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Health

Making Healthcare System in India a Major Agenda for G20 2023

Making Healthcare System in India a Major Agenda for G20 2023
Making Healthcare System in India a Major Agenda for G20 2023

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not”

– Dr. Seuss

India’s Arduous Journey 

Hard to look at some facts but here we go!

India; a looted, invaded and colonised nation. From being misconstrued as a land of snake charmers, mystics and beggars to being acknowledged as an ancient, flourishing and incredible civilisation, India has travelled far and long.

Holding the presidency of G20 summit 2023 with the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘One Earth One Family One Future, India bears a responsibility. The responsibility to construct a healthcare dialogue for the people and Earth itself.  

The G20, incepted in 1999, is the group of earth’s richest and mightiest nations (19 countries and European Union) coming together for international economic cooperation. The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

Health & Healthy Environment: Was it a Priority?

After World War II, various international groups were formed, but their primary goals were trade, economy and peace. Then the international community started to care for earth, environment and climate. They did this by conducting various environment focused conferences setting goals and targets, for betterment of earth’s environment.

But there were revisions and delays in attaining their goals in the next conference. Clean air, clean water, clean food, all essential for healthy life but the targets to make them clean remain unreached.  

The World Health Organisation (WHO) was formed in 1948, to do good work, but Covid-19 pointed out its shortcomings. The very functioning, decisions and effectiveness of WHO depends on the nations and leaders which are funding it. The decisions at times were not quick enough during the spread of Covid-19. 

The two fundamental principles for our existence is a healthy earth and that for its residents’ health is real wealth. In absence of a healthy population every other development would be illusory. Can we rise if we are stunted and ill? I think all of us know the answer to this question.

Better late than never – G20 and Healthcare

When it comes to G20, it was only in the year 2017, the Health working group was formed to emphasise on Global health concerns.

Last year, in Indonesia, we saw health issues- finance and technology taking centre stage. “Global Health Architecture” was the top priority of the summit. The Indonesian theme for the G20 summit was Recover Together, Recover Stronger. For the first time at a G20 summit, the theme encapsulated health as top priority. 

Healthcare System in India from Ancient to Present Times

It’s an undisputed fact that India is home to one of the world’s oldest health care systems, both medicine and related technology. Ayurveda, that literally translates from Sanskrit to mean the science of life. We had ancient medical treatises of Charaka, a physician, and Shusruta, a surgeon, from whom various modern medical and surgical techniques such as rhinoplasty (known as nose job) is inspired. 

The oldest of all, Yoga, an art and science of healthy living, seeks to achieve harmony between mind, body, soul and nature. Yoga is abundantly used by people around the globe and is from India. These are just some illustrations to show historical India’s prowess in healthcare.

The aforesaid literature is so rich that the public healthcare system in India of the time must have been outstanding. However, due to centuries of invasion and colonisation (mostly of minds), the national healthcare system was broken. It found utterance only at the stroke of Midnight Hour on 15th August, 1947. 

Now, India has taken a welcome step towards Universal Health Coverage by launching Ayushman Bharat in 2018. Ayushman Bharat seeks to cover the poorest 40% of population. The scheme reinvigorated the national health system that aims to provide access to quality healthcare with financial support. Recently, India has also achieved WHO mandated doctor population ratio.

India: Healing the World

India’s drug and pharmaceutical exports have shown exponential growth in recent years. Where the developed world was struggling, India, under the Vaccine Maitri mission, rose up to occasion and exported hundreds of millions of vaccines to the world. Our affordable vaccines came as a saviour for low-income countries. 

It is trite that India delivers world class health care affordably. Indian doctors are among the world’s best. Indian hospitals and doctors use innovative tools to make healthcare cheap. As compared to any other country, medical tourism in India is highly cost-effective and qualitative, attracting patients from world over. 

In addition to above, India is also exporting its most valued resource, i.e., citizens to take care of the world, as a health worker. Indian nurses are most sought after by foreign countries.

All is Not Well in Healthcare System in India

Economic survey 2022-23, states various happy indicators like decrease in maternal and child mortality rate, increase in primary and community health centres etc. These may be true but there is a plethora of data, evidence otherwise. Instances where a person suffers irreparably or even dies because of absence of access to quality and timely healthcare system in India is still common.

India dosed almost all of its population with Covid-19 vaccine, however, the covid waves painted a grim picture of public healthcare. People suffered not only because of covid but also because the medical personnel care for other diseases remained low. 

Due to government interventions, the out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare has reduced over the years but it still remains significantly high. This impacts spending of people on education, nutrition and preventive care thus creating a vicious cycle. Recently, the budget’s allocation for health and nutrition called for more action when compared to allocation made for infrastructure development.

Healthcare System in India: A Major Agenda

Our Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has said multiple times that India wants to reclaim its historical position of Vishwa Guru. There is no better way to make our position clear to the world than through the G20 summit.

Hitherto, the health care of citizens of earth is primarily the responsibility of governments created within man-made boundaries called countries. But this year, at G20, India should push forward for a collective responsibility of the world. 

At the recently concluded meeting of the Health Working Group of G20 India in Kerala, Dr. VK Paul, talked about Medical Value Travel and said,

“Government of India will be launching “Heal in India” initiative to leverage its healthcare services for international patients, “Heal by India” initiative to send out healthcare workforce to other countries. He also emphasised on the huge strength of India in telemedicine sector which could pave the way for “Heal from India” initiative.”. 

What it forgets to mention is healing Indians, and sharing with every country a public health system and health policy. A system with capability, human resources, infrastructure knowledge and technology to heal their people themselves. Most of the time timely action is the only difference between healthy life, suffering and death. 

India has chosen a G20 theme from an ancient Sanskrit text,i.e. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam literally means “The world is one family”. Meaning that the happiness of a neighbour is crucial for my own happiness. G20, two-thirds of the world’s population and around 60% of the world’s land area, needs to be remember that economic development without health won’t have much meaning. 

Smile Foundation and Healthcare in India

Smile Foundation cares for all individuals and places healthcare reaching to the remote and far-flung areas of India as one of its top priorities. It truly takes action towards its belief that Health Cannot Wait.

Smile Foundation’s healthcare programme aims at taking healthcare at the doorsteps of people. It encourages health awareness and contemporary healthcare-seeking behaviour among underprivileged people. It is done through campaigns, health camps organised at regular intervals, and providing health screening, medical care, and medicines through mobile health clinics. And we do realise, that we need to do much more.

It will be good if we remember Dr. Seuss quote from the children’s book The Lorax, 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

– Dr. Seuss
Categories
Livelihood

How to Use CSR Funds To Boost Rural Livelihoods?

How to Use CSR Funds To Boost Rural Livelihoods?
How to Use CSR Funds To Boost Rural Livelihoods?

