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2021

COVID-19 Update: PM Modi To Hold a Meeting To Review The Country’s COVID-19 Situation on Thursday

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As the COVID-19 cases have started rising again in the country and the threat of Omicron is looming over, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday directed all district magistrates to ensure no Christmas and New Year gathering takes place in Delhi. DDMA has ordered the district magistrates to identify areas where the spread of COVID-19 can be extremely high ahead of Christmas and New Year. According to statistics on released on Wednesday, India detected 6,317 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. The official data says that India has now 213 Omicron cases with most being reported from Delhi. While the total number of active cases remain at 78, 190, it is the COVID deaths that are increasingly concerning. As against 132 fatalities on Tuesday, India saw 317 people succumbing to coronavirus-related complications. Although the Centre had earlier said that Omicron is a mild variant it is changing it’s stance and is asking the states to activate war rooms. The local officials have been instructed to reinstate night curfews wherever necessary. Source: The news has been published by The Financial Express with a few edits by the ArdorComm News Network Team.

Maharashtra Admissions Update: Nursery Admissions Age Cut-Off Relaxed in Maharashtra

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Mumbai: According to officials from the Maharashtra Education Department, the minimum age criteria for admissions from nursery to class 1 for academic year 2022-23 will be relaxed. The government resolution (GR) dated September 18, 2020 states that the cut-off date for the minimum age for school admission is December 31. Due to the old cut-off date, children born in October, November, and December face issues while securing admission into different schools. So, to provide relief on the issue, the education department has changed the minimum age criteria for admission for the academic year 2022-23, a government circular stated on Monday. The New Admission Guide According to the Government Circular: Children born between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, and completing the minimum age of three years as of December 31, 2022, can take admission to nursery. The children born between October 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018, and who have completed the minimum age of four years as of December 31, 2022, can take admission to junior KG (kindergarten). Children born between October 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017, and completed the minimum age of five years as of December 31, 2022, are eligible for senior KG admission. For Class 1 admission, the minimum age criterion is the completion of six years as of December 31, 2022. The children should have been born between October 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016. Apart from the abovementioned guidelines, the circular also states that the age criteria for pre-primary admissions can also be flexible and no institution can deny admissions citing cut-offs. In addition, no upper age limit has been decided as of yet and it can be kept flexible. Source: The article has been published by India Today with a few edits by the ArdorComm News Network Team.

SC: Disciplinary Action Against Mentally Ill Employees At Work Is Discrimination

Leave a Comment / By / Human Resource Community

In a progressive move, the Supreme Court has said that any kind of disciplinary action against mentally troubled or ill employees at work is an act of indirect discrimination. The bench headed by Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath observed that any person suffering from a disability is protected under the Right of Persons with Disability (RPwD) Act if his/her disability is used as an excuse to discriminate against him/her. It is important to note that the RPwD shields people suffering from mental disorders as well as people suffering from other kinds of disabilities. The court came to this conclusion when they were hearing an appeal against an assistant commandant Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer. He was undergoing disciplinary action after he had used foul language, had appeared on television without prior departmental approvals, tried to cause an accident and physically assaulted a deputy commandant in 2010. However, during the proceedings, the officer defended himself saying that he was facing mental health issues after being posted in areas where anti-insurgency operations had taken place between 2003 and 2013. The CRPF countered his plea and said in their defence that there are a number of officers who are sent to areas with insurgency and they didn’t develop any kind of mental health issues. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court reasoned out that a person or an employee with any kind of mental illness would not be able to perform in a similar fashion when compared with an able-bodied employee. Therefore, any kind of disciplinary action against mentally ill employees at work would be considered an act of injustice and discrimination against them. Also, the SC said that the social discrimination against mentally ill people in the society is still rampant and it doesn’t encourage the scenario to take a legal discrimination turn.

