India might have to engage more deeply with the Ukrainian war as the conflict deepens
With a convincing majority of 141 of 193 countries, the UN General Assembly voted on Wednesday for a resolution that deplored in the ” strongest terms” Russia’s attack on Ukraine and demanded an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops .The resolution, which was discuss in a rare special emergency session and under the rubric of the “Uniting for peace ” resolution invoked after decades , came as a result of an aborted resolution at the UN security Council, which Russia, as a permanent member,had vetoed . While the UNGA resolution carries little teeth , it does represent a common stand taken by the international public commons , with 96 countries signing up as co-sponsors of the resolution. Russia rejected the outcome as a political vote that came of severe “pressure” from the U.S. and European countries that were the drivers of the resolution, but it seemed clear that it was isolated on the global stage . Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria voted against the motion, and 35 , including India, abstained. While the resolution also decried the Russian decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, representatives of member states made it clear that it was the relentless bombing of Ukrainian cities that they could not turn a blind eye to.
India’s abstention, not a surprise, disappointed many western countries that have been lobbying for a shift in the Indian position. In the past week, India has abstained from three votes ( including two procedural ones) at the UNSC where it is an elected member, one at the UN Human Rights Council, and another at the IAEA on resolutions critical of Russia.
While evacuating Indians is an important priority, it cannot be India’s only focus in this crisis, given its aspirations for global leadership and the oft quoted motto of “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” . It may become necessary for India to engage more deeply with the conflict in Europe, which is now a global concern.
India must pursue schemes for rehabilitation of children orphaned by the pandemic
Numbers can often be hustled to tell many tales; but it is the story that is picked on the basis of the desire to do what is morally right that sets the course for meaningful action. The recent lancet estimates of COVID-19 associated orphanhood , which put the number at over 19 lakh children orphaned as a result of COVID-19, has raised India’s hackles . The Lancet study generated numbers based on modelling, and therefore only estimates and not actual numbers are available. Globally, it estimated that 52 lakh children had been rendered orphans by the pandemic. The study, in its original period, March 1,2020 to April 30,2021 was revised , with updates based on excess mortality and fertility data used to model increases in estimates of COVID-19 associated orphanhood between May 1ans October 31,2021 for 21 countries. Orphanhood was defined as the death of one or both parents ; or the death of one or both custodial grandparents. The authors claimed their findings showed numbers of children orphaned by COVID-19 had almost doubled in six months compared with the data after the first 14 months of the pandemic.
India has objected strongly to the estimate of 19 lakh, terming it as “sophisticated trickery intended to create panic among citizens” . As per data collected by the National Commission for protection of child rights and collated on the Bal Swaraj portal, the number of children orphaned during COVID-19 in India was far lower, at 1.53 lakh.
While the study does include revised estimates for all the nations , the message that it seeks to convey is the absolute urgency with which governments must incorporate childcare into any COVID-19 management programme. The state should proactively draw such children into the umbrella of care to save them from numerous adversities —poverty, violence , destitution, and lack of access to education and health care. The Indian government, to its credit, announced a grand plan of support for children forced into orphanhood by COVID-19.
Well begun is half done , but the centre and the states must expand efforts. The government would do well to allow interventions for children to be informed by a “whole life” care paradigm, and fresh data from time to time , especially in a pandemic that is not only rapidly evolving, but by all accounts, is nowhere near ending.
The time may have come for clarifying the role and functions of Governors
Signs of a confrontation between Raj Bhavan and the elected government in a state are not infrequent in the country. The onus often appears to be on the Chief Ministers to avert a constitutional crisis, as evidenced by Pinrayi Vijayan trying to buy peace with a miffed governor, Arif Mohammad Khan, rather than pursue a confrontational course, over several issues in recent times . One way of seeing these developments is to attribute then to the appointment of those who have been politically active in the recent past as Governors and the partisan role they playas agents of the centre .
However, the problems may have to do with the way they understand their own powers. Constrained by the ‘aid and advice ‘ clause in their routine functioning, some Governors seem to be using the discretionary space available to them to keep regimes on tenterhooks . A constitution bench of the Supreme court laid down in 1974 that the president and governor shall “exercise their formal constitutional powers only upon and in accordance with the advice of their Ministers save in a few well known exceptional situations”—“situations” also iluustratively listed.
