Category: News

India taking the lead in addressing global concerns

India is taking the lead in addressing global concerns, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said today.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is leading the global climate movement and the World is ready to be led by India in its fight against climate change- a concern that like the COVID pandemic knows no borders, respects no wealth or any other artificial human division,” said Dr Jitendra Singh, while interacting with a delegation of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) who called on him here today.

The PHD Chamber is an Industry Partner for ENTICE – Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge, an innovation platform for accelerating people-positive energy transitions. The Chamber has also set up the Centre of Excellence in Green Hydrogen (CoE-GH), a state-of-the-art knowledge facility to bridge the gap between government, academia, and industry. The Centre aims to facilitate partnerships for capacity building. The Centre intends to assist the SME sector that focuses on the green energy transition and is interested in starting a new business in the green hydrogen sector as well. This Centre is the only facility of this sort in India.

Dr Jitendra Singh called upon the PHDCCI to commercially exploit India’s first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel cell bus, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) and Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in collaboration with KPIT Limited, a Pune-based software multinational. The hydrogen fuel cell bus was launched by Dr Jitendra Singh in August last year.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is implementing the largest Renewable Energy (RE) expansion programme in the world envisaging a 5-fold increase in the overall RE capacity in the country.

“India is committed to achieve 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by the year 2030 and reduce the projected emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030,” he said.

The Union Minister said that the last nine years have witnessed the Indian crusade against climate change. “We have already achieved our commitment of 40% energy production from renewable sources, way ahead of the 2030 Paris Agreement target,” he said.

He added that apart from the thrust on renewable energy from solar and hydel, the Prime Minister announced major strides in Hydrogen energy from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 2021. India also launched the National Hydrogen Energy Mission to enable cost competitive green hydrogen production.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India’s energy-mix strategies include a larger shift toward clean energy alternatives, increased manufacturing capacities, energy use efficiency and a policy push for hydrogen including production-linked incentives. In addition, the emerging technologies like 2G Ethanol Pilot, Comfort climate box for tropical regions, Hydrogen Valleys, Heating and cooling virtual repository, are all on the table, the Minister emphasized.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India has developed a roadmap and a strategy for a Bio-based economy which is inching towards 150 billion USD by the year 2025. He said, this will facilitate infrastructure for Bio-manufacturing of low-carbon bio-based products.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Government of India through Public -Private partnerships is ensuring the funding for clean energy innovations as envisioned under Mission Innovation 2.0. He said that the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) setup has been able to provide a unique opportunity for India to showcase its contribution to clean energy development nationally & internationally and quoted some major CEM initiatives which includes CEM’s Global Lighting Challenge (GLC) campaign, Street Lighting National Programme, Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) programme, The One Sun-One World -One Grid Initiative which was first floated by the Prime Minister of India to harness tremendous potential of solar energy.

Dr Jitendra Singh asserted that India, through “Mission Innovation”, is actively engaged in collaborative efforts to catalyze inspiring innovation goals. He said, National Mission initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India, Start-up India, Green India and Smart Cities have encouraged hubs of clean energy innovation all over the country. Alongside, India has also taken R&D initiative to develop low carbon alternatives to Single Use Plastics in an integrated manner, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said PM Modi had at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November, 2021, expressed to intensify its climate action plan by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action plan. He said, apart from a five-pronged target for India and its commitment to Net-Zero emissions by 2070, PM Modi also asserted the need to follow a sustainable lifestyle and emphasized on the idea of making ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) a global mission through bolder steps by the global clean energy fraternity.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India is on course to achieve its targets toward climate action like- Reaching a non-fossil fuel energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030; Fulfilling 50 percent energy requirements via renewable energy by 2030; Reducing CO2 emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030; Reducing carbon intensity below 45 percent by 2030; To pave the way for achieving a net-zero emissions target by 2070.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, today when India is celebrating the 75th year of its Independence, the roadmap for the next 25 years for India @100, will be determined by scientific and technological innovations in all walks of life.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, at the initiative of PM Modi, the United Nations observed the International Yoga Day and this year is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets. With Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana, the government is taking healthcare protection to a new aspirational level. This is the world’s largest government funded healthcare programme targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries.