Tata Power DDL and Hitachi Energy Tie Up To Train People In the Indian Power Sector

Leave a Comment / By / Human Resource Community

No matter the amount of progress, new hiring and the availability of jobs, India still lags behind when it comes to the quality of the employees in the power sector. To satiate the lack of quality, Tata Power DDL — a power-distribution utility providing electricity in the North Delhi region has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hitachi Energy. As part of this MoU, the two companies will come together, bringing their knowledge and expertise, to train people in the power sector and fill the talent gap. This partnership will help the power sector to grow and provide talented and skilled employees for the industry. The MoU has been signed between Subir Verma, CHRO, Tata Power DDL and Kondalarao Bavisetti, business head, Power Consulting, Hitachi Energy India. The training programmes under the partnership will be designed in accordance with new and emerging technologies and best practices for enhancing knowledge competency. It will aim to bridge the gap between theory and practical, imparting industrial training to students in engineering, technology, science and so on, to make them industry ready. “Tata Power-DDL is focussed on nurturing the talent pool in the power and energy industry, by sharing valuable experience and knowledge. This collaboration with Hitachi Energy is a step in the same direction and reflects our intent to help young talent to achieve their potential and the industry to create skilled manpower,” shares Verma. “Availability of qualified manpower is a major challenge, especially in evolving fields such as power. There is an urgent need to collaborate in areas of engineering, technology and technology management to support the clean energy transition, ensuring the people of India can enjoy reliable and quality power. We are glad to be partnering with Tata Power Delhi Distribution to train and shape future talent,” says Raja Radhakrishnan, HR director, Hitachi Energy India. Source: The article has been published by HR Katha with a few edits by the ArdorComm News Network Team  

Omicron COVID-19 Update India: 7-Year-old Boy Tests Positive for Omicron in West Bengal

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West Bengal: On Wednesday, West Bengal reported it’s first case of the new COVID-19 variant – Omicron.  A seven-year-old boy, resident of Murshidabad district, tested positive for the new coronavirus variant, news agency PTI reported citing a senior official of the health department. The boy, the official said, recently returned to Bengal from Abu Dhabi via Hyderabad. Also, in Telangana, two foreign nationals who arrived from abroad tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant – Omicron. However, according to reports, both are asymptomatic. Globally, Australia reopened borders to vaccinated skilled migrants and foreign students nearly after a two-year ban on their entry. This move was taken in a bid to boost an economy hit by the Covid-19 induced lockdowns, thereby restarting international travel. The move comes despite the warning issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that COVID-19 vaccines appear to have become slightly less effective in preventing severe disease and death but do provide “significant protection”. Source: The article has been published by the Indian Express with a few edits from the ArdorComm News Network team.

CBSE Chemistry Exam Update: Term 1 Exam Ends, Answer Key and Analysis Out

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New Delhi: The Chemistry examination of term one conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) ended today at 1 pm. The CBSE Class 12 Chemistry sample question paper, marking scheme, syllabus and answer key are available for the perusal of students at cbseacademic.nic.in. The students are allowed to enter the exam hall at 11 am for their examination. A time span of 20 minutes is allotted to the students to go through the paper thoroughly before solving. The next paper in the CBSE Class 12 exam schedule is Economics.  Students have to compulsorily bring their admit cards to appear for their exam. The instructions for solving the paper on the OMR sheet are as follows: Write your name in the given space Enter your board allotted roll number Fill in all the necessary details on the OMR sheet The OMR sheet has to be filled with either blue or black ball pen The use of pencils on the OMR sheet is not allowed Students will be required to write the correct option that is A, B, C or D in the box  Students are required to provide school code, subject code and name, father’s name, and other details in the answer booklet According to the CBSE and the government guidelines, COVID SOPs must be followed strictly at the examination center.  Source: NDTV Education   

Where are we in terms of the urban-rural digital divide in India?