Chasing national ambitions while also maintaining TRS supremacy in the state is no easy task
Last week , political strategist Prashant Kishor and actor turned politician Prakash Raj visited Telangana for wide ranging consultations .
The visit came days after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao visited Mumbai to meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress party president Sharad Pawar . Mr. Raj met Mr. Rao at Mumbai airport and was present at the meeting with both the leaders.
If pictures of Mr. Raj receiving Mr. Rao at the airport caught everyone’s imagination, there was more in store when it became known that the actor and Mr. Kishor met Mr. Rao days later. They also visited two reservoirs, a resettlement and rehabilitation colony for project oustees , an integrated vegetarian and non – vegetarian market, an auditorium and a crematorium in Siddipet.
The ruling TRS made light of Mr. Kishor’s visit saying his meeting with Mr. Rao was only part of the tour he was taking of the country to understand the views of leaders on the political situation. A senior leader said Mr. Rao explained to Mr. Kishor the summary of his meeting with Mr. Thackeray. Mr kishor gave a presentation of his work as the founder of the Indian political action committee. ” But our boss is not be swayed so easily”, the leader said , adding that Mr. Raj was present more to discuss political programmes in which he could play a role . The TRS leaders said that Mr. Kishor had been tasked with preparing the blueprint for the party’s prospects in the next assembly elections. His team would be deployed to survey the public pulseand suggest corrective action.
Mr. Rao’s priority is to enter the national stage and handover the baton in Telangana to his son and Minister K.T. Rama Rao. But that would mean engaging the BJP in a healthy contest, keeping the Congress at bay in the state , and entering the national scene all at the same time , which is no easy task.
Latest GDP numbers reflect a faltering recovery even as Ukraine crisis heightens risks
The latest national income estimates for 2021-22 released by the NSO have pared growth hopes from 9.2% to 8.9% , compared to the 6.6% contraction in 2020-21 . GDP growth ( October -December 2021 quarter ) WE is pegged at 5.4% , compared to the 0.7% recorded in the same quarter of 2020, when the economy returned to the growth zone after two quarters of sharp contraction. The headline Q3 growth number was expected to moderate from the 20.3% and 8.5% recorded in the firsts two,but not as much as it has . GVA , projected to rise 8.3% for the full year , compared to the 4.8% contraction in 2020-21 recorded only 4.7% growth in Q3 . The overall trajectory is a tad disheartening, with little comfort to glean even when the numbers are spliced . Construction sector GVA actually contracted 2.8% in Q3 , when infrastructure spending push was expected to be reviving it’s fortunes . Manufacturing recorded a mere 0.2% increase in a quarter that included India’s annual festive boom , possibly indicating that smaller firms remain hobbled. The largely contact-intensive segment of trade , hospitality, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting also continued to languish well below pre-pandemic levels .
That sectors critical for jobs are still in trouble is also reflected in private consumption staying below pre pandemic levels . The resurgence of retail inflation past 6% in January, with the overhang of a sharp retail fuel price spike after the assembly polls , could cripple consumption further. Core sectors’ output growth in in January and persistent manufacturing job losses in February (indicated by the PMI) , suggest these pieces of the recovery puzzle will not be fixed in a hurry . It also means that the 4.8% growth assumption for Q4 , built into the 8.9% growth calculations for this year, may be too optimistic. These portents are far from comforting , even in a business-as-usual scenario for an economy that had recorded several quarters of moderating growth before the COVID-19 pandemic tipped it over. India may have coped better with the Omicron variant, but external risk factors have risen dramatically. Large Central banks moves to tighten liquidity faster than expected, in the face of soaring inflation driven by runaway oil prices , have roiled financial markets .
The uncharted implications arising from the Ukraine crisis only add to the challenge . Apart from gearing up to preempt imported inflation spikes ,the government needs to extend greater policy support , preferably going beyond credit guarantee offers, to sector still in the doldrums . It also needs to exert greater energy to ensure its grand infrastructure spending plans get off the ground faster to have a salutary effect on the economy. The multi -layered uncertainties ahead necessitate that policy makers cut no slack, either in action or reaction.