Besides, said Dr Jitendra Singh, India is today the world’s 5th largest economy and the total length of the National Highways in the country increased by about 59% in the last nine years. As a result of this expansion, India now has the second largest road network, after the US. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) the Government achieved the impossible task of increasing the sanitation coverage in just five years from 39% in 2014 to 100% by 2019. Under the programme, 10.28 Crore toilets were built in the country and all the districts declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) on 2nd October 2019 as a tribute to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is the world’s largest behaviour change programme.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal’ is the world’s largest drinking water project. When the programme was launched in August 2019, we were at 17% and today JJM has achieved a new milestone of ensuring safe and clean drinking water through taps to more than 12.75 Crore (65.75%) rural households of the country.

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Chris Brummer Named Jones Day Professor in Commercial Law at Singapore Management University

Thought leader Chris Brummer was named the 2022 Jones Day Professor in Commercial Law at Singapore Management University’s Yong Pung How School of Law. A prestigious honor, the professorship was established in 2012 and made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Jones Day Foundation, funded by the eponymous global law firm. It aims to streamline efforts to aid in the development of commercial law in the fast-growing market of Singapore.

According to the university, “The donation exemplifies Jones Day’s commitment to Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, which are an integral part of Jones Day’s Asian presence. The appointment follows the establishment of the Jones Day Chair Professorship for Globalization and Rule of Law at Peking University, China, in May 2012.”

Additionally, “The donation is the largest gift received by SMU from a law firm and will facilitate increased focus on the development of commercial law in Singapore, a market which is in continuous development and increasingly plays a global role as a hub for legal services to both regional and international clients in Asia.”

Brummer currently serves as the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Financial Technology at Georgetown University Law Center and faculty director at the Institute for International Economic Law. He’s sought after as an adviser for policymakers, founders, startups, and nonprofits on the unique challenges erupting in the world of finance, regulation, and inclusion. 

The Georgetown professor has dedicated several years to public service and volunteer work across various government organizations. In 2016, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. regulator of derivatives. More recently, he served as a member of the Biden-Harris transition team, assisting in matters relating to financial technology, racial equity, and systemic risk.

Brummer also delivered the annual lecture at Singapore Management University on Dec. 1, 2022. The talk is titled “Regulation by Enforcement” and was based on a co-authored project with professors from Vanderbilt Law School and The Wharton School. 

“[Brummer] will offer preliminary observations concerning its legality under U.S. law and provide an overview of the opportunities, trade-offs, and risks. He will then end by cataloging some best practices for global regulators, regardless of their jurisdiction,” explains SMU’s website.

Chris Brummer’s speech highlighted recent trends in the world of regulation. The arrival of disruptive technologies such as cryptocurrency and the challenges they present for regulators have given rise to a reactionary system of regulation termed regulation by enforcement. Regulation by enforcement is an approach that relies heavily on enforcement actions, such as fines and penalties, to ensure compliance with regulations. This reactive approach, although legal, can create a perception that regulators are overly punitive and can lead to an adversarial relationship between regulators and the community at large.

Recent cases like that of Coinbase, in which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asserted that at least nine out of 25 cryptocurrencies involved in an insider trading scheme were securities, have left the industry reeling. Instead of providing enough clarity on the issue, industry experts believe that the SEC is using enforcement actions to interpret broadly worded statutes. 

In his lecture, Brummer analyzed the incentives facing agencies when choosing to regulate by enforcement while outlining the risks that arise with this style of creating rules. To aid in future endeavors, he also presented a framework of best practices that outline when agencies should regulate by rule and when they should regulate by enforcement. 

Brummer is an established player at the forefront of discussions surrounding developments in finance, innovation, regulation, and inclusion. He hosts CQ Roll Call’s “Fintech Beat” weekly podcast and is the founder and host of D.C. Fintech Week, a yearly conference at which the best and brightest gather for discussions spanning the fintech ecosystem. 

What was the fate of the champion Leicester squad

The main sensation of the English Premier League in the 2015/2016 season was unexpectedly “Leicester City”, which became the champion. The team, which a year ago was struggling for survival, beat the giants “Arsenal”, “Tottenham”, “Man City” and “Man Utd” in the table. You can bet on the EPL at the Betss website. The best players for the “Foxes” are the following:

  • Schmeichel;

  • Vardy;

  • Kanté;

  • Morgan;

  • Mahrez;

  • Drinkwater;

  • Huth;

  • Albrighton.

How did their careers develop after winning the EPL?

Kasper Schmeichel

The leader, captain, and long-term main goalkeeper of the “Foxes” remained at the club until the summer of 2022. In the 2015/2016 season, he was at the core in all EPL games. He experienced with the team performance in the Champions League, the European League, the Confederations League, played a total of 479 games. At the Betss betting company, it is also easy to place a bet on a match of any European cup.