Good News– Inflation is slowly coming down. Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of changes in consumer prices, eased to 5.72% in December 2022, coming within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 2-6% tolerance band. In this blog we are going to beyond CSR full form and explore how it makes desirable change possible in the lives of many.

It is welcome news for the economy, especially for rural India. Unlike the urban sector, the rural economy was significantly impacted by inflationary pressures through most of 2022. The pandemic had already destabilised things, with the rising prices adding further fuel to the fire.

But thanks to the RBI and the improving global setup, inflation has come down, and rural demand is recovering, albeit at a slow pace. Parle Products, a major FMCG brand in India, saw 6-7% rural volume growth in November, compared to 2-3% in the previous two quarters.

It’s a promising sign, but there’s a long way to go, isn’t that the case always! Unemployment, which ultimately dictates rural demand, is still over 7%, according to data from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (EMIE).

Improving that figure is central to spurring rural demand and growing the economy. While a lot depends on the government and their policies, Indian corporations can also improve the state of the rural economy with the right use of CSR funds.

Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Full form and Beyond

CSR, full form, Corporate Social Responsibility , introduced in the Companies Act 2013, mandates certain profitable companies to contribute financially to impact their society. They can select from several causes, like eradication of hunger or poverty, encouraging gender equality, promoting sustainability, etc., where they want to impact.

Moving beyond CSR Full For and its Challenges

Parking funds for CSR is one thing, and using it effectively is another. Hundreds of companies in the country have made CSR efforts for many years, but only some have succeeded. Deploying CSR funds and identifying impactful programs are among the two biggest challenges companies usually face with CSR.

Even with the changes to the CSR Policy in 2021, these problems persist. As a result, CSR contributions decreased by 64% to 8,800 crores in FY2021, dropping from 24,700 crores.

Given the state of the rural economy, using CSR in rural development in India could be an ideal initiative. It can significantly impact the economy, and several local bodies can help companies deploy CSR funds correctly in rural areas.

CSR for Rural Development in India

The rural economy has been subdued due to several reasons. Unemployment is one of the more prominent contributors, but the right use of CSR in rural development can deliver change. Here is a complete plan a company can use to increase rural livelihoods and bring back rural demand:

1. Identify Struggling Rural Areas- Impact more than learning CSR full form

Rural India is diverse. Some rural communities are almost as advanced as the urban sectors, with high literacy and low unemployment rates. On the flip side, there are others suffering from extreme poverty and high unemployment. Although many of us know CSR full form, not many are aware of its contextualisation in rural development.

The first step to using CSR in the context of rural development is to identify communities that need more help. Research and data are readily available on the internet and can be used by companies to create a shortlist of rural areas in desperate need.

Consultation with local communities and government bodies can also help determine which parts of the rural areas need more help. Understanding a community’s actual state and needs can assist companies in deploying funds in the right direction.

2. Partner with Local Organisations

Implementing rural projects can be challenging. Companies usually do not have dedicated teams that look after the implementation of CSR projects from the ground up.

Hence, it is vital for companies to partner with organisations specialising in CSR initiatives. Many local bodies have significant experience in spearheading CSR projects. They have the right plans and ideas to improve various facets of society, including rural livelihood, but funds are a problem. Partnering with such bodies ensures CSR funds are used effectively and sustainably.

3. Think Long-term

Triggering a short-term impact isn’t the correct use of CSR funds. Companies should focus on the long-term effects of their CSR initiatives and how they can improve rural livelihoods for generations.

Since rural livelihoods are central to the fundamentals of several businesses along with the Indian economy, it is in organisations’ best interest to focus on long-term goals. They can do so by identifying activities and industries where the impact can be long-term. Some examples include agriculture, small-scale industries, educational hubs, and health centres.

4. Measure and Optimise the Impact

After deploying CSR funds, companies must monitor impact the same way they regularly measure their business growth. Success with CSR only comes with regular tracking, as companies can understand what works and what doesn’t.

Based on their findings, they can optimise their spending in industries and activities that have more room for impact. Several evaluation and monitoring tools are available, while companies can also consult local communities to gather feedback on their initiatives. The latter can prove especially useful as local communities have a wider reach.

5. Stay Committed and Patient

It is vital for companies to stick to their CSR goals to create lasting impact. Initiatives like rural livelihood development take time to bear fruit. They depend on several factors, including government policies and commodity prices, which are susceptible to change.

Therefore, it is central for companies to demonstrate patience and commitment. They must take time to figure out what they want to do with their CSR funds and stick to it in every situation.

CSR and Rural Development

Indian corporations are central to the country’s $5 trillion dream. The sustained growth of their businesses can increase employment, improve citizens’ standard of living, and bring foreign investment to the country.

Additionally, with a more significant profit pool, companies can better develop and uplift their societies. They’d have more CSR funds on hand for initiatives like rural development.

However, money doesn’t solve anything without collaboration. Partnering with local organisations with prior CSR experience and having a long-term vision is central to realising the role of CSR in rural development.

Smile Foundation and Livelihood

Smile Foundation realises that education without a scope for a fulfilling livelihood opportunity in the horizon, is best, an incomplete step in the growth and development cycle of a young learner. Through its various CSR associations and an active livelihood initiative, STeP or the Smile Twin e-Learning Programme, Smile Foundation is imparting the youth of low-income groups relevant courses to improve upon their skills and make them completely ready for India’s workforce.

Join us today!

Categories
Education

Arts and its Power to Improve Our Health

Nurturing Young Minds: The Imperative of Children Pursuing Arts
Children enjoying painting out in the open

“In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Radhika is a young teenager of 13. For the past few days, she has been showing early symptoms of mental health illness. Her teacher noticed a change in her behaviour and encouraged her to meet the school counsellor. The counsellor after understanding the reasons behind Radhika’s aloofness, advised her to undertake painting, writing or anything that fosters creativity. She did that and it eventually improved her mental health.

Many of us engage in creative activities like writing, acting, sketching, or dancing because we find them enjoyable. We know intuitively that being creative is healthy for us and that being passionate about our creative pursuits makes us happy. But what does science tell us about the advantages of creativity?

No matter what path we have chosen to free up our imaginations and aim for unrestricted self-expression, it’s obvious that creating things is fundamental to what it is to be a person. Some people pursue creative endeavours as a pastime, while others do it for a profession. 

We have been producing art since prehistoric times; more than 39,900 years ago, our predecessors scratched some of their earliest impressions on cave walls, including the contour of their hands and primitive animal images.

People could even say that the need to create things is ingrained in our DNA. Over the course of human history, we have learned to build tools, shelters, food and make medications for illnesses.

A lot of medical studies have suggested that art, and more especially, being creative, is quite beneficial for our mental and physical well-being.

We’ll give some context of mental illness and then discuss art as its remedy.

Mental Health Illness

Childhood trauma makes a person more susceptible to negative physical, mental and socio-educative consequences over the course of their lifetimes. According to research, exposure to four or more negative events increases the likelihood of negative health effects. 