India must heed the warning of the IPCC report and shore up adaptation measures
Amidst global turmoil , the intergovernmental Panel on Climate change — the largest international consortium of scientists analysing and reviewing the evidence on the present and future man made impacts of climate change –has a message that is predictably fire . The world faces unavoidable multiple climate hazards over the next two decades with global warming of 1.5°C ; even temporarily exceeding this warming level would mean additional severe impacts , some of which will be irreversible. The report points out that the rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt . Alluding to the conference of the parties (CoP 26) in Glasgow ,in November 2021, the report notes that most of the targets that countries have set for themselves are too far in the future to have an impact on the short term at meaningfully reducing the climate impact.
India will achieve net zero emissions latest by 2070 , that is , there will be no net carbon emissions , Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared at the COP26 summit. By 2030, India would also ensure 50% of its energy willbe from renewable energy sources. However, none of this can help the 1.5°C mark from being breached. A major point of emphasis of the report , particularly for South Asia , is the trend in the ‘wet bulb’ temperature —-an index of the impact of heat and humidity combined .
By the middle of the century, around 35 million of its people could face annual coastal flooding, with 45 million -50 million at risk by the end of the century if emissions are high. Experience has shown that partisan economic calculations Trump climate considerations, but India must shore up its adaptation measures and urgently move to secure futures of its many vulnerable who have the most to lose.
The farmers ‘ movement has strengthened the bonds between muslims and jats in western Uttar Pradesh.
The revival of grassroots secularism in western Uttar Pradesh, which is lifting the veil of fear for Muslims , is among the most rewarding benefits of the farmer’s movement in North India . The movement strengthened the social and cultural bonds between Jats and Muslims whose communal harmony of many decades took a beauting during the violence in Muzaffarnagar in 2013. Whether this grassroots secularism will have ripple effects in other parts of U.P. or in the rest of India is a legitimate question. Nonetheless, this in itself is an impressive accomplishment.
The damage caused in 2013
The history of communal harmony of this region is unique because this area remained untouched by the violence following both partition and the Ayodhya movement. Yet the violence that was unleashed in 2013 tore the secular social fabric like never before — mainly owing to a religious polarisation campaign by the forces of Hindutva , who, according to elderly Jats, were able to brainwash their younger generations to support Hindutva’s ideological cause.
Secularism has been debated by scholars of various disciplines in India . Some have argued that it is a Western idea and thus inherently incompatible with Indian society, where religion is entrenched . For others , secularism is an Indian idea.In my view ,the grassroots secularism reflected in the social bonding of the Jats and Muslims in western U.P presents evidence of the latter variety .
According to Naresh Tikait , elder son of the late farm leader Mahendra Singh Tikait , the old days of bonhomie between the Jats and Muslims have returned , and the massive electoral benefits that the BJP accrued in 2014, 2017 and 2019 are not going to be seen this time in the region. It is worth recalling that Naresh Tikait pleaded with Muslims not to leave Sisauli, his village , during the 2013 violence by taking off his headgear and placing it on the ground. The Bharatiya Kisan Union, which the senior Tikait formed and led, had both Muslim and Hindu leaders and followers , but the 2013 violence caused a split in the organisation. In Mr. Tikait’s house even today , a lamp is lit every day as a tribute to the farmer’s movement as well as the organisation ‘s secular ethos since 1987, the year which saw the birth of the iconic slogan , ” Har Har Mahadev Allahu Akbar ” .
A vast majority of Muslims of this region always trusted leaders Charan Singh , Mahendra Singh Tikait, and Mulayam singh . While they seem to be throwing their weight behind the Akhilesh Yadav -led alliance this time , they appear concerned and fearful. Many victims of the 2013 riots continue to live in colonies set up by disparate organisations or families such as the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (of Arshad Madani) , the CPI(M) and the family of Tabassum Hasan , the first Muslim MP from U.P. since 2014. In these colonies , victims struggle for basic amenities and livelihood. Many have sold their ancestral properties to Hindu villagers with whom they grew up and lived until the riots . Though Muslims fled the affected villages , there are still abondoned mosques and madrasas in these places . For communal harmony to return , these issues need to be addressed , says social worker Subodh Tyagi , who led a large peace march in Budhana during the riots.