Schmeichel has represented Denmark at the Euros and the World Cup. Now he plays for French “Nice”.

Jamie Vardy

He is a living legend of “Leicester”. He was the best scorer of the team in the 2015/16 season (36 games, 24 goals). He could have left the club for “Arsenal” in the summer after the championship, but he stayed. At the age of 36, Vardy is still a core player, although he is out more often as a substitute. The top scorer in the history of “Foxes”, he scored 168 goals and gave 68 assists for the club, having played for the team more than 400 games.

N’Golo Kanté

The smiling French midfielder played 37 games for “Leicester” in one league season (1 goal). He moved to “Chelsea” in the summer and became the Londoners’ leader for many years. He is considered one of the best center backs on the planet.

Wes Morgan

The long-time captain of “Leicester” comes from the exotic Jamaica. If you Betss login, you can place a bet on a match of any of the national teams of the planet. Morgan played 9.5 seasons for the “Foxes”, finishing his career in the summer of 2021. In his golden season, he was in the starting lineup in all matches and played a total of 323 games for the club in total.

Riyad Mahrez

He is an Algerian midfielder, the 2019 African champion. He was Leicester’s leader for several seasons before moving to “Man City” in the summer of 2018 for a huge €68 million, where he is now the main player. Login at Betss will give you the opportunity to place a bet on the African Cup matches as well. In a winning season, Mahrez played 37 games for the “Foxes”, scoring 17 and giving 10 assists. In total, he played in 179 games for the club.

Danny Drinkwater

English center-half played 35 games (3+8) for “Leicester” in a triumphant season. He played a total of 218 games for the club. In August 2017, he moved to “Chelsea”, where he did not establish himself and was loaned out. He has been without a club since the summer of 2022.

Robert Huth

The German center back was the main pairing with Morgan, played 35 games in the 2015/2016 season. In total, he appeared in 93 games for the “Foxes”. He ended his career in the summer of 2018 after a string of injuries.

Mark Albrighton

The English midfielder played 38 games (2+7) for “Leicester” in his golden season, making a total of 292 games for the club. He still plays for the club, but has only occasionally come on as a substitute this season.

 

How can you get a Polish passport?

The Polish passport as an international travel document makes the issue of crossing borders much easier. As a fully-fledged citizen of Poland, you will not only avoid long queues at the airport but also get a chance to explore the world with no visa restrictions. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Before you plan your next trip and book flights, you should find out what conditions an individual must meet to get a Polish passport. You will find more down below!

Who can apply for a Polish passport?

The issue of Polish passport application is strictly related to being a fully-fledged citizen of Poland. The current legal regulations clearly define who can obtain citizenship and, as a result, also apply for a Polish passport. However, we completely understand that not everyone keeps following the valid principles and that’s why we decided to help you with your case.

As you probably know, citizenship may be obtained by the right of blood or the right of the soil. These are the most common ways of becoming a citizen of Poland. The Act on Polish citizenship also points out the possibility to acquire citizenship by naturalization (applies to the foreigner who has strong connections with Poland) or through ancestry (applies to individuals whose ancestors were Polish). We mentioned it for a purpose. To have a Polish passport, you need to be a Polish citizen. The process may extend in time depending on the complexity of your case.

Go to Five To Europe and check how to get Polish citizenship.

How can a foreigner get a Polish passport?

As we said before, the Polish passport application only applies to fully-fledged citizens which means you must acquire citizenship first. Based on the positive consent you receive, you get the rights and duties associated with that, such as the opportunity to pass citizenship to future generations. Nevertheless, we do not want to focus on this aspect right now. Instead, we would like to point out to you the next step you should take. So, once you are finally part of our nation, you have to apply for a Polish ID and passport. The documents we mentioned may serve as proof of your identity and also allow you to travel, work, or study freely within the European Union. What else should you know about it?

To get a passport in Poland, you must complete the following documentation:

  • Polish citizenship confirmation,
  • Polish birth certificate,
  • Polish marriage certificate (if applicable),
  • PESEL number,
  • passport application,
  • passport photo.

The passport application needs to be filled in the Polish language and, what’s next, submitted to the appropriate institution which is the Polish Consulate or General Polish Embassy with the consular section. It is also worth mentioning, you have to appear in person. Since the passport is biometric, you must leave your fingerprints. Keep in mind that you can pick up the document only from the institution in which the motion was lodged.

How strong is a Polish passport?