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Why not start the blog directly with some numbers, right? According to a survey conducted by the Times of India in September 2021, 37% of poor students belonging to rural areas had dropped out of schools. The survey revealed that due to the prolonged COVID-19 situations and lockdowns, children decided to drop out of schools because they couldn’t even afford online education on devices. As many as 48% of children surveyed weren’t able to read anything after a few words. I think this forms a clear picture of the urban-rural education divide in India. As the pandemic took over the globe, it was easy for well-equipped, urban and private schools to switch to an online mode of education. Even the students and their families had at least 1-2 smart devices at home, which ensured the continuity of education for their kids. Unfortunately, children living in marginalized areas and bastis (slums) do not have access to any smart device or the internet. So, online learning, though a very positive initiative for students in India, could not reach the rural sector, thereby resulting in the fallout of poor children from schools. Even if the households have smartphones, they are either used by adults or students don’t have the proper knowledge on how to use smartphones for education. When it comes to parents, the survey revealed that parents had reported diminishing desires for education and learning, reduced abilities to read text and learn new things. The COVID-19 induced lockdowns had rendered children unable to learn outside of school premises and classes. Children from rural areas are in such a disadvantaged position that during the survey, students from class 3 were not able to read texts from class 2 and thus, their academic progress had fallen back to class 1. Now, the above facts paint a stark picture of the urban-rural digital and education divide in the country. However, how are we going to deal with this? There are multiple ways to overcome the abovementioned divide, let’s take a look: Democratizing the use of technology and internet Major revisions in the curriculum suitable for children in all areas over an extended transition period Free circulation and aid of smart devices and internet for students and schools in rural areas by the government Training by skilled individuals and growth stakeholders to students and educators from rural areas to adapt to change and technological advancements Provide poor children with a budget for proper daily amenities and meals even in an online education environment Ensure proper coaching and mental health support to students from marginalized backgrounds Tie up government schools in rural areas with skilled institutes and centers to ensure they receive at par education, training and help Let them enjoy co-curricular activities and social interactions for overall holistic development Create a forum for children to discuss their pain points and issues with counsellors and educators everyday Conclusion To say a few last words, technology and training can easily bridge the urban-rural gap in India. It will take time, but if the government ensures equitable distribution to all areas, then no one can stop rural students from flying close to their dreams and transforming them into reality.

26 Omicron Case Count With Mild Symptoms In India: Health Ministry Warns Against Lowering Guard

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There is a total of 26 Omicron cases in India across five states, but all with mild symptoms, the health ministry said on Friday at its weekly briefing. Of the 25 Omicron cases, nine are in Rajasthan, three in Gujarat, 11 in Maharashtra, two in Karnataka, and one in Delhi. Joint secretary, health ministry, Lav Agarwal, also present at the briefing, said that there have been 83 Covid-positive cases in India among travellers who came from ‘at risk’ countries, and of those, 13 were found to be infected with Omicron variant. ICMR chief Balram Bhargava, meanwhile, advised caution against the new variant, saying that although Omicron hasn’t yet posed a high threat to public healthcare, “we still need to be vigilant”. Bhargava also said, “We are trying to grow Omicron in a laboratory. Once that’s done, we will be able to test the efficacy of vaccines.” “Regular meetings are being organised to keep a watch on the global scenario and Covid scene in India with a focus on Omicron. we need help to not spread panic. District level restrictions to be implemented where positivity over 5%,” he added. Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, said that usage of masks is showing a decline in India causing worry. “Mask usage is declining in India. we have to remember that both vaccines and masks are important. As far as protection capability is concerned, we are now operating at a risky and unacceptable level. we should learn from the global situation,” he said. The ministry also added that there are no recommendations yet on vaccinations for kids from the National Technical Advisory group. On the brighter side, Agarwal said that over 131 crore total vaccine doses are administered across the country so far, and quite half of the adult population is now fully vaccinated. As on December 9, over 74.5 lakh doses were administered. Kerala still continues to report the greatest number of Covid cases in the county – as much as 52.8% of the overall cases in India were reported from the southern state last week. Mentioning the daily Covid figure, the health ministry said India continues to record below 10,000 cases for the 14th consecutive day on Friday. “While overall positivity across the country gives comfort, there are still a large number of districts reporting high case positivity,” Agarwal added. Source: News18

NIOS to issue single result document instead of three from Oct-Nov 2021 exams onward