Data from 37 research were combined, showing that negative experiences increased the risk of smoking, excessive drinking, poor self-rated health, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease by 2 to 3 times. The odds of engaging in hazardous sexual behaviour were also 4-6 times higher and the odds of experiencing interpersonal violence as a victim or perpetrator were 7-8 times higher.

Fighting Mental Health Illness with Art

Both adults and children can benefit from art therapy to reduce stress. There is a good relationship between art and mental wellbeing. Creative pursuits like painting, drawing and sculpture have shown to reduce stress and foster mental serenity. 

Making art is a soothing diversion. As you concentrate on the finer points of the artwork you are producing, worries are put aside. One of the reasons art therapy is used to treat Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the advantages of this mental comfort. For people of all ages, adult colouring books are a popular form of anti-anxiety medium.

The encouragement of imaginative thinking and creativity in both children and adults is another advantage of art. It also improves one’s ability to solve problems. People are inspired to come up with their own solutions because there is no wrong answer in the world of art. Similar to learning a new language, flexible thinking stimulates your brain and gets it ready for difficult tasks.

Additionally, creativity is a very mobile activity, and this mobility has a number of advantages. For instance, a research on breast cancer survivors revealed that dancing increased participants’ shoulder function and that it improved their perception of their bodies.

Also, dancing might be a good way to get or keep fit. 2014 saw the media sensation of a woman who dropped 100 pounds by following her dancing routine.

To practise any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”

Kurt Vonnegut

Art Helps Forget Pain

Depression, discomfort, anxiety and stress are frequently present in patients with chronic health issues. You can temporarily reduce your loved ones’ worries by taking them to see beautiful art when they are dealing with ongoing health issues.

For adults, children, and elders, visiting museums and participating in art walks may be a positive, entertaining experience. Immersing yourself and your loved ones in the arts has numerous positive effects on your health, whether you learn something new, rediscover your passion, or simply enjoy a peaceful time. Do spend some time with your imagination to enhance your health!

Create Pleasant Memories with Art

“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.”

Vincent Van Gogh

This may be the strongest argument in favour of taking your seniors to an art gallery or museum. For those suffering from severe brain illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, art can improve cognition and memory. By giving people with these diseases a source of pleasure, boosting connectivity, and encouraging brain cell growth, making visual art can help them live better lives.

Closing Thoughts

While art therapy isn’t a panacea and may not be the best course of action for everyone, it frequently complements other conventional therapies and has some clear advantages. However, additional research is needed to completely comprehend how, why and when art therapy is effective. 

Many studies have used tiny sample sizes, and a lot of research is based on the anecdotal experiences of physicians and patients. To persuade health insurance companies to accept art therapy as a type of treatment and pay for it, experts should carry out more randomised control trials and more extensive quantitative research. The discipline could also use more data on the effects of art therapy on various populations.

The flagship initiative of Smile Foundation, Mission Education (ME) places a great value on arts and the ME Team organises workshops related to music, painting and other art forms. Children enjoy such activities with many pursuing arts actively, opening their doors to the world of wonderment and magic.

Categories
Partnerships Partners In Change

Cause Marketing: Examples Communicating The Goals of NGOs the Best

Cause Marketing: Communicating The Goals of NGOs the Best
Cause Marketing: Communicating The Goals of NGOs the Best

Empower Mint was a new flavour of Ben & Jerry’s, an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yoghurt, and sorbet, created in 2016 to support democracy. The taste was accompanied by a campaign called “Democracy Is In Your Hands” that informed ice-cream lovers about the obstacles put in place in low-income communities to discourage them from voting, such as onerous ID requirements. This is one of the perfect cause marketing examples to give you some context. 

The rise in popularity of cause-related marketing over the past 10 years is among the most intriguing changes in marketing. In cause marketing, companies donate to charitable organisations and partner on worthwhile causes in an effort to draw in more eyeballs while addressing societal issues. 

Cause-related marketing increased from $816 million in 2002 to $2.05 billion in 2017, claims sponsor assessment service IEG. The total amount of cause-related engagement is likely far more than the data suggests because cause-related sponsorship is simply one way that businesses utilise their  marketing power to address societal problems.

Types of Cause-marketing and Why is it Important?

Although the definition appears quite simple, there are different types of cause-marketing. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and collaborative partnerships are the two most widely used types of cause marketing. Let’s examine each of those in more detail.

Cause-marketing Examples

A cooperative relationship is the first category of cause-marketing campaign. This kind of campaign is probably what comes to mind when you think of cause-related marketing. A collaborative relationship is formed when a for-profit business works with a nonprofit organisation to support and promote the latter’s mission through marketing activities.

Let’s talk about one of the most talked about cause marketing examples. The collaboration between Walgreens and Red Nose Day is among the most well-known ones. Since 1988, Red Nose Day and Walgreens have sold novelty red noses in stores all around the country during the month of June to bring attention to child poverty.

Celebrities frequently promote the campaign online while sporting red noses to increase and disseminate awareness. The struggle against child poverty is the primary focus of Red Nose Day, and all funds raised go there.

This campaign is a fantastic illustration of a collaborative partnership programme because it is shareable, well-established, and has widespread support.

The campaign helps Walgreens since it links them to an effective charitable fundraising effort, boosts their brand’s credibility, and establishes their affiliation with a good cause. Red Nose Day gains from the campaign’s income and increased brand recognition due to its affiliation with a major corporation.

The fact that both companies make gains equally is what makes collaborative partnerships so well-liked. The difficulty is that for it to be successful, both organisations must put in their fair share of work. It’s advisable to only join a collaborative collaboration if your business is prepared to put the time, money, and resources necessary to make it successful.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR seems to be the go-to option for brands wishing to get involved in charity without starting a charity programme of their own. A business through its CSR activities provide stakeholders, employees and the general public with economic, social and environmental advantages.

The main distinction between CSR and collaborative partnerships is that the latter typically includes additional programmes. The broader category of CSR includes corporate donating, volunteer time off, gift matching and other activities.

This choice is well-liked since it gives brands more freedom. It enables them to seek numerous collaborations and programmes while enabling their programme to change to meet the requirements of the community.

What Advantages Does Cause-marketing Offer?

Promoting the greater good may be all the motivation some people require to engage in cause marketing. However, for others, calculating the return on investment (ROI) before making any sizable corporate expenditure is crucial. The good news is that cause-marketing benefits the bottom line of your business just as much as it benefits the public.

The Salesforce State of the Connected Customer Report looked into how CSR and business ethics affected how customers perceived a company, and the results were quite intriguing. The study found that 68% of consumers stated they wouldn’t purchase goods from a firm with questionable business practices, and 56% actively look for philanthropic companies to support.

When you consider that 67% of customers believe businesses have a duty to support the communities in which they operate, the motivation to practise philanthropy is increased.