Overlap of sports and politics is unavoidable as the suspension of Russian teams shows
World football’s governing body FIFA ejecting all Russian teams , national representatives or club sides , from its competitions until further notice is the most severe of sporting sanctions imposed in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis . The announcement was coordinated with European football’s controlling organisation UEFA, making the ban applicable at the continental level too. The immediate casualties will be Russia’s Qatar 2022 World Cup playoff match against Poland this month, and a prospective qualifier against Sweden or the Czech Republic, and Spartak Moscow’s Europa League Contest against Germany’s RB Leipzig . UEFA went further and ended a lucrative sponsorship deal (around$ 50 million a year, reportedly) with Russian gas giant Gazprom . Last week , UEFA had shifted the venue for this summer’s Champion league final from St. Petersburg to Paris . Russian teams – not Russian athletes -were already serving a two year ban from global competitions ( to end on December 16, 2022) for the doping scandal first reported at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi . FIFA’ s initial measures, announced on Sunday ,were similar; of of Russia playing without its flag and national anthem, at neutral venues and behind closed doors . A total ban came close on the heels of the international Olympic committee (IOC) , on Monday ,recommending to sports federation not to allow Russian athletes in order to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions”.
It remains unclear if the IOC indirectly forced FIFA’s hand, but it has resurrected the debate whether athletes should pay the price for the machinations of their political leadership. The IOC , unlike a few individual sporting bodies , has often sought to shield clean sportspersons from becoming collateral damage, a position it took in the doping scandal too. It based the recent ban recommendation on the need to ensure a level playing field , a sacrosanct Olympic playing ideal. The works of geo politics and sports have long overlapped . But they have not seemed this entangled in recent memory.
Are you planning to launch your new business? Well, that’s great! However, you aren’t alone in the world of startups. But, did you get tired of your 9-5 job or years of hard work that pushed you to start your own business?
Many people were laid off during the pandemic. As a result, there seems to be an exceptional surge in the launch of startups as these laid-off people are exploring new opportunities. Whatever the reason behind starting a new business, it is undoubtedly a great way to achieve all your life dreams.
While as exciting as it sounds, the road to entrepreneurship is no walk in the park. However, having certain traits and qualities can make you a successful entrepreneur. So do you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? Below is the list of crucial skills that you must develop and polish to take your startup to the next level:
Learning Skills
The path to entrepreneurship is full of both ups and downs. You might come across many failures during your entrepreneurship journey. However, how to cope with uncertain situations is what matters most. Therefore, make sure to have a growth mindset. You can adopt many ways to deepen your knowledge, for instance, by reading books, attending seminars, taking classes, etc. The more you desire to learn and grow, the more chances you will be successful as an entrepreneur.
However, are you feeling reluctant to pursue your further education because you have other family and work commitments? No worries, consider enrolling in an Online General MBA Program and gain comprehensive knowledge about various aspects of the business. The MBA degree will equip you with in-depth knowledge of financial management, business ethics, marketing, etc.
Communication
As a new business owner, you need to pitch your business idea to potential investors constantly. Moreover, you will be selling your products or services to prospective customers and earning revenue. But how is that possible if you lack proper communication skills. That is why effective communication is imperative for business people.
Good communication skills will help you build and nurture long-lasting relationships with your customers, stakeholders, and employees. Furthermore, no matter how well-qualified or well-skilled your team is, your business will suffer if you can’t communicate your strategies to them. Therefore, try to be proficient in all communication formats – verbal and non-verbal.
Problem-Solving
Sure, you started your business by identifying your target customer’s pain points and providing a solution. However, your work doesn’t end here. It is because every business comes with its own sets of challenges. You will encounter new situations that require you to make different decisions each day. Put it this way, the more strategic decisions you make, the greater chances you can achieve your business objectives. As a successful entrepreneur, one of the most crucial skills you need is excellent problem-solving skills. With good problem-solving skills, you can turn your problems into potential opportunities.
