ASSOCOHAM Launches Illness to Wellness, a Awareness Programme Aimed at Promoting Healthy Living in Association with SAVLON

Healthy Living

* Programme to promote healthy living with focus on wellness and preventive health through healthy habits, diet, exercise, and holistic health

* Programme kicked off with a webinar titled ‘Illness to Wellness – The Yoga Way’ with discussion on the role of yoga in fighting the COVID-19 health crisis

* Webinar revealed that the Delhi Government has deployed 30 yoga instructors in COVID centres to help the patients; and yoga therapy is being extended to the contact chain like family members, police personnel, medical professionals among others 

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India has started a national health & wellness awareness program called ‘Illness to Wellness’ to promote healthy living and preventive health through holistic measures. 

Supported by the hygiene brand SAVLON, the programme was kicked off with a webinar on the topic “Illness to Wellness – The Yoga Way” which saw leading health and yoga experts and recognized industry leaders deliberate on how Yoga could be the answer for mitigating threats caused by viruses and other ailments like the COVID 19.

A key speaker at the session Dr Ishwar V. Basavaraddi, director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, revealed that, “we have deployed 30 instructors in COVID centres run by the Delhi government, who would teach patients yoga for three hours in the morning. Additionally, we have undertaken yoga lessons for COVID patients in the neighbouring 11 districts. We received 500 applications from Department of Science & Technology to understand the beneficial aspects of yoga especially for COVID patients and so are working on three projects with renowned yoga institutes to arrive at findings.” The programme is being expanded to cover people who have come in contact with COVID patients like family members, police personnel, medical professionals etc. 

For centuries yoga has proven to be a tool for mental and physical well-being. As the focus on boosting immunity grows due to the widespread adverse health effects caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, the role of this ancient and spiritual practice has become prominent in the journey from illness to wellness. Other eminent speakers emphasised the importance of wellness, not just in challenging times, but in general as a way of life.

While sharing his perspective, Mr Rajiv Chandran, director and office-in-charge, UN Information Centre emphatically stated that United Nations embraced the Yoga and 175 out of 193 countries unanimously agreed to celebrate Yoga as an annual International Day. The COVID–19 pandemic has completely transformed the concept of wellness. Now, wellness is not merely an individual's concern rather a community strategy and is being viewed in a very broader perspective of people's relationship with planet and the society.”

Promoting adoption of correct lifestyle and wellness strategy, (Padma Shri) Guruji Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana & President, Indian Yoga Association said, “During the present COVID pandemic situations, Yoga – A Way of Life – can bring wellness for people at large. Coronavirus has the potential to infect and affect the human lives, however our immune system is also very strong as WBC (white blood cells) acts a gigantic robust army to defend from many viruses including corona. Stress weakens our immunity system and thus it becomes a victim of virus (corona) attack. He further stated that although one can cure through medicines, vaccinations and other supplements, the solution to strengthen our immunity is Yoga only.” 

Sharing his views, Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council said, “COVID pandemic has taught human race the hard lesson that medical science may not have readymade answers to emerging health crises. Therefore, we need to go back to the basics by putting focus on preventive measures and healthy living. Illness to Wellness has been timely conceived to bring the spotlight back on aspects we perhaps know at the back of our mind, but many are not able to practice in the rush of a busy life, such as the importance of healthy diet, exercise, hygienic habits, timely preventive practices among others.”

Delayed projects hold up over 160,000 job creations

India has lost the opportunity of employing more than 160,000 people with 18 major steel, power and auto projects getting delayed over land acquisition and forest and environment clearance issues, says a study by a business chamber.

According to the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), "the 18 strangled projects of India Inc to the tune of Rs.244,815.5 crore (Rs.2.45 trillion) remained on papers, in the form of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreements over the past three-four years".

However, a smooth implementation could have created job opportunities for at least 164,000 people directly and 270,000 people indirectly, it added.

"Assocham Research Bureau has identified 18 major projects announced by India Inc in sectors such as power, steel, automotive, IT, real estate and metals and mining that are just on papers and struggling for government clearances since 2003-04 till 2008," Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said.

The delayed projects include Posco India's proposed 12 million-tonne capacity steel plant in Orissa; it has already obtained in-principle for the special economic zone status needed for getting land in August 2005, and has pumped in some Rs.1.75 billion.

But delay in land acquisition has been a major stumbling block, Assocham said, adding that a green signal could have generated employment for 35,730 people.

Tata Steel's three greenfield projects in Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh - on a cumulative investment of Rs.820 billion - are similarly in a state of uncertainty on account of land acquisition procedures. Assocham said the three projects could have created employment for at least 2,000-3,000 people directly.