In light of this, it is simple to understand how cause-related marketing can result in more client involvement and brand exposure. When these two factors work together, word-of-mouth advertising, social media shares, and revenue can all grow.

How to Conduct Cause-marketing Properly

If done properly, your organisation may reap the rewards of cause-marketing in tonnes. Here’s how to do it– 

Support a Cause that You Find Important

Finding a cause you support is the simplest approach to keep your cause marketing campaign real. Customers can recognise a phoney brand strategy a mile away, so if you don’t have your heart in the right place, you might be setting yourself up for failure.

Find out what causes and organisations your staff members are passionate about by brainstorming as a team. If your business is too large to hold a single all-staff meeting, think about employing a survey software to determine employee engagement.

Look for Brand Alignment

It’s not enough to simply love the company you join; there needs to be brand synergy as well. When you hear some of the best brand alignments through cause marketing examples, they seem obvious. Both Chipotle’s campaign against widespread food waste and Patagonia’s environmental conservation programme are excellent instances of businesses getting involved with a cause that complements their brand.

Putting the Partnership First

Focusing too much on your personal brand and not enough on the nonprofit when developing a cause marketing campaign is one of the biggest blunders you can make. People are motivated by outcomes. Spend some time thinking about the community service, people they assist, and other reasons the group you’ve worked with is a suitable fit. You’ll get a better outcome if you concentrate on results rather than influence.

It’s Not Only About Money

One of the most well-liked methods of aiding charity organisations is through monetary donations. Even if funding a nonprofit’s objective is crucial, there are other ways to assist it besides financial contributions.

Here are some ways you can assist charities:

  • Organise a corporate food drive
  • Spread the word about them on social media
  • Volunteer to give of your time

Before choosing your cause-marketing plan, always consult your partner nonprofit. Asking your partner nonprofits “what would best support you” is the greatest method to provide support.

Pick the Appropriate Campaign

The hardest element of any cause-marketing campaign may be selecting the appropriate campaign. People are by nature, sceptical, therefore understanding the needs of them is important to launch a  successful campaign. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, cause-related marketing represents a huge opportunity that is increasingly being included into marketing strategies. We hope you find these suggestions helpful and insightful. You can join Smile Foundation as well to take your organisation to the next level through a CSR partnership with us.

Categories
Education

Inclusive Education Edition: Transgender Education in India

Inclusive Education Edition: Transgender Education in India
Inclusive Education Edition: Transgender Education in India

Education is a human right with immense power to transform.

– Kofi Annan, Ex UN Secretary General

Scenario Today

But unfortunately the above statement brings little comfort to the transgender community and their children. Due to orthodox beliefs within some sections of our society, education for transgenders is not a smooth and peaceful journey. 

The transgender students’ dropout rates and pass percentages are rising. But this is not gaining enough attention from either the government or the society. As per the 2011 census, the total literacy rate among transgender persons was 56.1% for a total population of around 4.8 lakhs. This is against the national average of 74.04%.

Indian Protection and Empowerment Laws

There are several relevant and focussed laws passed in favour of the transgender communities. These are with regard to education, housing, medical treatment, right to self identity and freedom. However, we are still away from on-ground support and sensitization towards the community.

The Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act, of 2019 mandates educational institutions to follow inclusivity and enrol transgender students in the mainstream education.

Unfortunately the nomenclature “Third Gender” assigned by the Supreme Court has widened the gap, posing significant problems. It makes the trangender persons question their true place with the other two genders.

Lack of Understanding

The struggle  of the transgender community has been ongoing for years. We humans have been conditioned to treat them poorly, barely acknowledging their existence in society, making their presence largely indistinguishable. 

Lack of knowledge about the transgender community makes us wary, suspicious and unkind to them and this needs to stop . Given the kind of equitable world we are trying to create, we must do better in all aspects of our lives. 

Lack of Inclusion

The Indian school system has been a traditional model recognising only 2 genders– male and female and has never made any provisions for accommodating a third gender. This is where transgender children suffer. 

The binary template followed by schools allows no room for anything “different”. In fact it has traditionally used this “difference” to isolate transgender children who then most likely drop out of schools.

This conservative mode of schooling is challenging not only for the transgender children but also for schools, who would like to encourage these children to seek education and better their lives. Some state governments such as Tamil Nadu were the first in granting recognition to Transgenders by allotting the Ration Cards, free education as well as a stipend for meritorious students for higher education. 

Transgender Education in India: Issues

Although most states follow the laws that are created to empower and help transgender children get equal education benefits , challenges persist. 

Binary School Model

This is in itself the biggest limiting factor for transgender education. The very word suggests that children have to behave one way or another based on their gender.

This leaves no room or flexibility to accommodate new behaviours. This makes transgender children feel stifled and unable to express themselves because they cannot associate themselves with this dual gender model. 

Clothing, Play Areas and Classrooms

The uniforms, seating arrangement, play areas, choice of “acceptable” appearance, all follow the binary or dual gender pattern. Each school has a specific dress code identified as a girl’s and a boy’s uniform (this is fast changing with many schools offering their students to wear clothing of their own choice). 

Transgender children are left with no choice but opt either existing gender classification, even if they do not feel comfortable in it. And those ones who attempt to defy these stereotypes face humiliation in front of other students, punishments, or suspension.

Infrastructure and Safety Issues

Going with the dual gender pattern, schools have only  two types of restrooms, one for boys and the other for girls. This causes great discomfort to transgender children who don’t conform to either of the accepted genders.

The school infrastructure is not accommodative of them, by creating a safe space for their sanitation and  hygiene needs. Moreover, being transgender they are denied access to existing restroom facilities, changing rooms, common rooms, or locker rooms in schools. 

Nomenclature

Another output of the binary model is student nomenclature. Teachers often use pronouns like he/she for every student. Schools should strongly consider asking the students what pronouns are the students most comfortable with. The teachers should take the cue from students in addressing the them.

Making Amends: Transgender Education in India

Several steps that can be taken by schools for encouraging transgender children to get educated, better themselves and get integrated into the social fabric of the country.

The onus and responsibility lie on the schools to ensure equal educational opportunities for achieving the goals of fulfilling transgender education in India. They must make required adjustments to the infrastructure and also the learning environment.

What Can and Needs to be Done In Transgender Education in India

  • Change binary model and gender mindset 
  • Students must be in a flexible environment for them to wear the uniform of their choice
  • Making transgender-friendly restrooms, and common rooms (they should never be an afterthought for very much part of the plan right from the very beginning)
  • Make an effort to include the transgender students with other class students by sensitising them towards the needs of transgender students
  • Make schools completely safe for transgender students by ensuring that they aren’t bullied by their classmates or anyone near the school premises; this is the bare minimum 
  • Set up an anti-harassment cell for transgender and an anti-discrimination cell
  • Provide mental health resources’ access to transgender students
  • Provide teacher training workshops/models to make the teachers more sensitive towards transgender students.