Networking
As an entrepreneur, you might have endless tasks on your plate. You might be planning to sit all day cooped in your office to accomplish those tasks. However, if you wish to run a successful business empire, you need to take some time to get out of your office and network. Networking will help your business grow since you will meet like-minded people. You will meet new business partners and clients and find new opportunities with good networking skills. The best way to network is by attending business conferences and other industry events. You can also build strong connections through social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
Time Management
Imagine you got a potential client project that can help you generate considerable revenue. And while you are sure you and your team can deliver the project with good quality. Still, due to poor time management, the delivery of the project gets delayed. So, of course, your client will get disappointed and might not even consider doing business with you ever again. They might consider going to your competitors for business instead of you. For this reason, excellent time management skills are crucial to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Though you will be handling many tasks simultaneously as an entrepreneur, good prioritization and delegation can help you get your work done efficiently.
Financial Management
Let’s face it; business is all about money. How you manage your business finances can either sink or swim your business. Therefore, learning the art of how to manage your finances is the key to your success. Start by creating a realistic budget and stick to it. That way, you won’t go overspending. It’s sensible to invest in cybersecurity measures like MFA authentication, but it’s not OK to waste money on a high-end office you don’t need yet.
In many cases, entrepreneurs make the biggest mistake by overspending in the hope of earning more revenue. However, unfortunately, they have to deal with the financial crisis because of their overspending. Therefore, once you create your budget, keep an eye on your finances to avoid any mishap. Sound financial management skills can help you tap into new opportunities and make well-informed decisions.
Leadership
Another critical skill is strong leadership. There is a high possibility you have a strategic vision and excellent business idea, but what’s the purpose if your employees are not following you. That is why develop and polish your leadership skills. However, being a leader is not just a title. It would help if you could motivate and inspire your employees.
Moreover, suppose you wish your employees to follow your dream and work towards achieving your business goals. In that case, you must be likable and approachable. Lastly, it is to note that you don’t have to do all the tasks yourself because you are a business leader. A great leader is someone who knows when to delegate tasks.
Resilience
Answer this. Are you resilient? Resilience, by definition, means bouncing back quickly from challenging situations or failures. Unfortunately, no matter how robust your plans are, things sometimes don’t work as you plan. As a result, you might experience some losses, too. However, picking yourself up when things become difficult is one of the defining traits of a successful entrepreneur. It’s easy to give up when things become hard. But as a successful entrepreneur, you must have a positive attitude and mindset so you can learn from your failures.
Key Takeaways
It is no secret that launching your new business and making it successful is no piece of cake in the highly-competitive and ever-evolving business world.
While your degree can give you the push you need to proceed with your unique business plan, your skills will determine whether your business will reach the newer heights of success or not. So be honest with yourself and analyze your skills. Don’t fret if you don’t have some of the skills. With some practice and determination, you can develop or polish these skills and be good on your road to successful entrepreneurship.
The digital revolution happening around the world has impacted every industry in one way or another. It has led to a growth in data production in different businesses, making the collection and analysis of large amounts of data common in all organizations. Companies are collecting more data than ever before and transforming their businesses through data-driven decisions, which is necessary to stay viable and thrive in the rapidly changing environment.
Nowadays, all major enterprises are reliant on data as it offers various benefits. Converting data into actionable intelligence can help a company understand consumer behavior and develop new insightful strategies accordingly. Moreover, companies also feel more confident applying policies supported by data-driven decision-making.
Many companies struggle to implement data-driven decision-making because they don’t have organized data, making it difficult to navigate information or draw conclusions. Therefore, all organizations should update their systems and equip themselves with new technologies to effectively utilize analytics and survive in this new data-driven economy.
Several organizations have already become leaders in data-driven decision-making and are giving tough competition to other companies. Data-driven organizations are indeed the future, and in this article, we will discuss the reasons why.
1. They Provide Better Customer Service
Data can help organizations understand customer behavior, preferences, and dislikes. Organizations can wield the power of data-based decision making to combine different approaches to serve the customer throughout the lifecycle from prospect to advocate phase. The design targeted strategies reach the right customers at the right time through appropriate channels.