We are not sure whether you are aware of the fact that a Polish passport is considered one of the most powerful travel documents in the whole world. We can safely say it is good to have it! A Polish passport gives a citizen almost unlimited opportunities when it comes to traveling. You can forget about visa restrictions or border controls because a valid passport allows you to visit more than 180 countries. As a holder of dual citizenship, you also get a right to use the passport you find more convenient in a particular situation. 

There is nothing more left to do but choose your next destination and finally start exploring the world. The passport will let you follow your dreams and look for the best place to live or work!

Xbox Cloud Gaming Will Recieve Keyboard And Mouse Support.

As has been hinted before, Xbox Cloud Steaming will add mouse and keyboard support to its streaming service. This comes several years after the addition of mouse and keyboard support to Xbox consoles.

The long-anticipated feature was revealed during a developer focused talk delivered by Morgan Brown, a software engineer at Xbox. During the presentation, Brown outlined how the Xbox Cloud Gaming team plans to reduce latency and assist developers in optimizing their game’s resolution and graphics for streaming. He clarified that mouse and keyboard support for Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming and that developers should work on adding it to their games. “It will light up in streaming once we finish adding it” he stated

Xbox Cloud Gaming supports Xbox games specifically, so you can’t use the service to play PC games, or versions of games, on your phone or computer. However, this this feature does eliminate the need to have a compatible controller in addition to a compatible device, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership, and a high speed internet connection. The addition of a mouse and keyboard will also players to play on the cloud from their laptop or computer without an additional peripheral.

No details as to when the feature will arrive, though the encouragement of developers to add keyboard and mouse support to their games indicates that it will come soon.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

The School closure in India

In the last two years , India has achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the country with the second longest COVID-19 pandemic-linked school closure in the world–next only to Uganda. According to a United Nations report ,it is an estimated 82 weeks , with some intermittent classes in between . Much has been said ,written and published about the impact of school closure on learning loss. However,there has been very limited discourse on why—inspite of scientific evidence to support re-opening —Indian states continued to remain reluctant to reopen schools . Analysing the root causes of school closure in India is an urgent need to derive lessons and to guide future policy interventions .

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Bane of misinformation

To start with, one of the biggest reasons for continued school closure has been widespread misinformation. Unsubstantiated statements such as ‘the third wave would affect children ‘ and ‘let’s wait for vaccination of kids before reopening schools ‘ were made by influential individuals and amplified on social media . These scared parents and ( incorrectly) linked school reopening with COVID-19 vaccination of children. Occasional reports of children being hospitalised in different parts of the world were on loop on television channels , sensationalising the matter ; while it boosted their target rating point (TRP) ,it harmed hapless children.

Two, the opinion of a small section of privileged parents and self proclaimed representatives of their association — often not fully understanding the complexity of issues — dominated and prevailed in the mainstream discourse. Though surveys had indicated that poor and middle class parents – no matter which part of the country they were from — wanted schools to be open ,they were largely ignored in decision making , which was also influenced by ‘sensational ‘ newspaper reports and high pitched TV debates. Many experts-on-everything appeared on television channels with the argument ‘ let’s err on the side of caution ‘ , as if epidemiological and scientific evidence were of no value .

Every time privileged parents or an ‘expert on everything’ spoke, they deprived children from poor and marginalised backgrounds of their opportunity of and right to education. It needs no reiteration that, in the last two years, already wide educational inequities have only widened further.

Three, the Government’s response, at all levels, to the misinformation was delayed and arguably insufficient. Though science communication increased over a period of time, it did not match the pace of misinformation. Politicians in most States played to the gallery and used the opposition (by a small group of the mostly privileged) to re-open schools as an excuse to delay school reopening.

  • The learnings during the novel coronavirus pandemic have been (wrongly) equated with completion of the syllabus.
  • Continued school closure and a hesitation in reopening academic institutions are the symptoms of a deeper malady in India’s education system.

NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA LATA MANGESHKAR

Lata Mangeshkar whose voice defined not one or two decades but generations across South Asia, died in hospital in Mumbai at the age of 92. She worked with nearly all of INDIA’S famous music directors over a career that spanned more than 70 years.

HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

If we start taking about her accomplishments, the list goes on and on. She started out singing at religious gatherings with her father. She recorded her first song for Bollywood when she was just 13 years old. She won dozens of singing awards including Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1989, Maharashtra Bhusan award and she was also awarded the Bharat Ratna , India’s highest civilian honour , in 2003. The government of France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officier de la Legion d’Honneur, in 2007.