Conclusion

Every child born on this planet is beautiful and precious. In many ways, every child is unique with their own quirks and trademarks. Those features manifest during their growing years. And we must make efforts to provide them an environment wherein all of them feel loved, nourished and seen for who they are.

Also, it’s socially and legally criminal to persecute children based on preconceived conditioning of what is accepted and what is not. We live in the 21st century, and today are more exposed and aware of diverse communities across the globe. 

This should make us more accepting, kinder and humane to our transgender community. Also, their children who may choose to adopt new gender identities.

Our Constitution is very clear and transparent on the Right to Education for all. It allows for no biases or discrimination based on gender, race, community, caste or religion. 

Today it’s not a question of whether transgender children deserve an education or not. Today we need to awaken ourselves to be the torch-bearers and push for the change that is the need of the hour.

By simply giving the transgender community the option to fill in ‘third gender’ on a postal ballot, ration card or passport is not enough. We need to ensure that they will not be denied their fundamental rights as a citizen of India. 

If anyone wants to make a list of things to aspire to be; the first thing on that list should be kindness without discrimination. It is only by being sources of incredible inclusivity ourselves that one can hope for changes on a bigger scale. 

Smile Foundation and Inclusive Education

Smile Foundation believes that equality for all is the core for real change. Learn more about our flagship initiative, Mission Education here, and become a part of an inclusive world that is working day in and day out for children who are special and need handholding to reach their full potential.

Categories
Women Empowerment

India’s Hope: New and Updated Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

India’s Hope: New and Updated Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
India’s Hope: New and Updated Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

Two inter-related themes stand out in the list of the world’s richest people. One, they’re primarily engineers. From Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos and Larry Page, most of the world’s richest people studied engineering.

It’s hardly a surprise, as engineering is the gateway to technology, the backbone of the digital age. But what is astonishing in the list of the world’s richest people is the lack of women.

There are other things that are of more value than material richness. Money might not be everything for any individual but the way things work in the business world and beyond, it does give one the ability to have a bigger say in the execution of things deciding the world order. 

Per the Forbes real-time billionaire’s list, only three of the top 30 richest people in the world are women. The figure is even worse in India; only one woman (Savitri Jindal) makes the top 20 richest people in India.

It’s an alarming statistic, especially in the most inclusive time on Earth. Equality is advocated from preschool to college, yet the country faces a significant wealth mismatch.

Several factors, like parenthood and dogmas against women, drive this issue. However, the lack of women’s participation in STEAM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) roles; called by its earlier name, STEM at times, has a more significant impact than many other reasons.

Although 52% of women took up STEM courses in graduation in India, only 29% joined the STEM workforce. Through a new initiative within the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme, the Government of India plans to address the problem and increase women’s participation in STEM-related fields.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme

Launched in January 2015, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a Government of India (GOI) initiative to protect, educate, and increase the participation of the girl child in the workforce.

The scheme is implemented in every Indian district through the cooperation of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.

It is regularly updated to increase its scope and drive impact within society. In October 2022, the Central Government of India announced the scheme’s latest and possibly most critical addition; skilling girls in non-traditional livelihood (NTL) options.

Women in Non-traditional Livelihoods

Non-traditional livelihoods are sectors and jobs where women’s participation has been low historically. STEM-related jobs are an example. There are and have been fewer women engineers, technologists, and researchers than men.

The All India Survey on Higher Education 2018-19 reported only 6% of women enrolled in PhD in engineering and technology. The number was just 3% in PhD in sciences.

The World Bank data makes similar grim reading. Although women constitute nearly 43% of STEM graduates in India, they represent just 14% of the total scientists and technologists in institutions focused on research.

They’re far from ideal for a growing economy like India. Women’s participation in all fields is necessary for the country to achieve its $5 trillion dream. With the inclusion of vocational training and skill development for girls under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, the Indian government is hoping to solve the problem.

Highlights of the New Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

Skilling girls in non-traditional livelihoods is the cornerstone of the new Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme. However, it isn’t the only goal. Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani provided a few highlights of the new scheme at the launch event in October 2022.

She talked about the importance of counseling girls to help them choose what they want to study. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme primarily focuses on young girls still discovering their strengths. Through the updated scheme, the government would help them figure out what they love and gain skills to excel in them.

Ms Irani said her Ministry would actively work in this direction and help girls in childcare institutions gain access to vital professional skills.

Since STEM participation is a big goal for the new scheme, skill training in non-traditional vocations is also offered. Several girls who overcame barriers and gained non-traditional skills were invited to the event to inspire others.

Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Secretary Indevar Pandey provided a list of aims for the new scheme. It includes

  • a 1% increment in enrolment at the secondary level
  • skilling of females yearly
  • increased awareness about menstrual hygiene
  • and elimination of child marriages.

Implementation Remains Key

Launching programs is one thing, and execution is another. While the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, as a whole, has been quite successful, expected gaps remain.

With education and skill development for women empowerment now part of the scheme, the government will be hoping for better. Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani alluded to it when the scheme was updated in October 2022.

She emphasized coordination between departments as the key to delivering quality education for girls and women empowerment.

As a result, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minority Affairs at the event. It promised cooperation between each other to empower women.

To make things easier and streamlined, an operations manual was also launched. It highlights that a national committee headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development will regularly review the updated scheme. The committee also monitors how State governments and Union Territories implement the scheme and offers suggestions for improving efficiency.

India’s Hope

The success of the new and updated Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is vital for India’s success. With access to quality education, women can acquire the necessary skills and enter the workforce in essential roles.

They can use their knowledge to help their organizations grow and contribute to the economy. More women achieving financial independence can help the economy as they improve their lifestyles and strive for a better standard of living.

Many of them show a high potential to build their business empires, helping bring employment to their fellow citizens. With the government’s support, they may create lasting wealth and change the face of the world’s richest list as we know it today.

Smile Foundation and Skilling of Young Girls and Women

Smile Foundation is one of the biggest advocates of girl child education and skill development of young girls and women.

We have a strong belief that financial independence of young girls and women lead to a better living quality for the families. Smile Foundation trains young girls and boys through our livelihood programme, STeP or Smile Twin e-Learning Programme. The training is to make the Indian youth industry-ready for jobs related to healthcare assistance, digital marketing, BFSI, e-logistics and more.

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Livelihood

Apprenticeship in India and Why It Can Be a Game-changer

Apprenticeship in India and Why It Can Be a Game-changer
Apprenticeship in India and Why It Can Be a Game-changer

Businesses are always under pressure to deliver value to their shareholders. They must regularly find ways to increase their top and bottom line, so investors stick with them. To achieve the latter, meaning to increase profits, companies often have no resort but to lay off a portion of their workforce.

Freshers, especially those with fewer skills, are more susceptible than those with a better understanding of the role. Recent developments in the industry back it up.

