of 6 months and deployment for three and a half years. Recruits will get starting salary of Rs 30,000, along with additional benefits which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.During this period, 30 per cent of their salary will be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme, and the government will contribute an equal amount every month, and it will also accrue interest. At the end of the four-year period, each soldier will get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount, which will be tax-free. For 25% of soldiers, who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be considered for retirement benefits.

Benefits :

• Make the armed forces much leaner and younger: For India’s over 13-lakh strong armed forces, the current average age profile is 32 years. It is envisaged it will come down by about 4-5 years by implementation of this scheme
• Reduce the defence pension bill: The government has either allocated or paid more than Rs. 3.3 lakh crore in defence pension since 2020.As per Army calculations, the savings for the government in this ‘Tour of Duty model’ of recruitment from just one sepoy would be around 11.5 cr (the army initially proposed a 3-year service model).
• Create “future-ready” soldiers: A youthful armed forces will allow them to be easily trained for new technologies.
• Increased employment opportunities and higher skilled workforce: Apart from job opportunities in the army, recruits because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service such soldiers will get employment in various fields.The central government will likely give preference to Agniveers in regular employment after their four years stint.

Concerns regarding the scheme:

• Present benefits and security of jobs will be lost: Recruits will not get permanent jobs or promised pension and health benefits even after retirement.
• Doubt about training: 6 months of short training may not be enough to trust them with the same kind of tasks that current troops can be trusted with.
• Erosion of loyalty: “All India, all class” recruitment to the services may lead to the erosion of the loyalty that a soldier has for his regiment.

The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers , which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate. The Communist Party of India stated that it strongly disapproved the ‘Agnipath’ scheme that does disservice to India’s national interests. Professional armed forces cannot be raised by recruiting ‘soldiers on contract’ for a period of four years. This scheme, to save pension money, severely compromises the quality and efficiency of our professional armed forces. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the scheme, “negligent” and potentially “fatal” for the country’s future. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief said that the people returning after four years of service would cause gang wars in the country. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system. Opposition parties in India have criticized and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.On 16 June 2022, violent protests erupted in several states in India where the army aspirants angry with the new scheme called for its rollback and damaged public property. By 17 June, 12 trains were set on fire, and the movement of 300 trains were affected. 214 trains were cancelled, 11 trains were diverted and 90 were terminated short of their destination. On 18 June, protesters in Bihar called a strike against the scheme. They clashed with the police and set fire on several vehicles since morning in Bihar. Train services were stopped in Bihar till 8 PM, on 18 June. They will be stopped again from 4AM onwards on 19 June. More than 350 trains were cancelled across India as the violence continued in several states. In Kerala a large protest march was held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, against the scheme. The protesters said their strikes would continue till the Centre rolls back its decision and ensured justice.

Sources: The Indian Express and Wikipedia