For example, organizations can utilize real customer data to offer targeted podcasts, communications, and services to their customers, leading to greater customer satisfaction. Moreover, data can help organizations identify and apply the most cost-effective ways to address queries and problems in customer support centers by reducing issue resolution time and increasing customer satisfaction.
2. They Improve Their Existing Business Processes
Data-driven decision-making helps organizations improve their business processes and grow their sales, maximizing revenue growth. In the competitive business market, data helps organizations identify and take advantage of revenue opportunities. Data-driven organizations always make better and faster decisions as they are backed by numbers.
For example, slower sales growth can be a sign of below-average sales team performance. Therefore, data-driven organizations identify problems and review related data, develop marketing strategies based on the data to optimize processes, leading to a growth in revenue. The following steps are followed mostly for using data to improve business processes.
Define the strategic goals of your business
Find the ways to achieve those goals
Categorize the data you already have
Collect more related data
Thoroughly analyze the data
Conclude and communicate insights
Incorporate measures to modify business processes according to the insights
3. They Efficiently Identify New Business Opportunities
Organizations analyze data to increase the opportunity for growth and profitability in the long run. Data analysis can reveal insights that help businesses identify new business opportunities, like investing in innovative products and services that consumers demand.
For example, a women’s clothing shop can identify through data what styles, colors, or trends are going to be popular in the next few months and can stock up on those to sell more and grow their revenue. Moreover, data-driven decision-making may help some organizations venture into untapped customer segments.
Data analysis can also help organizations identify their non-profitable ventures so they either stop investing in them or drop them altogether. For example, data analysis can help identify the least popular clothing item in your store, which you can either pull back or use more efficient strategies to sell them.
4. They Predict and Follow Future Trends
Data-driven organizations collect and utilize past data to predict crucial trends in the future. It helps organizations prepare for any negative events and ensure optimal outcomes. Moreover, data-driven organizations respond to market changes quickly and efficiently, providing them with a competitive edge in the market.
Some companies use a sales forecasting method based on data analysis to predict future sales. Sales forecasting involves the following steps;
Access and analyze past sale’s data
Incorporate required changes like changing the price of an item, promoting an item, or changing an entire product
Observe current market trends to predict future trends
Monitor competitors and introduce strategic techniques to include in your business plan for an increase in sales
5. They Encourage Innovation
Innovation is essential for the survival of any organization. Innovative companies outperform their peers and create substantially more business than their peers. Therefore, data-driven innovation is a primary pillar of success in the present global economy.
Data analysis helps organizations recognize patterns, interactions, and inconsistencies taking place within an industry and helps them derive innovative changes in the industry. Organizations can identify data innovation opportunities in five distinct ways;
Digitizing assets
Trading data
Combining data within and across industries
Codifying a distinctive service capability
Augmenting products to generate data
6. They Cut Down Unnecessary Costs
Data-driven companies utilize data analysis to reduce operational costs and optimize expenses. Costs can be reduced, and profits can be increased by analyzing the impact of different variables and transforming business processes. Moreover, eliminating unwanted costs also boosts productivity. Therefore, data-driven organizations can efficiently cut down on operational costs and can save substantial amounts of money in the process.
Studying customer response data provides companies with valuable insights to make strategic adjustments at specific points instead of randomly cutting costs. Moreover, data-driven companies also assess the possibility of products being returned and are prepared to take the necessary actions to reduce related costs and losses.
The Bottom Line
Data analysis has become an essential part of all industries. Organizations can utilize this data to advance in their respective industry, making data-driven decision-making a key factor for the success of any company in the present world. Companies refusing to adapt to this data-driven economy will eventually go under as data-driven organizations are the future.
Data-driven organizations provide better customer care by identifying customer needs and providing them with targeted information. They also improve their existing business processes and help identify and take advantage of new business opportunities to increase revenue. Moreover, data-driven organizations study data to identify repetitive patterns and predict emerging business trends. They also help reduce unnecessary costs and encourage innovation to stay ahead in this competitive economy. Hopefully, this article will help you understand the various reasons why data-driven organizations are the future.
International Journal of Research (IJR) 