Similarly, Arcelor-Mittal's steel projects in Orissa and Jharkhand are facing peculiar situation for the past three years.

In Jharkhand, the company has got iron ore mines, but not the land, whereas in Orissa, it has land, but are yet to get mines. The planned investment in both the states are a little over Rs.43,050 crore, and is estimated to have generated direct employment for over 5,000 people and indirect employment for about 20,000.

Some mega greenfield projects in Jharkhand, if implemented, would have created nearly 9,000 jobs, Assocham said, basing its estimates on proposed investments of about Rs.40,900 crore by Essar Steel, Jindal Steel and Power and Jindal South-West.

Likewise, in the automotive sector, M&M's joint venture in Chennai with Renault and Nissan has been deferred following a delay in land acquisition; this would have created work for at least 5,000 people directly, Assocham said.

Agencies

Concern voiced over employability of tech students!

A Parliamentary Committee has voiced concern over "employability" of students passing out of technical institutions in the country,saying the expected response from the industry is "simply missing".

Despite several initiatives taken for meaningful interaction between industry and academia for mutual benefits specific to technical education system, linkages between industry and technical institutions continue to remain weak, the Committee said.

The anticipated response from the industry is simply missing and the variety of initiatives has failed to evolve the desired level of participation of the industry, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD said in its report on the functioning of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

It was an accepted fact that technical education comprising almost all the disciplines has to have a well- established linkage with the industry both in terms of its proper growth and job opportunities to the students, the report said.

"Over the years, although there has been tremendous expansion in the number of technical institutions, employability of students passing out of such technical institutions remains a matter of serious concern," it pointed out.

Tie-up with industry associations such as CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM and with entrepreneurship promoting agencies have failed to take off, the Committee, headed by senior Congress MP Janardan Dwivedi, said.

The report said that AICTE's admission that monitoring was required to ensure good response of all the existing schemes indicated the "dismal state of affairs in this most vital area".

"The need of the hour is to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the representatives of the industry so as to have the real understanding of their requirements and remove the existing bottlenecks," it said.

Not impressed by the AICTE's reported move to set up another committee for reviewing the Industry-Institute Partnership Schemes, the report said, "undoubtedly, the Council will have to play the role of coordinator and facilitator between the industry and institutions."

In view of the need to foster public/private partnership and harness private sector resources, AICTE should holistically examine its existing rules, regulations and procedures to further this objective, it said.

The Committee has also sought a report within three months from AICTE on the action taken by it in this regard.

Source: Agencies

Industry welcomes Manmohan Singh taking FM charge

Industry on Sunday welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking charge of the Finance Ministry after P Chidambaram was appointed Home Minister, saying Singh as Finance Minister is known as architect of reforms that transformed the Indian economy.

Prime Minister directly involved himself in tackling the impact of the global credit crisis on the Indian economy. Amidst pressure on the exchange rate and crash in the stock market in the wake of the developments in Wall Street, Singh had appointed a committee under his charge to find a way out of the economic challenges.

"At the recent HT Leadership Summit, the Prime Minister had listed several initiatives under consideration of the government. These include fiscal measures like expenditure on infrastructure and monetary steps such as interest rates. All these relate to the Finance Ministry, which has come under his charge directly," Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Secretary General Amit Mitra said.

Mitra said Singh is the only one in the government who has served as Finance Minister, RBI Governor and Chief Economic Adviser.

Singh was also Secretary (Economic Affairs) and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said the "industrial confidence would get a boost" with the Prime Minister retaining the charge of the Finance Ministry.

Singh had gone to Washington to attend the G-20 meeting called by US President George W Bush, where he sought increased role of the developing countries in the new financial architecture after the global downturn.

Source:PTI

India Inc may lay off 25pc jobs in 10 days

ASSOCHAM said the job cuts would be across the steel, cement, construction, real estate, aviation, IT-enabled services and financial services sectors Indian firms are likely to lay off a quarter of their employees in the next 10 days, as part of steps to contain costs in the face of shrinking margins amidst the economic turmoil, an industry body said on Wednesday.

Trade body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) said the job cuts would be across the steel, cement, construction, real estate, aviation, IT-enabled services and financial services sectors.

Expansion has slowed in Asia's third-largest economy in the last two quarters, from the 8 per cent or more annual growth in the past four years, with high interest rates crimping demand and on the global financial crisis.

The central bank last week cut its forecast for growth in 2008/09 to 7.5-8 per cent from its earlier view of 8 per cent. This compares with the economy's 9 per cent growth in 2007/08.

"Employers have no other alternatives as part of their corporate strategy ... for sustaining their operations with squeezed margins (even) after after drastic cost cutting measures," ASSOCHAM said in a statement.