Heartbreaking Decisions

In a public statement, an Indian IT (Information Technology) major highlighted their reasons for the decision pf laying off hundreds of their freshers. They explained that they expect entry-level employees to have specific skills and know business objectives and client expectations.

While such decisions are disheartening, it is hard to blame companies. Achieving business goals and delivering returns to shareholders is their number one priority.

But freshers shouldn’t be blamed either. The transition from university to corporate life is far from easy, especially in India, where university courses aren’t exactly hands-on. Unlike college students, employees are accountable for their work every day and must display moral integrity and reliability.

Apprenticeship is a possible solution to this gaping problem in India. The practice can make freshers more adept at understanding their work, teach them vital industry skills, and improve employee efficiency for businesses.

What is an Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program where apprentices are trained for a specific skill under a mentor or supervisor. Working in a company for a year or more, apprentices are trained in a particular role in great detail.

The role aligns with the apprentice’s interest and helps them gain valuable experience whilst still learning their role. Once they’re done with training, apprentices are more likely to get a job placement than those with any experience.

As far as apprenticeship vs internship is concerned, unlike interns, apprentices also earn money during their training. It helps them stay motivated to master their role in order to join the organisation as a trained employee at the end of their apprenticeship.

Meanwhile, organisations also benefit from apprenticeships. After apprentices are done with their training, they join the workforce as well-trained employees and are incredibly productive. Also, apprentices who turn into employees have a sense of loyalty. They stay around for longer, decreasing attrition and saving the company time and effort.

Apprenticeship in India

Although India passed the Apprenticeship Act in 1961 to protect apprentices and promote the practice, the exercise hasn’t taken off as it should have.

The number of apprentices in India was 0.9 lakhs in 2014-15. It jumped to five lakhs in 2021-22, which signifies growth but at an alarmingly slow pace. With the highest youth population in the world, India should have registered a much bigger rise in apprentices since 2014.

The country can take a cue from Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). 4% of the workforce is engaged in apprenticeship in Germany, while 1.7% of the working population in the UK work as apprentices. The number is just 0.1% in India.

Enterprises, Perception and Pay

It is often easier for developed nations to integrate new programs into their system. A larger formal sector than emerging countries like India gives developed nations the platform to promote apprenticeship and similar programs.

India may be the fastest-growing economy in the world, but most of its workforce still works in the informal sector. The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18 noted that of the 466 million workers in India, a whopping 375 million or 80.47%, were engaged in the informal sector.

It is a huge problem as enterprises part of the informal sector do not have the system or the means to offer paid training to apprentices.

The formal sector can do so, but the number of Indians working in larger formal sector organisations is also low. Of the 90 million individuals working in the formal sector in India, less than 20 million work in companies with 30 or more employers. Also, just 1.4% of the 5.85 crore enterprises in the country have more than nine employees.

Some Important Comparisons

Compare that to Germany, where more than 20% of the 2.1 million registered companies have at least 10 employees. Meanwhile, over 20% of the 2.1 million firms offer an apprenticeship in Germany, with enterprises having more than 500 employees employing 81.3% of the total apprentices in the country.

The numbers clearly signify that larger enterprises should promote apprenticeship. They have more capital and resources to provide training to apprentices than Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which constitute a large portion of the country’s registered establishments.

MSMEs and the formal sector in India are also unable to justify the economic sense of apprenticeship. They run on thin margins, and unlike large organisations, every rupee is crucial for their survival.

They also do not have massive cash on their books. As a result, funding an apprenticeship program from start to end doesn’t fit their unit economics. They’re unable to pay apprentices an average of 80% of the wages of semi-skilled labour, an amount relatively low compared to other countries.

Apprentices receive a stipend of 20-50% of the wages of skilled workers in several Western nations like Germany and Switzerland.

The Way Forward

India’s future rests on the shoulders of its youth. However, according to a 2019 report, 47% of the Indian youth won’t have the right skills for employment by 2030.

Fortunately, the government understands the problem. The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and the National Credit Framework (NCrF) of India, 2022, are launched to increase employability and address the talent shortage in various industries.

Apprenticeships must receive a similar focus, especially if India must achieve the goal of raising apprenticeship opportunities to 60 lakhs by 2026. The program has proven its worth throughout Western nations and is key to increasing employability and growing the size of enterprises in India.

Smile Foundation and Apprenticeship

Smile Foundation more than realises the important of a dynamic and skilled workforce. India with its young demographic is one of the biggest contenders to lead the world economy in the coming decades.

With our livelihood initiative, STeP or the Smile Twin e-Learning Programme, the youth from the disadvantaged sections of the community are trained to make them completely skilled and ready for the workforce.

Learn more about our efforts here and consider becoming a part of our journey as active change agents through our CSR and individual partnerships.

Categories
Education

What can Children Learn from the FIFA World Cup 2022?

What can children learn from the Football World Cup 2022?
What can children learn from the Football World Cup 2022?

For 29 days split between November and December 2022, the world had one thing on its mind: FIFA. In over 90 years of existence, rarely has any FIFA World Cup generated a unified worldwide craze like the tournament in Qatar.

beIN MEDIA GROUP (beIN) recorded well over five billion cumulative views throughout FIFA World Cup 2022. Viacom18, which owns Jio Cinema and channel Sports18, also announced stellar numbers– over 110 million viewers tuned in to watch the spectacle on Viacom18’s digital assets.

Even by football’s lofty fan following, those are unbelievable numbers. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and other football legends have been around for several FIFA World Cups, so why did the tournament in Qatar make history? Maybe because it gave hope!

2022, much like 2020, was mostly a difficult year for humanity. The war in Ukraine divided the world and, directly or indirectly, affected the livelihoods of millions worldwide.

Money and work became hard to come by, with the cost of living rising substantially. Several nations were plunged into recession, going into the most exciting time of the year. Everything looked dull and eerily similar to 2020 until the FIFA World Cup in Qatar gave the world renewed hope.

Through its twists and turns, highs and lows, the tournament reminded everyone of the power of unity, sacrifice, hard work, and love. Nothing seemed impossible at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022; minnows took down giants, equality was reborn, and borders meant nothing anymore. A world full of possibilities, right?

Lessons from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Children, as well as adults, derived value and joy in equal measure from the FIFA World Cup 2022. Here are a few incredible life lessons to remember throughout your time.

There’s no “right” path to your dreams, says FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

The Qatar World Cup 2022 proved time and again there’s no such thing as the “right” path to your dreams. Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert is a shining example. At 6 feet 8 inches, Noppert always had the right physical attributes for a goalkeeper. He didn’t lack determination and drive either, but for over a decade, nothing happened.

The Dutchman was only a bit part player, mostly warming the bench wherever he went. He hit rock bottom when FC Dordrecht, a lowly second-tier club in the Netherlands, released him after he turned 25. Most would give up, as having no club at 25 is as bad as it gets for a footballer. However, Noppert’s determination to succeed kept him going and ultimately earned him a place in Louis van Gaal’s Dutch squad for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, starting all five games for the Dutch. Although his team was defeated in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Argentina, Noppert realised his dreams and taught it pays to follow your dreams no matter what.