“MY VOICE IS A GIFT FROM GOD,” she once told an interviewer. Her songs were always filled with emotions and made almost everyone fell in love with her voice . Condolences poured in from entire world on her demise. From Pakistan to Nepal everybody tweeted for her , as it was not just the end of an era but end of many eras. Prime minister Narendra Modi described her death as a ” void in our nation that cannot be filled”.

Mangeshkar never married . She is survived by her four siblings, all accomplished singers and musicians .

the tourism industry

Today’s article aims to ruin yet another thing people like- travelling. Who doesn’t love vacations We get to take a break from our daily monotonous lives and experience different cultures, see the beautiful local architecture, eat local food etc. Not only is it relaxing for the tourist, but also beneficial for the locals. Many countries around the world depend on tourism. It brings in money and supports local economies. In 2019, about 4.2 crore jobs were created by the tourism sector alone in India, which accounts for 8.1 % of the total employment in the country. However, there are two sides to every coin, and the other side is unknown to many.

Let’s start with travelling. Getting to your destination requires some sort of travelling by planes, trains, cars etc. The main problem with the aviation industry is of noise and air pollution. In 2010, the aviation industry carried 2.4 billion passengers and that number is predicted to increase to 16 billion by 2050. It also produces 2% of all human-induced carbon dioxide emissions globally. Choosing to avoid flying and taking a cruise instead? Good luck with that. A week’s worth of travel on a cruise is responsible for depositing about 210,000 gallons of human sewage into the ocean. It is also accompanied by many other problems like air pollution and destruction of coral reefs. If that isn’t enough, they also mistreat their workers. Cruise ship workers suffer many problems like long work hours, terrible pay, and inadequate healthcare.

Now, assuming that you’ve reached your destination, the troubles don’t end there. Often the locals have to go through hell, just so that the tourists can live luxuriously. Although it cannot be denied that the employment bought in by this industry is necessary, people fail to look at the kind of jobs being created. The main kind of employment created is low wage and seasonal, with no hopes of any promotion in them. Tourism is also expensive, and prices tend to be higher in tourist destinations. This means that the locals have to pay exorbitantly high prices for daily products like petrol, vegetables, fruits etc. The governments sadly pay more attention and give more importance to the tourists rather than their people.

Even animals cannot escape the adverse effects of tourism. Wildlife tourism is a multimillion-dollar industry and causes great harm to animals in their natural habitats. Endangered animals are drugged just so people can take photos with them, to flaunt their lifestyles on social media. Scuba diving is an activity enjoyed by many on vacations. Yet, its impact on marine life cannot be ignored. Breakage of coral colonies and tissue damage from direct contact such as walking, touching, kicking, standing, or gear contact and water pollution is common in tourist destinations.

There are many problems with this industry which are overlooked. However, we simply cannot shut all forms of tourism as many countries are dependent on it. The COVID 19 pandemic has shown us how some countries can be negatively impacted if tourism is stopped. So, reform in our methods of travelling is crucial. Some ways by which we can achieve this are:

  1. Minimise waste generation 
  2. Support family-owned and local businesses by buying merchandise and souvenirs from them
  3. Try to find out ways to minimise your impact on wildlife 
  4. Do not travel by cruises. Try trains instead 
  5. If no travel alternatives are available to airplanes, then choose direct flights

Sources : https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html

https://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/working-on-a-cruise-ship-can-be-brutal-but-two-lawyers-who-rep-cruise-line-workers-explain-why-even-terrible-cruise-ship-jobs-can-be-attractive/articleshow/66797307.cms

Work from home:pros and cons.

The pandemic sweeping the world, COVID-19, has rendered a large proportion of the workforce unable to commute to work, as to mitigate the spread of the virus. This has resulted in both employers and employees seeking alternative work arrangements, especially in a fast-paced metropolitan like Hong Kong. Due to the pandemic, most if not all workers experienced work from home (WFH). Hence WFH has become a policy priority for most governments. In doing so, the policies must be made keeping in mind the practicality for both employers and employees. However, this current situation provides unique insight into how well working from home works, and may play a vital role in future policies that reshape the current structure of working hours, possibly allowing for more flexibility. Using an exploratory framework and a SWOT analysis, this study investigates the continuing experience of the employer and employees face in Hong Kong. A critical insight and related recommendations have been developed for future policy decisions. It will also critically investigate if this work arrangement will remain as a transitory element responding to the exceptional circumstances, or whether it could be a permanent arrangement.