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The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will issue marks statement-cum-certificate as a single result document in place of three separate documents from the October-November 2021 exam onwards. The authority has issued a public notice with regards to the new change.  “NIOS will issue marks statement-cum-certificate as a single result document in place of 3 separate documents i.e Marks Statement, Provisional Certificate & Final Pass Certificate to all successful learners from Oct-Nov 2021 examination,” reads NIOS’s official tweet. Prior to this, NIOS issued three different certificates – marks statement, provisional certificate and final pass certificate to all successful learners.  In the new marks statement-cum-certificate, the word ‘Pass’ will appear in case the learner is fulfilling the passing criteria, else four-cross (XXXX) will appear on the marks statement. In case of improvement the same document will be issued indicating PASS ‘Appeared for Improvement’. This will also be applicable for any previous students applying for duplicate or correction in documents. ​​The Institute will issue Transfer-cum-Migration Certificate separately to the successful learners. Source: ANI

Importance of Social Interactions in Online Learning

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Most of us grew up having a very different notion of education. However, the modern-day student population is experiencing a revolutionary form of education where they have the liberty to learn at their own pace. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the demand for virtual learning and luckily, it’s here to stay!  At first, students were facing many difficulties with online learning like reduced social interactions, loss of connectivity, difficulty with technology and the feeling of alienation. However, as time went by, students became increasingly tech savvy and are now very much used to the virtual way of learning and interacting.  Although it was challenging for schools at first to enable stable interaction and engagement opportunities for students in a virtual environment, they soon learnt to create moments of magic even in online classes.  Humans are social beings and only when we interact with different people, we understand and learn from new experiences. So, even though it might be challenging to enable social interaction opportunities in a online environment, it must be done.  Let’s try to understand in depth why social interactions are important.  Interactions Amongst Students Do you know how students learn to ideate and innovate? The answer is simple. Children are young and their minds have very fresh perspectives.  When innovative minds collide, experiment and brainstorm, interesting thoughts and ideas are born.  Also, peer-to-peer interactions help to spread motivation and happiness amongst one another which helps the students to maintain a healthy balance between their mental and emotional health. In addition, when students interact, they share their struggles and common paint points to empathize with one another. These kinds of interactions result in deciphering solutions to their common struggles.  Students interacting with one another can also discuss real-time applications of concepts and theories to yield state-of-the-art outcomes. Even praise from fellow classmates can lead to a healthy boost in confidence. As everyone learns in different ways, group interactions can prepare students professionally for a successful work life in terms of networking, leadership and management.  Therefore, it is essential for educators, schools and institutions to recognize the importance of social interactions for students. Even in an online environment, they should fit engagement opportunities for students between their regular classes.  Here are some pointers to enable social interactions in online classes: Group Projects: Based on the latest trends, students can explore new topics together. This will enhance communication and intellectual discussions.  Co-curricular Activities: For leisure and rejuvenation, frequent activities like signing, painting, dancing, poetry, standups, storytelling, etc. can be conducted for students to come together and share infectious moments of joy and happiness.  Free networking zones: Educators must establish virtual networking zones amongst students belonging to different age groups and sections to encourage discussions.    Interactions Between Educators and Students An educator plays a crucial role in the overall development of a student. With online learning, students have often felt disconnected with their mentors. However, instructors should go the extra mile to interact with students (even in groups) to pacify their curiosities and challenges.  In addition, if the educator and the student share a good bond, the student feels free to ask questions and discuss problems. As a result, receiving professional help helps them achieve academic excellence. Also, the educator could call group meetings to share and discuss course materials and co-curricular activities to enhance their intellectual, social and mental journeys. Only with regular interactions, students develop a sense of responsibility, commitment, togetherness and teamwork.  In a different scenario, if a student is lagging behind and is going through a rough patch, educators could take up individual sessions with such students to help them in solitude, thereby avoiding social or community embarrassment. In one-to-one sessions, students going through a bunch of challenges would feel comfortable to share their viewpoints.  Here are some examples to enable educator-to-student interaction in online learning: Webinar sessions Instant messaging Written or voice thread feedback  Virtual help desks Conclusion Be it a hybrid or a virtual class, student-to-student and educator-to-student social interactions are integral for holistic development and healthy mental health.  I would like to challenge the thought process of “Too many cooks spoil the broth” by saying, “True magic happens with a sense of collectiveness.” So, in 2022, let’s try to create an environment for students where they feel free to express their concerns, success, views, ideas, pain points and experiences to strike the right balance.