Family Above Everything

Life is about priorities. In a rush to do and achieve everything, it is crucial to remember that nothing matters more than family. Their safety and well-being are far more valuable than medals, glory, and fame.

England winger Raheem Sterling’s actions are a testament to this fact. While away in Qatar, Sterling’s Surrey residence was robbed, leaving his wife and three young children traumatised. The England winger didn’t think twice as he left the English camp and rushed home to protect his loved ones.

England manager Gareth Southgate didn’t stand in his way and provided the perfect explanation for the decision to the media. He stated, “Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing; family should come first.”

Compassion Costs Nothing

Brazil was one of the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. With superstars like Neymar and Vinicius Junior within their ranks, the South American side had more than enough firepower to beat anyone.

However, they suffered a shock exit when Croatia beat them in the quarter-finals. The entire team was reduced to tears, but Neymar was visibly more upset. As the team’s star player, a lot was expected of him.

He couldn’t hold back tears after the game, but what calmed him down was an incredible act of compassion by a young Croatian. Star player Ivan Perisic’s son, Leonardo, ran towards Neymar after the game to console him and offer a sporty handshake.

The Brazilian striker waved away the security who tried to stop Leonardo and embraced the young boy, accepting his beautiful gesture. The moving moment was caught on camera and emerged as one of the best moments of the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Value Those Who Cheer You On

Morocco’s journey of a lifetime at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 proves why you must celebrate those who cheer you on. The African team wasn’t really fancied to emerge through the group stage, let alone become the first Arab and African country to reach a World Cup semi-final.

They achieved the feat through hard work and sacrifice, but owe a lot to their ’12th Man,’ their fans. Singing and dancing throughout their country’s time at the tournament, Morocco’s fans created an energy that kept their players going no matter what.

There were times during the match against Spain and Portugal when the Atlas Lions looked like they were tiring. Morocco fans became the energy their team needed, creating incredible noise and cheering their players for every touch.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s hard to find such passionate cheerleaders who support you throughout. But if you find them, value their support as it is the fuel you’ll need to succeed.

Everyone Has A Bad Day

Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction. The Portuguese star is a footballing god, a youth icon, and one of the most respected athletes to walk the planet. The FIFA World Cup 2022 was supposed to be his last dance, the perfect end to an illustrious career. However, things didn’t go according to plan for him or his country.

Morocco knocked Portugal out in the quarter-finals, ending Ronaldo’s dream of lifting the World Cup. The former Real Madrid striker left the field in tears after the match, but that defeat didn’t define him. Anyone can have a bad day. What matters is your reaction to the setback. If history is anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before CR7 is back to his best on the field.

The Most Important Learning of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Talent Isn’t Enough

Talent means nothing if it isn’t followed by hard work. Take Germany and Belgium: both teams were favourites to go deep into the competition, having star players like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Thomas Mueller.

But to everyone’s surprise, they were knocked out pretty early in the competition. The will and desire to fight for every ball were missing in their game, with teams like Morocco and Saudi Arabia showing more hunger.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Takeaways

Everyone, especially children, must learn that there really isn’t a substitute for hard work. Talent opens a few doors, but in the long term, it is hard work that makes the difference.

Smile Foundation believes in a world where children are strong, kind, resilient, and always ready to help others. Catching them young doesn’t only mean transferring the values of us, adults into them; it also means imbibing in them a value system that they can question, analyse, choose and eventually create and practise one of their own.

Categories
Livelihood

Preparing the Youth for India’s 5 Trillion Economy Goal

India's 5 Trillion Economy

India is confidently marching towards its ambitious goal of becoming a US $ 5 trillion economy. The reins to steer ahead the nation towards this goal mainly lies in the hands of the Indian youth. With declining fertility rates, median age of 29 years and having one-fifth of world’s youth population, our nation is in the perfect window to reap the ‘demographic dividend’.

However, without appropriate policy interventions and investment in quality enhancement of the youth population, India runs the risk of losing this brilliant opportunity. Thus, the urgent need for focus on education and youth skill development programmes.

These are two crucial factors which hold the key to transforming India’s youth population into a competent and efficient workforce who can propel the nation’s economic growth.

India’s 5 Trillion Economy- Vision, Roadmap and Challenges

The Indian economy has seen lots of ups and downs throughout its course in history. From a very slow economic growth often referred to as the ‘Hindu Growth Rate’ in the pre-liberalisation period to becoming the world’s fifth largest economy today, the Indian economy has proved its resilience time and again.

A report titled “Navigating the Storm” published by the World Bank in its latest India Development Update, finds the Indian economy resilient and well-positioned to brave external global challenges compared to most other emerging markets. This report says that the financial year 2022-23 will register lower growth for the Indian economy as compared to 2021-22.

This is due to global factors like increased commodity prices, tightening of global monetary policies, and an overall slowdown in global economic growth, domestic demand will still help India to register strong growth in GDP and continue as one of the fastest-growing major economies.

India’s journey to the trillion-dollar economy has been rather interesting. While it took 60 years after India’s independence to become a trillion-dollar economy, the second and third trillion dollars were added in just 7 years and 5 years.

The current size of the Indian economy is $ 3.1 trillion and with current growth momentum, an average of 1 trillion dollars is estimated to be added every couple of years till the next 14-15 years. The world economic report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) affirms India’s growth to a US $ 5 trillion economy by 2026-27.

The Indian government has been pursuing the 5 trillion economy goal quite aggressively and rightfully so!

A few key steps taken in this regard are listed below:

  •  Introducing rapid structural reforms like Goods and Services Tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy code 2016
  • Aggressively exploring new markets to enhance the reach of Indian products globally
  •  Following a holistic approach to creating a business-friendly environment by improving the ease of starting, doing, and growing a business in India
  • Introducing competitive taxation policies to create a favourable ecosystem
  • Rapid infrastructure growth, connecting Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities with major cities and improving road, rail, and air connectivity
  • Huge investments in communication and Information Technology
  • Tapping into the second-generation digital revolution by creating a strong digital ecosystem
  •  Presenting a new model of governance that conforms to the new information age
  • Introduction of initiatives and programmes like StartUp India, Make in India, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat to encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship

India, in its new ‘fearless and assertive avatar’ also stands to benefit from other factors like geopolitical changes around the globe and global repositioning of markets.

Another major factor that plays to India’s advantage is its demographic status. With around two-thirds of India’s population in the age bracket of 15-59 years, forming the working-age population, India has the unique advantage of the longest demographic dividend window in the world, lasting over 5 decades until 2055.

Among other economic factors at play, the major challenge for India in realising its 5 trillion economy vision is to prepare its working-age population to tap into the enormous hub of opportunities available and set the wheels of economic growth in motion. Educating and skilling the youth of India to improve their competence and efficiency is a major task ahead.