As appealing as remote work is to employees, it wouldn’t be such a strong trend if employers didn’t also recognize benefits from their side of the desk. Companies with work-from-anywhere policies can boost employee productivity, reduce turnover, and lower organizational costs, according to recent research at Harvard Business School.1 Telecommuting workers with very complex jobs who don’t require a lot of collaboration or social support can perform better than their office-based counterparts, according to another study.2 Also, in the event of a natural or manmade disaster, a distributed workforce is in a better position to keep operations running, even if some of the group goes offline.null

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • For employers, working from home can boost productivity, reduce turnover, and lower organizational costs, while employees enjoy perks like flexibility and the lack of a commute.
  • To work effectively from home, you’ll need to make sure you have the technology you require, a separate workspace, internet service that meets your needs, a workable schedule you can stick to, and ways to connect with others.
  • Top fields for remote work include IT and healthcare; positions include customer service reps, sales reps, project managers, and more.
  • A variety of top firms, including CVS Health, Dell and Salesforce, offer remote work opportunities, but it’s also important to be aware of scams.

Advantages for Employees:

  • Travel time to and from the office will be saved.
  • They can spend more time with family. This is beneficial for many especially for parents of young children.
  • Even in modern times, women are expected to take care of home and children. With this responsibility, several women are forced to leave their jobs. The rise in WFH culture is a boon for them. With this more women can join in jobs again.
  • The location will not be a barrier. Employees can get a job, even if the office is located in another city.
  • If they want to get to know their office and colleagues better, they can attend the office at regular intervals like once a week.

Disadvantages for Employees:

  • The line between work and home will be blurred. In general, employees leave work tensions at office and come home to relax. But this opportunity will be lost and it may cause anxiety. If work and personal life are not balanced well, work will extend to longer hours. This can create WFH burnout.
  • Employees have to set up a work environment at home, which will incur extra expense. Even then, some people may not focus on work due to the lack of a professional atmosphere.
  • Some companies are giving so much work just because their employees are working from home.
  • Teamwork is a bit difficult while working from home.
  • Working from home from a long periods of time can hamper social and interpersonal skills.
  • Continuously staying at home may make some people feel isolated.
  • For some people, setting up office space at home may not be an option due to lack of extra space in the home.
  • Some jobs may require employees to be online during work hours and the continuous power supply may not be available to many.
  • It can be difficult to establish connections with new colleagues because the opportunity to meet and talk with them during coffee breaks will be lost.

Advantages for Companies:

  • Less expense for office maintenance.
  • Can hire talented people, even if they reside in another city.
  • Employees may not ask for much leaves.

Disadvantages for Companies:

  • Training new staff can be tough with all the employees working from home.
  • Have to deal with WFH specific challenges like information security and hacking of video calls etc.
  • It’s difficult to monitor work from home employees.
  • It’s hard to establish connections among employees.

Conclusion:

Even though work from home culture is on the rise due to COVID-19 situation, work from home opportunities will increase in number to adapt to the changing times. With time, companies and employees will take steps to reduce the disadvantages.

Child labour

Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. In villages, it is a common sight to see children of poor families working in fields or elsewhere to contribute to the family income. Such children are deprived of opportunities of education and are also prone to health risks.

In a sense, child labour is open exploitation as it deprives children of education and pushes them into exploitative situations. The side-effects of working at a young age are: risks of contracting occupational diseases like skin diseases, diseases of the lungs, weak eyesight, TB etc.; vulnerability to sexual exploitation at the workplace; deprived of education. They grow up unable to avail development opportunities and end up as unskilled workers for the rest of their lives.

It has been observed that in villages especially, representatives of various industries lure children with promises of jobs and wealth and bring them to the city where they are employed as bonded labour in factories. Many children are also employed as household help where they are paid minimum wages and are made to do maximum physical work.

What the law says about child labour

According to Article 23 of the Indian Constitution any type of forced labour is prohibited. Article 24 states that a child under 14 years cannot be employed to perform any hazardous work. Similarly, Article 39 states that “the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused”. In the same manner, Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation) 1986 prohibits children under the age of 14 years to be working in hazardous industries and processes.

Role of panchayat members in mitigating child labour

  • Generate awareness about the ill-effects of child labour,
  • Encourage parents to send their children to school
  • Create an environment where children stop working and get enrolled in schools instead
  • Ensure that children have sufficient facilities available in schools
  • Inform industry owners about the laws prohibiting child labour and the penalties for violating these laws
  • Activate Balwadis and Aanganwadis in the village so that working mothers do not leave the responsibility of younger children on their older siblings
  • Motivate Village Education Committees (VECs) to improve the conditions of schools.