Skill Development in Youth – The Need and Status

It is true that the youth population forms the backbone of the workforce of a nation. However, in the absence of productive engagement of youth, there are high chances of youth going astray or engaging in anti-social activities.

This would turn a crucial human resource into a bane rather than a boon for the economy. Thus it is highly essential to create an environment where there are diverse opportunities for all youth.

India has the second largest labour market following China. But the employment scenario and employment outcomes are still grim. India has seen rising unemployment rates over the years, with the COVID pandemic making it further worse.

The overall unemployment rate in the June quarter of 2021-22 was 12.6%. Adding to it the employability crisis is also an area of major concern. According to the World Economic Forum estimates, out of 13 million people joining India’s workforce annually, only 1 in 10 graduates, 1 in 5 engineers, and 1 in 4 management professionals are employable.  

Unemployment is mainly caused by a lack of employable skills which might be attributed to the following reasons:

  • Education in India still hasn’t caught up with industry requirements
  • Students are not equipped with new-age skills
  • Expensive Higher education and disproportionate access to it
  • The high value associated with graduation degrees and preference for white-collar jobs
  • Negligence towards vocational courses and vocational skill-based jobs
  • Lack of digital competence and digital access

Corrective Measures Taken for the Dream of India’s 5 Trillion Economy

Identifying the problem of skill deficit among Indian youth, the government has introduced various initiatives and programmes for skilling, upskilling, and re-skilling of our current and potential workforce. This is being done so that they can add value to the economy and accelerate economic growth. A few of the steps creating change in this direction are:

  1. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions making children ready for gainful employment in the future. It thus recommends vocational education training from Class 6.
  2. Launching various schemes under Skill India Mission to impart skills and vocational education and training to the youth
  3. Through its Startup India programme, the government is boosting the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India, catalysing the startup culture. As a result, by mid-2022, India emerged as the world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem. Simultaneously it has brought a behavioural change where youth are taking chances to be job creators than job seekers.
  4. India’s Youth Skill Development Mission is empowering youth with affordable and comprehensible computer education. The mission provides certificates that equip them for better job/entrepreneurship opportunities

Concluding Thoughts

Educated and skilled youth are better equipped for decent jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. This leads to an improved standard of living with more disposable income thus expanding the consumer base and leading to accelerated economic growth. Thus, an integrated effort to strengthen the education and skilling ecosystem to prepare our youth is the need of the hour.

Smile Foundation through its livelihood programme, STeP or Smile Twin e-Learning Programme is streamlining the youth from marginalised sections into the workforce. The programme is recently geared towards emerging sectors including healthcare assistance, digital marketing, BFSI, and e-logistics.

Categories
Education

Importance of Girl Child Education in India

Importance of Girl Child Education in India
Importance of Girl Child Education in India

Our Constitution accords equal rights to both men and women in every sphere of life, including the right to education. However, the reality is very different. Girl child education is provided at only primary or at most secondary level. The numbers bear witness to our country’s sex ratio of 943 females per 1000 males. How can we hope for India to progress when half of our society doesn’t even have access to basic education or skills?

The numbers are no or a little better in other parts of the world. On average 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age. In war-torn countries, these numbers are twice as high. 

Right to Education

However, there has been some progress towards rectifying this issue. In 2009, the Right to Education Act (RTE) , mandated that it is the right of every child to obtain a minimum amount of education. The program makes it compulsory for all children from the ages of 6 up to 14 to have unconditional rights and access to educational opportunities. This was the first step in the right direction, but has not yielded the results as expected and even today, in 2021 we see a gender gap with girl child education lagging far behind in India. 

Girl Child Education

Girl child education is a pivot for families, communities, and societies today. Investing in girls’ education transforms communities, countries, and the entire world. Girls who are able to get educated will be able to join the workforce, earn livelihoods, take care of their families and marry at a mature and responsible age. This way they can build better futures for themselves and their families. 

Importance of Girl Child Education

As countries get more modern and strive towards developing their economic status, girl education assumes an ever bigger role. Since half of the active workforce is female, not having them receive an education will end up being a burden on the country’s economic progress.  Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that are able to give all individuals numerous opportunities to fulfill their potential and realize their dreams.

Challenges to Achieving Maximum Girl Child Education 

Apart from ensuring enough schools and easy access to girls, many key elements need to be in order before girls’ education can increase and run a smooth course. So while dedicated educated classrooms and schools for girls will boost attendance, there are several other issues that need to be addressed and resolved. Such as 

  1. Girls’ safety within these surroundings is paramount– often parents are scared of the distances that their girls need to travel to receive an education. Especially in rural areas where neither roads nor transportation are available or reliable. This can be a deterrent leading to massive dropouts from girls attending school. 
  2. Access to free education– this is the only way that parents in marginalized and rural economies will agree to send their girls to school. Eliminating any expense and cost burden to families will make them more receptive to the idea of education.
  3. The academic curriculum ideally should be a blend of subjects and vocational courses that support girls in the careers they choose to pursue. The curriculum offered should be created keeping in mind that most of these girls are likely to be either married off or allowed to work in selective professions. In both cases, apart from traditional education methods, schools should also offer robust and easy-to-understand vocational courses that can be of help should girls wish to pursue occupations in their later age
  4. Access to free and hygienic sanitation– this is also one of the reasons why we see girls dropping out of schools without completing even their primary education. Schools set up in rural areas as well as tier 2 and 3 towns should have provisions for clean toilets and hygienic waste disposal systems for girls to avail of during their menstruation cycles 
  5. Language-based education– Native language-centric education will see higher consumption amongst families who prefer their children to be educated in their mother tongues. This also helps parents be involved in their child’s education making them willing and open to sending their daughters to school as well.
  6. Freedom to study with no burden of household chores– once parents understand that the role of education for their girls is equally important as it is for their sons, they can be persuaded to let the girl child study without expecting her to help with household chores. Parents need to see the benefits of education for the girl child and how it will impact and enhance their quality of life. Once we are able to achieve that, girls can devote their time to learning well and studying hard.

Dream of a Gender-Equal World in Education

“Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (translated into “save the girl child, educate the girl child”) is the country’s slogan to prevent female infanticide and move the spotlight to the importance of girl education. If India wants to be perceived as a highly developed nation and one of the leading voices in world affairs, then it must focus on girl child education and work hard to ensure that there are no gaps and that education is openly and freely offered to both genders.

Smile Foundation and Girl Child Education

Smile Foundation’s initiative ‘She Can Fly’ is an honest effort to enable, equip and empower girl children with quality education, proper nutrition, good health, adequate skills and most of all, self-confidence to help them unlock their true potential.

Let us all come forward and join hands to give wings to a girl child’s dreams. Empower, educate, and make her strong enough to stand her own ground and shine in her efforts. She Can Fly, let’s give her the sky!

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